EPIGRAM 302

Fortnightly 23rd September 2016 Issue 302

University of Bristol’s Award Winning Independent Student Newspaper

www.epigram.org.uk

‘We are at the mercy of politicians’ ‘Business as usual’ as Bristol University hold tight for Brexit Emily Faint News Editor

Fossil Free - University of Bristol

The future for the University of Bristol’s research and international partnerships appears to be more stable than previously feared following this summer’s controversial Brexit vote, with a university official describing the current situation as ‘business as usual’.

Despite the recent revelation that the university has fallen four places to 41st in the world according the QS World Rankings, with 73 per cent of the UK’s top 400 universities experiencing a drop in both academic reputation and employer reputation, key funding grants and international partnerships have been retained thus far.

Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Pro ViceChancellor, confirmed in early August that the ‘university has had an excellent outcome in the recent [post referendum] European Commission Research funding panels’.

‘We were delighted with the award of five collaborative ICT Industrial Leadership grants to partnerships involving our university. The university is also leading a project coordinated

by Professor Ioannis Pitas in the Faculty of Engineering.’

‘This is one of the largest collaborations we lead, with a total budget of over €5 million.’

Pro Vice-Chancellor Erik Lithander issued a statement of solidarity and continued commitment to the university’s international collaborative partnerships, which has been met with ‘numerous positive responses’.

Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, one of the respondents, even stated that ‘our bilateral collaborations are even more important than they used to be.’

Key academic disciplines such as Law, the curriculum of which includes entire units of study dedicated to EU Law, must now navigate what Head of the university’s Law School, Professor Joanne Conaghan describes as ‘a volatile political and economic landscape’ both in academic spheres and in the graduate job market.

Professor Conaghan confirmed that, at present, ‘the Law School is not currently planning any formal changes to the curriculum as a result of the Brexit vote.’

Continued on page 4

‘Fossil Free University of Bristol’, in collaboration with local community arts group the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft, created a ‘mural’ on the side of the M32 in Easton with the message ‘Bristol Uni: Are You Backing Dirty Energy?’ as part of a campaign against global warming.

Too many freshers, not enough rooms?

Emily Faint News Editor The number of incoming freshers has once again exceeded the capacity of prepared halls of residence accommodation, with many students being informed that they must temporarily move into shared rooms.

The Accommodation Office emailed those affected to inform them of the sudden change to their accommodation arrangements on 7th September, ten days before most first year

Features Adele Momoko Fraser explains why you’ll still be living with mum at 35...

Facebook.com/EpigramPaper

Epigram Travel share their favourite holiday memories

Travel @EpigramPaper

students are due to arrive at university.

‘The University has received a larger than expected number of accommodation applications from both postgraduates and undergraduates.’

‘We have some large bedrooms […] and in order to try to accommodate as many freshers as possible, we are turning these rooms into temporary shares. In each case the rent will be 50 per cent of the single room rent and at Wills the rent will include catering.’

One first year Richmond Terrace resident, who

Sport Jack Francklin gives a rundown of Bristol sport for the new term Highly Commended for Best Publication and Best Use of Digital Media 2016

wished to remain anonymous, told Epigram, ‘It was strange because we were apparently guaranteed accommodation, until a few days before the accommodation offer day when a notice popped up on the website which said it wasn’t guaranteed anymore.’

Students were instructed to ‘please travel light’ due to the reduced storage capacity of shared rooms and ‘then get the rest of your stuff when you move into your single room.’

Continued on page 3

Film & TV Epigram Film Team predict the best films of the new academic year

Epigram

23.09.2016

Editorial Inside Epigram

News Page 4 - Shock as ‘Bunker’ rebranded as ‘Analog’ Features Page 7 - Find out whether the Pro Vice-Chancellor prefers Lakota or Lounge Arts Page 41 - Beyond Banksy: Bristol’s overlooked street art Lots more puzzles on page 45!

Quick Crossword

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www.epigram.org.uk For the latest news, features and reviews

facebook.com/epigrampaper twitter.com/epigrampaper issuu.com/epigrampaper instagram/epigrampaper_ epigramfood epigram_travel epigramstyle epigram_music Printed by: CN Newsprint Cumbrian Newsprint, Newspaper House, Dalston Road, Carlisle CA2 5UA Epigram is the independent student newspaper of the University of Bristol. The views expressed in this publication are not those of the University or the Students’ Union.

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ACROSS 1. Filling (6) 5. Speeches (8) 7. Faucet (3) 9. Aid (4) 12. Burrowing mammal (4) 13. Booty (4) DOWN 1. Mid-match break (4,4) 2. Curve (3) 3. Verity (5) 4. Romaine (3) 6. Long thin fish (3) 8. Survey (4) 10. Hence (4) Webmaster Josh Jones Chief Proofreader Lowri Daniels Sub-editors Anna Lezard Zuzanna Needham Jess Cselko Lucy Thompson Sarah Roller Elly Brett Managing Director James O’Hara Director of Communications Issy Bull Head of Finance Alfie Smith Business Team Calli Keane Amelia McWhirter Ellie Elstub Aravin Skantha Lucy Ellis-Keeler Megan Aldridge Helen Salter Joe Jones Lucy Roe

Editor: Ben Parr: editor@epigram.org.uk Online Editor: Hannah Price: hannah.price@epigram.org.uk Deputies: Caitlin Butler; Stefan Rollnick

Online Deputies: Sophie Hunter; Phoebe Jordan

A note from the editor...

Welcome to the best years of your life?

I remember when, having arrived home at the end of my second year of university, my mum, who had had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, blurted out that her time at university was the best years of her life.

She stopped and thought for a second, before continuing: ‘actually, my second year of university was. First year you don’t know anyone and it’s all a little scary, and after second year it gets a lot more stressful. Yep, second year is the most fun you’ll ever have.’

Let’s ignore for a moment that she was essentially telling me the best years of her life were before I was born and focus in a bit more on what she was saying, because it’s got some of truth to it.

First years: a massive welcome to the university, to Bristol and to student life! It’s a great university, even when it is frustrating.

I don’t have a bad word to say about the city- if you don’t like rain you might have a few though.

However, I should say, I hated my first few weeks of first year, so don’t worry if you are too. It gets much better. And seriously, when it does, you’ll be so glad you stuck at it.

The thing to remember is that about 90 per cent of people acting like they’re having the time of the life in their first week are lying. First year of uni is unlikely to be the best of your life, no matter how much you hear it should be.

If you’re an old fogey like myself, clinging onto the student life for one more year (I’m a fourth year), then condolences. You’ll know how fun the last years have been, and you’ll also know how stressful this year is going to be. Your innocent second year attitude of ‘well this year barely counts anyway’ may not fly anymore.

That said, whilst the pressures of final and first year might

make it seem like the middle year is inevitably going to be the best, for many it is simply not.

So this year it is my mission to prove my mum wrong, and have the best year of university yet and regardless which year you’re in I’d recommend you do the same (unless you’re a second year in which case you can sod off and stop having so much fun).

So what is Epigram?

What sort of newspaper puts a story about a nightclub changing its name from Bunker, and a story about Brexit’s effect on research grants on the same page? In many ways this contrast neatly demonstrates what Epigram is.

Epigram is a student newspaper. It is for Bristol students. And, for some students, they would rather whack themselves repeatedly around the head with their MacBook than hear another word on Brexit, but they might find the name change of Bunker more controversial than Waitrose running out of avocados.

For others, Bunker (yes I refuse to accept the name change) is a fluff story, and and the thought of reading a news story about it fills them with a similar feeling to being told they have to eat dry baked chicken for every meal time until Christmas.

The point is that Epigram is intended to be read by Bristol students whoever they are and whatever their tastes. As James Landale (yes I’m name dropping), our founding editor, said, Epigram must ‘interest, inform, amuse and stimulate the student body’. This means different things to different people, but over this year I hope we will manage to do this.

When we fail to do this, then please tell me, because this is your newspaper. If you don’t like what you see then don’t just email me, start a protest outside the Epigram offices, hurl rotten veg at me in the street, make every day a misery for me until Epigram achieves its aims... Actually, you know what, just drop me a polite email.

Ben Parr, Editor in Chief

News in Brief...

New owners, same sandwhiches

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Those returning to university may be interested to know that the owners of the red tent sandwhich stall have changed over the summer, as the previous owners left to help teach refugees to bake bread in France. They did, however, reportedly pass their recipies on to the new owners, so the sandwhiches may not change.

Bristol SU fastest improving union The University of Bristol Students’ Union has this year achieved a rise of 14 per cent in student satisfaction in the National Student Survey from the previous year. This the biggest increase of any University SU in the country.

Jamie Cross, Union Affairs Officer at the SU said ‘The whole team at the Students’ Union work really hard every year to give students the best experience possible while at Bristol.’

Cross played a large part in increasing the Epigram team’s satisfaction when during the production of this issue he provided pizza at a critical moment.

Hilton or Homeless: Unite Evacuated On only their second night of freshers week incoming Unite residents were evacuated amid a sudden water, electricity and internet blackout. While some students were sent to hotels, others slept on floors.

Following the evacuation, while some students were booked taxis to the Hilton and Novotel, an estimate of 50-70 students spent the night sharing floors and sofas in the Hawthorns.

‘Unfortunately there was a power failure at Unite House on Sunday evening, which meant all students living there were evacuated for health and safety reasons. We were able to find everyone alternative accommodation and provide breakfast’, a university spokesperson said.

For the full story, visit www.epigram.org.uk

Source: National Student Money Survey 2016 - poll of 2,217 students May-June 2016

From the archives... ‘Playboys and girls’ Ever wondered if student politics has ever been as irrelevant and as polarised as it is now? Well this story from December 1989 suggests that it has. Students from the SWSS (Socialist Workers) society and BUCA (Bristol University Conservative Association) found themselves in a ‘political punch-up’ in Churchill Hall.

‘Pints were pulled but punches weren’t as Pissed Politicos and Heckling Hacks hit each other.’

The brawl began after Judith Carlson of the Women’s Group poured Orange Juice over Nick Allsop, who was selling copies

of Playboy outside a one of their meetings along with other members of BUCA. Nick Allsop, who was described by a member of SWSS as ‘a good argument in favour of abortion’ told Epigram at the time that it was an ‘absolute disgrace that the Left [had] to resort to violence’.

Mr Ted Wilkins, the Union’s Permenant Secretary, took the matter to the Council as a result of the incident. He said: ‘I am appalled by what went on. They are certainly not gentlemen.’

Possibly the most typically Bristol story of all time.

From Epigram issue 6, first published on 8 December 1989

News

Epigram 23.09.2016

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@epigramnews

News Editor: Emily Faint news@epigram.org.uk Online News Editor: Malik Ouiza newsonline@epigram.org.uk Deputy News Editors: Mairead Finlay; Noa Leach; Ellen Jones; Amy Finch

Concern for Bristol’s nightlife after fabric’s closure

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The cost of getting some of these DJs are going to be too prohibitive.

In terms of the repercussions regarding the increased difficulty with costs for smaller clubs in Bristol, Ed Fernyhough, a student DJ, is concerned that whilst fabric’s closure ‘may provide home-grown talents with more opportunities to perform, the threat of further closures following this attack on their interests may dissuade them from considering it a professional option’.

However, editor and co-founder of Bristol club night Stamp the Wax, Aaron Levitt, felt more

positively about the future of Bristol’s nightlife: ‘For me, the strength of Bristol nightlife comes in its community, with plenty of cross-pollination and support between producers, promoters and DJs, pushing each other to reach higher, do better and go deeper’.

‘Although larger scale house and techno brands like In Motion, Marble Music, Simple Things, Tokyo World, Just Jack, Shapes and Love Saves The Day were founded and grew because of the influence that fabric had in developing the sound for a mass audience, its closure doesn’t render the whole industry defunct’.

The consequence could be ‘driving drug culture underground’

Nevertheless, Aaron did believe that fabric’s closure could indirectly have an impact, with regards to the way authorities in the UK perceive club culture as a threat.

As Aaron explains, the consequence could be ‘driving drug culture further underground, rather than using club spaces as a place for outreach and education’.

Additionally, he points out the risk of nightlife spots being viewed as ‘a hindrance to inner city development and, therefore, become rendered obsolete for a city’s cultural and economic prosperity’.

Pete Matthews, one of Bristol’s Chopshop DJs, told Epigram that he believed the biggest loss for Bristol would be the FabricLive compilation CDs and the influence they had on upcoming DJs. ‘The closure might also hinder the establishment and progression of future record labels and artists,’ said Matthews.

There’s no place like no home...

Emily Faint News Editor Continued from front page...

A fresher, who selected the University of Bristol as her insurance choice on UCAS, said: ‘We feel that students here who had received offers and had selected Bristol as their insurance choice should have had priority for the single rooms over those students who are able to attend Bristol through clearing as they did not apply or receive an offer.’

They concluded, ‘now that we’re here, we don’t have many issues other than that, [apart from] the uncertainty, of course.’

Stephen Le Fanu, Student Living Officer, commented: ‘Students coming through clearing were not guaranteed accommodation and so have been encouraged to join the waiting list for university accommodation or get together and try find a private place’.

‘Some students have also been offered shared rooms, although we have been assured that there are no bunkbeds this year.’

A spokesman for the University of Bristol said: ‘We appreciate this is far from ideal and apologise to those affected.

‘Fewer deferrals and withdrawals than anticipated has resulted in a slightly increased number of new students requesting accommodation.’

They went on to say, ‘the Accommodation Office is working hard to find solutions and students affected will be offered an alternative as quickly as possible.

Experience in previous years suggests this should be within the first six to 10 weeks ‘Anyone who has to share a room will pay 50 percent of the normal room rent.

Students can also of course opt to rent in the private sector, which the Accommodation Office can help arrange.’

This incident comes only two years after Epigram’s report that ‘recruiting more undergraduates has put extra pressure on providing accommodation for students’, a precedent that appears to have continued in the subsequent academic years.

Epigram/Alice Tyler

Concerns have been raised over the future of Bristol’s music scene after the iconic London nightclub, fabric, lost its licence this week due to a ‘culture of drugs... which management cannot control’.

Concerning the effect this may have on the clubbing scene in Bristol, Lakota, in a statement to Epigram, said that ‘without Fabric, the cost of getting some of these DJs are going to be too prohibitive for smaller niche venues like Lakota.’

The reasoning behind this, Lakota explained, was that ‘fabric is world renowned for attracting the best underground music DJs and acts to the UK. We benefit in Bristol, as when international DJs come to the UK, they play at a collection of venues across the country and all of the venues share the costs.

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Mairead Finlay Deputy News Editor

Another successful year for Bristol students at the Fringe Ella Kemp Film and TV Editor Providing 12 shows from eight production companies involving hundreds of students, the University of Bristol returned to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer yet again.

The student-led drama societies including Studiospace, Dramsoc, and Musical Theatre Bristol - offer an annual loan to their members in order to put on a show to thousands of viewers at the biggest arts festival in the world. On top of this, many students set up their own independent companies and fundraised thousands of pounds, all in the name of theatre.

New writing trumped this year as the majority of productions were led by original scripts from Bristol students, ranging from satirical comedy to enchanting verse. Fish and Chips with Edith was this year’s offering from Bristol Dramsoc, showcasing a talented company of emerging writers, directors, actors and technicians in a devised play focusing on a dysfunctional Jewish family.

The show received 5* reviews from EdFringe Review and continues to live on through its original jazz soundtrack.

Sketch comedy troupe Bristol Revunions put on two shows this year at their usual Just the Tonic at the Caves venue, on Cowgate, with even more hilarious material in Dolce Vita and Mustard. Also returning with what they do best, Bristol Improv literally took over the world with another successful run, while returning member and recent Italian and Spanish graduate Tom Gidman won the Chortle Student Comedy Award, being the first character comedian to do so.

Deadpan Theatre took to the Underbelly stages for the third year in a row with PREDRINKS/AFTERPARTY, two fast-paced comedies depicting the before and after of the same night out. Both were written by Jude Mack and Eliot Salt, whose script was deemed ‘quickfire and zinger-filled’ by the Scotsman and received four stars from The Times, now allowing the company of current Bristol students and recent graduates to add another sell-out Edinburgh run to their CVs. Also showcasing an upcoming independent company is Sue Productions, who took C

Nova by storm with A Boy Named Sue, an original play written by Bertie Darrell. The show is told through a three-part monologue which is ‘examining the need for a sense of community in an oppressively heteronormative world’. The show received 4* and 5* reviews across the board and has just finished its London transfer at the Rosemary Branch theatre.

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Bristol students can add another sell-out fringe run to their CVs The departmental drama society Studiospace performed The Girl with the Hurricane Hands and other short tales of woe over the whole month in the marquee at Free Fringe venue, the Three Sisters, to daily sellout audiences and received glowing reviews.

Writer and director, Phoebe Simmonds, was dubbed as ‘a super new children’s writer’ by the Scotsman.

As well as original writing, the University of Bristol also skilfully adapted existing productions - providing further success for the university’s drama cohort. Impromptu Productions’ take on Reefer Madness, the first theatrical adaptation of the film to be performed in Edinburgh, was met with sell-out audiences and even attracted the attention of composer and co-author, Dan Studney. After enjoying the show, Studney said: ‘I’ve seen dozens of amateur productions over the years and this was the best’.

Finally, Cobbles & Rhymes Productions performed Title of Show and Title of Songs, a free accompanying cabaret featuring a wide range of themes every day, marking the company’s Edinburgh debut. Both shows were noticed by the prestigious Derek Awards, with Title of Show winning the award for Best Musical and lead vocalist from Title of Songs, Eleanor Leaper, winning the award for Best Voice.

Next year will see the return of PantoSoc, and no doubt many of the same faces including Fringe favourites, the Bristol Suspensions. Any student wishing to head up to the festival should keep an eye peeled for upcoming opportunities - your name may be the next to be featured here.

Epigram 23.09..2016

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Epigram/Henry Edelstein

University of Bristol

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The news of Bunker’s rebranding was a devastating blow for some.

Student shock as Bunker redesigned as ‘78’ and ‘Analog’ Noa Leach Deputy Online News Editor

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Students will be surprised to find a new nightclub where the Bunker used to be, upon returning to Bristol this academic year.

The club, which resides on the Triangle, took the new name from its address (78 Queens Road) following a redesign over the summer.

Rumours have suggested that the new club has been bought by Motion, whose plans for the club see it as a pre-drink venue Although the website hasn’t changed its name, the new Facebook page has been very active. A post on the 6th of July introduced the new venue, stating: ‘78 Bristol is a new nightclub opening next week. It will also be a new concept & event space.’

Reports suggest that the name change is temporary, and in fact a recent night (16th

September) showed the nightclub as ‘Analog’.

According to an Analog bouncer, the club will continue to change face until it has settled on something that works, but, according to him, it will not return ‘back to Bunker’.

But, as Epigram deputy online editor Sophie Hunter mourned, ‘Bunker is what it is, and that’s why we love it’.

Rumours have suggested that the new club has been bought by Motion, whose plans for the club may visualise it as a pre-drink venue.

A bouncer, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed this, and added: ‘[it will have] a bit of everything, a bit of R&B, reggae, dance, some underground, all just to make it a bit more grimey, but in a nice way.’

The club has been hiring new staff since its reopening, including bar staff and promoters. Hewho-shall-not-be-named will not be returning as the ruthless bouncer this year. Actually, the new ones are all quite nice.

‘It’s a shame. It’s a real shame,’ said a regular Bunker/78 attendee on both Bunker Mondays and Sports Night – who wished to remain anonymous. ‘It was the only club I’d heard of before I came to Bristol. Everybody I knew

had the little Bunker sticker on their Facebook photos. Where will all the freshers go?’

An opening party apparently ran from the 30th of July to the 13th of August, with all drinks “2-4-1” every night. This choice of date was said to open the nightclub up to a wider audience of both students and locals.

Will this be the new Bunker Monday? Can we even call it that anymore?

78 has created a new student night called ‘Quids In Thursdays – Bristol’s Official Student Thursday Night’. The first was on the 15th of September, where they were offering £1 pints all night (a defining feature of the recurring event) and £1 entry before midnight. Will this be the new Bunker Monday? Can we even call it that anymore? 78/Analog seems to be doing as well as the former Bunker, but this year’s freshers will decide.

Overheard: Freshers quotes from Analog Monday ‘Luna, you said we’d save the Moet for the afterparty. You PROMISED’ ‘Do you, like, know good places to go to for house music in Bristol?’

‘See, people think I’m sheltered because I went to Eton. But I’ve actually, like, been on public transport’ ‘Don’t, just DON’T tell him you love him.’

‘Apparently, Motion is where you go once you’ve established yourself’

EU Law course will ‘Remain’ following Brexit vote Emily Faint News Editor

Continued from the front page...

Professor Conaghan said: ‘We are following the advice of the legal professional bodies who have issued a statement as follows: ‘“At present, the United Kingdom remains a member state of the European Union. It is too early to know what the timetable for any change as a result of the outcome of the recent EU referendum vote will be, or the outcome of the post-referendum negotiations over access to the single market. ‘“Neither the SRA [Solicitors Regulation Authority] nor the BSB [Bar Standards Board] will be making any change to the academic requirements in relation to EU law for either the Qualifying Law Degree or Common Professional Examination for the coming academic year. ‘“The SRA will be making no change to its requirements for the Legal Practice Course for the coming academic year. The BSB will be making no change to its requirements for the Bar Professional Training Course for the coming academic year”’.

This response may yield some relief to Bristol Law students like third year, Alex Scott, who expressed concerns over the ‘serious implications for my financial ability to study and work abroad’ due to the Brexit vote.

Whilst key legal authorities such as the BSB have

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stressed that there will be no ‘immediate impact’, questions remain regarding long term future and security.

Professor Conaghan told Epigram, ‘It’s too early to assess what, if any, impact it has had on us as a school.

Universities UK have highlighted that scientific fields in particular may not be able to expect such a smooth Brexit transition.

‘It may have significant implications for the university in the longer term, particularly in relation to research funding and study abroad /student exchange arrangements.

‘I know the university is working hard to ensure that any negative impact is minimal but we, like the rest of the country, are at the mercy of politicians at this stage.

‘It is up to them to secure a deal that works for us, as a country and as a (HE) sector’.

When faced with questions regarding the continued relevance and job security for academics whose research is inextricably linked to the European Union, Professor Phil Syrpis, Professor of EU Law, responded: ‘EU law is, I would say, more topical than ever.

‘There is a lot of political attention on the nature of the UK’s relationship with the EU, and

this is explored in the EU units we teach here at Bristol.

‘It is far too early to know what sort of relationship the UK will end up having with the EU. We may not know for some time. For what it’s worth, I am very excited to be teaching it all next year’.

However, the national body Universities UK have highlighted that scientific fields in particular may not be able to expect such a smooth Brexit transition.

They revealed in a Guardian article that ‘since Britain voted to leave the EU, a number of scientists have revealed that they have been asked to leave existing collaborations for fear that the British share of project funding was at risk, while others say they have been excluded from taking part in new bids’.

In response to this, Professor Schmidt, Director of Research in the Faculty of Sciences, told Epigram: ‘we are not aware of anybody who has been asked [either] to withdraw or not lead a Horizon 2020 bid.

‘With regards to ERC bids, I am confident, as these are reviewed by scientists interested in helping to select the best research bids, that UK Scientists will not be discriminated against.

In my role as Faculty Research Director, I am encouraging Bristol academics to apply for EU grants while we are still a full partner.

‘Therefore, the financial contribution would likely have to increase to make the UK an attractive

partner and it is not clear if the government would be open to such a suggestion.

‘Bristol has been home to a large number of EU researchers, working both on grants and bringing their fellowships as part of the Marie SklodowskaCurie Actions.

‘There are several associated countries, which take part in the funded research, who collaborate on consortium grants and have access to the infrastructure. Hence, it is clear that there is a way to continue benefiting from the EU research landscape’.

Dr Schmidt cautioned, ‘it is important to note, though, that a limitation of free movement of people prevents participation in several of these programmes. Bristol would be a poorer research place if we could not lead and contribute to the best research in the EU and attract the best young researchers.’

It appears, then, that the immediate effects of Brexit have left the University of Bristol relatively unscathed in a financial sense for the start of the new academic year.

However, with departments such as the Department of English publishing an open letter from several of its teaching staff immediately after Brexit stating that ‘[t]he referendum result will have very severe consequences for all of the members of our academic community’, doubts over the human cost of potential Brexit restrictions have yet to be assuaged.

