EPIGRAM 307

Fortnightly 28th November 2016 Issue 307

University of Bristol’s Award Winning Independent Student Newspaper

www.epigram.org.uk

Escaped convict in Bristol student’s flat Man convicted of rape and robbery spends his last night on the run with Bristol students Emily Faint News Editor An escaped convict was temporarily taken in by University of Bristol students after being found on the ground only ‘a few yards’ from their home.

Jordan, a man convicted of rape and robbery, was discovered by students on a Wednesday in November. He was lying on the floor ‘with bloodshot eyes and clothes drenched in beer’.

Tom Phillips, a third year Physics and Philosophy student, was one of the people who found him.

‘Unable to think of a better solution, I offered him a glass of water and the chance

to sober up in the relative warmth of my living room,’ said Phillips.

The students involved learned of the man’s crimes and his escape from prison an hour after offering him shelter. He was considered a ‘risk to the public’.

Jordan was jailed over a decade ago for rape and robbery. His encounter with the Bristol students was allegedly his ‘first experience of freedom’ since his original conviction.

During the course of the evening, the students fed and conversed with Jordan and offered him the use of their phone.

‘He rang a friend he’d met in prison, but who had been out and clean for two years,’ Phillips said. ‘He seemed to be encouraging Jordan to

Film & TV Tim Bustin gives his opinion on the latest addition to J.K Rowling’s world of magic

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Music Ellen Kemp looks at when protests and music come together

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hand himself in.’

Following this, Jordan called his ex-girlfriend.

After a long conversation with her, the students then witnessed him speaking to his young son for the first time and the emotional exchange that took place.

‘Do you know who this is? It’s your father…

I’m sorry that I haven’t been there for you, but when I come home I will do anything for you’, Jordan reportedly said.

Half an hour later, accompanied by Phillips and his housemates, Jordan walked to the police station and handed himself in.

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, reflected upon the issue from their perspective as a rape survivor.

Rozie Benyon examines the risks MDMA poses to young women

Science Highly Commended for Best Publication and Best Use of Digital Media 2016

‘There is a risk, whenever someone talks about the humanising qualities of someone who has committed rape that they will be tarred a rape apologist. But it would be better to acknowledge rapists in three dimensions, instead of labelling them as simple villains.

‘I knew my rapist. I will likely always feel a deep sense of anger, sadness, sickness and shame over what he did, and over how it has shaped my life since. But I also know he was not an “evil” person, and that he had and has good qualities.’

Some names have been changed for legal reasons Continued on page 2

Sport Flora Beverley reviews ‘This Bristol Girl Can’ week

Epigram

28.11.2016

Editorial Inside Epigram

Comment Page 13 - Jessica Cripps says bus prices are too much for students Wellbeing Page 22 - Not seriously ill enough for counselling?!

Lots more puzzles on page 45!

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Deputies: Caitlin Butler; Stefan Rollnick

Online Deputies: Sophie Hunter; Phoebe Jordan

A note from the editor...

We decided not to.

A story like this not only doesn’t need a meaningless illustration; in some ways, it would demean the seriousness of it. Displaying it like we have, I hope, conveys the unaltered raw story of what I can only describe as a human interest piece with some incredibly challenging themes.

I’m sure many will think that we forgot to put an image there, or might even disagree with us for not doing so. Heck, I reckon there will be members of my own team who think it was a stupid idea.

The point is that this story has been excruciatingly difficult to cover, and I can’t imagine we won’t receive a single complaint for the way we have done so.

I think we were right to publish everything we did, though. The news itself raises significant questions regarding both safety and human nature. The adjoining comment piece is uncomfortable to read, but the fact that it is so uncomfortable yet written by one of our peers makes it worth reading.

Why have I told you all this? Because you’re our readers and this paper is for you. Epigram shouldn’t be used as a soap box or an ego trip by me or anyone else who writes or edits it. Our readers should never let us forget that.

Given the sensitive nature of the news article and, particularly, the personal experience piece in this issue, I therefore felt I had to explain why we’ve published what we have and why we presented it how we have. As I said in my first editorial, if you don’t like what we’re doing, then tell me.

Ben Parr, Editor in Chief

Escaped convict in Bristol student’s flat Emily Faint News Editor Continued from front page...

The student continued: ‘I knew my rapist. I will likely always feel a deep sense of anger, sadness, sickness and shame over what he did, and over how it has shaped my life since. But I also know he was not an “evil” person, and that he had and has good qualities.

‘It is not uncommon for survivors like myself to feel this way. For a lot of us, it is this three dimensionality that stops us reporting. And it’s why in my work with Survivors of Sexual Violence we are trained never to place ourselves in opposition to

the perpetrator, because the survivor may not place themselves there.’

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported in September 2016 that it is now ‘prosecuting and convicting a record number of rape, domestic abuse, sexual offences and child abuse cases’, now accounting for 18.6 per cent of its total caseload.

‘We need to hear stories that humanise rapists, not just because they often mimic more closely the complex feelings of survivors, which are sometimes a complicated brew of repulsion and affection, but we also need to hear these stories to remind ourselves that rapists come in all shapes, and to ensure that we are ourselves acting appropriately’, the student said.

Some names have been changed for legal reasons

Write for Epigram: join our writers Facebook groups or email editor@epigram.org.uk 14

ACROSS 1. Favoured (9) 6. Affect (9) 7. Twister (7) 8. Encountered (3) 10. Limb (3) 12. Fuss (3) 13. Energetic (4) 14. Solely (4) DOWN 1. Without purpose (9) 2. Exertion (6) 3. Mimicked (8) 4. Unsystematic (6) 5. Wished (6) 9. Wicked (4 10. Place down (3) 11. Slimy substance (3) Webmaster Josh Jones Chief Proofreader Lowri Daniels Sub-editors Anna Lezard, Zuzanna Needham Jess Cselko, Lucy Thompson Sarah Roller, Elly Brett, Samuel Wong, Daisy Dowding, Megan Frost 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

From the archives... ‘Rent vote landslide’

Students voted 86 per cent in favour of a rent strike in a referendum in protest of the increases to high rents in university halls of residences Marching on Digs lettings agents is one thing, but in 1990 Bristol students went a step further when the university attempted to jack up the rents of halls.

‘In protest at the 24 per cent increase in Hall fees, students have voted by more than six to one in favour of a rent strike.

The referendum, held last week, saw the highest turnout at a Union vote for twenty two years’, Epigram’s front page read.

The vice-chancellor at the time, Sir John Kingman, dismissed the idea of a rent strike as an ‘unacceptable form of protest’.

He went on to say: ‘I do not believe that Bristol students will take services which they have not paid for’.

In response to the vote there were suggestions of the university withholding degrees and even restricting access funds to students who refuse to pay their rent.

However, senior sources in the University administration were said to have admitted this sort of punitive action was unlikely to take place due to the media uproar that would likely follow removing access funds for students.

‘After the result I once again asked the University to come to its senses - and the negotiating table. However, they refused, leaving us with no other option than to continue with the strike’, said Nik Keane, 1990 Union president.

The Union was said to even be looking into the legality of the university’s threat, with some arguing that the university were confusing their role as a landlord to students with its role as ‘an impartial administrator of public funds’.

‘Sir John is not a headmaster ready with a rap on the

Epigram/ Ben Parr

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Editor: Ben Parr: editor@epigram.org.uk Online Editor: Hannah Price: hannah.price@epigram.org.uk

Most of the time, the big student journalism stories centre around three main issues: tuition fees, cost of living and accommodation problems.

This is why when a story like the one we have on our front page comes along, a spanner is thrown into the works.

The questions you start asking yourself as an editor change from being the usual ‘how can Digs be so awful’, to wondering how we can cover this sensitively and within the law, whilst still conveying the magnitude of what happened.

You might notice a few things which have resulted from this.

Firstly, names have been changed and facts left ambiguous. This is for legal reasons above all else.

Secondly, there is no front page picture. This is in part due to legal complications as well as the result of some very lengthy discussions. More on this in a moment.

Thirdly, and most importantly, you might notice the trigger warning before the piece written by the student in the encounter with the rapist (page 3). This is not something I have ever chosen to do before, as excessive use of them could become mollycoddling.

However, when my deputy suggested putting one in for this particular piece, it was something I immediately agreed that we should do.

It was an incredibly uncomfortable read for me. Some members of our team felt that we shouldn’t publish it at all. I can’t even begin to imagine how awful it must be to read it if you are a victim of rape. People deserve a warning.

Back to the front page image. After the original was dropped due to legal reasons, we were left with a choice. We could find a new image - one of the police station perhaps? Or a dark Bristol street?

Features Page 7 - Interview with Bristol grad and founder of ‘Ella’s kitchen’

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knuckles for anyone who steps out of line. As sufficient numbers join the strike, the University will become powerless to punish students’, said Keane.

The university increased rents again for the 2016/17 academic year, and with groups such as Bristol, Cut the Rent becoming more vocal it will be interesting to see whether history repeats itself…

First published in Epigram on 19th October 1990

Epigram 28.11.2016

News

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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

Comment: ‘I know you’re not going to hand yourself in now, but keep it in the back of your head’ Student, Tom Phillips, writes about his personal experiences of the night he and his housemates took in a man convicted of rape

‘I have a son back home...

I haven’t seen him or his mother in nine years’

Some names have been changed for legal reasons.

Student counselling services: 0117 954 6655 Samaritans: 116 123 University Security Services: 0117 928 7848

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‘The opportunity to question a representative of Israel is rare and valuable’ In a statement on their page, however, BFoP criticised the event as running counter to the principles of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement called by the Palestinian civil society; specifically, the academic boycott of the Israeli state and its representatives.

BFoP told Epigram that ‘by inviting Regev, a senior representative of the Israeli government who has consistently defended Israeli human rights violations, BIPDG are lending legitimacy to Israeli settler colonialism and apartheid, and that is something that our society cannot accept.’

BIPDG insist that they are ‘officially neutral’, noting that students asked some ‘tough questions’ of the ambassador. They reiterated their intention to host pro-Palestinian speakers this year, with the aim to promote ‘dialogue, discussion and debate’.

90 students attended the event, despite BFoP’s presence outside.

Alfred Davies, a committee member and part of the protests, wrote that ‘unless the fundamentally colonial context of the situation in Palestine is acknowledged, then the kind of ‘dialogue’ promoted by IPDG only serves to perpetuate the view that this is just another conflict, and that the power to create peace on each side is equal.’

These renewed tensions follow a successful Annual Members Meeting motion for Bristol SU to boycott Israeli settlement goods. No specific action has since been taken, but Davies reasserted the society’s commitment to ensure its

Epigram/ Harry Plowden Epigram/ Amy Finch

Jordan rapped along with every single JayZ and Snoop Dogg track that came on, and took to the floor again, saying: ‘I just want to enjoy this time that I’m out. It’s so hard in prison, boys. So hard. This is the best night of my life.’

‘I have a son back home. He’s twelve years old now, but I haven’t seen him or his mother in nine years. They came to visit me for the first eighteen months, then they stopped coming.’

I gave Jordan my mobile and asked him if there was anyone he would like to talk to. He pulled a booklet out of his pocket, in which was written the name of every friend he had made in jail, and underneath each entry without fail was the address and phone number of the friend’s mum.

He rang a friend that he’d met in prison, but who had been out and clean for two years. He seemed to be encouraging Jordan to hand himself in. After the call was finished, he joked about a conversation he’d had with his mum in a phone box the day before, when she told him ‘Hand yourself in! ...well, I know you’re not going to hand yourself in now, but keep it in the back of your head!’

Then, after failing to get through to his brother’s phone, he dialled his ex-girlfriend’s number. What happened next was a moment we felt privileged to witness. After a long chat, she put their son on the phone, and Jordan had his first ever conversation with him; on a stranger’s phone, in a stranger’s house, in a stranger’s city.

‘Do you know who this is? It’s your father.

Are you being good? Are you listening to your mum? You have to listen to your mum, ok? Even when you don’t like what she says.

I’m sorry that I haven’t been there for you, but when I come home I will do anything for you. I will do anything for you. I love you.’

Half an hour later, with encouragement and support from my housemates, Jordan walked with us to the police station, where he pressed the telecom button, gave us each a hug, and walked back towards his life on the other side.

Last week, Bristol Friends of Palestine (FoP) called for a boycott of another student society’s event after they invited Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev to speak on campus. A former spokesperson for President Netanyahu, he has gathered criticism for his defence of various Israeli military operations which have resulted in high civilian casualties.

Jonathon Godsi, President of Bristol Israel/ Palestine Discussion Group defended the event to Epigram, describing Regev as both ‘high-profile’ and ‘in our eyes engaging’. In their view, the opportunity for Bristol students to question an official representative of the Israeli government on their policy was ‘rare and valuable’.

Flickr/ International Maritime Organisation

minutes it felt like our little living room was transformed into a place of real holiness.

Afterwards, and slightly unsure how to respond to such an intense ritual of devotion, I asked him what his favourite music was.

‘Drake’.

I told him that my my twin-sister loved Drake, too, and while reflecting on how long it might be until he could hear this music again, we spent the rest of the night listening to hip hop.

Amy Finch Deputy News Editor

Epigram/ Harry Plowden

Trigger warning: contains themes of rape that some readers might find distressing.

Disclaimer: this article is a comment piece and does not reflect the views of Epigram.

At 6pm on Wednesday night, a man fell to the ground. I walked over to him, calling out, ‘Are you ok, mate?’

With bloodshot eyes and clothes drenched in beer, he looked up at me from the place where he had fallen, a few yards from my front door, and asked for help to find his way back to the North. He told me that he’d come to Bristol with some friends, whom he had since lost, and now penniless he had no way to contact them.

Unable to think of a better solution, I offered him a glass of water and the chance to sober up in the (relative) warmth of my living room.

Over the next hour, with a fist-pump of respect for every worthy comment we made, my housemate Aidan and I learned about Jordan’s life: his heritage, his immigrant father whose patois he sometimes struggled to understand, his upbringing, how he loved to party, and the great things he’d heard about Bristol.

Any discussion of finding his friends was temporarily forgotten now that Jordan was warm and dry. He was eloquent, well-mannered, friendly, and above all desperate to be neither too noisy nor too boring. Then, after all that time just chatting, he said something we will never forget: ‘You have been kind to me, boys, so I will be honest with you… I’ve just escaped from prison.’

Thereafter, every single sentence he spoke was interrupted as he broke down into tears.

I’ve never seen an adult man or woman so unable to control their emotions. Contorting his body, he stood in the middle of the room and hunched over, his hands behind his back.

‘The guards call this ‘The Chicken’. They all jump on you at once: one with his hands pushing your head to the floor, another holding your wrists together, the others pinning you on either side. That way, you have no control.’

We gave him soup, a chicken kiev, some pasta and a chocolate muffin: a student meal that probably couldn’t even compare with what he got on the inside, but he’d been on the run for three days and hadn’t eaten a decent meal in all that time. Jordan had been in jail for over a decade and this was his first experience of freedom since he was put away in 2006 for robbery and rape.

After two years, he’d converted to Islam and has carried a set of prayer beads with him at all times ever since. Wanting to share this part of his life with us, even in his now semi-drunken state, Jordan took us through the five prayers of the Salat. He stood with his eyes firmly fixed on the back wall, and for five minutes recited from memory the words of the scripture in Arabic, and for those five

Israeli ambassador appearance inspires fresh boycott action

implementation, as well as to start debate ‘about the other measures we can take as a union’.

More than 30 UK student unions have passed motions in support of BDS campaigns over the last two years.

Some credit this student action as contributing to the cancellation of contracts between universities and companies like security G4S and French Veolia. These companies are amongst the main targets of the BDS campaign, due to their high involvement with the perpetuation of Israel’s military campaigns and settlement regimes in the West Bank.

BFoP also asserted the necessity for the University of Bristol, which has ‘extensive collaborative research programmes’ with Israeli institutions, to take action. Of particular concern is a partnership with Bar-Ilan University in Israel, of which cyber security research is a major component. The state’s use of the internet to undermine individual security and privacy has been criticised, and as such BFoP believe that the university may be contributing to the continuation of illegal violence.

In 2015, 343 academics signed an open letter pledging to boycott Israeli academic institutions in several forms, including five Bristol academics.

Professor Modood, a co-signatory from the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies commented that ‘Israel continues to carry out old and new outrages and no power is exercised to stop it and thus it feels under no pressure to change its ways’.

Despite the growth of the BDS movement, many powerful players in the sector have criticised the movement, with the deputy British ambassador to Israel describing the reality as being ‘one of rapidly strengthening links between British and Israeli universities in science and academic cooperation’.

An organisation representing UK vice-chancellors, of which University of Bristol is a member, also expressed open opposition to the NUS boycott.

Many still remain hopeful about the capacity for such a movement to make an impact, with Davies noting that student motions are ‘small but significant’ contrbutions to the growing ‘sentiment in Britain which supports the human rights of Palestinians’. Professor Modood, referenced his experience in the anti-Apartheid Movement, noting that an ‘academic boycott eventually played an important role in ending apartheid, even though it took decades’.

Epigram 28 .11.2016

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27 candidates, 5 delegates, 1 union: Bristol’s NUS delegates announced

Students at the University of Bristol cast their votes between Monday 14th and Thursday 17th November for who they wanted to represent them as delegates at the NUS National Conference in April 2017.

Of the 27 candidates, only five could be successfully elected to represent the University.

The results, announced on Friday 18th November, declared Sally Patterson, Rebecca Filer, Almas Talib, Laura Ho and Mason Ammar successful in their campaigns.

Mason, a second year Economics student at Bristol, wanted to thank all those who voted for him.

He told Epigram, ‘my main priority is making sure I can represent all Bristol students.’

‘I want to make sure all students end up seeing

An official spokesperson for the Bristol Students’ Union elections team told Epigram that voting peaked slightly towards the beginning and end of the campaigns, but that there was a strong following throughout the four-day voting period.

Delegate Sally Patterson recently posted on her campaign page: ‘Thank you for all who supported this campaign and gave their time to vote…Watch

this space!’

She told Epigram, ‘I feel that the gap between “student politics” and regular students is steadily growing and I want to bridge that gap’.

‘I feel honoured to have been elected as an NUS delegate this year’.

The conference will be held in Brighton between 25th and 27th April next year.

‘I want to bridge the gap between ‘student politics’ and regular students’

The total number of votes cast in the delegate elections was only 1208, just half of the 2409 cast in the vote to remain in the NUS earlier this term.

Twitter/@HarkAndLove

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‘I want to make sure all students see the relevance of the NUS’

the relevance of the NUS which has been vague in previous years.’

Almas, who studies Psychology, told Epigram that she aims to ensure NUS policies act in favour of all those at university.

‘With the rise in race and religious hate crime, I want to ensure NUS policies efficiently tackle all forms of discrimination on university campuses.’

The five successful candidates will attend the NUS National Conference alongside Union Affairs Officer, Jamie Cross. As delegates, they will have the opportunity to vote on NUS policy and leadership, something of importance to University of Bristol students due to their recent overwhelming vote in favour of remaining part of the NUS.

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Ellen Jones Deputy News Editor

University of Bristol Jewish Society celebrating the success of its members in the NUS delegate election.

University set to expand with second city campus Emily Faint News Editor

The University of Bristol has unveiled its plans for a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to work with the City of Bristol on developing a second city campus as part of the new University Strategy.

The new campus will house a Digital Innovation Hub to facilitate ‘a pioneering new initiative in business education’ for students.

The exact location of this new site has yet to be confirmed.

A University spokesperson, however, has stated that ‘the University hopes to make the announcement in the coming weeks.’

Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: ‘There’s a real buzz around the strategy as the University prepares for a new, more ambitious era.

‘Central to our ambitions is the creation of a new campus, which will be a hub for innovation, engagement and entrepreneurship and be completely integrated with the city.

‘We are working with city partners to develop this vision: we will be offering tailored masters

courses co-created with industrial partners and be looking to develop research and people that feed and grow the local digital economy, with the ambition that Bristol will be known internationally for digital innovation.

‘Our strategy also includes exciting initiatives to ensure all our students receive the very best educational experience. Graduates of the future need to be ready for anything: they need to be multi-skilled, resilient and adaptable, able

Tyndall Avenue and building a new University Library and Student Resource Hub.’ Current estimates predict that this transformation of the Tyndall Avenue area will be carried out ‘over the next five years’.

Steph Ovenden, third year English student, told Epigram: ‘I’m pleased to hear that the University is finally delivering on its promise to provide more desperately needed facilities, especially for Arts students, but I’m disappointed that I won’t be around to see it.’

The new strategy focuses particularly on innovation in fields including population health, migration and biodesign through the establishment of Specialist Research Institutes (SRIs). These are considered by the University to be areas of research which ‘have the greatest potential for large-scale, world-changing impact.’

The University aims to be ‘to be internationally renowned for the breadth, depth and impact of our research and scholarship,’ Professor HughBrady stated. ‘Focusing on the areas of research where we can make a particular contribution to global challenges, and working with the best placed international partners is critical to our success.’

Laila Sharif, a third year Economics student, told Epigram: ‘I think the new library is a good idea because the ASS is not big enough for all the social sciences. As for the second campus… I’m not really sure about the need for it. They should concentrate their funding on improving student satisfaction and quality of teaching before just expanding capacity.’

Grace Kendrick, History student, added: ‘Why wasn’t I born 5 years later?’

Three Focuses of Bristol Futures: 1. Innovation & Enterprise 2. Global Citizenship 3. Sustainable Futures

Students long dissatisfied with the state of Tyndall Avenue sites such as the ASS library will be pleased to learn that there are also plans to enhance the centre of the University’s Clifton campus, including ‘remodelling the area around

Instagram/@uniofbristol

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‘Our strategy also includes exciting initiatives to ensure all our students receive the very best educational experience’

to work across disciplinary and geographical borders.’

‘Already, our students are among the most sought-after by employers in the UK – we are going to improve upon that position through the introduction of a new Bristol Futures curriculum initiative which will give all students access to three personal and professional development pathways – sustainable futures, innovation and enterprise, and global citizenship.’

Marco Barbato, a politics student said, ‘The prospect of having a campus renovation is fantastic. I particularly like pedestrian-only areas as there are many in Italy where I live. It will provide future students with an enhanced campus experience alongside the unique opportunity of being in the heart of one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. Too bad I would have long graduated by the time it will be completed! I also hope they will renew the exterior of the ASS library as it looks like a dreadful bunker from Orwell’s 1984!’

The new Bristol Futures curriculum is an initiative developed in partnership with academics, students and employers in order to devise a curriculum that makes a Bristol graduate ‘unique’.

The University unveils its new strategy visuals on Instagram

Epigram 28.11.2016

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Remembering trans victims of violence

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Amy Finch Deputy News Editor

The Student’s Union came together with people from across Bristol to host this year’s Trans Awareness Week, aiming to promote rights for the trans community and educate others.

Spencer, Part-Time Trans Officer, described the week as the ‘annual time where trans people have the chance to bring forward their experiences, and talk about how being transgender affects our lives’.

Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony on the Friday. Many found this emotionally challenging but successful in terms of its engagement with a wide range of people in the community, with around 100 attendees.

The format was a reading of all the victims of trans violence worldwide this year - 295 recorded individuals - recorded, followed by a series of tributes.

There are currently no estimates for figures

for the number of students that identify as trans at Bristol University, though most estimates come in at about one per cent of the general population.

Jamie Cross, the SU’s Union Affairs Officer, told Epigram: ‘I think most trans people have a lot of negative experiences in general because the world is so unaccepting.’

However, as the first trans officer in the history of Bristol Student’s Union, Cross

‘trans people have a lot of negative experiences because the world’s so unaccepting’ Flickr/ Staff Bi News+Views

To give a voice to such students, a panel event on the 17th November was held with trans students from UoB and UWE. The issues discussed were broad, ranging from the importance of having trans communities and spaces, greater representation in the media and dating.

The most widely attended event was the

Protesters raise the Trans Flag at a demonstration

‘It’s like they’re waiting for something to happen’

Speaking to Bristol students in Paris one year after the attacks Malik Ouzia Online News Editor

‘My mum went on and on about the attacks as if she was trying to dissuade me from going’

Bristol students studying in Paris told of the ‘tense’ atmosphere in the city in the succeeding days. ‘Everywhere is quite dead and a little eerie,’ said one.

‘The atmosphere is strange,’ said another.

‘There are still some people out and about who are getting on with everything and seem fine but the streets are obviously pretty empty’.

Others still in Bristol held a candlelit vigil and marched to show their support.

Now, 12 months later, a fresh set of Bristol students are studying and working across the channel. Epigram caught up with them to find out about life in Paris, one year on from the most deadly attacks on French soil since the Second World War… Vincent Onuegbu, a French and Portuguese student currently working in Paris, remembers the night of the attacks clearly.

‘I took to Facebook to vent my frustrations at the social unrest. For me, it was almost an invited and predictable assault but the reality of it was truly overwhelming.

‘These acts shock us, particularly in the UK, because we are used to complete security with our reputable, gun-free policing system.

Flickr/ Harshil Shah

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On the night of 13th November 2015, the French capital of Paris was rocked. The audience of a rock concert at the Bataclan Theatre and football fans at the Stade de France were amongst those targeted in a series of attacks that killed 130 and injured over 350 more.

twice about it, especially as I’m Jewish I felt that it might be difficult to live life as I want to whilst I’m there.’

Unlike Freedman, Onuegbu had already set his sights on Paris, but unsurprisingly

Vincent Onegbu, a Bristol student, currently works in Paris.

As France is so local and identifiable to us, we were stunned by such extremism for the first time since 7/7.’

For Dan Freedman, a French and Italian student who works in Paris, surprise was also the overriding emotion. ‘I don’t have much memory of the attacks themselves, just seeing it on the news and being shocked that this sort of thing could have started happening in Europe.

