University of Bristol Independent Student Newspaper
www.epigram.org.uk
29th February 2016
Russell Group says: your questions are too costly
Issue 298
Features
Epigram interviews Last Dambuster, George ‘Johnny’ Johnson
Page
Russell Group want to block Freedom of Information requests due to expense - yet University admit that they don’t record the cost Ben Parr Investigations Editor The University of Bristol does not record how much money they spend on answering Freedom of Information requests, despite the Russell Group citing the ‘cost burden’ as a major reason when asking the government to exempt them from the legislation. In December 2015, the Russell Group’s director of policy, Dr Tim Bradshaw, wrote a letter to the Government asking them to exempt Russell Group universities - which includes Bristol - from the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act (2000).
The act, currently undergoing a review, requires public bodies to supply information to individuals who ask for it, providing that the institution actually holds the information and that it does not exceed the £450 cost limit, or 18 hour time limit to retrieve. The letter sent to the government on behalf of Russell Group universities, such as Bristol, argues that universities incur a considerable cost in answering FoI requests. Particularly, the letter states that they have estimated the average cost of answering a FoI request as being £155 per request. Using the FoI Act, Epigram asked the University what the estimated
cost of answering FoI costs to Bristol is over the course of a year. However, the University’s response was that ‘The University does not record estimated costs associated with responding to Freedom of Information requests, therefore no relevant information is held.’ Jem Collins, Chairperson of the Student Publication Associations (SPA) tols Epigram: ‘It’s incredibly concerning that universities are simultaneously saying the costs of FoI are too high, yet appearing to have no idea what these costs are. Regardless of the argument the act is crucial for democracy regardless of cost, it does appear to take wind out of their reasoning if they can’t even provide figures
for these supposed high costs.’ The University do maintain, however, that the costs are significant. ‘Although we do not quantify the specific costs of responding to FoI requests in terms of individual staff time, there is no question they involve considerable resource across the institution both centrally’, a University Spokesperson told Epigram. During 2015 the University received 356 FoI requests. These requests are managed by the University’s Information Rights Officer, a full time role that largely consists of dealing with these requests. continued on page 3
‘Safe Space’ policy referendum rejected
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Comment Oluwaseun Matiluko contemplates what it means to be a black university student Page 11
Living Epigram interviews Bristol Graduate Tom Kelsey, founder of Page 18
Food Izzie Fernades revels in new lunch stall, AVO
Page 23
Sport Bristol students conquer The Annual Members Meeting, self-described as ‘The Student Union’s largest democratic event’, was held on February 18th in the Anson Rooms, with over 300 attendees as the meeting opened. A total of 11 motions were proposed, of which only 8 were debated due to time constraints. Of
these, 7 motions passed. However, Bristol SU bylaws state that there must be a minimum of 330 people present to reach quorum and the failure to do so now means that all motions passed must be ratified by another vote at the next Student Council. continued page 3
the Atlantic
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Epigram
29.02.2015
News Editorial
2 Editor: Sarah Newey
Deputy Editor: Adam Becket
Deputy Editor: Becki Murray
editor@epigram.org.uk
abecket@epigram.org.uk
becki.murray@epigram.org.uk
A (slightly longer) note from the editor
The date has been set. In four months time, Britain will have the chance to vote on our membership of Europe - should we leave or remain? If you have a glance through the newspapers, you’d been forgiven for thinking that British membership of the EU was a huge mistake since the 1990s, the press has been dominated by anti EU stories, blaming domestic problems on the institutions of Europe. In a recent article for The Journalist, former Fleet Street editor Roy Greenslade suggested that ‘Britain’s right-wing press has done everything in its formidable power to demean the European Union,’ but that their reporting on affairs ‘has been marked by a mixture of misinformation and disinformation, replete with inaccuracy and innuendo.’ It’s not hard to find evidence supporting this claim - former Epigram editor and BBC correspondent, James Landsdale, suggested that Boris Johnson ‘told such dreadful lies’ in his anti-EU coverage of Brussels for the Daily Telegraph 25 years ago. Similarly, Editors at The Times, Daily Mail, The Sun, and The Express have actively encouraged staff to hunt down anti-EU stories. Sensationalism has dominated coverage of Europe, and that’s continued into the current In and Out campaigns. Both sides have crafted arguments largely based on fear factors: fear of the unknown consequences of leaving; fear of the continued effect of immigration if we stay; fear of the impact on our economy if we leave; fear of the impact on our sovereignty if we stay. What happened to a rational, informed debate, based on facts not emotion? In my opinion, there has been a lack of reporting on what the EU has actually achieved. We’re all too happy to focus on the negatives - it makes a better news story - but we shouldn’t forget that British people have directly benefited from EU membership. Cheaper flights; cheaper international telephone calls; easier travel; the ability to live and work abroad; equal pay; improved consumer protection; paid leave; wildlife and environmental protections - theses just a few positives to have emerged from EU incentives. And for students, the Erasmus scheme - which has a budget of €2 billion and involves over 15,000 British students
Inside Epigram Science and Tech 12 Wind Back the Clock Matt Davis explores how dementia affects university students
Film and TV 41 Films to Faces Jack Deslandes, Head of UBTV, tells us about his film top picks
Music
each year - has not only ensured we have the option to study abroad, but at an affordable price. However, the main issues in the upcoming referendum debates are undoubtedly immigration, the economy, and national sovereignty; let’s debunk some of the myths. Firstly, immigration. Our ‘immigrant crisis’ is not solely caused by EU citizens. In the first quarter of 2015, immigration from within the EU was actually lower than that from outside it - 183,000 people compared to 196,000. And don’t forget, many Brits have taken up the option to work and live abroad - there are currently 1.8 million living in mainland Europe, compared to 2.3 million Europeans in the UK. Those who have moved here have also made a significant contribution to the UK’s public finances - contributing an estimated £20 billion between 2000 and 2011 - which is far more than they receive in benefits. It’s also worth remembering that we benefit from welfare systems abroad too. Roughly 2.5% of Brits claim unemployment benefit in other EU countries, for example, which is similar to the number of Europeans claiming jobseeker’s allowance here. The Department for Work and Pensions have estimated that 2.5% of their benefit bill goes towards EU migrants. Information overload there - but what does it mean? EU migrants are not the only group of people coming to Britain; they have contributed to our economy; and they don’t claim all our benefits - in fact they don’t claim many at all. Next up, the economy. I’ll try to be brief. The Confederation of British Industry have estimated that financially, Britain gains between £62 billion and £78 billion each year thanks to EU membership. A pretty decent return when you consider that we contribute about £9 billion, or 0.5% of our GDP, to the European budget. There have also been estimates that 3 million UK jobs are linked directly to trade with the EU, as 57% of British trade is with Europe. This could be endangered if we left and were hit by hefty EU trade tariffs. Yes, it would probably be possible to negotiate our own separate economic agreement with the EU - but there is no clear proposition for what this would look like. Turkey currently has a customs union; Switzerland a series of bilateral agreements; Norway has the European Economic Area Agreement. Perhaps Britain could negotiate a similar deal. But, and this is a massive
but, all of these countries have to agree to European laws in exchange for economic agreements, and the service industry is not included. Based on precedent, this effectively means that the UK’s strongest sector, services, would be damaged by Brexit, and we would actually have less say over EU legislation that would still affect us. This leads nicely into the final issue - sovereignty. The term is thrown around left right and centre, and suggests that the UK Parliament do not have control over the legislation stemming from the EU. But, in my opinion, this view is often based on a lack of understanding of the institutions of Europe. The European Commission, effectively the civil service, sets the EU budget and proposes legislation. Every country has a commissioner who influences this process in the interests of their nation. Once legislation has been drafted, it is passed on to the European Parliament, which contains 751 MEPs, representing every country, and further discusses legislation and policy put forward. The UK has 73 MEPs, but only 35% of the electorate turned out at the last MEP election - so if we’re complaining the process is undemocratic, perhaps we should first look at our own behaviour. After going through Parliament, legislation reaches the European Council, which contains the 28 Heads of State from EU member countries. For nearly any new law to be accepted, all 28 Heads of State have to agree and sign the legislation. This process is far from perfect, and reform is necessary, but it is clear that Britain has the chance to shape legislative outcomes at every stage of the process. If we left, we would not have this opportunity - but we would probably still have to agree to many laws in order to gain trade agreements, and the 100,000 pages of EU law we’ve already accepted wouldn’t be undone. Surely we’re better to be within Europe, shaping reform and direction, than on the outside, still being impacted by EU law but without contributing to it? I could keep going with reasons to stay in the EU, but fundamentally my point is simple: the EU is not the root cause of many of the issues the press blames it for, and, before you suggest it is, do a bit more research about how membership has benefitted Britain. Because, in my view, Britain is significantly ‘stronger in Europe.’
Sarah Newey
Interested in writing for Epigram? Check out our website (www.epigram.org.uk) for links to the writers Facebook groups, or email editor@epigram.org.uk with your ideas. We look forward to hearing from you! Editorial team Editor Sarah Newey editor@epigram.org.uk Deputy Editors Adam Becket abecket@epigram.org.uk Becki Murray becki.murray@epigram.org.uk Online Editor Ciara Lally ciara.lally@epigram.org.uk Deputy Online Editors Hannah Price hannah.price@epigram.org.uk
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42 Everyone’s ears will be flapping...
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Ella Kemp interviews Cage the Elephant frontman Matt Shultz
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Uni Anti-FOIs
Max Austin, Undergraduate Education Officer at the University of Bristol Students’ Union, delivered Blunt’s oration, commenting that: ‘James, who throughout his life has always sought to develop his passion and talent for music, but not necessarily through academic study, is a perfect example of how the range of experiences and opportunities you get at university may in fact become the defining aspect of your life.’
- An FoI request must cost less than £450. - It must also take less than 18 hours to investigate and retrieve.
University of Bristol
James Blunt was awarded an honouary degree in music earlier this month.
Blunt makes a come back Abbie Scott Deputy News Editor James Blunt was awarded a Doctor of Music honorary degree on 17th February in recognition of his contribution to music. The University wanted to thank him for his outstanding achievement in such a respected area. Blunt orginally studied Aerospace Engineering before switching to Sociology here at Bristol University from 1992-1996.
While studying for his degree, he continued to develop his passion for song writing. ‘Wisemen’, from the album ‘Back to Bedlam,’ which was the highest-selling album of 2005 in the UK, was written during his student years. His thesis on ‘The Commodification of Image – Production of a Pop Idol,’ also highlighted his dreams for the future. Blunt said: ‘This is a huge and perhaps slightly undeserved honour from the place where I had some of my most rewarding and memorable years.’
‘This is a huge and perhaps slightly undeserved honour from the place where I had some of my most rewarding and memorable years.’ Blunt’s undergraduate studies were sponsored by the Army. After graduating he joined the Life Guards, a cavalry regiment of the British Army. He served as part of the United Nation’s peacekeeping force in Kosovo, where he rose to the rank of Captain and commanded 30,000 troops into Pristina. Music remained an integral part of his life: he was known for entertaining the locals and decorating his tank by placing a guitar on the outside. Blunt left the Life Guards after six years of service and having played a prominent part in the funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. He was finally able to pursue a career in music, and this has proved incredibly successful. He has sold over 20 million albums and 17 million singles worldwide. Continuing to show his support for the armed forces, Blunt has raised significant funds through benefit concerts and is now a patron of Help for Heroes and a supporter of Médecins Sans Frontières. UOB
continued from front page Many FoI requests received can be immediately rejected on the basis of the University not holding the information or having legal reasons for not releasing it, but a single FoI request can cost up to £450. Using the Russell Group’s estimated cost per FoI, for 2015 an estimated cost to the University of Bristol for answering FoIs is £55,180. A large part of this cost will be the Information Rights Officer’s salary. ‘The University fully subscribes to the principles of openness and accountability, and we anticipate that even if higher education institutions were taken out of the scope of the FoI Act, other measures to ensure transparency would be put in place’, said a University Spokesperson. However, if the University were exempt from the FoI Act, they would not be under any legal obligation to provide information within a certain time frame, or at least it would be more to their discretion as to what they release. ‘We’ve always maintained that FoIs are a vital tool for both the student population and society as a whole, and the recent review has only served to highlight how much important information the public deserves to know would never have seen the light of day,’ Collins told Epigram.
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News
Epigram 29.02.2015
‘Safe Space’ policy referendum struck down Dalia Abu Yassien Deputy News Editor
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university’s new plans to invest into the campus area. He hinted at a potential refurbishment of the Arts and Social Sciences Library. He also revealed the results of the #change1thing campaign, stating that most demands made by students centred around changing the sports and library facilities. Not all students were satisfied with the meeting. Adam Becket, Epigram’s Deputy Editor, commented that it was ‘ridiculous that this is the way that decisions are made. I wasted an evening for democracy, and there weren’t even enough students there for it to be
quorate.’ Indeed, the evening’s set-backs included a failure of the digital voting system, and a need to revert back to the more traditional manual counting of votes. Sian Jones, a third-year English student, commented, ‘I appreciate students using the AMM as a space to advocate the wider political issues they are passionate about, but not enough of the motions targeted students specifically. We need to be practical about where we can make real change, and there was a lack of smaller-scale, student-focused motions.’
‘We need to be practical about where we can make real change, and there was a lack of smaller-scale, student-focused motions.’ The evening commenced with a ‘Democracy Review’: Thomas Phipps, Union Affairs Officer, proposed some changes to the current democracy model of the SU. Under his proposed model, which was based on a consultation of Bristol students, institutions such as the AMM would be scrapped, and opportunities for students to get proactively involved would be pushed through the creation of student ‘Networks’. However, this failed to get the twothirds majority vote needed to pass. Pro Vice-Chancellor Nick Lieven also addressed the audience, elaborating on the
Twitter / Olesya Dovgalyuk
continued from front page The only motion to be defeated was Motion 3: Ben Kew, the proponent, demanded a university-wide referendum on the Union’s ‘Safe Space policy’, arguing that the policy was at odds with freedom of speech. It was defeated by a significantly large margin and saw many speakers opposing it. The most pertinent argument made was that the referendum would by default ‘silence the minority voices whom the Safe Space policy seeks to protect.’ In addition, opposing speakers called attention to the fact that the Safe Space policy is already undergoing a process of review and change. A separate motion, which was debated for the longest amount of time and which passed by a relatively close 117-92 margin, was a proposal to divest from all goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This debate was emotionally wrought on both sides: one of the supporting speakers was Jude, who grew up in the West Bank and described the various injustices she faced under the occupation. She answered the various counter-arguments, which included suggestions that divestment from Israel would hurt Palestine too, with a passion that clearly won many over. Closer to home, another hotly contested motion was one proposed by Ben DuncanDuggal which urged the Union to take an officially pro-EU stance, a suggestion that gains pertinence after David Cameron’s recent announcement of the June referendum date. In addition, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Hugh Brady, has just signed an open letter from UK universities supporting the ‘In’ campaign. The letter stated ‘leaving would
mean cutting ourselves off from established networks.’ Although many present at the AMM were indeed pro-EU, it was clear that many felt the EU was too divisive an issue for the SU to take a decisive stance on. The motion finally passed however, although the margin was close. The less controversial motions that comfortably passed included a proposal for the Union to accept the Bristol Pound (Bristol’s city-wide local currency), supporting the campaign against the brutal conditions within the Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre, subsidising costs for students to attend the anti-racism demo in London and giving postgraduate students the choice to be paid monthly or quarterly.
Students voting for a motion at the Annual Members Meeting, Anson Rooms
Epigram 29.02.2015
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Bristol joins in celebration of LGBT+ History Month Emily Faint Online News Editor
students, both LGBT+ and otherwise, hearing about the events related to LGBT+ History Month and participating. ‘I don’t think it is common knowledge,’ another LGBT+ student agreed. ‘If you don’t already follow LGBT+ news and media outlets, it’s unlikely that you’ll know about these things.’
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‘Why we must campaign for more diverse reading lists and make sure that we are proactively looking to listen to the personal experiences of minority groups.That is on every single one of us.’ Jamie Cross, Equality, Liberation and Access Officer at Bristol SU, reflected on what more can still be done for movements such as LGBT+ History Month: ‘There is still a long way to go. That is why we must campaign for more diverse reading lists and make sure that we are proactively looking to listen to the personal experiences of minority groups. That is on every single one of us.’
Epigram
February 2016 marked the coming of LGBT+ History Month to Bristol, an educational movement that began more than 40 years ago with the British charity, Schools Out UK. With the primary aim of ‘increasing the visibility of LGBT people, their history, lives and their experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community,’ Schools Out UK held a five hour event at Bristol’s very own M Shed which included LGBT+ history-focused talks such as ‘UK Black Pride: How far have we come?’ and ‘LGBT Rights in the Workplace – Now & Then’. Dr Andrew Blades, a lecturer with the Department of English, encouraged students from his ‘Queer Writing’ unit to attend the M Shed events to draw on the movement as an academic resource in addition to general interest. ‘Outstories Bristol is a great organisation documenting LGBT+ social history in the city,’ he told Epigram, ‘and things like the programme of events at the M Shed this year show that queer history is everybody’s history.’ Bristol SU, in partnership with local LGBT+
organisation, OutStories Bristol, welcomed Stuart Milk, global LGBT+ rights activist and nephew of the US civil rights campaigner and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office, Harvey Milk. Stuart introduced the Academy Award winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk, and answered questions about the film and the Milk Foundation’s work, an organisation that campaigns globally for LGBT+ rights and of which he is a founding member. Bristol SU’s LGBT+ Society also organised events such as an LGBT+ history-themed pub quiz and a screening of the award winning film, Pride, followed by an opportunity for group discussion. Matthew Stroud, a member of the LGBT+ Society, told Epigram: ‘I think it’s important to learn how the LGBT+ community has grown and our progression through history is being exemplified in the events of today, like Pride celebrations, same-sex marriage and the transgender rights movement.’ However, one LGBT+ identifying student at the University of Bristol expressed their surprise to Epigram that they had not heard about LGBT+ History Month events going on in Bristol and at the university, deeming the extent of promotion and awareness ‘insufficient’. They went on to suggest that a greater presence on social media would increase the likeliness of
Many feel that there is not enough awareness about LGBT events at Bristol university.
Modafinil allowed: but are the grades worth the risk? Dr. Dominique Thompson, Director of Bristol Student’s Health Service, has warned of the rise of students using the study drug Modafinil at Bristol. Dr. Thompson said she has seen ‘three or four’ students suffering from side effects in the past year, reporting problems of anxiety and insomnia.
“ 20-40 per cent of students may be using modafinil.
She also warned of the dangers of buying drugs online, as ‘you don’t know what you’re getting,’ and said that as many as 20-40 per cent of students may be using modafinil. The Doctor’s statements seem to undermine the university’s own assessment that ‘at our university, the number of users of these drugs who seek help from our student services remains a very small
percentage of the student population, with just a handful of cases among our 22,000 students.’ The drug, although illegal to sell in the UK, is not illegal to buy and there are a host of online companies, usually based in Asia, selling modafinil to students in the UK. The growing pressure on students to perform better and better in order to secure a job in an increasingly competitive job market is pushing more and more students to turn to drugs like modafinil for help. The risk is that students are putting their grades above their health; this is particularly worrying as Dr. Thompson reminds us that the long term side effects of the drug are still unknown. The increase in modafinil and other cognitive enhancing drugs such as Ritalin, usually used to treat ADHD, is part of a larger trend of increased pharmaceutical usage. You want to go to sleep, you can take a pill, you want to party, you can take a pill, you want to relax, you can take a pill, you want to wake up, you can take a pill and now if you want to study, you can take a pill too. Epigram spoke to one student who had had a particularly bad experience using the drug. ‘I took modafinil for about two weeks straight, about 2-3 pills a day. The following three months I has spasms throughout the night as I slept,’ she explained.
Sophie Lomer
The drugs are available to buy online
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George Clarke Online News Editor
‘The second time I did it, I only took half a modafinil. I started working and felt it kick in but I noticed I started feeling these piercing abrupt pains around my chest and neck area. It got too distracting for me to focus on my work so I decided to lie in bed and close my eyes. When I opened them the whole room had gone pink, I panicked and closed my eyes and when I opened them the room was orange.
‘Modafinil, although prescription-only, is legal and therefore a student taking it would not be infringing any University rules’
‘The next day I went to the hospital and found out the pains were due to a bad reaction with the modafinil which has caused my intercostal muscles to become inf lamed. The doctor didn’t tell me much else, he didn’t even know what modafinil was, but assured me my heart was fine.’ On the other hand, some students report highly positive experiences with the drug. ‘I’ve taken modafinil loads of times and it’s really helped me to get better grades on my essays and exams,’ a third year Politics student told Epigram. However, he
also went on to say that ‘it can mess up your sleeping pattern and sometimes, although it makes you concentrate, it can be on the wrong thing. One time I ended up intensely playing video games.’ The jury is still out on whether modafinil really works, a meta-analysis produced by the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical school evaluated all research between 1990 and 2014 and found that modafinil does improve decision making and planning capabilities. However, the European Medicines Agency concluded that ‘the benefits of modafinil-containing medicines continue to outweigh the risks only for the treatment of narcolepsy.’ There is also the question of ethics to consider; in the same way as athletes using performance-enhancing steroids, modafinil gives some students an edge other others, so is taking modafinil cheating? The third year Politics student said that ‘modafinil doesn’t provide you with any more intelligence than you already have, it just supplies you with the potential to focus for longer.’ Indeed, if modafinil is only offering increased wakefulness it is hard to differentiate its effects from those of caffeine. The University clarified their policy; ‘Illegal cognitive enhancers such as ritalin would fall under our illegal drugs policy. Modafinil, although prescription-only, is legal and therefore a student taking it would not be infringing any University rules. However, they went on to say, ‘If taking modafinil leads to any misbehaviour then we would take appropriate action. Equally, if the University became aware that the use of a particular substance was widespread, then we would consider banning its possession and use in all University residences.’ Duke University in North Carolina has amended its academic honesty policy to include ‘unauthorised use of prescription medication’ after pressure from students understandably angry with other ‘cheating’ students. However, without rolling out drugs testing across the university it is hard to imagine how a ban would be enforced. In India, Air Force pilots are using the drug in order to enhance their concentration during training missions. Whatever the verdict on the safety and fairness of using modafinil, one thing is for certain: more and more people are using the drug.
Epigram 29.02.2016
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Searching for a ‘good death’: One Bristolian’s legacy Noa Leach News Reporter On February 20th, Bristol students and residents gathered at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for a talk on the topic of assisted dying. The event was hugely popular, with people standing at the back and queuing outside to get in. The inspiration for the talk was Bristolian Maggie Roebuck, who suffered from multiple sclerosis for ten years before choosing to end her life in Switzerland. Her widower, Brian Sacks, was on the panel to discuss and honour his wife’s story and debate the question: what is a good death? He was interviewed by Barbara Bloomfield, a Bristolian writer, counsellor and close friend of Maggie’s. ‘It’s absolutely crucial that the language reflects the intention,’ Bloomfield said. Assisted ‘suicide’ implies the desire for death, so they prefer the term ‘assisted dying’.
took 18 months. ‘Because there’s no legal framework, it makes the whole process a lot more painful,’ he explained. Sacks used the metaphor of a pet’s death to clarify the situation; a dog is put down quietly in the home, but, ‘if you’re a human, you have to travel across the world to die away from your friends and family.’ The family even found it difficult to seek counselling for the ordeal, as it is not a legal process. The couple eventually sought help from a Bristol-based charity called ‘Harbour’, which offers free counselling to those affected by life-threatening illnesses. In the video, Maggie stated that, ‘the current government is just so cruel to disabled people.’ Bloomfield and Sacks agreed that the main element of a ‘good death’ is no suffering, but Maggie was denied this. Brian is convinced that the legalisation of
assisted dying is on its way. ‘It will happen. The sooner they get on with it the better,’ he said. Leaflets were left on chairs encouraging attendees to pressure the government into legalising assisted dying in the UK.
‘I’m really angry that I have to go all the way to Switzerland to die.’
The leaflets stated facts such as, ‘57 per cent of doctors feel assisted dying legislation is the best way to protect terminally ill people who want to die.’
Bristol University
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that video again,’ said a family friend. There were also a number of students present, including two second years reading philosophy. A second year unit this year is Death, Dying and Disease and so the talk was particularly relevant. One commented that she was, ‘Still uncomfortable with the notion of legalising assisted death’, while her friend disagreed. It still remains a controversial subject. In the video Maggie expressed how ‘annoyed’ she was to have to go to Switzerland. ‘I’m just really angry that I have to go all the way to Switzerland to die,’ she said. ‘If I could just die at home I wouldn’t have to worry about getting there before I get too ill.’ Assisted ‘suicide’ is currently illegal in the UK. Sacks ran the risk of being prosecuted when he accompanied his late wife to Switzerland. He talked about their alternative method as a ‘torturous’ and ‘long-winded’ process that
Bristolian Maggie Roebuck suffered from multiple sclerosis for ten years before choosing to end her life.
Noa Leach / Epigram
Epigram/ Sorcha Bradley
Parts of the talk were deeply moving, especially a video recorded of Maggie a few days before her death. There was crying in the audience and nostalgic laughter for some, as Maggie told the camera that she’d like to come back as Mother Earth: ‘If that position’s still available, I’ll take it.’ The room was occupied mainly by a middleaged audience, including several friends and members of the couple’s family. ‘It’s been quite emotional for me watching
Brian Sacks recounts the story of his partner Maggie’s assisted death
Favell House fights off flames: 234 students on all flats and should any tampering with fire doors or fire equipment be detected this will be dealt with and disciplinary action will be taken. ‘Whenever there is a fire alarm you must leave your flat immediately, today few students were reluctant to leave and I will meet with them very soon. Failure to do so will mean disciplinary conduction.’ The incident is another in a series of fires at halls of residences, the most memorable being
All the students were safely evacuated and there were no injuries
the Colston Street fire which devastated 33 Colston Street Halls in October last year. The effects of that fire were widespread, both for the students who were forced to find alternative living arrangements and also for the surrounding area as a whole, as many roads and shops were shut for weeks. Fortunately the fire at Favell was quickly brought under control. Investigations by fire crews are ongoing as the cause remains unknown. Students are once again reminded to be aware of fire safety at all times to avoid further incidents of this kind.