Epigram 23.09.2016

55 The Story of the Game Day 1: The women’s hockey tournament begins and Georgie Twigg and Team GB are off to a flier, with a 2-1 win against thirdranked Australia Flickr / sama093

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Bristol University success in 2016 Olympics Malik Ouzia Online News Editor Three former Bristol students are celebrating Olympic glory after winning medals at this summer’s games in Rio. Hannah Mills secured a dominant gold in the women’s 470 sailing class, whilst Georgie Twigg was part of the women’s hockey team that had an entire nation on the edge of their sofas during a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against the Netherlands.

Tom Mitchell, captain of the men’s rugby sevens team, won the UK’s 16th medal of the games with silver. If Bristol alumni were a country, this would have placed them 39th on the medal table - higher than Ireland, India and Mexico.

Mills, who studied mechanical engineering at Bristol, and partner Saskia Clarke (University of Chichester) won silver four years ago in London. However, they came to Rio determined to go one better, unfazed by the knife-point robbery which marred a training trip to the Brazilian city in 2014.

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‘We are so proud to come back and we have worked so hard to get the upgrade to gold.’

After below-par performances in the first two races, the duo won three of the eight remaining preliminary runs and finished in the top three in three others.

Such was their dominance that come the

off the mark, leading Team GB to silver in the first ever Olympic rugby sevens tournament.

Mitchell kicked numerous points across the tournament, including a crucial 6 in the 2119 win over New Zealand. Come the final, he played with a determination which epitomised the Olympic values of ‘faster, higher, stronger’, valiantly trying to fend off wave after wave of Fijian attacks, which eventually proved just too strong for the British.

From Brizzle to Brazil . . .

Sonny Webster, 22, is a weightlifter in the 94kg category from Bristol. He returned with no medals but was ‘chuffed’ (according to France24) with the one record he broke: he was the first man to ever compete in the Olympics with hat on back to front.

‘It is all we have ever dreamed of’

Mitchell graduated with an English and Philosophy degree in 2011 after becoming a star player for University of Bristol RFC – the first place he began to play at a high level.

As well as Mitchell, Twigg and Clark, Bristol had six other alumni in Rio, including Joie Leigh, who was reserve for the women’s hockey team.

Of the British athletes, Jazmin Sawyers enjoyed the best games, finishing an impressive eighth in the women’s long jump final with a mark of 6.69m. 110m hurdlers Andy Pozzi and Lawrence Clarke finished fifth and sixth in their respective semi finals. James Bailey was part of the men’s hockey squad that finished fifth in their pool.

Juliano Fiori, who studied classics and graduated in 2007, represented host country Brazil in the rugby sevens and in the same sport Humphrey Kayange starred for Kenya.

Noa Leach Deputy Online News Editor It wasn’t just our university Bristolians who excelled in the Olympics, and in fact the athletes from the city itself were very successful.

Lily Owsley, 21, helped the UK get a gold in hockey – a sport which she started at Clifton College. According to the Guardian, she said: ‘I always think, what if I didn’t go to that school?

I’d never have picked up a hockey stick.’

Emily Diamond, 25, is a 400m runner and part of the Bristol and West Athletic Club, after attending Bristol Grammar School. She helped to win our Relay bronze with three other runners in Rio. Claudia Fragapane was one of Team GB’s youngest athletes, at the age of 18. She is a gymnast, and belongs to the Bristol Hawks gymnastics club. She has been ‘one to watch’ from a young age, and in 2014 won 4 gold medals for England in the Commonwealth Games. Her team came 5th in the Rio Olympics. Also in the team was Ruby Harrold, 20, who has been competing since 2010 but has just retired from gymnastics.

Wikimedia Commons / Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Former Bristol lecturer in Modern History Emily Baughan tweeted about Bristol’s ‘privileged’ athletes.

The university has not been involved, as Baughan, who was fairly new to the univeristy, has moved to Sheffield at the end of last academic year.

‘medal race’, where double points are on offer, they needed only to avoid disaster and finish the race to secure the top spot on the podium.

Only the Brazilian weather got close to affecting them, delaying the competition’s finale by a day, but when it came, the girls cruised home in 8th to become Olympic champions.

In an interview with the BBC, Mills told of her delight at surpassing their 2012 performance: ‘It is all we have ever dreamed of and we are so happy.

‘We have forgotten all about London. We are so proud to come back after it and we have worked so hard to get the upgrade to gold’.

If Mills’ gold was relatively comfortable, then Georgie Twigg’s was anything but. GB’s women’s hockey team had slipped to seventh in the world rankings prior to the games, but they began their campaign with a closely fought win against Australia and never looked back, winning all of their pool games to top the group.

Twigg joined Bristol in 2008 to read law, and played hockey for the university and Clifton alongside her studies.

In Rio, her finest moment came in the quarter final against Spain, where she opened the scoring in a 3-1 win. A 3-0 semifinal triumph against New Zealand was to follow.

Yet it was in the final when the thus-far smooth road to gold got bumpy. The team were up against a Dutch side that was hoping to become the first in history to win three consecutive Olympic finals, but a dramatic turn of events eventually levelled – leading to a British victory and our 24th gold at Rio. Those two golds were won in two consecutive days, but it was Mitchell who got Bristol alumni

Claudia Fragapane

Day 3: GB women’s hockey secure a second win with a 3-0 thrashing of India.

Day 4: The inaugural men’s rugby sevens tournament begins with Tom Mitchell captaining GB. They open with a 31-7 demolition of Kenya and then edge out Japan 21-19.

Day 5: A packed day. A slow start for Hannah Mills and partner Saskia Clark in the 470 sailing sees them finish 4th and 7th in the first two races, but the hockey team keep up their 100% record by beating Argentina.

The sevens team beat New Zealand 21-19 to secure a quarter-final spot and then beat Argentina in sudden death to advance to the semis.

Day 6: Bristol alumni secures its first medal as the sevens team beat South Africa to reach the final, but they come up short against Fiji in the game itself.

The hockey team beat Japan to go joint top of the group, whilst Mills and Clark start their charge, finishing 1st and 6th in the day’s races.

Day 7: A second win for the sailing girls puts them into medal contention.

Day 8: GB women’s hockey ensure they progress to the quarter finals as group winners with a narrow 2-1 win over the USA. Day 9: A poor showing sees Clark and Mills finish 8th in the day’s first race but they bounce back to win the second.

Day 10: The hockey team are in to the semi finals as Twigg’s goal helps them to a 3-1 victory over the Spanish.

Day 11: A brilliant day on the water as Mills and Clarke finish 3rd, 2nd and 3rd in the day’s three races, all but guaranteeing gold.

Day 12: A 3-0 thumping of New Zealand puts GB women’s hockey into their first ever Olympic final, guaranteeing at least silver for Georgie Twigg.

Day 13: After a day of delays due to bad weather, Hannah Mills can finally celebrate Bristol’s first gold medal after completing the formality of finishing the final race.

Day 14: Bristol’s second gold and third medal in all is won by Twigg after GB’s penalty shoot-out win over the Netherlands.

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Epigram

23.09.2016

Features

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Editor: Amy Stewart

Deputy Editor: Bea Gentilli

Online Editor: Adele Momoko Fraser

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Sexual Assault: Are you safe on campus?

Bea Gentilli Deputy Features Editor

young students. Emily Doe, Turner’s victim, wrote a 6000 word letter graphically explaining each detail, each feeling of worthlessness, solitude and disgust in the aftermath of the trial for the entire world to read and digest.

The crucial thing to extract is that society is becoming more aware of sexual assault and implementing methods of its prevention- on a national and local scale. At Bristol, the university employs full-time security on campus and in halls, who work to ensure students have the happiest and

Flickr / George Buchholz

Bristol is a city which boasts a notorious night-life, social scene and music scene. It has a vast selection of clubs which host until the early hours of the morning throughout the week.

Its nightlife and music scene are two large contributing factors to Bristol’s identity as one of the most sought after universities to attend in the UK. Although, like with most things in life, with every positive often comes a negative and in the case of Bristol it happens to be the location of its first year accommodation. The main student accommodation is situated just over the Durdham Downs which means that students must be vigilant when getting home at night.

Last year, Bristol saw another surge in sexual assaults within student living areas. In 2015, according to the Bristol Post, five women were assaulted on the Downs between February and May. This statistic shocked women around Bristol into taking action regarding female safety which culminated in 100 women marching across the Downs in retaliation. The march was named ‘Reclaim the Durham Downs’ and went ahead on the 28th May 2016. Whilst the assaults are very negative, this response from Bristol was a fundamentally

positive sign, highlighting how as a community Bristol holds awareness of female safety and is pioneering in ensuring women speak out.

More frequently women are speaking out regarding their personal experiences of sexual assault which has led the government into addressing these issues with positive determination and importance. The Brock Turner case in 2015, despite being situated in America, brought to light the misconceptions surrounding sexual consent, especially amongst

safest experience as undergraduates.

The university have made it its aim to encourage open discussion about sexual assault and consent. They have teamed up with Bristol Students’ Union (Bristol SU) and are working alongside the Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support to raise awareness about sexual consent amongst our students and staff.

So what’s the advice from the university? To answer this question Epigram spoke with the newly elected Bristol Student Union Women’s officer, Darcy Ramsden, to hear advice for students. She made sure to alert students to the sexual consent workshops that will be running in halls to educate students about sexual violence. She went on to state that “following on from Chloe, the previous Women’s Affairs officer, I will continue collecting data which highlights areas in which Bristol students felt unsafe or experienced harassment. I hope to continue and extent this project to campaign for better street lighting and more frequent patrols of the highlighted areas to increase safety for students especially at night … I also want to carry on the taster sessions of Krav Maga Self Defence last year after it’s huge success!”

For support and guidance, Darcy, also wanted to inform Epigram’s readership that all students have access to group workshops,

“

private counselling and group counselling through Hampton House (the student healthcare).

She hopes to see that by the end of the year, Bristol will be closer to ‘eliminating victim-blaming, that students will feel safer on the

In 2015, according to the Bristol Post, five women were assaulted on the Downs between February and May.

streets at night and there will be better education than ever before about sexual violence and consent across the university’.

If you are concerned about your safety on campus the university offers 24 hour emergency security service on: 0117 331 1223

Academic affairs: ‘I had an affair with my hero’

“

whereby certain information will be kept confidential. In the context of sexual harassment cases, this may mean that the details of a dismissal may be kept secret and not passed on to the potential new employers. It has been argued that using NDAs for this purpose has protected accused academics, as it allows them to freely move to new academic posts where they may repeat offences.

55 HE institutions are under investigation over their handling of cases involving sexual misconduct

Flickr / Daniel Parks

Maddie Meadows Features writer In recent years, a number of sexual harassment cases involving staff and students have come to light, both in the US and the U.K. In the last year, the U.K has seen the resignation of senior lecturer, Prof. SaraAhmed at Goldsmiths on grounds that the university did not

seriously tackle issues relating to the sexual harassment of students by staff.

At Sussex this summer, a male lecturer has been tried and convicted of assaulting a female student that he was in a relationship with; Sussex has been particularly criticised for allowing the lecturer to continue to teach between his arrest and conviction.

In 2014 a blog post from the US entitled ‘I Had An Affair With My Hero,

A Philosopher Who’s Famous For Being Moral’ uploaded anonymously to Thought Catalog, details the alleged repeated sexual coercion of female students by a famous academic. The academic in question is rumoured to be Thomas Pogge, who despite repeated accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct has remained a lecturer in Philosophy and Political Science at the prestigious Yale

University. In what seems indicative of a concerning trend in the US, Inside Higher Ed reports that the Department of Education has confirmed the names of 55 HE institutions that are under investigation over their handling of cases involving sexual misconduct.

It has been reported by The Guardian, that Non Disclosure Agreements have been employed in cases of sexual misconduct. NDAs are an agreement

Significantly, the former lecturer Prof. Sara Ahmed allegedly cited this exact issue of NDAs in her letter of resignation from Goldsmiths. Although research into sexual misconduct in academic contexts and the usage of NDAs is on the rise, currently information and statistics covering the amount they are used and in what contexts is thin on the ground.

The University of Bristol has commented that ‘the university... has not had cause to use an NDA or apply a confidentiality clause in a Settlement Agreement in circumstances of proves sexual harassment.’ Furthermore, they have confirmed that they don’t condone the use of such agreements.

Epigram

23.09.2016

8

Why you should you care about the student housing crisis?

Adele Momoko Fraser Online Features Editor

It’s that time of year again, and students facing their final year of university are beginning to think about their future prospects. They will think to themselves; ‘Which job will I apply for? ’‘Where will I settle?’ ‘Will I really have to pay off all my library fines?!’ But before all of these questions can be truly answered, the first issue at hand that we must address is how we will find an affordable place to live.

In a 2015 think tank report by the Sutton Trust, it was announced that the number of single people aged 25 to 35 living in shared accommodation had risen by 10% in the last decade. Data showed that 15% of graduates are being forced to live with their parents in contrast to the 11% that live on their own. There is a real issue here considering the fact that most high profile graduate jobs in the south are in London, but there are not enough houses for them to rent or buy affordably.

This policy also impacts rent prices, with ‘social’ rent being at 50 per cent of market rent and ‘affordable’ being 80 per cent. These policies combined with scarcity of homes have exacerbated the housing crisis. The reasons for this are threefold.

To begin, we have private developers who struggle to acquire land at a good price. ‘Brownfield’ sites, which are land, which has previously had another purpose, are expensive due to a need to reclaim the land. ‘Greenfield’ sites are much cheaper but are more complicated as they are often in the green belt or suffer from NIMBY-ism. There has also been an extreme lack of co-operation from private developers due to their actions to actually foster scarcity in order to maximise their profits. This, combined with the fact that many of the private developers tasked with this job are Conservative party donors, has unsurprisingly rendered the Department for Communities and Local Government, utterly useless on the subject of housing.

Finally, there is also an ideological conflict between what the Conservatives perceive the solution to be and what is truly needed to remedy the situation. In the post WWII consensus, there was virtually no ideological conflict between the two leading parties regarding how to solve the housing crisis they faced. They simply built more homes.

Most notable in their efforts were Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee, and later his Conservative counterpart Harold Macmillan. However, in our modern day, this arguably obvious solution is being overlooked. Conservatives now focus most of their efforts on short term programmes to increase home ownership, as it has been proven time and time again that those who own a house are much more likely to vote Tory.

Flickr / Luftphilia

There are many arguments in how to solve the crisis but field experts unite behind one strategy.

Build more homes. Most agree that Housing Associations must be allowed to build homes, but are being hindered by government policies which have reduced grants and have placed a cap on local authority borrowing which would give them a means to build. They also argue that the private renting sector, which many of us currently rent through, must be regulated further, as landlords are currently able to charge disproportionately astronomical rates. The government is also wasting

“

So how does this work? How did the crisis come about in the first place? Well, the main issue

Housing had become scarce in the wake of Margaret Thatcher’s ‘Right to Buy’ scheme where London lost 1 million homes, which were desperately needed for social housing. In the years after that however, the post WWII consensus definition of ‘affordable housing’ still remained and this form of housing was attainable for those of lower incomes. However, in 2010 the new Conservative led coalition slowly began to alter the definition of ‘affordable’ housing by urging local Housing Associations to begin charging 80% of the market price. Then in 2015, after winning a majority, the new Conservative government introduced a scheme of ‘Starter Homes’ where younger first time buyers could purchase homes for a subsidised price. These homes however, cost £450,000 and therefore said individuals would need to be earning £77k in order to be able to afford

them. Therefore, although ‘affordable housing’ was a term coined to represent property available to those of a lower income bracket, this has now been completely misappropriated.

wow247

Sure, when we read the news and we see that ‘house prices’ are rising we can often compartmentalise how much that actually affects us. We think to ourselves that we won’t be buying a home for years, and that we need to think about getting jobs and earning a salary first, let alone save for a deposit. There are so many steps until we reach the point of considering purchasing, but what if we have to pay more and more rent, so no matter what we earn, we can never save.

This is where I think young people can be short sighted. The fact of the matter is, the housing crisis directly impacts students and graduates, not only in the future, but also in the short term. The higher house prices go, the higher the rents are during and after university.

concerns government policies and the scarcity of housing in the first place. Being Bristol University students, and living in the south, it is highly likely that most of us will end up applying for, and hopefully getting a job in the capital. The situation in London prior to 2010 was bad for housing, but it certainly became a whole other ballgame after the partial and then complete election of the Conservative party.

Flickr/Mike Fleming

“ There is an ideological conflict between what the Conservatives believe and what is needed to remedy the situation

a huge amount of public funds through paying the Local Housing Allowance, which exists to counter the unregulated private sector rents for those who require social housing. Therefore, the government is currently paying these high rents for the vulnerable instead of using this money to build homes, despite the fact that it is the scarcity of homes which is contributing to the rise of house and rent prices to begin with.

There are many arguments in how to solve the crisis but field experts unite behind one strategy. Build more homes.

Matthew Warburton, Policy Director of the Association of Retained Council Housing – an organisation that represents the 162 remaining councils which still own council houses – spoke to Epigram analysing the crisis. He informed us that as a country, ‘We haven’t built enough houses to meet demand in at least the last 20 years and possibly even longer’ and when asked about the source of the crisis said, ‘We can date the crisis back to the Thatcher government’s decision to stop the building of council houses and that was never more than partly replaced by housing association building.’

Warburton was quick to stress however that he didn’t think ‘housing policies of any government since the 1970s are particularly defensible,’ and ‘frankly the Labour governments under Blair and Brown never faced up to the problem and never did anything effective to increase the supply to anything like the level that was needed.’ In response to what the solution could be to begin to solve the crisis he stated, “Anything other than dramatically increasing the rate of house building is simply managing the symptoms rather than tackling the cause of the problem.’

So the facts are that students currently renting, or looking to move out when they graduate, may have to face living with their parents for the next 15 years due to a fundamental f law in government housing policy. This crisis is dire and affects all of us.

We must inform ourselves of the facts.

Epigram

23.09.2016

9

Brexit: ‘we are concerned on every level about this’ Pro Vice-Chancellor Nick Lieven talks to Epigram about Brexit, contact hours and Gary Barlow Stefan Rollnick Deputy Editor

How do you see the university fitting into Bristol as a city?

Although we’ve had a soft launch within the university in June we’re going to have a public launch in the autumn.

We’re going to have one in London because we want to tell the world that Bristol exists and we want people coming to Bristol; also to counteract some of the messages about Brexit that we are a global university. The message for the city is important because a lot of our graduates live and work here, they develop their careers, start businesses, develop employment, bring a cultural aspect to it. We want the city to know that we are part of its DNA – not just the building at the top of Park Street. The public launch shows the city why the university wants to work with the city and not just be adjacent to it.

Could you talk me through some changes that might be being proposed to our main campus in the future?

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What we need to focus on is not just contact hours, but what the right intensity is.

planning is ‘Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching’ which is a vocal point where people bring new ideas for teaching to make the education more exciting. And as part of the curriculum, one of the things students and employers said is that we ought to be doing more all-round employability.

Part of a good university is the rigour of the education, but actually employers are saying that they want graduates to be entrepreneurial, to know about global issues and also the future has got be sustainable.

One of the things we are going to introduce over the next three years is ‘Bristol Futures’ which is a new curriculum which has these three things around innovation and enterprise, global citizenship and sustainable futures. We would want our students to engage with one or three; to start with it would be extra-curricular and

Nick Lieven with the 2012 International Scholarship Winners

we hope the uptake will gradually move into the curriculums so we infuse these employability skills into our degrees. When I was a student I got none of these things, it was very analytical and dry and I was sent off into the big wide world and I’m not sure that’s the best way to prepare people for their future career. So, this is to address that so when people go and apply for jobs they’re aware of the issues.

Taking a quote from the Vision and Strategy document it says that they are going ‘to try to provide the support, feedback, infrastructure and contact hours that students need for a top class learning experience.’We all know the hot phrase there is ‘contact hours’.

It has become a huge issue with humanities students and others especially when

the company is increasing its fees. So on behalf of those students we wanted to know what changes we will see and how soon we might see them.

This is something that has not come up consistently across the university, in some places the contact hours are more than enough but others would like more. Also, I think there is an issue with feedback, people need timely feedback because it helps them learn. That may be discussion with a tutor or feedback being timely so they have time to absorb it. So we’re looking at how to address this, humanities especially because it’s a discursive discipline so numerical feedback doesn’t really help. We need to understand from the students what is about feedback and what the right contact hours

Quick Fire Questions Bristol City or Bristol Rovers?

All I’ll say is I want a premier league football team so whichever gets there!

Lizard Lounge or Lakota?

If you ask my daughter you’ll get a far more lucid answer.

Gary Barlow or Robbie Williams?

Gary Barlow, although I couldn’t give you an analytical reason why.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The Beatles, it has to be.

House Stark or House Lannister?

I’ve never played Game of Thrones so I don’t know how to answer this.

Pokemon Go or Pokemon No? No, I like people to communicate and talk to each other – it doesn’t do much for me.

are. Professor James Ladyman invited me to one of his Philosophy lectures, and it’s pretty hard stuff. After an hour I thought I could not absorb 20 hours a week of this. In the arts more time is needed for reflection on these intricate concepts, but in engineering there’s a lot of facts you need to know so there’s a natural difference in what contact hours might be needed. What we need to focus on is not just contact hours, but what the right intensity is. It’s about how much space you need between each lecture to be able to go back and re-visit them and make sure you have got the concepts down. There is a

” Universities are the backbone of a knowledge driven economy which is why that funding has to be replaced.

recognition that we need to get that right.

Everyone’s seen it in the newspapers that students voted overwhelmingly for remaining in the EU, so I think there’s a lot of anxiety around university from students about what the knock on effects of that vote will be. So I just wondered what assurances you can offer students that are concerned about the referendum result.

I think like most people, I was not surprised but shocked about the outcome; I pride working as part of an organisation that welcomes people from all round the world. Part of an education should be that you are exposed to cultures beyond the British

Thena Mimmack Happy City University of Bristol

I wanted to talk about the Vision and Strategy document that was launched at the beginning of June.

Could you tell me in a nutshell what the university is trying to achieve with this document?

The strategy is about setting the agenda for what we want to achieve over the next seven years in education, research, our international agenda and also staff and helping encourage people to enjoy their time living and working at Bristol.

We did an extensive consultation and a lot of the most perceptive comments came from the students and we put a lot of effort into that. The great thing about students is that they come with unfettered minds and say ‘these are my perceptions.’ They’re things that were very obvious that we think we have to address; we need a new library and that’s something arts and social scientists were very vocal about that and I have to say they have a fair point. The second is about having a hub for teaching and learning. So one thing we are

Isles and we have a duty to do that. Because our students come from all over the world there is a richness about having international scholars with us and we are concerned at every level about this. We are lobbying the government as we wneed to give long-term assurances to our European students that funding and access to loans will remain – they are and now is time to make statements on that. Also, international students that come to the UK eventually become advocates for Bristol and the UK, we want them to have a good time by learning with us and sharing their knowledge with us. It’s not just students it’s also our staff; 19 per cent of our staff come from Europe which helps bring different views and we don’t have a monoculture.

In terms of the research staff, how is the university going to ensure that grants aren’t affected by Brexit?

14 per cent of our research comes from the EU (about £14 million a year) and we have not had assurances from the UK government about how this is going to be replaced. One of the issues with Brexit is that so many things were promised on the back of £n million pounds a week coming back to the UK and I don’t know how many times that has been spent. All we can do is make the case that scientific and research bases among the university needs to be supported. What the government has always said is that it wants a knowledge driven economy and that requires support to do it.

Universities are the backbone of a knowledge driven economy which is why that funding has to be replaced. Not least to attract the best scholars that are teaching the research.

We have

9,100

We welcome all degree disciplines

clients across our regional offices

Our Bristol office is at the heart of PwC

68%

50% of our jobs are outside of London

We don’t look at UCAS tariff for our graduate roles

of all 2015 promotions were outside London

A career that takes you places You might be surprised at the types of projects you could get involved in with us. Not only will you experience a range of challenging projects and exceptional training and development, you’ll also get to work with our high-profile clients. With over 30 offices to choose from, we’re sure you’ll discover an opportunity that’s right for you. Whether it’s joining our Assurance business to provide decision makers with information they can trust, or one of our Technology businesses to help our clients embrace emerging trends. With us, you can take your career in a direction that suits you.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/careers

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Be yourself, be different.

