Fortnightly 16th October 2017 Issue 317 Winner of Best Publication and Best Use of Digital Media 2017
University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper
Students Bristol graduate takes sexual Bristol react to Grecian assault campaign across UK Kebab House fire Nikki Peach News Editor
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Following the news fire fighters had been called to The Grecian Kebab House on Sunday the 8th October, Bristol students were quick to react. The Cromwell Road takeaway has been feeding Bristol locals and students since 1970 and the images of the beloved takeaway on fire quickly spread on social media, seemingly quicker than the fire itself, which was soon extinguished by Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Ben Oakland posted on Clifton and Stoke Bishop Tickets auctioning the final slice of his Grecian pizza bought before the fire as many mourned the temporary loss of the legendary £5 pizzas. ‘Grecian’ trended in Bristol as a result of residents like @lukebbz tweeting: ‘Sad news about the Grecian. If you listen closely, you can hear 3,000 students’ hearts breaking,’ and @Maoooog: ‘Grecian pizza has burned out. Now what’s the point in Gloucester Road?’ Georgia Marsh, a former resident of Cromwell Road and frequent customer at The Grecian said, ‘The Grecian isn’t just a pizza place: it’s a pizza my heart. This is absolutely devastating the jewel of Stokes Croft’s takeaway crown up in the same flames that bake their iconic pizzas. I only hope their hallowed doors will reopen soon, welcoming loyal customers back to enjoy a slice of above average pizza goodness.’ Euan Davies, a third year Sociology student who witnessed the fire told Epigram, ‘Grecian was a staple. I already made contact with Arches Fish Bar and it felt like cheating on your missus.’ The Best of Bristol Facebook page, among the first to break the news, was inundated with students expressing their sorrow through sad reacts and shares, with some people commenting that they needed time off uni to mourn. Luckily, there were no reported injuries and things are starting to look up for Bristol students - at the time of writing it is reported that having only suffered superficial damage, The Grecian should be open within a week of the fire.
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/ Hannah Price
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Revolt Sexual As sault
Hannah Price, a Bristol graduate and former Online Editor for Epigram, is continuing a campaign she launched in April at the university against sexual assault. The campaign, which started in Bristol around March this year, is now being taken to universities across the country. The campaign is called #RevoltSexualAssault and can be found on social media using #ItsRevolting and #Jointherevolution. Price decided to develop her campaign further and more widely, which initially ran in isolation, after an upsetting experience she had over the summer. She wants to keep the conversation about sexual assault going, commenting: ‘It’s easy for these stories to go in and out of the press without universities putting any effective changes in place.’ In response, the university told Epigram they ‘have a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment or violence of any form and clear policies are in place to deal with complaints. We always take action in line with these policies when issues are raised with us.’ After visiting each university, videos and stories from volunteers will be uploaded on the campaign blog and compiled into videos. The aim is for people to watch the footage and see that sexual assault is a common and ongoing problem. Victims who volunteer are able to share their stories behind Snapchat filters with their identity protected. Snapchat was chosen as it is a platform that most students are familiar with and gives victims the power to choose how anonymous they are. Hannah Price said: ‘It’s shocking, I cannot think of many people who have not had something happen to them. I get participants who come to me with these long lists and it’s so normalised that we’ve stopped talking about it. ‘It doesn’t just happen in Bristol, it happens everywhere.’
Alex Boulton Co-Editor in Chief
When asked about the objective of her campaign, Price told Epigram, it is ‘to make people feel more comfortable with reporting sexual assault. Eventually, we shouldn’t have to hide behind filters and emojis and everyone should be able to speak without feeling shame and fear.’ In terms of promoting change within the university, Price wants the institutions she visits to acknowledge their duty of care. She said, ‘It is not enough to just be told to go to the police. Universities need one network, someone on campus and in halls who is trained to help with these incidents. ‘There needs to be a stronger connection between the police and universities as well as pastoral workers dedicated to help victims of sexual assault.’ Hannah also added, ‘Bristol told me they had 25 reports of sexual assault in the last year yet I have had over 25 people volunteer to speak to me today.’ The university also said they ‘realise that it can be difficult for students to report these issues. We are working with our Students’ Union to ensure that all students feel able to raise issues and share their experiences, including launching a new online reporting tool to make this process easier.’ The campaign is being followed by BBC3, who are including it in an episode about casual sexual assault and how it is normalised in university campuses. The episode will be part of a series due to be released later in the year.
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