‘At the time I didn’t know I was going to be living in Paris, but they did make me think

the attacks brought about a fresh set of reservations. My mum went on and on about the attacks as if she was trying to dissuade me from going’.

In the end it was wise words from his father, and the experiences of friends, that convinced Onuegbu to go ahead. ‘My dad constantly reminded me that being cautious is necessary everywhere anyway. He had a point, and friends who were already out there studying or working had ensured me that they were fine and getting on well so that eased any worries that I had.’

In the wake of the attacks, as well as those in Nice this summer and the offices of Charlie Hebdo in January last year, security is tight.

‘There are a lot of soldiers and police all over the place,’ says Freedman. ‘There was a reported hostage situation at a church near the centre a couple of weeks ago and within minutes there were literally dozens of police surrounding the place’.

Onuegbu, who works on the same road as the heavily guarded Israeli Embassy, says that after four months in the city he has become ‘desensitized’, only noticing the enhanced security presence after leaving the city for a few days.

‘In my first few weeks, I was very apprehensive about approaching any officers as they were armed and the weakened language barrier could have caused any kind of reaction. I later learned that they were all quite friendly and I now even greet whichever officer is patrolling the embassy on a daily basis.’

Freedman too acknowledges that regular patrols and extra security have become part and parcel of Parisian life, and insists that he has never personally felt at risk.

‘I really thought everyone would be constantly panicked and on edge but it seems people have almost grown to live with it, and are just slightly more careful and wary when they’re at famous monuments or in places with lots of people.’

believes that their representation of all 22,000 students is ‘something to be proud of ’, which shows a great degree of support from the population. However, though this support is ‘crucial’, Cross argues, trans people need to continue leading the movement, and supporters must ‘empower’ them and ‘respect the need for our own representation’.

‘the lived experiences of trans people are overlooked’

In terms of improvements that could be made in order to improve the lives of people of all gender identities, Cross commented that the university should ‘collect appropriate data’, using it to ‘highlight’ target issues for trans students and by ensuring that ‘pastoral support is working alongside the extenuating circumstances procedure’.

Spencer, in his blog, reiterated Jamie’s point, noting that ‘with all of the curiosity and interest about what being trans means, often the actual lived experiences of trans people, and the issues that we face, are overlooked’.

Protesters gather but Digs is closed Mairead Finlay Deputy News Editor In what could have well been a coincidence, letting agency Digs decided to close for the day at the same time a protest organised by Cut the Rent, Bristol SU and students took place against the lettings agents ‘rip-off agency fees, terrible service and mouldy, damp houses’.

Despite weather conditions that shared similar characteristics described to Epigram of some of Digs properties; cold and damp, a reasonable crowd turned up outside armed with placards, and it included a few sing-a-longs too.

One such included a rendition of The Animals ‘House of The Rising Sun’, creatively rendered to become ‘House of The Rising Damp’.

“

Digs have refused to sign up to an ethical lettings charter that sets out minimum standards

The organisers behind the protest also had their huge love letter ready to be delivered to the lettings agency. The message inside the card from campaigners, addressed to the managing director of Digs, Steve Harris, and its sister agency Abode, asks that Digs ‘treats tenants with respect’ and ‘to meet with us’, alongside dozens of horror house stories from previous Digs tenants filling the card.

These included one student whose ‘oven and fridge freezer didn’t work. It took Digs a month to repair. They said they would give us compensation. Still waiting!’

Rich, one of the organisers behind the student movement Bristol, Cut the Rent, spoke to Epigram of wanting to ‘raise standards of the private rental sector’ as currently ‘standards are low and being exploited’ by companies like Digs. He also encouraged more student participation.

So far, Digs have refused to sign up to an ethical lettings charter that sets out a minimum set of standards, created by ACORN, a Bristol community union.

Epigram 28.11.2016

6

Careers Service Sponsored Content

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” “

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Find where you fit If you haven’t already, visit the Careers Service website (www.bris.ac.uk/careers/ be-inspired) and start researching career sectors that appeal to you. You won’t find your dream job without putting in some hard work. Talking to employers, alumni, tutors and the Careers Service staff will also help build a picture of sectors, graduate roles and internship opportunities.

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Epigram / Apps for Good

It may sound twee or maybe a bit silly, but happiness is a serious issue. Research has shown that people that are happier at work are more productive, more creative and less likely to leave their job. As the saying goes; ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ This doesn’t mean you have to put happiness on a pedestal and expect your next venture to

be the most joyful thing you’ve ever done.

But, you can start now to ensure your next step is the best one for you.

Epigram

28.11.2016

Features

@epigramfeatures

Editor: Amy Stewart- Deputy Editor: Bea Gentilli

Online Editor: Adele Momoko Fraser

features@epigram.org.uk

adelemfraser@epigram.org.uk

bea.gentilli@epigram.org.uk

‘Business is not really about money it’s about people’ Epigram speaks to Bristol alumnus Paul Lindley about life as an entrepeneur and creating ‘Ella’s Kitchen’

Amy Stewart Features Editor What are your favourite memories from your time as a student in Bristol?

I started in 1985 doing a degree that only six universities did, Pathology, and I was excited because it was different and I like to do things differently, but after about the first four or five weeks I had no idea on earth what was going on and didn’t really enjoy it. So, out of all the options I decided to stop and start again a year later and do a subject I knew I would enjoy: Economics and Politics, neither of which I had done before at school. The biggest memory has got to be the person I started going out with in my second year who has now been my wife for the last 22 years.

For all the panicking third years, what did you do once you finished your degree?

You ended up working for Nickelodeon for a while, could you tell me a little bit more about that?

So after I trained to be an accountant, after three qualifications, I then worked in the media division with media clients to Los Angeles for a year. I then came back thinking I wanted a job in the media to broaden away from pure accountancy and a job at Nickelodeon came up as a financial controller. Then over the next ten years I moved to financial director, communications director then general manager – so really over ten years I became a marketer.

It was a really interesting time in the late 90s and digital television and children’s television was just coming along and everything was new, and we as a management team in our twenties and thirties had a lot of entrepreneurial freedom because everything was so new and our bosses weren’t very modern. This gave me a

So then, why children’s food and ‘Ella’s Kitchen’ ? – it’s quite a big difference from Economics.

I’m a big believer that we live one life, and you don’t want to get to the end of it a regret not having done things and I think we should take risks along the way and you regret the things you don’t do rather than the things that you do. I was at a time of life where I had been somewhere for ten years, it was great but I wanted to move and experience something new, but my time at Nickelodeon had really given me a passion for children’s issues and an awareness of the challenges we have with children’s health – a third of kids are overweight, about twenty per cent are obese and television was being blamed for that.

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‘Business is not really about money it’s about people and engaging with people to make them want to work with you’

I was aware of that issue at the same time I was beginning to have my family; my daughter Ella was born in 1999 and as we were beginning to feed her and she was beginning to reject food as a baby and toddler I used to try games to lighten the mood and she was smiling. I suddenly worked out that if food could be fun then kids would like it, and then from a professional experience if you could make fun food healthy then you have everything working together there. I thought someone should do a brand, with kids first, that’s empowering and fun in the food space – I thought this was the thing I had been waiting for.

I’d had entrepreneurial ideas in the past but none that I was willing to risk or passionate enough about, but this was something I was passionate about. My fear of doing it and failing was much less than not doing it at all and wondering. I’d saved enough money to give myself two years off work and spent that time developing the idea to try to do some good for children’s lives. We used innovation: I noticed packaging that wasn’t used in baby food before – from jars to packages. And we’re the biggest baby food company in the UK now turning over 100 million euros and keeping to those core principles and values I had right at the beginning.

The best thing about it all is when you hear people in cafes talking about your products with such love

Paul Lindley studied at Bristol between 1985 and 1989. He went on to found Ella’s kitchen, a successful company that makes organic baby and toddler food.

and warmth. Lots to be proud of there.

Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs just leaving university and what they should do with their ideas?

I think business is not really about money, it’s about people and engaging with people to make them want to work with you and get what you’re trying to do and to persuade customers. [This] is a really strong skill set. We tend to think this is less important than a business or marketing plan but in my experience it is about understanding people’s motivations. On a financial advice, it’s all about the cash, not about the product and loss account, so building a business plan is vital. Then, once you’ve got your main business plan, halve the amount of revenue you think you’ve got, double the amount of cost you think you have, double the time you think you’re going to be paid in and see if it works then, because shocks will come. I would say don’t go into a business because you want to make money first and foremost, because you will make money if you go in for a different purpose; you want to be passionate about something and you want to change the way we do things. This is going to be your all-consuming life for a good number of years so you

want to be happy doing it. You’ve got to have the self-confidence, it’s not arrogance, but you are going to have so many low days so a tenacity to get through that is vital. Then the final thing is you have to identify that there’s a gap in the market, but also whether there’s a market in that gap which a lot of people don’t think about. Maybe the reason there’s a gap in the market is because no one wants to buy that. You have to think about things in a way that no one has thought about them before; risks like that aren’t for everybody.

You’re very successful in what you’ve done, but how should we measure our own success about whether what we’re doing is working?

There is a necessity to make money, to have a salary and a career, but actually money isn’t what makes you happy beyond a certain point, I think people make you happy and learning throughout life. I’ve always had this thing with leaving a legacy – why was I here and what can I do?

I have been very successful, and I could just stop and play golf or go sailing or whatever, but I choose not to because I wouldn’t be happy doing that and I have a responsibility to help the next generation. I was fifty a few weeks ago, but in myself I still feel like the student I was when I was

Epigram/Bea Flickr /BromfordGentilli

When I finished my degree, in 1989 during a recession, jobs were harder to come by especially as I wanted to do something more unusual. I was interested in joining the diplomatic service for the UN, and I considered International Relations as a master’s at the University of Amsterdam, but then that fell through and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I started looking for jobs and joined KPMG as a chartered accountant knowing that was not what I wanted to do long-term but I could work out what I wanted to do in that time.

Having said that I like to do things that are unusual, becoming an accountant was probably the least unusual, but it was a stepping stone and I still wanted to learn more but just wasn’t sure what to do beyond that.

sense of entrepreneurialism without the risk associated with it, and I spent my time with a passion for children’s issues and a knowledge of how to market and sell to them. So it was a great place to learn.

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here. Youth is a state of mind I think, although I couldn’t blag my way into a student bar, I think I act the same way as I would when I was twenty.

‘The best young graduates will go for smaller companies where they feel that they can make a difference’

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I talk to lots of young people, the millennial generation gets it whereas our current leaders, whether they’re in business or politics, don’t. Young people leaving university now will want to work for businesses that have values that overlap with the way they want to live their lives and will want to feel they’re doing something more than earning the shareholder’s money. I’m very confident more of the best young graduates will go for smaller companies where they feel that they can make a difference rather than for the big companies – I see that all over the place and that fills me with a lot of optimism for the future.

Epigram

28.11.2016

8

The human cost of your amazon delivery

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A look into the human suffering required to provide students with next day delivery

Ruby Cordona Features Writer It was alleged recently that Bristol’s Amazon workers are being subjected to potentially illegal working conditions.

A BBC journalist went undercover at the AHC depot at Avonmouth, one of Amazon’s delivery services in the Bristol area, taking a job as a driver for the massive online retailer.

He repeatedly worked more than 11 hour days - 11 hours is the UK legal limit - and was paid below the minimum wage. In his first week of work he was paid on average £2.59 per hour, based on the £110 fixed rate for a day of deliveries and deducting the cost of van hire and insurance. For his three days’ work he claimed he made a total of £93.47. Currently the minimum wage for over 25s stands at £7.20 per hour, but since Amazon do not consider their drivers to be employees, they are not entitled to the minimum wage, sick pay or holidays.

However, the law states that if a worker is not in control of their livelihood and cannot regulate their own workload they should not be considered self-employed. Tonia Novitz,

Other Bristol drivers confided that they had so little time for toilet breaks they often urinate in bottles and defecate in plastic bags

A similar case arose recently with Uber drivers, who won a court case to classify themselves as employees of Uber on the basis that they do not have enough time to work another job as well. Just last week Deliveroo cyclists took industrial action over their poor working conditions.

It is likely that these are not isolated cases, in fact they are part of wider problems in the growth of online commerce and so-called ‘gig economy’ jobs where people are given work on an ad hoc basis whenever they are in demand by the employer. As Vasile, a Bristol driver, put it: ‘if you turn up for work and there is nothing, you get nothing.’

The BBC also alleged that the drivers are so pushed for time they break speed limits whilst out on delivery rounds.

One driver from the depot admitted going at 120 mph to deliver 150 – 200

parcels, and another, speaking to Bristol Citizens Advice, admitted that ‘when you’re under so much pressure you can make mistakes on the road’.

Drivers are under such intense pressure because the Amazonsupplied satnav system allocates just three minutes for each delivery, failing to take into account time-consuming factors such as traffic or road diversions.

Other Bristol drivers confided that they

had so little time for toilet breaks they often urinate in bottles and defecate in plastic bags Amazon has responded to the allegations, stating: ‘sophisticated software is used to plan delivery routes and take into account several variables, including speed limits and daily traffic patterns. As independent contractors of our delivery providers, drivers deliver at their own pace, take breaks

at their discretion, and are able to choose the suggested route or develop their own’.

Amazon claims ‘we take this matter seriously and strive for continuous improvement, understanding that our progress depends on good execution and judgment of our employees and our delivery providers.’ However, the internet retailer could be facing questions in parliament over its working conditions.

Flickr /Canonacalised

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AHC drivers should be classified as employees since clearly ‘they do not determine their own routes, days of work or rest periods’

a labour law professor at the University of Bristol and worked with the BBC on their investigation, says AHC drivers should be classified as employees since clearly ‘they do not determine their own routes, days of work or rest periods’.

Tonia Novitz, a law professor at the University of Bristol, said that Amazon drivers should be classified as employees.

Is exposure to fake news on Facebook a problem?

In the world of social media, short attention spans have become the norm

With Donald Trump taking to Twitter in the early hours to condemn the New York Times for a ‘typically false news story’ surrounding his presidential transition, the routine false claims of celebrity deaths making headlines, and satirical websites parading humorous stories such as ‘David Guetta world tour cancelled after losing USB containing his entire set’, it would be fair to have a healthy scepticism of headline news circulated on social media.

In the impressionist world of social media, short attention spans have become the norm, with The Telegraph making the claim that ‘humans have

There will be more action to tackle fake news seen on Facebook

The reality of this situation however, was not a personal anti-Brexit vendetta by the judges themselves as suggested, but was instead a formality reviewing the ability of the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50 without it going through Parliament first as was planned.

However, that is not so catchy or

Flickr/Dimitros Karopolyos

For those who tuned in to Adam Curtis’s recent documentary ‘hypernormalisation’, or as a person interested in the recent goings on of the world, there may be an awareness of how incoherent, conflicting and confusing the news of today can be.

shorter attention spans than goldfish, thanks to smartphones’. From this, it appears the need for eye catching news has resulted in the consequent ‘clickbait’ headline, in which short, snappy headlines convey the beginning of an interesting story a reader may want to click to hear more about.

The drawback of this method however, is the subsequent misleading headlines that give the reader a brief, somewhat false summary of the actual events being described. An example of this may be seen in the reporting of recent divisive events such as Brexit, in which The Daily Mail reported the Supreme Court as ‘Enemies of the People’ who ‘have declared war on democracy’.

“

Caroline Lamb Features Writer

Students rely heavily upon social media for their news. However, this could put them at risk of believing ‘fake news’.

emotive a headline. The appeal of an emotive headline may catch viewer’s attention, but readers are given reason to jump to false conclusions.

Further to this, The Independent recently showcased a list of 133 websites that publish fake news. While people may be aware of satirical sites such as ‘Wunderground’ and others publishing false headlines for entertainment, there has been a surge of websites appearing legitimate but reporting completely false stories.

Many people have voiced their concern over the impact that sharing

false information has had on shaping the views and opinions of the public, most notably those that contributed to the US election outcome.

In response to this, Mark Zuckerberg has claimed there will be more action to tackle fake news seen on Facebook, however adamantly denies claims that such news stories may have influenced the recent election – dismissing them as ‘pretty crazy’. Nonetheless, the sharing of such news stories among Facebook users is a testament to their perceived legitimacy, and to consider this a non-issue as Zuckerberg appears

to be doing may be putting too much faith in the ability of the general public to distinguish real from fake news.

With ‘post-truth’ having recently been named the word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries, it is evident that a more vigilant attack on fake news is necessary in order to retain a society based on truth, and furthermore to prevent emotive and divisive rhetoric superseding information based on fact.

Because in reality, it’s all fun and games until Donald Trump is elected President of the United States.

Epigram

28.11.2016

9

Hot Yoga: sweating your troubles away Epigram looks into the mental health benefits of hot yoga for student stress

Kate Baker Features Writer

Yogafurie

Hot yoga derives from techniques initially developed by Bikram Choudhury, in the late 20th century.

Bikram Choudhury had been practising yoga since the age of four and claimed to practise for six hours every day in order to develop his technique which included twenty six different poses. He later developed the practice of a heated yoga room whilst teaching in Japan. He was intrigued by the saunas his students disappeared to in their lunch breaks, and was thus inspired to translate this to yoga. He heated his first classes to about 28 degrees Celsius to mirror the temperature of his hometown Calcutta.

Bikram noticed that increasing the temperature not only made people sweat, but also exert themselves more.

Therefore he continued to increase the heat, and today it sits at around 40 degrees Celsius. Although ‘hot yoga’ is often associated with Bikram’s style, it is used as an umbrella term which incorporates a wide range of yoga styles in a heated room. Some of the many different types include: ‘Bikram Yoga’ a style synthesised from Bikram Choudhury from traditional hatha yoga, practised in a 40 degree from with 40 per cent humidity; ‘Forrest Yoga’ which incorporates Native American spirituality to create a ‘yoga sweat lodge’ and ‘Power Yoga’ which uses heat to replicate environmental conditions in Mysore and is derived from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.

Three third year students try out hot yoga to find out whether it really does relieve some of the stresses of final year.

“ “” ” Hot yoga has been described as a stress relief, a way to build inner confidence and emotion regulation

Hot yoga has been advertised with a variety of health benefits including weight loss, increased flexibility, improving your lymphatic system and flushing out toxins. It is known to reduce symptoms of illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis and obesity.

Practising yoga in an environment of 40 degrees Celsius increases your pulse and your metabolism making circulation easier and therefore increasing blood flow to the limbs.

This also means that your body works harder making weight loss a goal of some hot yoga sessions. A single session has been known to burn up to 700-1000 calories.

Bikram Choudhury suffered from a knee injury at the age of seventeen which European doctors told him would mean he would never walk again.

Yet six months later, it is claimed that yoga healed his knee completely.

All you have to do is Google ‘health benefits’ to find hundreds of success stories. It is said to yield incredible results for sufferers of chronic pain. It also can help to heal old injuries and prevent new ones.

Of course there are also the much appraised mental health benefits of yoga. Hot yoga has been described as a stress reliever a way to build inner confidence, emotion regulation, pain management; the list goes on. This was the reason Epigram was initially interested in looking into hot yoga, for its mental health benefits for students especially during stressful deadline and exam periods.

The focus of hot yoga is breathing excesses and the same twenty six positions. The repetition allows each person to advance their practice and to gain a sense of determination and focus which translates into everyday life. Emily Lindsay, a researcher of stress and mindfulness at Carnegie Mellon University claims that ‘there’s an element of mindfulness in Bikram yoga instruction. Focusing your attention on your breathing and body posture can anchor you in the present moment and foster mindfulness’ Crucially yoga provides an uninterrupted space without phones or laptops. It is a space in which you can distance yourself from life’s stresses and problems for the time that you are in that room.

‘Being reminded of the fact that we are all capable of different things during the class was definitely beneficial.’

Epigram were invited to take part in a hot yoga session at Yogafurie to experience it first hand. Yogafurie in Bishopston carry out their Vinyasa yoga classes in 42 degree rooms and you can be expected to burn an impressive 600-900 calories per session.

Alongside classes they also run the Yogafurie Academy to train certified

yoga teachers.

Prior to Epigram’s class, two of our volunteers had carried out a yoga class previously, one had never done it before. All the volunteers were third year students (the height of university stress), one had spent the whole day in labs, one had a painful back and the other had spent all day in the library – so all were in need of something else to focus their minds on. One volunteer Amy Stewart stated that ‘when we first went into the “hot studio” it reminded me of that feeling when you get off a plane into a country much hotter than England and you get hit by that wave of heat.’

We had genuinely never sweat so much in our lives, it was dripping off our faces... but we all felt pretty good

Ed Wood, the founder and lead instructor at Yogafurie took the class and started by asking us about any injuries we might have and what we wanted to focus on in the class which all the volunteers agreed was a really helpful way to approach the session.

The class focused on lots of quite simple poses but the volunteers had asked for a strengthening class so it was based around lots of tougher poses that were simpler to do but it was still very relaxing and everyone was able to do them. One volunteer said ‘after about fifteen minutes I realised how sweaty I was – the mirrors in the room meant that I could see how red my face had gotten. After the class we all agreed that we had genuinely never sweated so much in our lives, it was dripping off our faces … but we all felt

pretty good afterwards; I guess some sort of workload weight had been lifted for that hour.’

Third year Emily Newman commented ‘I really enjoyed the hot yoga class even though I have always been sceptical about yoga in the past.

All of the staff were super friendly and really took into consideration my back injury which made me feel much more comfortable about doing the exercises.

Despite sweating more than I ever have in my life, I really enjoyed completely forgetting about the world for a whole hour and just concentrating on my own body, and felt really relaxed after the session’

‘The instructor was very friendly and answered all our questions, going into detail abou the philosophy behind yoga

Ed spoke to Epigram about the foundations of yoga, about the different elements of the human psyche and how yoga allows us to consider them and allows them to complement each other. He also spoke about how yoga forces you to not worry about what everyone else is doing because everyone’s body and the poses they are able to do will always be different so this allows you to focus more on yourself as a whole rather than about looking like everyone else. Amy Stewart noted that ‘how my body looks is something I know I definitely have anxieties about as I’m sure many other people do as well. So being reminded of the fact that we are all capable of different things during the class was definitely beneficial.’

Fellow third year Lizzie Cornish said

‘I really enjoyed the hot yoga class! I would recommend it despite the sweat.

The instructor was very friendly and answered all our questions, going into detail about the philosophy behind yoga.’ She also recommended bringing snacks for afterwards as she felt light headed which is something to be careful of during this kind of exercise.

It is also highly recommended to make sure you drink lots of water before, after and through the session. And always stop and leave the room if you begin to feel weak or light headed.

To find out more about how you could get involved in hot yoga go to www.yogafurie.com Students get discount on the monthly price at Yogafurie and they also offer a £30 beginner’s month which gives you unlimited classes for your first month at this price to try out a variety of classes first.

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Comment

Epigram 28.11.2016

@epigramcomment Editor: Abbie Scott

Deputy Editor: Ed Fernyhough

Online Editor: Sarah Williams

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Epislam weekly*

Hating Trump is counter-productive Cameron Scheijde argues that Trump’s win is a valuable lesson on political debate for students

LANDLORDS ADVISE STUDENTS TO ‘BLOW ON WALL’ AS DAMP SPREADS THROUGH REDLAND

Cameron Scheijde Comment writer

were afraid of being shouted down by the ‘liberal left’ as racists, homophobes, sexists, bigots and ‘deplorables’. It is extremely hard for liberal-minded students to try to understand some of the beliefs held by the

Students watching the US election night in the Balloon Bar. Should liberal-left students consider Trump voters ‘racist’ or is this an unconstructive dialogue?

Breitbart-reading Trumpster in Alabama.

There are countless numbers of times I have been close to throwing my hands up in despair and resigning myself to the simple truth; ‘they’re all racists’. This, however, is clearly not the solution. We cannot assume moral superiority in any case, for as soon as we do, the prejudices held by these people are even more assured as they fight against ‘conventional’ and ‘establishment’ beliefs.

The one thing that should be learnt, therefore, it is that to constructively deal with views that oppose one’s own, you have to listen to opposing views first. We cannot simply yell from across the pond, denouncing the moral degeneracy of a nation of 330 million people.

Instead of accusing Trump voters of causing nuclear armageddon, engage in reasoned debate with them. Instead of no-platforming speakers with contentious views, invite them to speak. There is nothing an extremist loves more than being silenced; it proves that the ‘liberal elite’ is deliberately biased against them and adds traction to their conspiracy

Epigram

“

To constructively deal with views that oppose one’s own, you have to listen to opposing views first

Flickr / Donkey Hotey Epigram/ Harry Plowden Flickr / Roger Blackwell Flickr / Richard Harrison

So, it happened. Just when you thought 2016 couldn’t get more strange, unpredictable, scary and just damn depressing, it happened.

No one saw it coming.

Toblerone changed the shape of their chocolate bars.

Oh, and a millionaire businessman with a habit of sounding a bit nuts was elected as the 45th President of the United States. In case you missed it.

Students across the world have a tendency to be seen as ultra left freedom of speech haters who run off to a safe space whenever they see something that disagrees with them.

This is a grossly unfair view of the student body, as I discovered on Tuesday night as I was interviewing students for UBTV. Trump’s victory poses an interesting question for students across the world; is our method of debate one that simply shouts down anyone with a different opinion, thus enforcing people’s prejudices rather than challenging them? People in the States, especially (as I’m sure you’re tired of hearing) the ‘white working class man’, were fed up with being told what to do, say or think. In Trump many saw a man who legitimised fears and prejudices that they had previously been too afraid to voice. They

claims. We may live in a bubble of political correctness, no platforming, safe spaces and trigger warnings; but the real world doesn’t operate like that - there are views that will offend.

