Epigram 335

‘If you’re a black artist you feel like “I’ve got to make something about blackness otherwise no-one’s going to care”’

Will technology kill my brain cells?

Mandem founder Elias Williams talks to Zoe Crowther about race, identity and his new platform Features pg. 8

Science pg. 14

epigram

Fortnightly 18th February 2019 Issue 335

est. 1988

The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper

Celebrating 30 years

Vet students banned from U2 because there are ‘too many’ vets • U2 introduced for Vet students, but too many users lead to Vet ban • Uni is giving free rides to locals to increase public use of U2

Ed Southgate

co-Editor-in-Chief

V

Black applicants 20 per cent less likely to get Bristol offer than white counterparts • Figures from UCAS show a 20 percentage point gap between white and black applicants to Bristol

Cameron Scheijde co-Editor-in-Chief

A

pplicants to the University of Bristol from black backgrounds are considerably less likely to get an offer from the University when applying at 18.

The figures published by UCAS show a BME attainment gap, with considerably fewer black students receiving offers than white students.

A 2017 Report by Bristol SU showed that BME students when at University felt isolated due

www.epigram.org.uk

to often being the only BME people in the room.

They were also more likely to suffer mental health difficulties, direct racism or microaggressions.

While Universities do not know the ethnicity of their applicants, there is a gap between black students and those of other ethnicities at school level, with black students less likely to achieve 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C. In the SU survey, one respondent said: ‘I have only seen one black lecturer and there are only 5 black people in my course. Sometimes, I feel a bit lost because I do not see people that look like me on very often …. but if I do see a fellow black student I feel happy for some reason’ Other large Russell Group Universities have

EpigramPaper

similar gaps, with the worst percentage point difference found at Oxford and Cambridge.

Eva Larkai (pictured above), chair of the Bristol SU BME Network, said: ‘these statistics don’t come as a huge surprise to me. The data shows that the number of applications to the University of Bristol being made by BME students is increasing each year, yet it’s difficult to see any real progress reflected in our student population. It is evident that the structural barriers that block these students from accessing elitist institutions like Bristol aren’t being challenged adequately and there needs to be more transparency around why BME, and specifically black students, are being disproportionately implicated in this process’.

Continued on page 6

@EpigramPaper

@epigrampaper_

eterinary students have been banned from taking the U2 bus to their Langford campus because there are ‘too many’ vets, despite the service being introduced specifically for them.

In an email seen by Epigram, the Veterinary School’s Manager, Dr. Tom Podesta, complained to Vet students that the volume of them using the service is ‘causing problems for other users and the general public who are struggling to get a seat in the morning’.

He demanded that students ‘must’ instead now only use Turners Coaches provided for by the School, which run less frequently than the hourly, low-emission U2.

His email contradicts correspondence received by students from the Veterinary admin office in December, which told students in Years 1-3 they must either use Turners Coaches or the U2 as they are not permitted to drive. They also specifically urged Veterinary students who did have permission to drive to prioritise taking the U2 bus if they could.

The service was introduced at the beginning of this academic year to connect the Clifton campus to Langford following feedback from students and staff within the Veterinary School, but has been available for all students as well as the general public.

Having celebrated that it would ‘make a huge difference to our students and staff’ in the Veterinary School when it was launched, Dr Podesta added in his email that the Vets must now ‘act responsibly’ by avoiding the bus.

Continued on page 5

Editorial T

he theme of these editorials from Ed or I have, week on week, focussed around the state of mind either of us are in at the time of writing which is always the same: a few hours until the print deadline, highly caffeinated and extremely stressed/tired/bored. I regret to inform you, dear reader of Editorials, that I write this in no better state. Third year is beginning to seriously bite in terms of workload and the work we’ve had to put into this issue is genuinely insane. At this point I need to give a serious shout out to Nicola Haydon, the communications executive at the SU. She has helped us with all our legal checks all through the year and the SU have been really supportive, especially given our occasional propensity to give them a bit of stick. Speaking truth to power and all that.

The theme I have picked this week has had to be changed, as Ed stole my theme last week by talking about third year pressures that I am really feeling at the moment. Instead, I will talk in the most impartial way I know about the news this week.