Epigram 23.09.2016

Comment

@epigramcomment Editor: Abbie Scott

Deputy Editor: Ed Fernyhough

Online Editor: Sarah Williams

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No country for old schools Lucy Moor argues that grammar schools divide society rather than improve education standards.

Lucy Moor

Comment writer

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Even if it were possible to develop a magical, sparkling new formula for a completely fair 11+ irrespective of class and wealth (it isn’t, despite May’s claims), it still wouldn’t justify the existence of grammars. While those who get into them statistically do better than their comprehensiveeducated counterparts, those who fail in selective areas do worse. That’s 80% left to flounder – hardly

Epigram

“

‘Inclusive grammar school’ is an oxymoron - it is impossible.

equality or justice.

As John O’Farrell puts it, an “inclusive grammar school” is an oxymoron – it is impossible. A system that separates the top 1/5 of pupils from the rest is inherently exclusive, regardless of how ‘fair’ you make the application process. While that fifth may flourish, it leaves the majority to face a substandard education, written off before they even hit puberty.

It creates a binary of ‘success’ and ‘failure’: as David Cameron states, “parents fundamentally don’t want their children divided into sheep and goats at the age of 11”. If David Cameron, that renowned pioneer of social justice and equality, thinks it’s unfair – well.

‘Non-academic’ by no means equates to ‘failure’, but the grammar/secondary modern system creates this association. The theory behind the traditional secondary moderns, that they should provide more practically-orientated skills for less academic pupils isn’t a bad one, but it fails to succeed in practice.

Flickr / Richard Harrison

Instead of addressing arguably more pressing issues, like, say, Brexit, Theresa May’s government has turned its attention to other matters: grammar schools. In a wave of nostalgia, May and Education Secretary Justine Greening have proposed to end the ban on new grammars, in what is supposed to be a noble grapple for meritocracy and social mobility.

The only thing is, it’s them versus all the evidence.

On first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that grammar schools do constitute meritocracy: pupils allowed a top-class education on the basis of their academic merit, rather than their parents’ wealth. But it is simply impossible to remove wealth from the equation in this way, and class issues are inextricably bound up in the tripartite system.

Of the pupils at the current remaining 163 grammar schools, just 3% of pupils are entitled to free school meals, while 13% were previously educated outside the state system. Many more will have received private tuition. Indeed, the Sutton Trust has noted a boom in this, with 25% of pupils nationally having received private tutoring, rising to 42% in London. May’s proposals for a ‘tutor-proof’ 11+ cannot compete with these numbers, leaving the remaining three quarters to fend for themselves in tackling the test. And that’s if they even get to sit it.

The division comes far too early, it is too imbalanced, and there is too much stigma surrounding it.

‘Non-academic’ by no means equates to ‘failure’ but the grammar/secondary modern system creates this association Theresa May can dress up and rebrand the secondary moderns ‘of the future’ all she likes, but they are doomed to the same fate.

Instead, both academic and practical options should be held in comparable esteem, and both should be available to all pupils until they can choose what’s right for them. Comprehensive education for all – now, isn’t that a revolutionary idea?

Epislam weekly*

Landlords to go on strike Landlords have threatened to go on strike over Bristol SU’s proposition of an official ethical housing standard.

The document, which will force all landlords who sign to agree to a minimum housing standard, has caused quite a stir amongst landlords who feel their moneygrabbing livelihood is under threat.

A statement issued by the Landlord’s Union (LU) said ‘This puts landlords under undue pressure to do their jobs, we will be resisting this in every way possible’.

The LU appears to be committed to this strike, refusing to provide students with the usual mouldy walls and lacklustre maintenance.

Who will win this? Only time will tell. But judging by their usual standards, we can expect a decision sometime from next week to next year.

Written by Stefan Rollnick *Epislam is a fictional publication

Caption competition: Time to say goodbye Goodbyes are an inevitable part of life. This week, Epigram looks at some particularly prominant farewells

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Stephen Harper

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Think you can navigate your way around a good meme better than us? You probably can. Send your best captions to @EpigramComment and we’ll be posting our favourites online!

Epigram

12

23.09.2016

Brexit misinformation exacerbates social prejudice Martha Taylor questions whether media coverage of Brexit informed voters or simply reinforced prejudices

Martha Taylor Comment writer

Laden by rules of impartiality, the BBC failed to quench the public’s thirst for real knowledge surrounding both sides of the EU referendum campaign. The BBC’s one-dimensional debate format, which prioritised the claim – counterclaim formula merely meant that as soon as one campaigner made one claim, it had to immediately find someone who argued the opposite, rather than prioritising truth, facts, and perhaps most

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Post-Brexit Britain...characterised by a 42% surge in racially motivated hatred crimes.

Flickr / Threefishsleeping Flickr / George Thomas

23rd of June 2016. B-Day. Britain decides to leave the EU. Within the next 48 hours, 4 million Britons will sign a petition challenging the government to bring about a second EU referendum, with outraged signers claiming that they did not know what their leave vote really meant.

Whilst some might say these particular people are… well… idiots, their outcry is a tragic testament to the media’s failure to cover what Brexit actually meant. And with post-Brexit Britain being characterised by a 42% surge in racially motivated hate crimes; it would appear they weren’t alone in their inability to understand what Brexit meant.

Hamstrung by impartiality rules, broadcasters’ simplistic debate formats, coupled with the hugely imbalanced negativity towards Europe in the papers, thwarted any meaningful search for truth during the dire referendum debate, serving to reinforce rather than placate rising xenophobic prejudices in Britain.

IDid the media adequately fulfil their civil responsibility to prepare the public for the EU referendum?

importantly, accountability.

The BBC’s failure to scrutinise campaigners’ claims through fear of violating its guise of impartiality greatly propelled Britain’s increasing xenophobia. The BBC’s refusal to circulate footage of Boris Johnson’s passionate 2008 speech in favour of Turkey joining the EU allowed his irresponsible and false claims to go unchecked. This meant that false information about Turkey was taken as fact by a large proportion of the public, including the ideas that the country was not only about to join the EU, but was also a threat to Britain’s national security because of its geographical proximity to Syria. Had the BBC prioritised fact and political accountability over ‘unbiased’ coverage, Johnson’s scaremongering lies could have been clearly and publically negated, giving voters a better idea of the immigration-based fabrications disseminated by the Leave campaign.

With the BBC wedded to its neutrality, the papers were anything but. 84% of print media stories were found to present a negative image of Europe, further enforcing images of a ‘migrant takeover of Britain.’ This combined with Nigel Farage’s anti-migrant rhetoric, evident in his ‘breaking

point’ poster, did not inform voters, but provided them with an entirely false scapegoat for Britain’s economic problems.

The extent of this misrepresentation can be seen in Ipsos MORI’s poll in June 2016, which found that 14% of voters believed that 30% of

84% of print media stories were found to present a negative image of Europe.

Child Benefit money went to families in Europe, a huge contrast to the actual 0.3%. With the media failing to challenge these inaccuracies with the real figures (that, unsurprisingly, demonstrate immigrants’ beneficial contribution to Britain’s economy), they are complicit in exacerbating Britain’s increasing prejudices.

Even remain campaigner David Cameron was

guilty of enforcing this prejudice. Talking about the ‘swarm’ of migrants last year, Cameron added fuel to the misinformation fire. Doing nothing short of pouring petrol on said fire, Cameron refused to support the next stage of the Leveson inquiry, whose recommendations on ensuring a responsibility in the media’s treatment of minorities are still yet to be effected.

With print media being given virtually free reign to publish anything, true or not, it’s hard to suggest that papers actually informed voters of the truths and facts of both the Remain and Leave Campaigns. This sentiment has been echoed by the Electoral Reform Society’s recent report It’s Good to Talk: Doing referendums differently after the EU vote, which found that coverage was saturated by ‘glaring democratic deficiencies’ that left voters feeling ‘ill-informed’ and disengaged, a further indication of the poor reporting.

Perhaps if the BBC had prioritised accountability over impartiality, and Cameron had bothered to effect the Leveson Inquiry’s proposals, he might still be in a job, and the petition for a second EU Referendum might not have seen so much success.

Theresa May shows promise as Prime Minister, but will she deliver?

Tommy Wolridge believes May has shown strength as PM so far but is unconvinced by her policies affecting students Comment writer

not undermined the Cameron-Osborne’s legacy, though it’s hard to see many students viewing this as a positive. Given the Brexit vote and May’s record as home secretary, it’s difficult to feel optimistic as students. Will Erasmus survive? On what terms will European students be admitted to UK institutions?

Will EU research funding be maintained? Much

like Brexit, there are clear uncertainties for students and universities. The Prime Minister has shown strong leadership and a ruthless disregard for the legacy of her predecessor, but after two months it would be quite nice to know what Brexit means.

She has told us she will not govern in the interests of the ‘privileged few’.

strong opposition wto them, Mrs May has further undermined David Cameron, and embarrassingly it was Jeremy Corbyn who unwittingly made this point. Many have speculated it was impossible for Cameron to continue as MP for Witney, given his disagreement with her on Grammar Schools.

Though he insisted it was merely a coincidence, Cameron’s resignation was made the same day Mrs May announced her grammar schools programme.

Unfortunately, on students the PM has so far

Flickr / DFID Flick / Dean Terry

Over her first two months as Prime Minister, Theresa May has shown strong and fearless leadership. She has told us she will not govern in the interests of the ‘privileged few’, carried out a ‘brutal’ cabinet reshuffle, told her cabinet ministers politics ‘is not a game’ and is preparing to reintroduce selective schools into our education system. Many of the PM’s policies seem to serve one unexpected, but quite frankly welcomed, purpose: to undermine and degrade David Cameron’s already tattered legacy as PM. Before Mrs May even entered Downing Street, she spoke of her government’s focus not on ‘the privileged few, but on you’. Many saw this as a veiled criticism of the Cameron-Osborne era and the next day she carried out a ‘brutal cull’ of Cameron’s cabinet, sacking 9 ministers. This was followed by her warning to ministers which was interpreted by many as a subtle criticism of the CameronOsborne ‘Chumocracy’. Battered and bruised from the appalling EU referendum campaign, David Cameron was now being made to look silly by his successor.

Next on Theresa’s campaign to embarrass Dave: Hinkley Point. George Osborne and David Cameron’s desperation to secure Chinese backing, under seemingly very unfavourable terms, was brought under the spotlight when Mrs May decided to review the deal, just at the point when it looked certain to proceed. George Osborne had agreed

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Tommy Wolridge

lavish subsidies in order to entice the Chinese, and Cameron was an enthusiastic cheerleader for the deal. If Hinkley Point does proceed, the terms will likely reflect badly on Osborne and Cameron.

However, if it doesn’t proceed, yet another element of Cameron’s legacy will be dismantled. Theresa May, in questioning the Hinkley deal, has made herself look a far shrewder negotiator than Cameron or Osborne ever were.

In the most recent PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn quoted back David Cameron’s own words on Grammar Schools, in a PMQs that was widely regarded as Mr Corbyn’s most successful. David Cameron had described grammar schools as ‘an assumption that this country will only ever be able to offer a decent education to a select few’. Given his

Theresa May and Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening.

Epigram

23.09.2016

13

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Ban the burkini, misunderstand Muslim women Sarah Williams argues that banning the burkini in France is pure discrimination and not for the good of public safety

Sarah Williams Online editor

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The burkini doesn’t cover the face and therefore cannot be considered an issue in the realm of public safety.

France’s banning of the burka back in 2011 was met with public outcry also, but was widely recognised as an issue of public safety, an impediment to identification. However, the burkini does not cover the face and therefore cannot be considered an issue in the realm of public safety. In fact, the burkini’s design is not dissimilar to that of

Flickr / AMISOM FlickrPublix / Iosungen Information

In France, following a devastating terrorist attack in Nice in July, several mayors of beachside towns decided to ban the burkini. Pictures flooded international news of French police forcing women to remove layers of clothing and fining them for refusal. After some public outcry the French Council of State overruled the bans, stating that the mayors had no right to ban the burkini. Many of the mayors vowed to ignore the ruling and the mayor of Cannes denounced the burkini as being ‘a symbol of Islamic extremism.’

The burkini is simply a bathing suit, not a symbol of Islamic radicalisation.

a regular wetsuit, the only difference being that it covers the hair as well as the body.

The decision to ban the burkini seems entirely reactionary, a direct result of xenophobia following the terrorist attack in Nice. It is too reductionist to claim that this ban is the result of racism because ultimately, it is fuelled by fear.

The burka does not pose a risk to public safety and so its ban is a symbol of control over the Islamic population inside of France.

The burkini’s invention in 2004 was incredibly liberating for Muslim women who are instructed by the Karan to dress modestly. With the modest, lightweight and waterproof design they are able

to enjoy beaches and pools without compromising their religious values. But with the ban, comes isolation. Of course these women lived before 2004 without the burkini, just like women before the 1960s lived without the pill. But if France were to take away their right to wear what they like, in this case something that allows them to enjoy public spaces just like any other member of society, they isolate this group and infringe on their freedom.

The French local governments are telling their people that they cannot enjoy the beach unless they do so in a specific way. Putting aside the fact that isolation of a certain group in society is incompatible with harmonious co-habitation, it

has also been proven that isolation can lead to radicalisation.

The burkini is not, as the mayor of Cannes suggested ‘a symbol of Islamic extremism,’ it is an inoffensive item of clothing allowing not just Muslim women, but any person who wishes to dress modestly to enjoy the beach. For those

The decision to ban the burkini seems entirely reactionary, a direct result of xenophobia following the terrorist attacks in Nice

reasons, it should be left alone. French beach-goers should be able to dress as modestly (or immodestly) as they please. By wearing the burkini they are not impeding on public safety, they are not harming any other beach goers, it seems their presence in a garment associated with the Islamic community is what is offensive to the French people, not the garment itself. Therefore, we should remove the stigma attached to the burkini, which is enjoyed by members of the Jewish community as well as high numbers of Indian women.

It is not a symbol of radicalism, it is not a sign of danger. It is a modest bathing suit and if you are afraid of it then perhaps you should focus on the face of the person wearing it (which, just to clarify, is completely visible).

We must tread with care when reporting terrorism

Lucy Thompson argues that the press have unintentionally spread the fear that terrorists intend to inf lict Lucy Thompson Comment writer

going on’. Kerry isn’t entirely wrong.

While it is unreasonable to suggest that the public should be kept in the dark about terrorism, the media continues to disseminate sensationalist news stories. This scaremongers rather than informs, thus contributing to terrorist groups like IS’s over- exposure. Profit-driven news outlets feed off of the gory details of each attack to draw the public’s attention, and in return terrorists are able to incite fear on a global scale.

Testament to ISIS’s unrelenting desire for exposure and publicity is Mohamed Merah, who killed seven people in Toulouse, and spent his final moments editing and uploading the brutal footage from his Go-Pro. The Quilliam foundation also found that ISIS release 38 cases of propaganda everyday, including documentaries, essays and audio clips. The media needs to show restraint and caution when releasing graphic imagery of attacks;

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The media needs to show restraint and caution when releasing graphic imagery of attacks

Epigram Flickr / Albany Associates

Traditional media has more responsibility than ever in the way it reports terrorist attacks. Its purpose is to inform, educate and communicate the experiences of other human beings. Its purpose must not be to terrify, to terrify is to inflict a second attack on the public. In an era of media savvy terrorists, it is imperative that we do not allow them to use media outlets as a mouthpiece to propagate their ideals. John Kerry received criticism on his diplomatic trip to Bangladesh for stating that ‘the media would do us all a service if they didn’t cover it quite as much.’ ‘People wouldn’t know what’s

Current approaches to coverage of terrorism may be exacerbating the problem.

in the case of Nice these images were used in ISIS propaganda and glorified on social media by proponents of extremism.

Michelle Sloane in her article ‘Responses to the Media Coverage of Terrorism’ suggests that there is a proven correlation between media coverage of terrorism and the anxiety of viewers. News outlets repeatedly warn us of the immediate physical threat of ISIS, and rarely consider the effect of unrelenting coverage on the West’s collective psyche. Does the public need to be aware of every brutal detail of an attack? Do we need to be exposed to graphic images in order to be informed? There have been a string of false terrorist alarms recently in American airports such as JFK and LAX, where chaos and panic

have ensued but without any real threat. These instances show terrorism working, without the terrorists lifting a single finger.

The rhetoric and narrative the media pedals also has to change. The religion of Islam, which has 1.6 billion followers must be separated

The media must educate, analyse and provide a level-headed perspective rather than opt for cheap sensationalism.

from the toxic ideologies of terrorist groups. In December thousands attended an anti-ISIS march in London, held by the Husaini Islamic Trust, and there was minimal mainstream coverage. The media has a responsibility to attack negative stereotypes of Muslims, rather than perpetuate them. White mass murderers and shooters are routinely humanised as mentally ill ‘loners,’ such as Jo Cox’s killer, whereas if the person is Muslim, it is immediately an act of terrorism. The narrative of ‘us’ and ‘them’ is toxic and divisive.

Moreover, the media must educate, analyse and provide a level-headed perspective rather than opt for cheap sensationalism that causes people to panic. Who is this unbridled exposure of terrorism in the media serving?

Epigram

23.09.2016

Science & Tech

@EpigramSciTech Editor: Matt Davis Deputy Editor: Katie Coates Online Editor: Gina Degtyareva

mdavis@epigram.org.uk katie.coates@epigram.org.uk gina@epigram.org.uk

GB Cyclists pushed up a gear by UoB Suzie Brown Puzzles Editor

He went on to praise the research; ‘the project was a huge success and I think, combined with the athlete performance, the results spoke for themselves at Rio. However, like with all technology, it doesn’t stop here. Eyes are already firmly set on Tokyo 2020 and there is plenty of work to be done to continue innovating to stay at the top of our game.’

Ben is president of the University of Bristol Cycling Club, and a close follower of the professional cycling world. ‘Watching the cycling at Rio was incredibly exciting, especially considering how well our athletes performed. It was an amazing feeling to know that, however small, I had a part to play in the development of the bikes. It

really made these Olympics particularly special for me.’

‘Races are often won by the smallest of margins, and while the main reason for medals is the performance of the athletes, a factor such as chain drive efficiency can be the difference between gold and no medal at all.’

The evidence is clear that Olympic cycling success has exploded in recent years. We gained six times as many gold medals and four times as many silvers in the 2016 Rio Olympics compared to the 2000 Sydney games, with our total medal haul for cycling increasing from four to eleven.

If you want to get involved with cycling at Bristol, or maybe just feel like you need training before you tackle

St Michael’s Hill or Park Street, the University of Bristol Cycling Club has over 150 full time members of ranging abilities.

The ‘Olympic Legacy’ is the idea that watching successful GB athletes compete and win at the Olympics will then encourage and inspire young people to try new sports. The same effect might now also be seen in universities, with engineering students like Ben inspired by their final year projects to join the ever expanding sports science industry. This raises awareness of the collaboration required to succeed in sport at an international level and may well be the only claim that some of us can make for an Olympic medal.

Epigram/ Bhagesh Sachania

The Olympic Games are all about amazing athletes, and there is no doubt that Team GB’s cyclists are just that.

They dominated the track cycling in Rio de Janeiro this summer, winning 11 medals in a sport where no other team got more than two. The team have been at an all-time high for the last three Olympic Games, and their performance this year was even better than in 2012 when they had the home advantage.

But great athletes are only victorious with the help of the best equipment.

Over the last year, engineers at the University of Bristol have been involved in designing the bikes used in the velodrome by Team GB’s cyclists. Professor Stuart Burgess of the Department of Mechanical Engineering led the research, which was conducted with the help of undergraduate students.

Their job was to run tests in order to measure and maximise the efficiency of the bikes’ drive chains. The department has a specially-made test rig that uses weights to simulate the load applied to the chain by a cyclist’s legs. While the rig is running, lasers precisely measure the movements of the chain. The results enabled the researchers to decide which transmission designs would stand up to the Olympics.

In an interview with BBC Points West, Professor Burgess said ‘the best riders demand every part of the bike to be completely optimised for performance.

We can test how much friction loss is

taking place (in the chain drive) and how smooth the components are. In your pushbike, the losses could be ten times higher’. But he admitted that the department’s work wasn’t solely responsible for Team GB’s cycling success; ‘I think that the most credit has to go to the riders’.

Epigram managed to get an interview with fourth year mechanical engineering student Ben Alexander, who was one of the students working on improving the bikes performance as part of his degree’s final year project.

‘I love cycling, both recreationally and competitively racing for the University.

One of the best parts about the project was researching an area I was genuinely passionate about.’

The Highs and Lows of University Life Melanie Wedgebury Science Writer

other health problems across all body systems, but what is not commonly known is the fact that smoking a cannabis-only spliff (without tobacco) deposits four times more tar into the lung than smoking an average cigarette.

What’s the reason for this? Well, cannabis burns at a higher temperature, the inhalation time of smoke is increased and the breath is drawn in deeper. The spliff is also smoked closer to the nub than a typical cigarette.

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Rafael Castillo/Flickr

A new academic year - the time has come around again. A time where students find themselves in Bristol, ready to embark on a year of discovery.

For many it is nothing new, but for some, this will be their first experience of student life.

Some discoveries to be made will be academic, some will be sporting, and some may involve getting drunk and singing bad karaoke at a local bar.

These are fantastic experiences, but what happens when you stumble upon something of a more taboo nature – the world of drugs?

Drugs are prolific in student culture and are easily available and sometimes relatively cheap. To deny that some students take drugs would be naïve, but not as naïve as ignoring the detrimental effects that these substances can have on an individual’s health.

Amongst some, Bristol has had a reputation for drug use. One such is the popular drug ketamine, a chemical of pharmacologically complex nature. It causes the user to experience episodes of disassociation lasting from thirty minutes to several hours. Disassociation is a symptom of many mental health illnesses such as PTSD and panic disorder and is described by some as feeling separated from their body.

Ketamine is primarily used as a horse tranquiliser and it is this dissociative feature that makes it useful in

veterinary surgery. In the past, it was a dangerous task to operate on horses as they would lie down without warning and the risk of the horse falling on the vet was considerable. The introduction of ketamine allowed vets to perform surgical procedures while horses were awake and upright. This highlights one of the possible dangers of ketamine use; if a student uses this drug and causes life-threatening injury to themselves, they will not have the mental faculties required to obtain emergency medical intervention.

The other serious side effect of long term ketamine use is damage to the bladder. Ketamine causes scarring that significantly reduces bladder size and functional capacity. The NHS has seen an increase in young people requiring bladder surgery following long-term ketamine use with some cases too severe to treat. Some sufferers find the chronic pain associated with bladder damage overwhelming and turn to harder drugs to take away the pain, starting a vicious cycle.

Another popular drug in Bristol is cannabis. The debate about whether this drug should be legalised has built momentum in light of recent law changes by U.S. states such as Illinois and Ohio. Yet, regardless of which corner you back in this debate, the fact remains that this drug can have serious side effects.

Cannabis is usually smoked. It is a well-known fact that smoking tobacco deposits carcinogens in the lungs leading to cancer and a multitude of

Any student can reach out without judgement

Even if not smoked, the dangers to health are still detrimental.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active ingredient in cannabis that gives it its psychotropic properties. It is this component that makes you feel high and become more aware of your surroundings, sensations and feel more euphoric. However, this substance also has the ability to induce paranoia, anxiety, depression and psychosis, and certainly if you already have mental health problems, cannabis is unlikely to solve the problem and may make things worse. Long term users may encounter other more serious problems such as social seclusion, unemployment, psychological addiction and poor academic prospects.

Cannabis and ketamine are two examples of what is available on the market and as demonstrated can begin to severely affect your life academically, psychologcally and socially as a student. Many people only think of cocaine and heroin when they hear the word ‘addiction’. But some form of dependance is actually a high possibility with most recreational drugs including popular rave drugs like MDMA, which lose their effect if taken too frequently.

The reason people take drugs is unique to them; for some it may be peer pressure, the stress of exam season

or perhaps mental health issues that have yet to be diagnosed.

There are times when a student may find themselves needing help - any student can reach out without judgment. If you or someone you know is at risk or showing the signs of overdose, you can call an ambulance and the police will not be informed.

There are other resources available such as www.talktofrank.com and student services on campus. Bristol University is a community that endeavours to support everyone who needs it.