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Flikrr: Trevor Hurlbut Flickr / Kyla Borg
Students living in Favell House were evacuated after a fire broke out at 1pm on Thursday 18th February. It is thought that the fire began on the second floor. Favell House is a city centre accommodation housing 234 undergraduate students. ‘Thankfully, all the students were safely evacuated and there were no injuries,’ a spokesperson for the university told Epigram. ‘We are supporting those living in the affected flat, who will be temporarily rehoused either in the same block or one nearby. ‘We are very grateful to Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Unite Students, who acted very promptly to deal with the situation. We will continue to work closely with the fire and rescue service to ensure students are educated about fire safety issues.’ News of the fire, in which no one is believed to have been hurt, spread quickly through Yik Yak. One Yik Yak user said the, ‘Favell fire was on floor 2, [I] could see smoke coming out a window but it’s stopped now.’ It was, ‘lucky nobody was hurt and the fire was limited to [one] flat,’ a representative of the City Centre Riverside JCR has stated. ‘However, consequences could have been much worse as the kitchen door was propped open. ‘We will be carrying out fire safety checks
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Edward Henderson-Howat and Abbie Scott Deputy Online Editor and Deputy News Editor
Avon Fire and Rescue Service responded quickly to the situation
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The Last Surviving Dambuster An interview with George ‘Johnny’ Johnson
Sarah Newey and Adam Becket Editor and Deputy Editor Operation Chastise, more commonly known as the Dambuster Raid, has become entrenched in the British narrative of World War Two - not least because of the overwhelmingly popular 1955 film. But the film ‘has to be somewhat disappointing’ for it doesn’t tell the full story; the assault on the Sorpe Dam wasn’t mentioned, and it was this assault which the last surviving Dambuster, George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, was involved in. We met Johnny before he gave the inaugural Richmond Lecture - ‘not a lecture, a talk; I don’t lecture’ - to a captivated audience of 400 students and staff. During WWII, Johnny completed 50 operations, mainly as a bomb aimer, and received six medals for his service. Yet he doesn’t like to be called a hero. As he organises his medals he laments that not everyone involved was rewarded, rather than focusing on his own important role - ‘the operators and the gunners, the flight engineers got nothing - which to me, was wrong. They all took part, very much a part, in the raid.’ Now 94, he has been speaking about his experiences since his wife died 10 years ago ‘to think about something instead of grieving all the time’ - and what a story he has to tell.
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‘As a bomb aimer, I’m lying at the front of the aircraft, and the ground is just whizzing past me as we fly. So exhilarating.’
restricted when other Lancasters were shot down en route to the Sorpe, or had to turn back to England before reaching the target. As Johnny told us, ‘although we didn’t achieve an actual breach of the dam, we did our best.’ On the way home, their plane flew over the Möhne and Eder dams, something he calls ‘the outstanding part of the whole trip.’ This was the ‘lasting memory of the whole trip,’ as the crew saw something few others witnessed - ‘there was water everywhere, it was just like an inland sea.’ Yet although Johnny describes the operation as ‘the highlight of my operational career,’ he neglected to tell his wife about his involvement until she overheard a conversation on a bus a week or so later and ‘she wasn’t impressed.’ Laughing at his oversight he commented that he ‘just about got away with it.’ The pair had married six weeks earlier, when McCarthy managed to persuade his superiors that Johnny deserved a few days leave, and both were consistently optimistic that he would return unharmed. ‘With Joe,’ he explains, ‘as I say, I never once felt that I wasn’t going to come back. I knew that he would always bring me back. And strangely enough, my wife had the same confidence.’ Johnny talked to us about Sir Barnes Wallis and Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the two men responsible for the operation. Asked what Gibson was like to work with, he responds ‘that is a $64 million question,’ calling
him ‘arrogant’ and ‘bombastic’ while noting that he had ‘something to be arrogant about.’ Pointing out that he wonderfully led the squadron on the operation, Johnny tells us ‘attack wise, he was a great leader and a great man, but otherwise a little difficult to get on with.’ In contrast, Barnes Wallis ‘really was a wonderful man,’ who ‘hated being referred to as an inventor.’ Johnny’s eyes light up at this point, as he tells us about the mastermind of the dams raid. ‘I have a postcard with his picture on it, with his titles at the bottom, with a quotation at the top, “I thought about how an engineer could help to end the war.” And that was his philosophy.’
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Johnny describes the operation as ‘the highlight of my operational career.’
Despite being so jovial, there is one group of people Johnny feels disdain for; those he calls ‘retrospective historians’. They are, he says, historians ‘who after the war claimed that the Dams raid should never have taken place, that it achieved nothing.’ ‘I used to say as a young man that if I ever met one of those people, I should hope my hands were tied behind my back, because I’m not quite sure what I would do with them.’ In his view, if they
weren’t there, they should keep their ‘bloody mouth shut.’ Johnny is an inspirational man to meet, not just because of his actions during the war, but also due to his achievements since. He remained in the RAF for a further 15 years after WWII, before becoming a primary school teacher and then working in mental health and adult education. His daughter, Jenny, suggested it was actually his later work which she admired him for most: ‘that’s what I’m most proud of because that was something he did as an individual, if you see what I mean.’ Indeed, Johnny’s autobiography, ‘The Last British Dambuster’ is a life story, not just a book about his involvement in the iconic raid - something his family had insisted on. But when discussing the book, Johnny’s modesty comes across once more as he admits to feeling ‘almost ashamed,’ as ‘it’s come out in my name but it was put together by a ghost writer and he’s done a wonderful job. I just talked, as usual.’ The evening was a fitting start to Bristol SU’s new Richmond Lecture series, and it seemed like the Last Surviving Dambuster enjoyed speaking as much as the 400 strong audience enjoyed listening to his witty and humble talk. If you missed Johnny’s lecture at the Anson Rooms, you can listen to a recording on the University of Bristol Soundcloud account. Wendy Darke will be giving the next lecture on March 8th.
Epigram/Sarah Newey
Johnny signed up to the RAF in 1940, explaining ‘the army didn’t appeal one bit’ after he’d seen WWI films depicting trench warfare and he also dislikes water: ‘so the RAF it was’. While he didn’t want to be a pilot both due to the responsibility and a perceived lack of aptitude, ‘the selection committee thought differently’ and Johnny was sent to Arcadia in Florida for training. In the end, however, his ‘landings weren’t quite what they should have been,’ and he returned to Britain in 1942, ‘no nearer to the war than I had been when I signed in 1940.’ He left his mark on the Americans, however. Johnny recalled how ‘their petty discipline and their sloppy marching really got on my nose,’ so before they left for home a group of Brits put the air corp in their place: ‘we fell in RAF style outside the dining room, and we marched back at 160 paces to the minute, arms swinging waist high upwards and backwards the looks that were going round!’ Once back on home soil, Johnny trained in gunnery and was posted to 97 Squadron, where he flew on night operations with any crew in need of a bomb aimer or rear gunner. It wasn’t
long after that he joined Joe McCarthy’s crew, an American in the Canadian air force - ‘6ft 3, and the breadth to go with the height. Big in size, big in personality, big in pilotability.’ The pair became lifelong friends, and it was with McCarthy’s crew that Johnny flew in the Dambuster raid on May 16th 1943. Despite his age, we can’t stop Johnny speaking, with his daughter Jenny having to interrupt him when he goes slightly off on a tangent. It is this that makes him so fascinating though: all 94 years of experience coming to him as if it had just happened. The raid itself was top secret, and aimed to destroy three large dams in the Ruhr valley using Sir Barnes Wallis’s new bouncing bomb. But those involved knew little about the operation until the briefing on the day and the target proved a big surprise: ‘I don’t think dams were even considered.’ The objective of the mission was to destroy the dams in order to disrupt German industry and hydro-electric power supply. Johnny’s crew was aiming to destroy the Sorpe dam, but it took ten flyovers in their Lancaster plane before Johnny and Joe were both happy and released their bomb. The crew were clearly getting a little techy by this point - ‘won’t somebody get that bomb out of here’ came a voice from the rear turret after the seventh flyover. While the attack on the Sorpe dam failed, it was always the least likely dam to be breached. Success was also
The last surviving Dambuster, George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, spoke at the first of the Richmond Lecture Series
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I’m a Survivor: breaking the silence Megan Wilson Features Writer On the day before Christmas this year, I received a message from the girl who had told my whole world (which at this point consisted of a small seaside town) that I was ‘crying rape’ after a sexual assault I experienced three years before. The feeble Facebook message had the tone of someone whose conscience had been stirred by her own unnerving brush with uninvited sexual advances whilst simultaneously remaining stubbornly incapable of admitting her own wrongdoing. I had heard that she had an uncomfortable experience with the perpetrator of my assault four months before she ruefully popped up on my iPhone disrupting my festive celebrations, but I could not help but wonder: what took her so long?
Rape and sexual assault are taboo subjects and whilst the concept of consent is being pushed at young people from every corner, there remains an eerie silence surrounding the subject of life afterwards. Survivors’ testimonies are being quietened by the voices of ‘helpful’ friends telling them that ‘it happens all the time’, that ‘it’s your fault for getting too drunk’ or even the
to avoid buying my favourite donut from my hometown Greggs because my assailant works there is a sacrifice I’m not OK with). I guarantee that every person reading these words will know someone at university who has been assaulted in some way on a night out, whether that is by being pinched on the bum in Bunker or followed home from Mbargos. It has become normalised to the point where we become desensitised. Ignorance is also a significant factor that leads to the ‘victim blaming’ that so often goes hand in hand with assault. As this girl wrote in her message, ‘I think when I was younger I thought about it like stuff you hear in the news and never expected it to be so close to home and it just didn’t seem real’. Another fundamental role of The Survivors Network will be to educate everyone, not just survivors or friends and partners but the entire university populous. We will be inviting excellent speakers to talk about various issues surrounding the topic of sexual assault in universities and daily life. I know first-hand how damning it can be to utterly believe that something was your fault. If enough people tell you that you are a liar (in my case the lawyer mother of my attacker in front of my entire sixth form) you begin to believe them. I knew immediately after the event that something was not right, and the pit that grew into a toxic wasteland in my stomach simply confirmed that, as over the following months I lost friends, credibility and more fundamentally, my mental health. I simply unravelled. If I had known then what I know now - of the resources available to help me - I would not have felt so alone. To this
day my parents do not know and whilst this has been my most selfless act of protection, it was also the core of my isolation. I have created The Survivors Network so that everyone, no matter if any of their loved ones know, can feel supported and validated. So, as I sat there on Christmas Eve in utter disbelief at this intrusion into the life I had built from the wreckage that
was left after my assault, I decided to forgive her. She hadn’t understood at the time the complicated world of sex and consent. Because of that I decided to create The Survivors Network, a platform and community for both recovery and education. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheSurvivorsNetwork
Leyla Reynolds
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‘How can anyone come to terms with such a horrifying loss of personal and physical autonomy if they have no one to discuss it?
stunning hush of disbelief. As this girl said in her message, ‘I was very naïve to question what you were saying at the time and of course learnt the hard way.’ How can anyone come to terms with such a horrifying loss of personal and physical autonomy if they have no one to discuss it with? We are given the tools for prevention, but not recovery, and in forming this peer-to-peer network - The Survivors Network - we are hoping to change that. We will create a safe and confidential space in which survivors can come together and talk about what it is like to live after assault. We welcome all gender identities. Everyone has wildly differing responses and roads to recovery but I can simply point to the undeniable link between assault and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and detachment disorders. The Network will therefore try to cater for everyone with sessions differing in focus from more talkative meetings to art or music based sessions. It was when I opened up to a friend in my first year at Bristol, only for her to then tell me of her own appalling experience, that I realised how widespread this epidemic is. Over the year as we met weekly to talk about our mental health and lives as survivors we both began to heal a little bit. Things stopped seeming so insurmountable and terrible. I touched upon the idea of victim blaming, which is particularly prominent with regard to crimes that take place with the presence of inebriating substances. The majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim (having
The Survivors Network provides peer support for survivors of sexual assault
Dr. McLellan says ‘Women have to hold their nerve’ Claire Hargreaves and Helena Davies Features Writers Despite making up almost half of the academic staff, only 20 per cent of all professorships in UK universities are held by women. There is no evidence to suggest that their intellectual calibre is
in any way inferior to that of their male colleagues, with 46 per cent of all EU PhD graduates being female. So why are relatively few of them reaching the higher echelons of their profession? Epigram spoke to Dr. Josie McLellan, who has recently been appointed as the first ever female Head of History at the University of Bristol, about the challenges women face in academia.
Emily Gillingham
Dr. McLellan is Bristol’s first ever female Head of History
‘Professional jobs are not set up for people who have primary responsibility for children’she explained. Since women may be expected to undertake such responsibility in our society, perhaps it is no wonder there is only a small proportion of females who make it to the top within the demanding environment of academia. With 84 per cent of stay-athome roles being fulfilled by women, it might be suggested that factors such as having to be the primary caregiver holds women back from climbing the academic ladder. ‘Women have to hold their nerve,’ Dr. McLellan explained. ‘For academics nowadays, there is no permanent job until one’s mid-thirties. Women worry about when they are going to have a family and settle down – for a lot of women that is when they leave, for understandable and practical reasons.’ However, another issue may be the lack of encouragement given to women to pursue roles beyond the PhD, which may derive from an implicit gender bias in the academic milieu. Dr. McLellan suggests that there is ‘a real pay gap at Professorial level’ where there is ‘not so much transparency.’ A 2011 project run by the University and College Union found that, ‘on average, female professors earn 6.3 per cent (£4,828) less than their male counterparts.’ Therefore, ‘some institutions have introduced professorial grades with the aim of making the process more transparent.’ ‘Whilst men tend to put themselves forward when they are 5/10, women wait
until they are 10/10, when you only need to be a 7/10,’ she argued. This highlights the importance of ‘providing that much-needed encouragement’ and that women in particular ‘need someone to say to them to put themselves forward.’ Describing herself as a ‘white middleclass woman’, with a PhD from Oxford who didn’t have a child until ‘established’ in her career, Dr. McLellan recognises she has been fortunate, acknowledging that her success is ‘more of a story of a lack of barriers.’ However, for those who face greater external challenges, it can be a gruelling, sometimes overwhelming climb up the career ladder in a world so full of ‘implicit bias, whether it be against women, ethnic minorities or members of the working class.’ An example of the efforts made to address these issues is a project that Dr. McLellan herself co-ordinated, ‘Women, Work & Value.’ Using historical resources as a framework, the project seeks to answer the question, ‘what is women’s work worth?’ When discussing the project’s work with women in potentially vulnerable positions, such as teenage mothers, Dr. McLellan suggests, ‘We need to listen to them. It’s not just about us as a university telling them what to do, we have a lot to learn from them and we need to aim to bring them in.’ At the University of Bristol, just 7 per cent of professors in science are women and 46 per cent of female STEM students said they had experienced sexist comments. Dr. McLellan stated she was ‘truly shocked by the level of
sexism reported by students in STEM subjects.’ Nevertheless, Dr. McLellan emphasised the supportive surroundings she finds herself in, complimenting the ‘great department and fantastic, talented, committed colleagues.’ This is clearly demonstrated by the positive initiatives within the University of Bristol, such as ‘Women in Science’, ‘Women in Engineering’ and ‘Women in Leadership’ which attempt to encourage more females to actively engage in domains usually associated with men.
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Only 20 per cent of all Professorships in UK Universities are held by women
The interview concluded with Dr. McLellan giving two pieces of valuable advice for young female undergraduates: ‘Firstly, it’s all about having confidence in your own abilities and not underselling yourself as a lot of women are socialised to do. Secondly, in any relationship, make sure you’re not doing more than 50 per cent of the unpaid work.’ The fact that gender inequality and implicit bias are increasingly in the public conscience means we may hope to experience true equality in our professional lives. Dr. McLellan is certainly an example to inspire us all.
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Why the physchoactive substance act is set to criminalise a generation of students Will Harley Features Writer On 5th April, the highly controversial Psychoactive Substances Act will come into effect, making countless formerly legal recreational drugs a crime to produce, supply or possess. The Conservative government devised the blanket ban on socalled ‘legal highs’ in an effort to keep up with the prolific production of various legal alternatives to drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy - chemicals which are often even more dangerous than their illegal counterparts. However, the new law also prohibits the use of several much less dangerous recreational drugs, one of which is a notorious favourite of Bristol students. Infamous illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine grab the headlines, but the use of legal highs seems to be more prevalent in society, especially amongst students. In a survey conducted for this article, 60 per cent of university students said they’d tried laughing gas, and 44 per cent said they’d tried other drugs affected by the act, suggesting a great many students will be affected by this contentious new law. Many Bristol students emerging from Lizard Lounge after a social, or walking down Park Street late at night, will have noticed the recent absence of street vendors inflating colourful balloons from a flask-shaped dispenser and exchanging them for students’ £2 coins. Their disappearance is undoubtedly a consequence of the new legal status of their product: nitrous
oxide (more commonly known as laughing gas), has recently become illegal to supply for recreational use under the Psychoactive Substances Act. This means such vendors are now out of a job, or at least, they’ll have to be much more covert about doing it. The prohibition of laughing gas is undoubtedly one of the most controversial aspects of the bill. Immensely popular amongst students, many recreational users angrily protest the prohibition of a drug that appears to have very few harmful effects on the body. Indeed, 44 per cent of those surveyed believe that laughing gas should remain legal, compared to just 18 per cent who approve of the ban. One anonymous first year commented: ‘It is harmless in comparison to illegal drugs, and is way less damaging to your body than alcohol.’
“ The psychoactive substances bill looks set to dramatically change the way students, in Bristol buy and use drugs.
However, concerns have been raised about the potential harm nitrous oxide can do to its users. According to FRANK, the UK’s national drug education service, nitrous oxide can cause unconsciousness and even death from oxygen starvation. According to BBC News, one researcher found evidence of 17 fatalities in the UK between 2006
and 2012 related to the use of laughing gas. However, advocates of the drug point out that this pales in comparison to alcohol, which in 2012 caused 6,490 deaths in England alone, but is excluded from the psychoactive substances act as an ‘exempted substance’. Another contentious area of the debate is the act’s prohibition of alkyl nitrites, or poppers. They’re often used recreationally to make it easier to have anal sex. Many have therefore raised concerns that the psychoactive substances bill will unfairly affect many gay and bisexual men. In fact, Conservative MP Crispin Blunt admitted to his own use of poppers and called his own party’s plans to ban them ‘fantastically stupid’. Several charities and government advisory committees, including the Home Affairs Select Committee, recommended against banning poppers before the bill was passed and made them illegal. One organisation, the Gay Men’s Health Collective, argued that the ban of poppers would lead to more use of class A and B drugs, and increased transmission of STIs. Jake, 18, is a first year university student and uses poppers to facilitate gay sex. He believes poppers should not be banned because ‘they’re considered less dangerous than alcohol and banning them literally only affects gay men.’ The bulk of the debate over the psychoactive substances bill has focused on the users of relatively harmless legal highs who will have to begin dealing with the criminal world in order to acquire their drugs of choice.
And it seems this is the choice the vast majority of users will make, with a staggering 93% of legal high users who took our survey stating they expect to continue their usage once the supply of their drug of choice becomes a crime. This suggests only a small fraction of legal high users will actually cease their usage after the law comes into effect. But the focus on these particular issues ignores another effect of the psychoactive substances bill which could have much darker consequences. For all the drugs like laughing gas and poppers which rarely cause significant harm, many advocates of the law are quick to point out that many legal recreational drugs are incredibly dangerous and addictive. But it may actually be the prohibition of these more addictive drugs that could prove to cause some seriously negative consequences. Matt, 19, is taking a year out before he takes up his university offer in September. But before he can go to university, Matt has a serious addiction to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines to overcome. However, ‘benzos’, as they are commonly known, are not easy to kick. Abruptly ceasing usage can result in a long list of severe withdrawal symptoms, the worst of which include seizures and even death. Matt is taking steps to overcome his addiction, but to avoid life-threatening withdrawal symptoms he must reduce his usage gradually. His reduction is still in its early stages, however, and Matt worries about what will happen if the new law makes it
difficult or impossible for him to acquire benzos before he can adequately reduce his usage. Matt is one of an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK addicted to benzodiazepines, and worries that many others with the addiction will be adversely affected by the new law. ‘I don’t know how many people are in a situation like me, but they’re in serious trouble, especially the ones who aren’t willing to go to dealers,’ he said. It’s easy to understand his concerns when considering that the support offered in drug centres for addicts of notorious illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine doesn’t seem to exist for benzo addicts in the UK. Many benzodiazepines are already classed as class C drugs in the UK and are therefore illegal to possess without a prescription (they can be used to treat anxiety). However, new variants of the drugs are always being produced to get around the existing laws, and are sold as
‘research chemicals’ over such websites as the one Matt uses to get his supply. It’s these obscure, formerly legal substances – and the sites that sell them – that will be affected when the act comes into effect in April and will make it much more difficult for addicts to get their supply. Matt has doubts about how easily addicts like him will be able to get a prescription once this happens. The psychoactive substances bill is now irreversibly becoming part of UK law, and looks set to dramatically change the way students, in Bristol and across the UK, buy and use drugs – both those covered under the bill and those already prohibited by previous legislation. Whether the act will succeed in reducing the use of formerly legal highs remains to be seen. But for those with serious addictions to drugs such as benzodiazepines, including students like Matt, it seems that difficult and dangerous times may be on the horizon.
Rodrigo Mendizabal
Legal highs like synthetic cannabis have been proven far more dangerous than either poppers or laughing gas
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We don’t weed no education
Amy Stewart asks whether compulsory drugs awareness courses only serve to NOStracise us Amy Stewart
Benjamin Netanyahu faces overwhelming pressure from his cabinet after AMM motion passes.
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After a number of university halls have been ‘invited’ to attend compulsory drug and alcohol awareness sessions, questions have been raised among students about whether these kinds of talks are really compulsory or are just simply condescending. These sessions came after the topic of drug and alcohol related problems on campus was brought up during a question time event with university management last term. Installing these kinds of talks seems like a completely fair and understandable response from the university to ensure their students are safe and know the facts about drug and alcohol use. It also shows they have responded and engaged with this problem rather than criminalise students. I feel it is important to remember these kinds of approaches to drugs and alcohol don’t and can’t stop students from using these substances recreationally but can supply everyone with essential information concerning this type of lifestyle and can raise awareness of how to be safe. This is reminiscent of the types of images seen on cigarette packs which highlight the dangers of smoking to the user but don’t necessarily stop the user from smoking. However, speaking to several students – some in halls, some not – it seems there is an air that these kinds of talks are pointless, condescending and just unproductive. This is especially true considering most students in halls are over 18 and the ‘compulsory’ style talks consequently just don’t feel appropriate anymore; as adults, we are capable of making our own decisions about what we do or do not attend and the kinds of substances we use recreationally. In fact, it is likely many students will have similar style PSHE talks from their school years under their belts. The fact that these talks aren’t actually viewed as compulsory by students was highlighted when Epigram spoke to a first year who attended the session at Manor Hall; seats were laid out for approximately 300 students yet only a handful actually attended this ‘compulsory’ talk. This low attendence draws comparisons with similarly poor audience numbers at sexual consent workshops carried out in halls at the beginning of last term. This lack of attendance surely implies that
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students don’t want to engage with these sessions: thus suggesting they are a waste of time for organisers. As well as this, these talks are only compulsory in halls so only address first year students, seemingly ignoring extensive drug and alcohol usage among second and third year students as well as postgraduate students who didn’t have these talks available to them during halls; a significant percentage of the Bristol student population is not being addressed with these talks. Other approaches to student alcohol and drug usage seem much more desirable when attempting to address over 18s about these kinds of topics. For example, Epigram spoke to another attendee of the talk at Manor Hall who commented that the session seemed to morph into a kind of debate which made the whole occasion much more engaging. Debates naturally draw in people with very jarring opinions and could be a much more productive way of engaging with students who
spend much of their academic time debating. This kind of approach could interest people that might not attend compulsory talks because they have no interest in recreational drugs as well as those who frequently use recreational drugs and don’t want to attend talks as they believe they already know the facts. Student Living Officer Sarah Redrup stressed that the university and student health service approach these kinds of issues in many different ways and multiple staff members continually engage with students about drug and alcohol awareness. However, if these services were advertised much more through social media and e-mails it could connect with a wider range of students instead of just those in halls. This kind of approach could also move away from a condescending air surrounding these issues. I think it’s fair to say compulsory workshops just don’t seem to make the cut with many students.
After last week’s motion in the Annual Members Meeting to evaluate the University of Bristol’s connection to companies involved in the import of Isreali goods, Isreali PM Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure to begin negotiations with Palestine. In a statement released by the Likud Party, Netanyahu said, ‘I never thought they would discover our secret export of cotton buds to Bristol Supermarkets. Without Bristol University’s investment, we will no longer be able to supply such goods, and our economy will be severely tested.’ The next few days will be telling, but economists are expecting the worst. The SU are yet to release a statement, but they have told Epislam that they welcome these negotiations. Written by Nafets Nickroll Epislam SU correspondent
Caption competition: Are EU having me on? As David Cameron does his ‘greatest hits’ tour of Europe to try to negotiate a new deal for the UK, Epigram takes a closer look
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‘We need more female role models in academia and the STEM sector’ James Mills believes we need to rethink the way in which we encourage young women into studying STEM subjects James Mills
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physics students and 33.7 per cent of mathematics students are female. The GCSE performance of girls on average exceeds boys in most subjects by a not inconsiderable margin; last year girls did 8.4 per cent better overall than boys. So at a grass roots level there is no shortage of potential, which leads us to the question, why are girls opting out of the more technical degree disciplines? It is certainly not for want of talent. It’s clear that the gender gap widens with the move from school to university and again
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there is strong evidence indicating an ingrained sexism in technical fields at Bristol
Flickr / George Thomas
Science, technology, engineering and maths subjects are notorious for their widespread male gender bias. This is why campaigns such as WISE (Women in Science, Technology and Engineering) and NGO’s like HealthTech Women are necessary to help redress the balance. At the University of Bristol, the percentage of female students taking STEM subjects is no exception to this trend. Just 15.9 per cent of computer science students, 17.7 per cent of engineering students, 22.1 per cent of
In the 21st century we should probably stop gender-steroetyping children’s toys and activities
from university into the STEM sector. Put simply, university places and jobs must go to those applicants that are most qualified in their respective fields and those who are most qualified are usually those that have been encouraged and motivated in those subjects at school. However, the main problem is that not many girls choose to study STEM subjects at A-Level compared with the Arts and Humanities and fewer choose a STEM subject at university and onto the STEM sector at career level. One theory is that societal views of gender bias regarding suitable male and female professions are subconsciously accepted at an early age, pushing girls towards the arts and humanities and boys towards the sciences. Another theory is that women are more naturally inclined to aspire to work with people and men with tangible objects. One thing is for sure, if we can try to eliminate
the gender stereotyping of STEM jobs as a society, it will certainly be a step towards changing the career to aspire to for many young women. The Times Higher Education quotes a Bristol Students’ Union report, showing that there is
a meagre 7 per cent of science professors and 6 per cent of engineering professors at the university are female. strong evidence indicating an ingrained sexism in STEM subjects at Bristol: out of a 42 person staff poll, 80 per cent said they had been made to feel uncomfortable on account of their gender. It also
showed that at the University of Bristol, as of last year, a meagre 7 per cent of science professors and 6 per cent of engineering professors are female. These figures shed a harsh light on the gender imbalance in demurred STEM positions at the university, showing that there is still much room for improvement to ensure greater equality. Conversely, it is worth mentioning that there is also an under representation of male students at Bristol in the Health sciences (31.7 per cent) and the Arts (36.4 per cent) which, although less stark, is certainly worthy of reflection. The lack of women in STEM subjects has deservedly been in the spotlight much of late, and many organisations are attempting to narrow the STEM gender gap. However for real progress to be made, we need more female role models in both academia and the STEM sector, whose success and achievement may be emulated.