Our cover story is one we spent a lot of time on, going through the endless reams of UCAS data to find the trends, and the trend that emerged is that black students are considerably less likely to get an offer from Bristol than white students. This trend backs up a previous study by Epigram that showed a clear BME attainment gap, and a 2017 report by the SU that looked to explore why black students tended to underperform in comparison to other students when at university. The link to our previous campaign on microaggressions is clear; students who feel like they cannot be themselves, feel uncomfortable being the only people of colour in a room, or experience direct racism often will evidently feel disillusioned with the University system. It is clear that more can and needs to be done by the University and the SU to improve access from disadvantaged communities.

Another story that hit national headlines last week was the “deplatforming” of Angelos Sofocleous. His platform, however, was never removed. Yes, a bit of SU bureaucracy may have created a barrier to his invitation, but that does not mean he was “banned”, “de-platformed”, or any other right-wing buzzword to describe their righteousness on campus. One should definitely be cautious when commenting on ‘free speech’ stories as the language used tends to lend itself to sensationalism and misinformation. This is only my opinion, however. He, clearly, was of a different opinion, and attended the event anyway. You can read more and make up your own mind on the story in the pages following this article.

University is changing, and as you can read on page 6 (shameless self-plug) the way the entire higher education sector is heading is quite different to how the generations before us experienced it.

The effect this will have on students remains to be seen. We are therefore in a limbo area, where our experiences will shape the experiences of the students that come after us.

A final comment from me this week is on final year, more specifically the dreaded question: ‘worked out what you want to do next year, yet?’. It seems only a few minutes ago I was starting at Uni, unsure as to what would lie ahead and feeling scared every time I entered the intimidating Wills Library. Now I stroll into Wills with a confidence I could only dream off, and feel very confident in the Uni spaces. However, I am not much clearer on what I actually want to do with my life: and that is fine. I have applied for Masters’, as I am sure many final years will have done, to put off the decision of what I want to do and add more debt to the pile. But other options, such as taking a gap year, travelling, going into work or onto a grad scheme are of course all legitimate paths. We are, unfortunately, entering the age of hyper-competitiveness, where from the even footing of the UoB degree we will sail into the world and watch, with eagerness, some sink and some catch the wind.

That probably makes as much sense to you as it does to my garbled four-cups-of-tea brain, but I think you get the gist. As I have said in every editorial so far, stop comparing yourselves to other people! On that note, we’re eight issues into our Epigram regime and it’s starting to go quite quickly. I’m sure, after not too long, you will be trying to interpret the rambles of two proseccofilled Editors as they finish the last paper of the year on one warm May morning.

Have a wonderful month.

Cameron Scheijde co-Editor-in-Chief

co-Editors in Chief: Ed Southgate & Cameron Scheijde editor@epigram.org.uk Deputy Editor: Nikki Peach

Online Editor: Hannah Worthington Deputy Online Editors: Kate Hutchison & Oliver Cohen Chief Proofreader Ethan Luc

Write for Epigram: Join our writers’ groups on Facebook by searching: Epigram Features Writers 2018/19 Epigram Comment Writers 2018-19 Epigram Science and Tech Writers 2018-19 Epigram Living Writers 2018-19 Epigram Wellbeing Writers 2018/19 Epigram Food Writers 2018/2019 Epigram Travel Writers 2018/19 Epigram Style Writers 2018-19 Epigram Film & TV Writers 2018-19 Epigram Arts Writers 2018-19 Epigram Music Writers 2018/19 Epigram Sport Writers 2018/2019

Sub-editors: Nina Bryant (News), Eleanor Holmes (Features), Phoebe Chase (Comment), Rebecca Scott (Science), Hendrike Rahtz (Living), Anna Hart (Wellbeing), Erin Lawler (Food), Eloisa Griffiths (Travel), Laura Mallinson (Style), Eleanor Gunn (Film & TV), Eleanor Tarr (Arts), Guy Marcham (Music), Kezi James (Puzzles) Managing Director Frankie McNab Director of Communications Tara Lidstone Director of Finance Ben Woods Head of Ads and Sales Joshua Varghese Head of Marketing Ella Swarbrick Epigram is the independent student newspaper of the University of Bristol. The views expressed in this publication are not those of the University or the Students’ Union.

The design, text and photographs are copyright of Epigram and its individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission.

Any UoB student can write for us, and no journalistic

Printed by: NewsQuest Fleet House, Hampshire Road Weymouth DT4 9XD

experience is required!