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Epigram 23.09.2016

15

Bye-bye iPlayer, hello Netflix!

Matt Davis and Katie Coates Science and Deputy Editor The law has changed. These are the four chilling words that will greet you the next time you log onto iPlayer to watch that episode of Bake Off that you missed last week. However, by simply clicking a box that confirms you have a TV licence you can still watch all of your favourites without further disruption.

As students with often meagre student loans and massive rents it is important to cut costs where they’re not needed; fresh fruit and veg are often the first to go, but for a long time with the availability of online streaming services like iPlayer, All4 and YouTube, buying

a TV licence for the cost of £145.50 per household seemed excessive, if not downright boastful.

However, as of the 1st of September 2016, a new law has criminalised the watching of BBC iPlayer for those who don’t have a licence. This means that even if you’re not watching programmes as they are shown on the television, you will still require a licence even if those programs have been downloaded for offline viewing. This is a practice that students who have yet to sort out their Wi-Fi contracts for the year are probably all too familiar with.

So what services still aren’t under the umbrella of the expanded TV Licence?

Well, pretty much all of them actually.

YouTube, SkyGo, All4 and the ITV hub

are all still available to you without fear of the Television Licence Enforcement Team (and yes, that is what they call

YouTube, SkyGo, All4 and the ITV hub are all still available to you without a TV licence

themselves) coming to knock on your door.

An Epigram article last year investigated the rise in online streaming only to find that the laws surrounding

it are murky to say the least. It appears that streaming content online for personal use is highly unlikely to result in prosecution as the culpability generally lies with the sites hosting streaming.

Will an expanded TV licence remit lead us to make more use of illegal streaming? Well, along with the recent change to include iPlayer, the government has also been tackling illegal streaming sites by issuing court orders for internet providers to block access to them. Access to Putlocker (a streaming site) was blocked by several internet providers over the summer in an attempt to protect against copyright infringement, but the site can still be accessed through mirror sites and proxies.

Even back in the legal realm of the internet, justifying the price purely for iPlayer is difficult. A oneyear subscription to Netflix for £89.88 provides access to hundreds of hours of BBC programmes, including several

“ The goverment has been tackling illegal streaming sites by ordering internet providers to block access

Flickr/Tim Loudon

series that are no longer available.

Granted, the more recent programmes won’t be available, but Netflix do offer a vast selection of films and non-BBC television shows as well.

The licence fee exists to fund the BBC and all its associated services such as BBC radio and news. In 2014-15 the amount raised by the licence fee was £3.74 billion, and this public funding is regarded as the most efficient

way to ensure that the BBC remains independent as opposed to being influenced by the government.

According to the BBC, if students are registered to their parents’ address

In 2014-15 the amount raised by the licence fee was £3.74 billion

(who must hold a valid TV license) students may watch iPlayer on devices with internal batteries not plugged into the mains at the time of viewing.

So, in other words, charge your laptop, remove the charger, and you’re fine to watch catch-up TV. Television License regulators have stated that they are reluctant to discuss strategies for identifying those not playing by the rules because they do not wish to aid people in continuing to break the law.

Is this just a convenient way of saying ‘we don’t know’?

No matter how intimidating the letters seem that threaten you with a £1000 fine for your rebellion, the fact of the matter is that you have a choice.

We will all know people that watch TV without a licence. Our student poll found that 56% weren’t intending to buy one this year even after the law change. It is in a sense an honesty tax, but without the public’s honesty and money, the current government’s approach to the BBC may see the corporation begin to weaken in the near future. With so many other options provided by the internet, it appears it is up to us to decide what live television, the BBC and iPlayer are really worth.

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Gina Degtyareva

Katie Coates

explains the Higgs Boson

explains what makes psychopaths

explains how DNA has found us new species of giraffe

Flickr/thellr

Flickr/thellr

Flickr/thellr

Epigram

23.09.2016

Letters

@EpigramLetters

Editor: Claire Hargreaves letters@epigram.org.uk

Sexual violence: a threat on campus

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When crude comments and namecalling are commonplace at university, ‘casual’ gropes, harassment and rape do not follow too far behind. Sexual violence therefore creeps into everyday sexual and non-sexual interactions among students. It is even normalised under the label of ‘banter’ or ‘lad culture’,

Flickr / Special Collections Toronto Public Library Flickr / Transformer18 Fkuckr // Transformer18

In the wake of the contemptible Brock Turner case in the US, the culture of sexual violence at universities is as much at the forefront of public thinking as ever. It reminds us of the dangerous attitudes and practices that are at university, as they are anywhere.

In January 2015, Brock Turner raped an unconscious female student and has since walked out of prison after serving a sentence of just three months. This of course raises questions about the leniency of the criminal justice system in cases of this kind, but more tangibly for us, it shows the prevalent and damaging extent of sexual violence in students’ lives today.

In a 2014 report, the National Union of Students found that 37% of female students surveyed had experienced unwelcomed sexual advances during their time at university. The level of abusive sexual behaviour is clearly far more significant than we may be led to believe.

‘The level of abusive sexual behaviour is far more significant than we are led to believe’

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University of Bristol ran sexual consent workshops in halls of residence for freshers. We can only estimate the relative effects of such initiatives, but given that we need a deep cultural change to tackle sexual violence, changes from above will only go so far. Nevertheless, university policy still needs to be rock solid and unequivocal in its fight against sexual violence.

Claire Hargreaves Letters Editor

Sexual violence seeths beneath the surface of the everyday

despite the genuine and significant threat it carries.

We often do not call people out on casual sexism and sexual comments of an abusive nature. This allows it to escalate even further to inflict deep emotional and physical harm on victims.

The problem deepens when survivors are ‘over-sensitive’ if they assert their victimhood, but ‘meek’ if they keep quiet. This debilitating dichotomy, which survivors will undoubtedly face throughout their lives, underpins the

problem of sexual violence among students.

Part of Turner’s defence was based on alcohol consumption, and this is where the problem of sexual violence at university becomes ever more apparent.

For instance, a female friend of mine had her breasts grabbed on one occasion by a drunk stranger. He said he did it for a ‘joke’. Far from finding it funny, my peer felt violated and offended. Another friend was asked to

go to a club toilet with a man to perform sexual acts on him.

Being intoxicated is far from an excuse for perpetrators of sexual violence, so in an environment where alcohol consumption is the norm, it should be made clear that sexual violence of any form cannot, and will not, be excused by drunkenness.

Many individuals and groups are, however, totally committed to tackling sexual violence and it appears to be on universities’ radars. In 2015, the

‘University policy needs to be rock solid and unequivocal in its fight against sexual violence’

The Reclaim the Night movement, among others, tries to empower women and survivors as much as it fights the misogynistic culture that women continue to face in 2016. This kind of movement certainly puts the problem of sexual violence on the agenda, but we need more of these initiatives to highlight the serious problem of harrassment at university. That is why changes from below are needed to cause a shift in attitudes towards sex at university. We should not necessarily blame this culture of casual sex, but when questions arise over consent and safety, we must look to alter the way we students view sex and each other.

The boundary between so-called ‘everyday’ sexual harrassment and more violent crimes, such as Turner’s, is increasingly fragile. Even though the University of Bristol may not yet have its own Brock Turner that we know of, it is certainly worrying that any kind of sexist or sexually inappropriate behaviour could ever become normalised.

Dear Erasmus student...

Claire Hargreaves Letters Editor

“ ‘Get ready to become one of half a million Bristolians’

Bristol is surely unparalleled in its creativity. Explore the liberal, graffitiadorned area of Stokes Croft. Visit the cosmopolitan harbourside, with its buzzing restaurants and bars, of which you will definitely find your favourite.

University of Bristol societies to join too, which are ideal for immersing yourself in student life. From Quidditch to cocktails, and rock-climbing to pottery, societies are just another way to push the boat out.

Make the most of your year in Bristol and all it has to offer. If it will be your first time living abroad, Bristol will welcome you in with arms wide open. Prepare to be in one of the UK’s cultural, artistic and academic epicentres: you’re going to love it.

Tweets of the fortnight: @EpigramPaper

‘Breadxit is upon us...’

@BethKrysta

‘If Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry quit #GBBO too, then Channel 4 have essentially paid £25m for a tent.’

@HFellows

‘Well yes, I voted for a #Breadxit, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.’

Epigram / Claire Hargreaves Epigram / Claire Hargreaves

A warm welcome to Bristol – and the university – the place where you will spend the next year studying and living. There may not be a place as dynamic and lively a place as Bristol and so it is almost guaranteed that you will fall in love with the city before the year is out.

Get ready to become one of half a million Bristolians, not merely a guest or tourist.

Next, move up Park Street to the renowned Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and on to Clifton’s café culture, where you will eat far too many cakes.

Whiteladies Road offers unique eateries and pubs with a lively atmosphere all week long.

Bristol certainly has a heart beating with diversity and almost feels purposebuilt for trying new things and expanding your horizons.

Whether it’s sweaty nights on the Triangle, soaking up local history in MShed or eating your bodyweight in nutfree, gluten-free and vegan edibles at St Nicks Market, you are bound to have a fulfilling experience during your time here.

For something more scenic and traditional, head to the Clifton Suspension Bridge to marvel at this feat of engineering or just to admire the pretty lights when darkness falls. Ashton Court Estate needs a visit too. Wander around its picturesque grounds when you need a break from tall buildings and buses.

The Bristol Erasmus Student Network runs plenty of events and activities oriented to your needs, helping you to see Bristol and experience British culture. There are plenty of other

Living Well Being Travel Style Food What’s On

Epigram/ Ella Kemp

Fresh Starts

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Editor Johnny Thalassites

Online Editor Erin Beesley

Deputy Editor

living@epigram.org.uk

erin.beesley@epigram.org.uk

saskia.hume@epigram.org.uk

@e2living

23.09.2016

Saskia Hume

Epigram Living Section 2016/17

Bambi, batons and balloons

”

With over 330 different socieites to choose from,we realised that UoB’s Fresher’s Fair can be a pretty overwhelming experience.To make your lives easier,the Epigram Living team have spoken to the Presidents of five of the most weird and wonderful socieites on offer to Bristol students.Find out more below...

Over 15 000 students joined one or more societies in 2015/16

Bristol University Hot Air Ballooning Society

w/ president, Jennifer Chakravarty

Tell us about your society...

”

‘Bristol is the home of ballooning, at BUHABS we take out the iconic UoB balloon (you’ve probably seen it on your welcome packs), piloted by BUHABS members - could the next pilot be you? Depending on the wind, we often fly from Ashton Court (best views of the suspension bridge going). We even go abroad and our balloon has just returned from flying BUHABS members in Germany.’

flickr / Sandro Maggi

Why should Freshers join BUHABS?

‘However you get involved, whether it’s chasing the balloon in the BUHABS van or going up yourself, these are experiences you won’t forget. We operate at a low cost for our members (the £20 per flight charge literally just covers fuel), making it the cheapest way to fly going. If this hasn’t convinced you to join then we can confirm you’ll get the best pictures for your Instagram feed (#nofilter) and make all of your friends really jealous.’

”

When is your 1st/next event?

”

Last year there were two separate calls for the creation of a Disney society

Bristol Pirate Society

BUHABS

‘We fly whenever we can (weather dependent), usually at weekends and the occassional evening. We’ll be tethering the balloon at the welcome fair so we’ll see you there!’

w/ president Jack Rushton

Tell us about your society...

‘It’s a new social society with the theme of a pirate costume to give it a twist. It’s as dressed up or dressed down as members like, but creates a ‘silly environment where everyone can have a bit of fun as well as getting pissed.’ The theme came about from ‘Bristol’s heritage surrounding pirates, being a city built on naval trade’, there was a ‘large piracy underground with pubs like the Hatchet Inn near the O2 being Blackbeard’s drinking ground.’ This year they will be working the History Society to provide talks on past piratical antics.

Why should Freshers join Bristol Pirate Society?

w/ president, Laura Klark

Tell us about your society...

Why should Freshers join Disney Society?

‘Disney society’s aim is to create a relaxed, chilled-out, home-like environment where everyone can get together, meet new people and have fun whilst watching or reminiscing about our favourite Disney movies.’

When is your 1st/next event?

‘27th September - keep an eye out for an event on our Facebook page (DisneySoc Bristol)!’

‘The 15th October for a Pirate Bar Crawl, go to the Facebook page for more info. We’re planning to set up a pub quiz, in The Ship (obviously), for a big indoor session later this year.’

Flickr / NicolasRaymond

‘Disney Society is a brand new society for 2016! Whether you’ve just made the giant leap to university or you’re panicked at the thought of graduating into the big wide world, Disney Society welcomes everyone in, taking a step back into your childhood and escaping the stressful world of university.

With pub quizzes and crawls to movie marathons and theatre trips, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So whether you’re a Disney fanatic or are just looking to transport yourself back to when life was simpler, come join us on one of our socials!’

When is your 1st/next event?

”

DisneySoc

Bristol Disney Society

‘There’s great drinking sessions and quirky nights out, with the chance to meet people from all year groups.

There’s very little commitment asked - just come to the pub every now and again! Also, we have rum.’

a ‘sily environment where everyone can have a bit of fun as well as getting pissed’

”

23.09.2016

Where else could you do Urban Axe Throwing?

Bristol Obscure Games Society

w/ president Claire Hargreaves

Tell us about your society...

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”

‘Bristol Obscure Games Society. or BOGSoc, is the oppurtunity to try out all those unusual and niche games, activities and sports, that you’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance. Last year, we did Archery Tag, Bubble Football, Escape the Room and plenty more. We also have amazing socials with obscure themes - the most popular one last year was the tourist theme when you had to go around Bristol as a walking tourist cliche, asking for directions and taking embarrassing photos. We’ve got lots planned with a really enthuastic committee this year, so we’re excited to build on the successes of last year, bringing BOGSoccers even more fun events and socials.’

Why should Freshers join BOGSoc?

”

When is your 1st/next event?

BOGSoc

‘A fresher should join BOGSoc because we are really friendly and welcoming as a group of people - I’ve made lots of friends through the society. BOGSoc also offers unique opportunities that are difficult to experience elsewhere - where else could you do Urban Axe Throwing? Everyone always has so much fun at the events and socials which we think is what societies should be all about. So BOGSoc is perfect for de-stressing and enjoying the social side of university life. And you definitely don’t have to be sporty to join!

‘Our first event is Beer Goggle Football - playing football wearing goggles which affect your depth perception and flip things upside down and so on. It’s on the 7th October - join our Facebook group for more information on how to sign up! Our first social is on the 11th Octover and set to be fantastic, so keep your eyes peeled for more information on that too.

Epigram / Claire Hargreaves

flickr / Sandro Maggi

Epigram / Claire Hargreaves

Most of our members are beginners...they won’t be expected to breathe fire straight away

”

Bristol Circus Society

w/ president Frank Hemsworth

Tell us about your society...

”

you had to go around Bristol as a walking tourist cliche, asking for directions and taking embarrassing photos

”

‘The Circus Society is a relaxed, fun society that hold weekly events...Be that juggling, hooping, diabolo’.

They have a wide range of equipment, and every so often use the space at Brandon Hill to play with fire toys (as pictured below).

Why should Freshers join Circus Society?

‘Most of our members are beginners, therefore freshers would have the opportunity to meet students who are also in a new enivironment, and they won’t be expected to breathe fire right away!

BristolCircusSociety

Interested in writing for Living?

Yes? We thought so too.

Come and say hello on Facebook (Epigram Living 2016-2017) or email us with your ideas at living@epigram.org.uk

flickr / James F Clay

‘Our first event is a taster session, which will be on Monday 26th September at 5pm in the Anson Rooms.

Everyone is welcome’

BristolCircusSociety

When is your 1st/next event?

Need some help?

Student counselling service: 0117 954 6655 Panic Attack and Anxiety Helpline: 0844 967 4848

Editor Online Editor Tianna Graham Flora Doble tianna.graham.epigram@gmail. f lora.doble@epigram.org.uk

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com

@Epigramwb

Join us at: Epigram Well-Being 2016/17

23/09/2016

New Mental Health Section!

Why this section was created Stefan Rollnick (Epigram Deputy Editor)

“For many of us, these statistics seem alarming, and rightly so”

“This is about creating a new normal” Fast forward 5 years, as I was sat in my university room feeling overwhelmed by it all. I’d been through a fair bit, but was getting the support I needed to find my feet. I saw this book still sitting in the corner of my room, untouched, and thought ‘what the hell, no harm in looking’. Every morning for the next few weeks I wouldn’t leave my bed until I’d read a whole chapter, maybe more. This book made sense now; it felt as though there was a wisdom inside my 15 year-old mind that was looking out for its future self. Sentimental nonsense? Maybe…

Regardless, this section is that book sitting on the shelf, here for you to dive into whenever you feel it necessary. I hope it can bring a smile to your face during a heavy day, and some hope to you when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Most of all, I hope you enjoy the rest of your university life.

Maybe you won’t feel the need to read about well-being for the next few years. If that’s the case – great news! But don’t worry if that’s not the case. We’ll still be here.

The notion of meeting new people is a stress that can remain on your mind from the moment you note the date. Suddenly you can begin to imagine every problem that can arise, such as being too anxious to speak or the potential to embarrass oneself. The more you dwell on it, the greater your anxiety can be once the day arrives. Keep yourself occupied, even if it is just meeting a friend for coffee or cleaning your room. For a more permanent change that can aid anxiety; psychical exercise, a healthier diet and cutting down on caffeine can help. Focusing on looking after yourself is deeply important before you worry about interactions with others.

3.

Focus on your breathing

The secret to many a singer’s or actor’s resilience on stage is breathing exercises, a method that can help elevate some of the physical symptoms of anxiety. Focusing also helps distract your mind from what worries you. A simple method is to place one hand on your chest and another on your abdomen. Deeply inhale through the nose for three seconds, and your hand

Whether you are a fresher about to be thrust into university life or returning to the ivory tower after a relaxed summer at home, anxiety can affect everyone differently. Despite the overwhelming sensations you may be experiencing, here are three simple tips on how to help manage your own social anxiety around new people.

What are the symptoms?

Anxiety disorder can manifest itself in a variety of ways. The main psychological signs are: difficulty sleeping (insomnia), restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, feeling out of control (which can sometimes develop into panic attacks) and a sense of being detached from yourself and others.

With social anxiety many experience physical symptoms such as: palpitations, painful muscle tensions, stomach cramps, sickness, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, shaking and numbness.

It would be difficult to tailor advice to a specific social anxiety experience, therefore the advice provided within this article are merely alternatives to medication and are applicable to everyone, regardless of their mental health background.

1. flickr / amenclincsphotos ac

Keep the thoughts at bay

Tianna Graham (Well-Being Editor)

or spiritual, and nor am I now – but there was something about this book that made me feel like it would come in handy one day.

This section is not here to categorise or marginalise. It’s not here to speculate on the psychological consensus, or tell people what they should or shouldn’t do. This section is here to confront the struggles we are all facing head-on, without judgement. It will be a mixture of the scientifically proven with personal experience, to create a platform for people to share their own wisdom in a way that will help an over-stretched student counselling arena reach out to those in need for a hand up.

This is about creating a new normal. Just because people see you as the life and soul of the party, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to feel flat every now and again. Just because you seem like you’ve got your life together, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to experience existential angst. Just because you feel like it’s all overwhelming you, doesn’t mean you’re going to crash and burn, or even carry on life everything is completely fine.

For some of you, this content will seem bizarre and unfamiliar; and that’s fine as well. But hopefully some of the content in this section might help you empathise with friends and family in a way you haven’t been able to before. Maybe it might be of use to you at a later date.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. When I was about 15, I stole a book from my RS teacher’s class room. At the time I wasn’t sure why. It was a book called The Art of Happiness, accounting a series of interviews with the Dalai Lama. I wasn’t particularly religious,

2.

Managing Social Anxiety

Flickr / HunterMcGinnis

If you are reading this, then it’s pretty likely that you have graduated from university, are currently navigating your way through it, or are just about to embark on it. For those of you who are realising that university isn’t always a walk in the park, this section is for you.

We all know that student mental health problems are currently on the rise. I’m sure you’ve seen the stats: 1 in 10 have experienced x, 25 per cent will experience y at least once during university, etc. For many of us, these statistics seem alarming, and rightly so. But these stats are also an opportunity to take our well-being by the horns and not to let it go.

Whether you are suffering from a diagnosed mental health condition or not, university can be a stressful place. You’ve been working your way up the ladder of education for the last 14 years, but now you’ve got to navigate it with what feels like the weight of life on your shoulders. For some, this weight temporarily becomes too much. And that’s okay, it really is.

This is what this section is all about.

Want to write for us?

Contact WellBeing on Facebook to submit your articles and join the conversation!

on your abdomen will rise, leaving the one on your chest still.

Then slowly exhale through the mouth while letting your body relax. Using this method a few times before entering a crowded room can not only calm your nerves but help clear your mind.

Continual anxiety?

Anxiety can manifest itself into a serious mental health problem if left untreated. If you feel as though your anxiety is continuous and is overshadowing your life it is best to seek help outside of yourself. There are specific anxiety disorders that can be diagnosed, so it can be helpful to consult a professional to find what works best for you. Your GP can refer you to a therapist or counsellor, there are even counsellors present within the university (address below). It is important to explore options that can help you take back control, even if that means merely speaking through your problems.

Address: 3rd Floor, Hampton House, St. Michael’s Hill, Cotham, Bristol, BS6 6AU.

Reiterate to yourself that this worry is common

It may seem redundant to simply keep in mind that you aren’t the only one experiencing a bout of anxiety but the rationalisation can help you to focus and potentially calm yourself. You are never alone, anxiety and depression effects one in five adults in the UK (21 per cent of women and 16 per cent of men). When looking around at the swarms of new students, remember that everyone is either in your position or at one time has been. Your anxiety can sometimes be overcome once you attempt to rationalise the situation, i.e. taking the first plunge into conversation with one person sat by themselves can help elevate the building stress rather than introducing yourself to an entire group.

Our Online Stories

An Open Letter to The University of Chicago on Trigger Warnings

Flora Doble (Well-Being Online Editor) “Yet, I believe that Ellison has fundamentally misunderstood the nature and purpose of ‘trigger warnings’.

‘Trigger warnings’ are, in fact, a serious buffer between one suffering from PTSD and their ‘triggering’ material, and the misuse and misconception of ‘trigger warnings’ has resulted in their frequent dismissal.”

An Overview of Well- Being

Jackie Head “Someone once asked me ‘why bother with wellbeing?’ This was in the context of a discussion about the student experience and the speaker was feeling frustrated that yet more was being expected of their role as a member of staff. ‘Why is it the University’s job to help students manage their wellbeing?”

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Editor Ellie Donnell

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Join us at: Epigram Food Section 2016/17

23.09.2016

Follow us at: epigram_eats_out

Bake Off is Back From gingerbread pubs to chocolate mirror glazes, Lydia Guest gives us a week by week breakdown of The Great British Bake Off so far

Flickr: welr thru a lens

Flickr: Sales

Flickr: x_tine

Flickr: Lydia

It’s the best time of year: the return of the white tent in the beautiful rainy countryside, the colourful food mixers and twelve new amateur bakers battling it out to be crowned Britain’s best.

The show started with cake week. It was here I realised that Jane really is, in my opinion, the one to watch. Although rather simple, you cannot beat a good lemon and poppy seed drizzle, which kicked her performance off to a flying start.

This was followed by her mirror glazed chocolate and orange cake, which looked so professional that you could practically see Paul’s reflection in it.

Next up was my favourite: biscuit week. It is always tense watching the final moments of assembling a biscuit showstopper.

Indeed Val’s Statue of Liberty collapsed while Louise’s gingerbread wedding turned into a disaster.

Without a doubt, the best was Candice’s gingerbread pub, complete with a sticky ginger cake carpet and her gingerbread family. It was amazingly executed and looked extremely delicious.

Bread week followed. I enjoyed the first challenge as it made me realise just how underrated sweet breads are, which often bring together two things I love: bread and chocolate.

I thought Tom’s chocolate, orange and chilli bread looked spectacularly yummy.

However, Val’s Noah’s ark bread really made my day, with Paul asking ‘Is that a chicken?’ only to be told ‘No! It’s a giraffe!’

Although she was told, yet again, that her bake was ‘informal’, I

was inspired by the proof that you really can make anything out of bread!