Student voters: the deliberately disenfranchised?
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Adam Berman discusses the implications changes to the electoral register will have on Bristol students Adam Berman Comment writer
Today marks the arrival of what seems like my hundredth letter from Bristol City Council warning of the dangers of not registering to vote. If, like me, you’re living in some sort of Student Accommodation, you’ll probably have also received untold numbers of letters addressed to previous residents, threatening their entitlement to remain on the voter register. In fact, some 9000 of these letters have been sent out to Bristol students, in the hope that they might find their way back into engaging with democracy. Why this sudden push for voter registration? Well, unsurprisingly, it’s because of a change in government policy. Until recently, the UK was the last western democracy to use household registration, a system whereby the head of each
household or lead tenant signed up the other residents. This was particularly helpful for students in university halls or colleges, who were simply signed up to vote en masse by the university itself. This system of voter registration has now been replaced by the IER or ‘Individual Electoral Registration’, a system that involves each UK citizen taking more responsibility for their own right to vote. On the face of it, it’s a great idea. Less fuss, more accountability and, most importantly,
the most likely to have not registered, consistently vote on the left of politics. This is also true of ethnic minorities; black men living in inner cities in rented accommodation have just a 10 per cent chance of being registered under the current system. That’s terrible, but it gets even worse. The new constituency boundary adjustments, which will be changed according to the proportional number of voters in each constituency, will mean that many Labour voters will have less of a say in national politics. Those unregistered voters will, quite literally, not be counted. What’s the result of
this? A government that is able to dilute the Labour vote all around the country. Less representation for you, a more unequal parliament, and even a disproportionate jury (selected through the voter register). So, what’s the moral of this story? Decisions are made by those who show up and if you don’t register to vote, you won’t even be able to do that. Policies like these tend to pass by the electorate unnoticed. But don’t be deceived; this is politics at its most corrupt.
It’s now estimated that up to 800,000 people have been effectively disenfranchised by the change. is no evidence to suggest that there have been widespread, systematic attempts to undermine or interfere with recent elections through electoral fraud.’ So that argument’s out. But what about the ease of use, surely this means more people will be encouraged to register to vote? Unfortunately, this has also not been the case. It’s now estimated that up to 800,000 people have been effectively disenfranchised by the change. That’s a massive figure and the most likely to have not registered are students. It’s surely at this point that we begin to smell the unholy taint of bad politics? Like the changes to union funding laws and the impending constituency boundary alterations, this is one of a litany of laws with one express purpose; to screw over the opposition. It’s not a coincidence that young people, who are
Flick / Dean Terry
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On the face of it, it’s a great idea. Less fuss, more accountability, and, most importantly, less chance of fraud.
less chance of fraud. According to the Minister for Constitutional Reform, John Penrose, the only people taken off the voter register are those who have died, moved house, or ‘never existed, because they were put on the register fraudulently.’ But this is when the Government’s argument begins to unravel. Have I somehow missed the recent epidemic in voter fraud, causing upset in national and regional elections? Well, no. In fact, in a study conducted by the Electoral Commission from 2012-2014, they found that ‘there
Moral of the story: take responsibility for your right to vote!
Epigram
29.02.2016
11
What it means to be a black university student Oluwaseun Matiluko contemplates the harsh reality many BME students face when it comes to studying at UK universities
Oluwaseun Matiluko Comment writer
always plagued British universities. There are obviously many complicated reasons for these student ratios, including socio-economic backgrounds, culture, and upbringing. However, for those who like to say that racial discrimination no longer exists in this country, the statistics show clear evidence to the contrary. The proportion of British Nigerian pupils gaining 5 A*–C grades at GCSE (including Maths and English) in 2010–2011 was found to be 21.8 percentage points higher than average. Moreover, a study in 2010 found that Chinese and Indian pupils tend to gain more top grades than white British children in every school subject. But, in the 2014 academic year,
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The percentage of non-white inmates actually outweighs the percentage of BME students admitted to Bristol in 2015 -- 28 per cent to our 21.
Flickr / Matt Taylor
‘If you’re black, you’re more likely to be in a prison cell than studying at a top university,’ says David Cameron. Considering that Cameron’s alma mater is infamous for its lack of diversity – only 27 black students were accepted into Oxford university in 2014 – it’s interesting to see that the Prime Minister has chosen to speak out about this issue. Is he trying to get more BME voters on the side of the Conservatives (as only 33 per cent voted for them in 2015). Ethnic diversity is a polemic topic that has
According to a diversity report by the univserity in the 2013/14 acedemic year, 11% of Bristol’s students domiciled in Britain come from a BME background
only 17.6 per cent of students at Russell Group universities were BME. Here at Bristol University, only 21 per cent of the student intake in 2015 was made up of selfidentifying non-white students. These student ratios are worryingly low considering that if we turn our attention to the UK’s criminal justice system, the percentage of non-white inmates actually outweigh the percentage of BME students admitted to Bristol in 2015 – 28 per cent to our 21 per cent. BME people are no more likely to commit a crime than any other group and the statistics show that non-whites are more likely to perform better academically than other groups. There are obviously many social reasons for this issue, especially once we consider the systematic racism that has been a part of British society for a long time. However, instead of focusing on the disparity in numbers of black people in prison and in a top university, I think that we have to focus on the issues of those fortunate few who make
it to university. It is all well and good trying to ensure that more black people make it into a top university, but the issues educated black people face don’t suddenly dissipate once they get there. Just ask the black students at Edinburgh University, where white students decided to ‘black up’ as Somali pirates. It’s no wonder that, in 2011, an NUS report found
An NUS report found that one in six black students had experienced racism at their institution
that one in six black students had experienced racism at their institution and one in three did not trust their university to handle complaints properly. Data from the Higher Education Statistics
Agency suggests that many BME students only have a one in twenty chance of gaining a first-class degree, whilst white students have a one in four. Even when BME students leave university with their degrees, the system works against them, with research suggesting that there is a 23 per cent gap in hourly pay between black and white university graduates. It’s also been shown that black people with A-levels were paid 14 per cent less on average than white workers with equivalent qualifications, while those with GCSEs faced a deficit of 11 per cent. So yes, Mr Cameron is right, black people are more likely to be in prison than at a top university. Other non-white people are disadvantaged in the system too. However, the change that would require society as a whole to reverse that statistic will not happen overnight or come about by sudden media interest. What we need to focus on is improving the experiences of BME students at university and ensuring that those who are fortunate enough to make it to university do not constantly have to battle against a system which seems to be pitted against them.
The AMM: Annual Members Moaning
Alex Rees thinks that maybe if we had a bit more sensible discussion, the Union would get a lot more done Alex Rees
Comment writer
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I love Union politics, which puts me into a category of a similar size to those of Vexillologists, or people who hoard paper aeroplanes. I am aware that most students would rather pass their three-odd years at Bristol entirely ignorant of the whole shebang, except where it suits them, and
Sometimes, stepping into anything larger than a committee meeting is like creating some kind of Holy War. Epigram
frankly I don’t blame them. The advantage of this is that you know those who do get engaged tend to be willing and able to dedicate themselves to all the minutiae and faff that makes the SU tick over, so that no-one else has to. But sometimes, stepping into anything larger than a committee meeting is like entering some kind of Holy War. I am told that the division between Student Left and Student Right is as old as time itself, that it will play and replay itself over the generations and that if you are not already involved it is simply not worth the trouble. Herein lies the problem: most students fall somewhere between these two camps, with a variety of reasonable views. Although they’d rather the Union just got on with it, we are nonetheless in
Maybe if people didn’t argue so much our students union wouldn’t look like it came from the 80s
the business of making decisions that will affect the entire student body. And yet, some are still trying to make policy to fight along these partisan divisions, and thus over the heads of anyone else. This has caused, and will continue to cause, a world of bother. When you line up against your chosen foe, pre-empting a whole host of arguments and dismissing their views outright, you’re not just attacking them; you’re also belittling any students with similar but more nuanced concerns. What’s more, you’re just setting up the argument to be re-fought year after year; can we honestly say otherwise, after the same motion on Israel/Palestine
came to the AMM twice in a row? And how about the motion on the Safe Space Policy, which should have been fought on merit, but devolved into yet another partisan slap-fight? But if you identify with either side, you may be thinking ‘when we try to talk to them they just dismiss us!’ Or maybe it’s ‘I shouldn’t have to spend time dealing with people who are so far removed from reality. It’s hard enough dealing with my own problems.’ And you know what? Both of those views are probably true. But if you are going to make serious change, you are still responsible for how it is done.
After all, what suits your principles better? Finding a way to reach a compromise and consensus, so that any conclusion reached will be just that; a conclusion? Or continuing to brush off those you dislike, deepening the divisions and alienating anyone whose support was yours to lose? Why not talk when the chance arises? All I ask is that we remember how to be reasonable. I know that ‘winning’ a fight for your principles is among the most cathartic and valedictory things one can do on campus, but let’s try to remember who we’re supposed to be winning for.
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29.02.2016
Science & Tech
@EpigramSciTech Editor: Alfie Smith Deputy Editor: Matt Davis Online Editor: Amy Finch
asmith@epigram.org.uk mdavis@epigram.org.uk afinch@epigram.org.uk
Wind back the clock: how dementia affects students Matt Davis Deputy Science Editor
A neurodegenerative disease is one that irreversibly damages and changes the neurones in your brain (neurones carry electrical signals and control everything from memory to basic movement). Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease, around 48 million people suffer from it and due to improved healthcare on a global level, more people are living longer and are at risk of developing it. There are different types of dementia, vascular dementia can occur if a person has high blood pressure caused by narrowing of their arteries (atherosclerosis), or if they had a stroke preventing oxygenated blood from getting to parts of the
brain. However approximately 6070 percent of dementias are in the form of Alzheimer’s disease, the exact cause of which is disputed. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include disorientation, confusion, hallucinations and eventually problems with simple movement and communication. The cause of Alzheimer’s is currently unknown, it may have environmental or genetic associations and there are also two proteins believed to be implicated. A protein named Amyloid is believed to aggregate in parts of the brain blocking blood supply and causing inflammation, damaging the neurones. These so called Amyloid plaques are identifiable in the brains of deceased sufferers. Another way in which the disease may be caused is by damaging another protein known as Tau which helps to maintain the cells structure. Damaged Tau causes the neurones to miss-fold and tangle.
Watching the disease destroy a loved one is an especially painful process. My grandmother stopped knowing who I was about 4 years ago, but we suspect she only pretended to know who I was for a period before that as well. The disease left her with fragments of her once good memory, focusing in on her childhood rather than her time as a mother, grandmother and wife. She started to hallucinate, seeing men wandering around her house and having conversations with them, shouting at them occasionally. The treatment of Alzheimer’s is still in its infancy, which is not to say that we do not have any effective medication. For instance, some drugs that are currently used for depression, as well as anti-psychotics are being used to slow the progression of the disease and alleviate its symptoms. There are also Dementia specific
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“ Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease that 48 million people suffer from
Pedro Simoes-Flickr
Dementia is a progressive disease that primarily affects people aged 65 or over, but in some cases may affect people as young as 40. Or this is what you may gather if you look at the NHS guidance for Dementia, however there is more to it than that; the slow decline of someone from a fully functioning (albeit old) person into someone fully dependent on 24 hour nursing care will affect everyone around them.
drugs such as Memantine that have been developed and appear to be effective.
Even if a sufferer’s functional memory is gone, they still have an emotional memory
At the moment though,Alzheimer’s is still incurable. For pharmacological treatment to be truly effective there needs to be total consensus about what the true cause of the disease is, or whether it is a combination of many factors. Furthermore, there have recently been investigations into whether it is beneficial to visit relatives when the disease is in its most advanced stages.
The Alzheimer’s society believes that even though a sufferer’s functional memory may have vanished they may still have an emotional memory, and so if you visit a relative they may experience positive feelings afterwards, even if they don’t remember the actual event. It’s hard to decide on the best way to support sufferers of the disease. Whilst the drugs we have might slow the rate of decline, the patient will still go downhill. One of the largest Dementia associated causes of death is pneumonia as the sufferer won’t realise they have it or may not be able to express that they feel ill. Robbing people of communication, their minds and their bodies is surely one of the cruelest forms of torment, so whilst visiting sufferers may be hard, let us not take away their company as well.
Streaming: no harm, no foul... right? Ciara Lally Online Editor A 2015 survey by the Intellectual Property Office estimates that 20 percent of the population stream content from illegal services, and that three-quarters of these streamers are 16-24 years old. But to say that UK copyright law is confusing is a massive understatement – although basically everyone will do something to unwittingly violate copyright on a day to day basis, streaming probably won’t be it.
Downloading unlicensed content definitely is illegal; it constitutes an unlicensed copy of a copyrighted work. Streaming unlicensed content for a public performance is also definitely illegal. But for personal use, unlicensed streaming is generally legal; the copyright violation lies with the party who uploaded the content to enable the streaming. These streaming sites knacker your laptop’s battery life and have a questionable moral
they’re not technically breaking the law. It’s also very difficult to go after the creators of online streaming sites – them, their servers, their proxies, are all likely to be based in several different countries with different jurisdictions, with normally far more relaxed or less developed copyright protection than in the UK or US. Something the UK has been doing a lot is obtaining court orders to compel internet service providers (Virgin, Sky, BT etc.) to block the offending
websites. But this doesn’t impact the infrastructure of the service at all. There are simple ways around the blocks – using a VPN, another proxy or even downloading or and hitting up the dark web. Systems such as digital watermarking and digital rights management systems (“DRMs”) are leading the way and can combat the problem. Yet the issue with DRMs and the like is that copyright owners would be
free to set their own terms of access that may well try to enforce the law beyond its bounds. Institutions and government entities could also use code to indirectly regulate digital architecture, with citizens unaware of such regulation – our liberal democratic tradition relies heavily on government as a system of checks and balances, and without transparency, extensive use of DRMs could create far larger problems than the ones they solve.
“ Importing a CD to iTunes is technically illegal
Simon Pearson-Flickr
“ 20% percent of the population stream content from illegal services
standing, but if you’re okay with that then you’re safe from prosecution. That is if you know the difference between a stream and a download. It can often be quite difficult to tell – a lot of people think YouTube is a streaming service, but it actually uses a download model. YouTube works by copying content files from the YouTube servers to your browser cache. You can see this action in the YouTube progress bar – the red line growing across the bar is how much of the video you’ve watched; the grey line is how much of the video has been downloaded. Streaming models send a file directly from a server to your browser without being cached at all. You’ll often see a buffering status, and won’t be able to select a new time position in the streaming video. If you’ve streamed an unlicensed file, it’s the providers of this unlicensed content that are in violation. Now for the most ludicrous aspect of UK copyright law. Millions of citizens are in daily breach of copyright, simply for shifting a piece of music or video from one device to another. Importing a CD to iTunes is illegal. Backing up your iTunes library is illegal. Copying your files into the cloud is illegal. It is a massive challenge for the law to evolve as rapidly as technology. But the UK is barely even trying. To clamp down on illegal streaming services, you can’t go and hunt down each user;
Content creators are increasingly compelled to seek out new revenue models centred on digital consumption, with cheaper services and wider availability of content. Some critics are also vocal about extending legal ramifications to the users of copyright-breaching services if it can be proved they that knew such services were illegal. For now, students and the rest of the population can use illegal streaming services without legal consequence, but in such a rapidly developing entity as cyberspace, nothing stays the same for too long.
Epigram 29.02.2016
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KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID: A new way to learn Stefan Rollnick Deputy Comment Editor A student’s experience of university is not necessarily one of pursuing knowledge for the good of manwkind, like it perhaps should be. Instead, for many students, university is a place where the world becomes smaller, not larger; assigned to tutors who spend their whole lives in the bubble of their own subject. This doesn’t create the generation of inter-disciplinary and multi-talented researchers that we need, it just creates a wide range of brilliant scientists pulling in different directions. I have only been in contact with researchers in the Karolinska Institute for a few months now, but their desire to push the boundaries of collaboration, whether it’s with journalists, the public, or other scientists continues to amaze me. The story that Professor RichterDalfors and her team tell me is one of great struggle, but also of great optimism. The team have been researching
the rapidly growing field of organic bio-electronics with some exciting results. Writing a landmark paper in 2006, they described the process whereby an electrical input can generate a chemical output, like a neurone. In 2009, another paper was published in Nature Material that appeared to show that this technology could be used in the auditory system of a Guinea Pig. If it strikes you as surprising that this research showed up in Nature Material, a structure and material journal, despite the fact it explicitly uses a biological system, then you have just stumbled upon one of the main problems with a lot of modern scientific research. Richter-Dalfors and her team know they hold something very valuable in their hands. Unfortunately, this novel combination of electrical engineering and biomedical science is incredibly delicate; you have to choose where you publish your work carefully and have to know when it’s right to pass on your research to the next stage. The skills required for this level
of collaboration between people of different disciplines is not even touched upon in many University courses. Striking the balance between having a leading figure in amongst all the chaos, whilst not giving anyone full-control is beyond intricate.
It’s about having the courage to dare to simplify
‘If I were in charge of my University course, I’d create an entire module dedicated to teaching people how to get things wrong’. Normally, students are taught to treat their failures with contempt and scorn; the only positive aspects to a mistake is to teach us to avoid them in the future. To be an electrical engineer working with a
biomedical scientist, it is imperative that you can let your guard down to the point where you are even able to ask what the difference is between a gene and a protein. It’s not about knowing the answer; it’s about asking for it. It’s about having the courage to dare to simplify as Richter-Dalfors rather eloquently puts it. Medical scientists can often be sceptical about this sort of crossdiscipline research, which means it’s all the more important to find the right people to collaborate with. What struck me about RichterDalfors and her team, is their complete refusal to complain about this situation – in fact, they find the challenge fun. They tell me they will not let go of their research until they can find the perfect people to pick it up and carry on. It was this sort of determination which led to this most recent success: the manufacture of a working artificial neurone. There is potential for this technology to one day revolutionise treatment for neurodegenerative disorders.
However, problems with communication are not limited to researchers; the next hurdle is winning over lay people and cultivating public enthusiasm for your work. We, the general public, are not an easy group of people to win over. How are her team supposed to compete with people who aren’t afraid to use hyperbole? Their research is incredibly interesting, but it is often lost amongst cries of “big pharma” and perceptions of treatments like homeopathy being more ‘wholesome’. Despite this continuous struggle for proper communication, one of Richter-Dalfors’ colleagues, Dr. Ben Libberton, is particularly optimistic. ‘The field is about to change’, he tells me. There are more than 80 enthusiastic Masters students at the Karlolinska Institute, and people are beginning to appreciate the value of the inter-disciplinary environment. As a biochemistry student who is frustrated with narrow vision of his educators, I’m starting to find the temptation to buy a one-way ticket to Sweden a little hard to ignore.
Flikr:Ttubedude
Flikr:NIH
App of the week: Grim Fandango Remastered Alfie Smith Science Editor
with the degree varying between devices. Older phones seem to experience the worst issues and the most recent Ipads suffering the least. While annoying, I never found
myself rage quitting the game forever. After a five minute cool down I was back in the world of Fandango. Conclusion - 8/10. It’s the same brilliant game. There’s
definitely a learning curve. The odd crash sometimes ruins the flow. Overall, still worth anyone’s time and the £8 price tag is a bargain for what amounted to around ten hours of old-school gaming fun.
Flickr-Netowrk Osaka LucasArt: Pressimage
A game dear to my heart has finally been released in the UK for IOS and Android. Full disclosure, I wrote this review about a month ago. I left it unpublished because I wanted to come back to it again, once the initial joy had surpassed, having played Fandango again with a cooler head. I’m still gushing the second time around. Fandango looks great on mobile devices, even better than the original I picked up for three pounds when I was 11. Sure, the £8 price tag is asking a lot but it’s worth every penny. The player follows Manny Calvera in his quest to earn enough good credit to enter Heaven by working as an afterlife travel agent. The game is split up into four parts with each representing a year. Every year has a different theme, one’s noir, another action adventure, with twists and turns along the way that run across all four. I won’t reveal any plot points because, as a story focused game, the plot is the main selling point. Fandango’s world is one of the most diverse I’ve ever played in. This isn’t the same thick-necked white dude
in fifteen different outfits. The game requires you to remember who these people are and, for the most part, the game succeeds in helping you differentiate between the characters. This is a game from back when games didn’t help you very much and Lucas Arts were notorious for their comic lack of guidance. There’s no tutorial or game guide included. There’s the internet though, unlike in the early 90s, so you know, use that if you’re really stuck. I’m not a game snob who believes games were better when they were beyond difficult. The lack of a helpful narrator or tutorial is definitely a flaw. This is probably a result of Fandango being a remaster not a remake. There’s no new content here. It’s just been tidied up and reformatted for mobile devices. So be warned, patience is required and Manny is more often than not looking to confuse rather than help you. But, if you just walk around, you’ll pick up a feel for what do to sooner or later. The remastering seems to have focused on the visuals rather than solving the game play bugs. I found on several occasions that the app crashed or the audio stopped playing and I had to restart. This seems to be a common issue
Epigram
29.02.2016
Letters
@EpigramLetters
Editor: Sophie Hunter shunter.epigram@gmail.com
Shame and Confusion: Non-Compulsory Sex-Ed is Failing Us All
“ ‘The lack of sex education is at the forefront of these issues’
This isn’t just an issue about sex either. Why did I memorise the formula for finding the longest side of a triangle instead of learning about voting and elections? Why did I spend two hours a week playing a glockenspiel instead of practising first aid or budgeting skills? These are the questions that will
Flickr / Special Collections Toronto Public Library
Before I start, I would like to apologise for the female-centricity of this piece. This is purely because I have experienced the world of sex growing up female. I’m sure boys experience very similar issues every day too. There is one thing in the world that permeates our everyday lives with an insatiable consistency. One thing that we are repeatedly told is the most important in the world. One thing that, biologically speaking, we were made for – one thing that could arguably be considered the reason for our very existence. It’s sex. Doing it, watching it, writing and thinking about it: as a culture, we’re obsessed. There are other things that we are not obsessed with. Pythagoras theorem, for instance. Long division. Or perhaps how to write an acrostic poem about the sea. But, ever oblivious, these are things I learned in secondary education.
Sex education straight out of Victorian England
forever characterise our generation’s secondary education as archaic and, frankly, bizarre. The lack of sex education is at the forefront of these mysteries. The first time I had sex, I did not know how to correctly put on a condom. My school had conveniently bypassed the classic johnny-on-a-banana scenario that should so obviously be a compulsory part of pre-16 knowledge but, unfortunately, is not. Luckily, my experience didn’t lead to any major problems, but my heart aches for the hundreds of other clueless, fumbling teenagers out there who must face the same situation every year and then have the ensuing pain of an STI, let alone anything worse. And it’s not just the act of sex that’s important. It’s learning
about your own body, and the endless varieties of the bodies around you, from a realistic source (read: not porn). The recent controversies over Stephanie Davis’ knickers on Big Brother, and the removal of Rupi Kaur’s period photo from Instagram for not following their ‘community guidelines’, brutally demonstrated lack of sex education we suffer from as a society. As if the normal, healthy daily functions of a vagina – which (shock horror) include discharge, and the probably the occasional monthly menstrual overflow - were anything unusual, let alone disgusting. Lack of education is the culprit for a culture where people are encouraged to be embarrassed about aspects of their own perfectly fine bodies, and to shame
others. It is damaging. Of course, there are aspects of sex education which are compulsory. Teaching about STIs is, and some form of primary education about the human body is considered good practice, according to the PSHE Association website. These factors are important: they are also insufficient. Being shown enlarged photos of genital warts once a year in PSHE lessons, like I was, seems a dangerously Mean Girls-esque method of keeping a student population sexually safe. It’s also high time that sex education was taught from a human, rather than scientific, perspective. Biology lessons are important, yes, in order to understand why our bodies do what they do – but being able to draw a
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Francesca Newton Letters Writer
diagram of her fallopian tubes is of little use to a thirteen-year-old girl panicking because she doesn’t know how to use a tampon. We all – boys and girls - should be taught about rape and consent far earlier than fresher’s week. We should be taught about masturbation and orgasm, for both sexes – I have met sexually active young women here at university who are still of the belief that female masturbation is ‘gross’. We should be taught to understand our own bodies and those of each other. We should be taught about different types of contraception, how they work, and where to get them: the policy that girls under 16 can get the Morning After Pill free, over the counter at any pharmacy, is useless if they don’t know that. We should be taught not only that STIs are out there, but also how often we should be checked and where. We should be taught about FGM. We should be taught about sexuality and gender. These are the issues affecting our world every day. Not algebra.
