Epigram Freshers' Guide 2019

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‘Epigram isn’t just about writing’ Fortnightly September 2019

Freshers’ Issue

The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper

‘A recreational haven for much needed work breaks’ Giving you the low down on the best social study spaces Bristol has to offer

Photo courtesy of Bristol SU

Page 8

www.epigram.org.uk

@EpigramPaper

@EpigramPaper

@epigrampaper_

epigram 23.09.2019

2 Freshers’ Guide

Epigram: Bristol’s independent student publication Imogen Horton

to you. covered

stories

important

including

mental

healthcare provision, the

Co-Editor-in-Chief

treatment of Trans students

F

ounded in 1988

at the University and the

by current BBC

‘Cut the Rent’ campaign to

journalist, James

lower the cost of University

Landale, Epigram is the University of Bristol’s award winning student newspaper.

Having won the NUS

accommodation.

Within our 48 page publication fourteen

we

have

wide-ranging

Best Media Society Award

sections. From Film & TV

last year, as well as three

and Music, to Opinion and

Student

Publication

Sport, we cover every aspect

Awards,

we can proudly

of student life and in 2016

boast

that

is

became the first student

among the best of the UK’s

newspaper in the country

student media.

to introduce a wellbeing

Epigram

Being independent of

1988

Over the past year we have

section.

Our

Epigram is founded by James Landale, now a Senior BBC journalist. In his mission statement, Landale says: ‘It’s your paper. Read it, write for it, eat your fish and chips out of it’.

1990

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid becomes Editor-in-Chief, during which Epigram is shortlisted for Best Student Publication in The Guardian/ NUS Student Journalism Awards

1997

Epigram reports on the introduction of tuition fees.

The publication has since seen a stream of reports on this hotly-debated topic, with comment and features evaluating the pros and cons.

2006

Epigram reports appeals from History students against a new teaching system. The story was picked up by the BBC, The Times and The Telegraph, setting a precedent for Epigram’s journalism making national headlines.

lifestyle

the University and Bristol

magazine, The Croft, gives

SU means that we are able

students tips and tricks on

to hold both institutions to

the best food, fashion and

account and write about the

fun days out in and around

issues that matter the most

Bristol.

Twitter / @BBCJLandale

Winner of NUS Best Media Society 2019 Over 300 editions, with stories regularly picked up by national media

•

Photo courtesy of ITV

•

2017

Former Online Editor, Hannah Price, launches her campaign Revolt Sexual Assault with Epigram. The campaign has now gone national.

2018/19

Epigram celebrates its 30th birthday in delivering top quality journalism to Bristol students.

epigram 23.09.2019

Freshers’ Guide 3

Blank campus: how Bristol the city changes the student experience Epigram / Patrick Sullivan

A bustling city simmering with post-summer activity is a challenging place to focus on studies, but it’s worth it for the sheer variety of life

Patrick Sullivan Co-Editor-in-Chief

A

rriving in Bristol, I looked forward to the independent living, socialising without

cooking, and general personal care.

relying on my parental taxi service, and

Looking after yourself shockingly takes

Therein lies one of the major

studying at one of the top academic

more time than you realise and is the

challenges the University and students

institutions in the world. The first two

number one priority to best represent

face year on year: keeping enough

can be experienced at any of the 167

yourself in Freshers’ Week and beyond.

focus on studies. A former Engineering

UK higher education providers, the

Finally, take an independent approach

professor of mine once explained the

third arguably also satisfied by the ten

to Freshers’ Fair and explore your

difference between Bristol and Bath

other UK universities featured in the

interests. It is classic advice, but do

University: ‘Students at Bath actually

top 100 of The Times Higher Education

not attach yourself too quickly to a

go to every lecture because they have

world rankings. What I did not predict

friendship group. Once you get past

nothing better to do within walking

was how much of my time I would

Second Week, you can form far more

distance.’ Alas, in Bristol you do, and

dedicate to simply keeping up with one

reliable relationships if you immerse

making most of both the valuable

of the most exciting cities in Europe.

yourself in one or two societies.

education and vibrant city, while

Freshers’

week

is

spend your time.