Epigram Paper

@epigrampaper

@epigrampaper_

Epigram

www.epigram.org.uk

News

Editor: Imogen Horton Online Editor: James Cleaver Deputy Editor: Lucy Downer Investigations Editor: Louise Cripps Uni Management Correspondent: Laura Reid Student Life Correspondent: Victoria Dyer SU Correspondent: Zoë Crowther

Got a story for the News team?

Email:newsteam.epigram@gmail.com

• Mandem, a student set-up multimedia platform, holds a panel event • The panellists discussed the varying definitions of identity politics • The event took place at the Arnolfini gallery

Zoë Crowther

Students’ Union Correspondent

M

andem is an online space dedicated to giving a voice to young men of colour, enabling them to express themselves through film, music and written pieces.

‘Has Identity Politics Gone Too Far?’ was the topic approached at their latest event, which took place at the Arnolfini on Monday 4 February 2019.

Elias Williams, who is currently studying MA History at Bristol, acted as chair. He introduced a number of questions to the panellists to fuel the discussion, which was followed by an open Q&A session with the audience.

Williams told Epigram: ‘I thought it was important to bring up identity politics at an event like this because it’s received a large backlash recently. I felt it necessary to discuss what it is about identity politics that encourages right-wing commentators to attack it so frequently.’

Focusing on racial and masculine identities, Mandem’s content ranges from personal stories and interviews to reviews of recent film and music releases.

Previous events have included a panel in 2018 which explored the question ‘Do Mandem Need Feminism?’

Vanessa Wilson, Student Living Officer at Bristol SU, was one of the four guest panel members. The other panellists included Daniel Edmund, the founder of Milk For Tea, a company which encourages men to explore their identity and potential through workshops and community projects, and Olumide Osinoiki, a UWE student who is

exploring black British identity in his latest photography project.

Also on the panel was Marcus Fagon, a therapist and mentor for young people and a graduate of two master’s degrees relating to political thought and community work.

Debates between the panellists included the varying definitions of identity politics, the implications of political correctness for freedom of speech, and the exploitation of identity politics by modern advertising, following the online backlash to the Gillette advert condemning toxic masculinity.

Regarding political correctness, Vanessa Wilson said: ‘I don’t think that it exists. I think that it has been coined by people on the right to justify being able to say whatever they like.

‘Traditional voices in society are losing power, and marginalised voices are gaining platforms and their voices are being listened to. This is perceived as a threat and PC culture is essentially a manifestation of political frustration.’

At the end of the event, Williams explained that a section of Mandem’s website has now opened up to allow contributors from any background, permitting anonymous submissions on relevant topics.

Daniel Edmund gave his view on opening up the conversation surrounding race and masculinity: ‘We have to be able to sit down with racists, with people who are homophobic, people who think very differently to us.

‘We have so many of these spaces where we all agree and we don’t have enough spaces where we have that diversity of thought. We have to use that energy and say ‘help me understand what you’re thinking.’

Speaking to Epigram, Wilson outlined how students can approach these issues: ‘The main thing that students can do is engage in some of the campaigns that are happening on campus. And also creating your own campaigns: come into the Students’ Union and that’s something we will help you with.

‘I think what Elias is doing is fantastic: we’re talking about controversial issues in a constructive way and I think more of that needs to happen.’

Epigram / Zoë Crowther

‘Has Identity Politics Gone Too Far?’: Bristol student chairs sold-out panel event

Lib Dem MP demands that Bristol Uni makes ‘zero suicide pledge’ • MP Norman Lamb was part of a panel event organised by Support Our Services • He expressed his desire for universities to be ambitious and ‘save every life’

Zoë Crowther

Students’ Union Correspondent

N

orman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat MP, came to Bristol to sit on a panel discussing the student mental health crisis.

The panel event ‘Mental Health and Universities: Fixing the Crisis’ took place on 6 February 2019, and was organised

by Bristol Liberal Democrat Students and Support Our Services (SOS), a student-run campaign group lobbying the University to improve its mental health services.

Lamb was joined on the panel by Isaac Haigh, SOS President, Kate Majid, CEO of the Shaw Mind Foundation, and James Cox, Lib Dem candidate for Bristol West.