‘David Cameron’s cabinet’s prudery is his own problem’
The realisation that young people are having sex, and that they need to know how to do it safely and happily, is well overdue. David Cameron’s cabinet’s prudery is his own problem: the rest of us should not have to deal with its toxic consequences. It’s time for the government, and schools, to leave from the Victorian era, stop blocking compulsory sex-ed, and let a happier, healthier society reap the benefits.
Please be my friend...
Anonymous Letters Writer
“ How can people desexualize themselves?
Even so, with glasses these days, boys still seem to think I am more sexual than I mean to exude. Is it still my glare? My clothes? Is it what I am saying? – Do boys even listen to what I say if all they think I want is sex? Normally this wouldn’t bother me at all, but as the working world becomes ever so close, I can’t help but think: will this persona continue into the real world. This may not seem like such an issue because I’m complaining about people wanting to
get with me, but when you realise that’s all people want, it makes you feel like a joke. How can people de-sexualize themselves? A guy from class just asked for my number today, and more than anything I hope he wants homework help. Let’s increase my guy friends count to 6!
Flickr / fabio fortini
Take a moment to think, do you have more guy friends or girl friends? I have a million girlfriends and about 5 guy friends and it’s beginning to bother me. One of the girls and I were chatting the other night about how she doesn’t have any suitors because all the boys on the block become her friends. If only I had this problem. No one wants to be my friend unless it involves jumping into bed. My friend said she compartmentalises guys into ‘Just Friends’ or ‘Lovers,’ and that her loverlist was looking bare. I too don’t cross over. Of the 5 boys with whom I am friends, I would never dream of kissing any. I suppose my issue is establishing an initial friendship and her issue is establishing a flirtationship. I think this constant seductive persona I’ve developed is dangerous. At school, a guy in the year above would wait until the late hours to begin messaging me risqué things. All I wanted was for him to speak to me like a normal human being – not some sex-loving 13 year old, so I waited it out,
trying to show him that I was more than just ‘bedtime chat’ (which failed and now we don’t speak). He claimed I would give him the eyes at school, and when I asked what ‘eyes’ I gave, he said ones that looked like I wanted to have sex with him. How does one deduce that from eyes?! (Later that year I discovered I needed glasses).
Will keep you updated., Anonymous.
Tweets of the fortnight: @zoezackhouse-
‘Bristol SU - putting the AMM in draaAMMmma #iammhere’
@tomerds-
‘Motion to hold the next motion in motion #IAMMhere #iammgoing’
@bexboxx-
‘having a deadline related breakdown while my uni decided to give James Blunt an honorary degree today and make him a Doctor of Music’
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Epigram
Puzzles
@epigrampuzzles
Editors: Suzie Brown; Andrea Philippou
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(General Certificate of Secondary Education) Your task: Come up with a different description using the same initals. You must not use any of the words from the real meaning. fortunate Tweet your ideas to @epigrampuzzles using #backronym limestone crossword campervan fertility Want tofricative see your puzzle in print? We accept
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ACROSS 1. Hard-headed (9) irrigates sbrown.epigram@gmail.com 6. Small mouthful of drink (3) polyamory 7. Repeated musical phrase (8) socialite Copyright © 2016 JGB Service, http://www.mazegenerator.net/ 8. Bubble and turn into steam popularly (4) wandering 10. President’s wife (5,4) 3 4 5 11. Measure of beer or milk (4) 6 13. Strike a _____, resonate (5) 15. Bleak (6) 16. Game piece with dots on each end (6) 8 9 18. Eaten with stir-fry (6) 19. Fashion (5)
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pantomime
Epigram is recruiting! A U A M P T O N R
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Managing Director You will lead a 20-strong business team of advertising & sales, marketing & publicity, distribution & logistics, finance and secretarial managers, as well as organising events like the annual Epigram ball. Responsible for continuing Epigram’s commercial development and maintaining Epigram’s relationships with Union and University stakeholders, you will ensure the Epigram group runs efficiently and profitably whilst ever widening its student reach. You will be highly organised, and have the excellent communication skills needed to lead a large and diverse team.
Director of Finance You will be jointly responsible for Epigram‘s financial wellbeing, alongside the MD, and focus on cost management to ensure long term financial sustainability. Responsible for overseeing revenue generated from sponsorship, ads and sales, you will also manage expenditure for marketing, socials, printing and digital costs. You’ll have the communication skills to regularly liaise with members of the finance team at Bristol SU to ensure Epigram‘s accounts are in order, and will be highly organised with strong numerical skills and a beady eye for budgeting.
or apply for Head of Ads & Sales or Head of Marketing & Publicity
find out more at www.epigram.org.uk, application deadline Friday 11 March 2016.
Epigram 29.02.2016
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Green Capital, Student Capital:
Unleashing the power of Bristol students Throughout 2015 students rallied around the cause of sustainability during Bristol’s year as European Green Capital. Together with UWE, over 100,000 hours of student volunteering were clocked up, from sharing skills with local community groups and developing new social enterprises, to raising funds for charity and much more. This collaborationwas made possible by funding of £250,000 from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and aimed to build on the strong track record of both universities in promoting active engagement with green issues. Commenting on the undertaking, Professor Judith Squires, Pro Vice-Chancellor Education, said: ‘I am delighted that HEFCE have committed to enabling our students to do even more in partnership with the city’s residents, businesses and organisations. The funded projects will contribute not only to Bristol Green Capital in 2015, but also to Bristol’s green future.’ The result has been fantastic. Students have seized the opportunity to be more involved in environmental action and to work in partnership with the city and local communities.
Student projects From sponsored knitting missions and upcyling old clothes to helping vulnerable women regain their confidence through entrepreneurial initiatives, students have devised imaginative projects to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable living. You may have heard about the bike-loan scheme, Balloon Bikes, or the Bristol Big Give, which collects unwanted items donated by students and distributes them to charity, but did you also know that students have been designing sustainable racing cars, campaigning to end modern day slavery, and founding the Bristol Knitiative, a social sustainability project to benefit the homeless? Dozens of varied activities contributed towards the Green Capital, Student Capital project, with the most innovative ideas giving students the chance to be awarded ‘change maker’ status under an awards scheme run by HEFCE, which places equal emphasis on awareness-raising and action. Other volunteering, paid projects and research initiatives include: Other volunteering, paid projects and research initiatives include: • • • • • • • • • • •
A wildlife garden outside BBC Bristol,providing a living classroom for schoolchildren. A Bioblitz of Royal Fort Gardens to show visitors a prime nature haven. Waste management monitoring at Love Saves the Day festival. Regular Fair Trade fortnights. An environmental audit of Bristol Royal Infirmary. Mentoring children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Free Sunday meals for marginalised communities via Bristol Food Cycle. Survey work for the University’s tree replacement project. Business plan development with a community organisation in Knowle West. Reporting on Sustainable Peace for the United Nations Association of Edinburgh (UNAE). Designing a solar charging station to promote renewable energy.
Green Capital Change Maker Awards The Green Capital Change Maker Award recognises the contribution of Bristol students to European Green Capital in 2015 and beyond. Over 175 students have received the award so far, 35 of whom achieved the Gold level award. The awards are open to any student who has spent seven hours or volunteering or working with the city on social, economic or environmental sustainability related activities. You also need to have shared your action, to encourage others to take action, too. You will automatically be considered for the Gold level award if you have done 20 hours or more and can provide a link to a blog post about your work. Apply for your award at: www.bristolsu.org. uk/activities/getgreen/.
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Get Involved
Check out updates and events on the SU’s Sustainability Facebook page (www.facebook. com/BristolSUGetGreen/) and keep in touch with what the rest of the University is doing via the Green Capital website (www.bristol. ac.uk/green-capital). #UoBGreen #Init4Good A couple of upcoming events to wet your appetite: 29 Feb to 13 March: Fairtrade Fortnight 2016 2 March: ‘Just Eat It!’ – student-led pop-up café using reclaimed food 5 March: Futures Forum 2016 – Sustainability DIY 7 March: A Student’s Guide to Sustainability Get involved and make a difference. Contact Amy Walsh to find out about volunteering and other opportunities on 0117 331 8653; amy.walsh@bristol.ac.uk.
‘I believe that for a city to serve the people, the people must shape it. This means every inhabitant of Bristol has a responsibility to do their share of the shaping using their capabilities. Tree stump surveying was my contribution this spring.’ Besiana Sinanaz, volunteer ‘To live in a city in which so many of its citizens and businesses are engaged with sustainability is motivational. As Green Capital Change Makers, we’re proud to be playing our own part in this. When we set out we very much saw cycling as a means to engage a wider range of students with the topic of sustainability, so it’s great to have our work recognized with this award.’ Cathering Draper and Sarah Feldman, Founders of the Bristol Bike Company
‘Volunteering during Bristol’s year as European Green Capital has exceeded my expectations. It has helped me learn a lot more about Bristol as well as enriching my student life in the UK.’ Yi Seng, volunteer
In it for good
Although Bristol’s official Green Capital status has been passed on, the sustainability story doesn’t end. In fact, we’re continuing our work to be greener and you’re a big part of that. The city has launched a campaign for 2016 – It doesn’t stop here – and we are equally committed to continuing to share our research, support our students and manage our spaces. Together we can make a positive impact and build an environmentally and socially sustainable future.
University Sponsored Content
Epigram 29.02.2016
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“
Beacon House: the home straight Beacon House is planning to open its doors on Monday 11 April. The Grade 2 listed building is located on Queens Road, near the Triangle, and is five minutes walking distance from both the central campus and the Students’ Union.
‘I think that the displays were really promising, and it looks as though there will be a good balance of quiet and group study areas. The new study spaces look like they will be very light and pleasant and the exposed services really add to a modern feel which contrasts with the history of the building.’ Joshua Mudie, undergraduate student
This eagerly awaited facility houses a new student study centre, which will include flexible group learning space, social study space and a quiet study area. The newly designed layout is open and modern, with furniture that can be flexibly configured. In addition to the study centre, the building includes a café and University reception, which will be open to the public as well as to students and staff. At a recent pop-up event, displays of the intended internal design, along with the proposed furniture, were well received. The display boards are now in the café area of the Arts and Social Sciences Library (ASSL), giving you the opportunity to see them before the opening.
Availability
Q. What are the opening hours for Beacon House (specifically the study centre)? Does this change during the holidays? How many days a week is it open? A. The study centre is open from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends. The Beacon House reception is open 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday; 9am to 6pm, Saturday; and 10am to 4pm, Sunday. The café is open 7.30am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday; 10am to 5pm, Sunday. All spaces will be open on Bank Holidays and closure days, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Resources
Q. How many study seats are available? A. Beacon House provides 370 study seats, with additional casual seating (stools) within the social learning area on the ground floor. Q. Are there power points for laptops? A. Yes. There is a power point for each fixed desk and power outlets within easy reach of flexible furniture. Q. Are there computers and printers for student use in the study centre? A. Yes. There are 66 computers in total, with 12 on the ground floor and 54 within the quiet learning space on the first floor. There are also print/scan/ copy machines on both floors. Q. What are the quiet spaces like? A. There is a large quiet reading room with 163 study seats on the first floor. The layout is modelled on the popular Senate House Study Centre. Q. What are the group spaces like? A. There is a large flexible space with tables, chairs and white boards on wheels so students can create small group areas of different sizes. There are also small ‘booths’ for collaborative study. Q. Are there any bookable rooms? A. Yes. There are three bookable rooms within Beacon House, with certain limitations. During the revision and assessment period (from opening on 11 April until 6 June) rooms will be unavailable for booking. More information on room booking will be available after the assessment period ends.
Security
Q. How will entry into the study centre be controlled? A. There is controlled access (UCard) at both the entrance points (within reception and at the Queen’s Ave entrance). Q. What security measures have been taken to ensure student safety after public spaces are closed? A. Security will patrol as they do in other spaces across the University and porters will be on hand as front-line support for students. Additional security measures such as CCTV will also be in place.
University Sponsored Content
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Living Travel Style Food What’s On
Hannah Price
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Editor Will Soer
Online Editor Maya Colwell
Deputy Editor
living@epigram.org.uk
livingonline@epigram.org.uk
edonnell@epigram.org.uk
@e2living
Epigram Living Section 2015/16
29.02.2016
Ellie Donnell
Going Out Alone: A Defence Usually, when somebody publishes a piece that claims to be ‘In defence of’ something it’s a controversial topic, such as one night stands or blood sports (both of which have been debated within the pages of Epigram before) but I’m taking a stand for something that most people probably think is just rather weird… Going out alone. I’m a big fan of going out alone and have even argued its benefits in previous writing for Epigram. I’ve got solo jaunts to Leipzig and London lined up for March and you can bet I’ll do it plenty more this summer. It all started when I jetted off to Germany for a year abroad and didn’t have any friends, but still (obviously) wanted to get my party on; one night in Cologne and I was hooked. I went out, in and around my place of residence as well as in other cities and now I often find that I’d rather go out alone than with others.
When you’re by yourself, you never need to worry about whether everybody else is having fun. In the past I have queued for hours on end with friends, almost consumed by the impending potential guilt in case they have a rubbish time. I’ve confidently dragged people to nights that they’ve ended up hating and followed others to a club that turned out to be rubbish. None of these things matter when you’re in a party of one! It doesn’t matter how you get the party started; whether you’re alone in a hostel room with a couple of beers (guilty) or out with friends but decide on the way home you’d rather continue the party by yourself (guilty) or even do a short solo bar crawl before ending up in a club (guilty..!). There are no rules. That said, one of the most important steps in going to a club or party alone is choosing the right location; at the risk of stating the obvious, you’ve got to be pumped about where
flickr / Sandro Maggi
In the past I’ve queued for hours on end, consumed by the fear that my friends might have a rubbish time
you’re headed. It can be as simple as googling something like ‘Techno clubs Munich’, ‘Tonight in Lyon’, ‘Best clubs in Brooklyn’, checking party databases such as Resident Advisor, or asking your Airbnb hosts or hostel roommates. It’s even better when going out in your own city, as you already know where’s good. In my opinion, going out by yourself works best if you end up somewhere for music lovers, or where the majority of the partygoers will be high, because they couldn’t give less of a shit that you turned up all alone. In fact, my experiences show that being by yourself has certain advantages; I’ve never been turned away from a club (sometimes I’ve been let in ahead of larger groups) and it doesn’t usually take long before somebody starts a conversation with you,
whether it be girls in the queue for the bathroom, or guys while you’re waiting at the bar. That said, I’ve found it’s also perfectly possible to spend a night throwing shapes uninterrupted. Whether you end up spending the whole night lost in the music, or decide to hang out with some new friends, this is something I believe everybody should try at least once. It’s an exercise in letting your hair down and building your confidence, in trying new things and in in being more spontaneous. As weird and lonely as going clubbing alone sounds, if you head into it with the right attitude – and a couple of beers – it’s a wonderfully liberating experience.
Georgie Wootton Living Writer
An Ode to a Patagonia Fleece...
Every modern society has an item which defines it, a physical manifestation of its ethos if you wil. Could Bristol’s be the fleece? A few days ago I was browsing the art history section of the library when I was nearly knocked over by a gross, misjudged display of non-conformity: a male student in a denim-jacket. The guy looked on edge, as if he’d realised his fashion faux pas half way to the library, but at a point when he was too far-gone to simply walk back home (as he quite rightly should have). Denim jackets have become something of a symbolic bastion for that bewildered, dwindling minority of students who still harbour affection for Foals, or (more insidiously) The Smiths [Editor’s note; the opinions contained within this article are those of the writer alone, and not Epigram as a whole. I like both of these bands…]. Good riddance, we should perhaps say: these bands are now harrowingly out of fashion. The jackets act like an unwritten SOS code between their wearers: ‘I’m still not that into techno.’
It’s time to accept that denim is dead; the salad days are gone. What then, has replaced them? Where now, do we look for cool? Puffa jackets? I want to say no, on account of their sheer ubiquity. I needed to look deeper and longer, for something more unique. Ironically, it took a journey home to find the answer. On Christmas Day, my dad and I went on a short trip to the country. When he donned his new Patagonia fleece, I began to feel rather uncomfortable. A general sense
of disquiet descended upon me for the rest of the day.
yet, still possessing a certain eye-catching aesthetic.
The reason why struck me the next morning: I had seen that fleece before. Not on my dad, but on Woodland Road during the early morning rush hour, in the ASS at lunchtime and in the wardrobes of my trendier friends.
I was onto something. marched to the library to
Initial disbelief gave way to excitement. Perhaps fleeces were new to the scene. More likely, they have been here for years, coolly standing backstage, relaxed and unbothered by the limelight. A brief perusal online confirmed my suspicions; a few articles hinted at some sort of revival, but never in definitive terms. More than that, the fleece responds to the zeitgeist that High Renaissance Man [legendary Bristol YouTube series] celebrated in 2010. Posh-ness has morphed; now, it has found a new, contemporary decadence. In fact, the two seem to correlate. The grubbiest, most crack-addled-dribbling undergrad in Bristol is in all likelihood of Old Etonia, related to David Cameron. And the fleece fits that bill perfectly; I am just as happy wearing a fleece around my second home in Brancaster, as when I emerge, squalid, from Cosies at 11am. Fleeces can accommodate many tastes. There are inner layers for those of you who like to hike, enveloping over sized chintzy patterns for the Badock piffs and chic sheepskins for the Sloane-y debutantes. Those of us in our final year must look to the future. Our salad days are gone, receding behind us like a pleasant holiday from the aeroplane window. We can’t twat about in street wear our whole lives. Modern pressures demand an article like the fleece: stoic, sensible, durable. And
I felt redress
smug as I the situation.
That was until I ran into an old friend from halls. He grinned idiotically as we spoke. With a sense of inexorable doom, I turned my eyes to what he was wearing underneath his coat. A fleece. But he wasn’t an ideal Bristol stereotype in the slightest. Hell, I knew the guy. He didn’t even like techno.
Modern pressures demand an article like the fleece: stoic, sensible, durable. At once depressed, I retreated to a nearby coffee shop to languish, as the Bristol Dream crumbled around me. The illusion was falling away. It was as if a hole had opened up beneath my feet. I felt wretched, positively ill. It wasn’t until a week later, when grimacing at my new ebay-fleece in the mirror, that it struck me. If you’re not privileged, it isn’t a great matter what you do at Bristol. Sure, normal people can come to Bristol. But they never really go to Bristol. Know what I mean?
Thomas Sheils Living Writer
29.02.2016
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Post-Office Visit Days: The Insider’s Guide
With Post-Offer Visit days fast approaching, Samuel Robinson shares his far more crucial guide to Bristol’s finest Post Offices. Around this time of year Bristol University holds a post-offer open day for prospective undergraduates who want to sample the dizzying heights of a South West education. Applicants can get a taste of university life within their chosen department and can experience a whole new meaning of rain, as I had to on my own post-offer open day two years ago. Quite cogently neglected from the proceedings, though, is an incidental whistle-stop tour of the Bristol postal service. And so in parallel with the five remaining postoffer open days of this season I will independently be offering just that, in a sanctimonious attempt to bring the student population back to the 19th century where it belongs, far away from immediate and accessible communication. If there’s one thing I hate it’s when people talk to each other. Have you noticed that people are always talking nowadays? They never shut up.
Anyway here’s a pamphlet of sorts to accompany my post office open day. It gives a comprehensive overview of all the post offices within about half a mile of where I am now and their comparative worth on this planet. First up is Baryah’s of Clifton, a place close to my heart and close to my house. The building is now a Premier not-quite-supermarket and the post office component has been relegated to the far right corner, obscured from view by packets of cheese and those key
Mail Boxes Etc., like its stampobsessed counterparts, also doubles with something that is not a post office, in this case a night-time club to rival its Clifton Triangular neighbours. The people who run the Baryah’s of Clifton post office ‘show’ are very kind people – fiercely rigorous when it comes to passport documentation – but I managed to crack my way into their hearts with my bashful ineptitude for filling in forms and other postal endeavours. One time I asked where the envelopes were kept while standing next to the place where the envelopes were kept and I was met with a roll of the eyes and a whimsical gyration of the head. I was somewhat embarrassed, yet there was a warmth there: I felt a genuine connection had been made with a fellow human and it turned out to be a 10/10 day for me in the end. Next on the whistle-stop tour steam train is the Cotham Hill post office, a firm favourite among the people who live on Cotham Hill. It doesn’t look like much and it’s compelled to double as a pharmacy in order to make ends meet, but you can blame Thatcher for that. I went in there once, actually to pick up some of that brown packaging tape so that I could stick some things together. It was OK. They have those postal workers with curiously monotonous voices that exist only in post offices, sat behind those glass screens framed flickr / Sandro Maggi
Quite cogently neglected from the proceedings, though, is an incidental whistle-stop tour of the Bristol postal service.
fobs that come in different colours and you can write your address on them. You know. They’re really thin and a quite bendy, a bit like plaice.
with Royal Mail’s favourite shade of brown, taking great care not to spill their similarly-brown instant coffee on their cardigan. They only have the one cardigan that they share between them to save money so that they can spend more money buying a new chain for their glasses. Now it’s time for another post office. Many people do not realise this is a post office but in actual fact it is. Mail Boxes Etc., like its stamp-obsessed counterparts, also doubles with something that is not a post office, in this case a night-time club to rival its Clifton Triangular neighbours, Lola Lo’s, Mbargo and another club that’s on the Clifton Triangle. Clubs aren’t really my area. Mail Boxes Etc. though is a club with a twist. When you go in you are immediately kidnapped and forced into a parcel box that’s slightly smaller than you are, while a choir of small children eerily sings nursery rhymes and then at the end of the night each attendee is delivered to a different Blue Peter presenter’s house. It’s so edgy, but it’s also practical because the clubbers’ parcel format allows them to be stacked high up to the ceiling, thus allowing many more people to fit inside than in other clubs, which make very little use of the full capacity of their rooms. The staff in Mail Boxes Etc. always eventually get the job done, whatever it may be, but one often gets the impression that they don’t know where they are, how they got there, or why they seem to be brandishing a blood-stained knife over a wounded body. I gather there is also a post office at the top of Whiteladies but I have had no reason to go there and also one in Stokes Croft but that’s miles away. So yes, join me for my post office open day tour; it’s full of bias and has been ill-researched but that’s student journalism for you. At least I’m not pretending to be something I’m not.
How to love Bristol in the Rain Bristol goes with rain like St Nicks Market goes with food or Jeremy Corbyn (probably) goes with electoral failure. I might only be in the first year of my degree, but I already know that it is always raining in Bristol. I’ve surrendered more umbrellas to our wind and rain than ketchup to my communal fridge. This means Bristol has a connection with rain like no other city I’ve lived in, so here is why you should embrace the precipitation and your inner pluviophile. Comfort food is the ultimate compliment to a rainy day and I can think of no place I’d rather bite in to my hunger pangs than the nutritious haven of Bristol. Whether indulging in a cart of cake from Ahh Toots, or a bacon sandwich from Bakehouse, you’ll forget about your soggy feet after your first mouthful.
There’s no need for me to check the Facebook group ‘Is it raining in Bristol?’, so instead I’m able to take the time to read a book and escape to someone else’s world.
Let’s not forget all that the water based adventure course the outside streets of Bristol can offer. When lit up in the dark the imposing Suspension Bridge is almost improved by the wind and rain lashing at it – it’s as good a sight as you’ll get in the world. Well, England. Ok, the West Country. If you’re feeling brave, go to Bristol Zoo; the place will be deserted so you can spend as much time squealing at the seals as you like. Trust me. Perhaps you’re someone who can only truly appreciate the maelstrom which is the Bristol weather if you’re slightly inebriated, but that’s not such a bad thing. It can actually bring out a cultural awakening; I’ve been known to take on the role of King Lear and shout ‘spit fire, spout rain, rumble thy bellyful’. But, warning: the metaphorical minefield that is il pleut mixed with alcohol and the Christmas Steps can be quite a sport. You have the power to cuddle your inner Bristol pluviophile from the safety of your own home, too. But that doesn’t mean it won’t take you places – I live in city centre halls, with 50 of my room being windows, but the huge storms recently made me feel as if I was on a ship in tempest in the middle of the Irish Sea. There’s no need for me to check the Facebook group ‘Is it raining in Bristol?’, so instead I’m able to take the time to read a book and escape to someone else’s world. But I quite like my own, too – I get to look out on Bristol rushing by into the Old Duke and the
flickr / James F Clay
The rain also inspires me to finally squeeze in a trip to all the cultural exudes that I’ve been meaning to since approximately the first week of freshers. You’ll almost be able to smell the rain within the walls of the contemporary Arnolfini, or the frozen in time Georgian House. Nothing makes me feel more like a child at home than a rainy day cinema trip and with the Watershed offering three cinemas, there’s no excuse not to be Bristol about it. And there’s always the Old Vic or Tobacco Factory Theatre, but I’d probably wait for when your grandparents come here to treat you.
rain hammering against the window and the opportunity it creates to tidy my room only increases my cosy set up. It’s fair to say that London is depressing in the drizzle, Oxford is dull when damp. But Bristol is perfect. And, it never rains over a pint of cider.
Jemima Hegerty-Ward Living Writer
29.02.2016
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Bristol Grad Interviews: Tom Kelsey, founder of
l
Deputy Living Editor Ellie Donnell talks with the recent Bristol graduate turned entrepreneur, whose new student experience-inspired company aims to provide deals and reward its users, allowing them to both save and make money. Food shops, nights out, concert tickets, alcohol, Donervan’s… there are always things we need to buy, whether for necessity or leisure’s purpose, which quickly racks up the spending and eats away at our bank accounts. As students, our highly attuned attention to money, which renders many of us in the reduced section of Sainsbury’s on a Friday night (because who doesn’t love a bargain?), is a longstanding and ongoing dilemma. Whether the purchase is essential or superfluous, we are all conscious of the ways in which we can make our money go further and, for the truly thrifty, earn some income at the same time. Ensuring we’re getting the best possible price for our cash is what recent graduate, Tom Kelsey, has set out to achieve. His new company, Pedlar, allows you to save and earn by offering handpicked deals recommended by the public whilst also paying you a commission every time someone buys your recommendation. I asked Tom a few questions on how the company works, his time at Bristol and for a few tips to help save - and more importantly earn - money he picked up along the way. StatickFlickr
So, what is Pedlar and how does it work?