Unfortunate though it may be, fear rhetoric works. To patronise and silence voters is only to make them more dedicated in the voting booth. Calling leave voters racists, calling Trump supporters bigots and sexists, and silencing those with which you are in disagreement only enforces their views. This is not a way that we, as students, should constructively deal with issues. I strongly dislike Trump; he is fear politics personified.

But I still understand why people support him, and while I was hurt and upset at the result, in the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the sun comes up and the world still spins.

Stand up to racism, stand up to homophobia and other forms of oppression: but demean and patronise large groups of people at your peril. We’ve seen all too clearly what happens when you do.

Reacting to recent protests from students who are unhappy with the state of student housing, landlords have tried to gain favour by giving students advice on how to deal with their difficult living situations.

A statement from the Land Lord Association (LLA) read ‘We want students to feel safe and comfortable in their otherwise decrepid student homes. We will be giving advice on all things from getting rid of damp, to how heat your house by burning the housemate who never washes up’.

Students seem to be reacting well to this change of heart from Landlords, finally feeling like their living standards are actually being taken seriously.

One student told Epislam ‘The advice we got from the LLA was great.

Blowing on my wall didn’t get rid of the damp, but the massive bonfire we made to burn our housemate worked a treat - the house has never been drier!’ *Epislam is a fictional publication

Caption competition: Hairy apes profit from budget fiddling This week’s edition of Epigram contemplates the state of university and school funding

@StefanRollnick

@EdFernyhough

Spot the lie: sending us memes will a) make us smile, or b) increase your employability. @EpigramComment is waiting for your submissions.

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@BenjaminJParr

Epigram

28.11.2016

12

Stop complaining about rising university fees Ed Southgate argues that increasing the university fees isn’t as unreasonable as we might first think

It’s no lie, university is a breeding ground for anti-establishment socialists. Young people love Corbyn. Young people love Sanders. Young people just love to protest. For some, it has almost become a fashion statement of sort. Youngsters, free from the burden of tax, wear their metaphorical leftwing badge with pride to seem edgy and cool. It provides a buzz of moral satisfaction, a sensation of moral superiority. But fashion and reason seldom go together, especially within the realm of politics.

It is something of a taboo to be centre-right-wing at university. Indeed, the first rule of being rightwing at university generally is to never tell anyone that you are right-wing. But as the prospect of the University of Bristol raising their tuition fees alongside government policy emerges, I am happy to make an exception. Idly petitioning against tuition fees is illogical.

Recently, my social media accounts have been bombarded with angry students who think writing a strongly-worded, 140-character tweet will make the blindest bit of difference. But with students handing out leaflets outside our beloved ASSL just the other day, and telling me to sign their petition against the fees, it has all got too much.

‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Because rising tuition fees is bad for students’ replied the student who was slightly startled that I even asked the question. Has it got

so bad that the expectation is that students will just sign a petition and protest without even really knowing why?!

Sorry pal, but like it or not this world is not free and your idealistic, unrealistic socialist utopia is a bubble you need to get out of. Morally, you cannot steal the average man/woman’s hard-earned money to pay for yourself. University is often praised as being great for encouraging independence; well, the real world is a tough one, and one which you have to work and pay your way through…independently.

Indeed, one of the most frequent answers to a question such as ‘why do people go to university’

Education has become something of an afterthought for some prospective students

is irrefutably ‘to get a good job’. But with 58.8 per cent of graduates in non-graduate jobs, is this really legitimate or plausible justification for university life anymore? By not getting a job, you cannot pay off your loan and you are thereby forcing someone else who has worked hard for their money to fund your lifestyle choice.

Yes, lifestyle choice. Sadly, education has become something of an afterthought for some prospective students these days, as university has become far more of a cultural norm than it was 20 years ago; with record numbers of students being accepted into university (devaluing the degree) and the cap of how many students a university can accept being lifted, it has become an expectation for us to go onto higher education. But £9,000 for a lifestyle choice is not justifiable, and if it being raised will encourage young people to think more judiciously about their

options and which pathway will give them the best direction in life then I say good.

Frequently, I hear the argument ‘but those from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the capability to go to university won’t be able to afford it’. To that I respond simply: jog on mate. As the majority of us who are not privileged enough to have our fees paid for directly from our parents’ pockets are aware, the government hands us a loan (calculated based on our family’s financial situation in order to achieve fairness to all), funded for by the taxpayer. If university lands us in a good job then we will be able to pay off our loan and our financial background won’t matter an ounce; if it does/will not land us in a good job then why are we willingly falling into debt and forcing a hard-worker, who wants to support their families, to pay for your fruitless life choice. There are plenty of different pathways, like apprenticeships, which young people

can take nowadays and it is fundamental that all options are considered before conforming to this cultural expectation.

On a practical level, these rising tuition fees support the rapid decline in the value of the current fees to maintain teaching standards. As a result of inflation, your £9,000-a-year fees are now only worth around £8,200 in real terms, compared to 2012, so the university has less money to spend on facilities, less money to spend on teaching, less money to spend on your education. Indeed, the legislation allowing fees to rise even states that fees can only rise in line with inflation – what is so unjust about that? You want a good education to get yourself a ‘good job’? Well, I am afraid you are going to have to keep up with the economy.

And, for having some of the world’s best universities, at least we’re still more affordable than America.

Students protesting about fees is a common sight around university cities, but is it reasonable?

Flickr: Antony Bennison Gov.uk / Official Eu

“

The first rule of being right-wing at university generally is to never tell anyone

“

Ed Southgate Comment writer

‘Exclusive’ societies are no different to others Lucy Moor argues that ‘exclusive’ societies do not cause division but redress existing divisions Lucy Moor Comment writer As ‘Bristol is the New Black’, a platform aiming to connect and promote black people in Bristol, is set to launch at the Watershed next month, a vocal few will undoubtedly smell blood and protest the ‘divisiveness’ of such initiatives.

It’s happened before: when the idea for the ‘93% Club’, UoB’s state school society, was first proposed in April, some claimed it would drive a wedge in the university community, ‘undermining a sense of collectivity’ among students.

But, by this logic, the Labour Society, Christian Union, LGBT Society, Women in Engineering, even just Engineering Society itself, are all equally culpable. They all strive to bring together and represent a certain subsection of the university community, and

equality of opportunity, Bristol is the New Black was inspired by the fact that just 51 black home students graduated from UoB last year. Again, they’re not causing divisions by addressing this, they’re raising awareness to break the divisions that already exist.

Some people out there will twist this logic to justify the existence of ‘Bullingdon Club’style groups; indeed, in the heat of the 93% Club controversy, it was claimed that the latter could amount to a state school equivalent of this. But the point of such liberation-based societies is to represent the marginalised and bring them up to the level of the more privileged – it’s like the reason ‘feminism’ is called ‘feminism’, even though it’s about

gender equality, or the reason charities focus on helping the poor, sick, and vulnerable. The privileged don’t need representing in the same way.

We should be doing all we can to make disadvantaged and minority groups feel welcome at Bristol, especially given its very white middle-class demographic. If this isn’t going to come from the top – the Vice Chancellor’s commitment to widening participation is arguably questionable – we need to raise momentum from the bottom up, and our best bet for this is through societies.

It is through a variety of ‘non-inclusive’ groups that we create a truly inclusive university community.

Flickr / Flik Facebook/ Bristol is the New Black

“

It is the plurality and diversity of societies that make up an ‘inclusive’ community

thus, by their nature, exclude those who don’t identify.

Technically, then, they are ‘exclusive’. But it is the plurality and diversity of societies at Bristol that collectively make up an ‘inclusive’ community, where everyone has at least one group they feel represents them in some way. The creation of new such groups should be celebrated and encouraged, rather than unfairly critiqued.

This is particularly true of societies (and city-wide initiatives, in the case of BITNB) that seek to represent marginalised or disadvantaged groups. There is no doubt in my mind that the 93% Club is a force for good – the amount of privately-educated students at Bristol is shockingly disproportionate to society at large, and, as someone who went to a state comprehensive, I really do feel the effects of this. The society works to redress these divisions: they’ve provided students with free professional headshots and graduate application workshops, they hold coffee afternoons where people can discuss class issues, and they run a volunteering initiative where students edit personal statements for Year 13s whose schools don’t have the resources to help them. What could you possibly object to about that?

Even where I don’t personally identify with or reap the benefits of a society, I can still appreciate the way they contribute to a vibrant and diverse community. In the same way that the 93% Club is founded on the premise of

Epigram

28.11.2016

13

‘University is not a Silicon Valley tech company’ Scarlett Sherriff gives her opinion on news of the second campus proposed by the university

Scarlett Sherriff Comment writer

“

Don’t be won over by the brand new modern second campus that the University of Bristol is proposing. It is being paid for with our tuition fees and will not improve teaching, or how much Bristol undergraduates learn. It may raise ‘student satisfaction’, but it is still pointless.

An artist impression of how Tyndall Place could look.

Please don’t think that expansion in this manner will somehow create a more inclusive and educated society. Since the marketisation and the expansion of higher education began, with the uptake of neoliberalism and Thatcher in the 80s, vastly sped up by Tony Blair, job prospects have not improved, social mobility has not improved- if anything it is often mentioned how many jobs have disappeared.

On top of this, young people in the job market are being exploited not only by zero hours contracts but by unfair requirements such as yearlong unpaid internships without which you don’t stand a chance. This expansion is purely about getting more fees. Sadly, those who can afford to do internships and bear the debt of what will soon be league-table driven ‘performance based fees’ will be fine, all other undergraduates won’t.

Ultimately, university should be seen as a place

“

This search to be the shiniest and the newest, alongside the universities questionable marketing campaign ‘#ComeToTheEdge’ trivialises the very concept of higher education. University is not a Silicon Valley tech company, and it is shameful that they act like they are. Higher education is surely more valuable than any consumer good for mass consumption.

The first phase of the development of the second campus will not be finished until around 2022, by which point most current undergraduates will have left and the concept of a first degree that is of use will probably be well on its way to disappearing.

Indeed, it’s paradoxical that hosting another ‘5,000 students’, which is what the university proposes to do on its new campus, sits well with any plans it has to actually improve employability.

Already a solid 2:1 or even a 1st class degree is no guarantee of a decent job. The market is saturated with people who have good 2:1s from Russell Group universities- creating space for more just makes life yet more difficult for young people. Certainly, it will mean that the university looses its well-earned prestige.

to gain an education in critical thinking, and not as a place you have to attend to get a job. It should not be difficult to be a journalist without a degree.

A state of the art campus might be built but the teaching and learning of undergraduates are not necessarily improved

A degree of course is helpful and you do gain skills, but it should not be seen as a necessity because this makes public university education a commodity and means that universities compete with eachother to get as many students as possible.

Of course, that does not mean any more

University of Bristol Flickr / HorsDeOuvre

The first phase of the development... will not be finished until around 2022

knowledge is actually obtained. A state-of-the art campus might be built, but the teaching and learning of undergraduates are not necessarily improved.

So, University of Bristol- I like the proposal for a new library, an actually useful resource but apart from that I would much, much rather you spend my £9,000 university fees on paying all of my lecturers properly than on a plush new campus and student village.

You don’t need to advertise, Bristol has an irrefutably fantastic performance record, instead of building this flashy new campus why not just opt out of raising fees, making sure no one is put off by the huge cost of a university degree? I don’t care about being satisfied. After all, the quote from John Stuart Mill goes ‘It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied’.

First Bus no longer the first choice for students Jessica Cripps complains that the increased bus fare is another example of students being ripped off.

Jessica Cripps Comment writer

Flickr / torbakhopper

Students savvy enough to know all the best student-deals in Bristol will be feeling a little disappointed the next time they get on a First bus to Cabot or Temple Meads, and realise the popular student single ticket has increased by 20 per cent.

The original £1 single achieved by flashing a Ucard at the bus driver was recently, and very quietly, increased to £1.20. First still claim to give students an ‘up to 30 per cent discount’ on bus tickets, but many have voiced their bitter thoughts on the price increase simply because there seemed to be no communication or warning that it was going to happen.

As Bristol was crowned European Green Capital in 2015, it makes it even more vital that the affordability of our bus network is maintained.

For students in particular, buses play a vital part in getting anywhere beyond the university campus.

It is one of the easiest and most popular ways of getting to Temple Meads to visit friends elsewhere or spend a weekend at home. Many sports teams rely on buses to get to Southmead for training, and those working in Cabot will be extremely used to the journey on the number 1 or 2. Buses even play a vital role in getting to Thekla from pres during those long, cold winter months.

Buses are always just a once in a while expense: for a lot of students, that small twenty pence

increase will be affecting them on a daily basis.

Twenty pence might not seem like a massive economic expense, but in the long run, it builds up. Students paying for two single tickets a day for five days a week will be forced to fork out an extra £2 per week. To put that in perspective, that’s five fewer shots at Mbargo per month.

With economy more unstable since we voted for Bexit in June, perhaps it is just natural progression that we should expect the price of basic amenities to rise. Just living a day to day life – food, clothes, travel, rent – is getting increasingly expensive.

It is not uncommon for bus fares to increase in recognition of inflation.

However, as students, it’s hard not to feel hard done by. Simply by being at university, we are stepping into our futures at least £27,000 in debt.

All our expenses add up, and often these sudden daily costs increase unexpectedly. First Bus chose not to announce the increase in bus fares in advance: perhaps in fear of facing backlash, and so it was a surprise when suddenly bus drivers were demanding that extra twenty pence piece.

Many students will decide this is an unaffordable expense. Some will opt to walk or cycle to work to save a few pennies, while others will take advantage of the other transport services out there. Getting a single train to Temple Meads, with a 16-25 rail card, is only 75p, after all.

In the end, then, it is First Bus who will lose out in the long run as their once-loyal student customers look elsewhere to get around the city.

Epigram

28.11.2016

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

Women at higher risk from MDMA

“ An Epigram survey found that 77 per cent of students had tried illegal drugs

For those who don’t know, ecstasy contains MDMA, a psychoactive chemical that creates feelings of euphoria, and acts as a stimulant, by increasing serotonin production in the brain. Over 200,000 people in the UK take ecstasy each weekend, making it the third most popular illegal drug, behind cannabis and cocaine. Despite its popularity however, taking ecstasy comes with risks. In the past, ecstasyusers were likely to be exposed to dangerous chemicals that had been

have pumps which reduce the swelling.

Unfortunately, the female sex hormone oestrogen reduces the effectiveness of these pumps, therefore water retention has a greater effect on the female brain.

Some countries have begun to introduce drug-testing in places like clubs in an attempt to reduce the risk of overdosing on ecstasy. One example of this is the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands, which tests circulating drugs that have been seized by police. If a particular pill is found to be dangerous, as was the case with the infamous ‘Superman’ brand of pills, then a national news bulletin is released to warn drug-users. As well as this, a multitude of walk-in drugtesting centres are available across

the Netherlands, allowing drug-users to anonymously test their drugs for content and strength.

In some countries, drug testing is taking place in clubs to try and improve the safey of users

However, the UK lags behind countries like the Netherlands in terms of drug-testing, with only a handful of establishments offering on-site drugtesting. ‘The Loop’ is a charity that aims

Flickr/Steve Rotman

A recent survey by Epigram found that 77 per cent of students had tried illegal drugs, and it seems likely that many readers will have tried the recreational drug ecstasy. Most drug-takers are aware that all drugs, be it legal or illegal, come with side-effects, but many still think the positives outweigh the possible harm. However, scientists have recently warned that young women are putting themselves at an even greater risk than men when they take ecstasy.

added to pills, but recently the purity of pills has greatly increased. The MDMA content in pills is 4-5 times higher than it was five years ago, therefore many users may be unaware of how much of the drug they are actually taking, and are therefore at a risk of an overdose.

So far this year ten young women have died from taking ecstasy, almost double that of 2015, which scientists largely put down to this increase in pill strength. Yet why is that women are three times as likely to require emergency treatment after taking ecstasy than men? At a glance it may be assumed that the difference is because women tend to be smaller, however the reason is more complex, and is a result of differences in body chemistry, as well as social differences. Typically, young women are less likely to buy their own drugs, instead relying on male friends to supply them. Many female ecstasy users may therefore be unaware of the strength of the pills they are taking.

The leading theory for why women are so at risk when they take ecstasy is down to their body chemistry. Many ecstasy-related deaths are caused by users drinking excessive water, leading to a state in which the body retains to much water, known as dilutional hyponatremia. This is most dangerous when it occurs in the brain, as it can cause brain cells to swell and burst, leading to death. However, the body has a mechanism to counteract this, as cells

“

Rozie Benyon Science Writer

to reduce harm caused by drugs by providing free drug-testing at events like music festivals and The Warehouse Project in Manchester. They claim ‘[drug safety testing] can save lives and should be an essential safety measure at events’ and this applies even more so for young women who take ecstasy. However, it is unlikely this pilot drug-testing scheme would reach clubs like Motion or Lakota any time soon, largely due to the UK government apprehension to anything relating to recreational drugs.

Until drug-testing is available at all venues, the advice for young women who want to take ecstasy is this: make sure you know the source of any ecstasy that you take, and take extra care when using it.

Has Facebook killed your concentration

Most of us will know the feeling: you’ve just sat down to complete an assignment, and five minutes later you’re just checking your Facebook, or replying to that group chat message that just couldn’t wait. But in the age of smartphones and global information, are attention spans really getting shorter?

Scientists in Canada seem to think so.

In a recent study surveying 2000 people and taking an electroencephalogram from 112 others it was found that human’s attention span has fallen

from 12 seconds in 2000 to around eight seconds. Putting this into context, goldfish were found to have an attention span of nine seconds, meaning that we as humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish.

Could this shorter attention span be affecting our ability to work effectively?

I know that I personally often have trouble concentrating on my work for long periods of time. For example, since starting this article I have checked my phone at least five times, suggesting that at least for me it is a cause for potential concern. It certainly makes focusing on work harder.

So is total connectivity a bad thing?

Information has never been easier

“

to access. The internet is a fantastic resource for research and gaining information on a topic.

Since starting this article I have checked my phone at least five times

For many students it is a lifeline in an otherwise confusing world of textbooks and library hard copies of journals.

However the temptation to distraction and collecting useless information is a large problem, particularly as items

Flickr/Sean MacEntee

found online cannot always be relied upon.

The problem with having so much information at our fingertips appears to be the change in the way that we think.

Our knowledge tends to trend towards broader and shallower knowledge, rather depth in a specific area. This is in a direct contrast to most people’s studies, which require a great depth of knowledge and understanding. This can make it hard for us to go into great depth about a topic while maintaining interest, and hence tends us towards distraction.

Should the University introduce spaces where you cannot use mobile phones or laptops? While for some people this could be a positive factor for their work, generally I don’t think that it would be that beneficial for a great many people. Many people are required to write their essays and assignments online, and require the internet to find valuable sources such as current papers.

Perhaps a better solution would be to set up areas that ban mobile phones and have computers that are only able to access certain websites, without people being able to use their own laptop.

A far better solution for curtailing our distraction is probably in the invention of websites and apps that can block you from using certain apps or sites on your phone or laptop while you attempt to do your work. I myself have used these many times during exam time and they have been very useful.

So is our use of phones and hence a shorter attention span causing people to turn to alternate methods, such as study drugs, in order to get the work done? A study done in 2001 suggested that 6.9 per cent of students had taken some form of study drug, comparably in 2006 the prevalence had gone up to 8.3 per cent with the most common citation for use being to improve their attention. These results suggest that the use of study drugs are increasing to match the decrease in attention span, although this could be due to ease of access of the drugs.

“

Emma Isle Science Editor

I believe that being connected is a great help to us all

It’s not all bad news though, according to the same study our ability to multitask has improved since the invention of smartphones, as many digital natives are used to focusing on multiple screens at once. And overall I believe that being connected is a great help to all of us, particularly when we have to do our own research.

It has certainly made research based university projects a lot easier. If only we could find a way to prevent our attention… sorry… just got a Facebook notification... what was I saying?

Epigram 28.11.2016

15

Was the halting of the male contraceptive trial sexist?

The male ‘pill’ has experienced further delays as it is being sent back to the drawing board A recent study conducted by the World Health Organisation into developing an injection which looked to be the male equivalent of the female combined contraceptive pill was halted on the grounds of ethics whilst undergoing phase II clinical trials. On the face of it the study seemed positive.

“ There are however, almost always valid reasons for discontinuing a trial

Over the course of a year there were only four pregnancies and as such the injection is reported as having a 96 per cent success rate, comparable to that of the combined pill. About 86 per cent of men on the study also said that they would like to continue, or to use a similar contraceptive.

The combined contraceptive pill was first released in 1962 and has since undergone three reformulations. It is infamous for its side effects, which include mood changes, headaches, weight gain and acne as well as more severe and long term effects like high blood pressure, increased risk of breast cancer and deadly pulmonary embolisms which are notoriously linked to the newest formulations of the pill such as Yasmin. In light of this a lot of media caught on to the halting of the trials of the newly developed male contraceptive injection. This caused widespread calls for men to ‘man up’ and ‘deal with the side effects’ from sources as diverse as The Independent, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan. Many of the reported side effects overlapped with those that women are expected to accept when taking the combined pill (depression, muscle pain, mood swings, acne and changes to libido).

There are however, almost always valid reasons for discontinuing a trial.

Participants experienced an average of three side effects per person, which is considerably more than some reports suggest for the pill. As a comparison, 46 per cent of men developed acne whilst a recent study which compared

the contraceptive patch to the pill found the pill reduces acne for 70 per cent of women. Similarly whilst 2.8 per cent of those injected with the male contraceptive developed depression, only 0.5 per cent of women did in the patch vs pill study. Whilst these might seem like comparable numbers, that ultimately results in more than five times as many men developing depression because of the injection than women who are on the pill, when ideally we should be striving for 0 per cent for both! This is in combination with a plethora of other side effects experienced by the test subjects, including two attempted suicides, one of which was successful.

“

Will Davidson Science Writer

...other side effects exeprienced by the test subjects [included] two attempted suicides, one of which was successful

The WHO reports that of the 266 men that continued to be injected every 8 weeks for long enough to gather data, 8 had not regained their fertility a year after the study, although it is important to note that it is common from women

discontinuing the pill to experience months of irregular periods which may affect fertility when attempting to conceive, though, one male participant remains infertile four years on from his last injection. A further two of those eight participants decided they wanted nothing more to do with the study and their status is unknown. For a drug which is not lifesaving, it was deemed that further development was necessary.

Many media outlets reported the trial outcome as an example of sexism, until this point the responsibility of birth control has largely fallen on the shoulders of women, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not the researchers feeling sympathetic for the men and calling it quits prematurely, it was an independent review board which halted the study on the grounds of ethics. This is a process which every pharmaceutical that comes to market is subject to, and it happens that the side effects and recovery after the course of treatment simply weren’t up to scratch in this instance. This isn’t to say that the drug has been completely written off; it will simply be sent back to the lab for the formula to be

“

adjusted before trying again. In a press release the researchers commented: ‘Given the efficacy and acceptability of this method, despite side effects, there continues to be a strong rationale for continuing research.’

Older drugs like the combined pill passed through less stringent regulations and..haven’t been reassessed since

This, after all, is how science works, incremental movements towards an ideal solution, in this case a new drug coming to market. This trial did not suggest that men shouldn’t deal with the side effect that women must, rather, in 2016, clinical standards are higher and drugs developed today are more rigorously scrutinized and refined than ever before. Older drugs like the combined pill passed through less stringent regulations and largely haven’t been reassessed since. So, instead of berating men for finding fault with the injection, let’s focus on making both the male and female contraceptives as safe, effective and side-effect free as we possibly can.

Flickr/ Good Heavens

Flickr/ Sarah

Under the microscope... ‘brain-wifi’, CRISPR-cas and low-carbon energy...

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Amélie Peschanski

found rt has as A repo ritain h 2016, B f o r te rgy for r e free en last qua n e o th ay b t r a a th e first d olely c un on s 6 was th r 1 y 0 ll This 2 ! fu 1 s th ce 188 succes May 5 ergy sin In fact, n . e s se all e y c a lo c u d d 6 lans to l to pro p a almost s o e c c t ar n n ur d nucle t annou hasn’t b able an rnmen w e e v the UK n o G re the year, 50 our of mes as 5 in fav er this 2 b 0 m 2 data co y te b p ns rces d Se er statio bon sou July an UK pow low car etween B m o . s ra fr e e e rc r sou ge cam greene power rgy usa ards a t of ene ing tow n d e a c e carbon r h e p ut and y we’re o ll s fu n e u p r coal so, ho point. time as h crisis just in s n reac io s is m e

Gina Degtyareva

discusses new research using ‘brain-wifi’ to overcome paralysis

Katie Coates

explains new gene editing technology, CRISPR-Cas9

discusses the state of energy usage in the UK

Flickr/thellr

Flickr/thellr

Flickr/thellr

Epigram 28.11.2016

Letters

@EpigramLetters

Editor: Claire Hargreaves letters@epigram.org.uk

Has social media been Donald Trump’s friend or foe?

Last Tuesday we witnessed the most controversial outcome of the most controversial presidential election in American history. Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the USA. As the result unfolded, some were devastated while others were ecstatic.

But what role has social media played in all this?

Social media is a modern phenomenon. The power it wields is incredibly significant in today’s world due to the instant way it shares stories and opinions. Social media can do three powerful things. It can spread love, it can spread hate and it can make people laugh out loud. In the last few weeks, it has done all three.

“ I myself have seen Facebook messages urging people not to panic

One thing is for sure: social media has changed modern politics. It makes it much easier for people to voice their opinions and also makes

people much more aware of what is actually happening.

For many people over the last few days social media has given them solace. People who are frightened and uncertain about their future have banded together with others in the same position. It has given them hope. People have been encouraged to stay strong and work together. I myself have seen hundreds of tweets, Instagram posts and Facebook messages urging people not to panic, that everything will be alright. This really shows social media in its best light, allowing both sides of the election to come together. Hopefully we will see more of this as the dust settles on the result and people try to work out what to do next.