Then it was batter week. In all honesty, I was a little sceptical of this ‘bake-off first’ as I don’t particularly like batter. However, once it reached the lace pancake technical challenge, I was sold.

Benjamina and Candice’s pancakes showed great skill and were incredibly beautiful.

Admittedly, this was one of my favourite technical challenges ever and I thought it was a great test of everyone’s technical ability.

On the other hand, I was not convinced by the filled Yorkshire pudding first challenge or the churros showstopper finale.

I thought the job of a Yorkshire pudding was to soak up gravy.

And unless the task was to make the churros into a sculpture or something, how does this task differ from the first?

Initially, I was not convinced by the new group of 2016 bakers.

They were missing characters such as Ruby and Martha, the loveable students, Richard the builder, and Tamal the anaesthetist, but now I have definitely warmed to them.

Also, with the heart-breaking news that the Bake Off is moving to Channel 4, with the loss of Mel and Sue (and most likely Paul and Mary), we really should savour this series as much as we can!

Savvy Student Superfood Swaps Eating well at University doesn’t have to break the bank, and with Jane Cowie’s clever healthy swaps, you can feast on a few superfoods too

Superfoods are supposedly nutrient dense and great for your health. Yet more often than not, they put such a dent in your student bank account that the prospect of splashing out on them is nothing short of laughable.

Starting at university is full of new occurrences and experiences and just two of those is the reality of doing the daily food shop and cooking for yourself. While it may seem tempting to buy coco pops for breakfast, a Tesco meal deal for lunch, and a huge plate of pasta with butter and cheese, there is a way that you can eat healthily, even ‘superfood equivalent’ healthily, for an affordable cost too.

Kale for Broccoli In Sainsbury’s, kale is priced at 50p/ 100g while broccoli is a mere 11p/ 100g. Both of these cruciferous vegetables pack a nutrient

punch, playing host to a wide range of vitamins, and have even been proven to prevent cancer. Surely eating anything green is good for us, so why not make it even more enjoyable and remove that hefty price tag? You don’t need to force yourself to buy kale to feel healthy when good old fashioned broccoli does the trick. They’re both great for you, but if you want to save a few pennies then broccoli works just as well!

Pip & Nut Coconut and Almond Butter for Hi Pro Peanut Butter.

The former brand comes in at £1.58/ 100g compared to the latter’s more appealing 59p/ 100g showing that the almond version is almost 3 times the cost of peanut butter! Nut Butter isn’t a superfood, I know. Nonetheless, health foodies jump at the opportunity to use it in all sorts of recipes, shouting their health benefits from the rooftops, when in reality peanut butter remains superior in terms of cost and macronutrients. Say hello to this healthy student staple and revel in your next peanut butter and jam sandwich.

The list continues: I could go on about how I believe oats to be superior to the overpriced muesli products, how acai berries have nothing on good old fashioned blueberries, and how the extortionately priced snack bars such as Trek or Bounce are not giving you that much more than the beloved Nature Valley. I have tried to show that the superfoods that boast a plethora of health benefits have cheaper alternatives. This means that you, as a student, can reap these benefits for a cost that will not leave you frighteningly close to your overdraft limit. The nights out will be responsible for that.

Epigram/Becki Murray

Goji berries for Strawberries The recent popularity of these little dried berries are owed to their high levels of vitamin C, B2, A and other antioxidants.

However, 200g of the fruit sold in Tesco amounts to £3.20, while

Epigram/ Hannah Price

Epigram/ Jordan Kelly-Linden

That doesn’t mean you need to splash out on goji berries, chia seeds or almond butter on a weekly basis either, although you don’t need to deprive yourself of those delights either. Here’s a list of the best superfood swaps so you can live well, eat great, and not have to sponge off your parents in an effort to do so.

Chia seeds for Linseeds Chia seeds are perceived as another (pricey) superfood due to their high content of fibre, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. On a budget, however, linseeds work just as well and contain more omega 3 fatty acids, protein and a similar level of dietary fibre.

Indeed, the price difference between the two is staggering. Chia seeds come out at £3.33/100g whilst linseeds are only 85p/100g.

This one really is a no brainer. If linseeds don’t take your fancy, then try poppy seeds or sesame seeds, both nutrient dense yet far cheaper alternatives.

Quinoa for Lentils Quinoa is another hyped up superfood that has taken over our shelves in recent years. Although it is still a carbohydrate (who doesn’t love carbs?) it is still considered an absolute protein as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. However, according to the Metro, quinoa costs 60p/ 100g compared to lentils that cost 22p/ 100g. I know which option I’d go for.

Flickr: Jacqueline

strawberries sell at £1.29 for 400g! There is a crazy difference with goji berries being well over four times the price of strawberries. And comparatively? Yes, goji berries win on shelf life, but contain a far higher sugar content (as all dried fruits do) than strawberries in their raw form. If you want to enjoy the vitamin C boost, just go for the strawbs.

Flickr: Daniel Lobo

Flickr: Dave Briggs

Flickr: Helen

Flickr: Matt Watson

Flickr: rocor

Eating well is a trend that has become overwhelmingly important to the livelihood of our generation. The term ‘superfood’ is one that has plagued magazine covers, blog posts and television screens in recent years, and I am one that absolutely revels in it.

23.09.2016

23

Review: The Burger Joint Caitlin Butler reviews The Burger Joint on Whiteladies Road and explains, honestly, why the eaterie serves up quantity over quality while Amelia had a beef burger. We both had sweet potato fries.

The food came quickly and the portions were generous. Even though the sweet potato fries were pretty hefty (I certainly did not go hungry), they were delicious and did not disappoint by being overly greasy. They were a perfect pairing with their garlic mayonnaise.

However, I’m sorry to report that the burger itself was rather regrettably average. Although the brioche bun did have a good texture and flavour, the bottom being marginally burnt was only the first of many a let down.

The actual fillings themselves were, sadly, bland and unexciting. As a fan of spicy food I requested grilled chillies on my burger. While I wasn’t necessarily expecting a vindaloo, I would’ve definitely liked a bit more of a kick.

The real deal breaker for me, though, was the structural integrity of the burger. The standard vegetarian patty often falls into the pitfall of being mushy. And there was really no doubt about it - this one definitely did.

It basically fell apart as soon as I looked at it. Guacamole flew everywhere and onions were strewn across the table. It was not an orderly, nor a dignified, eating experience. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was nothing short of chaos.

In short, although you do get a huge portion, I’m more of a quality over quantity kind of girl. While you’re never going to

Epigram/ Matilda Bailey

If you think that ordering ones’ dinner by filling out a form sounds rather yuppie, then you’d be damn right, and in all honestly it’s probably best for you to go to your local Spoons.

But if you think that kind of thing is cute, then the Burger Joint is ideal for your next date.

It is a place for those who desire more classiness than your standard £5.59 burger and a pint deal at nearby W. G. Grace. I’ve been to the Joint before and had to wait ages for a table, but this time we were quickly given a perfectly pleasant spot outside, which we shared with a couple on an awkward-sounding first date. The Burger Joint is, in all honesty, quite a good place to watch Cliftonites meander past, and the vibe outside isn’t bad.

We were promptly given menus, two pencils, and a sheet of paper on which were written the options for our dinner. The staff were very friendly and polite and explained to us how their ordering process works. There’s a pretty impressive selection of burgers, from wild boar to kangaroo, if you’re into your marsupial meat (and who isn’t).

For the vegetarian, myself included, there’s the Veggie Joint, a take on a classic veggie burger, or a mushroom and herb alternative.

The standard meal includes a burger, two sauces and a side for £8.50. Extra toppings are extra. I chose a Veggie Joint on a brioche bun, with guacamole, fried onions and grilled chillies,

Epigram: Caitlin Butler

Epigram: Caitlin Butler

Epigram: Caitlin Butler

get five star gourmet if you order a burger, you can also have more flavour and depth to a meal, particularly in a vegetarian scenario. The service at the Burger Joint was impeccable, but less so the food. While far from awful, Amelia and I agreed that it was hardly spectacular either. Our meal was, in a word, meh.

Five Foodie Finds for Freshers The Red Tent: the convenient one Everyone knows the red tent sitting on the corner of the crossroads at the Hawthorns. Offering a plethora of choice, it is the perfect place to grab a quick sandwich between lectures and never fails to satisfy. Just make sure you get there early before they run out!

Try: the Jalapeño Focaccia Location: the Hawthorns

Epigram: Ellie Donnell

Flickr: Peter Roan

Epigram: Ellie Donnell

Hart’s Bakery: the one for when returning to Bristol If you find yourself with time to spare at Temple Meads, then head over to the arches below the station to find Hart’s Bakery tucked away. A variety of cakes and delicacies can only be topped by their lunches that come with freshly baked bread, of which they have a different kind every day.

Try: the sausage roll Location: beneath the entrance to Temple Meads Station

Instagram / @daresie

The Bake House: the one for the hangover cure Need perking up before a lecture the morning after sports night or just freezing at the bus stop at Queens Avenue to go to Halls? The Bake House provides some shelter and their range of sandwiches and salads definitely deserve a try. My favourite is always the egg, bacon, sausage sandwich with brown sauce; a lunchtime classic that cannot be topped anywhere else in Bristol.

Try: any of their fry up sandwiches Location: Queens Avenue

Harbourside Market: the one for when exploring the city Boasting a multitude of options, the Harbourside weekend food market deserves several visits in order to try everything on offer. From Japanese food to American donuts and Italian coffee, the market has something for everybody and is perfect for a snack before going to Watershed cinema.

Try: the Nepalese dumplings from the Momo Bar Location: Canon Road, Harbourside

The Wallfish Bistro: the one for when the parents visit Without a doubt my favourite place to eat in Bristol, The Wallfish Bistro serves exquisite seafood dishes and is the only place I have heard describe a dessert as ‘like Disneyland in your mouth’. Unfortunately, this comes with a price tag, although is definitely worth a visit if the parents are in town or if you’re just feeling splashy.

Try: the sea bass with samphire Location: Princess Victoria Street, Clifton

17.10.2016

24

Mob Kitchen: another milestone for the food revolution Hugo Lebus reports on ‘Mob Kitchen’, a new website teaching students how to cook money-saving meals for under £10.

The great conundrum of how to produce something that actually tastes nice without breaking the bank has dumbfounded students for years, and led to numerous disappointing baked bean dinners or ready meals: neither a satisfactory nor a budget friendly alternative. However, one Edinburgh graduate has made this very problem his goal to solve.

And so with that in mind, Benjamin Lebus went about setting up his website Mob Kitchen, which aims to provide students with a variety of choices of simple meals for four that can be done by anybody, and most importantly, always for under £10.

The Mob Kitchen website launched on 10th October, along with its many one minute tutorial videos on how to cook the recipes, and promises to cater for everybody, whether they be ‘the veggies, the health freaks, the meat lovers or the cheese enthusiasts’.

There is no food craze at the centre of his idea, simply the desire to get young people cooking and loving food and to make it truly accessible to everyone.

Benjamin Lebus/ Mob Kitchen

“Simple meals for four that can be done by anybody” While it is no bad thing to indulge in Ottolenghi’s recipes of a hundred obscure ingredients, or to attempt (and most likely fail in my case) to replicate some of Heston Blumenthal’s recipes at home, on a student budget with only one kitchen cabinet to contain all ones ingredients, I don’t think Ottolenghi’s pomegranate molasses or Heston’s liquid nitrogen really fit the criteria of larder essentials.

Mob Kitchen’s recipes and ingredients lists are simple and will, apparently, never assume that you have more than ‘salt, pepper, and olive oil’.

“60 per cent of young people leave home without the ability to cook even the most basic of dishes” So why is it that Benjamin Lebus thinks that the young need help with learning to cook cheaply? According to EBLEX, the representative body for lamb and beef farmers, as many as 60 per

cent of young people leave home without the ability to cook even the most basic dishes.

Culinary illiteracy is widespread and Mob Kitchen wants to join the ranks of figures such as Jamie Oliver in combating this, attempting to reverse the trend that, unfortunately, sees the stereotype of bad English cooking further engrained. Mob Kitchen is just one part of the food revolution that has hit Britain over the last decade and which is arguably more visible in Bristol than any other British city.

I recently wrote an article in the last issue of Epigram about the importance of home cooking from scratch and how it can improve ones lifestyle; Benjamin Lebus delivers a way to do this through Mob Kitchen in a stylish, cheap and easy video-based format.

Next time you feel the urge to order something or to just grab a sandwich at the supermarket, instead take a peek at Mob Kitchen, give one of their video recipes a go and get inspired.

Plus, it’s all for under a tenner!

Hugo Lebus

Breakfast Banana Bread

Cake for breakfast? Yes please. Food Editor Ellie Donnell creates a delicious yet healthy recipe for this classic tea time treat; One that is virtuous enough to kick start your day!

Breakfast Banana Bread Ingredients

Method

125g porridge oats 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda 2 tsp ground cinnamon 50g raisins 50g chocolate chips 50g nuts (of your choice - I like walnuts with banana)

Epigram: Ellie Donnell

50g sunflower or coconut oil 2 tsp vanilla essence 2 eggs 1 tbsp milk 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup or agave syrup 135g or 1 1/2 medium bananas plus 1/2 banana for decorating

1. Whizz the oats in a strong food processor until they resemble a fine flour. Tip into a bowl along with all the other dry ingredients.

2. Whizz together the oil, vanilla essence, eggs, milk, honey and banana in the food processor until you have a smooth liquid.

3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter along with the raisins, nuts and chocolate chips.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees (160 fan) for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden on top and a skewer, when inserted in the middle, comes out clean.

6. Serve warm with natural yogurt, honey and nut butter.

Tip: you can easily toast a thick slice of this bread the next day for a warm breakfast!

Epigram: Ellie Donnell

4. Pour into a lined loaf tin, top with sliced banana medallions and drizzle with a little extra honey or whichever sweetener you used.

Editor Maya Colwell travel@epigram.org.uk

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Deputy Editor Nia Price nia.price@epigram.org.uk

@e2travel

Online Editor Izzie Fernandes izzie.fernandes@epigram.org.uk

23.09.2016

Epigram Travel Section 2016/17

@epigram_travel

Meet the new Travel Team...

Izzie - Online Editor

Nia - Deputy Editor

I’m a second year music student who spent the summer on an opera course in Sicily. I have a serious case of restlessness and I’m constantly in need of travel plans to keep me going through uni work and rehearsals. This year I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Prague, Copenhagen, Brussels, Edinburgh, New York, Washington, Naxos and Athens (as well as Sicily)- a true mix of places. I lived in Belgium for 12 years and was constantly travelling due to the fact that wanderlust is definitely genetic.

Izzie is an English student and last year’s food editor.

She’s sure to bring her foodie frame of mind to this year’s travel section. Unlike the rest of the team, Izzie is currently out of Bristol, travelling around South America, so be sure to watch this space to find out what she got up to.

I’m a third year History student. This summer I enrolled at Don Quijote Spanish language school in Valencia, went road tripping around the West coast of the USA with family and managed to squeeze in Boomtown and Bestival in-between my travels. When I’m not studying or writing for Epigram, you’ll find me trying to learn the ukulele, procrastinating watching cute puppy videos on Youtube, and of course, planning my next travel adventure.

e

Favourite cuisine: I am a foodie, so this is a tough one. Since my trip to Spain, I’ve been having a love affair with tapas. Whoever the creator of bite size chunks of Mediterranean cuisine was, I’d like to personally thank them. The main thing I love about tapas is the novelty of ordering a number of plates of different food. Some of the tastiest tapas dishes I’ve tried were patatas bravas, cuttlefish noodles and duck pâté.

am / M

Epigr

Favourite cuisine: Italian, hands down. I’m massively greedy, so in reality, any cuisine will automatically enter my top five while it’s in front of me, but Italy is 100 per cent the place for me. It’s not just pizza and pasta (though I could just live on those), but the amazing way in which the variations on classic recipes change depending on the region that you visit. If you should eat one thing before you die it’s Pasta Syracusa- linguine tossed in parsley, anchovies, garlic and breadcrumbs, smothered in olive oil.

Favourite city: Bristol is the best city in the world. I can’t quite explain why I’ve got so much love for this West Country city, but I know that when I drive over Clifton Suspension Bridge, enter the Wills Memorial Building, or take a stroll down Gloucester Road, I feel at home. Bristol is the place where its residents looked at the infamous Bearpit, the concrete eyesore of an underpass in the city centre, placed a giant statue of a bear in it and created an outdoor gallery full of the most creative and colourful graffiti. It’s the only underpass I’ve seen with a ping-pong table and a burrito stall made out of a green double-decker bus. Seriously, Bristol, what are you like?

Epigr am/ N ia Pric

Favourite city: It’s a definite toss up between Delhi and Rome. They are two entirely different cities, but have a similar vibe. To me there are huge similarities between the Indian and Italian ways of living; both laid back and a little bit laissez-faire. Rome is a city where it would be a crime not to get around by foot, and Delhi is one where getting around on foot is impossible. Delhi’s Kahn Market is home to one of my favourite bookshops in the world, as well as cafes filled with India’s young intellectuals. The same goes for Trastevere and the Campo de’ Fiori in Rome, where any time after 12pm is Aperol Spritz and people watching time.

Janine Zager

olwell

aya C

Favourite travel memory: Skinny dipping in the ocean on a volunteering trip to Tanzania (yes, voluntourism is controversial) after a 16 hour bus journey from the other side of the country. It was the first time I had washed in three weeks, and there was a full moon.

Running into what was basically a huge expanse of bathwater and feeling the dirt wash off me was only improved by the fact that I was surrounded by some of my favourite people.

Favourite travel memory: Floating in the Dead Sea was definitely a highlight of my trip to Israel last summer. It was such a strange but unique experience. Since the minerals and salt levels are extremely high, the water feels oily, it was also considerably warm, a bit like bath water, and the floor was covered with salt crystals.

And yes, I did get a photo of myself reading a book floating in the Dead Sea.

An insider’s guide to: Stokes Croft

New Stokes Croft resident Nia Price showcases her five top spots 1. Glance at the graffiti:

The whole area resembles an outdoor gallery with its colourful graffiti that continually transforms its walls and buildings. Make sure to look out for Mild Mild West, one of Banksy’s earliest and beloved artworks in Bristol and the Skull on Westmoreland House created by Cyclops.

4. Eat at Flour and Ash:

There’s a reason why this restaurant was voted ‘Best Pizza in Bristol’ by in the Bristol Good Food Awards 2015.

Flour and Ash prides itself in giving a new lease of life to old pizza classics 2. Shop on Gloucester Road: and takes a more creative direction If you love shabby chic, retro and vintage or grabbing a bargain in a charity shop with their specials. It’s not to expensive either - choose from then this is the place for you. Don-Majors, Fig and Reclaimers Reclamation are their options of pizza, salad or pasta on their lunch menu for £5. just a handful of gems on the longest parade of independent shops in Europe.

3. Boogie at The Love Inn:

Renowned for hosting great one-off events, the Love Inn offers a surprising and eclectic range of live music from some of the finest DJs and producers from Bristol and beyond. Doors are open until late in the week and darker into the nights on weekends.

5. Visit Stokes Croft Museum:

Rather than a historical account of the area, it’s an unusual type of cultural exhibition.

It’s a unique one-room gallery dedicated to paying tribute to Bristol’s cultural quarter by displaying an assortment of items and compositions that showcase the essence of Stokes Croft.

Camilla Gash

Maya - Editor

23.09.2016

26

A Welshwoman in Valencia Nia Price reminisces about her time immersed in Spanish language and culture

Travel Book Club: Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh

Maya Cowell reviews her favourite travel book

”

The highlight of my Valencian adventure was undoubtably the people I met along the way

”

After the initial scariness of settling into my new surroundings was over, I became captivated by this charming city. My days were spent in class getting to grips with the basics of the language, but with plenty of free time during the evenings and weekends to explore. I made sure to visit some of the city’s top attractions such as Jardines del Turia, a former riverbed converted into a beautiful green park, Ciudad de las Artes Ciencias, an entertainment based cultural and architectural complex, and Torres de Quart, twin gothic style defensive towers built in the 1400s as part of Valencia’s city wall.

My favourite spot was the trendy boho-bourgeois district of Ruzafa, and many an hour was spent in its quirky cafes drinking green tea and reading Giles Tremlett’s Ghosts of Spain.

The book reads like an adventure novel and is compelling from start to finish, with not one section or anecdote lagging or failing to grip me. The premise of her journey is exactly what you would expect from the title. However what could potentially be dull, were it a tour of Southern Railways routes, is turned into the voyage of a lifetime by the crazy mess of colour and characters that is the Indian Rail System.

Instagram / Connel Burnett

Recently I began to regret my lack of interest of studying a foreign language at school. I wanted to spend my break from studies doing something both productive and enjoyable. With encouragement from a friend who had studied Spanish in Barcelona, I booked my flights, packed my bags and awaited all that the city of Valencia had to offer.

Epigram / Nia Price

With no knowledge of the Spanish language and little experience of solo travel, my decision to enrol at Don Quijote language school in the port city of Valencia this summer came as a surprise to both my parents and many of my friends.

Around India in 80 Trains is guaranteed to make you want to pack up and leave your everyday life faster than you can say Numbu Pani.

Rajesh’s journey is vividly chronicled, from the moment she quits her job to her many experiences in travel agencies both in the UK and India, where she is constantly told how insane her plans are.

The book not only provides a detailed guide to the different routes and levels of comfort on the trains, but also a hugely insightful look into the perils of going on a five month trip with a friend of a friend.

Rajesh’s travelling companion is never named, but referred to as Passepartout, which in itself says a lot about the future of their relationship. Travelling around India alone as a woman is out of the question, something she acknowledges to be the case, even as an Indian woman.

This being said, when she and Passepartout finally reach an impasse she does break out on her own. Her outlook on travel being so open, Rajesh meets countless people, all of whom are friendly and willing to help her.

Epigram / Nia Price Epigram / Nia Price

Besides exploring such a vibrant city, and the sense of achievement I felt after holding a brief conversation with a local taxi driver, the highlight of my Valencian adventure was undoubtedly the people I met along the way. I had the most unexpected conversations, from discussing the Syrian civil war with a migrant named Rudi in a Turkish lighting shop to receiving invaluable advice on journalism from the editor of Valencia 24/7 magazine in a Jazz bar - there really was never a dull moment.

Only in India would you find such a huge variety of trains, from rice paddy servicers to a hospital train. The process of reading the book is a voyage of discovery, so I don’t want to give too much away, and certainly won’t spoil any anecdotes.

Rajesh has now become a seasoned train traveller, and writes about train journeys all over the world on her blog https://80trains.com/.

Instagram / Monisha Rajesh

Epigram / Nia Price Epigram / Nia Price

Don Quijote provided the opportunity to connect with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and after a month I had a global network from Rotterdam to Michigan, Gmunden to Melbourne.

Nothing compares to spending time in a country where the language spoken is the one you are trying to learn. It was simply a great opportunity to embrace the language, and its culture. I would recommend it to anyone.

Epigram /Flickr Epigram / Monisha Rajesh

Epigram / Nia Price

I arrived and my airport pick up did not speak a word of English.

After a rather awkward car journey I pondered whether I had been too ambitious or just completely mad! My first week was a challenge to say the least, as classes were taught entirely in Spanish and the teachers were reluctant to speak any English. Initially, the fasttalking Spanish were overwhelming, but I soon discovered that a smile, hand gestures and the occasional ‘si’ (to demonstrate that I was not completely lost) can go a long way.

23.09.2016

27

Flying Solo: Confessions of a Travel Nerd in Kobenhavn Maya Cowell reflects on her first experience of travelling alone in the Denmark capital It doesn’t have to be f lying; trains, coaches and boats all serve the same purpose of getting you far away from the stresses of everyday life.

Airlines like Ryanair make it so easy to book mini-breaks to pretty much anywhere in Europe - it just takes a little craftiness to book at the right time. I ended up paying £35 for return f lights to Copenhagen, and with a hostel costing £15 per night; the ‘Denmark is too pricey’ line was seeming more and more ridiculous.

Epigram / Maya Cowell

All this being said, I had never travelled entirely alone, with no one to greet me at the airport and no familiar faces in the place I was visiting. I was in tears on the way to the airport - due both to a serious case of post-show blues, and the slight nerves at going away for three days with no one to talk to, but the idea of not being as ballsy as I thought I should be spurred me on.