The panellists discussed a wide range of issues from waiting lists to access support services, to policies to reduce the numbers of student suicides. Lamb said that ‘at too many universities the waiting times are unacceptably long and during that time

“I would also like to see universities set an audacious ambition and say ‘we as an institution aim for zero suicide - we aim to save every life.’”

Norman Lamb MP

awful things can happen. There should be access to online support as a first point of call.

‘I would also like to see universities set an audacious ambition, and say “we as an institution aim for zero suicide - we aim to save every life.”’

Last summer, previous Universities Minister Sam Gyimah and Student Minds UK announced the development of a University Mental Health Charter, which will reward institutions for good practice relating to improvements in student wellbeing.

The University of Bristol has also recently launched a new Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which has pledged to increase provision of counselling and improve availability of sessions.

Isaac Haigh, SOS President, told Epigram: ‘It was a pleasure to be on the panel with Norman Lamb and hear his ideas. It brings me hope that politicians like him are acknowledging the seriousness of the situation to do with young people’s mental health.

‘I am all for getting politicians to talk about young people’s mental health which is why I went on to the Sunday Politics show to talk about it more. A zero suicide pledge would be a great start for the university to have clear policy at reducing the number of student deaths.’

epigram 18.02.2019

4 News

Removed speaker Angelos Sofocleous secretly rejoins free speech panel • Angelos Sofocleous was removed from a free speech discussion after Bristol SU security concerns • Violating its agreement with the SU, the society secretly allowed him to speak anyway

Ed Southgate co-Editor-in-Chief

The Durham student who was removed from a discussion of free speech on campus following security concerns by the SU rejoined its panel after audience demand, violating the organiser’s agreement with the union.

Angelos Sofocleous, a Philosophy student, was removed from the panel, hosted by Bristol’s Free Speech Society, last week following security concerns raised by the SU. He attended the event instead as an audience member, which is not believed to have been disallowed. After an audience member asked out loud ‘why can’t he just go up there?’, the event’s host said: ‘If the

audience want to hear from him then I don’t have a problem’.

As neither audience members nor panellists opposed his participation, he joined Dr Bryn Harris and Professor Christopher Bertram on the panel. During the discussion, he said it is ‘ridiculous that anyone’s right to not be offended is more important than their right to freedom of speech’.

The organiser, Izzy Posen, was overheard before the event asking Professor Bertram how he would feel if the Philosophy student joined the panel.

Bertram told Epigram that his response was that it was ‘not up to’ him, but was up to the the organisers as the ‘representatives of the society’.

Izzy denied that Mr Sofocleous’ rejoining the panel was pre-planned, however. He ‘suspected it might happen’ given Angelos had already booked his train ticket and claimed to Epigram that he told Chris about the ‘suspected eventuality’.

Mr Posen also denies undermining the agreement his society had with the SU. ‘I

Bristol break their University Challenge record • Bristol win their quarter-final match • This is the first time they have taken their third consecutive win • The match-win came after a tense five question tie-break

Laura Reid

Uni Management Correspondent

B

ristol have won their quarter-final match to take a third consecutive win in the competition, this is the first time the uni has achieved this since University Challenge began.

On 4 February, the University of Bristol team defeated Darwin College Cambridge, winning with 115 points to 105.

This is the first time a Bristol team have won three consecutive matches since the academic quiz show started in 1962.

Darwin College took the early lead, however Bristol steadily gained back ground.

The match ended in a draw, leading to a sudden-death overtime round: the first team to answer correctly win, with teams who buzz in early and guess incorrectly having five points deducted.

After not one, but five, tie-break questions Bristol secured their victory, with Pushan Basu answering the final question.

Darwin’s defeat came as a shock to viewers, as their captain Jason Golfinos had displayed a formidable range of knowledge in previous rounds.

The Bristol team is made up of: Anne Le Maistre, captain (History), Pushan Basu (English), George Sumner (Physics), Owen Iredale (Biology) and Laura Denton, reserve (Geology and Botany).

The team will look to take on St Edmund’s Hall Oxford in their next quarter-final match.

“We’re glad to hear that the event went ahead safely.

We’ll be meeting with the society shortly to review what happened on the night,” Bristol SU Spokesperson

don’t think we are undermining the SU because the audience requested it and it is not my place to stop the audience from listening to him if they want to’, he said.