“

Ellie Cheshire Letters writer

Memes are turning politicians into a bit of a joke

However, social media has also been wielded to spread a lot of hate.

For a minority of people, the election has been an excuse to unleash hate crime on different demographics and

social media is arguably the perfect place to do this. I have seen many people post from all over the world, belittling others for their beliefs, their opinions and their actions. This is not just Trump supporters either: some Clinton supporters have been just as aggressive when voicing their opinions. This has made the aftermath of Trump’s election a bitter one. Much like the aftermath of Brexit, the nation is divided and many people aren’t afraid to point this out. Despite pleas for unity from leaders such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, so far the aftermath of the election has hardly been smooth.

The third way in which social

media has forever changed politics, is the whirlwind phenomenon of memes. Memes are arguably turning politicians into a bit of a joke. Ever since Donald Trump first announced he was running for President we have seen hundreds of memes made about him, turning him into America’s biggest joke. In the aftermath of the election, memes have exploded. Not just of Trump, but of Clinton and Obama too. I have seen everything from jokes about ‘orange being the new black’ and calls for Obama to become the UK’s new Prime Minister.

It seems that memes are a good way for some to vent their frustrations with the election results, by joking about a

situation that is far from funny.

The aftermath of the presidential election has certainly been turbulent and social media has played a big part in this. It has been incredibly productive and reassuring, but also damaging and downright cruel. It has made people laugh out loud, but also realise the scope of the decision the American people have made.

Social media provides an online platform for free speech which makes it very difficult to regulate. It has been particularly significant for students, many of whom are very active on social media. We must only hope, however, that people think before they tweet.

Tweets of the fortnight: @laurenmarkish95

‘Guys. Breaking news. OLD YIK YAK IS BACK. NO MORE HANDLES NECESSARY. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME??’

@aliencheese

‘I think my diet is about 65% biscuit. At what percentage should I start to worry? #unistudentproblems’

@msleaslaychele

‘Emailing lecturers like “I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but..”’

Replies to ‘Are gay men making it harder?’

How Facebook reacted to a comment article about gay culture ‘I personally find it quite hard to believe that Epigram has allowed it to be published. The suggestion that liking Drag Race means you can’t possibly have an understanding of wider culture is ‘dégoutant’ to me, as is the idea that I’m ‘pretending [...] “to be a gay man”’ by doing so. If the author truly believed that we should have the ‘courage to be completely ourselves’ then he wouldn’t find an issue with a ‘herd of booty-shaking, body-shaving, sass-giving, men-who-have-sex-withmen.’ The LGBT+ community receives enough criticism as it is and it saddens me when it comes from within. And for what it’s worth, I think that Wilde would have liked Drag Race - just look at the capes and furs he wore!’

‘I think there’s a very real discussion to be had about the way some people and groups can be made to feel marginalised within the LGBT+ community, but I don’t think this article takes the right approach to starting that discussion.’

‘I think it’s a shame the author sees being camp and being intellectual as mutually exclusive. This feels like a version of the ‘if you’re a girl who likes traditionally girly things then you can’t also be smart’. If you’re a gay guy who like dancing and Beyonce, you can’t possibly also like Wilde and activism.’

‘The last line made a good point, but the article’s theme seemed to be “people shouldn’t adhere to stereotypes” rather than “people shouldn’t HAVE to” (though I think he may have been aiming at the latter point, it kind of felt like the former).

Also: “Let’s not forget the other side of social interaction either, which is an important part of any (young) person’s life: sex.”

Yikes.

The LGBT+ community can be divisive at times (the ace ignorance above is but one example of the erasure aspect of the community for those of us who aren’t cis white gays like myself), and it has its share of problems because of that, but liking a TV show or being camp isn’t really one of them.’

‘To me, the article comes across as a whinge that the writer hasn’t found their knight in shining armour in their current social scene, and that stereotypical gay men actually exist. It screams internalised homophobia.

Personally, I’ve never experienced any queers asking or being asked “Are you a Beyoncé kinda girl or do you channel Gaga’s vibes?”, and I’ve been on the university queer scene for a long time compared to most students.

Which is a shame really, because I would happily use the opportunity to

gush over “Telephone”.

If the writer is so desperate to engage in “intellectual conversation” and political activism, why not join a political or debating society? Queers do exist in those spaces too. Or why not start the conversation yourself ? I know many-a-queer whose underwear would moisten at a whisper of the word “Marx”, or who spend weekends busing back-and-forth to London to participate in demos. Come along to a coffee afternoon and mention Theresa May, see where that gets you.

And if you’re really struggling to get what you want out of the queer scene or LGBT+ Society, why not suggest some alternative events to the committee?’

‘You didn’t just speak French, you *chose* to use a French word meaning ‘distasteful’, rather than just using ... oh, I don’t know, ‘distasteful’, in an article written for the UOB paper, where the vast majority of readers would certainly have had to look that up. You made that choice in an article that appears to be a reaction against what you perceive as a lack of sophistication. It is not a stereotype I am working with here, I just do not believe that is a coincidence…You are perfectly entitled to your opinion on how people behave. But please don’t try to pretend it is anything other than that.’

‘The point of the article is not that any of those activities are, in themselves, worthy of criticism or denigration: it’s all about social pressure. The theme is not “people shouldn’t adhere to stereotypes” it’s admitted that we can all express ourselves however we wish - but instead that we should have no

expectations of one another. In my view, LGBT+ Soc doesn’t seem to facilitate many events and activities which would be described as not traditionally falling into the bubble of “gay culture”. I believe this to be indicative of an insular attitude many seem to take with respect to gay social groups.’

E2

Epigram/ Christy Nunns

Looking forward

Living Well Being Travel Style Food What’s On

28.11.2016

19

Editor Johnny Thalassites

Online Editor Erin Beesley

Deputy Editor

living@epigram.org.uk

erin.beesley@epigram.org.uk

saskia.hume@epigram.org.uk

@e2living

Saskia Hume

Epigram Living Section 2016/17

Living’s guide to housing With December almost upon us, the stress of finding a second or third year house is about to get very real. To give you all a helping hand, we’ve asked Bristol students to summarise the best things about living in some of the city’s most popular locations.

Epigram/Sarah Roller

Wikipedia/ Brizzleboy

Geograph/Stephen Richards

City Centre

Whiteladies Road

Kingsdown is a small, underrated area separating the University and Stokes Croft. It is within a 10 minute walking distance to your favourite joints on Gloucester Road, City Centre, Cabot Circus or the Triangle. The list goes on, with prime access to both the Megabus and the National Express bus station, with my personal record being only 7 minutes from front door to coach.

Never spend money on getting back from nightclubs again. Roll out of bed 20 minutes before a lecture and get freshly prepared samosas on your way (curtesy of Tuck News). Another plus, if you need any more, is that the rent tends to be far cheaper than Redland or Clifton.

Although I wouldn’t say I live directly in the city centre, living toward that way is really good for actually living in Bristol, especially after living in Stoke Bishop last year. Everything’s 10 minutes away - Redland, Clifton, Cabot, and uni’s a 5 minute walk, which I prefer over living in a residential area with not much to do. Location is great and really refreshing after spending what felt like half of first year waiting for the 16. The house is a pretty standard student house but I think the quality widely varies in the centre. Quite noisy but doesn’t really bother any of us, I actually really enjoy living on a busy street.

‘It’s sooooo far away’ is your first thought. Granted, it’s not the closest, but at a 15 minute downhill walk (at least on the way to lectures), it’s arguably closer than living in Clifton Village, with the added perk of the Downs being on your doorstep when you need a breath of fresh air. Sainsbury’s, Tesco and ASDA are all on your doorstep, and you’re pretty much slap bang in the middle of the whole Redland/Clifton divide. Your mates will come and visit you (I promise), and you probably won’t bump into 10 people you know as soon as you leave the house; whether that’s a blessing or a curse is a personal opinion.

Joe Jones

Sarah Roller

Flickr/Jeremy Fennell

Kingsdown

Gina Degtyareva

Redland

Stokes Croft

It’s next to the big Sainsbury’s so it’s good for discounts.

I liked living in Stoke’s Croft better. (editor’s note - read on for Amy’s take on Stokes Croft).

In my third year of university, I lived on Cheltenham road, which had a dragon - a huge, painted dragon on one of the houses.

Also, an unidentified hole in the ground, where somebody might have lived. I liked living on Cheltenham Rd because it was as grimy and as fun as I am. The main problem was that someone had a party literally every day of the week, which you could literally hear from your bedroom. That was an issue around exam time. We also had a trampoline, but I guess that’s not relevant. My house was between Stokes Croft and Gloucester Rd, which is a really cool location if you love vegetarian food, ale and gentrification!

Amy Finch

Instagram/jacobjherbert

Amy Finch

Instagram/elephantbeaches

Instagram/sophie_landau

Clifton’s an ideal place to live due to its proximity to uni as well as the Triangle - meaning you can stagger home from a long day at the ASS or a long night at Bargs. Ok, it might be incredibly middle class and more expensive than some of Bristol’s other locations, but you can definitely justify paying that bit extra.

Instead of the huge but drafty houses that populate Redland, most of the properties are smaller but cosier flats - perfect for when you want to downsize in third year. It might seem quaint and quiet but there is a great selection of pubs, restaurants and cafes and you can easily walk to Clifton Down station if you’re heading home for the weekend.

Saskia Hume

Flickr/Nick

Flickr/Nicola Clarke

Wikipedia/ Rept0n1x

Clifton

28.11.2016

20

An ode to solo pints

Living Editor Johnny Thalassites follows up his defence of daytime drinking - with a eulogy, to solo pints ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ goes the saying - and few pals quite grasp it. But beer does. Your Bud does.

Yes, you’ve caught me. I drink Budweiser – because you can get twelve bottles (300ml) for £8 at the Co-Op. And because as a proud American, there are few things left that I can be proud of. So I drink my country’s finest to numb the pain.

In fact, I was thinking the other day. It doesn’t happen often - and it certainly doesn’t happen enough. You know, ‘I just don’t think’ is actually one of the few assertions that unites family, philistines that they are; previous lovers, numerous as they may be (!); and lecturers, aloof as they might seem.

But it’s true. I gave something some serious thought. And I did this recently, too.

And I reckon I know what you’re imagining. I’m a student, right? So it’s probably girls. Or my course.

(If it was girls first - and my course just a close second - then you, dear reader, must get your priorities straight.)

Flirkr/ Sharon Mollerus Wikipedia/ Koriela flickr / Sandro Maggi

Still, it was neither. What I thought about, and then wanted to expand upon, was the art of solo pint-ing.

Be under no illusions, either solo pint-ing is an art form.

To sip a solo pint is to Build A Wall - or, maybe a fence - and shield oneself from coquette and contretemps alike. It is to take one look at Lady Luck, crooked and rigged beyond belief, and Lock Her Up. You see, life – that famous bitch – can hurt you in so very many ways.

You might be at a loose end with time to kill. Waiting for an acquaintance to meet you. Or for a coach to set off. You might be tired and need a pick me up. Or happy and keen to celebrate. Long day at work? Or you’re off from work early?

Maybe your friends are all busy, but you want to get out of the house. It might even be that you’ve had some bad news. The end of a relationship. A friendship. Even an acquaintance-ship, if you’re an especially sensitive soul.

In all of these instances, a solo pint can oil the wheels or soothe the pain.

Besides, as I touched upon, there is an art to the solo pint.

If you’ll indulge me briefly, I can prove it, too: Think - think really hard - and really rack your brain.

Consider just how many of your friends you can imagine taking to a solo pint? Who has the brass neck to walk boldly into the Brass Pig, where only groups of people have gone before, and order a single pint for themselves?

Which of your red-faced, purple-nosed, green-eyed, silvertongued, lily-livered, yellow-bellied rabble-rousing coursemates really has the gall to walk into a pub, sip on a cold beer and turn the air blue? Sip that pint coolly and really turn the air a chillier shade of blue than Chelsea’s azure strip on Boxing Day.

I expect it is fewer than you might think, and that is because there is subtlety to the practice.

Sip too slowly and the beer will go flat, too fast and you will be tipsy.

The solo pint is not life’s elixir. But to take one on is a noble, graceful pursuit. That often gets lost amidst the noise. I hope to have restored some balance (and beer) to the debate.

I may have begun this Ode discussing Bud. But I conclude none the Weiser as to whether I’ve persuaded any of you. I will live in hope (and beer).

Got beef? Try being a vegetarian Living Deputy Editor Saskia Hume discusses some of the prejudices she faces as a life-long herbivore

I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years now. That’s a long time. Especially when it’s your whole life. When I tell people I’ve never (knowingly) eaten meat or fish I’m always greeted with the same reaction - disbelief. ‘What, not even chicken?’ they ask.

‘You eat fish though?’ is another typical question, and something I’m still frequently asked by my extended family. The answer to which is, always, ‘no, I’m a vegetarian.’

But why, in this modern and free thinking age do my eating habits make me stand out from the crowd?

Without wanting to take a sexist stance, those generally most shocked by my life as a herbivore are males. They inevitably bring up the bacon issue (which they apparently cannot live without), and then state ‘it’s not a meal if it doesn’t contain

Perhaps I should blame the southern middle-class society in which I live, where my friends know they like their steak rare and their foie-gras pan-seared. One vegetarian main course option in a restaurant is generous - almost always goats cheese-related, let me add. If I were to live somewhere more diverse, East London or Brighton for example, I probably wouldn’t face such scrutiny (or such limited meal choices). But that shouldn’t be the case.

Prejudice against those who refuse to eat what was once alive shouldn’t exist anywhere.

In an ideal world it would be replaced with respect and admiration.

I prefer not to preach the veggie case far and wide, however when asked, I believe I hold solid arguments. Animal cruelty is unacceptable. Buy as much organic and free range meat as you like, but an animal still suffered so that you can eat it.

Furthermore, with recent scares such as the horse meat scandal, can you really know the origins of what you’re eating? On a less emotional level, our planet cannot sustain the diet of meat eaters forever. The PETA website reads ‘It takes more than 11 times as much fossil fuel to make one calorie from animal protein as it does to make one calorie from plant protein’. That’s a shocking statistic.

Rather than focussing on carbon emissions created by what we drive, we should be looking down at our plates.

Flickr/Linda Bailey

Diets such as ‘raw vegan’ and ‘paleo’ are becoming more and more common, so my choice not to eat meat or fish shouldn’t be viewed as peculiar.

meat.’ I’d laugh this off if I thought they were joking, but usually they’re not. What intrigues me most are the reasons for this attitude. Is it because men still have a deep prehistoric instinct as the hunter gatherer? That without meat they believe our species will die out? That they will become pale, sickly invalids?

I’m living proof that the latter isn’t true.

So, attitudes towards vegetarians need to change. 20th century misconceptions need to be eradicated and people need to be educated on the positive impact such a diet can have.

28.11.2016

21

In defence of free parties

Living Writer Reece Webster really loves free parties. Here’s why: All of this happens without having to bow to the agenda of a

People often seem confused when I tell them my plans to go to a free party at the weekend. Do I mean a house party? Which venue in town is it at? I qualify by saying I’m going to a rave.

This has them picturing something even further from the truth.

They think I’m going to Motion, or Blue Mountain or Thekla. So I speak further, explaining that the venue could be at a disused warehouse, a squat, a farmer’s field or a woodland. This is often met with turned up noses or incredulous looks as it sinks in that I’m going to one of those ‘illegal raves’.

In recent years there has been a tumultuous comeback of the free party scene all over England and Wales.

The rise of mainstream, commercial and exploitative clubs in our towns and cities, as well as the government and local councils crushing popular underground clubs (like the attempted closure of fabric) is likely to be a major factor. But what really happens at these meetings?

To state first off, they come together through the efforts of sound system collectives who pool together resources, bringing equipment and DJs and help to set up. They are self-

club owner or promoter.

Whilst there are some issues arising from free-partying, such

All costs are covered by members of the system collectives.

These collectives are at the heart of the community, but its members are vast. You’ll set the world to rights with random strangers one week and then the following month you’ll meet them again and have a friend for life. A shared love of music helps just about anyone find common ground. Whether you like drum & bass, techno, psytrance or trance there will always be somewhere to suit individual tastes.

An over-riding freedom of expression is core to these events. A person can arrive dressed in their latest Ellesse track suit, be clad in canvas and have dreadlocks down to their knees, or even come in a fairy outfit complete with glitter and wand.

No one will judge you for how you want to be. Maybe some will laugh at more outlandish costumes, but those same people will actually have a great respect and admiration for those showing more flavour at the party.

It is also a great platform for DJs. They can play what they want, try new music out and, even if you haven’t got a set, asking nicely may just land one.

FLickr/ Yvette Wohn

Illegal raves were initially rife in the early 90’s, a place where you could get away from the hustle and bustle of the rat race and dance erratically to acid-house, jungle and techno. Due to the lack of control the police had on these gatherings, the government put clauses in to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. They banned the public from gathering at night to play amplified “repetitive beats”.

promoted by the sound system crews by word of mouth and through texts on the night. They don’t use social media, so as to divert the powers that be from finding the party, yet draw in crowds of hundreds, and even sometimes thousands. Using the term ‘free party’ might make it seem obvious that you don’t have to pay for entry. but just to reiterate – the party goers do not pay a penny to be there.

as noise complaints, vandalism and violence, these are often blown massively out of proportion.

The mainstream media establishment has its methods of selling copy. They rely on fear and sensationalism. In reality, the parties give a place for the disenfranchised liberal-minded youth to come together as a community; to dance away the trials of their week as neo-slaves working for invisible masters. They can rebel in a wholly non-violent way against a society and system that seems never to have their best interests in heart. Is it any

My top spot: Friska Johnny Thalassites briefly gives you the lowdown on the triangle’s best coffee shop.

Ask students for three things they love – I dare you. And tell them it can’t be anything alcoholic.

Maybe the order will be swapped around, maybe a few rogues and heretics will come up with different answers, but I bet I have a fair idea what they’ll come back with. Food, drink and music.

4 Friska-based quotes: “It’s my favourite place on the Triangle”

So for this week’s Top Spot, I decided to highlight the one place I know that combines the three - Friska.

With a café on the bottom floor that serves everything from coffees, teas and (my personal favourite) hot chocolates, to breakfasts, soups and muffins, there is more than enough on the menu to whet the appetite.

Friska transforms, though, some evenings. With tables and chairs hidden and packed up, the downstairs area turns into a mini music venue. Bands from far and wide come to play brief sets of about half a dozen songs, but for only a few pounds you can see them at an intimate local venue.

Its clothes are vintage and retro. So if you’re looking to reinvent yourself or update your style, then look no further.

Honestly, there’s very little like it – a café/record store/ clothing store – anywhere near where I live. So if by some miracle you haven’t been already, do check it out!

“I can’t stand the place” “I’d rather drink a solo pint” As you can see from the violent range of opinions expressed, just from asking a few pals, this is a place that arouses deep and sustained passions. And there is no smoke without fire, so there must be a reason that people are flocking to it in their droves.

Except for the functioning alcoholic sat at the bar with his solo pint.

Rather than taking my friends’ words for the place, go have a look yourself! I’m sure you won’t regret it. I’ve even heard that sometimes at the end of the day they give out free food to scavenging young students - although this claim has not been verified outside of Epigram’s own media suite (and the person who said it isn’t even that sure).

Flickr/Ginger Meggs

Upstairs, Friska turns into a record and clothing store. There are CDs and vinyls from every genre I can think of there, so for music buffs it is a veritable treasure trove. Living with music students, I can especially recall times when its selection has got me out of a jam with birthday presents. I’d recommend To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar on vinyl, if any of you need a quick fix ahead of an imminent birthday.

“It’s OK, I guess”

FLickr/TheNightCountry

Just on the Triangle, a stone’s throw from more or less every lecture in Bristol, Friska is one of the coolest places you can check out.

Editor Tianna Graham tianna.graham@epigram.org.uk

22

@EpigramWB

Online Editor Flora Doble flora.doble@epigram.org.uk

Need some help?

Student counselling service: 0117 954 6655 Samaritans hotline open 24/7: 116 123

Epigram Wellbeing

28.11.2016 Have any mental health experiences you wish to share?

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‘The support here for students is in crisis’ The mental health benefits of yoga

Not seriously ill enough for counselling?

Assia Shahin (fourth year)

Yvette (second year)

Flickr / dlstelfliege

If I’m going to be honest, when I started going to yoga classes, it wasn’t just because I liked the YouTube tutorials that I awkwardly attempted to follow at home - it was because I was drawn to the fashion of it. The idea of being a balanced person, wearing colourful yoga pants and giving meaning to my relaxing iPhone background of a person in prayer position were probably the main reasons that pushed me to go and try my first class. However, I soon realised that all such images, which have become improperly used due to their commercialisation, fashion, and the ‘cool’ idea of a #healthylifestyle, actually have a much deeper meaning in the practice of yoga. Because yoga is neither a sport nor a temporary trend: it is a discipline that requires a total physical and mental commitment. The word actually means ‘to join’ in Sanskrit. So while yoga beginners might think of it as a fun way to relax, the ways it will change a devoted yogi’s person and mind are quite exceptional.

These are some of the best life lessons I have learnt by practising yoga regularly:

Internal balance and reduced anxiety I like to think of yoga as the discipline that let me ‘build my inner home’. Before yoga or meditation, I didn’t really know how to listen to my body and flow of thoughts, nor how to create space in them.

Not only does yoga activate your body and mind positively, but it brings relief from stress, as well as helps detox. This will bring an inner balance that is often reflected in more calm, less anxiety and a reduction of food cravings.

Physical health aiding mental In yoga, the attention put into body awareness tends to lead, with a regular practice, to more mindful ways of breathing and body movement. This will boost your immune system, ease migraines, and your organs will function better. With my daily practice of Pashchima Namaskarasana, a pose where you open your chest by uniting hands in prayer position behind your back, I didn’t catch a cold one single time last year.

Power and determination As mentioned, yoga is a spiritual discipline, but first of all it’s a physical one. It is likely that in an average class you will work hard on your core and legs - arms tend to be approached on more advanced levels. Strengthening your muscles will obviously link up to the second point, since it will be a plus for your health. But physical strength will also trigger your senses of determination and power.

Confidence Yoga’s constant exercise of awareness is truly helpful when it comes to understanding your own limitations, as well as your strengths. After some time, you will understand that limitations are not downfalls, but simply shortcomings that need to be accepted. This can be very powerful for stimulating self-confidence - not just mentally, but also physically. Actually, as opposed to most sports and disciplines, yoga welcomes all types of bodies. My favourite pose to boost confidence and determination is Virabhadrasana II, or Warrior 2.

Time, Technology and Texting Jennifer Joya (PhD Second Year) As a communications engineer, the explosion of technology and connectivity is what keeps me busy. It’s also what keeps me anxious.

Trying to take some ‘time out’ is becoming harder and harder. In the past, my phone would often run out of battery, allowing me to enjoy the walk home and concentrate on, you know, walking? But technology has surpassed me. For my birthday I received not one but three portable chargers. ‘So you don’t have an excuse not to answer the phone now, do you?’ they said; well no, I suppose I don’t.

Aged 23, my mother waited all of 20 minutes after I missed her call (and three texts) to assume something terrible had happened. In fact, I was in a seminar, as students so often are.

Flickr / Farruquitown

Patience One of the main challenges in (most types of ) yoga is to keep still in poses. While at first this might seem a bit daunting, you will gradually learn how to embrace such a challenge in class, and realise that it is possible. The good news is, such hard work will also help outside of class, and bring a lot of patience and calm within you.

It is the same thing we hear time and again – too many students and not enough resources to help those who need it. I am now in my second year and have been battling depression and anxiety for about four years now, and have definitely felt the lack of resources while at university.

In Welcome Week, I was determined to make a fresh start and have a positive attitude, so decided to go to a drop in session with the Student Counselling Service. I also visited a GP in Hampton House. Unfortunately, after both appointments, I came away in tears, feeling worse than ever and hopeless about getting through university. I was told that I was not seriously ill enough to be considered to join the group. The GP told me I did not seem fit for university and should seriously consider dropping out or taking a gap year (which I had already done for health reasons), and the councillor told me that as the waiting list is so long and the service so overwhelmed, only really ill students would receive any help. I tried to get onto a group through the service, despite feeling extremely uncomfortable about this as I did not want to tell any stranger about my depression. Yet again, I was told that I was not sufficiently ill to be considered to join the group. Only people with real mental health issues would be considered. Although counselling can be a positive experience for many people, issues in the mental health sector have led to students feeling neglected.

Needless to say, by my third week of university, I was in a terrible state – not getting any help and, worse, being told that my problems were not serious enough.

During December, an accumulation of stress of exams, finding people to live with, and general persistent low mood, meant I reached a point where I truly felt it was not worth struggling with a miserable life. It was not until I tried to take my own life that I was suddenly considered ‘seriously ill enough’ to receive any support.

This just does not seem right – that anyone feels that attempting to take your own life is the only way to finally be given help. I know I am not the only person who has had this experience. Suicide should never be the only legitimising factor in accessing support, but for too many this is the case. I must sadly say that the support here for students is in crisis. To give them credit, the counselling service do want to help students, but as they are severely underfunded and under staffed, more students with mental health problems will be put on a ridiculously long waiting list to receive a mere six weeks of one-to-one support. Having had no support for three and a half years despite severe symptoms, six weeks was never going to suddenly change my life around. Asking for help if you have

mental health issues can be very difficult so to be turned away or told you’re not ill enough is a horrible feeling.

Throughout my experience with both the Student Counselling Service and the Health Service downstairs, I had been advised to get myself onto the waiting list of other Bristol counselling services. As a student, I do not have the funds to seek long term support elsewhere.

Now I am in my second year, with no support in place yet again.