particularly

Right, after that diversion, it is

impossible to predict, especially if

time to move onto what makes UoB

looking after yourself, is a learning

nobody you know from home is also

different. Every weekend, especially

in the city. Here is a whistlestop tour of

in summer, there’s a food festival or a

community can be your antidote for

advice which applies to all personality

balloon fiesta or a giant slip and slide,

the high pressure environment of

types. Get to know your flatmates and

and every night there’s a must-see

academia. Escaping the library or labs

if you feel less comfortable on the fifth

gig, new beer garden, or a manic rave.

for a 20 minute stroll in the river breeze

day of living with them than you did

Sometimes, you also just want to soak

can reinvigorate a lull in energy, and

on the first, request to move flats.

in the sunshine on the Downs or one

one of the many festival weekends can

Find out where your nearest decent

of the other blissful green spaces. When

provide the motivation to get through

supermarket is because £3 meal deals

you take into account the tens of hours

Monday to Friday hard at work.

will squander your loan as much as

per week each module claims to require

It’s worth remembering we’re lucky

the £4 pints. Following that, pick a day

in independent work, it becomes an

not to be stuck on an indistinctive,

of the week for regular laundry, bulk

impossible equation to choose how to

homogeneous eyesore of a campus!

curve for every fresher here.

The trick

is that

the Bristol

epigram 23.09.2019

4 Freshers’ Guide Imogen Horton 1st row, left

Epigram’s Senior Editors How our lives have changed

Co-Editor-in-Chief Third Year, History, News Editor 2018/19

Patrick Sullivan 1st row, 2nd left Co-Editor-in-Chief

Fifth Year, Engineering Design, Film & TV Editor 2018/19

Will Charley 2nd row, left Deputy Editor

Third Year, History, Comment Editor 2018/19

What did you most look forward to about university and what do you enjoy most about it now?

TT (fresher): Learning to fend for myself in a new city and meeting people from all over the world. I also, like any good Fresher, made a long list of societies I definitely, 100% would join when I got to uni.

Of course, I promptly decided to join none of them.

TT (present): I love exploring more of Bristol each year and housesharing with friends I’ve known since First Year. I also feel myself slowly becoming the stereotypical cap-and-fleece wearing Bristol Uni student.

WC: I couldn’t wait to join societies and get involved in student life. I wanted to try a sports initiation: that didn’t last!

WC: Bristol as a city itself. I come from near London and could never have imagined planning to stay here.

Tom Taylor 1st row, centre left Digital Editor

Third Year, History, Deputy Features Editor 2018/19

Bethany Marris 2nd row, C/L Deputy Digital Editor Third Year, History, Online Music Editor 2018/19

How much do you love your subject?

What do you wear to a lecture?

EL: I actually originally applied to do Law at University and ended up doing History instead - I wasn’t really looking forward to studying it!

EL: I am absolutely obsessed with History now and can’t wait to get started on my dissertation and get stuck into researching independently in archives.

IH: A well coordinated outfit decided the night before. Makeup perfectly done. No rush, no stress.

IH: You would think living five minutes from uni would give me tonnes of time in the morning.

Instead I just leave it even later to get there, most likely wearing what is closest in my wardrobe, with almost no hope of having brushed hair or makeup on.

Favourite place in Bristol?

PS: The Apple for the 8.4 per cent Old B’ cider - £1 half pint student deal in 2015, now £2.

PS: Most of the areas near the river, but Cargo in Wapping

OT: Reggaeton night at The Lanes. I honestly couldn’t deal with English clubbing music

Wharf is #1. Go to Southville to get away from the soon-stale Clifton areas. Watershed is a haven for any cinephiles, with a top notch cafe-bar.

when I first arrived!

OT: Jason Donervan’s for sure.

I have been known to randomly disappear and reappear with a kebab in my hand.

Where are you most likely to be found on a night out?

epigram 23.09.2019

Freshers’ Guide 5

& Business Team 2019/20 from Freshers’ Week to now

1st row, right

Edward Fraser

Finance Director

Second Year, Business Ads & Sales Assistant 2018/19 1st row, 2nd right

Olivia Tapper

Head of Communications

Second Year, English, Ads & Sales Assistant 2018/19

1st row, centre right

Emily Lowes

Managing Director

Third Year, History, Head of Marketing 2018/19 2nd row, C/R

Ben Bridgway

Head of Ads and Sales Second Year, History, New to Epigram this year

Favourite hobby?

Signature dish?

IH

EL

IH

EL

Netball My degree - only since Epigram took over my life!

Travel After a term abroad in Oz, still travel!