The Domino’s Pizza Voucher Finder tool was inspired by my refusal to pay full price and constant inability to find the voucher sheet. How did you come up with the idea for the company? The idea of people sharing deals with each other isn’t new. There are already some very successful websites that rely on people to find, share and rate bargains. I used those sites a lot as they’re a great resource - they help you cut through all the marketing jumbo and find great value products. That said, I always had a bit of an issue with them. These other sites earn a commission every time they send a sale to a retailer. Essentially, they’re profiting from their users hard work tracking down and sharing bargains. I thought that wasn’t very fair and so the idea of Pedlar was born. Just like the other sites Pedlar gets paid every time we send a deal to a retailer’s website but, unlike everyone else, we pass that money on to the person who found and shared the deal. Can you give some examples of the deals you have to offer? They’re really rather diverse - from the best price on a PS4 game, to a discounted holiday to Paris or even just some cheap toilet roll! It’s entirely up to the Pedlar community what deals are shared and which rise to the top. The only consistent ‘deal’ we have on Pedlar are our Domino’s Pizza vouchers thanks to our Domino’s Pizza Voucher Finder tool (https://pedlar.co/dominospizza). I created it out of my refusal to pay the full price and my constant inability to find the sheet of 2-4-1 vouchers posted through my letterbox. Rather than Googling for vouchers that turn out to be duds, the tool automatically finds working voucher codes (it checks them whilst you wait) for your local store.
Flirkr/Tom Kelsey
Pedlar helps you find deals and bargains that have been shared and recommended by real people. We cut out all the marketing guff and only feature products shared by people who genuinely rate them. Because we rely on our community for their bargain hunting skills we reward them - every time someone buys a deal on Pedlar we pay the person who found and shared it. Say you spot a cheap TV at Argos - a 50” monster for £150 - if you stick the deal up on Pedlar you’ll earn a 2% commission every time someone buys the TV. You can find and share bargains via our website (https://pedlar.co).
Can you describe your journey from Bristol undergraduate to entrepreneur? How long did it take? Did you start the company alone or with others? Did your degree or specific experiences at the university help you? It’s been scenic! I started off with an undergrad in Computer Science. I enjoyed it a lot but naively thought I’d end up stuck in a basement without any human contact. Great justification in tow, I converted to Law after graduating. I went on to train and qualify as a solicitor at Bristol law firm Osborne Clarke. They were a great bunch of people but law wasn’t my passion - I craved the chance to start something of my own and that’s how Pedlar came to be. My undergrad was a massive help - not just from a technical point of view but from the business side too. I don’t know if they still do it but the Computer Science department used to make everyone come up with a business plan for their dissertation. Despite my dissertation being a long way from Pedlar, having been through a lot of the stuff with a ‘fictional’ business before, it made the second time round (when it was real!) much easier. How would you describe your time here? Any stories or memories that immediately spring to mind? I loved every bit of being a student at Bristol - it’s probably why I tried to prolong my time there so much. I was of the era of the guy that crashed his car into Will’s Hall after a night out - that’s a pretty solid start to your life as a student and a rather memorable event!
How did you deal with the typical student problem of money? Did you budget? Any good student deals you came across? I’d always keep an eye out for a deal but didn’t do anything particularly crazy on the money saving front. At uni I was much more about inventive ways to make money instead - I had a pretty successful stint doing event photography with a friend - several appearances at some of the Vet/Medic balls turned out to be pretty lucrative! There’s also a bunch of ways to make a bit of extra cash online (Pedlar being one of them). One of the most popular ways is matched betting - it’s betting only without the risk of losing - it’s definitely worth having a read about as it can be a nice little earner.
I was of the era of the guy that crashed his car into Will’s Hall after a night out Do you have any tips on how to save money that you picked up along the way? It sounds a bit tin-foil-hat but don’t trust the ads! I think most people know a DFS sofa sale isn’t all that, but everyone should apply that same scepticism to all the offers they see. It’s obviously a plug but people should rely on independent places (like Pedlar!) to get an idea as to the true value of a product or service.
Deputy Editor Tom Horton
Editor Izzie Fernades
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Online Editors Issy Montgomery; Becky Scott
29.02.2016
Ifernandes@epigram.gmail.com
Follow us at: epigramfood
Join us at: Epigram Food Section 2015/16
Beat the February cold:
AVO Izzie Fernandes revels in the delights of a brand new lunch stall around uni
It’s just that time of the year again. You think January is over and that we’re on to brighter things. No! February always turns out to be the most relentless month of them all. So cold, so blustery and to top it all off, this seems always to be the month of the lurgie! So whether this is for warmth or for a much needed vitamin boost to help power through that endless nose blowing and snivelling, this soup is defintely worth a try. When I fed it to two of my friends, they recently told me it was the best soup they had ever eaten and they’re not wrong. Easy, creamy, delicious and of course warming through and through.
‘The world of an avocado is a rich one, the possibilities are endless the demand is unwavering’ It was a pleasant surprise when, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, a tent popped up outside the gym wielding a large sign reading AVO. Late for my seminar or hungry for the next two hours? It was a lesser of two evils situation and naturally AVO came out on top. This new stall is run by Bristol students, Hugo Murphy, Tommy Diamond, Claudio Alfano and Ben Terrington (the chef). The stall was characterised by a friendly atmostphere and better yet, none of this small crowd of Avo fans were left waiting for their food long.
INGREDIENTS (for one):
2 tbsp coconut oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 inch piece ginger, grated 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed 400ml can coconut milk 1 litre vegetable stock 100g dry red lentils Salt and pepper
METHOD:
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the turmeric and chilli flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Add the squash and coat in the onion mixture for a couple of minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, vegetable stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Place the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the squash is soft. Purée the soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Top with a handful of basil or rocket and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
Recipe and Photo: Annabel Hsu
The choices were endless; Mexican, Japanese, Superfood, wrap or salad box. Who knew you could do so much with an avocado? Of course, it’s a given that avocado featured in every meal but its accompaniments were almost as exciting. Salsa, beans, quinoa, almonds and of course the 50p extra option to add chicken or salmon for the meat lovers all featured on the menu. My eager looking around at what other people had chosen revealed that every choice was a good one. This didn’t however, help to narrow down what I should settle on for lunch. After much deliberation, I went for a Superfood Box with sweet potato and salmon. This was both virtuous and practical; I was very aware that with just 5 minutes before the start of my seminar and not yet having factored in travel time, a box was less subject to explosion or squashing in my bag. That said, once the thing as handed to me , the thought of saving it for later went out of the window, naturally I ate it straight away. This was a generous size portion of colourful, fresh looking food which I soon discovered had the taste to match its looks. The whole thing had been beautifully put together; the quinoa was not the plain dry stuff you sometimes get in the bottom of a salad, instead, it was dressed in something zesty. The sweet potato was a creamy mash, thoroughly complimented by the crunch of the red cabbage and the toasted almonds. They had thought of everything; with a big dollop of hummus
on the side, I couldn’t think what else you would want. In fact, I can tell you, there was more. With every purchse, you are given a free carton of Vita Coco and bag of ProperCorn. This is relatively game changing, your £4 wrap or £4.50 salad box has just gone from a delicious, albeit not cheap lunch on the go to a full blown (and much healthier version) of a meal deal. I arrived at my seminar, 5 minutes late and yet too content with my AVO experience to be concerned. I read the stall’s Facebook post that evening with a guilty pleasure. Apparently, I had been one of the lucky ones, the demand was too great for the supply and not every AVO lover had been satisfied... this time. With this in mind, the team have promised that from now on ‘We’ll make more’. There’s just one way to find out, see for yourself. Much to my delight, they are set to grace us with their lovely presence outside the gym every fortnight to bring you a two weekly Tuesday treat!
Is Lent Just a Good Excuse For a Diet? Why taking something up may actually be the way to go For many, Lent provides the perfect opportunity for giving up a guilty pleasure, or taking up a good habit. Whether it be giving up trips to Jason Donervan, or taking up going to 9am lectures, people can make of Lent what they wish. Some even go as far as to use Lent as an excuse to go on a diet, or as a complete detox. Yet, is this really good reason for a juice diet? Is it right that an important religious festival should be used in this way? Many people overlook the significance behind Lent as a religious observance of many Christian denominations. They may choose to give up food, particularly meat and fish, as a reminder that Jesus did not eat for forty days in the wilderness; or take up a spiritual practice to help them focus on God. Some practicing Christians may feel upset by the sanitization of such a holy time. When people diet in the name of Lent, some may disagree with using the occasion to shed pounds and instead see it as a more profound time of spiritual and physical sacrifice. It is clear that Lent has moved on from simply a period of religious observance and the notion of a ‘secular’ Lent continues to be popularising, especially within a culture
obsessed with body image, diet and health. I do not think that this is necessarily a bad thing: if Lent is used as a means to foster self-improvement and discipline, which is conducive to health and wellbeing, there is no reason why everyone ought not to find enrichment from it. With the commercialisation of Lent, I think that giving up is over-emphasised and more focus should be on taking something up instead. Rather than giving up a chocolate addiction, which is likely to be returned to after you’ve devoured three Easter eggs before 11am on Easter Sunday, taking up exercising or doing a relaxation class could have a lot more of a positive and long-lasting impact to one’s life. Perhaps take up healthy eating opposed to axing all sugar from your diet? This is also a time for altruism, so start cooking for friends with deadlines on the way. Positive changes that you make to your diet and lifestyle can only do good and long term this seems far more conducive to success.
Lydia Guest
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29.02.2016
Experimenting with Veganism Jane Cowie gives an insight into her 10 day trial of being a vegan
avocado? Everyone has their soft spots, and unfortunately mine fell outside of the constraints of veganism. A great part of being a vegan is how cheap it is. Whilst almond, coconut and soy milk may be 50p more expensive, for the most part you come out the other side with more pennies to keep in your pocket. Meat lovers may justify the money being spent on meat as being worth it, but they certainly cannot argue that it is cheaper. For a supermarket shop lasting 10 days, in which my flatmate and I bought all the ingredients for a variety of vegan meals (admittedly, we had a couple things to use in our cupboards), the price came to a mere £36. Just £18 for 10 days of eating? That’s the equivalent to one 200g sirloin steak from The Cowshed. Bargain. If that’s not a selling point towards even trying out vegan eating, I don’t know what is.
Vegan Lasagne The first recipe, and my favourite of the week, was the vegan lasagne we made.
Ingredients
Epigram/ Matilda Bailey
Throughout my life the idea of becoming vegan has always been one that mystified me. I questioned why anyone would want to convert to veganism as it massively limits your choices on what you can eat. Eating out would be a nightmare, prepping a quick meal would be close to impossible, and I assumed that the food would taste inferior to the meals for those who allowed meat and dairy into their diets. Presumably, the fact that almost every meal I consumed in my childhood contained some sort of meat substance had something to do with my tendency to scoff at the concept of a vegan meal. Nevertheless with the health-conscious foodie’s becoming ever more popular (particularly on social media with clean eating accounts with followers in their millions), the promotion of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ has rocketed. To many, this discards the meats that were so prominent in my past, and replacing them with vegetarian and often vegan alternatives. Being interested in the field of nutrition, I decided that I wanted to test out how becoming vegan impacted me and see whether the recipes actually tasted good. Thus, my flat mate and I decided to undergo ‘10 days of veganism’ to test the water. By the end of the ten days I felt great. Every meal I consumed was absolutely delicious, and we both felt good when eating them, safe in the knowledge that it contained masses of nutritional goodness with every bite. My flatmate found that her skin cleared up significantly and I noted how I felt less bloated after each meal. Instead, I felt comfortably full. It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, admittedly. As a selfconfessed dairy and fish lover, I couldn’t help but crave salmon, eggs and yoghurt throughout the week. I mean, who wants to go without poached eggs and smoked salmon with smashed
4 tbsp Olive oil 3 Leeks, two with the sheets blanched (for the lasagne sheets) and 1 chopped 150g Chestnut Mushrooms, chopped 4 Roasted Peppers, chopped 700g Passatta with onions and garlic 1 Aubergine, cut into small chunks 400g spinach 2 Tomatoes, sliced Pine nuts (for topping)
Method Preheat oven to 180C/ fan 160C. Pour soya milk into a pan adding the corn-starch, onion and bay leaf. Bring to boil (stir continuously!) then take off the heat and leave to infuse for approx. 30 mins (this is not indicative). You may add some vegan cheese to this mix if you desire. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Fry the aubergine for a couple of minutes, before adding the mushrooms (until golden), chopped leek and peppers. Blanche the leek sheets in a saucepan of boiling water for a few minutes and allow excess water to drain. Spoon half of the veg into a 20 x 30cm baking dish, spoon over half the passatta, then arrange a layer of the leeks sheets on top. Spread the rest of the veg over the pasta, cover with the
Our fav brunch spot: Bakers and Co.
Issy Montgomery reviews Gloucester Rd’s San Francisco style brunch cafe Is there anything better than going out for brunch on the weekend? Lazy Sunday mornings can only get better if poached eggs or french toast is involved. So, with an amazing menu which changes all the time and beautiful cakes on offer, Bakers and Co. on Gloucester Road is the perfect place to unwind and catch up with friends whilst waiting for your delicious food to be prepared in the open kitchen. Sadly, this haven is hardly a well kept secret. With queues that can near 20 minutes long on a Sunday morning you wonder why people are so keen to eat here. Yet the moment that you take a bite of your chosen meal (which was hard enough to choose due to everything sounding too good to be true) you suddenly understand. With the classics on offer such as granola, full english or smashed avocado on toast, you can be rest assured that you will be satisfied. However, I would encourage you to be more adventurous. To satisfy those sugar cravings how about cinnamon and orange french toast with maple syrup, bacon, almonds and creme fraiche? Or for those with a more savoury palette I’m sure the seared steak, sage butter, poached eggs, watercress and sourdough would take your fancy. Even better, why not push the boat out a little bit further and try out the beetroot cured Devonshire river trout, courgette fritter, poached eggs, sour cream, lime and chilli. With inspiration from the Australian and San Fransisco cafe scenes, Bakers and Co. have created a buzzing atmosphere that makes your experience that bit better. They aim to provide healthy, exciting and delicious food for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and ensure the best quality food and drink as everything
is made on site. With beautiful, good quality ingredients that provide a new taste sensation which differ quite a bit from most other places in Bristol, you are probably expecting a hefty bill at the end of the meal which quite frankly will not be in favour of your student bank balance. But do not fear, with plates pricing between £3.50 and £10 you can cross this off that list you have of places you are forcing your parents to take you when they visit. So for those who have not gone, I recommend you go as soon as possible. However, for those who have been before and know how good it is, how about going again as chances are the menu has changed and there is even more on offer!
passatta and another layer of the leek sheets. Fry the spinach in the saucepan used for the veg, draining any excess liquid from the pan when they have fully wilted. Strain the infused milk and discard the bay leaf and onion. Put the milk back onto the heat in a saucepan, adding the cornflour until a thick, creamy texture. Add the spinach to the white sauce and top the lasagne with this. Cover with the sliced tomatoes and scatter the handful of pine nuts over the top. Cover with foil, bake for 20 mins, uncover, and bake for a further 10 mins until browned. Serve with some garlic bread. (I didn’t personally - Gluten free problems...) Ultimately, I think that veganism is a lot more manageable than I had in fact anticipated. The meals are delicious, as long as you’re willing to put the effort into cooking them! (Inevitably, we made many more meals- this is just the tip of the iceberg). It’s not something I will stick with religiously (as I noted, I am a dairy and fish addict), but I certainly will be making many more vegan meals to come. They taste great, make you feel great and are substantially cheaper than meat. As a student, what more could you want? Photo credit: Jane Cowie
Puttanesca Sauce Hugo Lebus gives his take on a traditional Italian recipe
Normally done as Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (literally ‘spaghetti in the style of a prostitute’ in Italian), this sauce of course can be used with other types of pasta, with my personal favourite for this sauce being farfalle pasta. However, it is so delicious that it can simply be eaten on its own if no accompaniment should present itself! I also like to add a little more onion and a tin of tuna to make a bit of a thicker sauce when I am doing this. The ingredients are beautifully simple and can be found in most larders:
Ingredients
Serves two: 1 red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tin of tomatoes, a handful of cherry tomatoes, 1 tin of tuna, a handful of black olives, a teaspoon of capers, anchovies, chilli flakes and Parmesan.
Method
Peel the onion and finely chop alongside a clove of garlic and add to a frying pan on a low heat with plenty of butter and put the lid on for the first five minutes. Once the onion and garlic are golden, add a teaspoon of capers and anchovies to your own taste, continue to fry briefly until the anchovies have melted in and then pour in the tomatoes along with the handful of fresh cherry tomatoes. While it cooks, quickly destone and halve a handful of black olives and add these to the sauce. Once this has been done, add the tin of tuna at the last moment so that it does not disintegrate and serve as soon as possible. I like to have it on farfalle pasta and then add Parmesan and some warming chilli flakes to taste. Bon appetite!
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Editor Camilla Gash
Deputy Editor Ella Ennos-Dann
Online Editor Annabel Lindsay
cgash@epigram.org.uk
eennosdann@epigram.org.uk
alindsay@epigram.org.uk
@e2travel
@epigram_travel
29.02.2016
Epigram Travel Section 2015/16
Exploring Barcelona and beyond
Camilla Gash
Year abroad student Janine Zager has only good things to say about Catalonia’s capital Barcelona has many little districts, all of which have their own character and charm and need at least a whole weekend in order to explore them in their entirety. El Barrio Gótico is currently up there with my favourites, simply down to the fact that there is never a dull moment there; whether it’s a light festival in Placa Sant Jaume, the large groups of tourists wielding their selfie sticks on La Rambla or every other door leading to a tapas restaurant offering up its delicacies in the windows. My first weekend - just by chance - happened to be a bank Noa Leach
Having never been to Barcelona before I had a few predictions as to what was in store for me. I could picture myself sitting in a small Spanish tapas bar on La Rambla, a large Sangria in one hand and a bowl of patatas bravas beside me. I was being called by the city of year-round sunshine and delicious chorizo. I can confirm that in as little as two weeks, this charming city has completely surpassed all my expectations. The combination of the bustling city, the stretch of sandy beach, cheap tapas and being able to buy a delicious cold €3 beer is making settling in and calling this city my home all the more easy. Attempting to communicate with the extremely friendly but fast-talking Spanish locals has led to many misunderstandings, but I’m slowly starting to understand that a smile and a nod will go a long way.
Barcelona´s very own Champs-Élysées – a slightly dustier version with fewer shops but nevertheless a good try. In one weekend we managed to combine the partying and the tourist activities, so not a moment was wasted. One thing we all did struggle with and one of the biggest difficulties I’ve faced moving here are the Spanish timings, especially for a night out. Their different time schedule is not a myth and no, I don’t get a siesta at work to help me adapt. I’m not joking when I say that they eat at 10pm, go to bars at midnight and don’t hit the clubs until 2.30am – quite different to what I’m used to. Although it’s led to several head-on-desk naps on a Monday morning I can finally say I am getting into the swing of things and that my body clock is changing. Just in time for the next weekend. All in all, I look forward to exploring what else this city has to offer, especially as the temperatures continue to rise.
- TRAVELGRAM Summer in Santorini, photo by @howellium
Janine Zager
Annabel Lindsay
holiday and the perfect three day opportunity to explore the city that never ends. On Friday a group of us hopped onto the train to Montserrat, a town about 65km away in the mountains. None of us were quite prepared for what we came across: a huge monastery up a mountain. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but it was not a mysterious town hidden away in the mountains. We started on our walk up to the monastery, although after seeing various people on their way down dressed in proper hiking gear and telling us that it was a two-hour walk up steep steps we decided against it and just took in the view from where we were. The views were stunning and the beautiful church in the village made the trip worthwhile. Saturday was spent lounging in el Parc de la Ciutadella in the glorious 18 degree sunshine. The park is filled with people doing every activity imaginable: yoga, slack lining, running, juggling, Tai Chi and even bubble blowing. It’s situated to the east of the city, nestled in between the Eixample district and the sea. It has a beautiful picturesque fountain in the middle which is not to be missed and its entrance is at the famous Arc de Triomf. This is essentially just a smaller version of the Paris one and leads into
Tag your travel photos with #epitravel to be featured on our account. Each issue, we’ll print the photo with the most likes.
29.02.2016
26
‘All-you-can-fly’: the balance between traveller and environmentalist
Noa Leach
When I first heard of the ‘all-you-can-f ly’ pass, my mind naturally raced instantly with the infinite possibilities of travel. If I could somehow find a grand a month, I could literally be anywhere with the click of a mouse button. And if there was some way of using carbon-neutral fuel in planes, I wouldn’t feel guilty about it...
1. Be prepared to travel slowly. Use as many local modes of transport as possible – taking the train emits one ninth of CO2 given off by an airplane over the same distance. In her gap year, my old babysitter vowed to never get on a plane and travelled from England to Brazil on a banana cargo ship over 4 weeks!
But I don’t have a grand a month – and f lying is still detrimental to the environment (sorry). This luxury pass (for those who can afford it) trivialises something so important to the invisible conservationist. The Guardian estimates that ‘aviation’s true impact in the UK is around 13%–15% of total greenhouse gas emissions’ – and now the 21 f lights of my gap year don’t seem just excessive, but selfish. So what is a good balance between travel and sustainability, and how can we achieve it?
2. Go to green places. Locally owned businesses are often more responsible in their community than larger chain hotels. Many will even advertise with an eco-tourism certification, so look out for eco-labels like ‘Nature’s Best’. The website ‘ecotourismkenya.org’, for example, provides lists of sustainable accommodation in Kenyan camps with a sustainability rating.
Being eco-friendly does not dictate where or when you travel. Only how. Ecotourism is becoming an increasingly popular way to both see the world and preserve it. Here are my 5 ways to remain both a traveller and an environmentalist:
3. ‘Take only photos, leave only footprints’. Your behaviour when you travel defines you as a green citizen. It is important to treat the local environment with respect – which, when you leave, should not have changed (unless for the better). That said, it is important to buy from and support local sustainable business. This bag I bought in Central America, for example, is made from plastic bags fished from the sea and offered to tourists as souvenirs.
Noa Leach
This bag I bought in Central America is made from plastic bags fished from the sea
4. Take it to the next level. If possible, don’t just respect but improve the environment. Don’t be patronising, but make an effort to be part of the community. Try volunteering as part of your trip, or incorporating community aid into your fundraising… but be careful about the company you choose – make sure you are doing real work and not just paying for a ‘gap yah’. 5. Make this a way of life. Share your ideas and learning with friends and travellers – and when you return from your travels, implement your green techniques into your day-to-day life! Noa Leach
If green travel interests you, I highly recommend the travel guide ‘Clean Breaks’, which gives 500 places and ways to travel which benefit both you and the world. Noa Leach
29.02.2016
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We catch up with our year abroad bloggers as they go on more adventures in 2016.
Amelia: Falling for Padua
Going home over Christmas was so lovely, and served as a much-needed break. I seemed to spend my time in the traditional British way, eating far too many mince pies and all things sweet and drinking mulled wine in the cheery festive spirit. The home-cooked meals certainly lived up to their expectations and seeing my family, especially our dog, was such a treat. However just when my English started to f low again, and the frustrating mind blocks of random English words had just about ceased, it was time to head back out to Padua and continue my life in Italy. Luckily, my Italian does not seem to have been compromised by the two and half week break. I was fearing going back to my housemates and not being able to say a word, or to have to start again as I did in September, a mere feeble ‘Italian speaker’. Fortunately my worst nightmares never saw the light of day. I was certainly happy to go back, though as usual saying goodbye was not my strong point. I don’t think I’ll ever be good at goodbyes, but at least I have come to terms with this most unfortunate of characteristics. Everything over here seems more settled than ever. I actually feel like people want to meet up with me rather than just feeling sorry for the foreigner who has no friends and I often find myself directing lost Italians across the city (that’s always a plus). I have even finally accepted that Italian coffees will never be the right size (in my humble opinion), and thus creating a cappuccino out of three espressos in perfectly acceptable, at least in my apartment, where my by now non-judging f latmates pass it by as another strange ‘English habit’. So all in all, life is good. My life continues to be a mixture of aperitivos, pasta and pizza, but that’s not all so bad, let’s be honest. Teaching is also continuing as usual. Though I have now decided that it is not the profession for me, it has been a great way to meet people, and many of my students are my friends.
I have even already visited a few picturesque towns in the hills next to Padua since being back, as well as roadtripping it down to Chioggia for the day, both of which were really beautiful places, and I would definitely recommend a visit if you happen to ever be in the area. As I write this I find myself in the midst of invigilating exams, after having returned from a passing home visit. I went home for a week or so because all of my students are currently sitting exams, and the desire to go back to Bristol
This week saw in Valentine’s day, which for me this year consisted of being played a love song on the guitar, written by my housemate. A trial run no less, (that I was an unwitting participant of ) before being played on Skype to the beloved girlfriend many miles away. That there, succinctly epitomises my year abroad experience romance wise so far, so very well. Moving swiftly on, the past week I also left snowy Geneva for an excursion involving goats in trees in Morocco. Yes, you have read that correctly, goats in trees. A few University of Geneva friends and I went to Marrakech and Essaouira
before returning for the second semester, and before my own personal return to the grammar books that infuriate me. As we were on our bus trip to Essaouira, the bus promptly stopped in a quite deprived area on the outskirts. Desolate, except for a tree, with some rather large goats precariously positioned in it. A surprising sight, I think we can all agree, and one that initially I felt a bit conf licted about. I loved seeing these goats in trees, but could I enjoy this sight without feeling guilty about liking the fact they were in them? Did they want this? Were they somehow...forced up there? Well, no, it turns out. These Argan trees in question produce little tiny fruit that the goats can’t get enough of, and they climb the trees in order to get them. So there we go. Afterwards, we visited Le Jardin Majorelle; a vibrant tropical garden previously owned by Yves Saint Laurent that was definitely worth seeing. The walls are painted in a vivid cobalt blue – Majorelle blue, named after the founder of the garden. Of course, Morocco generally speaking, is very much a kaleidoscope of colour; the sides of the pavements can be turquoise, the bathroom ceiling is likely to be bright yellow, even the skirting boards are garishly green. No stone is left unturned, and certainly not before being painted fuschia pink, probably. There were also many, many cats. Being deeply cat deprived in Geneva, this got a little to our heads, and it was something that one seller in the souks took as being a prime opportunity to sell us a kitten we’d been fawning over, that had just so happened to be sitting near his stall. You’ve got to admire the initiative, if anything. We had some interesting names called out to us in the souks in a bid to grab our attention that made no sense whatsoever, but nevertheless did succeed in its aim. Ultimate favourite was a mixture between “Asda price” or “skinny girls, skinny prices”. A tough choice to choose between, clearly. Mairead Finlay
cannot. Instead, you give them the ‘I feel sorry for you’ look and hope that they pass their exams. Most of whom do, thank goodness. It is great to be back in Padua, and I think it is slowly starting to steal a part of my heart. So many memories, both good and bad have been made here, and it is something I will never want to forget. And on that more philosophical note, I better stop before I start rambling. Amelia McWhirter
“ Flickr/ Luca Nebuloni
and see such an amazing city after far too long, as well as, of course, my friends, was far too tempting to resist. So I went on my way back home, and then on to Bristol, to check in on the many people who will not be with me next year when I return, which proved to be a very good idea indeed. Thank you Bristol, you were fab. Invigilating exams is a very strange thing. It tends to go against my instincts. You find yourself wanting to help the painstakingly nervous students, when of course you
Morocco is a kaleidoscope of colour; the sides of the pavements can be turquoise, the bathroom ceiling is likely to be bright yellow, even the skirting boards are garishly green. No stone is left unturned, and certainly not before being painted fuschia pink, probably.