Too many of us are struggling and not able to get sufficient support.

Also, there is still a huge stigma against people with mental health issues. Friends from first year that know about my struggles don’t talk to me this year at all. Despite the efforts of the SU, this new section of Epigram, and societies such as Peace of Mind to increase awareness of mental health among students, it is a sad reality that campaigns and articles are often over looked by disinterested students who are not personally affected.

Flickr / bwrlght923 The Student Counselling Service issued the following response: ‘I am sure you understand that we cannot comment on individual cases as to do so would breach our own confidentiality rules of not discussing the fact that a student used our services or what they disclosed to us other parties.All I can say is that I am sorry to hear that this student’s experience was not what they expected or hoped for and I would encourage her to contact me by email so that we can arrange a review of her needs now.

I would be happy to carry this out myself if we can find a mutually convenient time or to ensure that a suitable counsellor is allocated to her for this. I know we don’t always get it right for everyone, despite our best efforts, but for this reason we are always very happy to receive feedback and will always try to repair any mistakes of our making.’

We all know it’s not okay to call someone you don’t really know late at night, but with the ease and instantaneity of messaging services such as WhatsApp, the lines are blurred. It’s becoming all too familiar to hear a ping from the dreaded group chat reminding you to clean the kitchen or proofread your coursework followed by sixteen *super happy* smiley emojis (which make it seem more aggressive than friendly) to make up for the fact that everybody in the chat has been in bed for an hour. Group chats are a topic for an entirely different discussion. This feeling that we have to be constantly available on WhatsApp makes me long for the days of pigeon post. 3am and you have a query about the shops opening times? Google it.

The ‘instant’ part of ‘instant messaging’ makes everything feel urgent, but actually it can be pretty invasive. Why can’t people make a note to contact people at a reasonable hour and through a reasonable medium? I’m not asking for pen and paper; I hear you can make notes on your phones now (what a world we live in!) and, if your phone is dead, I have three portable chargers you can borrow.

In all seriousness, notifications carry a different level of urgency.

Most messages are mundane, how-are-you’s or invitations to Facebook events you have no intention of attending but might click *interested* on because we’re British so we can’t be rude. Every so often though, a message can carry a bit more weight. Anything from a request to bad news, we’re becoming increasingly flippant about how we send messages without considering what reaction this induces at the receiving end.

In a world where we have an app for pretty much everything, how do we find time to be alone?

Keep going on & on with Reon.

Each pack contains 4 sachets with caffeine and Vitamin B12. Go to Reon-energy.com and enjoy 3 for 2 on all packs plus free shipping.

*Valid from 23/11/2016 10.00 GMT until 31 December 2016 23.45 GMT. Not to be combined with any other discount or promotion. Valid only online. This voucher has no monetary value.

See Facebook.com/reonuk for full terms and conditions.

Editor Ellie Donnell

Deputy Editor Hugo Lebus

Online Editor Jane Cowie

edonnell@epigram.org.uk

hlebus@epigram.org.uk

jcowie@epigram.org.uk

Join us at: Epigram Food Section 2016/17

28.11.2016

Follow us at: epigram_eats_out

Breaking the Fast Jane Cowie makes an enticing case for why breakfast is the most important meal of the day, with recipe ideas so delicious you certainly won’t want to miss your morning meal!

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

added crunch from an assortment of nuts and seeds (try chia or pumpkin seeds and almonds, cashews and walnuts).

Do not be afraid to mix up your base - variety is key! You can get creative with barley, oats, buckwheat or quinoa.

My personal favourite is oats simmered with semi-skimmed milk and topped with banana, chia seeds, maple syrup or agave and mixed spice (cinnamon and nutmeg).

Or why not try oats or quinoa with almond milk, mixed berries (blueberries and raspberries), flaked almonds and honey.

If you find you are not so talented when it comes to omelettemaking, don’t be embarrassed to mix it all together and make a scrambled egg mixture. The flavours are just the same and it will still hit the spot.

A poached egg on a slice of multi-seed bread with grilled tomatoes and avocado is another winner.

However, if you don’t like the extra ingredients or don’t want to pay for the price tag attached to that avocado, you can simply leave them out.

I have a weakness for the sharp taste of brown sauce with this, and if you’re feeling extra fancy, throw in some grilled halloumi.

Smoothies Something I hear my friends say very often is, ‘I never want to eat something in the morning’, which is why conjuring up a smoothie bowl will instantly solve that problem.

They are great in providing all your essential nutrients to give you a kick-start to the day, and you may find it a little easier to chow down a full breakfast when it is in liquid form.

For a fruity option, whizz together some frozen berries (raspberries or blueberries), milk, mango and satsumas, or for a creamier texture go for vanilla or greek yoghurt, banana, coconut milk, nut butter (almond and coconut butter is amazing) and honey.

Porridge

Toast When one hears the word ‘toast’, you may immediately picture a bland piece of buttered bread that looks sorry for itself on your plate.

However, toast can be a fantastic start to your day. It provides essential slow- releasing carbohydrates and coupled with just a few exciting ingredients, can be a satisfyingly filling start to your day.

Go for rye bread with nut butter (almond or cashew), sliced banana, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

For a savoury option, try sourdough bread topped with mashed avocado, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of nuts and seeds.

Eggs I am a complete advocate of creating a delicious and flavoursome bowl of porridge in the morning. Say goodbye to the old-fashioned idea of oats as gruel; porridge is a fantastic base for a variety of different toppings and tastes that will help you through the morning.

Personally I tend to opt for the sweet variety with a combination of fruit, sweetener (such as honey or agave syrup), as well as an

Eggs are a staple to every non-vegan student that resides in Bristol.

They are incredibly versatile and can be fried, poached, scrambled, baked or made into an omelette. You name it, eggs can do it!

Try an omelette filled with feta cheese, mixed peppers, tomatoes, onions and spinach for a nutritiously packed powerhouse of a breakfast. You can add ham for an extra protein boost.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It spurs your metabolism, keeps you energised and full until lunch and, most importantly, has the potential to be incredibly delicious! Give any one of these suggestions a try and you’ll be eager to jump out of bed in the morning - if not for your early seminar - for an exciting feast of a breakfast!

Jane Cowie

Flickr: Sales

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

People often question one of the most commonly used refrains in the world of food and nutrition: ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’.

For students, however, the idea of waking up early enough to give yourself time to prepare an enticing breakfast can be off-putting.

What is better than giving yourself that extra half hour of sleep, when waking up with just enough time to make your seminar seems so much more appealing? Surely it can’t be too difficult to wait until lunch?

I want to posit the idea that breakfast really can be the most important and enjoyable meal of the day. There’s a plethora of choice that will encourage you to wake up with a dose of excitement for the meal that will ‘break the fast’.

Breakfast provides you with the energy to fuel your body and brain after you have been deprived of sustenance throughout the night, whilst helping with weight maintenance and a healthy diet as it means you are less likely to reach for sugary treats later on to compensate for your lack of energy.

There are two main categories that you can opt for: both sweet and savoury. For me, it completely depends on my mood, but I tend to keep some staple essentials in the house so that when I rise, I can throw together a delicious treat that I am guaranteed to enjoy!

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell

28.11.2016

25

3 Ways with a Sweet Potato

Flora Beverley proves just how versatile sweet potatoes really are, with a variety of sweet and savoury recipes that are quick and easy to make!

Recipe: Kale, Wild Mushroom and Caramelised Shallot Lasagne Ingredients:

Epigram/ Flora Beverley

Sweet Potato Toast Ingredients: 1 sweet potato Toppings of your choice!

Flickr/ Marie Kare

The sweet potato is a bit of a misnomer. It is in fact a tuber, part of the root system that contains nutrients for a plant.

Therefore, sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients that are essential for humans, including vitamins A, B5, B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and carotenoids (the nutrient that gives them their orange colour).

Carotenoids and vitamin A are essential for good eyesight, and also contain lots of antioxidants, essential for the repair of the body and the prevention of cancer.

A large sweet potato contains more than 100 per cent of your RDA of vitamin A as well as fewer calories than a white potato. It is also high in vitamin C, which slows ageing and maintains skin’s elasticity. What’s not to love about this miracle vegetable?

Here are some recipes to keep your sweet potato addiction interesting. Enjoy!

Method: 1. Scrub the sweet potato with water to remove any dirt.

2. Cut into the thinnest slices possible (1.25 -1.5 inch thick).

3. Place in a bowl, cover and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.

4. Remove and place into a toaster until cooked through and nicely browned at the edges (this may take 2-3 attempts).

5. Top with whatever – both savoury and sweet toppings work well!

Sweet Potato Fries/ Wedges Ingredients: Flickr/ Isabelle Boucher

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes Olive oil Paprika Chilli flakes Salt and pepper Method:

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry Ingredients: 1 large sweet potato 1 onion, chopped Sunflower oil 1 clove of garlic, crushed ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp garam masala Pinch of chilli flakes 1 tsp ground coriander 400g tin chickpeas 200g spinach Method:

Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 2. Peel and chop four of the eight shallots in half lengthways (eight halves!) and place on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and pour over some olive oil.

Stick the tray in the oven while you assemble the other ingredients.

3. For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan and mix in the flour until a smooth paste forms. Pour in the milk a little at a time whilst stirring continuously to create a smooth white sauce. Add two teaspoons of wholegrain mustard and season well. Bring to the boil and then simmer until you’ve got a smooth, thick consistency. Add the cheddar, stir and place aside off the heat.

4. Dice the remaining four shallots. and chuck into a frying pan with the garlic and oil over a low heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, a touch of balsamic vinegar and some fresh thyme. Cook the mushrooms until golden.

5. Meanwhile, place the kale into a large pan and pour a kettle of boiling water over to cover it. Stick a lid on the pan and leave for two minutes (no need to cook it properly as the oven will take care of that later!). Drain the liquid off and put the kale back in the pan. Mix 2 - 3 tbsp of your béchamel sauce into the kale so it has a slight creaminess.

6. Coat the bottom of a deep baking tray with a spoon of the béchamel sauce, then place all of your mushroom mix at the bottom the tray. Level the mix out and then place a layer of lasagne pasta sheets on top. a layer of béchamel sauce (about half of the mixture), and more pasta sheets. Place the kale mixture on top and finally add the last layer of pasta and béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with extra grated cheddar and some bread crumbs for texture.

7. Remove the shallots from the oven and arrange neatly on-top of the lasagne. Place the lasagne dish in the oven and cook for 40 minutes until crispy on top and caramelised.

Flickr/ Marie Kare

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Scrub the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt (no need to peel!).

3. Chop into ‘fry’ shapes (either thick wedges or thinner slices for fries).

4. Drizzle over a generous glug of olive oil along with the spices and seasoning and mix to coat.

5. Place on a baking tray and roast until golden and soft, about 4045 minutes depending on the size of your fries.

6. Enjoy!

500g kale (stalks removed) 750g assorted wild mushrooms, chopped 8 banana shallots 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 pack of lasagne sheets 50g flour 50g butter 500ml semi-skimmed milk 100g mature cheddar Wholegrain mustard Salt and pepper Thyme Olive oil A drop of balsamic vinegar

Epigram/ Jake Barwood

Epigram/ Flora Beverley

1. Peel and chop the sweet potato and boil until tender.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the oil, and mix in the turmeric, garam masala, chilli flakes and ground coriander.

3. Drain the chickpeas from the water in the tin and add to the pan.

4. Add the spinach and place a lid on the pan to allow it to wilt – this should take 1 – 2 minutes.

5. Once wilted, add the drained sweet potato to the pan and mix.

Flora Beverley

8. Once golden brown and bubbling, remove from the oven and devour straight away. A delicious, warming and earthy dish that’s perfect for cold winter nights.

Editor Maya Colwell travel@epigram.org.uk

26

@e2travel

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

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

28.11.2016

Epigram Travel Section 2016/17

@epigram_travel

Bring a buddy in your backpack Christian Shaw shares some tips on those who you should avoid when you are travelling.

The iPhone Addicts Love them as you may, if your best friend spends 45 minutes of every hour checking their phone, going travelling with them is a one-way ticket to a shattered friendship. Bearing in mind that most backpacking locations have sketchy Wi-Fi at best, and there is a distinct lack of signal in the middle of a desert, your iPhone addict friend will suddenly find themselves bereft of anything to occupy themselves with. You are likely to have a Moaning Myrtle on your hands.

Epigram / Christian Shaw

The day is here. You have packed your bags, said your goodbyes to your dog, checked into the airport on Facebook just so everyone knows you are about to have a better time than them, and made it through airport security without the dreaded bleep of the metal detector ruining your life. But planning a travelling trip is pointless without the peace of mind that comes from knowing your travel companion is someone who can hack it. Follow this simple vetting procedure, and you can be sure to avoid any of the following specimens.

The Amateur Photographer You have been gearing up all year to drop this picture of you looking spiritual in a Thai Buddhist temple. The perfect filter and inspirational quote/caption were decided long ago. The problem, though, was your travel partner being completely inept with the camera that the loud American family behind you on the bus photobombed you without your friend even noticing. The whole trip is an instant disaster. Beware of these saboteurs.

The Linguistically Challenged Language barriers can be incredibly embarrassing. It is much better to be able to nod knowingly, as your talented friend gabbles away in some tongue-twisting dialect to haggle down the price of your harem pants. If neither of you speak the local language, find someone who is travelling the same route as you who does, and stick with them. If you feel like learning the language before you leave then good for you, just do not fool yourself into thinking a few minutes on duolingo will do the trick - you will find that ‘my hedgehog drinks milk’ does not help at a border crossing.

The Dire You will encounter them along every well-trodden backpackers’ route. Sprawled over the hostel’s reception sofas loudly proclaiming to the newcomers how high they got last night. Conspicuously tallying the drugs they have allegedly taken like a shopping list, and nearly always accompanied by some bored travel companion who looks thoroughly fed up at hearing the same story for the hundredth time.

If you suspect your companion has a penchant for the illicit, best lose them at the airport.

The Picky Eaters ‘What was the weirdest thing you ate?’ is almost always one of the first questions you will be asked upon your return. It is a lot more impressive to have tried cherimoya fruit and roast iguana than to have had supermarket pizza every day in the hostel because your travel companion did not want to branch out.

Epigram / Christian Shaw

”

Epigram / Christian Shaw

If neither of you speak the local language, find someone who is travelling the same route as you who does

” The Instagrams of an Auburn Autumn Epigram / National Geographic

Epigram / Stacey Dooley

Epigram / Chiara Ferragni

Epigram / Yosemite National Park

Epigram / Natasha Bonniface

Epigram / STA Travel

28.11.2016

27 27

Backtracking and Backpacking Liberty O’Hagan discusses the changing face of travel amidst the madness of the newfound Trump era. our travel to the US in the wake of the election? Who knows?

Trump’s presidency looms in the vacuum of uncertainty.

Despite changing my own thinking of what I thought Trump could, will, or might be, what I do know is that Trump has already begun to backtrack on his policies.

A driving factor for the electorate who voted for Trump was his detachment from the political arena. This man is supposedly business-minded and thus, not corrupt, for after all, ‘politicians are corrupt’, as one pro-Trump American student said four months ago in Pennsylvania.

Many people now equate corruption with the political system.

Despite being a spectacle to the anti-elite, and while Trump is not a politician, this does not show that he won’t be corrupt.

If University of Bristol students, or simply British travel-

Epigram / Maya Cowell

”

Many of us, to provide ourselves with temporary shelter from election anxiety, denied that Trump will be as radical as his rhetoric.

Perhaps we did this for reasons that have now been described as underestimating his populist caricature. But what is now clear is that, either on the grounds of his meaningless buzzwords, his lack of political awareness, or simply his apathy towards his presidency, many have now awkwardly come to accept Trump in his position of power.

Who knows whether he really will be as radical as his rhetoric?

Whatever the case, it has not been an easy few weeks.

How does this affect the possibility of travel? Well, I have already heard a few prospective term/year abroad students questioning their placements in America. Will Trump make us all rethink

The world gaped at the election

goers, who feel threatened to travel within the remit of Trump’s great America, stop going, then I question if we are feeding the lions. What Trump and his populist isolationist policies will feed off will be a further surge into isolation.

Those of us who have the privilege to consider studying or travelling in the USA now have a choice: to involve ourselves or stay away from America. By reassessing our original plans to study abroad, we allow a backlash against an international community to follow.

What is necessary to embrace America’s new political climate though? For one, we do not have to agree with decisions to continue to learn and understand through the means of travel.

Then again, as a white British female, I have to look at whose restrictions on travel are really being impacted here. Not from fear, or opinion, but plain discrimination.

” Epigram / Liberty O’Hagan

Epigram / Sophie Davidson

Epigram / Liberty O’Hagan

Epigram/

Epigram

den

Harry Plow

Flickr/ ombijg

28.11.2016

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Editor Jessie Onion style@epigram.org.uk @e2style

Online Editor Alex Boulton alex.boulton@epigram.org.uk @epigramstyle

Fashions fade but the Bristolian style is eternal

A fresher’s opinion from Olivia Cooke on Bristol student style I think Bristol prides itself on being a city in which tolerance and acceptance, and fundamentally, being able to ‘be yourself’, are qualities to be celebrated by its students. Certainly through the variety of clothing stores, from the high-end designer outlets to the humble charity shops; the city caters for every individual’s taste and provides a crucial platform for us to fully explore our own sense of personal identity. In my research for this piece, I came across a maxim of Anna Wintour’s that I think is very apt.

‘Create your own style’ she says, and ‘let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.’ Maybe this need to be ‘identifiable’ in what you wear is what makes the student style at Bristol so unique. Bristol inspires its students to be ‘undefinable’- our style is uncompromising in its boldness and diversity.

Define the Bristolian student style. ‘Wavey garms’, was my flatmate’s reply. Before I even arrived here as a fresher, I had already been told by many of my friends that Bristol’s classic student style was a hybrid between ‘vintage chic’ meets Jack Wills. Slightly nervous about how my peers would treat me if I did not change my everyday attire from that of jeans and hoodies; I spent the summer deliberating which items of clothing I should take to university.

Slightly neurotic, maybe, but I did not want to take any chances.

However, when I arrived at Bristol, I realised I needn’t have worried. Walk around the Triangle and you are confronted by a myriad of styles: bright and bold colours, plain and wacky patterns, wide leg trousers and jeans, smart coats and hoodies, sports kits and suits, (and I must say) an exceptional amount of Adidas Originals.

Urban Outfitters, £76

Urban Outfitters, £39

procrastination

and

commence...

2. Bristol Fashionista

3. Being little

editor

Jessie

4. Mermaid Gossip

Onion

5. Lily Doughball

Instagram/being_little

Instagram/ @topshop

Instagram/styletribeuk

Instagram/ @thefrugality

@alexachung Instagram/Instagram/shipshapebf

Emily Fisher started this blog in 2014 after working as a designer. It’s bright and bold and features art, accessories, outift posts and hair inspiration. Follow her on twitter, pinterest and instagram @mermaidgossip.

Lily established her blog full time in 2013. She is a selfconfessed vintage addict and features beauty, craft, and photography tutorials. You can follow her on youtube, pinterest, twitter and instagram @lilydoughball.

Instagram/lilydoughball

Founded by Lyzi Unwin in 2010, featuring outfit posts, cafe reviews, guides and fun options for exploring the city, such as introducing readers to local events like the Affordable Art Fair. Follow her on instagram @being_little.

Olivia Cooke Style Writer

Instagram/mermaidgossip

By Gina Jones, founder of Style Tribe and chairperson for South West Bloggers Network.

Beauty, fashion and lifestyle section. You can also follow her on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram @styletribeuk.

SJ started her blog in 2009 after completing a degree in Fashion Journalism. Although recently moved to San Francisco, her blog is still a great resource for exploring Bristol. Follow her on instagram @shipshapebf.

by

Epigram/ Giulia Loregian

Top 5 Bristol Blogs to explore

the

1. Ship-Shape Bristol Fashion

Facebook/ BS8

Facebook/ Sobeys

Let

But is the ‘Bristol style’ definable, or at least one that can be easily type-casted into descriptions such as ‘the girls wear Ellesse puffer jackets’ and how male students go for the ‘pseudo-intellectual’ vibe (thank you, The Tab!).

Reflecting on my experiences so far at university, I would say that the quintessential Bristol style is that which welcomes and embraces any and everything. The mix of kooky vintage shops such as BS8 and Sobey’s on Park Street, and the high street giants such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters in Cabot Circus, guarantee a great freedom to any student wanting to express his or her identity through their choice of clothing.

28.11.2016

29

Epigram’s Winter essentials

First up, style writer Sasha Semple looks at the top winter boot trends for this season As the mornings get darker and ‘Brizzle’ begins to live up to its name - it means one thing for your wardrobe; pack away the Birkenstocks and invest in a reliable pair of Winter boots.

For the daytime trek around town, buckle up for a season full of chunky platforms, metal hardware and as many eyelets as you could want.

Grunge is back in, so embrace your inner tomboy with a pair of boots that are both practical and fashionable, what more could you want?

Topshop, £79 Public Desire, £39.99

Tommy Hilfiger, £165

Zara, £89.99 Still in denial that summer has finished and festival season is over for another year?

Do not worry if you didn’t manage to snag a Glastonbury ticket - you can continue to channel your inner Coachella as the catwalks reboot the Western trend. Think less Miley Cyrus circa 2010, more Givenchy’s multi-buckle, heavily studded numbers – and if your student loan doesn’t stretch to the designer budget the high street offers some great alternatives.

Topshop also does a range of subtler, yet still fashionable pieces and for half the price they will serve as the perfect day boot - whether paired with some cropped trousers or a leather skirt and boot combo. Lookout for a contrasting heel in the collection too, Topshop’s mahogany detail is an understated way of bringing some colour into your outfits.

Zara is also showcasing a selection of killer styles, the burgundy gold duo compliments autumnal hues perfectly, and more importantly they will not break the bank.

Alex your

Zara, £79 Put away the stilettos until the summer months, sock boots make the perfect night time shoe as well. Do nott succumb to Valentino’s PVC pairs, Public Desire offers an extensive range of significantly cheaper designs that even incorporate the contrast heel trend.

Pantone’s colour of the year continues towards the end of 2016 – stick to ‘barely there’ nudes if you want to recreate key designers looks with emphasis on light pinks, greys and beiges.

For the more adventurous boot wearer, Steve Madden’s collection available on ASOS will certainly make a statement and who doesn’t

For those that still cannot beat the summer blues, the floral theme is transitioning into the Autumn months - with a pair of embroidered flowery boots, you won’t even notice the dead leaves underfoot.

1

Asos x Steve Madden, £90

Boulton investigates how to keep skin in top condition this winter

Lips

Lips are often the first thing to fall victim to the plummeting temperatures. Dry, chapped lips can be painful, plus they do not look especially nice, so its essential to regularly use a good lip balm.

3 4

Exfoliate

Important in getting rid of the dead cells that sit on the top of your skin and interfere with the effectiveness of your moisturiser.

Moisturise

Moisturising is doubly important in the winter as our skin is more prone to dryness.

It also helps to protect the outer layers of our skin from the effects of environmental factors, notably wind and rain in the Bristol winter.

Boots, £3.99

Topshop, £42 As much as we all wish it were acceptable to leave the house in socks, sock boots are the next best thing. Arguably not the most practical attire to march up Park Street, they are still a must this season. For those looking for a cheeky splurge; the Hilfiger–Hadid collaboration has conceived a selection of statement, pairs which every woman needs in her wardrobe. Sport Gigi’s look with her new classic designs; both simple and elegant they are worth the money.

2

Sasha Semple Style Writer

Winter Skin Saviours

As the temperature plummets, it puts extra stresses on our skin that may result in it becoming dry, chapped and red. It is important to boost your skin regime to ensure your skin stays healthy through the winter. Here is how to give your skin some TLC on a student budget.

Asos, £59.99

want to wear glitter all year round? The golden pair in particular provides the ultimate cure for all those post-summer depressives. However, if you are not ready to go for gold, settle with silver as metallics make a revival or even branch out into velvet. Essentially, anything goes in terms of sock boots – it really is a trend for everyone.

5

Hands

Hands tend to have thicker skin than other parts of the body, so it is important to use a special hand cream to take care of them in the winter.

Unless you constantly wear gloves, hands are vulnerable in the winter so its important to use cream to keep them soft and in good condition.

Boots, £6

Mask

Boots, £4.10

Face masks can be beneficial if your skin needs that extra bit of care in the winter months. They can help to remove impurities and hydrate the skin, as well as helping you to relax! Head to Lush for some great value, ethical face masks that smell amazing.

fresh

TUESD AYS

EVERY TUESDAY Hip Hop, House, Dance, Pop Party and Student Anthems

Epigram 28.11.2016

Editor Anna Wyn annawyn.epigram@gmail.com

Facebook: SHAKE AWAKE Event Page

Facebook: Owen Jones Page

Facebook: SHURA Event Page

TALKS

The Future of Social Justice Wills Memorial Building, 05.12

What have been the most significant successes for social justice over the last 20 years, and what are the biggest challenges facing us in the future? 2016 has been a turbulent year with issues of social justice at the forefront of debates around Brexit and global migration. A panel of leading writers and commentators, including political activist Owen Jones, will be debating issues surrounding social justice. This is bound to be one of the talks of the academic year, and is already a sell-out, so if you’re one of the lucky ones: enjoy!

Super Furry Animals O2 Academy, 06.12

Super Furry Animals are the premier Welsh psychedelic rock band. Since their formation in Cardiff in 1993, they have been described as one of the edgiest ‘dad-bands’ of all time. This beloved popcollective is one for fans of the alternative Welsh music scene...if there are any of you out there. For fans of Sweet Baboo and Meilyr Jones.