”

Epigram / Maya Cowell

After a week of Bristol Operatic Society’s (BOpS) main show and constant company, it was time to take myself away. I’ve always been a confident traveller, and was happy travelling without my parents from the age of about 15, when I would hop on the Eurostar to visit my mother, who was working in Brussels.

When you only have yourself to answer to, the possibilities are endless Epigram / Maya Cowell

Epigram / Maya Cowell Epigram / Maya Cowell

”

The second I landed in Copenhagen, all my doubts faded. Transport from the airport was as smooth as sledding in the Netherlands (notoriously f lat FYI), and even the discovery that I had accidentally booked a hotel in the red light district was made 100 per cent ok when I discovered how un-seedy the red light district is.

There are obvious worries that people have about travelling alone- from boredom to sitting alone in cafes to being hassled in the street, but in reality all of these problems are either easily solved, or genuinely irrelevant.

As far as safety goes, travelling alone should probably depend on where you decide to go- it doesn’t make sense to put yourself at risk for nothing. The only time I felt remotely unsafe during the trip was walking home alone from a restaurant in the aforementioned red light district, and I’m pretty sure that was just paranoia.

Either way it’s easily avoidable- just don’t do any nighttime exploring of backstreets.

/ Maya

Epigram / Maya Cowell

Epigram / Maya Cowell

Epigram

Sitting alone with a book in cafes, strolling around galleries and the Nyhaven at my own pace, and being free to meet truly fascinating people were some of the highlights, but when you only have yourself to answer to, the possibilities are endless. Starting with a city as busy and full of life as Copenhagen is a good idea, as there’s always another gallery or a beautiful sight to see, and feeling lonely isn’t an option when everyone is so incredibly friendly.

The biggest worry for me is that I’ll never want to travel with other people again, when there’s so much freedom to be had alone!

Tell us your travelling tales - Write for us!

Have you been somewhere exciting this summer?

Have you just returned from your year abroad?

Epigram / Flickr

Epigram / Flickr

Join our Facebook group - Epigram Travel Section 2016/17

Epigram / @journalbyassia

Is there a city that you’ve fallen in love with?

Tag your travel photos with #epitravel to be featured on our account. Each issue we’ll print the photo with the most likes.

23.09.2016

28 28

Editor Online Editor Jessie Onion Alex Boulton style@epigram.org.uk alex.boulton@epigram.org.uk @e2style

@epigramstyle

A/W Key Trend

Four Key Trends to get you started this season...

Novelty Denim Step away from the traditional pair of skinnies and think embroidery, iron on badges, stripes and unfinished hems.

Athleisure Sports shops have already reported record profits this year, gaining from the trend that shows it’s ok to swear sports gear with no intention of actually getting sweaty.

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4

2

2 1 3

1

1- Zara, £5.99 2- River Island, £26 3- Zara, £19.99 4- River Island, £28 5- Nike via Asos, £90

5

1- Zara, £12.99 2- River Island, £45 3- New Look, £24.99 4- River Island, £42

Metallics Embellish yourself with anything gold, silver or bronze and you’ll be winning this season!

3 Velvet A fabric that ruled the A/W catwalks, be brave and invest in velvet accessories as well as dresses, trousers and tops.

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4 2

1- Pull and Bear via Asos, £19.99 2- Asos, £15.99 3- Skinny Dip via Asos, £34 4- Asos, £45

3 1

3 2

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1- Asos, £40 2- Zara, £49.99 3- Topshop, £39 4- Topshop, £22

Alex Boulton 2016 Online Style Editor

Interested in fashion? Want some experience in journalism that looks great on your CV? Would love to see your name in print? Then write for us!

Join our Writers Group on Facebook- Epigram Style Contributors 2016-17

Calvin Klein SS16 / pinterest.com

Celine SS16 / pinterest.com

WANTED: Style Writers!

23.09.2016

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How to keep wearing your Summer Wardrobe

Two outfit ideas to stretch your summer wardrobe into Autumn Knitwear is a great way of keeping warm as the weather starts to change. Wear yours with a summer skirt or a pair of ripped shorts that you can’t bear to part with to prolong the life of your summer wardrobe. Again, flat boots are a great option or even some old trainersflip-flops are for the beach only.

Jumper- Zara, £25.99

Epigram/Jessie Onion

Urban Outfitters, £42

Urban Outfitters, £38

Layering is still a key trend going into AW17, but to enjoy the last of the summer sun, wear your slip dress over t-shirts or long sleeved tops. Stick to a neutral palette of black, white or grey and wear with a pair of converse or biker boots to keep the look casual and appropriate for a library session or lecture.

Jumper-Topshop, £39.99

September has come too soon and at Epigram we’re not ready to put away our strappy slip dress, ripped denim shorts or midi-dresses just yet. Here’s how to maximise your summer wardrobe without feeling the chill as the season turns to early autumn.

Epigram/Jessie Onion

Jessie Onion 2016 Style Editor

Our Top 10 Student Discount Picks

Explore the 10 best around with online and

student in-store

deals offers

1- Urban Outfitters

Congratulations! You are now officially a University student, which means you can order an NUS Extra card online (£12.00 for 12 months) or log in to Unidays and start saving money. Here’s our round up of top 10 shops/websites for you to enjoy: explore more online at http://www.nus.org.uk/ or https://www. myunidays.com/

10% off online and in-store 2- Topshop 10% off online and in-store 3-Forever 21 10% off online

Wikipedia/ Rob Brewer

4-River Island 20% off online and in-store

Wik i Mdp pedia/ rest on4 288

5- New Look 10% off online and in-store

/ dia pe ho i k Wi yson Ra

6- Asos 10% off online 7- Boohoo.com 10% off online

HIRING:

Deputy Style Editor Responsible for laying up Style section of our fortnightly issue, sourcing images, editing article submissions and commissioning articles for Style writers.

How to apply: - your CV - brief cover letter - ideas sheet outlining your vision for Epigram Style section, including 3 article ideas - 3 examples of your writing (preferably from student media) Send submissions to editor@epigram.org.uk

9- Jack Wills 10% off online and in-store 10- Missguided 10% off online

Jessie Onion 2016 Style Editor

pinterest.com

e Mozart Flickr/ Mik

8- Accessorize 20% off online and in-store

Active Residences – coming to a hall near you

Sponsored content from the University of Bristol’s Department of Sport, Exercise and Health John House, Sport and Student Development Officer at Bristol SU, talks to Pete Burrows, Physical Activity and Health Development Officer at Sport, Exercise & Health, to find out more about the new programme: John: So what exactly is Active Residences?

Pete: It’s a year-long programme of free healthy physical activity opportunities exclusively for all students living in University accommodation, with hubs in Stoke Bishop, Clifton and the city centre. We’re supporting students to move more, feel better and enjoy a healthy living experience.

We want to provide fun, flexible and convenient access to activities on your doorstep, which can easily be built into new busy routines. Habits formed at university tend to stick and so we want to help new students with the transition from school to university life.

J: In reality, what will the programme look like?

P: We’ve designed a timetable of a whole range of events taking place each week, from classes such as yoga, insanity and self-defence, to bootcamp activities, running and guided-walking clubs, and on-site fitness instructors. There will also be bookable court and pitch space and fun social events too. We’ve scheduled activities at different times of the day, so no matter what your study commitment are, you should be able to find some way to join in. And we want the programme to be sensitive to student life, so we’ll be offering extra ways to destress around exam times for instance.

J: What makes Active Residences different from other initiatives?

P: The programme was specially commissioned by the University, to be available exclusively to those living in University accommodation, be they first years or post-grads. It aims to bring activity out to where students eat, sleep and socialise, and to get students moving together, rather than to judge how good you are at a particular sport, or make you travel all the way to campus to attend classes. How many sessions you attend is up to you – you can change from week to week, and

don’t have to commit to, or pay for anything.

J: Sounds great, when does it start and how do students sign up?

P: Active Residences will be launching at the end of September. You can register your interest and sign up for classes via our website www. bristol.ac.uk/sport/activities/active. We’ll then start emailing you with details of the programme, including any changes to the timetable.

“

It’s a year-long programme of free physical activity opportunities exclusively for all students living in University accommodation, with hubs in Stoke Bishop, Clifton and the city centre.

J: Can students make recommendations or suggestions for changes to the timetable?

P: Absolutely! We’ll be using the initial timetable until 22 October, and then asking for feedback on what you do and don’t like about the programme - so if you want more yoga, or want to see a new activity introduced, you can let us know.

P: So what do you think about the concept John?

J: I think it sounds like a great way of getting students off their feet and more mindful of their health and general fitness. I like the fact it’s free, non-committal and you don’t have to travel to get to any of the sessions - no more excuses about not having time to get to a class. Hopefully it’ll encourage more students to enjoy these kinds of activities, especially those who don’t consider themselves as ‘sporty’. Doing any kind of sport or fitness activity is a great way to make friends and meet new people, so I’ll be encouraging those living in halls to check this out.

Find out more about Active Residences and sign up for a session: www.bristol.ac.uk/sport/activities/ active

Epigram 23.09.2016

Editor Anna Wyn annawyn.epigram@gmail.com

Facebook: Wild Beasts

Facebook: Meilyr Jones Page

Facebook: Tokyo World Page

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MUSIC

Tokyo World Eastville Park, 24.09

This day festival is a notorious fresher’s week staple. From dance, trance to grime, it’s got something for everyone.

From Wiley and Artful Dodger, to Daniel Avery, it’ll be bonkers. The kind of bonkers where you’ll feel like you’ll want to sleep for 3 weeks, but well worth a ticket.

Oscar The Louisiana, 23.09

Oscar’s bedroom-pop sound infused with synth and dub is complete and utterly infectious. You may have not heard of this on-the-rise Londoner, but Crack Magazine and Pitchfork cite themselves as fans.

I implore you to head on down to The Louisiana for a bit of a boogie, and give me a wave if you see me pulling shapes in the front row.

For fans of Genghar and Pleasure Beach.

Reggae Society September Session Cosies, 29.09 One of the university’s best kept secrets is the Reggae Society sessions. Though Jazz Funk Soul is all well and good, the Reggae Society always guarantees strictly positive vibes and the live horns always get me going. It’s a cheap night out (£2 as always) but they’ve always shown their committed select a good time.

Wild Beasts Motion, 28.09

After seeing them live for the first time earlier this year, it is an experience and a half seeing these boys live. They combine their cinetic-synth sound with the lead singer’s killer falsetto. I can’t wait to see how they use our fair Motion as their energetic playground of lights and sound. For fans of Django Django, Arcade Fire and Tune-Yards.

FILM

Encounters Short Flim and Animation Festival Watershed and Arnolfini, 20-25.09

The UK’s leading short film and animation festival is back in Bristol. From workshops with Aardman, talks and discussions, from Female Screen Archetypes to Music Videos, there is bound to be something in the programme for the cultured few.

Meilyr Jones Thekla, 29.09

After seeing this North-Walian wunderkind boogie on down at Greenman Festival this summer, I can safely say that he is not one to be missed. One of the most unique performers of the moment, Meilyr Jones’ cavalcade of soul and pop is a delight to watch. Thekla kicks off its stellar calendar of sound (with Mura Masa on the following day) for the year with a treat. For fans of Cate Le Bon and Sweet Baboo.

Bristol Sunset Cinema Ashton Court, 23.0916.10

If you’re willing to trek down to deep and darkest Clifton, Bristol Sunset Cinema have taken up residence down in Ashton Court and serving up some of your favourite flicks to say goodbye to the summer.

From Starship Troopers, The Lego Movie and The Goonies, take some bevs and a blanket and nurse that sweet freshers week hangover somewhere besides your living room watching Louis Theroux.

wELCOME BACK! THE YEAR AHEAD

MEET YOUR NEW ELECTED OFFICERS THINGS TO DO

OUR BRISTOL BUCKET LIST bristolsu.org.uk

FRESH 90S

NEW SOCIETIES' NIGHT

The Bristol Bucket List Welcome (back) to Bristol! The city of dreams and hot air balloons. To help you make the most of the awesome city we live in this term, here’s our ultimate Bristol Bucket List.

Explore the Downs

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Sick of the hustle and bustle of city life? Escape to the city’s lushest green paradise: the Downs. The Downs is Bristol’s largest green space with over 440 acres of peaceful, picturesque downland. Grab a picnic and some friends, and enjoy some of the greenery that makes Bristol so special. Also look out for the Downs’ resident mountain goats!

Clifton Suspension Bridge is one of Bristol’s most recognisable landmarks. Brunel’s engineering wonder towers impressively over the cliffs of Clifton and Somerset.

Watching the sunset or sunrise here is pretty spectacular. We also recommend visiting at night to see the bridge lit up against the twinkling Bristol skyline.

Climb Cabot Tower When you’re late for a lecture, puffing your way up Park Street, it’s easy to feel like Bristol’s hills are a nuisance. But the hills can definitely be used to your advantage if you’re looking for the perfect instagram shot. This Victorian tower, situated at the top of Brandon Hill, offers some of the best views in the city.

SS Great Britain Ahoy matey! Bristol first made its name as a port city, and was once home to a sea of sailors, pirates and explorers.

Visiting the SS Great Britain allows to you to learn a little about the city’s nautical heritage whilst enjoying the beauty of Bristol’s harbourside. The SS Great Britain is Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s legendary boat that used to sail across the Atlantic from Bristol to New York. The ship is now set up as it would have been back in the day, complete with a cow on deck and the smell of baking bread in the kitchen.

complete without taking a few sips of the locals' favourite apple brew. There are delicious non-alcoholic ciders on offer too. We’d recommend getting a pint at Bristol’s best ciderhouse, The Coronation Tap, if you want a real education in cider.

See a show at Bristol Old Vic To visit or not to visit - that is the question.

And the answer is definitely visit. Bristol Old Vic is a must see. Fun fact: it’s the oldest continually-operating theatre in the English speaking world. Thespian or not, this is the perfect place to soak up a bit of culture and see some of acting’s biggest names.

Play eye spy the Banksy Despite what Clifton would have you believe, Bristol isn’t all pretty Georgian houses and lovely limestone buildings. The city has a thriving alternative scene and is home to many works by Britain’s most famous street artist, Banksy. No visit to the city would be complete without spotting one of his famous graffiti works.

St Nick’s Market If you love to shop ‘til you drop, look no further than St. Nick’s Market. This quirky little market is set in a charming Georgian arcade and boasts a wide range of unique gifts, from handmade silver jewellery to homemade hot sauce.

Perfect if you’re looking for eclectic pieces you won’t find on the high street.

Embrace Bristol’s independent spirit and tick this shopping destination off your bucket list!

Sip on a Cider The West Country is famous for its love of cider. No student experience would be

Rock out at the Anson Rooms The Anson Rooms have played a massive part in Bristol’s arts and music programme since the 1960s, hosting internationally renowned acts including David Bowie, Radiohead and Amy Winehouse. It’s almost a student rite of passage to dance in the crowd here. However, there’s far more on offer than just music in this

venue. Check out our Welcome Week schedule and keep an eye out for the events that will be held here, let’s tick this destination off your Bristol Bucket List.

introducing... your bristol su elected officers!

John House - Sport & Student Development Officer

Hannah Dualeh Equality, Liberation & Access Officer

NEW SOCIETIES NIGHT LAUNCHED Fresh Tuesdays are a new club night which will allow student societies to raise money for their group, in the same way as Compete Wednesdays work for sports clubs.

Fresh is a night featuring classic 90s tunes, as well as a selection of guilty pleasures, pop classics and student anthems. It will take place every Tuesday at Pryzm.

How does it work for societies?

Tickets will be £5, and 20% per pre-sold ticket (after VAT) will go to whichever society you choose - so groups could generate quite a lot of income across the year as well as having a lot of great nights out.

To raise money for your society: 1. Get your society code from your society committee. Your group has a unique 3-digit code in our finance system.

2. When you buy a ticket, you'll be asked to input the code of whichever society you choose - like a discount code.

3. Every time you use a code when buying a ticket, and then turn up at Pryzm, your chosen group will be credited. The bigger the group of people your society gets together, the more money your society makes!

Laura Ho Postgraduate Education Officer

OUR TOP 5 90s TUNES • Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit • Blur - Common People • TLC - No Scrubs • No Diggity - Blackstreet • Get Your Freak On - Missy Elliot

Fresh 90s @ Pryzm Tuesday 27 September.

10pm, Pryzm. bristolsu.org.uk/pryzm

Jamie Cross Union Affairs Officer

Zoe Backhouse Undergraduate Education Officer

Balloon Bikes now have 50% more bikes. Students can rent a bike for a year for just £50* Find out more at bristolsu.org.uk/balloonbikes

Stephen Le Fanu Student Living Officer

WHAT'S ON FEATURED EVENT Thursday 29.Beth Orton. 7.00pm, Anson Rooms.

Beth Orton comes to Anson Rooms supporting brand new album 'Kidsticks'.

“Bubbling percussion, twisted guitar loops and a wall of vocal. She’s never sounded quite so otherworldly” Q ansonrooms.co.uk

Monday 26 October. Fit & Fab Taster: Zumba. 6pm, Carpenter Room.

Fancy trying something fun, a bit sporty and meeting new people... Come along to Zumba! Taster classes are FREE and open to all self identifying women!

Sunday 20 November. Julia Holter.

7.30pm, Anson Rooms.

Julia Holter comes to the Anson Rooms in support of 'Have you in my Wilderness', her fourth album, and most intimate record to date. Expect an off-beat and dreamlike performance.

Tuesday 27 October. Get Active: Yoga Taster. 6pm, Carpenter Room.

Give yoga a go in this taster session from Get Active. Relax, unwind and strengthen your core! Free and open to all.

Wednesday 28 October. Rat Boy. 7pm, Anson Rooms.

The rise of Rat Boy continues with the confirmation of his largest headline tour to date. Described as "cheeky chappy ska punk". One not to miss.

Sunday 2 November. Get Active: Boxercise Taster. 5pm, Carpenter Room.

Non contact boxing. To music. A fun and friendly way to get fit. Taster classes are free and open to all.

Wednesday 5 November. The Kills.

7.30pm, Anson Rooms.

The Kills tour their highly anticipated fifth album 'Ash and Ice'. Described as a "lean, mean rock 'n' roll machine", The Kills live shows never disappoint.

Saturday 26 November. Agnes Obel.

7.30pm, Anson Rooms.

Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel's most recent album, Aventine, has been certified Gold across Europe and won her international praise. A global artist with a rare ability to connect with a broad audience.

For more information on all upcoming events see bristolsu.org.uk/events

Epigram

23.09..2016

Film & TV

@epigramfilm Editor: Ella Kemp

Deputy Editor: Josh Spencer

Online Editor: Phoebe Graham

ekemp@epigram.org.uk

josh.spencer@epigram.org.uk

phoebe.graham@epigram.org.uk

@ella_kemp

@_joshjs

@phoebe_elise19

F*** off 2016 we hate you: Films to look forward to this

Epigram’s new Film & TV Editors recommend the films to watch out for as we enter the new academic year.

From biopic to fantasy, the BFI will also be premiering the latest 3D adventure from DreamWorks animation: the musical-comedy Trolls. There’s no better way to relive your childhood, with colours so bright and stars so stellar. Brought to you by the likes of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and Russell Brand, all the way to Zooey Deschanel and James Corden, Trolls

In this issue...

Charlie Gearon on Narcos Season 2 page 2

Release Dates My Scientology Movie - 7 October 2016 Snowden - 16 October 2016 Trolls - 21 October 2016 Fantastic Beasts - 18 November 2016 A United Kingdom - 25 November 2016 La La Land - 13 January 2017 Birth of a Nation - 20 January 2017 T2 - 27 January 2017

We are at your service to bring you all of the best reviews, recommendations and reflection

Having premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January this year to rave reviews, Nate Parker’s directorial debut, The Birth of a Nation, will finally get its UK release at the beginning of next year. It loosely focuses on the story of Nat Turner, who led the slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831, so it may immediately draw comparisons with 12 Years a Slave – and hopefully it can continue to participate in the same discussion.

Going by the critical response so far, we’re predicting it to sweep up a few awards as well.

Following his success with Whiplash in 2014, director Damien Chazelle returns with the movie musical from the past that makes the future look so bright: La La Land. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star as the twinkletoed couple showing what love on a movie screen is supposed to look like. Winning over every critic fortunate enough to bask in its creamy idyllic romantic glory, it’s set to go down a treat when it hits cinemas next January.

BFI/LFFPRESS

The hair is looking high and so are our expectations

So there you have it, you should now be equipped for the year with everything you need to satisfy your cinematic taste buds. As we wave a willing hand at the year running out, we can only welcome in new beginnings with the equally new faces of the Epigram Film & TV team.

We are at your service to bring you all of the best reviews, recommendations and reflection and we couldn’t be more excited. Here’s hoping that the cinematic offerings of 2017 will provide solace for the tense climate in which we say goodbye to this year. Let’s just not mention the B word.

BFI/LFFPRESS

“

Fast-forward to the technological age of 2013 which provides the backdrop of political thriller, Snowden. Oliver Stone has directed a huge array of biopics from JFK to W. and has now turned his attention to the polarising former CIA employee, Edward Snowden. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play the titular role, having met the real Snowden before beginning the shoot – it’s already scheduled for release in the US, so let’s hope for a UK release date soon.

So highly anticipated that his Watershed showings were sold out in a matter of minutes, one of the nation’s favourite documentary makers, Louis Theroux, is soon to grace our silver screens in My Scientology Movie. Despite being followed and tracked by men in black cars last time he visited, Louis has bravely decided to return to what he calls the ‘holy grail of stories’ - Scientology. His experience in dealing with the most eccentric personalities in humanity over the years at the BBC will surely mean his style translates to the big screen in a few weeks time.

T2 will be hitting our screens with full-force in late January. Loosely based on Irvine Welsh’s novel Porno, Danny Boyle and the old gang will be reunited in this unmissable black comedy.

Watershed

What better way to kick off proceedings than with the BFI London Film Festival coming up just next month? This year, the honour of opening picture has been awarded to the anticipated biographical drama A United Kingdom. A sure to be moving take on the revolutionary interracial relationship between Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) a London office worker and Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) King of Bechuanaland who, in 1948, defied the will of his family and nation for the woman he loved.

After the festival, golden boy Eddie Redmayne returns in a somewhat less controversial feature as he takes on the role of Newt Scamander in J.K Rowling’s cinematic adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. A broth that has been brewing for what seems like forever, the wait is almost over with the magical world of monsters unleashed into our cinemas on November 18th.

BFI/LFFPRESS

It’s that time of year again. The peaceful streets of Bristol are beginning to buzz with fresh faces and resurrected ambitions as they welcome in a flood of students old and new. So instead of looking back over the films we’ve watched over countless summer evenings, we’ve decided to kick off the year by looking forward to what the film industry has in store.

From silver-screened documentaries, a few heartwarming movie musicals and that good old animated anarchy, this year’s new film onslaught is shaping up to be eclectically exciting, giving us that needed dusting of optimism as we propel ourselves from the darker depths of 2016 and into the new year.

is set to make its mark. The hair is looking high and so are our expectations.

“

Phoebe Graham, Ella Kemp and Josh Spencer Film & TV Editors

For a real blast from the past, the long awaited sequel to the cult classic Trainspotting,

Josh Spencer on Finding Dory

Phoebe Graham on Sausage Party

page 2

page 3

Epigram 23.09.2016

38 30

Plato o Plomo? Find out in Narcos Season 2

After a wildly succesful first season, Film & TV Writer Charlie Gearon finds out whether the hit show can keep up the good work

“

The exquisite attention to detail remains one of the highlights of the series

Vimeo/Ori Singer

Pablo’s family is taken into ‘protective custody’ by the Colombian government, after being refused refuge abroad. All this pushes the drug lord over the edge, leading to more militant acts, causing him to lose the support of most of his followers.

The exquisite attention to detail remains one of the highlights of the series, as a scene in which Pablo is shot is filmed on the same rooftop where he was killed in 1993. These details, along with the frequent use of real-life archive footage, give the show a real poignancy.

This also serves to create a warped perception of reality and fiction; the lines between Pablo the man and Pablo the character are heavily blurred.

This, it seems, was done intentionally as a nod to the culture of magic realism which pervades Colombian art, as Murphy’s monologues frequently highlight.

The 80s buddy-cop machismo which was so common in the first season between Murphy and Peña has been toned down, creating a more genuine and human portrayal of both characters.