He added that he ‘assessed that it wouldn’t be a safety concern because it was not public’. The audience were not, however, instructed against leaking the information to friends or on social media before or during the event.

The all-male panel discussed whether free speech is under attack on campus, and how we can define ‘hate speech’. Mr Sofocleous said that ‘people expressing hate speech do not understand that they are wrong’, and argued that supressing their views may lead to their views strengthening.

A spokesperson for Bristol SU said: ‘We’re glad to hear that the event went ahead safely.

We’ll be meeting with the society shortly to review what happened on the night.’

Having consulted with the police, an initial Bristol SU assessment report concluded that Mr Sofocleous’ presence on campus could lead to public disorder, and requested the date of the event be changed to allow time to put in security measures.

It is understood, although not confirmed, that the fears relate to accusations of transphobia the Philosophy student faced when he retweeted an article with the headline: ‘Is it a crime to say women don’t have penises?’.

The society accused ‘Student Union bureaucracy’ of limiting freedom of speech, something the SU deny.

In the discussion, Mr Sofocleous responded to a question about whether individuals should be fired from a job because of personal beliefs. “I do not see what their personal views have to do with their job”, he asserted.

Centuries old ‘Merlin’ manuscript found by Bristol Uni librarian • Seven hand-written parchments have been found • They tell part of the story of Merlin the magician • The manuscript sheds new light on the Arthurian legend

Imogen Horton News Editor

M

ichael Richardson, from the University of Bristol’s Special Collections Library, found seven hand-written parchment fragments while looking for materials for students studying the new MA in Medieval Studies.

The fragments were hidden, bound inside a four-volume edition of the works of the French scholar and reformer Jean Gerson.

They tell part of the story of Merlin the magician, one of the most famous characters from Arthurian legend.

The fragments are believed to come from an Old French sequence of texts, the Vulgate Cycle, which date back to the 13th century.

Parts of the Vulgate Cycle are presumed to be the inspiration for Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, but no one version has been found to be exactly alike with what he appears to have used.

After recognising a number of familiar Arthurian names, Mr Richardson contacted Dr Leah Tether who immediately recognised the text they were from. Dr Tether, from Bristol University’s Department of English, is also the President of the International

Arthurian Society (British Branch).

She is now working alongside medieval historian and manuscript specialist Dr Benjamin Pohl, from the University of Bristol’s Department of History, and Dr Laura Chuhan Campbell, a specialist in the Old French Merlin stories, from the University of Durham, to investigate the discovery further.

Dr Tether said:”These fragments of the Story of Merlin are a wonderfully exciting find, which may have implications for the study not just of this text but also of other related and later texts that have shaped our modern understanding of the Arthurian legend.

‘The South West and Wales are, of course, closely bound up with the many locations made famous by the Arthurian legend, so it is all the more special to find an early fragment of the legend - one pre-dating any version written in English - here in Bristol.’

The team aim to discover more about the fragments’ journey to Bristol, including when and where they were made and how they came to be bound in the Gerson volumes.

The experts have already discovered that “We are all the Bristol fragments contain evidence of very excited subtle, but significant, differences from the to discover traditional narrative of the stories. more about There may be many more differences but the fragments because of the damage to the fragments, it will take some time to decipher the text and and what new information they infra-red technology may even be used.

To enable scholars the world over to might hold” engage with the Bristol Merlin find, a full Dr Leah Tether transcription and edition of the fragments, alongside a description of their manuscript context will be produced.

18.02.2019 epigram

News 5

Nearly 40% of Bristol University students came from private school last year • The university has come in the bottom 15 of UK institutions for its numbers of state-school students • Bristol misses its benchmark of 79.3%

Lucy Downer

Deputy News Editor

A

ccording to new data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the proportion of British state school pupils going to university has fallen for the first time in eight years. Stateeducated British students now account for 89.8 per cent of entrants overall, a drop from 90 per cent in the 2016-17 academic year.

The University of Bristol is amongst the lowest-performing 15 UK institutions, who each take less than 70 per cent of their firstyear undergraduates from state-schools.

Only 65.9 per cent of students admitted to the University of Bristol in the 2017-18 academic year came from state-schools, falling below the university’s benchmark of 79.3 per cent.