Spaghetti bolognese Pad thai

Pot noodles Shakshuka with olive bread

PS

OT

OT

PS Baking, travel Rugby Eating. I really Paper & pub like cake.

WC

EF

Drums Making cocktails This paper, in Languages print & radio BB TT Boxing Sunday League Art, especially football & UK of late Imperial politics Russia Making BM short films, Ballet, running, writing and jazz/hip-hop photography Running, gigs, - mostly for writing - mostly Epigram! about music

Fish fingers Carrot cake and & oven chips red velvet cake Jambalaya Catered halls WC put my baking Chicken on hold: I made souvlaki a pretty solid Roast beef mug cake once.

TT

EF

Something wholesome and stodgy Something wholesome

Brownies Laziness and catered halls means my dish is my flatmate’s

and vegan

dhal curry!

BM

BB

Tuna stir-fry Rustlers burger Shakshuka Steak pie & with olive bread chips

2nd row, right

Rory Hosty

Head of Marketing

Third Year, Politics, New to Epigram this year

Beverage of choice?

IH

EL

Anything Jagerbombs strong, with a Double vodka little mixer, in pineapple a water bottle OT Gin & tonic/ Coca-Cola prosecco Vodka with PS pink lemonade White wine EF Classic lager Hendricks G&T WC Isla Negra A quintuple Merlot from vodka cranberry Tesco - an Bloom G&T absolute deal!

TT

BB

San Miguel

Rum & coke Elderflower G&T Still rum & BM coke, but you Red wine can’t to go to Red wine, UoB and not always love Red Stripe

Business Team are still recruiting - get in touch if interested! managingdirector@ epigram.org.uk

epigram 23.09.2019

6 Freshers’ Guide

Write for both a friendly society and award-winning student newspaper No commitment or experience needed to begin on a path taken by some of the UK’s top journalists

Will Charley

join. Since becoming part of Epigram,

review restaurants, gigs and theatre, all

I have attended black tie balls, canapes

of which we can usually provide free

at art galleries and karaoke in bars,

press passes.

to name a few. Thinking of Epigram

Lastly,

we

will

help

you

to

W

socials, the local Wetherspoons comes

become a fantastic journalist. From

riting for Epigram gives

to mind, a place you will be sure to

famous alumni Susanna Reid (Good

you the power to alter the

familiarise yourself with.

Morning Britain) to William Lewis

Deputy Editor

way this entire University

In my first year I joined Epigram

(The Telegraph) to our founder, James

works. That is certainly one of the

and a competitive sporting society. Like

Landale (BBC), Epigram is the perfect

reasons why anyone would want to

many freshers, I thought doing a sport

place to gain experience writing.

write for this student newspaper. Many

was needed to fit in. But the reality is

On offer is advice, friendship and

University staff read Epigram, and

that any society, especially one such

regular commissions. In return, all we

articles get picked up by both local and

as Epigram, helps you to make lasting

ask is that you contribute to our project.

national press. Your findings, stories

friendships. Today, many of my friends

and opinions can all help to shape your

have been directly involved in Epigram.

commitment like some societies, and

university of at least three years. But it

Epigram

does

not

demand

For those high-flying freshers,

there is no fee to join. If you are still

Epigram means you can mix with some

unsure, come along to one of our

There are five of us in Epigram

of the most important people in Bristol:

writers’ meetings or socials: there is

Senior Team but we also have more

MPs, UoB hierarchy, SU Officers and

no expectation that you contribute.

than 50 editors and, most importantly,

members of the city’s community.

You may find yourself going into final

is so much more than that.

our writers. This newspaper is a team

For those uninterested in news

year, entirely absorbed by Epigram and

effort and that means we are a society

or current affairs, we offer you free

loving every minute. Sound familiar,

as much as any other group you may

food. On behalf of Epigram, you can

fellow Senior Team members?

Epigram

The independent student newspaper

Facebook Writers’ Groups Search ‘Epigram Arts Writers 2019/20’ on Facebook - all the sections follow the same format! News works differently so email newsteam.epigram@gmail.com to register your interest in writing.

News

Features

Opinion

SciTech

Film & TV

Arts

Music

Puzzles

Sport

The Croft

Our lifestyle mag!

Wellbeing

Real student experiences

Food

Tasty recipes & reviews!