We see Peña getting in too deep with vigilante group Los Pepes, while Murphyw struggles with family matters. This means that the two protagonists, especially Peña, develop into genuinely interesting and complex characters and no longer feel like cop stereotypes.

“

If cocaine isn’t your thing, maybe you should watch the newest season of Netflix original series Narcos instead - it’s just as addictive… and a fair bit cheaper.

The central plot point of Season 2 is, expectedly, the downfall of Pablo and his Medellín Cartel.

Agent Murphy and Agent Peña occupy slightly less prominent roles as the rival cartels all work towards eliminating Pablo themselves.

Similarly, Pablo is painted in a more sympathetic light, leading to some of the show’s most powerful moments. As the Medellín cartel begins to fall we see a new insecurity in his character, as fear for his family and doubt in his own actions frequently cloud his judgments. This is made all the more powerful by Wagner Moura’s immaculate performance.

In the penultimate episode, what may well be the best scene in the entire series takes place between Pablo and his father. Pablo suggests buying a plot of land next to his father’s where his family could live in seclusion, away from the increasingly frequent attempts on his life.

Here, we don’t see Escobar as the world’s most infamous criminal, but as a son

What could have been a tender moment quickly escalates into aggression as his father rejects this offer, claiming to disapprove of the life Pablo has led up to this point.

Here, we don’t see Escobar as the world’s most infamous criminal, but as a son, whose actions have left his father bitterly disappointed - no longer a kingpin, but a human.

This season triumphantly succeeds, then, as it channels everything that made the first season so successful.

Fans of the show will be delighted to hear that the third and fourth seasons have already been confirmed by Netflix - but the future of Narcos has a lot to live up to if they wish to match the quality shown in these ten episodes.

Have you seen the second season of Narcos?

Join the discussion @EpigramFilm

Is Finding Dory the summer catch you won’t forget?

“

After Nemo was happily reunited with his father, Deputy Film & TV Editor Josh Spencer investigates what happened to Dory.

The colourful universe of everyone’s favourite Pixar classic returned to screens this year - and it would be a crime to not mention it in our first issue. Finding Nemo moved audiences of all ages when it hit cinemas in 2003 and has rightfully found its place among the upper echelons of animated features alongside the likes of Toy Story and Bug’s Life.

Now Dory, one of the most loved characters in the Pixar history, becomes the protagonist for her own spin off.

Finding Dory begins a year after the first film ended. As its title may suggest, much of the story arc is reminiscent of the first feature. A defining goal is set out to reunite family once again as Dory sets out in search of her parents, who she lost before she encountered Nemo’s father, Marlin.

The plot races quickly to a California marine park where the heart of the action is set.

Perhaps the reason this film has encountered such success is that Dory herself teaches a lesson in masterful character creation. Not only can she bring the house down with laughter, but her character is equally charming and complex, with a deeper sadness to her situation that is explored further in Finding Dory. Much of this

Audience members will leave the cinema with a beaming grin - despite having shed a few tears.

Although the heartbreaking quality of her situation does pervade, this is still an uplifting feature by the time we arrive at the close of the film. The beauty is in the support Dory receives – be that from her parents, Marlin and Nemo or the other characters.

One of the huge qualities of the film is the rich diversity of secondary characters who are brilliantly developed by writers Andrew Stanton and Victoria Strouse. Hank, a sulky octopus voiced

by Ed O’Neill, reluctantly agrees to help Dory in her quest and is a particular highlight.

There has been some talk of Finding Dory being a rehash of the first film - in essence a cop out. But to change the themes which defined Finding Nemo would have felt distasteful and

Flickr/A. Elizabeth

“

Dory herself teaches a lesson in masterful character creation

can be attributed to the writing but equally to the performance of Ellen De Generes, who excels in voicing the role once again.

This deeper sadness is explored in scenes depicting Dory’s childhood focusing on her ‘short term memory loss’ as explained by her parents.

Her condition has caused her to drift away from her family and face years of stress afterwards – and yet she feels she must blame herself, which is the true sorrow of the film.

would not have been true to the original that is so loved. Definite change occurs through the jump in location, which provides such a shift in atmosphere that it adds enough of a twist to stop Finding Dory feeling like a flat out copy.

Director Andrew Stanton, then, has expertly crafted a film that has avoided most of the common missteps of sequels with Finding Dory,

sticking true to its guns and leaving it far closer to Toy Story 2 than Cars 2.

Audience members will leave the cinema with a beaming grin - despite having shed a few tears.

Finding Dory is showing at Showcase Bristol De wLux Cinema and Scott Cinema in Bristol

Epigram 23.09.2016

39

“

Flavourless farce or food for thought: Sausage Party Review

It’s already a box office smash hit, now Online Film & TV Editor Phoebe Graham reviews the film on everyone’s plates this summer. jars against its juvenile appearance. But doses of religion, faith, race, homosexuality, disability and international relations are all ruthlessly thrown into the melting pot, making a mix too saturated to stomach. This includes the kind of convoluted territorial disputes between a Middle Eastern lavash (David Krumholtz) and a Jewish bagel (the ever endearing Edward Norton) which too obviously nod towards ongoing conflicts outside the parameters of the silver screen.

Sausage Party ultimately fails to say anything new by trying to represent the whole world as it already is

Flickr/Bago Games

It’s been heating in the oven for a whopping 8 years, but Sausage Party was consistently considered too hot to handle by the gurus of the film studios. So don’t be fooled by its wide-eyed, animated innocence and Pixar-esque disguise – well veiled by directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon – because this one certainly isn’t a childsized portion.

A simple premise meets the outrageous in this new adventure-comedy; Seth Rogen and co. attempt to answer the question ‘what if our food had feelings?’, mainly through the means of borderline offensive racial stereotypes and foodrelated puns. Munching at my cinema popcorn has never made me feel guiltier; the microcosmic

world of a supermarket exposes human ignorance to our callous abuse of commodities, as the palatable goods learn the cruel destiny that awaits them past the automatic doors to the ‘great beyond’. A typically major-keyed, albeit forgettable, opening number synonymous with idyllic beginnings quickly descends into culinary chaos for our soon-to-be-slaughtered kitchen stock, forming an apocalyptic rivalry between us ‘Gods’ and the once worshipping food.

The stoner tone is surely set from the off, with a shameless recreation of a sauerkraut Hitler wanting to exterminate the ‘juice’, as well as the established manner of coitus between a sausage slipping into the lips of a bread-bun. One thing’s

for sure: you’ll be put off most food for life. But the juvenile crudeness is handled with just the right dash of insensitivity, almost appallingly appropriate to British humour.

An all-star cast justifies Sausage Party’s extreme crudeness, led by Seth Rogen himself and Kristen Wiig who provide comfortably controversial comedy as Frank - a philosophical sausage curious to know the truth of existence - and Brenda: a very hot dog bun, Frank’s love interest and conformist in not wanting to question her unknowable deities.

Alongside Frank’s journey to enlightenment of essentially edible atheism, a batch of real world issues are addressed, which effectively

What’s On?

Sausage Party succeeds in its string of endless allegories and on-point pop culture references, but ultimately fails to say anything new by trying to represent the whole world as it already is, shocking only in form, rather than message. The wealth of screenplay and story writers on Sausage Party makes for a colourfully imaginative picture, but it’s hard to shake off the feeling that so many chefs do slightly spoil the broth.

A disappointingly cop-out meta-ending leaves me unconvinced that Sausage Party is quite as clever as it aims to be, instead force-feeding viewers a banquet in too little time. And although I was left brutally and successfully scarred by its final message of universal love via food orgy, the totality of Sausage Party seems somewhat overcooked.

What did you think of Sausage Party?

Join the discussion @EpigramFilm

Everyman Cinema

Editors’ Picks

New cinema opens in Bristol!

Josh Deputy Editor

Phoebe Online Editor Paris 05:59

Anthropoid

Hell or High Water

Showing at Everyman now

In cinemas now

In cinemas now

Since becoming seriously infatuated with Peaky Blinders this summer, I’ve developed a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Cillian Murphy - so this automatically sparks my interest. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of historical epics.

A pair of estranged Texan brothers reunite against the bank that tricked their father into signing away their family farm. Starring Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, it promises to be a brooding and atmospheric thriller.

Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau are back with their latest romantic drama. Paris 05:59 follows the blossoming physical connection between two soul-searching men as they wander the streets of early-morning Paris.

The Great British Bake Off

Bojack Horseman Season 3

Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue

BBC 1, Wednesdays at 20:00 / BBC Iplayer

On Netflix

BBC 2, Thursdays at 21:00 / BBC iPlayer

As predictable as it is, there is a reason that Bake Off is on everyone’s mind. Especially as C4 is set to completely change the game, it’s the perfect moment to catch up and enjoy the final days of baking bliss in the tent. My bets are on Val - no one understands what cakes need quite like her.

Bojack triumphantly returned for a third season this summer, and it remains the most intelligent, laugh-out-loud comedy on TV. Nothing can top the episode set at an underwater film festival – just make sure you watch to the end for the ingenious punchline.

For the first time, British Vogue has opened its pearly gates to the public eye through the lens of documentary-maker Richard Macer. Hoping to expose a make-or-break industry, this series offers a glimpse into the reality of the world’s most formidable fashion magazine.

Epigram/Ella Kemp

Flickr/Corrado Cambiaghi

Watershed

Flickr/Erika Herzog

Ella Editor

Over the sunny Bristol summer, Whiteladies welcomed a new cinema to spice up its streets. The Everyman opened its marblestepped doors to reveal screens furnished with hounds-tooth sofas and plenty of leg room.

The Everyman is a cinema with a luxurious twist.

Swap that sweet popcorn for a warm hot-dog: watchers are welcome to order from a menu of food and cocktails which will brought to you during the film.

Ticket prices are quite high, so it’s probably wise to save a showing for a splash-out on a special occasion. But for the service you get, the Everyman will go that extra mile for the ultimate cinematic experience.

Epigram

23.09.2016

Arts

Editor: Ed Grimble Deputy Editors: Myla Lloyd & Online Editor: Helena Raymond-Hayling Georgia O’Brien deputyarts@epigram.org.uk artsonline@epigram.org.uk arts@epigram.org.uk @EpigramArts

Beyond Banksy: Bristol’s International Street Art Hector Campbell introduces Bristol’s best– and perhaps overlooked– street art.

Many will know Bristol’s favourite cultural icon, Banksy.

However, what may be less immediately apparent is that the British street art movement as a whole is embedded in the cultural fabric of this fine city. Bristol has always fostered a vibrant and eclectic group of graffiti writers and street artists, including famous locals such as Cheo, Cheba and Sepr. But since the rise of the movement in the late 80s and 90s Bristol has become a creative hub for the global street art scene.

In both 2011 and 2012, Nelson Street was completely transformed by See No Evil, a roster of global graffiti artists curated by Bristol local Inkie. Although most of the art has long since disappeared, its popularity led to a widely participated in public vote to decide the few pieces that would be allowed to remain.

Another Bristol festival, Upfest, returned recently for its eighth year. For one weekend in July over 300 artists

from around the world descended upon Bedminster for what has become the largest free street art and graffiti festival in Europe— and a huge attraction for street art tourism.

Since freshers will spend at least three years in this beautiful city, there is really no excuse not to spend an afternoon exploring the art on the streets. Here are a few international artists you may not have heard of whose work you can find adorning walls around Bristol.

1.

PichiAvo (Valencia, Spain) 112 North Street, Bedminster www.pichiavo.com Spanish duo PichiAvo have been painting around the world since 2007, developing their unique style of classical art mashed up with contemporary graffiti to

3. Shok-1 (London, United Kingdom) 291 North Street, Bedminster www.instagram.com/shok_1 Shok-1 has been painting for the last 30 years, and was one of the first British artists to adopt street art as his primary medium of expression. His most recent work has been exploring X-rays (notoriously hard to paint)

5. Conor Harrington (Ireland) Bell Lane, off Nelson Street www.conorharrington.com Harrington has developed work that incorporates contemporary painting techniques contrasted with classical historical compositions and subjects. He often bases his work on photographs created with

4. Aryz (Barcelona, Spain) Nelson Street www.aryz.es Employing a surrealist style, Aryz creates large character based murals, including this ‘Wolf Boy’ piece created for the See No Evil festival. His detailed and textured work is often created using paint brushes and rollers with household paints.

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

2. Odeith (Lisbon, Portugal) Raleigh Road, Bedminster www.odeith.com Since street art reached Portugal in the 1990s, Odeith has been developing his own style of graffiti ‘sombre 3D’. He has recently been working on large realistic portraits of pop culture figures and characters.

6. El Mac (Los Angeles, USA) Nelson Street www.elmac.net El Mac creates large photorealistic portraits, influenced

by Mexican and Chicano culture, using traditional freehand spray paint techniques. His incredibly detailed line and shading work brings to life portraits often created with a basic dark colour palette.

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

WHAT

WHO

Writer

Flickr/ kellywritershouse

Lydia Davis was born in Massachusetts in 1947. The daughter of writers, Davis studied music before turning to writing and attending Barnard College. Of her eventual career, she says ‘I was probably always headed to being a writer, even though that wasn’t my first love.’ She is professor of creative writing at the University at Albany, and continues to publish frequently.

Lydia Davis

D av i s ’ prose output is dominated by her ‘stories’. Ranging from the usual several pages, down to only a few brief lines of prose, she has a remarkable ability to condense and crystallise the nuances and vignettes that make up quotidian living. The brevity of her stories has led them to be compared with prose poetry. In addition to her own fiction, Davis is a formidable French translator, having worked on collections of Proust, Flaubert, and Foucault.

Epigram

23.09.2016

41 7. Cosmo Sarson (London, UK) The Canteen, Stokes Croft www.cosmosarson.com This huge “Breakdancing Jesus” mural was created in 2013 after a competition was run by The Canteen to find an artist to paint the wall opposite Banksy’s famous ‘Mild Mild West’ piece. It was inspired by an event where breakdancers were invited to the Vatican to perform for Pope John Paul II.

Epigram/ Hector Campbell Epigram/ Hector Campbell

Freshers will be spending at least three years in this beautiful city, [so] there is really no excuse not to spend an afternoon exploring the art on the streets.

Epigram/ Hector Campbell

9. Stinkfish (Colombia) City Road, Stokes Croft www.stink.tk After beginning to experiment with stencils in the early 00s, Stinkfish has developed a unique style incorporating both found and personal photos of strangers from around the world. After creating stencil portraits from the photographs he adds bright, colourful detail and decoration in a traditional South American style.

WHEN

Epigram/ Ed Grimble

The largest collection of Davis’ fiction can be found in her 2009 Collected Stories of Lydia Davis.

Pick up a copy, dip into the stories little and often. She is one of only three contemporary authors to appear simultaneously in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Poetry. In addition to her fiction, Davis also contributes essays, reviews, and interviews to publications such as the London Review of Books and The Paris Review.

“

8. Burning Candy Crew (Bristol, UK) 126 Cheltenham Road, Stokes Croft Covering the whole facade of the once infamous squat ‘Telepathic Heights’, this mural was created by one of the UK’s most prolific graffiti crew. Burning Candy is made up of street artists Cyclops, Dscreet, Rowdy, Mighty Mo, Gold Peg, Cept, Tek 33 and LL Brainwashed.

Her first collection, The Thirteenth Woman and Other Stories, was published in 1976, and five collections have followed since. Despite publishing hundreds of short stories over four decades, her relatively small profile among the general public has earned her the title of being a ‘writer’s writer’. In 2013 she was recognised as winner of the Man Booker International Prize.

In a city as artistically and culturally rich as Bristol, these nine pieces are definitely only the tip of the iceberg. There is an amazing pool of local artists producing fantastic works; more murals and graffiti appear on our walls each day. There is a myriad of groups and individuals who run street art walking tours across Bristol fairly regularly, and these can be well worth considering. Alternatively, sturdy shoes and a little curiosity will do the job just as well, allowing you to reap the benefits of the city’s fabulous street art scene.

Hector Campbell

WHY

Davis seems bent on giving us bold distillations of the kinds of (often uncomfortable) social interactions and episodes of emotional angst that define modern living. Her precise prose means that these vignettes lodge hauntingly in the reader’s memory. She rejects the label of ‘short story’ given its connotations of being a strict literary form dominated by Hemingway, Chekhov, et al. Never without a notebook, Davis displays a relentless drive to document and aestheticise any aspect of daily life- many of which others around her would simply ignore or forget.

Ed Grimble

Epigram

23.09.2016

Music

@epigrammusic Editor: Sam Mason-Jones

Deputy Editor: Ellen Kemp

Online Editor: Georgia Marsh

music@epigram.org.uk

ellen.kemp.epigram@gmail.com

musiconline@epigram.org.uk

Brexit: A Tale of Two Festivals It may have escaped your notice, but in June the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.

Sam Mason-Jones assesses the impact to festivals on both sides of the English Channel. was a spoken word poem about toasties, or a seasonallyinappropriate Christmas song sung by a bloke in lycra. And, bringing us nicely on to the subject of music, for every Years & Years there was a Kamasi Washington, a Sigur Ros and an Underworld.

After A Guy Called Gerald, who played the Glade stage on Thursday night, had, with a glorious version of ‘Voodoo Ray’, whisked us back to 1989 and the second Summer of Love, it was apt that messages of love abounded as the festival properly got underway the next day.

An amazingly happy mood pervades as the miniskirt and makeup clad Ezra Furman takes to the Park Stage on Friday afternoon, armed with a slew of tunes and with a simple message. “It’s okay not to be okay,” he growls, before trans anthem ‘Body Was Made’, with equality and acceptance the end goals towards which the singer’s sinews strain. Closing track, ‘Tell ‘Em All To Go To Hell’, thrusts a two-fingers to the people who would stop you from doing so - but, one suspects, those people are not at Glastonbury.

It is on a similar atmosphere of LBGT accession that the Black Madonna’s stint at the decks thrives the following evening, during which she skims through choice cuts of disco, deep and Chicago house. Playing to the finest temporary gay club in the world, NYC Downlow (to which one is only permitted access with the wearing of a fake moustache), the mood throughout is made all the more defiantly fun when put in the context of the Orlando shootings, which happened just a couple of weeks before, and whose victims were vocally commemorated.

She had opened her set with a full play-through of ‘Let’s Dance’, one of the many tributes throughout the festival to another who had fallen victim to this, the cruellest of years. A lightning bolt sat permanently atop the Pyramid Stage, Philip Glass played a symphonic reimagining of ‘Heroes’ to the Park, while countless Ziggies and Thin White Dukes lolloped about the place; all in honour of our truest champion of difference: David Bowie. Prince, too, whose back catalogue was pilfered for a Hot Chip DJ set dedicated entirely to his work, received similarly apt commemoration.

These guys, who blended like chameleons with the shifting tapestries of the last forty years,

Sam Mason-Jones

flickr / Alex Donohue

On Sunday 24th June, PJ Harvey opened the penultimate slot on Glastonbury’s Other Stage, by reading a John Donne poem to her audience. ‘No man is an island, / Entire of itself,’ the poem goes, ‘Every man is a piece of the continent, / A part of the main. / If a clod be washed away by the sea, / Europe is the less…’

At 6am on the morning previous, a glumly muttered “Fuck” from a nearby tent had broken the result of the EU referendum with all the tact and grace of a gloating Katie Hopkins. And as the news filtered and fucks proliferated amongst the damp canvas of Worthy Farm, it became abundantly apparent what could have previously been easily assumed: your average Glastonbury-goer did not reside within the 51.9% bent on Brexit. In fact, an on-site opinion poll found that 83% of this year’s attendees had voted to remain, a statistic readily attested to by the collective Saturday morning headache, which, on any other year, would have only owed its origin to the previous night’s exploits in the Shangri La. In an environment of such overwhelming support, it was inevitable that several of those onstage began to clumsily take aim at the political elephant in the field. Bastille, employing all of the incredible crassness with which Bill Nighy’s character bastardises Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love Is All Around’ in Love Actually, changed the lyrics of ‘Pompeii’ to ‘And the pound kept tumbling down / On the weekend that we love’. Ouch.

Elsewhere, the frontman of The 1975 did some swearing about old people and Adele so said, ‘It’s a bit weird what’s going on at the moment for all of us’.

PJ Harvey’s reading of ‘No Man is an Island’, however, rang pertinently true through its application of a distant past to the troubled present, the all-too-recognisable theme of separatism augmenting Donne’s words and the singer’s delivery. And while Britain was tearing itself apart and out of Europe, Glastonbury really did feel an isolated sense of unity; reactionary, insurgent, a clod cut adrift in a storm of fracture.

‘Clod’ was, perhaps, the operative word in the run up to this year’s festival. Persistent rain in the weeks preceding had rendered 2016 the muddiest Glastonbury on record before it had even begun. Add to that the Pyramid Stage headliners who, in Adele, Muse and Coldplay, represented arguably the least exciting ever - especially given that rumour mills had previously posited David Bowie and, erm, Prince as potential bill-toppers - and prospects looked decidedly dark, even aside from the lingering doubt over the country’s future.

As it turned out, to cling to the clod was to embrace the festival as an enclave of kindness and compassion, which were the salient differences between the madness staged within Worthy Farm and the lunacy outside it. Every slip into the second day sludge was met by the helping hands of several strangers. For every grumble about the Tories there

perpetually maintained their challenge to inequality and segregation, a challenge in turn assumed by so many of those playing at Glastonbury this year. Christine and the Queens turned their show into a London gay club and filled it with anthems from debut Chaleur Humaine, while Mac Demarco incited a universal hug amongst a fabulously intimate secret show at the Crow’s Nest. And as LCD Soundsystem, a band in whom the influence of Bowie and Prince are split so evenly, signed off on the Other Stage, a couple of hours after PJ Harvey had taken to it, with an arms-around-your-mates, tears-blinked-back rendition of ‘All My Friends’, it became markedly clear for who the bell tolled: it tolled for us, there right then.

And it went on tolling until the Monday morning, when the temporary city began to fall and cars to crawl reluctantly back to the outside world of renewed hate crime, Boris Johnson and cataclysmic exchange rates, with the latter immediately affecting those making the trip to Amsterdam a month and a bit later, for Dekmantel.

Dekmantel Festival, a party thrown by the record label of the same name, is almost everything that Glastonbury is not. Live music is largely eschewed for the electronic, the five-stage site is markedly small, it’s dry. Where the Eavises clamour for more and more, Dekmantel notices the benefit in the opposite, creating a festival, vitally trim, which proves that less really can be more.

Especially when ‘less’ equated to situations in which DJ Harvey, Ricardo Villalobos, Marcellus Pittman and Helena Hauff were all playing simultaneously across the five expertly-curated stages of Amsterdamse Bos. Superlatives struggle to wield just how impressive the embarrassing wealth of talent on show, with each set in contention for best of the weekend.

A handful of moments perforate what became a blur of expert selection and faultless mixing: The Black Madonna’s overlaying Butch’s ‘Dope’ with the Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ vocal in the sun-dappled conservatory; Dixon closing his main stage set with Tuff City Kids’ outstanding track ‘Labyrinth’; Robert Hood’s indulging himself in playing Floorplan’s ‘We Magnify His Name’ to the suitably ecclesiastical UFO tent.

Set against the backdrop of Amsterdam’s Pride, the mood throughout was unabashedly joyous and the clientele so incredibly varied, with little of the douchebaggery or tryhard attitude which so often tarnishes other festivals. It was a testament to the well-documented power of dance to unite.

So, we have two festivals almost entirely incomparable due to their respective size, output and outlook, forced into a comparison by the turn of events which will divide them further. Common to both, however, is the shared desire of their attendees to curb this division through dance, laughter and compassion: though both Glastonbury and Dekmantel operate completely differently, this is the kernel central to the philosophy of both. Young people will continue to find the best of times within the worst of times, whether in the UK or on the continent; it’s just a shame that our elders are so intent to sever the two by more than just a body of water.

Epigram

Managed by the wonderful team responsible for Loves Saves the Day, The Love Inn provides a refreshingly intimate setting for impassionate techno lovers and more. With resident DJs from Livity Sound being the forerunners in the current scene, routinely securing slots alongside huge names like Midland, and on NTS Radio, Thursday nights especially are not to be missed. Be sure to get there early, though, it fills up fast.

With a capacity of 140, The Louisiana is the closest you could get to seeing an artist play in your living room. Despite its homely and welcoming feel, The Louis, at its endearingly known, was born out of dramatic circumstances.