66%

of Bristol University students in 2017/18 were from state-schools

The fall in state school students came despite a rapid expansion of the higher education sector and an emphasis on widening participation and access programmes by universities at the encouragement of regulators.

Last year only 11.6 per cent of students came from ‘low participation neighbourhoods’, based on the sector’s measure of disadvantage, which is based on educational attainment in small areas. That rate is only slightly higher than the 10.9 per cent recorded in 2012, when tuition fees were first raised to £9,000.

The University of Oxford remains the university accepting the lowest proportion of state school pupils, with just 58 per cent starting in 2017-18, closely followed by the University of St Andrews, on 60 per cent, and the University of Durham and Imperial College, on 61 per cent.

Cambridge University was next, with 63 per cent of its intake from state schools, with the universities of Bristol and Exeter on 66 per cent.

More than 100 higher education institutions had 90 per cent or more of their intake from state schools. Among members of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, Queen Mary University in London had the highest rate at 91 per cent.

No room on the bus?

Vet students told to avoid U2 as Uni gives public free rides Ed Southgate

co-Editor in Chief Continued from front page... t comes as the University announced it is offering free U2 bus rides for everyone this month in an effort to increase public awareness and use of the service.

Amy Heritage, the University’s Sustainability Manager, praised the service as ‘popular with students and staff’ and said the free trial intends to ‘show that it’s also a reliable and convenient option for other local people too.’

The University pays in excess of £250,000 for the U2 service, for which Vetinary students were given a year-long free pass, while the Vetinary School pays £70,000 for the Turners Coach service.

Dr. Podesta says that he wanted to make clear to students that they need students to ‘use the service that is most appropriate for them’.

‘If we have 200 students starting teaching at 9am and another 200 at 10am, we need them to use the Turners Coach Service, where we can easily provide the correct number of seats. The U2 service runs hourly

I

and has capacity for 90 passengers. It would be impossible for these students to be transported in time for their lectures if they chose to use the U2’, he said.

He added: ‘Up to 400 students a day make the journey using both the hourly First Bus U2 service and a bespoke coach service provided by Turners Coaches. To ensure this works smoothly for everyone, we need students to use the bus service which is most appropriate for them’.

‘The U2 Service is relied on by other Vet School students and staff and the public who use it for commuting to and from Bristol.

If large numbers of our students fill the U2 instead of the Turners Coaches, it can cause issues for these other passengers.

‘The U2 service is a fantastic addition to the services we offer our students, however, we need to take every opportunity to offset the costs to the University, which allow us to do more to enhance the student experience.

In particular, the return services back to Bristol have plenty of seats and so we are actively promoting it to communities close to Langford and along the bus route.

‘I’m sorry if the emails have caused any confusion. I would welcome a meeting with the students, so we can better explain which service is right for them.’

Shipping containers converted to help Bristol’s homeless • Help Bristol’s Homeless are converting shipping containers into temporary living spaces • They also provide opportunities for those on the streets to develop practical skills

Students have been part of the effort to improve conditions for those sleeping rough too, with Bristol University’s Help the Homeless society running various fundraising initiatives. Next week, the society will be running a Homelessness Awareness Week.

Homelessness in Bristol has increased by 128% in the last three years. In 2018, the Citizens Advice Bureau stated that Bristol had the second-highest concentration of rough sleepers in the UK. The city also has one of the highest rates of statutory homelessness in the UK, referring to those who are not necessarily sleeping rough but do not have a secure place in which to live.

To find out more about the work Help Bristol’s Homeless do, you can visit their website and also apply to volunteer.

Laura Reid

Uni Management Correspondent

F

ounded by Jasper Thompson in 2017, Help Bristol’s Homeless have developed the idea of converting shipping containers into temporary homes for homeless people in Bristol.

The charity’s mission is to provide a stable and secure temporary home from which homeless people can rebuild their lives.

To fulfil this, they remodel the former containers into living spaces and have housed over 40 people since the work began.

People living in these shelters are also given the opportunity to develop their practical skills by helping with the conversions.

Thompson said: ‘our ethos is that housing must come first’. The charity believe that free clothing, food and programmes can ‘help people to survive homelessness’ but that this does not equal a route out of it.

Help Bristol’s Homeless also runs an outreach team led by volunteers who work every Thursday. They provide homeless people on the streets with essential items such as hot meals and drinks, snacks, toiletries and sleeping bags.