FILM

MUSIC Shura Trinity Centre, 06.12

Alexandra Lilah Denton, better known by her stage name Shura, is an English singer, songwriter and producer. Changing the face of mainstream music, Shura brings a languid and introverted feel to British-Pop. For fans of Years & Years and Christine and The Queens.

Hinds is a Spanish indie rock band from Madrid, formed in 2011, and they’re the Spice Girls re-incarnate. But with better singing abilities, better dance moves, and the ability to play an instrument. They’re loud and abrasive, and these girls have rocked around Europe with the likes of The Strokes and The Libertines. For fans of The Big Moon and Bleached.

FITNESS

Ewoks: Caravan of Courage/Battle for Endor Double Bill Redgrave Theatre, 23.1124.11

Please bear with me on this one, as Ewoks and Sci-Fi B Movies galore might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Ahead of the release of Star Wars: Rogue One, Bristol Bad Film Club is screening the original Star Wars spin-offs. Come watch the spinoffs that people have no idea exist, at the Redgrave Theatre, and ticket sales will be donated to charity. It’s a niche pick this week, and this might make a few people question my taste in cinema.

Hinds Trinity Centre, 01.12

SHAKE AWAKE Anson Rooms, 02.12

Facebook: Hinds FPage

Never in my life did I think that I, a selfconfessed excercise-phobe, would be so intrigued by something as bonkers as Shake Awake. Revolutionising your morning, Shake Awake at the SU consists of a dancing, meditation, yoga, massages, smoothies and more to kick start your day. With a 6:30am start, the idea sends me into a cold sweat, but the emphasis on the ‘morning rave’-like atmosphere (as they ask you to come decked out in your grooviest gear), might just tempt me out of bed.

The biggest demo since 2010 WINTER IS COMING

6 FESTIVE EVENTS NOT TO MISS! DEMO AT DIGS

what's next for Digs? bristolsu.org.uk

BRISTOL SAYS TEF OFF

WE WENT TO THE NATIONAL DEMO

WINTER IS COMING 6 fantastically festive things at bristol su you shouldn't miss!

The Alternative Christmas Market 4 December, Anson Rooms Sample a delicious array of food from across the globe brought to you by our international societies. Plus the best in second-hand and vintage gifts from local charities and artists.

Christmas Dinner December, Balloon Bar Three courses for ÂŁ8.25. And it's good we've tasted it! You can make group bookings or enquiries by emailing balloon-cafe@bristol.ac.uk.

Karol-oke 9 December, Balloon Bar The Christmas edition of the hottest karaoke night in Bristol. This is your opportunity to sing Wham!'s Last Christmas in front of an audience. That chance doesn't come around often.

Merry Quizmas Pub Quiz 5 December, Balloon Bar The Bristol SU pub quiz is reknowned for its obscure facts and near-impossible challenges. This is like that, but with a festive twist and extra prizes. Hosted by Bristol RAG.

Mulled Mix Tape 7 December, Balloon Bar Warm up for the last Compete of term with classic Christmas tunes and free santa hats to claim. There will also be a prize for the best dressed santa.

Christmas Movie Club 12 - 16 December, Winston Theatre Love Actually, Home Alone, Die Hard and more Christmas classics will be screened in the Winston Theatre throughout the last ZHHN RI WHUP 0HUU\ &KULVWPDV \D ÀOWK\ animals.'

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DEMO AT DIGS: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? On 17 November, students from Bristol SU teamed up with Bristol, Cut The Rent to hold a demo outside Digs. Student Living 2IĂ€FHU 6WHSKHQ /H )DQX WDONV DERXW WKH RXWFRPH RI WKH GHPR DQG ZKDW ZLOO happen next.

meeting. Myself and representatives from Bristol, Cut the Rent will now meet with Steve with the aim of persuading him to sign up to the ethical lettings charter. We ZLOO DOVR SUHVHQW KLP ZLWK D ORYH OHWWHU ÀOOHG with students' Digs horror stories.

Our goal throughout this campaign has been to get lettings agents signed up to ACORN's ethical lettings charter. Given Digs' track record of mistreating their student tenants, we started with them.

Signing up to the charter would signal a willingness on their part to provide a better service and to committ to the legal minimum in terms of ethical lettings. It would also allow ACORN to check up on Digs properties and hold the organisation to account if conditions do not improve.

We hope that this meeting will bring about a real positive change to the way 'LJV WUHDW VWXGHQW WHQDQWV 7KH ÀJKW LQ the private rental sector is far from over, but it feels like we're moving closer to a resolution with Digs. We'll keep you updated!

On Thursday, Digs shut up shop and refused to engage with us. However, Managing Director Steve Harris has now responded with an open letter to Bristol students, in which he agreed to a

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TEF OFF: national demo On 19 November, over 60 students and staff from Bristol and UWE went to London WR WDNH SDUW LQ WKH ODUJHVW HGXFDWLRQ GHPR VLQFH 8QGHUJUDGXDWH (GXFDWLRQ 2IĂ€FHU =RH %DFNKRXVH WDONV DERXW ZKHUH we take things from here.

15,000 students and academics joined IRUFHV IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH WR RSSRVH WKH PRVW VLJQLÀFDQW FKDQJHV WR KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ LQ a decade.

These changes form the government's Higher Education Bill, which includes a new Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) which, under the guise of improving teaching, will allow universities to raise fees even higher. This ill thought out policy has been criticised by students and University staff alike.

The Higher Education Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons on 21 November. The bill will now go to the House of Lords for further consideration and amendments.

On 19 November, we told the government that we would not stand for these changes. Now it's time to follow through on that. This year, students across the country will be boycotting the National Student Survey, a key tool used in the TEF. By refusing to engage, we are refusing to be complicit in the rising of fees. Join us in RXU ÀJKW IRU KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ DQG UHIXVH to take part in the survey.

Find out more at: bristolsu.org.uk/tefoff

WHAT'S ON FEATURED EVENT

The Richmond Lectures Baroness Hale of Richmond )URP 5LFKPRQG WR %ULVWRO DQG %DFN WKH life of a Lady law lord.

7KLV IDVFLQDWLQJ ÀUVW KDQG DFFRXQW ZLOO WRXFK RQ /DG\ +DOH V OLIH DV WKH ÀUVW and only female judge of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and KHU H[SHULHQFHV DV RXU 8QLYHUVLW\ V Chancellor.

Book your ticket: bristolsu.org.uk/events

Teenage Fanclub.

Tuesday 29 November, 7pm, Anson Rooms, Bristol SU Building. Spending the last couple of years in Provence, Glasgow and Hamburg, Teenage Fanclub have been honing a bunch of new recordings. Now they’re coming back out to play again.

Postgraduate Pub Quiz. Wednesday 30 November, 7.30pm. AR2 Bar, Bristol SU. The PG Quiz night. Along with the GLIÀFXOW TXHVWLRQ DQG FRPSOH[ DQVZHUV The wonderful Quiz master, Sam Briggs, will be hosting again. What more could you want?

Shake Awake, Friday 2 December, 6.30am, Anson Rooms, Bristol SU Building. Come dance with us and embrace the rhythms of the day.

Come ease yourself into the morning with yoga and more.Come breakfast on delicious, healthy smoothies and morning snacks.

Get Active Boxercise. Sunday 11 December, 5pm. Stephenson Room, Bristol SU. Come along and get active with us, have fun, relieve stress and meet new people. This class is totally free!

Get Active Kabaddi & Kho Kho. Saturday 3 December, 11am, Studio 1, Sports Centre Come and Get Active with these traditional Indian sports. have fun and meet new people.

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Mind Your Head Happy Holidays Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 December, 9am, Gromit Room, Bristol SU. Happy Holidays is a three-part morning session supporting you to remain stress free and healthy over the holiday period. It includes advisors from Just Ask supporting you with study skills, a laughter workshop and a 1 hour stressrelief hypnotherapy session.

Proper Jokes. Thursday 8 December, 8pm, AR2 Bar, Bristol SU Building.

Bristol SU's monthly comedy showcase continues with a smorgasboard of WHUULÀFDOO\ WLWWHU LQGXFLQJ WDOHQW

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

Epigram

28.11.2016

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

A magical return to the big screen: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Expect crazy creatures, a big heart and all kinds of fun. Film & TV Writer Tim Bustin reviews the extraordinary Harry Potter relative.

BFI/LFFPRESS

In this issue...

Kate Llewellyn on American Pastoral Page 37

“

Fantastical creatures were always a small step from both the centre stage of Harry Potter and from bursting into the real world; after all, who doesn’t want to believe that Bowtruckle, a green-leafed little stick figure, couldn’t be found climbing the bark of your garden tree? Or that the bald eagle flying way overhead is really a majestic Thunderbird, too far away to make out its true size? Just as Diagon Alley was hidden in plain sight, Fantastic Beasts carries on tradition by entwining the fantastical and real worlds, making it easier to suspend reality.

It is a heavily entwined world that magizoologist Newt Scamander steps into from his boat, as he and we arrive at Harry Potter in the brand new setting of 1920s New York; pedestrains bustle past one another on the cobbled streets, their bobbed hair held in cloche hats, through a Gatsby-esque cityscape that looks like a black-and-white photo meticulously coloured in. It’s both familiar and unfamiliar, in different ways, and whilst magic hides round every corner in the form of jazz clubs and gothic-inspired Ministry buildings, this world is much more alien than our cosy Hogwarts. For starters, there are strict regulations on wizard-muggle (or no-maj) interactions. In making all these comparisons, the film assumes from the off that you have an understanding of Harry Potter, which in fairness most people do (‘Alohomora”’says Newt with a casual wand flick, and the audience starts grinning). Newt is very much representative of the audience in many ways, discovering this world for the first time

as he travels the world writing his titular book. He’s an oddball, thrown out of Hogwarts, travelling with his magical case; think Hermione’s extendable bag, but designed for a magizoologist.

Things get shaken up when a no-maj called Jacob accidently sets a few beasts free and Newt teams up with him, US Ministry Official Tina, and her legilimens (mind-reading) sister Queenie, to track down the beasts before the US Ministry can hurt them.

The idea of following Newt to more global magical communities and expanding the world of Potter is exciting

The world of Harry Potter has always been more captivating than the actual stories themselves, which is why these new, darker avenues are the film’s best bits. Of course there are bright and cuddly creatures aplenty and a bundle of jokes – the slothlike Demiguise with wide eyes is memorable, but not as much as one scene where Newt re-enacts the mating ritual of the hippo-like Erumpent – but whilst the later Potter films were dark, Fantastic Beasts has genuinely disturbing moments. A subplot follows the New Salem Philanthropic Society, led by their witch hunting mother who only feeds her adopted children after they’ve picked up anti-witch propaganda. Segregation, a heavy theme explored by

Jaap Buitendijk

Tim Bustin Film & TV Writer

both sides, touches on issues in the U.S today and it is unsurprising to see many strong, liberal messages in a script by J.K. Rowling.

Fantastic Beasts really is bold at times and justly deserves credit for it, as do the creature design artists. It’s not easy to make CGI warm and it often fails, begging the question why the titular stars weren’t made practically as in previous Potter films. But where it succeeds, it’s brilliant; Niffler steals the show, the mole-like creature grabbing with his little orange fingers on shiny objects in banks, in jewellery shops, or even off people’s shoe buckles. It has cheeky, expressive eyes and greedy subtle movements that make it work. But if the beasts were underwhelming, the real shock is how underwritten and uninteresting many of the characters are. Potter is filled with fan favourites, like Neville or Snape or even the despicable Dolores Umbridge, but the only equivalent here is the honest no-maj Jacob.

Even Eddie Redmayne just plays a loveable Eddie-Redmayne-type.

Whilst set-up is subtle throughout the movie, it’s very clear the sequels are going to be more like Harry Potter prequels than standalone features, which is a shame. Still, the idea of following Newt to more global magical communities as he continues to write his book and expanding the world of Potter is exciting; and with J.K. Rowling in charge, maybe we should keep faith. People will still be queuing up for the midnight showing of the next release, but is this more because we love the franchise so much that we don’t want it to end? Isn’t that what brought it back, after the last film in 2011? One day it will all have to end for real; let’s hope the world and stories aren’t watered down so much by that time that they obliviate our love for Harry Potter just yet.

Clement Jochem on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Charlie Harrison on Nocturnal Animals

Page 37

Page 38

Epigram 28.11.2016

37 30

Epif lix and Chill: Episode 5 LionWikimedia

“

Marvel are riding a wave of success at the moment, so Film & TV Writer Clement Jochem tells us why we should be watching their latest offering - the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D debuted on the high tide of Marvel’s success. It promised to delve deep into the world of the rather mysterious organisation known as S.H.I.E.L.D and even boasted the fan favorite agent, Coulson (Clark Gregg), as a lead character. However, the show’s first episodes failed to establish the early fan-base that a TV show like this would require to function.

And then, Marvel’s winter soldier brought S.H.I.E.L.D back into the spotlight and the show soared in quality. It finally became the show of espionage that everyone wanted and has definitely been getting better and better since.

Over Seasons 2 and 3, the lens of the films zoomed out and focused on building the whole world of the show, effectively introducing alien civilisations and political intrigues. These two worlds coexist, but the show doesn’t depend on the films anymore. And as Arrow’s Season 4 attempted to bring Magic into the CW-verse and failed miserably, AoS takes the same path, but has been far more successful.

One of the show’s strengths has been introducing C-listers from the comic books and turning them into fan favorites without forcing them in the spotlight. Mr. Hyde, Hive

and Mockingbird are among these successes.

But until now, they had only stuck to C-listers. So when the news broke out that the show would be tackling the more well known Ghost Rider, many were worried. But it turns out that he’s quite possibly the highlight of the first 6 episodes.

Gabriel Luna’s performance as Robbie Reyes is impressive and layered which, coupled with his habit of turning into a fiery skull, made him an impressive presence on screen. The special effects are flawless and the more they show Robbie Reyes, the better it gets.

Making him such an intricate character within the story is part of why he works so well. We know so little about him. Even he doesn’t know everything about himself, and that sense of mystery is the kind of thing that can carry an entire season. Also, as the show goes along, they don’t run short of foes to face. His fight with Quake is amazing; at least on the level of the fight with Hive last year. And then he faces Hellfire, ghosts, Mace… It’s like we’re slowly seeing him go through a battle-ring of opponents, wondering which one will be too much for him.

But the Ghost Rider is far from the only interesting character. Dr. Ratcliffe and Aida (John

Hannah and Mallory Jansen) bring their own little mystery to the show. Ratcliffe had been introduced in Season 3 and worked really well, showing clear chemistry with Fitz and Simmons (Iain de Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge).

The scenes they had in Season 4 have been among the best so far; they added a new direction for the scientific aspects of the show. Science has always been helpful, not a liability…. which may change in the future as AI takes a center stage.

The usual cast is brilliant. Coulson, Fitz, Daisy and Simmons are some of the most fleshed out characters in TV at the moment Another new character worth his own paragraph is Jeffrey Mace (Patriot in the comics) played by Jason O’Mara. The inclusion of a new director made many sigh and the mystery surrounding him in the first episode wasn’t particularly interesting and felt forced. And then, we met him properly. And did you really

expect that? No, I didn’t think so. Jason O’Mara is traditionally a voice actor, but he delivers here a powerful performance in the flesh. His mask of unflinching optimism prompts a few laughs, but his acting abilities come out when said mask falls off. It happens on rare occasions, but when it does, it differentiates him from other deep voiced characters, like Gonzalez and Gideon Malick, that the writers could have made of him. Additionally, the reveal of his super-human powers make him a legitimate physical threat as well, and has the viewer on edge when the smile fades away.

The usual cast is brilliant. Coulson, Fitz, Daisy and Simmons are some of the most fleshed out characters in TV at the moment. And yet, their personal journeys seem far from over, as their relationships with each other change constantly.

May is still the badass presence of the team, but she suffers from the fact that all has already been revealed about her over the last seasons and she no longer seems to have her own character arc.

The departure of the characters of Hunter and Mockingbird could have been an opportunity to work on Mack’s character, but for now, it unfortunately seems that it is not the writers’ priority.

Plot-wise, the introduction of magic works well.

Should magic be discovered tomorrow, it makes sense that scientists would try to be explaining it their way. Hence why we have Fitz and the others constantly trying to understand it. The result is that it isn’t as disturbing as it was in Arrow’s season 4 and gives for some pretty good banter. The mystery surrounding the Darkhold is gripping, since the show has managed to create an aura of mystery and danger around this book (using name dropping effectively for once). To sum up, exciting prospects lie ahead.

Overall, these six episodes have been simply amazing. I have a few problems with some characters who deserve more than they’re given, but apart from that, this show works well on all levels and this is promising to be their best season yet.

What did you think of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D? Get in touch @EpigramFilm

American Pastoral review - McGregor directs, stars and shines in Roth reimagining Based on the celebrated novel by Philip Roth, Film & TV Writer Kate Llewellyn reveals why Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut is a must watch.

“

The performances from Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Connelly, who plays the pained and hated mother, are close to flawless Seymour Levove, or the ‘Swede’ as he is better known, is immortalised at his old high school as an athletic prodigy and all round hero amongst his peers. The film begins with the narrator, a friend of the Swede’s younger brother, attending a school reunion. He runs into his old friend and congratulates him on his brother’s display, but is met with a cold response as it transpires that the Swede’s funeral is tomorrow and that life after high school was not so kind to him. The narrator, bewildered by this news, asks to know more and so the narrative of the film begins.

Lionsgate/Richard Foreman

Anyone familiar with the work of Philip Roth would know not to expect a light-hearted experience when seeing the film adaptation for his most famous work, American Pastoral.

Set to the backdrop of 60s America and the Vietnam war, American Pastoral follows the slow and painful dismantling of the seemingly perfect American family and explores to what extent parents can be blamed for the actions of their children. In his work, Roth stretches this question to tragic lengths by making the parents the product of the ever coveted American dream and their daughter the backlash to this idea of perfection.

A beautiful and deeply moving film, any diehard fans of Ewan McGregor will enjoy how much screen time he gets as the protagonist of the film. They may, however, struggle to watch his excruciating demise as a father whose illusion of a perfect family life is torn apart, when his daughter becomes radicalised by a group of extreme anti-governmental revolutionaries.

The story of how the Swede’s blissful marriage to his childhood sweetheart ‘Miss New Jersey’ is abruptly torn to pieces by his daughter’s extreme political actions is as tragic as it is difficult and frustrating to watch. The film follows the father and draws the audience into his painful journey as he tries to comprehend how his beautiful little girl can grow up to be such an angry, violent and unreasonable young woman. Mary Levove, played by the sensational Dakota Fanning, has her innocent childhood in rural America shattered by the realisation that there is such injustice in the world. Plagued by a seemingly incurable stammer, Mary struggles at school to make friends and grows up to be an angry and stubborn young woman whose anger at the world, and at her parents for complying with it, knows no bounds.

The film is as much about how differently the two parents deal with the tragedy of losing the daughter they thought they knew, as it is about

the idea that you can never truly know a person.

Mary’s mother, after acting the punch bag for much of Mary’s angst for when she was still living at home, deals with the tragedies of the past by trying to forget that they ever happened.

But the Swede cannot give up on his daughter.

Whether it can be viewed as foolish or heroic, the Seymour’s unconditional love envelops every aspect of his life. He is constantly tormented by the idea that his innocent little girl, who had everything needed for the most idyllic childhood, could grow up to commit such horrific atrocities.

When he eventually tracks her down, it’s clear to everyone that the Mary he knew and raised is gone. Left is a husk of a woman, badly scarred by her experiences and a stranger to the father who raised her.

The performances from Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Connelly, who plays the pained and hated mother, are close to flawless, as well as the supporting roles played by Uzo Aduba and Peter

Riegert. Riegert and the Swede’s father provides some much needed comic relief, fulfilling the stereotype of the outspoken and brutally honest Jewish father whose lack of filter is wonderfully refreshing amongst this trope of pained and grieving characters.

The final scene of the film perfectly encapsulates one of Roth’s most famous quotes in the novel: ‘There are no reasons. She is obliged to be as she is. We all are. Reasons are in books.’

The audience go with Seymour in his search for answers behind why his daughter grew up the way she did; in real life, there rarely are answers for such questions.

Literature likes to give us explanations for the way we behave, when in reality reasons have to be inferred after action takes place. Tragedy and mystery intertwine in American Pastoral, with the final shot leaving you chasing for answers long after the credits roll.

Epigram 28.11.2016

Nocturnal Animals review - ‘A beautiful and violently dark tale’

38

Telling two tales of revenge, loneliness and the pain of family, Film & TV Writer Charlie Harrison reviews Tom Ford’s latest film, Nocturnal Animals.

BFI/LFFPRESS

Fashion designer-cum-film director Tom Ford’s second film delivers an expertly crafted and brilliantly acted experience that defies traditional genre. Managing to be a thriller, a romance, and a comment on artistic expression all in one, Nocturnal Animals portrays Susan Morrow, a discontented art gallery owner, after she receives the manuscript of her ex-husband’s new novel. By keeping the central premise of its plot surprisingly simple, the film is able to draw its audience in to a compelling story laden with ingenious symbolism.

It is the kind of film that could be dismissed as merely pretentious, but this is anything but.

Despite its often unconventional presentation, Nocturnal Animals is never obtuse. What artistic flourishes are present in the occasionally jarring editing, or in the subtle way by which certain plot elements are revealed to the audience, are never

for the director’s ego and are always in service of the story.

And what a perfectly told story it is. Nocturnal Animals is so expertly paced that plot details are always revealed at just the right moment to aid the story or reveal something new about the characters. Things are rarely made explicitly obvious to the audience, but neither are we ever obnoxiously teased; the audience is given enough information to sufficiently understand what is happening, but never so much that we are able to guess what is going to happen next.

Of particular note are the performances. Amy Adams is just about perfect as Susan Morrow. Her performance is always held back in just the right way, constantly showing Susan’s suppressed emotion with only the slightest movements, that only occasionally bubbles to the surface.

Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal’s raw, unbridled

intensity contrasts perfectly with the oppression of Adams’ character. His sheer honesty as author Edward Sheffield provides the perfect counterpoint to the clinical world that Susan finds herself in. We are reminded of her isolation from human nature in every possible moment, sometimes obviously from her co-workers’ bizarre lives, sometimes subtly through her pitchperfect costume design and always through her wonderfully held back performance. Both actors are given great opportunities to give immensely powerful performances, but the way in which each chooses to deliver these performances means so much for the story and is a testament to each actors’ mastery of their craft.

Like the modern art that adorns the walls of Susan’s home and workplace, Nocturnal Animals presents scenes that are often simplistic in their structure and presentation, but with symbolism

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Films to Faces Donald Duck

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Josh Deputy Editor

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Ella Editor

hidden behind every one.

It’s the kind of symbolism that is undoubtedly intriguing when first viewed, but gains more layers of meaning as you consider its relevance to the story. The cinematography is always excellently done, achieving an often very disturbing effect.

Though Nocturnal Animals is beautiful, it is also at times violently dark, again in such a way that works perfectly to drive its story home.

There are only a few negative things to say about Tom Ford’s second creation. I would argue that the opening scene, while doubtlessly effective at what it sets out to achieve, doesn’t necessarily match the tone of the rest of the film.

It is the one exemption to Nocturnal Animals never being obtuse. But do not take this criticism to be destructive; Nocturnal Animals is close to perfection and is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.

Phoebe Online Editor

Bleed for This

Birth of a Nation

Moana

In cinemas December 2nd

In cinemas December 9th

In cinemas December 2nd

Since Whiplash I’ve been an unconditional fan of Miles Teller. After tripping up in a few clumsy comedies, he’s really showing the world what he’s got in this film. Bleed for This sees him take on the role of boxer Vinny Pazienza, giving him another meaty character to get his teeth into - and I for one can’t wait.

While it is by no means a masterpiece, it is still definitely worth seeing Birth of a Nation - which has divided critics across the globe. It follows the slave preacher Nat Turner’s life and eventual rebellion against oppressive masters, resulting in a captivating ride which will at least keep you entertained if it doesn’t redefine your thinking.

Disney’s latest animated release (the 56th, to be exact) tells the story of a mystical island in Polynesia and the daughter of a tribe who is chosen to rediscover the very heart of where they live. The plot seems like a direct cross over between Pocahontas and Lilo & Stitch, but we all have to take inspiration from somewhere, right?

The Affair, season three

Atlanta

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

On Amazon Instant Video

On FOX

BBC One, Saturdays at 10:10pm

I mentioned it at the beginning of the year, but now the release of season three gives me an incentive to finally catch up with the gripping series. It’s what happens when your mum’s holiday reading meets the intensity of House of Cards - minus the politics. An equally easy and intense watch, it’s perfect binge material for the colder season.

When he isn’t selling out concerts under his rapper alias Childish Gambino, Donald Glover has found the time to create and star in a brand new TV series.

He plays Earn, an aspiring rapper who, along with his cousin, wants success in the music industry to improve his life. With near unanimous praise from critics so far, Atlanta looks like a must watch.

This is an advent calendar in the form of a TV show. One of the nation’s favourite comedians weekly counts down to Christmas with a host of celebrity stars, laughter and song. Including Ellie Goulding, Olly Murs, and the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock, there’s something for everyone in Michael McIntyre’s new chat show.

1. The Man Who Wasn’t There I’ve always been second place to Mickey, but this is a whole new level. The Coen brothers and Billy Bob Thornton have always shaken me up, but the film’s meaning feels much more real now.

2. The Other Woman In times of such global intention, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a bit of Cameron Diaz to brighten up my days. I’ve always had a soft spot for the other woman - don’t tell Daisy!

3. 2012 Once I’ve laughed and I’ve cried, my third choice gets me going. I love watching the explosions, the chaos and the madness, and then being able to switch off knowing that 2016 could never be as dramatic as 2012 was… right?

Who should we interview next for Films to Faces?