”
Mairead: Geneva to Morocco
Mairead Finlay
Mairead Finlay
Editor Plum Ayloff
28 28
Deputy Editor Beatrice Murray-Nag
Online Editor Phoebe Jordan
Deputy Online Editor Julia Pritchard
payloff@epigram.org.uk bmurraynag@epigram.org.uk pjordan@epigram.org.uk jpritchard@epigram.org.uk @e2style
@epigramstyle
Mastering the art of anytime lingerie
Phoebe Jordan looks at the hottest new trend of the Spring/Summer 2016 season, showing us how to wear underwear as outerwear
Calvin Klein SS16 / pinterest.com
Alberta Ferretti SS16 / pinterest.com
Celine SS16 / pinterest.com
With hazy summer days approaching there is no time like the present to experiment with the subtle art of underwear as outerwear. Whether you’re enticing a lover or simply embracing your own femininity, wearing lingerie as an everyday piece has never been so easy and so chic. The look was seen on the catwalk throughout the SS16 fashion month. Balenciaga went for angelic whites and babydoll tops. Slip dresses were the items of choice at Burberry, Alberta Ferretti and Celine, whereas Alexander McQueen and Marchesa paraded Victorian lace corsets on top of glamorous, billowing gowns. But this look is not exclusively a designer pursuit, many of our favourite high street shops have fantastic options. Mango has a selection of beautiful silky slip tops and Zara with lacy crops and skirts. H&M provide an inexpensive luxury lingerie collection brimming with sleek bodies and corsets that make the perfectly seductive wearable lingerie piece. Whether it’s a slip style dress under an edgy bomber or a lace lingerie top paired with jeans and boots, the trend is a great addition
to your wardrobe. We suggest mixing it up, a black body looks fab under suiting, or try a loose slip top with a midi skirt for a smart, sophisticated outfit. Under your favourite V-neck jumper or with classic high waisted jeans, skip the clothes rails and head straight to the lingerie section.
Lace dress, Zara, £39.99 Lace top, Mango, £29.99
Victoria’s Secret arrives in Bristol
Georgie Wootton goes to Cabot Circus to explore the brand new store in town The world’s most famous underwear brand has finally come to Bristol. Victoria’s Secret and Victoria’s Secret Pink draw you in with their massive double shop front, which makes up for the surprisingly bad location at the far end of Cabot Circus and their unmistakable branding. Having been to a few Victoria’s Secret stores in the USA, but never one this side of the pond, I popped down this week to see how they measure up. The shop wasn’t busy when I arrived, though thankfully the sales assistants weren’t pushy or overly attentive, just there. It’s also worth noting, while I think the subject is getting a little tired, that their mannequins are not what one might expect from Victoria’s Secret. They’re busty (probably a C or D cup) and I suspect are wearing medium knickers.
I started at Pink, where I was impressed with the swimwear collection and the price of their knickers – 5 for £20 – as well as the size of their activewear range, though I have recovered from my Pink trackies phase and now find most of it incredibly tacky. I grabbed a “Date” Push Up bra, then headed over to the main store (they’re connected in the middle) to hunt down a bra that would, apparently, add two cup sizes, and to see what else is on offer. I can’t help but think that most of their main range bras are rather tackylooking too, particularly the overly padded ones, all lace and sponge and odd colour combinations. That said, there are a few gems, particularly for fans of the push up and their knickers are generally fantastic; I own about 15 pairs and
can vouch for their comfort and quality. Their vast range of body sprays and shower gels make great gifts for younger girls, but after being inadvertently gassed by what must have been a mango flavoured body spray while I was in the changing room, I won’t be going anywhere near them. I usually stick to non-wired or unlined bras, but, hoping to be converted, I took four bras with various degrees of lift to the changing room, which is equipped with a bell in case you need any help or additional sizes. As well as the Date Push Up and the Add-2-Cups Push Up, I went for an Uplift Demi, which is their slightly padded t-shirt bra and an unlined plunging number. The unlined bra was made of white lace and mesh and as such, looked like a nursing bra: a
bad choice on my part. The Uplift Demi had promise, though it gaped a little at the front and I couldn’t go down a cup size as it isn’t available in 34A. In fact, the range of sizes is fairly restrictive, depending on the bra model anybody with a particularly large bosom won’t have any luck here. The bra that added two cup sizes was more amusing than sexy, with more padding than boob and very robust straps. Fortunately, I fell hard for the Date Push Up, a surprisingly classy lace balconette bra without too much padding. At £38, though, it’s gone on my poststudent-loan shopping list. All in all, very much the typical Victoria’s Secret experience, minus the over-attentive staff. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth going for the pants, and there really is a bra style in there for everyone.
Georgie Wootton / Epigram
Georgie Wootton / Epigram
Georgie Wootton / Epigram
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29.02.2016
Fashion illustrated: the artists picturing style Alexandra Keates takes us inside the world of fashion illustration that is being redrawn through social media, both in Bristol and beyond
Adrian Valencia @drawadriandraw Adrian’s long, lean silhouettes and the movement in his drawings depict the iconic style moments he copies with such grace and attitude! Jessica Durant @jessillustrator
Jess Durant / Instagram @jessillustrator
Jess Durant / Instagram @jessillustrator
One of the most inspiring aspects of the fashion industry is the art that it evokes and produces. Like the garments, there is a vast array of different art inspired by the industry. From kooky to stylish, the art of fashion illustration has come into its own in recent years with illustrators making a name for themselves through commissions from major fashion houses, such as DVF, Prada and Dior, to publications, such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and Elle. However, don’t be mistaken in thinking it’s restricted to the top end of the market; the burgeoning illustration empires are also flooding the social media scene on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest alike, making it easy to access art within everyday life. Some of our favourite illustrators are visible on Instagram, giving little nuggets of inspiration throughout each day.
Jess takes a different but equally beautiful approach from Adrian in her illustrations. Her work is created using a much wider palette of materials, encompassing everything from watercolours to flower petals to explore the shapes and silhouettes that different dresses can create. However, one of the best things about her is that she posts all of her progress on her pieces, rough copies, practice sketches and even things she sometimes discards, to show us that in an artistic endeavour no one ever gets it perfect all the time. The Best in Bristol However, anything the rest of the world can do, Bristol can do too. Among the artistic talents of the city is fashion illustrator Lucie Sheridan (@luciesheridan). Lucie describes her work as ‘instinctive and simple with a lateral approach’. Her designs employ the use of bold colours and strong silhouettes, creating truly mesmerising and uplifting pieces that command a personality all of their own. So wonderful are Lucie’s pieces that they’ve been featured all over the place, from the pages of The Guardian and The Times to Penguin Books and more, making her a true talent of Bristol’s home grown illustrators.
Both images, left and right: Adrian Valencia / Instagram @drawadriandraw
Lucie Sheridan / pinterest.com
Boodle / boodleboutique.com
Beth Buss / Instagram @boodleboutique
Boodle / boodleboutique.com
Lucie Sheridan / pinterest.com
Fashion illustration isn’t just meant for paper, however. Hidden away in Bristol is a little gem of a shop called Boodle Boutique that sells wonderful clothes and accessories adorned with beautiful, fun and sustainable fashion illustrations. Boodle was set up by Beth Buss, who found that an artistic business could truly bloom within the artistic scene of Bristol. Having graduated in Textile Design from Nottingham Trent University in 2010, Beth set up her business working on illustrative designs for clothes and selling them at craft fairs and online. ‘My inspirations come from nature and animals,’ she says, as her creative ideas are drawn from childhood, where she grew up in the idyllic landscape of the Devon countryside and developed a love for the outdoors and the natural world. Her love for nature and the environment transfers not only into her illustrations but also her clothes themselves. She only uses organic materials and inks to ensure her clothes are both sustainable and of the highest quality; a truly fitting mould for such talented designs taking their place in the creative fabric of the city! So next time you’re scrolling through your Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, why not have a little look around and you might find some true gems of fashion illustration to brighten up any social media news feed on a rainy Bristol day!
Editor Ben Duncan-Duggal whatson@epigram.org.uk
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Palsoc debate - ‘Is Zionism rascist?’
Facebook: Palsoc Bristol
And this week in ‘political events with incredibly loaded titles’ at Bristol, it’s Palsoc (who describe themselves as ‘a group of likeminded students who aim to increase the presence of the Palestinian people and their continuing struggle for freedom’) who have brought the goods. Almost unbelievably the debate they’ve organised promises two speakers against the said motion, which should at least keep things interesting. What they haven’t promised is any compromise from anyone whatsoever. 19:00, venue tba Exhange, Tickets available from Ticketmaster for £10
EAGULLS Live
Facebook: EAGULLS
Eagulls are part of the new wave of British Punk, which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with New Wave. Part of a scene which is almost exclusively made of angry young men shouting but doing so in a sophisitacted manner, Eagulls bring the best of that scene. They’re able to do that because they almost personify its finest quality – a complete lack of control or restraint. 19:30, Fiddlers, tickets available online for £9.90 plus transaction fee
Bodynod presents Keepin It Grimy, ft. Giggs, Big Narstie and Elf Kid @ Motion
Facebook: Elf Kid CentreForCities
This is an event which leaves me so excited that I almost cannot speak. Why? Is it the grime legend Giggs continuing to prove his important status within the narrative of British Grime, or Big Narstie returning to Bristol with new energy and momentum following his recent pop success? No. It’s the appearance on the bill – the first in Bristol – of a rapper named Elf Kid. He’s 18 and was basically unheard of until he released ‘Golden Boy’ late last year, which samples 1 Thing by Amerie (what else?) and is one of the best singles by an underground artist I have ever heard. This is not to be missed. Tickets available online, £18 plus booking fee
Late Night Tales DJ Set So yes, this is a merciless exploitation of a brand. It features a DJ who has not featured on any of this series of ambient mixes mixing songs from said ambient series, with no input whatsoever from anyone has indeed featured on that series. But who cares? Late Night Tales tend to do almost exactly what they say on the tin – evoke that naked and scarily intimate atmosphere that the wee hours entail. To be able to experience that in a public setting could well be a privilege. Linda Wathieu MarcBailey
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29.02.2016
The Christmas Steps, 9pm-1am
EXPLORE '16 in photos ELECTIONS EXPLAINED
everything you need to know MEET 1625ip
our varsity charity bristolsu.org.uk
INTRODUCING MIND YOUR HEAD
new mental health support group Image by Sarah Koury
EXPLAINED Who are we actually electing? A lot of people! You don’t have to vote for all the positions, only the ones that are relevant to you, but the full list of roles includes: Full time Elected Officers: Union Affairs Officer, Equality, Liberation and Access Officer, Student Living Officer, Sport and Student Development Officer, Undergraduate Education Officer, Postgraduate Education Officer. Part time roles alongside your studies: Education Reps: Faculty Reps, Course Reps
the curriculum. Your student rep network are responsible for organising Varsity, helping you to get the fairest deal on your student housing and overseeing our network of 350 student groups. Every single student at Bristol is affected by the actions of our reps, even if you don’t realise it! In the past few years, student reps have: • Rolled out lecture capture across the University • Run campaigns such as Reclaim the Night, Mind Your Head and Why Is My Curriculum White?
Identity Reps: Women's Officer, BME Students Officer, LGBT+ Students Officer, Disabled Students Officer, International Students Officer, Mature and Part Time Officer, Widening Participation Officer
• Set up Balloon Bikes: a scheme which allows students to hire bike for £50
Interest Reps: Chair of Student Council, Societies Chair, Sports Chair, Volunteering Chair, RAG Chair, Sustainability Chair
• Set up the Postgraduate Network, which has built a strong postgrad community at Bristol
Student Trustees
• Set up compulsory consent workshops for first year students, to tackle sexual violence on campus
What do these people do? Well. Obviously they do a lot of different things, but their job across the board is basically to look out for Bristol students. They might be organising events to help you get to know people on your course (or just to blow off steam!), or lobbying the University for more books in the library or to diversify
on a few key things. You want to make sure that the reps who are voted in are the ones who are going to focus on the issues that are most important to you. It could make a big difference to your time at University.
• Secured £15,000 in funding for students who need to travel for research
Will my vote actually make a difference? Yes. These reps are usually in post for just one year. That means that they can only focus
Voting is open until the 7-10 march. find out more and vote: bristol.org.uk/elections
Explore '16 in photos
Meet 1625 Independent People: our Varsity charity Varsity kicks off today (29 Feb), with Varsity football at SGS (Filton Wise). Proceeds from the series will go to our chosen charity, 1625 Independent People. 1625ip are now our chosen charity for the second year running: last year the Varsity series raised over £6,500 for the charity. 1625ip work supporting young people with housing, life skills, homeless prevention, counselling, advice, confidence building, budgeting, health, training and finding work. Chief Executive of 1625ip, Dom Wood said: "We are very honoured to have been chosen as Varsity headline charity for a second year and are looking forward to building on the amazing support already shown by students at both universities. For many students going to university will be their first experience of living away from home with all the challenges that can bring, particularly without family support. This is a really positive example of young people empathising and getting involved to raise funds and awareness for their peers who might need a little support getting back on their feet, and a chance for us to promote the services we have available to those that may need them.” Get your tickets for all Varsity events at varsityseries.com now, and support 1625ip!
MIND YOUR HEAD
introducing Mind Your Head:
a new mental health support group
Feeling anxious about exams? Or stressed about where to live next year? Or having problems with friends or family? CongratulationsYou’re not a robot!
Difficulties and stresses are part of everyone’s life, but that doesn’t mean they are always easy to cope with alone. That’s why Bristol SU are starting a new support group as part of the plan to fulfil Student Living Officer Sarah Redrup’s manifesto promise of increased access to support services. Sarah said: "There seems to be an assumption that struggling at University is a rite of passage. That if you’re not getting enough sleep, finding that you can’t get into the hobbies that you once enjoyed or that you’re spending more time worrying than feeling positive it’s all just part of the experience. University is tough and if you’re struggling to cope you shouldn’t have to battle through alone. This was my motivation behind setting up the support groups." The Mind Your Head group is run by a team of undergraduates and post graduates. It’s a friendly drop in support group open to all students with the aim of improving mental wellbeing and eradicating stigma. Sessions start from the week commencing 14 March and there will be a separate group for undergraduates and post graduates.
Images by Sarah Koury
For more information email sarah.redrup@bristol.ac.uk.
WHAT'S ON FEATURED EVENT Matt Corby 7:30pm Anson Rooms Wednesday 9 March We look forward to welcoming Matt Corby to the Anson Rooms in March. This Sydney born artist grew up steeped in gospel; his passion for music fed first by renditions of ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’ and later by a love for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. His Debut Album, ‘Telluric’ includes the brand new track Sooth Lady Wine, an intricate psychedelic wash of smooth vocals and funky bass lines.
March
Friday 4. Auditions - Empty Chair. 2pm, Stephenson Room, Bristol SU. Bristol Student PEN host auditions for an evening of Empty Chair performance. Empty Chair performances are creative readings of the works of writers who have been persecuted, exiled or executed for their voices.
Sunday 6. Varsity American Football. SGS (Filton Wise) We bring you Varsity American Football: Bristol’s answer to the Superbowl. #embracetherivalry
Friday 4. Karaoke & Street Food. 9pm, The Balloon Bar, Bristol SU. Bristol's best Karaoke night is back so dust off your vocal chords and sing like no-one's listening every Friday in the Balloon Bar.
Saturday 5. BEEES Robot Wars. MVB Atrium. Robot Wars is back in Bristol! All students can enter in teams of up to 5 and fight to destruction for a chance to be win cash prizes and be named BEEES Robot Wars Champion. Free entry and free pizza and drinks!
Sunday 6. Varsity Basketball. SGS (Filton Wise) See UWE Jets Basketball Club take on Bristol University Basketball team. Come along to the SGS WISE and support #mightymaroon as we compete for the Varsity title.
Tuesday 8. Richmond Lectures: Wendy Darke, Head of BBC Natural History. 6pm, Anson Rooms. Hosted in collaboration with the WildFilmSoc "The importance of the anatomy of effective storytelling for the modern graduate"
Wednesday 9. Varsity Day. With a whole range of sports being played across multiple venues, there's something to suit everyone! See varsityseries.com for more information.
For more information on all upcoming events see bristolsu.org.uk/events
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Epigram
29.02.2016
Arts
Editor: Mattie Brignal
Deputy Editor: Ed Grimble
Online Editor: Amy Stewart
arts@epigram.org.uk
egrimble@epigram.org.uk
astewart@epigram.org.uk
@EpigramArts
Grayson Perry’s ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’ Jess Baxter examines Turner-Prize winning artist Grayson Perry’s ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’, a series of tapestries exploring British taste and class currently on display in Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery. middle class pretension. You walk into the single-roomed exhibition and sweeping the walls are enormous floorto-ceiling tapestries, all swirly aesthetic and woolly texture. They are bright, candy-coloured, hyperrealist scenes of strange yet uncannily recognisable everyday life – immediately catching the eye is an Adidas messenger bag- the ones all the cool boys had at school. Yet the images themselves are impossible and illogical: dimensions are distorted like some kind of modern, biographical Bosch painting. Snatches of realism are visible in the psychedelic drama and this makes you feel like you have walked in on somebody else’s dream. The tapestries depict not a dream, but the life stages of fictional character Tim Rakewell (a parody of Tom Rakewell, the protagonist of 18th century British painter William Hogarth’s ‘A Rake’s Progress’ series), who undergoes a ‘class journey’ from a miserly Sunderland household to fame and riches. A more overt nod to Hogarth is the presence of his beloved pug, Trump, in every one of Perry’s tapestries. Each tapestry is a snapshot of stages of Tim’s life: growing up, getting in the money, and eventually crashing his Ferrari and dying. Within each scene are whispering references to the giants of art history: there’s a Lowry in the background in one tapestry, William Morris wallpaper in another, plus a conspicuous reference Renaissance artist Giovanni
Epigram/ Jess Baxter
WHO
As one of America’s most critically acclaimed novelists, Toni Morrison has won almost every award a writer can win, including the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1993. This makes her the first African-American woman to be selected for the award. Often regarded as a voice of the black community, particularly black women, her novels
Epigram/ Jess Baxter
With the February blues seeping in like rain on a soggy jumper, there’s a limited choice of fun daytime activities that are both cheap and dry. The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, however, is the ideal weather-proof endeavour: an eccentric and groovy exhibition by the famously sassy, cross-dressing artist Grayson Perry. If you like Renaissance influences in contemporary art, enjoy chin-stroking contemplation of medieval tapestries and smugly telling people about your art gallery visits, then I urge you to go and see it. It’s not really as pretentious as it sounds. At all, really. In fact, Perry is steering away from pretension like this and pokes fun at the Britain’s class system in ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’, a creative response to his exploration of class mobility in Channel 4’s ‘In The Best Possible Taste’ he presented in 2012. The six-piece tapestry collection present social class and social mobility in a way that is satirical, funny and quintessentially British. We love that word, don’t we? To be British is to be good, to be wholesomely patriotic and democratic, to enjoy a British Sunday roast of 100% British beef while watching BBC news. But the semiotics of the word omit the burning memories of Thatcher, UK tax avoidance and the problematic effects of the insidious gentrification of a nation – things that take centre stage in Perry’s work. What he gives us here is a tongue-in-cheek yet bleakly truthful presentation of the ominous threat of
Bellini’s Crucifixion of Christ. The famous 1434 ‘Arnolfini Portrait’ by Jan van Eyck gets a special hint too: the tapestry on the centre wall includes a circular, convex mirror on the depicted kitchen wall. Walking around the room is like walking around Bath Abbey with its reverential atmosphere and stain-glass art depicting Christ’s life. Underneath these symbols are more than just echoes of art history. They are representative of the ‘tribe’ we belong to, to use Perry’s phrase. Choices we make about how we act, look, and speak categorise us, as crude as it is, into a certain positioning on the mass hierarchy of society. Class affects what we consider to be ‘tasteful’, as Perry notes: ‘I think nothing has such a strong influence on our aesthetic taste as the social class we grow up in.’ My favourite piece was probably the second tapestry, ‘The Agony in the Car Park’. (Points to those that spotted the link to the Biblical episode, the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.) It’s like a cityscape of Sunderland with the colour saturation turned all the way up. Yet the words interwoven in the scene of the last tapestry lodged themselves into my head, spoken by a pedestrian who attempted to save Tim’s life: ‘All he said to me was “Mother”. All that money and he dies in the gutter’. The increasing interest in the dystopia genre has produced blockbusters like The Hunger
Games and Divergent. But Perry brings a new kind of dystopia; one that is subtle, omnipresent and feels a lot closer to home. More Orwellian in nature than futuristic and sci-fi. The sneering, suspended face of Jamie Oliver that peeps out in the second tapestry looks like the villain of a movie, yet also look like the British celebrity chef we all know and love. A woman’s throaty laugh rang out in the gallery. I turned to see a well-dressed lady in a fur-lined coat with a slightly – dare I say it – snobby air. I immediately realised the irony of the entire moment. The majority of gallerygoers are, admittedly, middle-class, middleaged connoisseurs, and for them to be viewing and scrutinising art with traces of their own lives, seemed very strange to me. What this art does, which hasn’t been done since Hogarth, is force you to question your own place in this dynamic and constantly evolving class war. Am I as middle-class as this woman seems? How am I viewed by other people in the same class as me? In a different class to me? I thought about that Van Eyck-esque mirror again. The mirror is famous because you can see the artist and another person in it (critics consider this to be the spectator of the painting – you) and this is exactly what Perry is trying to say. We are both within, and without, the tapestries. Jess Baxter
WHAT
Toni Morrison
Her keen interest in speaking for the unspoken for has resulted in a collection of works focused on black oppression and identity, such as Song
Novelist
of Solomon, Jazz and Beloved. The latter, based on the true story of an escaped slave, won the Pulitzer Prize was named the best novel of the past 25 years by The New York Times Book Review.
are considered to be of great socio-political importance. Flickr/ Cliff
Born 1933
Epigram
29.02.2016
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‘death: is it your right to choose?’ As part of the larger ‘death: the human experience’ exhibition at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, ‘death: is it your right to choose’ confronts viewers with a replica Dignitas flat. Myla Lloyd gives her thoughts.