Rough Sleeping Rate in Bristol 100

75

50

“Our ethos is that housing must come first”

25

Jasper Thompson Help Bristol’s Homeless

0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

epigram 18.02.2019

6 News

UCAS figures: three quarters of Bristol applicants now given offers • Figures from the University Admissions system show a 10% increase in offers to Bristol • Black students are far less likely to receive an offer

Cameron Scheijde co-Editor-in-Chief

N

ew figures from UCAS have shown a clear rise in the number of students applying to, and being offered places at, the University of Bristol.

An A-level student applying to Bristol now has almost a 75% chance of being offered a place, in comparison to around 63% of applicants in 2013. A nationwide trend has developed in large Russell Group Universities (with the exception of Oxford and Cambridge) rapidly expanding their student numbers and institution.

A spokesperson for Bristol remarked that ‘the University sector has changed substantially in the past five to six years’.

In 2013, the cap on student numbers was lifted, with many Universities using the opportunity to expand their operations.

Chancellor at the time, George Osborn said that releasing the cap on student numbers is a way of ‘freeing higher education institutions from number controls will help

improve quality in the sector by increasing competition and allowing institutions who face strong demand to expand’ In 2014/15, Bristol had 21,555 students enrolled. Last year, this had expanded to 25,000, with the plan to add an additional 5,000 upon the opening of the new campus.

The implications for the number of feepaying students increasing is clear. With Bristol soon to be tipping the scales at 30,000 students, they would join the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff who all have student numbers beyond 30,000.

Bristol’s spokesperson continued: ‘With many universities expanding, including Bristol, competition to attract the best and brightest students has increased, hence universities are making more offers on the whole.

Some have been critical of the everexpanding numbers of students filling some of the UK’s most prestigious institutions.

One parent said in the Times Magazine ‘Universities have become such enormous places with so many young people and nobody seems to know them’.

Former Universities Minister Sam Gyimah criticised Universities for adopting a ‘bums on seats’ tactic to increasing student numbers by using unconditional

offers to woo students into accepting them. While presitigious Russell Group Universities do not often adopt the tactic, it is becoming more and more common.

Birmingham Univeristy offer unconditional offers if the applicant places them as their firm choice. Bristol, however, very rarely gives unconditional offers. Writing in The Guardian, Smita Jamdar, head of education for law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said:

“The University sector has changed substantially in the last 5 to 6 years” Bristol Spokesperson

... and black applicants are 20% less likely to be offered a place Continued from front page...

Two years ago, an Epigram investigation found that just 6.9 per cent of black applicants go on to receive, accept and meet the terms of a Bristol offer. The thenEquality, Liberation and Access officer, Hannah Dualeh, said ‘we are concerned to see a disproportionate number of black students not taking up offers when they apply to Bristol compared to their white counterparts’.

A University spokesperson said: ‘We do not know the ethnicity of students when they apply so offers are based purely on whether applicants satisfy the academic criteria for the course they’ve applied for. We have many sector-leading widening participation schemes to ensure we reach students from all backgrounds. There has been a 56 per cent increase in the number of black and minority ethnic students enrolling at the University since 2013/14 - a growth in number from 470 to 733.

‘We will continue to strive towards a more diverse student community at the University of ensuring we recruit the most able students, regardless of their background’.

A study in 2008 suggested that Black students may underperform at school due to an ingrained racism that means many teachers do not expect them to succeed.

‘As long as the competition paradigm remains dominant in government policy, universities will be compelled to come up with new ways of trying to attract students – and that will include unconditional offers.

It’s not for the government or England’s university regulator, the Office for Students, to intervene in the admissions decisions of universities, which are institutionally autonomous.’

Percentage point difference for offer rate between black and white students

Analysis / Ever-increasing student numbers will strain wellbeing services Cameron Scheijde co-Editor-in-Chief

T

he increase in offer percentages is no surprise given the rapid expansion of the University sector in recent years. Ever since the student number cap was raised, Universities have been ploughing on with the job of increasing their student numbers and no doubt increasing their tuition fee income with it. This is not necessarily a bad thing from the outset, more money in Bristol’s coffers might mean better facilities, more bursaries for students from disadvantaged groups and more mental health services. Indeed, they would need more mental health services for more students as the ever-increasing intake means it is very easy to get lost in the crowd. The University would do well to remember that one of the best ways of ensuring student mental health remains high is by making them feel like they matter to the University: knowing that someone would notice if they didn’t go to lectures for a week, or disappeared for a few days. Relationships between staff and students are very difficult to foster in lectures of hundreds, or even seminars and tutorials of tens. Whilst there is always an argument that Universities operate in a competitive marketplace, Bristol has never had a problem attracting students.