Style

Fashion for the campus

Travel

Study breaks & years abroad

epigram 23.09.2019

Freshers’ Guide 7

Getting creative with digital: how Epigram is more than just writing

Tom Taylor

Awards. We launched a brand new

suit the digital age. If you are thinking

website and improved how we share

of entering the creative industries,

ince the advent of the

our work on Facebook and Instagram.

Epigram is a perfect place to learn the

internet and the relatively

As a society, we listened to students

skills you will need to succeed.

recent explosion of social

who told us that it was sometimes hard

media, the way news is consumed has

to find the time to sit down and read a

been transformed. Some have argued

newspaper and so we adapted how we

that this ‘new media’, widely accessible

use video, photography and graphics to

and with an emphasis on visuals,

convey information.

Digital Editor

S

signalled the death of the newspaper.

This year we want to grow our

But for Epigram, the story has been

digital presence by creating engaging

quite the opposite.

videos for Instagram, Twitter and

We provide the cameras, video editing

software,

training

and

“

We need videographers, photographers, web-developers and podcast producers to help make all this possible.

Bringing together industry-standard

Facebook; launching The Epigram

creative software, accomplished web

Podcast on Spotify and designing

developers and Digital Editors, Epigram

a

has embraced new wave journalism

Epigram isn’t just about writing. We

and provides a platform for award-

need videographers, photographers,

winning online content. We can now

web-developers and podcast producers

equipment, all you need to bring is

bring student journalism directly to our

to help make all this possible.

an appetite to tell engaging stories to

smartphone

app.

“

readers, letting students see and hear

tailored-made

In 2018, 69 per cent of individuals

the students and lecturers around you.

consumed news online in Britain, more

If you see a student protest marching

Last year, Epigram won Best Website

than three times the 2007 statistic.

down Park Street and instinctively

and Best Digital Media in the United

Media companies across the world

reach for your phone - you have what

Kingdom at the Student Publication

are rapidly adapting their content to

it takes to be a digital journalist.

the stories unfolding around them.

epigram 23.09.2019

Photo courtesy of Arnolfini

8 Freshers’ Guide

Bristol’s best social study spaces There are plenty of serene locations beyond the subject libraries for you get into your study groove.

Bethany Marris

elevator. Senate’s fourth floor, however,

there is of course the option of

has recently undergone a makeover,

extracting yourself from the uni

and alongside a quiet, spacious study

bubble.

room, it now boasts the ‘SU Living

location is the ground floor library

Room’.

An

arguably

underrated

A recreational haven for

of the Arnolfini contemporary art

much needed work breaks, the Living

gallery. Although primarily designed

excitement

Room offers free tea and coffee,

for UWE’s art students, the Arnolfini

of meeting new people,

video games, books and ping-pong.

library is open to the public, and has

bars

Immediately west of Senate House

a tranquil, comfortable and inclusive

and exploring the many facets of

sits The Hawthorns. With a generous

atmosphere to work in. Spacious desks,

Bristol, there’s still work to be done.

long opening hours and harbourside

in a library frantically trying to get it

The Arnolfini makes even the most monotonous study days pleasant.

done can be unpleasant. Alternatively,

offering of seats in three different

Cafe Kino offers a laid back vibe,

asking coursemates to join you at

study environments, unless it’s peak

good coffee and excellent vegan

one of the University’s many social

exam season, finding a seat in The

food. A winning combination, right?

study spots can be a great way

Hawthorns is usually no bother at

Kino’s reasonable prices and

to build friendships and beat any

all. With a friendly environmentally

amiable staff certainly reduce the

inklings

A

midst

the

discovering

new

Finding that you’ve been set a whole host of readings, work-sheets and practical tasks to do independently can be daunting, and sitting silently

“

“

Deputy Digital Editor

views on its doorstep, the Arnolifini makes even the most monotonous study days that little bit more pleasant.

Further out of the city centre in Bristol’s cultural corner, Stokes Croft,

loneliness.

conscious cafe at the front and two

guilt of ditching the packed-lunch

Situated in the heart of the Clifton

quieter library spaces at the rear, The

for a tastier alternative. The cafe

campus is Senate House. With potential

Hawthorns is utilised and enjoyed by

is also worth keeping an eye on

workspaces on all five-floors, it’s

students, tutors and professors alike.

as a venue, as it regularly plays

tricky to know where to hop out of the

Aside from these campus gems,

of

first-term

hosts

to

poets

and

musicians.