Tweet us @EpigramFilm

Epigram

28.11.2016

Arts

@EpigrmArts

Editor: Ed Grimble

Deputy

Editors: Myla Lloyd & Georgia O’Brien Online Editor: Helena Raymond-Hayling

arts@epigram.org.uk

deputyarts@epigram.org.uk

artsonline@epigram.org.uk

An ode to classical music

Third year music student Samuel Robinson argues that classical music is not just for background listening

“

It strikes me that even with popular music, students’ listening habits do not place the music at the centre of attention, rather it is used so often as an accompaniment to dancing and having fun. It is uncommon to find someone who really deeply engages with the music they listen to, to the extent that they could happily sit for long periods of time, just listening, without doing anything else. And yet this is the level of involvement necessary for the auditory magic to happen. Sometimes I listen to classical music without really paying attention to it, so as to understand how most people perceive it, and I am able to see how, without a metrically regular bassline beat it can sound formless and innocuous; it is only when I switch my thinking to a slightly more analytical state of mind that I start to hear the vivid colours, the emotional intensity and the genius that has gone into the creation of a piece. This may sound like hard work but it is no different to the mindset necessary to appreciate a painting, a play, or the latest Louis Theroux documentary. A good start, I would say, is to listen to the quality of the sound at a given moment in the music and just notice what mood or character is being created there. It really does not take much effort.

For a large percentage of people, university is an intensely emotional time; you are suddenly having to look after yourself, you’re unsure of who your friends are, and there is an obligation to have fun. If you are of a more sensitive disposition this can be very daunting and sometimes you

It is no different to the mindset necessary to appreciate a painting, a play, or the latest Louis Theroux documentary

Generally, what I find so satisfying about classical music is the greater variety it has to offer in so many ways. There is a bigger choice of instruments to write for – from the flute and the violin to the euphonium and the tam-tam – each offering

“

“

One thousand years of diverse musical creativity can be of great value to students

need to just stop and listen to your emotions, and music can really help to articulate what you are feeling. While a considerable amount of popular music can do this, I feel that on the whole classical music is more successful. While most popular songs seem to be based around very short, limited chord progressions repeated ad infinitum, classical music is constantly flowing, moving forward and subtly shifting in the same way that human feelings do, so within a very short period of time the music can explore and express lots of different emotions from lots of different perspectives. It is for this reason that I feel that classical music also more accurately represents the ever-changing nature of life; when you walk up the street, you do not pass the same shops and houses every few seconds – the scenery constantly changes, and life would be incredibly dull if it did not.

As an example, I would like to introduce Claude Debussy, a composer whose piece Clair de lune has been granted popular exposure by its featuring in such films as Ocean’s Eleven and the highly-acclaimed Twilight saga. As well as writing pretty piano tunes, Debussy was also an extraordinarily revolutionary composer. He abandoned traditional rules of harmony in favour of a more symbolist approach: he used all sorts of weird and wonderful chords and sound effects to evoke in music such natural phenomena as clouds (Nuages), falling snow (The Snow is Dancing), and the movement of water (Reflets dans l’eau). Just as Impressionist painters used a pallet of seemingly counterintuitive colours to represent a subjective perception of a scene, Debussy made use of unexpected notes to achieve a similar effect sonically. This subtle evocation in music of such natural, visual or tactile things is something that is not really done in the popular genre, and I feel it would be extremely hard to do so in a music so geared towards lyrics, electronic instruments, and a constant, immovable drum beat.

Flickr / Veronica Isabelle

When asked how often they listen to classical music, most students will reply with ‘never’, or that they often have it on in the background as an aid for concentrating on university work. As a music undergrad, and somebody whose twenty years on this planet have revolved largely around playing, studying, listening and obsessing over sonatas, symphonies and tone poems, these responses fascinate me. Classical music is something that just does not enter the student psyche, and when it does, it is only as a means of establishing industrious productivity. I would like to make the case that a thousand years of diverse musical creativity can be of far greater value to the average university-dweller.

unique sound qualities that can be precisely combined to create some amazing effects. The harmony in classical music has also evolved to such an extent that there is a much larger range of chords than the relatively rudimentary range in popular music. What I find odd is that in jazz – from which modernpopular music evolved – there is a much more sophisticated and inventive harmonic language, and yet many pop songs nowadays make use of only four basic chords repeated over and over.

If you try different things, you might unexpectedly find something that you get a really personal connection with

I am aware that to some I may sound bigoted. I do not mean to say that classical music is ‘better’ than popular music in any sense, because I am aware that it serves a different purpose, and both musics are successful in their own ways.

I only mean to make the point that listening exclusively to the popular genre (which, like classical music, has many sub-genres) means the consumption of a relatively narrow category of artistry and the exclusion of music which may otherwise be of great value to you. I would also suggest that, because of the emotionally expressive capabilities of classical music, there is a great need for it among all sorts of people - including young people – that is perhaps not recognised.

Nor do I advocate an exploration only of classical music: there are infinite sonic possibilities available from the well-established folk music of innumerable countries, and especially in the 20th century there was a move in classical music to incorporate artistic elements from other cultures.

You may not like a lot of it (I personally don not get a lot of enjoyment from listening to Indian Raga) but if you try different things, you might unexpectedly find something that you get a really personal connection with, and that is something very special to have. I would say though that since so much of classical music is written for the purpose of emotional expression – something which most of us crave – this extensive tradition may be a good place to start.

Samuel Robinson

Epigram

40

28.11.2016

An interview with Sarah Staton: Social Sculpture at Stoke Bishop Arts Editor Ed Grimble talks to Sarah Staton, whose new ‘social sculpture’ Edith & Hans now sits proudly in the meadows surrounding Hiatt Baker halls of residence of art can be installed in the city without undercurrents of concern regarding the misuse of public funds. I am in agreement with Staton that, where many local authorities may rather spend the money on ‘traffic improvements, improv[ed] lighting, or may let it sit unspent’, diverting some of this money to funding of public artworks is a worthwhile endeavour. Mental wellbeing in cities is a fascinating area of study, and I fully endorse the view that there are visible benefits of making our urban spaces pleasant places to walk and sit. ‘Bristol has an exceptional international reputation for its work in this regard’, Staton tells me.

Phptpgra[hy by Max McLure

23rd June could impact the arts within Britain.

Her response is one of perplexed upset; she recognises a strain of ‘UKIP rhetoric [which] appears to have been embraced by the new Tories’, alongside a ‘degree of philistinism they revel in [which] makes me want to bang my head on a wall’. Government demands that local authorities bring plans for savings of 25 per cent on spending are something that is seriously threatening the state of the arts in this country; Staton tells me that ‘in Bristol the Council are currently carrying out consultation with a view to cutting 92 million pounds by 2022’, and that ‘the proposal is to cut arts spending by 40 per cent’ to reach that target. In light of this, Edith & Hans takes on a further role as a declaration of a commitment to supporting the arts. On her thoughts on the Brexit vote more broadly, Staton is sure in her belief– one that is shared by many others– that despite the EU becoming ‘a massive bureaucratic machine with governance issues’, a plan of ‘addressing this from within seems more intelligent than from without’.

Edith & Hans has been linked to the history of the garden folly, architectural features of English gardens that became very popular in the nineteenth century.

In the popular imagination, the folly is closely associated with a sort of architectural whimsy, and its context is one of wealth and leisure time of a very particular class of people.

Especially in our age of close fiscal scrutiny, and awareness of the finitude of resources,

requiring ‘collaboration between artist and public, artist and context , commissioner, project manager, fabricator sometimes an architect, or landscape designer’. Bristol as a city is awash with meaningful public art pieces: from last year’s smoke-drenched Pero’s Bridge by installation artist Fujiko Nakaya; to Katie Paterson’s newly opened sculpture Hollow in the University’s Royal Fort Gardens.

Bristol has a financial fund, known as ‘106 money’; private money from developers ear-marked for what Staton calls the ‘enhancement of the public realm’. The City of London aside, this is a model unique to Bristol, and ensures that high quality pieces

you dig, the more layers you find’, says Staton– again the discussion has circled around to the importance of participation in these kinds of art.

Ultimately though, Staton tells me that she wants this site to be ‘a space for you and your fellow students to make your own stories’. Edith & Hans certainly has a rich and complex story of its own which it rewardingly reveals to the curious visitor; but its real joy is in being a modest provocateur and facilitator for new stories and experiences.

“

Situated on the meadows below the tennis courts, Staton explains how her sculpture is ‘situated to harness the sun’. From morning to afternoon it moves, she says, ‘from the exterior seat to the interior seat’, and that the terracotta from which it is made ‘absorbs heat on a warm day, and releases it slowly back into the atmosphere, creating an ambient

I am interested in Staton’s thoughts on how her twenty-first century sculpture interacts with this history. ‘There certainly is this history and it is not possible for me to make the work that I do without taking this on’, she admits. With its focus on participation, of providing shelter and a vantage point for the sculpture’s ‘temporary inhabitants’, Staton prefers the work to be ‘described as a belvedere, sharing similar history as follies, but created to look out of, rather than at’. Sitting in Edith & Hans and admiring the views across Wales, it certainly does give commanding views.

Public art more broadly is very often divisive when discussed; be this in relation to aesthetics, usefulness, or the value of art in a society very concerned with how dwindling finances are spent.

Staton describes it as ‘a complex type of art making, which carries responsibility for artist and commissioner’,

Staton says that she wants this site to be ’a space for you and your fellow students to make your own stories’

Visiting Edith & Hans, and talking to Staton about her work and the wider issues upon which it touches, makes it clear that this sculpture is a real confluence of ideas and narratives– both historical and contemporary. Staton commends the work of the Field Art Projects, who she says ‘have managed the project really well and have taken care to disseminate and communicate these ideas to the wider public’. ‘The more

Phptpgra[hy by Max McLure

“

Bristol as a city is awash with meaningful public art pieces: from last year’s smokedrenched Pero’s Bridge to Katie Paterson’s newly opened sculpture Hollow

place to linger on a summer evening’.

Everything about Edith & Hans suggests creating a welcoming, inclusive space.

On the subject of inclusivity, I tentatively ask Staton her thoughts on how the events of

Phptpgra[hy by Max McLure

Launching straight into discussing her new public artwork, Edith & Hans, I want to get to the bottom of what Staton sees the term ‘social sculpture’ to mean. ‘Social sculpture’, she says, is a ‘concept link[ed] to the idea that everyone can be an artist, associated with the German artist Joseph Beuys’. Beuys’s thought is one of ‘valuing our whole selves, our intuitions and imaginations, as well as rational thinking and our wills’. This, Staton explains, allows us all to be not only artists, but ‘conscious active participants in an alternative humane society’. This element of active participation is one which permeates Staton’s work on a number of levels, and she is grateful to the University of Bristol for providing ‘the conditions for me to create a room with no roof that invites inhabitants to gather, to converse and to momentarily remove themselves from work, from connectivity’.

Stanton’s work then, is one that is both actively engaged with its own setting and with history and politics, but simultaneously aims to provide a small corner of tranquility to a world increasingly defined by hyperconnectivity and a hectic quotidian.

Ed Grimble

Epigram

28.11.2016

41

Wildlife Lecturers on Literature Photographer of the Year Review Sarah Childs, professor of politics and gender studies, gives Myla Lloyd her top reads in our Lecturers on Literature feature

Ellie Broad reviews the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition as it comes to Bristol’s M Shed.

Sam Hobson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

I read for a degree in Politics in the School of African Asian Studies at the University of Sussex in the late 1980s. In a course on the Russian revolution I came across Alexandra Kollontai, a Bolshevik and Ambassador to Norway, and an advocate of abortion rights. Her novel, Love of Worker Bees explored a relationship between an intellectual woman and her worker lover. I loved the consideration of passion in a revolutionary society. This book also brings back very happy memories of being an undergraduate in Brighton.

A book that inspired me to do what I do today…

The Politics of Presence Anne Phillips This book has underpinned a whole generation of gender and politics research. It has also central to mainstream debates on the concept of representation. Phillips provided the analytic framework for my research on Labour’s 1997 women MPs – my first book. Her key point: women’s presence in politics matters – whilst women representatives are ‘shooting in the dark’ they are more likely to hit the target of representing women. This potential has driven extensive empirical study, and engendered more sophisticated reconceptualization of representation – questions that intrigue me to this day.

A book that I read when I want to unwind…

Any of the novels of...

Margaret Attwood I first read The Handmaids Tale over 20 years ago; I re-read it last year. A dystopian novel, last year’s reading drove home just how fragile women’s rights are. One day ‘Offred’, the lead character, discovers that her money has been transferred to her husband’s bank account. This sense of losing something that is so everyday just made me think of all the political, social, and economic rights that women have had to fight for, and defend, and still have to fight for. The Blind Assassin I’ve read twice too – it is the kind of book to sit on a comfy sofa with on a rainy day and simply relish.

The book I most enjoyed writing…

Margaret Atwood

Deeds and Words: Feminizing Politics After Joni Lovenduski Rosie Campbell and Sarah Childs This book is a festschrift for Prof. Joni Lovenduski - my mentor and a Grand Dame of gender and politics. A festschrift is a book published to honour a scholar. Co-authored by my great friend and collaborator, Prof. Rosie Campbell, we worked on this in the evenings, with wine, because we wanted to celebrate Joni’s contribution to gender and politics. Launched in the House of Commons, to reflect her impact on politics and parties, the book enabled us to thank Joni for everything she had done for us, and for the study of gender and politics.

If I could only save one book from a burning library it would be…

Vindication of the Rights of Woman Mary Wollstonecraft

Flickr / Skara Kommun

The real aim of this exhibition is to educate people about these animals that live alongside us; to help us appreciate them and to inspire us to help them. The exhibition takes pride in its large section of children’s images and its young photographer award, encouraging a younger generation to notice what may no longer be as accessible to them as it has been to previous generations.

The phrase ‘last chance to see’ is tragically applicable to more and more species each year, it seems.

The 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition is one to be enjoyed and appreciated by all and definitely worth a visit. It will be running at MShed until 5th March.

Ellie Broad

Love of the Worker Bees Alexandra Kollontai

Flickr / Mark Hill

Audun Rikardsen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

What is immediately striking is the incredible quality of the images; the care and craftsmanship put into making each photograph perfect is overwhelming. With precision and clarity, each image captures a single moment of the constantly animated natural world, each still is telling the viewer a story.

Mats Andersson’s monochrome print in the ‘Earth’s Design’ section stands out in particular. The image shows a lowly lit pigmy owl curled up on a bare tree branch. The photographer describes how these pigmy owls mate for life - he is familiar with this particular owl and knows that it has recently lost its partner to a predator. The dull, looming white shape in the background appears to be a large, full moon, but it is in fact the sun rising in the morning.

The top photo this year was taken by Tim Laman. His photograph shows an orangutan climbing a tree, the vast sea of green treetops as its background. The image earns its winning title through its outstanding quality, composure and colour contrasts. Not only is it well composed– and of course well taken– it grips the viewer, pulling them down into the world of an orangutan, an animal not so distant from ourselves. With the recurring theme of wildlife protection and the troubled relationship of humans with wildlife, this image well and truly deserves its acclaim.

The issue of humanity’s relationship with nature is explored bravely – both positively and critically. A runner up in the ‘Urban’ section of ‘Earth’s Environments’ shows a fox curiously peering over a wall. The close-up photograph’s clear focus positions the viewer in the fox’s world, celebrating nature’s part in everyday life. From a leopard stalking the inside of a person’s home to a bat erupting from a shattered window, these images encourage viewers to take notice of the wildlife around. The stories behind the

scenes of these images fascinate further. To capture the leopard, Nayan Khanolkar spent four months with camera traps dotted around Mumbai’s hidden alleys. Mario Cea waited, camera at the ready, each night for a great colony of bats to emerge from the derelict house they had adopted as their home.

The lengths taken to get these pictures are definitely worth respecting.

The question of the credibility of a camera trap is hard not to ask, and whether a photograph can really be considered the photographer’s art if they did not take it directly. As photography technology advances drastically, taking higher quality images of nature’s hidden and rare spectacles is becoming easier. Perhaps such incredible photographs such as the leopard in Mumbai cannot be credited to a single photographer– I would disagree. Many of the images in the exhibition were caught on camera traps, and without this technology these wonderful images would not be able to be captured, and would remain forever unseen.

These rare moments are further explored in the documentary section of the exhibition, which contains series of images that tell a story. Here, the disadvantages of living so close to wildlife are introduced. Told in this section is a story of orangutans living in the wild, which includes the 2016 winning image.

The images continue: a patch of incinerated forest, a motherless baby monkey, and animals raised in captivity. The series teaches how human actions are seriously threatening our animal neighbours. Although there is a sense of hope in this story– a reassurance that measures are being taken to protect species– feelings of both sadness and guilt are unavoidable.

University of Bristol

Since 1965, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition has been a well-respected and celebrated event for photography lovers around the world. Founded by London’s Natural History Museum, the exhibition showcases the very best in wildlife photography. The exhibition opened on 16th November, and will remain in Bristol’s MShed until Spring 2017.

A staggeringly diverse array of images displaying all colours and kinds of wildlife– all captured at their finest– greet the viewer upon entry; from sperm whales splashing, almost playfully, beneath the ocean’s surface to volcanoes spitting out neon-esque lava.

The three main categories this year are ‘Earth’s Environment’, ‘Earth’s Design’ and ‘Earth’s Diversity’.

A book I discovered as an undergraduate that has stuck with me since…

Wollstonecraft’s book is a feminist classic and frequently regarded as the first feminist treatise. It cogently and engagingly makes the case for women’s equality within liberal feminist terms.

It should be read by everyone. This one line has always stayed with me: ‘Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman’s sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and, roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adore its prison.’

Myla Lloyd

Epigram

28.11.2016

Music

@epigrammusic Editor: Sam Mason-Jones

Deputy Editor: Ellen Kemp

Online Editor: Georgia Marsh

music@epigram.org.uk

ellen.kemp@epigram.org.uk

musiconline@epigram.org.uk

The Sound of the Fury

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Do they really speak for us, or is it all a ploy to sell records?

We could also look at the sixties from an environmental, pacifist perspective: the entire hippy ideology was centred on radically leftwing politics, heavily involved in the music of the time. Greenpeace’s financial foundation was based on a benefit concert, which included Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell on the bill. By the end of the decade, Bob Dylan had written ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’, John Lennon was urging the world to ‘Give Peace a Chance,’ and The Kinks’ satirical ‘Sunny Afternoon’ had reached 1966’s UK number one spot.

Jump forwards into the mid-70s and we find punk, when bands like The Sex Pistols, The Damned and The Ramones were galvanising swathes of rebellious teenage outcasts into a force which collectively raised a finger to the rose-tinted Rock ‘n’ Roll that dominated postBeatles pop music. The punk ethos then bled profusely into new generations and genres. The dawn of Thatcherism met with the likes of Billy Bragg declaring that ‘There is Power in a Union’, while Pink Floyd were making rooms resonate with their bitterly dystopian reading of society, sending gigantic mallets flying into gigantic walls.

Meanwhile, kids were yelling along to the words ‘Hang the DJ’ in solidarity, Morrissey’s repertoire providing an ample supply of critique that bit off, chewed up and eagerly spat out chunks of conservative ideology.

to flinch when he calls The Smiths his favourite band.

Nowadays we are seeing some interesting evolutions: while political discourse in songwriting is still pretty rare, there are some artists catching our attention with drastically political content.

Hip-hop is being reclaimed by artists like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples and Chance the Rapper, who sing from true experience and with razor sharp awareness of the ever-present class struggles and racial discrimination found in today’s America.

In Britain a similar thing can be felt in certain grime artists’ agendas, and heard in indie spokenwordsmiths like Kate Tempest or She Drew The Gun. The punk resurgence could also be indicative of the troubled times we are seeing. The likes of Shame and Bristol’s own IDLES have taken up the mantle of their 1980s punk predecessors, with the enduringly relevant John Cooper Clarke and Sleaford Mods voicing their disgust for broken Britain and the selfish attitudes of the modern world. The lyric ‘stop taking photos of yourselves’, from IDLES’ ‘Queens’ is tellingly similar to Tempests’s ‘here’s me outside the palace of me’, from ‘Europe is Lost’: two contemporary artists expressing more or less the same kind of antiindividualist message.

Musicians themselves are behaving with more political engagement nowadays

It is also worth noting that deeply personal songs can take on certain political charges, especially when dealing with mental health struggles, or love songs from LGBT perspectives.

Recent years have seen a refreshingly open and direct approach to such matters. This could mark an increased progressiveness, and a much subtler influence that could alter a listener’s attitudes.

Emotive, non-didactic songs like these are also the kind that help us on a personal level to cope with the ramifications of our society’s current socio-political catastrophes.

There’s also the idea that musicians themselves are behaving with more political engagement nowadays. This manifests itself in all sorts of interesting ways – whether it be artists somewhat superficially following Hillary on the campaign trail, Kanye threatening to run for 2020’s presidential candidacy, or events like the Love Trumps Hate concerts and Chance the Rapper’s Parade to the Polls actively trying to increase the youth voter turnout. It’s also no coincidence that Kendrick Lamar’s refrain from ‘Alright’ was adapted into a chant for the Black Lives Matter movement.

In addition, there are some sporadic examples of musicians starting dialogues with their fans about social struggles and speaking up as ambassadors against discrimination they have encountered themselves. This could all simply be seen as satisfying a certain requirement that modern fanbases have for the political accountability of famous role models. Yet it is also undoubtedly becoming cooler to care. Superficial as this sounds, if listeners are encouraged to think more consciously and critically about the politics of the art and entertainment they are consuming, it surely has to be a positive thing. Music also has a tendency to bring together the like-minded, meaning that if there were to be an influx of protest songs, they would be shared, discussed, bonded over – and maybe even acted upon.

Ellen Kemp

Flickr / Cristian Sitov

At the moment, politics seems to be an infectious and unavoidable topic. 2016 is a year in dire need of protest songs, yet clubs across the country are still playing Pharell’s ‘If You Are Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands’. Nobody is clapping.

Everyone is silently seething with rage.

In the past, protest songs have been divisive, extremely powerful, ways of uniting and mobilising people. Consider the 1960s, and Nina Simone, who reached the apex of her career as the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum.

Songs like ‘Backlash Blues’ and ‘Strange Fruit’ were able to express feelings that, for many, were impossible to communicate in any form but music. Her political activism stretched beyond her lyrics, and, like many other black musicians of her time, music created a means of bringing people together who have a common experience and a common goal.

And we can hardly ignore hip-hop as a political force. The forefathers of the genres, artists like Rakim and Gil Scott Heron, provided a fresh new sound as well as an intelligent new set of voices for the citizens of the ghetto. Through the 90s, there was ‘Common People,’ and ‘Fight the Power’; Rage Against The Machine, Riot Grrrl and Patti Smith to name but a few. Every genre, every era, has examples of musicians who see standing up for what they believe in as an important element of their artistic integrity.

And while this principle does apply to many contemporary musicians, many more seem to have retreated into the shadowy realm of apathy.

Those that haven’t, increasingly and undeniably, have had to battle to prove the authenticity of their political statements: it is seen as unacceptable for anyone in the public sphere to use their platform to promote a view they don’t themselves adhere to. Because political songs became ‘cool’ long ago, and everything ‘cool’ is always made commercial, we are treating artists with a level of increasing scrutiny – ‘are they just saying this to seduce fans who agree with these views?’ ‘Do they really speak for us, or is it all a ploy to sell records?’ Lots of musicians steer clear of politics for this reason.

There is a basis for this sceptism: though many of the more underground artists of the past can’t be accused of using politics for publicity, many, many others have toted anti-establishment slogans, superficial female empowerment or uninspired anti-war songs to exploit for profit the attractive image of a fist raised in the air.

But arguably, even the frankly horrifying commercialisation of political content into the mainstream of musical genres creates an undercurrent, a sub-textual need for political engagement in popular culture. It is without a doubt that the Spice Girls sang about ‘Girl Power’ to steal from the growing attraction of Riot Grrrl and third wave feminist thinking. But at least they exposed more people to these ideas (sort of).

What’s more disheartening is the uncomfortably convincing argument that protest songs, whether authentic or not, actually prevent people from engaging in politics. Using music as an expressive outlet for our discontent could mean we deal with our emotions and anger through screaming along to the lyrics in our bedrooms, rather than protesting out on the streets or changing behaviour in a meaningful way.

Add on to this the fact that, as time passes and protest songs become part of the mainstream musical canon, we start to forget the context they belonged to, and view the legacy within it as irrelevant. The threat is gone, nothing shocks us, and David Cameron somehow manages not

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When the tables turn, what will we put on the turntables?

Ellen Kemp deliberates on the place and purpose of the protest song.

Epigram 28.11.2016

43

A eulogy for Leonard Cohen Joe Gorecki reflects upon the life and legacy of another of 2016’s lost heroes, the irreplaceable Leonard Cohen.

Leonard Cohen is dead. Despite the fact that 2016 has taught us time and again to expect the unexpected and to confront bitter truths we’d prefer to not to hear, those words still have a piercing sting to them. He was indeed 82; yet, that seems irrelevant. He still had that incisive poet’s voice, as we were reminded just last month with the release of his now final album You Want It Darker. The album showed he’d lost none of his peerlessly commanding way with words, and it now stands as a chillingly powerful epitaph.

With his gravelly voice and poetic lyrics he entranced us for close to five decades.

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With Leonard Cohen’s passing, we have lost one of music’s most poetic and articulate voices.

Flickr / Takahiro Kyono

Beginning as a poet and a novelist in his native Canada, he soon moved to Los Angeles and into music. Releasing in 1967 his debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, opening with ‘Suzanne’, the album immediately introduced him to the world as one of music’s premier songsmiths. Thus began the slew of classics that would emerge from this immensely creative period. The songs ‘Suzanne’, ‘So Long Marianne’, ‘Bird on a Wire’, ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ and ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ all come from just eight years between 1967 and 1974. Despite the comparably modest musical accompaniment, his place in the pantheon of musical greats was

cemented by his set at the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight Music Festival.