Flickr/ xlibber Epigram/ Myla Lloyd
When is a room not a room? It may sound like the start of a bad joke but is, in fact, a valid question when confronted with a rather commonplace domestic installation at the heart of a museum. To complement the exhibition ‘death: the human experience’, curator Lisa Graves has re-created a room from a Swiss Dignitas flat inside the Bristol Museum. The organisation, with clinics in Zürich, has assisted in the suicide of over a thousand patients, and in doing so has courted controversy the world over. Accompanied by displays that explore the wider issues of assisted dying, this is perhaps not what you’d expect to encounter at a cultural institution like Bristol Museum. A bed, a table, a set of chairs; there is nothing aesthetically remarkable about this interior. It could easily pass for a cheap B&B - without the breakfast, of course… It is at once comfortable and anonymous. In contrast to the exotic appeal of the Mexican death masks or Egyptian sarcophagi that make up the main body of this large group of exhibitions about mortality, this installation shows death for what it really is: mundane and commonplace. The disembodied voices of Dignitas patients play from a speaker in the ceiling, personal accounts of intimate decisions, faceless and slightly unnerving. At
the time of my visit I was the only person there; others had turned away at the entrance to the room, perhaps because they felt uncomfortable, or because the long-dead fossils held more appeal. Accompanying the installation is a wide range of material on the subject of assisted dying, from newspaper cuttings to photographs of the actual Dignitas flat. A refreshingly honest and informative presentation of a subject which often evokes highly emotive and sensationalist coverage in the press, provides a valuable space in which the public can contem-plate, or debate, the rather controversial issue of assisted dying. As someone who has witnessed the slow and painful death of a family member first hand, perhaps I am not the intended audience for this exhibition: I need no convincing that assisted suicide should be a choice we can all consider without the fear of criminal prosecution. An exit survey of over a thousand visitors shows that upwards of 80 percent agree that the law in this country should allow assisted dying. For those who are undecided, I recommend taking some time to sit in this rather sterile stage-set and confront that which is often evaded. Myla Lloyd
There is no defence for cultural appropriation in the arts Oluwaseun Matiluko responds to an earlier article from Epigram Arts and argues that cultural appropriation within the arts is indefensible. The issue of cultural appropriation is often conflated with that of racism, when in reality they are not the same thing. It is of course possible to culturally appropriate without being a racist. The reason for why it is necessary to talk out about cultural appropriation is also often simplified - it is not just to ‘prevent undue offence’ but to challenge white privilege and increase equality. The issue with cultural appropriation is that majority groups take from and popularise elements of a culture, as if they are the originators of it. Meanwhile, those from the actual culture, in the minority group, have been and still are marginalised and oppressed for exercising these same elements of their culture. For example, in the fashion industry it seems very popular for models to now wear cornrows, dreadlocks and other hairstyles of black origin. One sees these hairstyles on runway shows, in advertising campaigns and on high-profile celebrities. When Caucasian people wear the hairstyles they are seen as ‘cool’, ‘edgy’ and ‘innovative’, the recent furore around #WhiteGirlsDoItBetter springs to mind. Yet, when black people wear them they are seen as ‘dirty’ and many are forced to remove these hairstyles in order to conform to work or school regulations. The majority group [white people] have taken a popular element of black culture
WHERE
and popularised it, whilst black people are oppressed for it. Paraphrasing Amandla Stenberg - it would be nice if we loved black people as much as we love black culture. A recent article for Epigram on this subject namechecks Iggy Azalea, one of the most problematic popular musicians of our time. There is no denying that Azalea puts on a ‘blac-cent’ in her songs and that is not her native Australian accent. People do not simply have a problem with her because she is white. Rather, they have an issue because she is white and she appropriates. Azalea raps in a stereotypical black Southern American accent which is not her own (like some sort of parody) and is praised. Meanwhile Southern American black women have often been dismissed for their accents and told that they speak like they are ‘lazy and stupid’. Meanwhile, Azalea raps about being a ‘runaway slave master’ and has espoused rather problematic views in her tweets (these are only a Google search away). She is another person who takes from a culture that is not their own but does not respect said same culture. The writer of the article, titled ‘A Defence of Cultural Appropriation in the Arts’, is accurate in asserting that ‘it is the society who are recipients to her music that are to blame for favouring her over others.’ This is true, society is to blame for
allowing Azalea to flourish and be successful but not other black artists (who rap about similar subjects) who are actually from the South. Cultural appropriation is an endemic societal issue, however this does not take away from Azalea’s fault. Finally, one arrives at a problematic reference to Shakespeare’s Othello, made in the aforementioned piece in this newspaper. His writing of a play in which the titular is a ‘moor’ has nothing to do with cultural appropriation. In reading the play one sees that Shakespeare respects Othello’s heritage and the fact that he is an outsider in Venice. No element of North African culture is appropriated in the play, especially given that Othello’s ethnic background is secondary in importance to the main thrust of the play’s plot. Of course one can borrow from other cultures. After all, cultural exchange is how society grows, progresses and moves forward. There is nothing wrong with cultural appreciation. However, one has to ensure that one does not steal from other cultures and then claim parts of their culture as one’s own. This is especially the case when people of those original cultures have been persecuted for carrying out these same parts of their culture. Cultural appropriation is an issue for which there is no defence. Oluwaseun Matiluko
WHY
WHEN
While her novels do play a very public role, they
Morrison grew up in Ohio, but made the Born in 1931, Morrison did not write her
Literature at Howard University in 1949. She
first book, The Bluest Eye, until 1970, when
went on to attend Cornell University, and
she was 39 years old. Now aged 84, she
then to teach in universities in Texas, New
continues to publish works of great literary
York and Princeton. Having lived in America
worth. Her eleventh novel, God Help the
her entire life, it is of no surprise that this
Child, will be published in April this year.
is where the majority of her novels are set.
should be appreciated for being more than simply political statements. Morrison’s use of language is vividly rich and poetic, which makes her interweaving of the mythic and fantastical with historical realities utterly seamless. Her Flickr/ elycefeliz
move to Washington to major in English
combining of beautiful prose with deep political resonances
ensures
notes, ‘When
she
that, speaks,
as
the
America
Observer listens’.
Ellie Freedman
Epigram | 29.02.2016
38
Debate: Should public art be publicly funded? Myla Lloyd and Ed Grimble offer their thoughts on the thorny issue of public art funding.
In the current age of austerity, arts organisations have faced an increasing challenge to justify the benefits of publicly funded culture. As arguments around government spending abound, the arts are an easy target for those who believe it to be a superfluous area of investment in comparison to services such as education or the National Health Service. I would argue, however, that not only are the benefits of publicly funded culture manifold, they are in fact a crucial component of any democratic society. As any fan of publicly funded culture will attest, the intrinsic benefits of the arts are huge. Imagine how sterile society would be without the personal expression of art, music and literature, or the collective resources of galleries, museums and theatres. Many of Bristol’s bestloved arts institutions are dependent on some level of public funding; The Watershed, Bristol Old Vic and Spike Island to name but a few. In 2014, 500,000 tickets were sold for some 7,000 events, confirming that Bristol residents have a huge appetite for the arts.
Whilst it may prove tricky to quantify the benefits of culture as entertainment, the public arts provide many more benefits to society that are difficult to ignore. Participation in culture is significantly associated with improved educational attainment, as well as good health and high life satisfaction. Whilst children who engage in drama or music at school drastically improve their chances of success in later
YES
Flickr/ Biteyourbum.com Photography
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life, for the ageing population the arts can provide valuable respite from loneliness and ill health. Some have even argued that there is potential for preventative interventions which use arts and culture to reduce the need for other public services, such as the potential of arts-based activities in prison to reduce reoffending rates and hanging art in clinical settings to reduce the length of hospital stays. In addition to the preventative savings to the public purse cited above, recent statistics
Participation in culture is significantly associated with improved educational attainment, as well as good health and high life satisfaction Anthony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’ was met with praise after its completion in 1998
three of a myriad of possible avenues. I stoically believe that public art can do the same: it breaks down any stigma attached to the act of going to a gallery by rendering such establishments superfluous. Art is brought into the everyday space, available to all who have the time to first acknowledge, and then think about, the work. I desperately wish that this were the kind of public art to which the titular question is referring, but I don’t think it is, so I’m going to have to go for the jugular. The kinds of public ‘artworks’ upon which public money
NO
Flickr/ Mikey ‘B of the Bang’ - expensive, ugly and dangerous?
‘Orbit’ was funded by £3.1M of public money
a hideous monstrosity it is. Hailed as a legacy of the Games, all it does instead is elicit disgust: spurting paradoxically from the ground like some great metallic artery. What makes the waste of this £3.1 million all the worse, is that members of the public actually have to pay to go up the horrid thing! £10 a go, to be precise. This shocking monetising of what is audaciously labelled ‘public art’ is all the more apparent now that Carsten Höller’s ‘The Slide’ has been installed. It’s now a sorry Frankenstein’s monster: chrematistic art, art-as-play, degradation and mockery of what people take the term ‘public art’ to mean- it’s all there in Stratford. The Arts Council England (ACE) have a pretty dire reputation of funding projects that seem to display very little artistic merit when it
This was epitomised in Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘legacy of the 2002 Commonwealth Games’ in Manchester. A visually lacerating mass of 180 metal spikes, ‘B of the Bang’ was supposed to symbolise the explosive start of a sprint race. In reality the thing was so grotesquely gigantic that it’s sheer mass resulted in one of the spikes breaking off and crashing to the ground not long after its 2005 unveiling (several more were swiftly deemed unsafe and were removed). In fact, by 2009 it had been totally dismantled, and in 2012 it was melted down for scrap. Its lifecycle lasted just a decade, and a legal case only rescued £1.7 million of the initial £2 million investment. Case in point, I think. Cities are enhanced by thought-provoking, imaginative, and successful works of public art, of course they are. However, take a moment to actually assess the merit of the vast majority of what council bureaucrats approve, and you’ll find them a colossal waste of money.
Flickr/ bethelparkbobb_o
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“ The Arts Council England have a pretty dire reputation of funding projects that seem to display very little artistic merit
Anyone who has seen photographs of the 115 metrehigh tangled mess of burgundy steelwork will know what a hideous monstrosity it is
is relentlessly frittered away are, nine times out of ten, total garbage. In 1974, the Germanborn American sociologist Herbert Gans made a distinction between ‘High’ and ‘Low’ art. The former is subtle, and demanded something from its viewer by way of interpretation or questioning. The latter demands nothing, and amounts to little more than kitsch or caricature. He who pays the piper calls the tune and this is where all integrity of many instances of socalled public ‘art’ go straight out of the window. Anish Kapoor’s ‘Orbit’ cost £22.7 million, £3.1 million of which was public money. Anyone who has seen photographs of the 115 metre-high tangled mess of burgundy steelwork, let alone had to encounter the behemoth in situ at the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park will know what
Myla Lloyd
comes to deciding what to plonk in our public spaces. Gigantism apparently equates to quality. Anthony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’ was met with praise and it seems everything that follows it must be similarly monstrously out of scale.
Flickr/ Diamond Geezer
In an age that is becoming increasingly defined as one of urban atomisation, where the relationship with the built environments in which the majority of us live is rife with dislocation and alienation, I advocate wholeheartedly a reappraisal of what actions need to be taken in order to help make cities more ‘liveable’. Power to the pedestrian, revitalising greenery, and an increase in the number of truly public spaces (not these sterile, plateglass encased piazzas bought and funded by ironically grubby private firms that are symptomatic of a cultural obsessed with knowing how much is in everyone’s wallets) are
published by the Arts Council demonstrate a clear economic benefit to the arts, with the UK arts and culture industry turning over £12.4 billion in 2011 alone. In addition to employing more than 800 people in Bristol alone, public art programmes provide ample opportunity for volunteering. During my time as a student at Bristol I have had the opportunity to get involved in multiple artistic ventures; from the Playable City Award to Luke Jerram’s ‘Withdrawn’. Not only did these experiences benefit me in terms of career development, but they gave me the opportunity to see first-hand the positive impact that public art can have on local communities. For all the enriching and engaging public art, there are of course some commissions that are unpopular or misguided. Take for example the announcement of a publicly-funded museum dedicated to the life of Margaret Thatcher (an incredible irony considering her lack of support for publicly funded art during her time in government). This proposal attracted some 80,000 signatures in protest, demonstrating how vital it is that we, the public, take a role in championing our culture and having a say on where tax payers money is best invested. With just 0.1 per cent of taxpayers money being spent on public art, perhaps concerns about government spending would be better directed at the defence budget or taxdodging corporations. As I’ve demonstrated above, this modest investment in public arts has significant benefits, both for creative practitioners and for society as a whole.
Ed Grimble
Epigram
29.02.2016
Film & TV #BaftaBlackout: Time for a change this awards season?
@epigramfilm
Editor: Ella Kemp
Deputy Editor: Kate Wyver
Online Editor: Georgia O’Brien
ekemp@epigram.org.uk
kwyver@epigram.org.uk
gobrien@epigram.org.uk
@ella_kemp
@KateWyver
@_georgiaobrien
As the awards season draws to a close, Ashley Yonga reflects on the hashtag that sent the world into frenzy. Twas the day after the BAFTAs...
Stephen Fry said, ‘it’s not an issue,’ but clearly it is if award shows both here and across the Atlantic are showing the same pattern of behaviour. Furthermore, the fight for diversity in story-telling is something that isn’t isolated to film alone. Last
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People in the furthest corners of the world should feel represented in the arts and should feel heard.
Epigram
On the evening of Valentine’s Day, actors rallied together in peaceful protest by the Creatives of Colour Network outside London’s Royal Opera House. They were protesting over the lack of celebration for black and Asian actors in the BAFTAs with only John Boyega and Idris Elba representing them. This comes at a time when the Oscars are under scrutiny over their lack of diversity for the second year in a row. The film industry, much like all industries, is calling for people to step up and recognise that what is happening isn’t right. Will Smith, one of the American actors asking for change, has stated that as actors they should be leading the path to inclusion and equality for all races and cultures and the award season this year seems to be taking everyone a step back.
year, Viola Davis was the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for best dramatic actress in a TV series. In 2015 she shouldn’t be ‘making history’, it should be the norm, but it wasn’t last year and it certainly is not now. In her speech she said, ‘the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity’ and she couldn’t be more right. There were 305 films eligible in the past award season, according to Variety. They go on further to state, ‘if hiring within Hollywood’s major studios and agencies reflected the U.S. population there should have been 150 and more films directed by women, 45 directed by blacks, 50 by Hispanics and dozens by directors who are Asian-American, LGBT individuals, people with disabilities and members of other minorities’. But of course, the actual numbers are so much smaller than these. Simply put, actors can’t be nominated for roles that do not exist, they cannot be engaged in stories that do not reflect their own unique individuality. The problem isn’t a shortage of actors, as Davis said it is a shortage of opportunity. The Oscar controversy originally seemed so far away from here. The UK is a multi-cultural place. London is known for its diversity, it celebrates it so why shouldn’t its film industry show this? There is no shortage of talented actors of colour, what there is is a shortage of movies and to an extent TV shows. Film and TV, while providing entertainment, are also methods of exploring hard subjects and making people think. They deal with issues affecting humanity, the whole of humanity, so shouldn’t the carriers of these messages be representative of the entirety of our world? This means that the lack of diversity in the film industry doesn’t just boil down to actors; it includes writers and directors,
Flickr: Marta Wlusek
Ashley Yonga Film & TV Writer
producers and musicians. All people telling stories for the whole of humanity.
There is no shortage of talented actors of colour, what there is is a shortage of movies and to an extent TV shows.
Film and TV touch the lives of so many and can inspire people. Actors standing up and fighting for equality makes sense because their work reaches the furthest corners of the world and those places must know that the world is more than just a single group of people. People in those corners should feel represented in the arts and they should feel heard. Last night, #BAFTABlackout was asking for the BAFTAs and all film academies to fight for an increase in opportunity so that even the little boy or girl in the furthest corner of the earth can feel inspired.
Is there enough diversity in the film industry? Should we be doing more about it? Join the discussion @EpigramFilm
Epigram 29.02.2016
40 30
Celebrity, morality and sexuality: A Bigger Splash at Watershed Film & TV Writer Eloise Moench discusses quite literally the hottest film this February, set to make a splash this Spring.
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of her role, unfazed by the lack of dialogue, which is a real testament to her skills as an actress. However, the real showstopper in this performance is Ralph Fiennes, who masterfully emulates a blithe and eccentric figure, a man in pursuit of his unattainable lover, a puppet master in the circus of the music industry. He adopts this multifaceted role and owns it, it is Fiennes at his greatest and he carries the scenes, electrifying with his infectious excitement and constant stream of extraordinary anecdotes. Harry’s skewed morals and twisted intentions become endearing in the hands of Fiennes who is just so goddamn likeable as an actor.
Both sexual and emotional tensions arise and events start to take a turn for the worse
BFI/ LFFPRESS
In the aftermath of David Bowie’s unforeseen death, A Bigger Splash is a must see for anyone interested in the underbelly of a rock and roll lifestyle. It is a film that allows a glance into the trials and tribulations of a world so often hidden behind a façade of glamour. In short, it’s a drama that disrupts the idyllic island in which it is set, with an explosion of complex human relationships and the remnants of a rock star lifestyle. The film is set on a tranquil island off Italy, where rock legend Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton) and doting boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) are recuperating. They are in total relaxation; naked when they want to be, having sex as they please, and content in their own microcosm of life. Cue Harry (Ralph Fiennes),
a music mogul and Marianne’s ex lover, a debauched character with a hedonistic manner that still tantalizes Marianne. He has come to stay and alongside him is Penelope (Dakota Johnson), his newly discovered, very attractive and mysterious daughter. The two percolate the island retreat with memories of old desire and the arousal of new temptations. As the four begin holidaying together, both sexual and emotional tensions arise and events start to take a turn for the worse, in a way that can only be described as reminiscent of a Greek tragedy. Loosely based on La Piscine, a French-Italian film that explores the same ideas of jealousy, temptation and succumbing to passion, the filming is erotic and suggestible. The camera often lingers over shots of succulent food and
the sweeping beauty of the Italian landscape. The rattling snakes that lurk in the bushes around their villa, which they try in vain to get rid of, appear to be a warning signal for events to come. Each scene is paced to perfection, adding to the mounting tension and focusing on the characters internal strains as they fight against their forbidden desires. Tilda Swinton’s performance of Marianne is flawless. Marianne is unable to speak throughout the film due to a recent throat operation, which presents Swinton with the challenge of having to produce dialogue through bodily expressiona challenge that she rises to with haunting glances, gentle mannerisms and distinctive ways of interacting with each character. She manages to translate the competing and confused desires
On the back of these two outstanding performances, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts’ renditions appear slightly lacklustre. The sexual chemistry that builds between them is played out a little awkwardly and neither of them appear to be all that convincing in the delivery of their lines. Nonetheless, they quite literally play their parts well enough and are held up by the incredible talent of their counterparts. All in all, A Bigger Splash is a film laced with provocative tension, and the build up of this tension draws you in as you unblinkingly follow it to breaking point. A highly commendable work that explores the nuances of human desire and deceit, then dramatically portrays how far these emotions can drive people.
Have you seen A Bigger Splash? Join the discussion @EpigramFilm
Zoolander Who? Blue steel Ben is back Film & TV Writer Sarah Covill unpicks the wonder everyone loves to hate, with her review of Zoolander 2. trademark ‘Blue Steel’ pout etched onto their face in their dying moment. Glamorous fashion Interpol officer Valentina (Penélope Cruz) finds the dim-witted pair and explains that she may be able to help them find Derek’s son. In return, they must help her by analysing Derek’s ‘Blue Steel’ pout to investigate the recent murders, as she has reason to believe that the murders are intrinsically linked to him. At least I think that’s what happens. Zoolander 2 misses the subtle mocking of the fashion world that gave the original film it’s flavour, in favour of a sillier, convoluted plot. Wiig’s character alone represents this third dimension, with her absurd costumes and puffy botoxed face clinging onto the successful satire of the first film. This sequel relies mostly instead on a fast paced filming style and engaging score to carry the action with momentum, with a mixed bag of jokes. Some of them extend past their expiration date, whilst others are genuinely original and laugh-out-loud. Either way, Derek’s stupidity is overused, with most of the funniest moments being attributable to supporting members of the cast. Cruz plays her part with some style but sadly her role is as unimaginative and dull as can be expected from a script that delegates every laugh to its male cast. If you’re not enjoying the film, ‘Spot the celebrity’ could be a fun game to pass the time. It’s replete with cameo appearances, from an eyebrow-less Benedict Cumberbatch to Susan Boyle. Several real-life faces of fashion feature, adding little to the texture of the film other than
Substance Global
It’s been fifteen years since ridicuouslygood-looking supermodel Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) premiered his ‘Magnum’ pose to the world and left us wondering what on earth we’d just watched. Back for a second serving of ridiculous pie and boasting a talented pedigree, Zoolander reaches new heights of silly that are hard to keep up with. Many viewers will be delighted with the film’s opening. Heartthrob Justin Bieber is brutally murdered by a machine gun. Fantastic. Meanwhile, our old friend Derek is shown to be living a life of isolation in the mountains. It is revealed that fifteen years prior to the current setting of the film, Derek’s Centre For Kids Who Can’t Read Good collapsed as a result of inappropriate building equipment, killing his wife and forcing him to bring up his son Derek Jr alone. Unfortunately but not unsurprisingly, Derek isn’t so good at the whole parenting business and Derek. Jr is taken away. Back to 2016 and Derek is, as he puts it, ‘a hermit crab’. He and his friend Hansel (Owen Wilson), who we remember with fondness from the original film, are invited to Rome by fashion’s leading lady, Alexyana Atoz, played by the almost unrecognisable Kristen Wiig. In a moment of self-realisation, Derek embarks on a quest to show his face to the world again and find his son. This may sound complicated but the film hasn’t even started. Only now does the plot begin to come together (sort of); a number of famous pop-stars have been killed, with Derek’s
a feeling that Anna Wintour’s acting career is unlikely to take off any time in the near future. In fact so many familiar faces are used, most of whom have our attention for only a second, that I’m starting to wonder if it was the real Kate Moss or a nifty CGI reconstruction. Fans of the original Zoolander will no doubt deliriously be entertained by this long awaited sequel, but without rose-tinted glasses on it strains under a complicated plot stretched to its limits by silly acting and an even more ridiculous set of gags. The film unknowingly summarises itself in its opening scenes; has-
beens Derek and Hansel are labelled ‘old’ and ‘lame’ when they arrive in Rome. It seems all too fitting. Part of me thinks the boys should have preserved their legacy by sticking to the first film. Another part of me is reaching for the rose-tinted glasses on my bedside table. In a society that constantly errs on the side of political correctness, there is space in my heart for Derek’s narcissistic personality. It’s an utterly ridiculous marathon and you’ll hate yourself for laughing, but it’s one of those cases of it’s so bad it’s good.
Epigram 29.02.2016
41
Is Deadpool Marvel’s most human superhero film yet?
As the most anticipated superhero film hits our screens, Film & TV Writer Josh Spencer tells us what it’s actually worth.
Subtance Global
Deadpool is not your classic Marvel superhero. He is not your Captain America goody-two shoes, the champion of the people intent on saving the world. He is in fact an anti-hero and this is what makes the film such a refreshingly distinct and radical departure from the archetype. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces soldier, without a real sense of purpose until he meets an escort named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). They fall in love, but he is suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer and agrees to take part in a programme run by Ajax (Ed Skrein) to cure him of his disease. Though he succeeds and is given the ability to regrow his body, he is left with a severely disfigured face ‘like Freddy Krueger face-fucked a topographical map of Utah’ and vows for revenge against Ajaxthus becoming ‘Deadpool’.
Deadpool undoubtedly takes place in the Marvel universe, adapted from the comics of Fabian Nicieza and this means that several moments recall elements of stereotypical superhero films. Though this is not inherently a negative, the plot does disappointingly follow a recognisable arc towards the end, needlessly convening to type. Despite this, it far surpasses any of the recent Marvel epics due to the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Deadpool parodies superhero films in a similar fashion to Kick Ass, though this here takes place within the Marvel world a crucial distinction. Satire is evident from the opening credits which tell us that the film has been directed by ‘an overpaid tool’ (Tim Miller) and through the consistent breaking of the fourth wall, with nods to Ferris Bueller.
Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick offer a screenplay consistently spattered with laughs and though much of the humour finds roots in profanity and crassness, it is consistently delivered wittily by Reynolds, whose performance is bold, crammed with expletives and yet sympathetic to a certain degree. The fact that Deadpool works with a small budget compared to other blockbusters of this ilk is one of the numerous meta moments referenced by Deadpool during the film, yet it is never noticeable in the effects and action sequences, which are both dynamic and violent. Deadpool also eclipses previous titles simply with its accessibility and appeal to those who aren’t Marvel devotees or younger fanatics. Though the plot follows a familiar narrative, the scale is less exaggerated and more relatable, focusing
on Deadpool’s inner struggle illustrated by the focus on his origins; rather than an intergalactic grand battle on which the fate of the world depends. Unfortunately, the viewer does not empathise enough with the characters to care whether they do in fact save the universe or foil the villain’s evil scheme. Director Tim Miller’s production is invigorating as there is a sense that you know the title character and are thus more invested in his outcomes. Deadpool is a rapidly paced, captivating and intelligent feature which demands full attention and provides hilarity throughout. The already green-lighted sequel should discard more of the lingering clichés in plot to push the boundaries of the genre even further- Marvel might just have found it’s most human and entertaining superhero adaptation yet.
What’s On? Films to Faces
Editors’ Picks
Jack Deslandes UBTV Head of Channel
Kate Deputy Editor
Georgia Online Editor
High Rise
Secret in Their Eyes
The Other Side of the Door
At Watershed
In cinemas now
In cinemas now
Ever since London Film Festival Tom Hiddleston has been on my mind. Narrowly missing out on this film the trailers have had to make do for months. As the man finally returns with a career-shaping role, the excitement grows.
When an all star team of investigators realise that one of their daughters is the freshly murdered body of their new case, their lives are torn apart. If you’re attracted by Luther’s rebellious nature, this is the film for you.
This looks terrifying, so watch with caution. Following the story of a family tragedy and a mother who tampers with the boundaries between life and death in order to communicate with her son one final time- A nice beefy horror.
Better Call Saul Season 2
Dispatches: Escape from ISIS
Fresh Meat Season 4
On Netflix
4OD
4OD
The prequel that we were all dreading now returns for a second helping of the series we’ve come to expect and love. Events are hotting up now and Breaking Bad is starting to feel more like a distant dream. The world has moved on, and surprisingly, it feels good.
This extraordinary documentary tells of the secret network set up to save women and children from ISIS. The stories of brutality make it an unsettling watch, but its educative values are worthy of all the awards it has won. It’s hard to believe this is real and happening now.
Fresh Meat is returning for its final season and I’ll be sorry to see it go. Hilarious university comedy is what we need when we’re crying into our stacks of reading and lists of deadlines, so I’d recommend watching this little gem on Channel 4, starting from the 22nd of February.
UBTV
Flickr/Liz Murray
YouTube
BFI/LFFPRESS
Ella Editor
1. This Is England If I’m representing UBTV I guess I should put something that at least nods to the small screen. Shane Meadows’ feature and subsequent series’ are the best thing to come out of Britain this century. 2. 24 Hour Party People I wrote my dissertation on this film on how accurate a representation of the Manchester music scene it really is. It’s not perfect but provides great nostalgia for my hometown. Plus it’s made by a Bristol grad so you have to love it. 3. Blue Valentine I must have seen this film well over 50 times. I remember when I first got the DVD I watched it three times in a row then all the hours worth of extras. I’m obsessed.