One week in 1996, Placebo and Super Furry Animals were both due to play The Fleece, until it caught fire. Both gigs were moved to The Louisiana in Southville and the venue that we know and love today was born.

The Crofters Rights

Bierkeller

Across from The Love Inn, you’ll find The Crofters Rights, a cosy bar and gig space.

Local produce characterises the venue in both its bookings and cider selections, with gig promoters such as Gravy Train and NNTS regularly bringing the country’s rawest alternative and indie sounds to Stokes Croft. If you’re looking for grungy guitars, a good pint, and possibly the odd disco night, Crofters is your go-to.

Walk up the stairs into the Bierkeller and you enter a true bastion of Bristol’s independent music scene. This 700-capacity venue has hosted some of the city’s most exciting cultural events for over 30 years - stretching beyond music, to theatre and comedy too. Situated at the heart of the city centre, in All Saints’ Street, the Bierkeller is one of the venues involved in the annual Dot to Dot festival each May. Although it might seem, mid-set, that the place has its own microclimate as it gets so sweaty, this just adds to its charm and atmosphere.

Bristol bands: two of the best

Instagram.com/cosiesbristol

The Louisiana

Instagram.com/trouvelagroove

The Love Inn

Instagram.com/richardbolwell

Epigram’s Music Editors choose their favourite independent venues that the city has to offer

Instagram.com/outersitepictures

Editors’ picks: Bristol’s best venues

22.09.2017

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Cosies Those in search of a more intimate club experience can find solace at Cosies. Located on Portland Square, the venue is a wine bar and bistro by day that utterly transforms at night, and its name could not sum it up any better. Upon descending into the venue you will find candle lit caverns in

its outdoor smoking area and a snug indoor seating area. The dance floor is a brick vaulted cellar compact with a sound system that will rattle you to the core. Famous for its weekly dose of dub and reggae every Sunday Cosies also hosts eclectic club nights throughout the week.

Music Editor Alexia Kirov writes about two Bristolian bands making their mark in this city, across the nation, and beyond This week, Bristol freshers arrive to a city with an incredibly vibrant music scene.

But for any UoB student, LICE are surely the most exciting band to be emerging from this city right now. Formed by a group of students here at the university, it’s been a busy year for the art-punk four-piece. This summer has seen them release their first 7”, ‘Human Parasite’, and play a string of dates the country over, including Glastonbury, ahead of their homecoming show on October 20th at Thekla. Yes, they’re living the dream - but one day soon, you could be too!

After all, it was only a couple of years ago that the members of LICE arrived to their freshers’ week, so start a band and see what happens.

Facebook / @licebristol

Bristol band LICE

A step ahead of LICE in their career, IDLES released their ferocious debut album, Brutalism, earlier this year to widespread acclaim. ‘Well Done’ and ‘Mother’ are particularly strong tracks, but the whole album is a wonderful realisation of the promise shown in the several EPs that they have released over the past five years. IDLES’ slot supporting Foo Fighters at London’s O2 Arena earlier this week was another crowning moment in a momentous year for the band, but your next chance to catch IDLES on a stage in Bristol is at October’s Simple Things festival.

Both LICE and IDLES are included on a recently released 12” compilation of Bristol bands, which has been put out by record shop Rise. The 12” marks the end of the Rise era, as it is set to move to a new location in Nelson Street and become a Rough Trade store in a few weeks. The fact that these two bands are included on a compilation that celebrates the legacy of what many would deem to be Bristol’s best record shop is proof enough that they are more than worth a listen. It might be the end of an era for Rise - under its current guise at least - but it’s the beginning of big things for LICE and IDLES. Alexia Kirov Music Editor

Epigram

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23.09.2016

Charlie Gearon

Frank Ocean - Blonde

From the start of ‘Nikes’, Blonde’s opening track, Ocean makes it clear that he isn’t resting on the laurels awarded him by debut album Channel Orange. It may have been an unconventional choice, but the song is the perfect opener. The pitch-shifted vocal and sparse instrumental tell the listener exactly what to expect over the course of the record; a greater maturity in songwriting, a more minimalist approach to production and a wide array of influences, which make it hard to label this album simply as R&B. Elements of gospel, hip hop and even rock (there’s a Beatles sample in White Ferrari) all contribute to the album’s unique sound. However, any judgment of this album must take into account the amount of hype surrounding it. Four years of radio silence, followed by enigmatic live streams, ambiguous messages and a surprise visual album all generated a feverish excitement and cluelessness extremely uncommon in the age of digital media. Despite this, Blonde is an album which has been carefully crafted, and is in no way dwarfed by its anticipation. The instrumentation is subtle, with songs including ‘Ivy’, ‘Solo’ and ‘Skyline To’ showing Frank singing accompanied only by a single instrument. This starkness makes room for Ocean’s songwriting and lyricism, both of which are highly intimate and personal. The album is interspersed with recorded clips of his family talking, ending with clips of old friends and younger brother Ryan being interviewed about what they want to do with their lives, only further adding to the album’s intimacy. By switching focus away from the extravagance which pervaded Channel Orange, Ocean has sculpted an album which both subverts and exceeds all of its lofty expectations.

Chance the Rapper Coloring Book

Georgia Marsh

After stealing the show on Kanye West’s ‘Ultralight Beam’, Chance The Rapper set a high precedent for himself for his third mixtape Coloring Book. Thankfully the highlyanticipated release became the hip-hop event of the summer. The Chi-town native delivered a collection of tracks that burst with bombastic euphoria and display the talents of a musician who’s mastered everything from uplifting gospel-infused rap to chilled balladry. The spiritual vibrancy of tracks like ‘No Problem’, which celebrate his freedom from corporate record labels, make it easy to see why the charm of Chance is so infectious. He secured features from the likes of Young Thug, Future (who raps over a harp, goddammit!) and the Biebs, and can even count Beyoncé and Obama among his devout following. And while an Atheist may still struggle to catch the Holy Spirit as it runs rife through Colouring Book, the carefree spirit of Chance the Rapper is far more difficult to resist.

Sounds of the Season The Epigram Music team pick their six favourite records of this summer...

Laura Mvula The Dreaming Room

Ellen Kemp

Laura Mvula’s follow up to her Mercury-nominated debut album Sing to the Moon is truly worthy of the same high praise its predecessor received: The Dreaming Room’W boasts the same levels of maturity, variety and irresistible positivity whilst also developing in stylistic terms as Mvula brings all the orchestral glory of her collaboration with the Metropole Orkest into the studio once again. The blend of modest solo melodies and the giant orchestral sounds has permitted the creation of a new wide range of dynamics; on ‘Show Me Love’, this is showcased perfectly as the tone changes from intimate, stripped-back acoustics to dramatic vocal harmonies, an edge of reverb, the gradual build-up of strings, brass and the might of tympani drums. Throughout the album, Mvula uses production playfully in this way, teasing her listeners with different vocal effects and giving her work a distinctive warmth that combines traditional sounds with synthesizers, sounding truly modern. The one thing I’d question is the place of the rap collaboration on ‘People’ – yet, sceptical as I am it successfully complements the charming interval that follows: a phone call with Mvula’s charismatic grandmother. Further, Mvula absolutely fulfilled her Nan’s request for a song she could “jig her foot to” with the unforgettable final track, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, a celebratory R&B infused track which finishes the album with a burst of colour. Uplifting without being trite, bold without being imprecise, and technically brilliant without losing an iota of spirit, The Dreaming Room is a joy-filled record which might just make summer last a little longer.

Frank Ocean Endless

Will Soer

I’ve been a follower of music and not much else (ie: no sports) for about 7 years now, to the point where I can differentiate between the two kinds of albums worth getting really excited about; those which treat listeners upon their first listen, and those whose slowly unraveling beauty rewards rewinds. It’s impossible for me to be mad at Frank for his absence when he ended it with one of each.

Whilst Blonde’s genius takes a few listens to sink in, Endless delivers immediate gratification for music geeks, especially due to its collaborations, each of which add clearly discernible value. Within the first 10 minutes he sets about ruthlessly breaking hearts with mouth-watering collaborations with Sampha, James Blake and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, each of whose unique talents support rather than obscure Frank’s voice. If that sentence doesn’t make you want to break immediately for your headphones then by all means knock 2 points off my score, this music-nerd’s wet dream is wasted on you. Of course none of this would merit such excitement if it wasn’t for the immense power in Ocean’s voice and words; his eloquent beauty and expressive vocal range is unparalleled by his R’n’B contemporaries. Over the last four years since his and Kendrick Lamar’s breakthrough albums rocked the world of music criticism, I can’t think of another artist equal in power in this respect to have been active. Ok, maybe David Bowie…

Vince Staples Prima Donna

Harry Bennett

Following a successful debut album you’d expect a young rapper to be living lavish. The short film that Vince Staples released alongside his latest EP, Prima Donna, certainly portrays such new found privileges. But also his emphatic indifference. To Vince the landscape remains bleak, and so too must the soundscape. The dutiful No I.D and DJ Dahi provide the bulk of the bleakness with similar minimal but menacing backdrops to summertime, but leave room for experimentation in the form of rap-rock ballad ‘Smile’, and the screeching ‘Loco’ with drums that clap along to a man contemplating suicide. Clocking in at just 21 minutes, the record sounds desperately urgent, and James Blake’s skittering synths at the front and back end only add to a frenzy that demands our attention. With an unrelenting f low (to quote Mac Milller, the man ‘has gills’) and various spoken word outros, Vince lays bare all of his frustrations. He’s “sick of these rappers not selling no drugs/sick of this industry playing these games” and he’s “sick of my enemies saying my name”. He’s always known the game is all bullshit, but whereas before he may have been happy to cash in, Prima Donna is a warning of the destructive path such behaviour entails. “I’ve made enough to know I’ll never make enough for my soul”, he laments. Nonetheless, Vince, shut up and take my money.

Wild Beasts Boy King

Caitlin Butler

Wild Beasts have returned, and do so with their angriest album yet. Boy King sees Hayden Thorpe’s falsetto, often so dreamy and ref lective, turn sharp and acerbic enough to slice through anything. And it does. This album is fierce; its uncompromising lyrics and slick beats have much more violence than their previous mellower material. True to form, they channel an undercurrent of darkness and sexuality, but unlike albums such as Smother, where the menace is nearly imperceptible, Boy King is brazen and forthright. ‘You can look, but don’t touch. Big cat on top, better show me what you’ve got,’ Thorpe threateningly croons on ‘Big Cat’, making sure we know who’s boss. There’s none of the tranquillity of songs like ‘Mecca’, say, from 2014’s Present Tense; indeed, we get the opposite from songs like the frenetic ‘He The Colossus’. Each song is perfect to let off a bit of angry steam, and is bloody good at it. The only reprieve we get is the lullaby ‘Dreamliner’, right at the end.

For me, this is the best track of the album. The song allows Harden Thorpe to do what he does best; use his clear and really rather wonderful vocals to soar. Boy King is less melodic than previous offerings, but it does a line in acidity perfectly.

Epigram

Puzzles

@epigrampuzzles

Editor: Suzie Brown sbrown.epigram@gmail.com

Cryptic Crossword 1

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(11) 8. Human resource department holds primary elections for 6 down, perhaps.

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(6) 19. Nonce missed the point in the past. (4) 20. Are Sal, Bert and Pierre in Canada? (7) 24. Empty vault contains only a can. (6) 25. A pub trip gone wrong could end with them? (4) 26. Exactly! Terminal has problems in transit (4,2,7)

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Find the two letters that can suffix the word on the left or prefix the word on the right, in each case giving a real word.

E.g. HE-AR-MY

ROUGH APT TALLY RANT TRAILS MEN RALLY PAIR DIES AT

Want to contribute to the puzzle page? Get in touch via email or tweet @epigrampuzzles

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Word Links FOR NEST PIN HUNG SHE PAR TABLE MET COD CAR

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(7) 4. Subtract from French tape. (6) 5. A very great mix-up with silver will make things worse.

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(6) 14. Old wine in France gains top taste with age. (7) 15. Island left in vice and sin. (7) 17. Start a fire towards the back of a ship. (3) 18. Mad rant at Scottish symbol.

(6) 19. Weird-sounding eastern market. (5) 20. Some drab, bickering spiritual leader. (5) 21. First Greek mountain homes heartless Hera. (5)

Codeword

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Sudoku

Set by Peter Kay

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Epigram

23.09.2016

46

Welcome to Bristol: Sport in the City

Flickr: Alasdair Massle

Flickr: Ben Sutherland

Jack Francklin Deputy Sport Editor Outside of university sport, there will be many opportunities to watch live sport in 2016 as Bristol’s various clubs continue to excite in their respective divisions.

A trip to Ashton Gate is highly recommended - not only to see Bristol City, but also Bristol Rugby.

Having been promoted to the Aviva Premiership last year and with Andy Robinson at the helm, they are sure to provide some great entertainment on a Saturday afternoon.

They acquired some useful players over the summer in the form of Jordan Crane and Thretton Palamo.

Crane is known to be one of English rugby’s most frequent carriers and

played a huge part in Leicester Tigers’ 2008-2009 Premiership victory. With careful nurture from Robinson, himself a previous back row, Crane has the potential to become a real crowd favourite in the South West.

Even more firepower has been added to the backs with Palamo. At 6ft 3 and weighing over 100kg, he could be Bristol’s very own Manu Tuilagi. Crane joins former Tigers teammate Tom Varndell, a proven try scorer, and possesses buckets of pace on the wing. Perhaps the key ingredient to success lies in Robinson, who became a household name in Rugby union after assisting Clive Woodward in England’s triumphant 2003 World Cup campaign. He brings a wealth of much needed experience having coached Scotland as well as the British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2001 and New Zealand in 2005. At a

time when the emergence of English talent is flourishing, Ashton Gate will host top national and international players and may even produce some of their own in the near future.

In football, Bristol City have got off to a solid start in the Championship this year, largely thanks to the performances of starlet Tammy Abraham. Brought to the club on loan from Chelsea over the summer, he has notched an impressive eight goals in just nine games and at the age of just 18, and looks like a top find for Lee Johnson’s men. Johnson will certainly be hoping the Chelsea academy product can get the Robins chirping this season as they seek a place in the play-offs come May. Lee Tomlin has also been a great addition after signing from Premier League side Bournemouth, and along with Abraham, contributed to City’s notable 3-1 victory at

Tour of Britain Comes to Town

home to Roberto Di Matteo’s Aston Villa earlier this season.

The blue and white side of the city have also had plenty to cheer about in recent times. Bristol Rovers have caught the public’s eye, having secured back to back promotions, jumping from the Conference to League One in just two years.

“ Ashton Gate will host top national and international players and may even produce some of their own in the near future.

Despite a slow start, in which they find themselves lingering just above the relegation zone, Darrell Clarke’s men have received strong support from the club’s hierarchy.

President and owner Wael Al-Qadi

Oscar Beardmore-Gray Online Sport Editor

The penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain took place in Bristol on the 10th September, as people came out in their masses to see the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Steve Cummings compete in one of the UK’s largest cycling events.

Epigram: Stefan Rollnick

This was the first time since 2014 that a stage of the Tour has been held in Bristol and in this year’s event, it was the only participating city that was allocated two stages, hosting both the individual time trial and circuit stage.

On the day, Australian rider Rohan Dennis rode to victory in the circuit stage, consisting of six 15 kilometre laps around the city.

Dennis came close to winning the time trial as well, only to be pipped at the post by Germany’s Tony Martin. Despite falling short in the Bristol stage, Englishman Steve Cummings still did enough to be crowned overall winner of

has made clear his plans to build a new 21,000 capacity stadium, while talks of a new training ground are under way - these are exciting times for Rovers and their fans.

Bristol City will certainly be wary as their neighbours continue to breathe down their necks, with the prospect of an encounter between the two teams on the horizon. The Football Polls deemed it the eighth biggest rivalry in English football in 2008 and it would be a fascinating spectacle should it come about.

Rovers’ stadium, The Memorial Ground, is within walking distance from Stoke Bishop, while a trip to the newly expanded Ashton Gate to watch either the football or the rugby is a cheap taxi ride to share.

A few pints sat among the locals in a good atmosphere is not to be missed and should be on your list of things to do in your first term. the tour, having gained a sufficient lead in the previous seven stages to hold off attacks from his closest opponents on the run-in to London.

Both courses began and finished on the Downs and featured some of Bristol’s most well-known landmarks including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, SS Great Britain, Ashton Court Estate and Cumberland Basin.

Bristol deputy mayor Estella Tincknall said, ‘I think it’s really valuable to Bristol. Bristol is a cycling city as I’m sure you know, but in addition to the health benefits and encouraging people to get on their bikes, it may well encourage people to come to Bristol again. Having come here for sporting events, they’ll come back and see our beautiful city’.

It is no surprise that Tincknall is positive about the event, as the city council estimated that the event’s 150,000 spectators injected a staggering £3 million into the region’s economy. The event built on the buzz of British cycling success over the summer, which saw Chris Froome clinch the yellow jersey for the third time in his fourth Tour De France, before GB cyclists took the Rio Olympics by storm.

Epigram

47

‘A tough yet rewarding journey’

Epigram Sport Premier League Predictions

Each week the Epigram Sport editors pit their wits against a special guest to try and predict the Premier League results for the upcoming week.

Former UBAFC Player Turns Professional Jonathan Harding Sport Editor

This week, the opponent is Deputy Editor, Stefan Rollnick:

While studying at the University of Bristol, Alec Fiddes spent much of his time plying his trade in non-league English football, making regular appearances for clubs such as Chippenham Town and Yate Town FC alongside his continued commitment to the university’s first team. Shortly after graduating, he signed for Spanish side SD Amorebieta, and I caught up with him to discuss his incredible journey to becoming a professional footballer.

Man Utd v Leicester: Stefan says 3-1 Epigram says 2-1 Bournemouth v Everton: Stefan says 0-2 Epigram says 1-1 Liverpool v Hull: Stefan says 1-1 Epigram says 2-0 Boro v Spurs: Stefan says 1-2 Epigram says 0-1

How have back to settled in

you found moving Spain, have you well at the club?

Football is a results business and as a player you have to go out and perform week in, week out.

How have you found playing in Segunda División B? How does it compare to university football?

AF: I’ll just keep playing and improving. Hopefully I can chip in with some goals and assists to help the team have a great season, enjoy the cup run and perhaps even gain promotion.

Playing in a stadium, filled with spectators, is very different to spending a Wednesday afternoon at Coombe Dingle!

What advice would you give to other players who, like you, perhaps didn’t quite make it professionally through the usual channels of an academy, but still have the talent to succeed?

AF: To work hard. There’s a lot of knock backs and difficult times but if you give everything, the hard work will eventually pay off.

Stoke v West Brom: Stefan says 0-0 Epigram says 0-0 Sunderland v Crystal Palace: Stefan says 2-3 Epigram says 1-1 Swansea v Man City: Stefan says 0-3 Epigram says 1-4 Arsenal v Chelsea: Stefan says 1-1 Epigram says 2-2

Finally, if you could sum up your experience of playing for UBAFC in one word what would it be?

West Ham v Southampton: Stefan says 2-0 Epigram says 1-2

AF: Special. The club made my university experience; I made friends for life and enjoyed every moment of it.

Burnley vs Watford: Stefan says 0-1 Epigram says 0-0

Everyone at Epigram Sport would like to wish Alec all the best in his future endeavours at SD Amorebieta and beyond. We would also like to thank him for his contributions to the successes of UBAFC.

For this week’s results, head to www.epigram.org. uk/category/sport

Fantasy Football

AF: It was an unbelievable experience, playing against the best players I’ve ever played against in the Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium. It was something I will remember for the rest of my life. I still think we should have nicked a point though!

You are also through to the 3rd round of the Copa Del Rey. If you progress again, who would be your dream draw and why?

AF: The cup run so far has been special, it is a tournament I have wanted to play in since I was a boy. If we beat Racing Santander on 12th October, we are guaranteed a fixture against one of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid or Villarreal in the next round.

I’d love Barcelona, it’s my home town and the chance to play at Camp Nou against players like Messi, Neymar and Suárez would be a dream come true.

What targets have you set yourself for the upcoming season, and how

Facebook: Alec Fiddes Xammar

AF: It has been a massive step-up.

The Spanish game is very technical and the majority of players have La Liga experience. However, playing with top players improves your own game and I am relishing the opportunity. I know I have to approach it with a positive attitude which will enable me to keep improving as a player and hopefully play at a higher level in the future. It is

How would you describe your recent game against Real Madrid Castilla?

do you see yourself developing?

Twitter: Iain Percy

“

AF: I have settled in straight away, the dressing room is great and I have started the season playing regularly so no complaints whatsoever at the moment; it is going much better than I expected!

AF: I loved playing for UBAFC. In my first year, when we were promoted and won the cup, we created an atmosphere where we went into every game with the belief that we could win; you learn a lot from that. I was also lucky enough to be coached by Alan Tyers for three years; his positive attitude is infectious and in every training session you learn something different from him, which helps you improve.

“

AF: I guess I benefitted from the experience of playing at a high standard with high pressure. Football is a results business and as a player you have to go out and perform week in, week out.

In terms of non-league specifically, I learnt about the physical side of the game, how to defend and win ugly.

How do you think your spell with UBAFC helped prepare you for the challenges of playing in Spain?

Flickr : SNappa2006

You have mentioned learning from those around you, what else do you think you learned from playing non-league football?

difficult to compare where I am playing now to university football. One major difference is the venues, playing in a stadium, filled with spectators, is very different to spending a Wednesday afternoon at Coombe Dingle!

Facebook: Alec Fiddes Xammar

Firstly, massive congratulations on being offered your first professional contract. How would you describe your unorthodox route into professional football?

AF: It has been a very tough yet rewarding journey, with a lot of ups and downs. I made sure that I worked hard and made sacrifices, whilst maintaining full belief in my ability. Playing in non-league enabled me to learn from different players and coaches, be it at Weston, Weymouth, Yate or even from my time spent in youth team football.

23.09.2016

Epigram Sport is running its very own Barclays Fantasy Premier League. Feel free to join!

Liga de Epigram Code: 808585-362510 Good Luck!

Epigram

23.09.2016

Sport

@epigramsport Editor: Jonathan Harding Deputy Editor: Jack Francklin

Online Editors: Oscar Beardmore-Gray & Dan Reuben

sport@epigram.org.uk

oscar.beardmoregray@epigram.org.uk dan.reuben@epigram.org.uk

jack.francklin@epigram.org.uk

New terrain, new term, new teams at Bristol Dan Reuben Deputy Online Sports Editor

“

chance to try your hand at a new sport or get back into a hobby which you love but haven’t touched since school.

Sport often turns out to be the most rewarding part of university experience

University of Bristol

Sport is great. Whether you are playing in the Rugby first team, the Hockey Sixth XI or just playing football casually with your friends, sport often turns out to be the most rewarding part of your university experience.

Strangers become teammates and teammates become friends.

Friendships are created that without sport may never have been possible.

It is so easy to get involved in sports clubs and your first port of call is the Freshers’ Fair, where you can register your interest in any of the sporting societies that Bristol have to offer.

If you get too distracted by the endless freebies to sign up to, which is easily done, there are also taster club sessions as part of the week of Fresh Sport available on Wednesday 28th September. These sessions will be more suited to those looking to compete for places in the sports teams and will be led by the university’s qualified sports coaches. This will give coaches the opportunity to determine the ability of new players and start putting teams together ready for competitive fixtures in October.

There is also the more casual Sunday sessions on 25th September, which take place across the university’s sporting facilities, giving you a

If, however, you are too drawn in by the attraction of Basshunter at SWX or your academic endeavours to join a recreational team in the first few weeks, it is never too late to contact a club captain and start turning up to a weekly session.

There are also intramural leagues in football, netball, squash and many more sports which anyone can enter teams into. Intramural teams are usually formed through halls of residences,subjects, or just friendship

groups with the football taking place on the heralded turf of the Downs and most other sport taking place at the fortress of Coombe Dingle.

The opportunities are endless and at whichever level of sport you choose to get involved, whether it be competitive or recreational, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.

Just remember, don’t be afraid to fall in love. A good life lesson but an even better sporting one.

Interested in writing for Epigram Sport? Head over to the Epigram Sport Writers 2016/17 group on Facebook for information on our fortnightly meetings and our upcoming commissions!