However, it was not only his songs, but how he would present them, that truly set him apart.

With only minimal instrumentation at first, it was always his gravelled voice at the fore. His speech-singing leant itself to the melancholia that pervades his records and emphasises the words of his lyrics and their utter precision. His style was unique and inimitable, as were his musical infusions of poetry, sex and religion which proved penetrating in their examination of the human condition.

Spirituality influences much of his work, also setting himself apart from other artists.

He found Buddhism in the seventies which he kept active with for years afterwards, though never entirely discarding his childhood Judaism. It was very in keeping with him that in his first retirement in the mid-‘90s he entered a Buddhist temple and was ordained a monk, being given the ironic name Jikan, or ‘Silent One’.

The letter he wrote to his dying former muse Marianne Ihlen this summer has been given an added poignancy in light of today’s news. After admitting his own mortality, he closes with “I just want to wish you a very good journey. Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road…” In many ways he could have been writing to his own fans.

With Leonard Cohen’s passing, we have lost one of music’s most poetic and articulate voices. We, however, should not entirely resign ourselves to the melancholy that pervades much of his work (and what has led to his music being synonymous with depressing) but rather use this as an opportunity to celebrate all of those masterpieces his unique voice gave us.

Joe Gorecki

Recommended Listening Justice Woman

French electro gods Justice rise from the dead with Woman, the follow-up album to AUDIO VIDEO DISCO. A hole was left in their five-year absence, but now listeners can rejoice with the sound that they know and love in 10 reinvigorating new tracks.

Its familiarity is Woman’s strongest quality and fatal flaw - its sound is upbeat and infectious but doesn’t break any boundaries in a Civilization-esque way. ‘Fire’ is fun and ‘Randy’ is solid, but both and all songs rely on an established sound and its timeless quality established by the musicians in their first few records.

This is a sound that blends slow and steady beats with playful instrumentation, making for exciting and fresh tracks which vary between the balance of ‘Stop’ and the rising excitement of ‘Alakazam!’, providing an accessible and enjoyable electronic sound without ever delving into the depths of more familiar drum and bass. It is a shame that old fans won’t find a reinvention of the band with Woman, but it is still a treat, and a reminder of the greatness of Justice. A strong, enjoyable and rich record - new listeners pay attention, your new favourite album is here.

Ella Kemp

Sam Mason-Jones

A Tribe Called QUest We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your Service

A Tribe Called Quest are a real-life Mary Poppins: leaving us mere mortals to our own devices and only returning when we really need them. And boy do we need them now. The titular ‘Service’ refers to the 18 years since they last released an album, during which, it is fair to say, things have got a bit rubbish. The past twelve months has seen myriad issues come to a cataclysmic head, with the resultant carnage sufficient for Q-Tip and Phife to call it quits on their hiatus. The powerful sense of dread embodied which 2016 has come to represent (which cruelly took the latter from us) is neatly captured in the excerpt from 1971’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, sampled in opener ‘The Space Program’: ‘the danger must be growing but the rowers keep on rowing! And there’s certainly no showing any signs that they are slowing!’ comes the frenzied voice of Gene Wilder, another casualty of this most odious year. The rest of the album shares similarly sentiments, with Tip’s withering wrath aimed squarely at Donald Trump, the arbiter of this hatred, who is criticised implicitly in tracks like ‘We The People’ and less implicitly in closer ‘The Donald’. On these songs the boys have never sounded so good, with their flows fresher than ever before. This album, didactically conceived through complaints with a truly fucked-up world, is an example of that which makes it worth living in.

Epigram

44

28.11.2016

An Interview with John Cooper Clark

Serena Basra shares some wise words from her chat with the impeccably professional punk

flickr / Kmrone

Flickr / Bryan Ledgegard

Bursting onto the scene in the 1970s as the definitive punk poet, Dr John Cooper Clarke has retained his position as one of the nation’s greatest gifts. His sharp wit and keen eye for observation and satire has been praised by the likes of renowned poet Simon Armitage (describing Clarke as ‘a cross between Sid Vicious, Ken Dodd and Allen Ginsberg’) to Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, who covered Clarke’s frankly brilliant ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ to close the band’s latest album.

Clarke’s latest venture is an invigorating change for the spokenword poet. He teams up with Hugh Cornwell – of The Stranglers fame – to create an album of covers, hand-picking British and American classics from their youth. ‘This Time It’s Personal’ unites these two musical giants in an exciting manner; Clarke is the lead vocalist underscored by Cornwell’s deft guitar playing.

“ Never leave it up to inspiration. If you’re a professional you’ve got to put the hours in.

The project, Clarke informs me, was Hugh’s idea. Cornwell approached Clarke about getting involved whilst the pair were at dinner with some mutual friends in Essex. There are a range of tracks on the record, songs which Clarke loves, ranging from the seductive ‘Love Potion No.9’ to the poetic ‘Mansfield Park’.

When discussing the latter, Clarke explains ‘Hugh figured I would intone it; speak it rather than sing it.’ It is in this distinctive

Mancunian lilt where Dr Clarke’s edge lies. The fan inside of me giggled when he first drawled my name; his tone is so beguiling it lends itself to both humour and poeticism.

Clarke muses on his new-found status as a singer, something he has never undertaken in a public capacity. ‘I’m known for my poetry, so this is right out of my comfort zone’, he explains. The tour is yet to start but Clarke and Cornwell have undertaken some radio recordings, which Clarke believes ‘went okay but live is a whole new thing, cranks everything up a gear.’

‘I’m quietly confident’, he says, despite all this. ‘We never did more than three takes on any of these records’. He then chuckles slightly as he says: ‘I can carry a tune. You know, when I hit those notes, nobody was more surprised or pleased than I’.

The conversation flows to music as I eagerly quiz Clarke about his musical pleasures. Clarke recounts an endless stream of contemporary musicians, punctuating band recommendations with cries of ‘sweetheart, who else is good?’ (questions posed to his wife, not me.) High on his list was Joanne Shaw Taylor, a blues guitar player he saw on Jools Holland. ‘I thought she was American, that was a good sign’, he chuckles, ‘but she was from the Midlands!’ He guides me through an array of other bands, ranging from Slaves and Arctic Monkeys to The James Hunter Six and Adele; the latter of which he terms ‘fabulous’.

Clarke determines that his work ethic is now ‘more professional than ever before’, working office hours of 10am to 5.30pm, as he views himself and his poetry in competition with an electronic world. ‘Some days are productive’, he tells me.

‘Never leave it up to inspiration. If you’re a professional you’ve got to put the hours in. It is a fractured and romantic idea that a poet is at the mercy of the intellect. I’ll have to sink a few

ships with this but it’s graft’.

There is no question that as well as his poetry Clarke’s style, a shock of black hair sitting atop a slender rocker silhouette, is distinctive. His influence can be seen across modern society; one cannot forget the iconic A/W 2014 Topman fashion show where Clarke’s poems were scattered across the seats. When asked about how it feels to be termed a fashion icon, Clarke is initially surprised before responding slowly with ‘you’ve got a point, yeah, I think I am.’ He extends his interpretation of the fashion world for me; ‘there’s only really Elvis who invented a look. Elvis and, to a slightly lesser extent, Keith Richards’, he explains. ‘I’m more down the Keith Richards end and have stuck with it since 1965. I’ve grown my hair really long like Keith Richards, or Joan Jett.’

‘That’s made my week’, Clarke says, a comment which, coincidentally, makes mine. A humorous glint enters his voice as he continues the fashion dialogue. ‘Most people know what they look best in’, he declares. ‘I deal with damage limitation – how to look the least bad. That’s flattering though; I have always considered myself carefully dressed,’ he concludes.

As the conversation winds to a close, the topic of Bristol naturally rears its head. Clarke is wonderfully complimentary of the place he terms ‘not similar to anywhere’. His experience of the city is wide-ranging; from the attractive Waterfront area to his friend in Montpelier with the ‘greatest record collection I’ve ever seen’ and watching Jerry Dammers (The Specials) DJ. Clarke and Cornwell grace the O2 Academy Bristol with their presence on the 30th of November and, in the words of the great man himself; ‘you only live twice’ (‘evidently Chickentown’) so why miss out?

Serena Basra

Epigram

Puzzles

@EpigramPuzzles

Editor: Suzie Brown

Solutions will be posted online at www.epigram.org.uk before the next issue is released.

puzzles@epigram.org.uk

Quick crossword 1

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Find the word which can come before each of the three words given, in each case giving a common two-word phrase. E.g. CAR park, CAR stereo, CAR alarm.

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16. Desire strongly (4) 17. Apprehensive (7) 19. Public open space in Ancient Greece (5) 20. Relating to monarchy (5) 21. Methods (4)

ACROSS 1. Colourful flying insect (9) 6. Characterised by a hissing sound (8) 8. Musical genre, precursor to reggae (3) 9. Hot drink originating in Asia (3) 10. Deploy as a means to achieving something (3) 13. Reigns (5) 15. Feebleness (7)

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317

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423

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4. Game of chance (7) 5. Cultivated cereals (6) 7. Period of history (3) 8. Piece of material used to propel a vessel (4) 11. Proficient (7) 12. Bring to court (7) 14. State of intense bliss (7) 16. Which person (3) 17. Shoot projectile from weapon (4) 18. Be without (4)

DOWN 1. Ball game receptacle (6) 2. Large brass instrument (4) 3. Slippery fish (3)

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Each number represents a letter. Decode the grid to find the words.

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2020

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125

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Set by Peter Kay ACROSS 1. He had lovers and drugs.

Madly in love (4,4,5) 7. Satanic Verses author hid badly as part of a ruse (7)

4 12

Word ladder

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nations (3,2) 12. Premier poet of postcivil-war England? (4) 14. Bishop is apt at first to sanctify Christians (8) 16. Weapon going spare

GOAL WEAR WEIR HEIR

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WEAR

Can you get from top to bottom, changing only one letter from one rung to the next?

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9. Plants flower in Orlando, perhaps (5) 10. Jumping like a Lord at Christmas? (7) 11. Man in barrel at conglomeration of

MAIL

(5) 17. Doppelganger, doppelganger? (6) 21. Cricketer is security guard after hours (13) 23. Popular CD not in store, due to misbehaviour (13) DOWN 1. Even in her head, Raella improves her facial cleft (7) 2. Lost island? (2,3) 3. Approve a Rodin forgery (6) 4. Tabitha out of her comfort zone (7) 5. Sleep or run like Romeo & Juliet (7) 6. Similarity of energy between Sam and Ness (8) 8. Angled badly around.

North of France? (7) 13. President Lincoln’s deputy starts to be on edge, as promised (7) 15. Play guitars without you for free (6) 16. Regularly find sour nuns in Muslim sect (5) 18. A diamond in the rough? (5) 19. Some climb over while others bend under (5) 20. Workers making a stand cut short (4) 22. Loan charge during short month (3)

Word grid GOAL

How many words can you find including the middle letter, with at least fourGOAD letters per word?

8= Average 11 = Good GOOD 14= Excellent

HAIR

S D FOOD

D

HAIL

E D FOND

C

E FIND

N

FIND MAIL

24 next 25 26 Want to set a puzzle for the issue?

Get in touch via email or tweet @EpigramPuzzles 18

7 9

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3 14

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Cryptic crossword

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Set by Jade

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90 M in a F M 4 S of G 6 F in the U of B 343 M P S is the S of S in A 12 O in a S T C

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Decode the clues to work out what things the numbers represent. E.g. 7 D in a W = 7 days in a week.

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Numerator

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1. Bound, Check, Book 2. Free, Cane, Daddy 3. Cream, Cube, Rink

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Sudoku

Just a phrase

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28.11.2016

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E

8 Averag 10 Good

12 Very g

Epigram

46

28.11.2016

‘This Girl Can’ week takes Bristol by storm Flora Beverley Sports Reporter

Flickr: Alasdair Massle Facebook/ /UoB UoBBoat PoloClub Club Facebook Facebook / Lisa Daley

Last week, Bristol University saw the return of the national campaign ‘This Girl Can’ to its campus. ‘This Girl Can’, developed by Sport England, is an organisation that provides funding to help people across the country take part in sports at all levels. The ‘This Girl Can’ campaign was born to encourage women of all ages, sizes and backgrounds to get involved in a sport. The initiative also highlights the reality of sport; people sweat, jiggle and may not look their best whilst they exercise, but the message is that this doesn’t matter. 75% of women say that they would like to be more active, yet only 31.7% of women exercise at least once a week.

‘This Bristol Girl Can’ week is aimed to encourage those at the university who might not normally take part in a sport to have a go.

This year, a whole week of free activities took place, mainly in the Student Union. 15 activities were on offer during the week, including kickboxing, swimming, zumba and self-defence classes, which meant there was something for everyone.

There were two main events: the Maroon Wednesday up at Coombe Dingle and the huge Zumba class on Thursday evening. Maroon Wednesday consisted of seven hours of games at Coombe Dingle, showcasing both the men’s and women’s sports teams (including hockey, lacrosse, football and rugby). The headliner was, of course, our amazing Women’s Rugby team versus Cardiff Met at 7:15pm.

Despite a loss, the girls played extremely well, encouraged by (fairly vocal) support from teammates, friends and other students on the sidelines. Playerlayer playmakers were also at the event, handing out personalised leggings to the man of the match and lucky spectators.

The Zumba on Thursday started with a huge queue outside the

Anson rooms in the Student Union with lots of students, looking both excited and apprehensive. Over 200 spaces were booked, filling out the Anson rooms by 6pm. The class was led by two dancers, encouraging everyone to take part in a manageable dance routine, which changed for every song. For a non-dancer like me, it was hilarious, and I shook my hips and waved my hands around, somehow looking like I was drowning rather than dancing, but the event was the most fun I’d had that week!

Lisa Daley, the official organiser of the week, commented: ‘“This Bristol Girl Can Week” was our celebration

of all women participating in Bristol University sport, from complete beginners to elite performers. The whole week was a great success with masses of interest and participation, all tying into the main “This Girl Can” national campaign which aims to promote females to take part, with no worry of how well they do it or how they look doing it.’

The Student Union and the department of Sport, Exercise & Health put together a much bigger programme compared to last year. The aim was to offer a wider range of activities that catered for all, helping to reach out to more students than ever before.

It was fantastic to see the BUCS Women’s Rugby 1st team in action on Wednesday evening, putting in a strong, passionate and determined performance, proving themselves brilliant role models for ‘This Bristol Girl Can’, alongside our other incredible female BUCS athletes competing in sports from Lacrosse to Volleyball.

The main event of the week saw a mass participation Zumbathon at the Anson rooms in the Students Union and it was truly fantastic to see so many girls take part in this event. The active and fun atmosphere was contagious; a true reflection of the whole incredible week of #ThisBristolGirlCan.

For anyone interested in getting involved, the fun does not stop with this week. There is still a full range of classes which run every single week, which any student can attend. Find them by following this link: http://www.bristolsu. o rg. u k / s o c i e t i e s - s p o r t / g e t - a c t i v e So for those of you who enjoyed the week, and for anyone who didn’t get a chance to take part in the events, it is possible to book even more classes to change the statistic that only 31.7% of women workout at least once a week.

The benefits of exercise are huge, and it doesn’t mean slogging away in the gym everyday, as the ‘This Bristol Girl Can’ week showed in abundance.

Digs, sets and spikes: An insight into Bristol Volleyball Rory Macnair Sports Reporter

Facebook / UoB Volleyball Club

Now one of the university’s most popular and socially active sports clubs, UOB Volleyball is aiming to capitalise on its successes while continuing to expand as an ever more important part of the Bristol sports programme.

Coming out of a great season last year, where they finished as champions of BUCS Western 1A division and runners up in the local Bristol league, the Bristol Men’s 1st team looks to be continuing their success this season. After narrowly missing out on promotion last term, the team has started with five wins from five games.

As far as the Ladies’ 1st team is concerned, they too ended as division champions last season, as well as local league runner-ups. However, much like the men, they narrowly missed out on promotion. The Ladies have only lost one of their first five games so far this season, suffering a painful loss to the University of Southampton who currently lie top of their division.

Nonetheless, Bristol Ladies’ 1st remain

a force to be reckoned with, described by the University Sport and Student Development Officer (and Bristol Volleyball veteran) John House as ‘the best ladies team I’ve seen’ during his four year stint with the club.

Having won the Bristol Student’s Union Sports Club of the Year Award last year, the club has continued to grow, incorporating both men and women’s 2nd teams, whilst seeking to add a 3rd team to their club.

Putting the volleyball itself to one side, the club puts great emphasis on its social aspect as it hosts both ‘legendary’ club socials and smaller events.

The club welcomes both beginners and experienced players and with so many teams playing every week, there is more opportunity to play than ever before. Volleyball at the University of Bristol is certainly a sport to keep an eye out for.

Whether you’re an avid fan of the sport or simply interested in something new, be sure to get involved. You can stay up to date with the club’s weekly results on Twitter (@UOBVolleyball) or on Facebook.

Epigram

28.11.2016

47

I got 99 problems but a Snitch ain’t one Evy Tang & Josh Blannin Sports Reporters

Bristol 1st 55-33 Gloucestershire 1st Men’s Badminton: Bristol 1st 3-5 Cardiff 1st Women’s Football: Bristol 1st 3-3 Cardiff 1st Men’s Lacrosse: Bristol 1st 14-2 Cardiff 1st Women’s Rugby Union: Brstol 1st 40-0 Cambridge 1st

in Belgium next year,’ the Brizzlebears captain Alistair Goodwin added.

Quidditch is going from strength to strength with many new members joining at Freshers Fair. One of these members was Brizzlebees Chaser, Felipa Mei, who has loved every minute of the time at the club. ‘As a fresher, I found the tournament was a great opportunity to consolidate all the rules of sport and made a lot of new friends from clubs across the region. I felt I really improved my skills and gained a lot of confidence on the pitch,’ she commented.

‘We played brilliantly for such a new team and it was an honour being part of such a spirited eager team who put their all in. We were all very supportive of one another and everyone just kept fighting and pushing which meant we weren’t a

team to underestimate at any point,’ said Charlie Brooks, the Brizzlebees captain, who was ecstatic with their performance.

Josh Blannin, the team coach, also sang the praises of the whole club, saying, ‘The competition was fierce, however we played very well and we reached our main aim of finishing in the top three!’

As reported in Epigram Issue 304, the Southwest League was set up by Tom Ower, the co-founder of the Brizzlepuffs in October of this year, and it is comprised of seven teams from across the South West of England. With the launch of the Southwest League, teams are guaranteed at least another six matches per year, triple that of last year.

Quidditch was founded in 2005 in Vermont in the US and it has become increasingly popular within UK

universities. In the past few months, a rising number of non-university affiliated clubs have been established.

Blannin notes, ‘these are really exciting times for the Quidditch community.

The number of Quidditch teams has increased threefold in the past four years alone so watch this space!’

As a sport, Quidditch is growing in numbers and popularity year on year, with an increasing number of tournaments that teams can take part in. With the success in recent years, the Brizzlepuffs are keen to welcome new numbers,withrecruitmentforbothBears and Bees ongoing throughout the year.

The next Quidditch taster session will be on the 30th November on the Downs at 2pm, so why not polish off your broomstick, go down and give it a try!

Performance sport: Bannister packs a punch Jack Francklin Deputy Sport Editor Epigram caught up with performance athlete Conor Bannister to find out about the sport of kickboxing.

Do you have any role models that you follow in the professional world?

Well I’m a huge fan of Conor McGregor (who isn’t). I admire his confidence - it takes a lot to be able to back yourself to the extent he does,

Men’s Volleyball: Bristol 1st 3-1 USW 1st Wednesday 30th November (select fixtures) Men’s Football: Bristol 1st v Exeter 2nd Women’s Lacrosse: Cambridge 1st v Bristol 1st Men’s Rugby Union: Cardiff 1st v Bristol 1st Women’s Fencing: Bristol 1st v Aberystwyth 1st Men’s Squash: UWE 2nd vs Bristol 1st Women’s Volleyball: Southampton 1st v Bristol 1st For a complete list of BUCS fixtures and results, head over to www.epigram.org.uk/sport!

Fantasy Football

whilst remaining hugely humble in defeat. I probably look up to Phil Evans the most as I saw him win the European title when I was fourteen, and I get to train with him from time to time.

What is the most challenging aspect to kick boxing?

I get stupidly nervous for fights. I mean, obviously you are stepping into a ring with someone who wants to hurt you, but that’s actually the easy part.

People’s expectations and judgement can break a man and so dealing with those nerves can be really hard.

Knowing there are people who care about you and love you, not just for your achievements, but also for who you really are, is important to remember; also, it is just fun at the end of the day.

What are your aspirations going forward?

I want a big title belt or a gold medal at a world open and push it as far as I can possibly go. The dream would be to fight on Glory but not sure mum would approve! One day I’d like to open my own club and teach.

Facebook / Conor Bannister

What category do you fight in, and how often do you train?

I compete mainly in K1 and Kickboxing full contact or continuous.

Kickboxing is a lot like boxing, except you are also allowed to kick above the waist and to the head. I have to train a lot, working on kickboxing/muay thai technique alongside strength training.

I try to compete as much as possible, but it takes a lot out of you. I probably do about three to four tournaments and three gala fights a year.

Wednesday 16th November (select results) Women’s Netball:

Flcikr Epigram / Quidditch UK/ Siralextuan (Sam Instone)

Bristol’s very own Quidditch club, Brizzlepuffs, have struck again, qualifying for the European Quidditch Cup for a second year in a row. The two teams, the Brizzlebears and the Brizzlebees, both played extraordinarily well, finishing third and twelfth respectively. The Bears will be off to Mechelen in Belgium where they will compete against teams from all over Europe.

A quidditch team is made up of six players: three chasers, two beaters and a keeper. Essentially, the chasers and keeper pass the Quaffle (volleyball) around and score in one of the three hoops. The job of the beater is to defend both the chasers and their own hoops by using bludgers (dodgeballs) to ‘beat’ the opposition. The snitch (a person wearing a lot of yellow) then runs onto the pitch with a tag stuffed into the back of their shorts. Once a team catches the snitch, they earn themselves 30 points and the game is over.

Quidditch is one of the only purely mixed gender sports out there. The gender rule ensures that there are no more than four people of the same gender on the pitch at any given time, making Quidditch one of the fastest growing mixed gender sports in the world.

For the club, making the European finals was a dream come true. ‘We were overjoyed to qualify for the second year running. We had such an amazing time last year and we’ve been working incredibly hard in training to try and get back so to have all that pay off was a great feeling,’ president of the Quidditch club, Dom Ayre said.

The Bears’ main rivals for European qualification were the Werewolves of London, Warwick Quidditch Club and the London Unspeakables. ‘I’m incredibly proud of my team who have put in the time and effort to once again qualify for Europe. I can’t wait to show Europe what Britain has to offer

BUCS Wednesday

Epigram Sport is running its very own Barclays Fantasy Premier League. Feel free to join!

Liga de Epigram Code: 808585-362510 Good Luck!

Epigram

28.11.16

Sport

@epigramsport Editor: Jonathan Harding Deputy Editor: Jack Francklin sport@epigram.org.uk

jack.francklin@epigram.org.uk

Online Editors: Oscar Beardmore-Gray & Dan Reuben oscar.beardmoregray@epigram.org.uk dan.reuben@epigram.org.uk

BUCS Star Team: Squash 2s causing a racket in their bid for promtion Ben Turner Sports Reporter

Epigram / Steph Dean

Welcome back to BUCS Star Team, our feature that showcases the very best performances from across Bristol’s competitive sports teams. Every fortnight, we cover the heroics of one winning side, who have all been put forward for the honour by the Sports Executive.

This fortnight the team crowned winners of BUCS Star Team is the UoB Men’s Squash 2nd Team. The team have had a magnificent season and have become a seriously tough unit to play against, as many other universities have found out this year.

An almost unbeaten season, was well and truly summed up by the most recent match where they emphatically smashed local rivals UWE 5-0; 15-0 in games.With our boys in sensational form, UWE were left astounded, scratching their heads and scrounging for points.

It was undoubtedly a standout moment of the season which has already seen victories against Swansea University and Cardiff Met’s 2nds and 3rds. The latest triumph against the old enemy really demonstrated how commitment to training, fitness and matches can make a team and bring success to the court.

Special shout outs go to Ali Wright, Charlie Grimshaw, Ben Turner, George Allen, Louis Hodge and team captain Arran Maitala who look set to champion their way to victory in Western 2A and earn the promotion they narrowly missed out on last season.

Currently second in the table, the team are determined to continue their excellent form and finish off the season with a bang. We strongly suspect the secret to success is team captain Arran who inspires diligence and athleticism with rallying speeches. Quotes such as ‘not all heroes wear capes’ and ‘it’s all relative’ have clearly given the boys a bit extra during their games this season. Through this great leadership the team hope to conquer their division and join the 1st team in League 1.

A cup run also beckons although the team will have to overcome a tricky trip down to the South Coast where they play Bournmeouth Univerisity 1sts next week.

From my perspective I just want to thank all the guys for their exceptional performances and commitment to the club. They have really excelled and winning team of the fortnight is a great way to reward them for this. Keep up the good work lads and bring home the silver!

If you fancy youself as a squash player, get involved with the club via Facebook.

Countdown to Christmas!

To celebrate the festive season, Epigram is giving away loads of free stuff in partnership with local businesses!

Prizes will be given away every day from the start of December.

From our sponsors Mbargo to Be At One, the SU’s Balloon Bar to Bake Smiths and from the Watershed to Coronation Tap, there are a range of prizes to be won!

All you need to do is like our Facebook Page and you could win!