Epigram
29.02.2016
Music
@epigrammusic Editor: Gunseli Yalcinkaya
Deputy Editors: Alex Schulte; Caitlin Butler
Online Editor: Sam Mason-Jones
gyalcinkaya@epigram.org.uk
aschulte@epigram.org.uk; cbutler@epigram.org.uk
s.masonjones@epigram.org.uk
An Interview with: Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz Tangible excitement runs through the air alongside aggressive feedback and reverberating drum beats as Cage the Elephant prepare for their gig at the Bierkeller on February 12th. After releasing their fourth studio album Tell Me I’m Pretty last December, the band return to Bristol for the first time since their second album, kicking off their new tour. Cage the Elephant has built up a reputation of electrifying live performances and a sound heavily influenced by traditional punk rock, but is still in perpetual evolution and working towards a new musical ideal with their latest offering. Behind the somewhat intimidating poster image of explosive rock and roll, frontman Matt Shultz is a grounded, passionate and thoughtful man. Remembering ‘ye olde’ Thekla and gushing about the UK and the tour ahead, he appears truly beaming during Tell Me I’m Pretty’s honeymoon period and about the tour ahead: ‘Things feel good so far. No one’s asked us to disband anyway so…’ As the queues slalom way past the Bierkeller and the Lanes, it’s clear to see that no one wants Cage to disappear anytime soon. On the motivations behind the new album and the evolution of their sound, Matt reflects on the truth in Cage the Elephant’s music: ‘We’ve always been honest and tried to stick with our convictions, but I think that we’re working on becoming more and more transparent, so that there’s more of the honesty that’s seen. ‘When I was younger I put a lot of stock in persona. I feel like those characters maybe absorbed some of the energy from whatever it was that was trying to be expressed. When you’re catering to a character there’s only so much you can do, I feel like it hinders your ability to be creative.’ Flashback to early cult tracks such as ‘In One Ear, we wonder’? ‘Yeah, a lot of stereotypes that for whatever reason in my life I felt that were important that I realise are not important. I feel like now it’s a thing of peeling back the layers and losing style.’ The people they chose to make the album with also harmonises with the honest approach Matt speaks about. The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach produced Tell Me I’m Pretty following a blossoming friendship between the bands on a personal and professional level. On the beginning of their collaboration, Matt recalls: ‘We opened for them during Brothers when they blew up and became friends on that tour just by playing football on days off. We did another tour with them and supported them during Turn Blue and Melophobia. ‘On a day off we went to Dan’s hotel room and were just talking about musical ideas and I think we were both thinking about it, about the possibility. We showed him some tunes and as soon as we left he sent me an aggressive text message saying ‘I’m making your next record!’ There were no options.’ From thereon, the band’s sound evolved with Dan. Tell Me I’m Pretty was born from a desire to make a more classic sounding record, that ‘could span across different times,’ said
Matt. ‘Dan is at the pinnacle of that sound, it felt like a no brainer.’ This focus on a broad stylistic approach ties in with Cage’s acknowledgement of the way we experience music today. ‘With all of these new streaming services, a lot of them offer ‘discovery modes’. On Spotify it streamlines all of these new bands based on algorithms of your listening, it’s like word of mouth on steroids. ‘As listeners we’re all so much more informed, so it kind of brings into question the idea of things that are archaic and things that are contemporary. We’re really into that idea, we’re in the beginning of a renaissance in terms of technical advancements in music and all the arts, so you want to figure out how to cohesively cross pollinate those things.’ With this wider recognition of the social tapestry upon which Cage are drawing their future, the conversation returns to the aesthetic decisions of the new album. On its name, Matt reiterates the band’s awareness and strong convictions about our society, which inevitably explain Tell Me I’m Pretty: ‘We live in this generation of selfies and with all the social media that’s available to us, everyone has the choice as to how they use it. It’s a pretty strong testimony to human nature that we’re constantly curating a presentation of our lives and more often than not it’s only a reel of the highlights. It creates these unrealistic expectations on life and so it also speaks to the fact that we’re all constantly wanting to be accepted’. On top of the idea of societal integration, we see the frontman’s personal life enter into the equation with a desire for recognition and love as a person - something we can all definitely relate to. ‘I’m definitely drawn in by the lure of people loving me and so we thought it was a nice title because on the surface it’s very tongue and cheek, but it has a pretty dark underbelly.’ The album sees a striking redhead on the cover almost begging the listener to acknowledge and love her. Matt explains how a team were devoted to finding ‘the girl’: ‘They were trying to get us to use a model, but we thought that actually, we wanted someone who was trying to hide something, and you can’t teach someone how to do that. We wanted someone who had actually experienced some life in a very relatable way and that you could see that in them.’ The power in the girl’s gaze comes from the authenticity Matt refers to when he reminds us of the resounding truth: ‘We all have something to hide, it’s about how well you hide it.’ Cage the Elephant have always been compared to other bands since their beginnings. The Strokes, Pixies and Nirvana are etched in their sound, but there is also a heavy influence from Ziggy Stardust himself. On Bowie’s passing, Matt shares how impactful the artist was on the band but also on him as a person: ‘He was able to reimagine himself throughout his entire life. He always found a way to get excited about the creative arts, to make it fresh for himself.’ Bowie’s search for identity is one that resounded with Matt. He tells us that David Bowie had said early on in his career that he just had a lot of trouble being himself, so he thought he would just be someone else. This distance allowed him to tell his story in a safe way that felt comfortable. ‘I thought it was beautiful that at the end of his life, his final statement was about himself in his own mortality and that just gives me goosebumps. It’s insane that he starts out having to create these characters to become comfortable with
An Interview with Bloc Party
Epigram 29.02.2016
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ANOTHER REVIEW OF KANYE’S THE LIFE OF PABLO
being so naked and then to incorporate his mortality into the final piece of work is crazy.’ Only an hour before the band’s gig, the question of the live energy arises - during gigs, nights out and more. No more than a knowing smile lets on about Cage the Elephant’s time off: ‘Very many nights out, all of which I won’t tell. We lived in the UK for almost two years so spent a lot of time here. We had our fair share of nights out, all staying secret for now.’ Reflecting on the delivery of this energy in performance, Matt reveals that with Tell Me I’m Pretty in mind, Cage’s set is undergoing some changes. ‘Over time we’ve reinterpreted those [older] songs in new ways, we’ve worked to build the set towards a very nice flow. I think that all the other material carried a lot of the same spirit but we just hadn’t figured out how to reproduce what we do live in the studio. I feel like now everything lives next to each other a lot more comfortably.’ As Chrome Pony’s soundcheck fades out and the tour manager comes in, Matt leaves us with a lasting piece of advice on success for aspiring musicians and humans alike: ‘I very much believe in destiny. I can’t say that there’s any particular approach that works better than the other but I just think that consistency and a continuous ‘last man standing’ approach are key. Be in love with music - if it happens for you then, it will be way better.’ This coming from the man who began as a plumber now selling out venues across the world to devoted fans; you can’t help but trust him. Ella Kemp
BY / ALEX SCHULTE BY / ALEX SCHULTE BY / ALEX SCHULTE BY / ALEX SCHULTE
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Can a Kanye West album, in 2016, ever function as an autonomous piece of music? Amidst the waves of confected Twitter outrage and orchestrated dissonance that surround each of his album’s release schedules, is Kanye, as author, permitted a dignified death in our critical imaginations, or is any purely aesthetic assessment of his works fated to disappear into the white noise of his sprawling persona industry? If Kanye ever wished to transcend his public image as a professional screwball, he’s certainly not doing a very good job of it. The Life of Pablo is now finally listenable after possibly the most convoluted, messy album release process of all time, the subject of about four name changes and an ever-so-predictable recommencing of his ageold feud with Taylor Swift. Its potential audience has been decimated by its release method on Tidal. It has also (probably spuriously) helped land him in $53 million of debt. It seems ultimately that what should be the core talking point – the question of whether it’s actually any good - has been rendered secondary. Which is a shame, as The Life of Pablo is a record of enormous, if perhaps incomplete, accomplishment. It’s also Kanye at his least mediated, his typically vast range of collaborators given a (relative) backseat vocally to the leading man’s self-interrogation. Foregoing the wholesale reinventions of his previous three albums, Kanye here opts for a crystallisation of his trademarks and while the recherché samples and prodigious use of autotune retain their pride of place, they seem unanchored from any overarching artistic declarations or statements of intent. While Yeezus saw him at his most blasphemous, West begins Pablo on positively hymnal form with ‘Ultralight Beam’, a surprisingly supplicatory ‘god dream’ featuring both a gospel choir and an extraordinarily touching appearance from Chance the Rapper. From here on, Kanye begins his normal oscillations between tortuous angst and grunting bravado, the speed with which he switches between these modes and their attendant sonic backdrops creating an almost psychedelic atmosphere of disjunction - even the already-notorious ‘Famous’ is made somewhat more palatable by its unexpected segue into an adaptation of Sister Nancy’s ‘Bam Bam’. Behind this capriciousness lies a genuine humanity and even a newfound humour; on brief skit ‘I Love Kanye’, Yeezy facetiously reflects on his many media interpellations, and while his opening gambit in ‘Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1’ is probably better left untranscribed, I defy anyone to contain a smile upon hearing it. Kanye’s efforts at self-satire have rarely sounded this sincere and while iffy statements about Bill Cosby and T-Swizzle might mar any vestigial perception of Kanye West as a particularly useful pop-cultural commentator, Pablo demonstrates him to be an artist of uncommon directness and emotional lucidity. The product of Kanye’s constant negotiation between his personal self-conception as a direct descendent of Picasso and Neruda and his public perception as some kind of walking curio, The Life of Pablo is an agonised, arduous, solipsistic and frequently glorious record. Whether it succeeds in endearing him to readers of Vogue rather than Pitchfork is doubtful, but then again, one wonders whether that has ever been his intention – he knows they’ll keep on making him famous, whatever happens.
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@epigrammusic
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression “What happens after your years of service? And where is the honour?” Iggy Pop’s latest album was recorded in secrecy as a full collaboration with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal fame, with bandmate Dean Fertita (also of the Dead Weather) and Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys completing the supergroup. It is imbued with existential questions that have come to him after a long musical career, started by fronting the proto-punk pioneers The Stooges. Lyrically, Post Pop Depression explicitly deals with the questions of usefulness and legacy as ones career nears its end, through stories and characters reconstructed from his memories. This is clearly seen in ‘American Valhalla’, with Pop repeating the line ‘I have nothing but my name’ forlornly. Yet, the album isn’t confined to philosophical statements. In the coda to the closer ‘Paraguay’, Pop delivers a passionately enraged, expletive-ridden monologue about his critics including the lines ‘I don’t want any of this “information”. I don’t want you.’ Other than his uncontrolled wailing over the top of instrumental chaos in ‘Vulture’ and a chilling shriek in ‘In The Lobby’, Pop’s vocal style remains a signature baritone croon. The musical direction was intended to be a spiritual follow-up to the late 70s David Bowie produced works, The Idiot and Lust For Life. This serves as a strong but welcome contrast to Pop’s most recent soft, jazz-tinged albums. Having received mixed critical response since the 90s, Post Pop Depression is one of the strongest
albums Pop has put forward, largely thanks to the musical contribution that Josh Homme brings to the table. His signature ‘robot rock’ guitar style consisting of repetitive disjointed but slick lines makes its way into multiple tracks, as well as echoes of the expansive sound of his Desert Sessions in the opener, ‘Break Into Your Heart’. Rather than take from the rough swaggering songs Pop wrote with Bowie, Homme opts to further explore the darker, denser songs and this results in an group of texturally and tonally rich songs. This is especially heard in the stand-out track ‘Sunday’, as the wandering bass guitar and tribal drumming support angular guitars, with the driving rhythms eventually fading away for the arrival of a majestic orchestral outro. However, the album is not wholly dark. A strong sense of groove pervades the album, with the lead single ‘Gardenia’ featuring shimmering guitars and a lithe bass line. In a recent interview, Iggy Pop has hinted that this album would be his last cohesive musical effort. Whilst some songs stick around for too long, resulting in them meandering into monotony, the highlights ensure that the overall result is satisfying, in what Josh Homme has described as a ‘much deserved victory lap for a man who’s not sure if he won.’
7/10
Mital Dodhi
Shearwater live at the Fleece, 18/02 Touring in support of their most universally acclaimed album to date, Jet Plane and Oxbow, released earlier this year, Shearwater seem more comfortable than ever really letting rip on stage. Frontman Jonathan Meiburg’s vocal performance is mesmerising, bounding between gentle, melodic, and overwhelming; it turns out no-one can bellow and snarl quite like him. As the first drumbeats rang out in opening song ‘Prime’, tall pillars of neon light blazed out around the stage. While Meiburg mocks his own staging choices (‘what an eight-year-old would think was awesome’), the lighting throughout is effective, the occasional gratuitous laser melding strangely well with the ego mocking content of songs such as ‘Wildlife in America’. Other standout moments included a very well received ‘Backchannels’, and a hair-raising moment in ‘Quiet Americans’, when the band erupted perfectly in time out of a long pause. Shearwater have stated that they intended Jet Plane and Oxbow to be a ‘protest record’ that follows a tradition of contrasting bitter lyrics with triumphant music, and this comes across live; touring drummer Josh Halpern’s playing is so forceful that every snarehit of the evening sounds like Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’. While predominantly playing material from Jet Plane and Oxbow, the band made room for a few old crowd favourites, with a blistering rendition of Animal Joy’s ‘You as You Were’, and a droning, hypnotic reworking of Rook’s ‘Rook’. It’s a testament to how well drilled the band are that the new material all sounds as tight and practised as the songs they’ve been playing for years. The band closed the set with an encore of two songs from David Bowie’s Lodger, ‘African Night Flight’ and ‘Look back in Anger’; while Meiburg explains to the audience that they had planned a series of Bowie covers before he died, Meiburg’s operatic delivery and the band’s onstage focus and commitment seem a fitting tribute to one of the great heroes of pop. All in all, a great night. Harris Ferguson
The brooding and formidable art-rock outfit provide an exhilarating evening...
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Bristol students conquer the Atlantic James O’Hara and Malik Ouzia Deputy Editor and Online Sport Editor
In the space of a fortnight two Bristol students broke separate world records for crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
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Both the physical and mental feat of crossing the Atlantic Ocean powered only by his own two oars is truly inspirational
The overall winners of the race, foursome Ocean Reunion, set a new race record in the process. Three days later, Row Like A Girl became the fastest women’s team to complete the race. Wright, a mechanical engineer at the University of Bristol, and his partner Jack Galsworthy, a student at University College London, completed the Atlantic crossing in 47 days 14 hours and 46 minutes.
Twitter: @Atl_Castaways
Freddie Wright finished the epic journey first, after he and a friend became the youngest pair to row across the Atlantic on 6th February. Less than two weeks later, Callum Gathercole became the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic, arriving at the finish line in Antigua on 17th February. Both completed the journey as part of the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, dubbed the “world’s toughest row”. More people have gone into space or climbed Mount Everest than rowed across the Atlantic, making Wright’s feat at the age of 21 and Gathercole’s at the age of 19 even more remarkable. The race involved a 3000 nautical mile journey from La Gomera in
the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. Aside from 40ft waves, sharks, sleep deprivation, seasickness and excruciating body sores which might have been expected on the journey, this year there was the added challenge of navigating the first tropical storm to form on the crossing since 1978.
Rowing under the team name of Atlantic Castaways, they finished 10th out of 26 teams in the race as a whole. They completed the race in aid of the Brain Research Trust. At the time of writing they have raised an impressive £41,000 for the charity. The pair were in euphoric spirits after completing the race. ‘We’ve had such an amazing time, we’re proud of the record but it wasn’t what we set out to do,’ said Freddie. ‘It’s really just a bonus on top of what has been an awesome experience. We would definitely do this again!’ Freddie and Jack have previously raised significant amounts of money for charity before, with the pair previously taking part in the Home2Rome cycling challenge,
which involved a cycle ride of over 1000 miles. ‘Freddie and Jack have achieved something absolutely extraordinary,” said Steph Harris, Bristol SU’s Sport and Student Development Officer and self-proclaimed ‘rowing nerd’. ‘The whole of UBBC, myself, and I hope the rest of the university, are incredibly proud of what they’ve both achieved!’ Gathercole, meanwhile, attempted the crossing in memory of his father, who sadly passed away two years ago after suffering from a brain tumour. He is raising money for Brain Tumour Research, Princess Alice Hospice and BRACE Alzheimer’s Research and has raised over £90,000 so far. Gathercole began rowing as a nine year old and has since gone
on to represent both England and Great Britain at international level as well as Bristol’s 1st VII at the Henley Royal Regatta. He describes himself as ‘a huge Concorde fan with a nutty sense of humour’. ‘I actually find it difficult to put into words the scale of Callum’s achievement. Both the physical and mental feat of crossing the Atlantic Ocean powered only by his own two oars is truly inspirational,’ said Tom Clark, captain of the University of Bristol Row Club. ‘This is on a whole new level to the challenge the sport of rowing normally offers. The University of Bristol Boat Club offer their huge congratulations and look forward to welcoming Callum and Freddie back!’
Twitter: @Atl_Castaways
Twitter: @WaterbabiesRow
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Men’s Volleyball secure promotion
BUCS Wednesday Women’s Basketball: Bristol 76 – 66 Exeter
Men’s Badminton: Bristol 1 – 7 Loughborough Women’s Volleyball: Bristol 0 – 3 Kent Men’s Hockey: Bristol 0 – 1 Sheffield Hallam Women’s Netball: Bristol 35 – 44 Chichester Women’s Rugby Union: Bristol 24 – 7 Oxford Brookes Men’s Fencing: Bristol 135 – 92 Sussex Men’s Squash: Bristol 4 – 1 Cardiff Met Women’s Squash: Bristol 4 – 0 Reading Men’s Tennis: Bristol 4 – 8 Exeter Flickr: Al King
Men’s Rugby League: Bristol 26 – 42 St Mary’s For more results, head to www.epigram.org.uk
Friday Football Show
“ Justin Hui, winner of MVP for the last two years got into his stride early, defying logic and physics to be without doubt the best Libero in the league
The early season saw the arrival of new players in the form of halfBrazilian, half-Jamaican songbird Craig Tavares-McKoy, whose decision to sack off his choir talents for Volleyball was presumably celebrated loudly in the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Kingston. Aidan McKay meanwhile, spurred on by an email chain from his mother, brought hope to the vertically challenged in the team, proving that anything is possible. Meanwhile the trio of giants returned in the form of Wilsher (6ft8) House (6ft7) and Webster (6ft7), adorably supported by their groupie - Sherfield (claims 6ft2,
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In 2014/15 the University of Bristol Volleyball Men’s 1st team secured promotion into the first division of Volleyball in the West of England after an unbeaten season. Coming into the 2015/16 BUCS season having lost a number of players and their coach, the logical goal was consolidation. However, the 1sts dared to dream.
It’s not every day that you face a Chilean International Volleyball player, but this was the next challenge for the men as they travelled to Southampton to play a game that essentially became six against one. Thanks to some nonchalant serving from Craig Tavares-McKoy, accompanied by his now infamous grumpy demeanour, the men overcame their toughest game of the year with a 3-2 win.
The Men’s Volleyball team astonishingly secured back to back league titles, remaining unbeaten in both leagues over both years Coming back to Volleyball after the Christmas break, the men knew they needed to secure two more victories to guarantee the title, something they pushed towards superbly with a typically simple 3-0 victory over UWE. One final game against, who else but Bournemouth, stood between Bristol and the title. With a huge crowd to roar them on the men gave it their all, with some spectators becoming evidently unnerved by the array of high fiving, yelling and bottom slapping that they employed to keep their enthusiasm going. The men played superbly with every player doing their part, from Michael ‘Dr Big
Twitter: @UOBVolleyball
John House Sports Reporter
actually 5ft10). With such talent and more, the men threw themselves into the season. With new Coach Matteo Pazienza and his alternative hair bringing a wave of Italian enthusiasm and grime music to the squad, the Men started the season strongly. Justin Hui, winner of MVP for the last two years got into his stride early, defying logic and physics to be without doubt the best Libero in the league, helping Bristol to wins over title contenders Bath and local rivals UWE, 3-1 and 3-0 respectively. A bigger test was to come, however. Over the last few years Bournemouth had been a thorn in the Bristol side and the men knew they would be a huge obstacle to overcome. Travelling down south without self-proclaimed talisman and Captain Chris ‘Soup’ Sherfield, the men played out of their skins. Helped by the enthusiasm of the returning Plinio Zanini, but not helped by his overly strapped up hand, they secured a 3-1 victory. With a further home victory over Southampton (3-0) the men were on a roll. Rob ‘Grandad’ Pennifold continued to defy the obstacles that his age presented to turn out week on week with consistent performances as setter, whilst Club Captain John House hit a widely touted ‘purple patch’ in form that unfortunately disappeared as quickly as it had begun after the men had secured more victories over USW (3-0) and Bath again (3-1).
Mike’ Wilsher smashing it through the middle before bowing out mid game due to some ‘Delhi Belly’ - to Jacob Webster and Oscar Parsley for debuting some alternative cheering techniques. With everything coming together like a well-rolled burrito, the men secured a 3-1 victory and thus took the title to typically mild-mannered cheering and polite applause from the crowd. How very British. As such, the Men’s Volleyball team astonishingly secured back to back league titles, remaining unbeaten in both leagues over both years, a great achievement for all involved and proving that this team are a force to be reckoned with. If you want to see the Men in action, and frankly why wouldn’t you, come down to SEH, Tyndall Avenue on Varsity Day at 4pm. You never know, it might be alright. I’d also just like to take this opportunity to remind Coach Matteo of his promise, made at the start of the year, to dye his hair bleach blonde if the men won the league. Over to you sir. The Squad: Matteo Pazienza (Coach), Christopher Sherfield (Captain), John House, Rob Pennifold, Michael Wilsher, Aidan McKay, Plinio Zanini, Fergus Henry Shaw, Jacob Webster, Oscar Parsley, Justin Hui, Craig Tavares-McKoy, Matt Birch, Jonny Childs, Felipe Galindo Sanchez.
Every Friday from 4pm5pm, Epigram Sport preview the upcoming weekend of football on Burst Radio! If you want to certain topics to be discussed, tweet us @EpigramSport. Be sure to tune in!
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Epigram
29.02.2016
Sport
@epigramsport
Editor: Marcus Price
Deputy Editor: James O’Hara Online Editor: Malik Ouzia
sport@epigram.org.uk @marcusprice106
deputysport@epigram.org.uk @JamesOHara14
sportonline@epigram.org.uk @MalikOuzia
Wham, Bam, Thank You Sam Sam Murray struck a sensational treble as Bristol hammered Plymouth 5-2 to go joint top of the Western 2A league with a game in hand.
Six of the second XI, who had themselves beaten Plymouth 2s 5-0 on Wednesday, made a second trip to Devon within 48 hours
Bristol’s title chances had looked slim after they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home in the reverse fixture but Southampton’s surprise 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday blew the league wide open. And Murray’s hat-trick alongside an Al Harlington brace made sure that Bristol took full advantage. It was a depleted Bristol that travelled to Plymouth, with six first team regulars out injured and George Coy only fit enough for the bench. As a result six of the second XI, who had themselves beaten Plymouth 2s 5-0 on Wednesday, made a second trip to
break behind. At the interval manager Alan Tyers made a change, introducing the pacey winger Pat Evans for his first team debut in place of defensive midfielder Ollie Henery, who had been booked. It also meant moving Sam Murray into ‘the hole’ and it was a move that paid dividends instantly.
From the outset Evans tore his full-back apart and but for some some questionable offside decisions the pace of Bristol’s front four would have had Bristol in front within ten minutes of the restart From the outset Evans tore his full-back apart and but for some questionable offside decisions the pace of Bristol’s front four would’ve had Bristol in front within ten minutes of the restart. Instead, when the lead was regained it was through a moment of magic. Standing up his full-back and then cutting inside onto his supposedly weaker left foot, Murray curled an unstoppable effort into the far corner from just outside the box. Bristol never looked back. A fourth goal would kill the game and they should’ve had it when Harlington raced clear and netted only for it to be ruled out for an offside flag against Murray, who hadn’t appeared Sam Murray, treating himself after his hat-trick heroics.
UBAFC
Al Harrington, double goalscorer on the night.
to interfere with play. Harlington did get his goal shortly afterwards though when the outstanding Evans cut back from the byline to tee-up the simplest of finishes into an empty net for Harlington. Plymouth then lost their winger to a nasty looking knee injury when he came off worse in a 50/50 challenge with Ollie Woodhouse and any hopes of a revival were killed when Harlington turned provider, putting in a low cross for Murray to slide in and complete his hat-trick. There was a slight scare for Bristol when centre back Sam Redmayne went down holding his shoulder but he was fine to continue in a back four that had hardly looked troubled. Harry Gowers was forced into a fine goal line clearance but beyond that Ross Cusdin’s goal was rarely threatened. In the end Bristol could’ve had more with Vince Onuegbu - a revelation for the 4s and more recently the 3s this season having converted from centre half to centre forward, came on for his 1s debut and twice came close to adding a sixth. Afterwards hat-trick hero Murray highlighted the importance of the result in the title race: ‘It was a great result for the boys. We had to get the three points and with four games left the title is in ours to lose now, which is all we could’ve asked for’.
Twitter: @UBAFCOFFICIAL
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Murray hat-trick has Bristol dreaming of title
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Malik Ouzia Online Sport Editor
Devon within 48 hours. Bristol started brightly and came close to opening the scoring when Joe Kelly arrived in the area but couldn’t get over a difficult bouncing ball. The deserved breakthrough did arrive soon after though, as excellent hold up play from fresher Matt Golby saw Sam Murray presented with his first, firing low across the keeper into the far corner. In the heart of Plymouth’s midfield was Jack Horell who had struck the free-kick leveler in the reverse fixture and two more free kick efforts in Plymouth’s 3-2 cup quarter final win over Trinity St David, including a 120th minute extra time winner. It was no surprise then when he stepped up to level the scores 20 minutes in, curling exquisitely over the wall for his fourth free kick goal in nine days. Back came Bristol though and it was the other winger Harlington who put the mighty maroon back in front with a simple finish after Golby’s cross-cum-shot had fallen to him at the back post. Sometimes though you just wonder whether it’ll be your day and despite not putting a foot wrong defensively, Bristol found themselves pegged back again when Isaac Sulyman volleyed into the roof of the net from 25 yards. And when another Horell free kick rattled the bar Bristol were perhaps relieved that in spite of their first half dominance they hadn’t gone into the
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He was reluctant to take the plaudits alone, pointing to the entire team performance: ‘Obviously I was delighted to get a hat-trick and keep up my scoring form but it was a superb team performance and credit should go to all 15 lads equally.’
‘Obviously I was delighted to get a hat-trick and keep up my scoring form but it was a superb team performance and credit should go to all 15 lads equally’
Murray was also quick to point towards the remaining four games and Varsity as the real business end of the season: ‘There’s a confidence in the club at the moment but we won’t be celebrating until we’ve secured the league title and defeated UWE.’ Tickets for football Varsity are available from http://varsityseries.com. Bristol XI: Ross Cusdin, Harry Gowers, Ollie Woodhouse, Sam Redmayne, Robbie Christieson, Chris Abbott, Joe Kelly, Ollie Henery, Al Harlington, Sam Murray, Matt Golby Subs: Pat Evans, Malik Ouzia, George Coy, Vince Oneugbu, Matt Isaacs