With numbers of students applying to University slowly but surely reaching a plateau, less financially endowed or

prestigious Universities will start feeling the strain. It remains to be seen how Unis will cope when financially-weary students stop paying tens of thousands for degrees that won’t necessarily help them in graduate outcomes. However, with Universities like Bristol bound to ride the wave of Brexit and increased marketisation of higher education on its prestige and financial might alone, it would do well to think about the impact that ever-increasing student numbers could have on the students already here.

In terms of the offer gap between black applicants and applicants from other ethnic backgrounds, it reflects broader trends in society that disadvantages BME students and school pupils from the beginning. This is a wider reflection on wealth inequality and inequality in Britain, and whilst blame should not fall on the University’s feet for these statistics, more could always be done to ensure that those from disadvantaged backgrounds have proper access to the best education in the country.

Schools that encourage empowerment, such as the now-famous Brampton Manor in London who scored 41 Oxbridge offers this year, show how encouraging disadvanaged kids into education can break any patterns of poverty.

Overall, the UCAS statistics demonstrate a shift in the character of Univerisities. It remains to be seen how the sector will cope with ever more students.

News

18.02.2019 epigram

7

‘We cannot afford to fail on this one’: demolition marks the beginning of new campus • Old Royal Mail sorting offices are being demolished to make way • Revenue from this campus will help fund Clifton Campus • There are hopes it will help bridge the divide between students and the local population

Zoë Crowther SU Correspondent

D

“There is a real commitment to Bristol being a real city university, not an ivory tower.”

Mayor Marvin Rees

diverse city but we are also very fragmented.

If we do this right, it can be a real example of a University doing something to counter those factors that would pull us apart.

‘There is a real commitment to Bristol University being a real city university, not an ivory tower - which can sometimes happen to universities.

‘I don’t think anyone would say that there was any good being done by having this big derelict building here for so many years. What people want is a city that’s going

forward, that’s generating jobs, generating economic resilience, generating an inclusive economy, making sure that the world knows about Bristol.’

Bristol Council is also working on projects in the area, including the Temple Island site which shall include hotels, retail outlets and offices, replacing the previous plans for a Bristol arena.

The demolition work is expected to take approximately six months, and the new campus should be open to students by 2022.

In pictures: Bristol’s snow day

Epigram / Zoe Crowther

emolition work has begun on the former Royal Mail sorting offices, as part of a £300 million development to build a new University of Bristol campus.

Partially built in the 1930s, the building has stood derelict for over twenty years and is located very close to Temple Meads train station.

Both the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees and Vice Chancellor Hugh Brady have emphasised their belief that the new campus project will revitalise the area and bring employment and innovation in the long run.

With permission granted for the project in July, it has been confirmed that the new campus shall accommodate for 3,000 students and nearly 800 staff, providing the space for education and research projects as well as a new School of Management and a Centre for Innovation and Enterprise.

Hugh Brady told Epigram: ‘This allows parts of our University to develop and grow over the next three to four years, but very importantly it future-proofs the University over a thirty to forty year time frame.

‘The business model for this campus

actually generates surpluses that will be invested in the main Clifton campus, so it will be the source of revenue that allows us to renovate biomedical sciences, our geographical sciences, and new facilities for drama and theatre in the future.

‘We cannot afford to fail on this one: it’s such a big project for our University and our city. Clifton campus itself will not develop unless this [new] campus is a success. You’d have to predict that in twenty years time, half of our University will probably be located in this precinct.’

In response to concerns relating to the allocation of funding to this project, Brady said: ‘Some people misunderstood the funding model – this does not draw any money from the main University reserves.

We’re paying for this campus from a loan that we’ve taken out.’ Between 2013 and 2018, Bristol numbers increased by 23 per cent, from 18,716 to 23,027 in total. The new campus shall partially accommodate for this expansion, but there have been complaints from residents and councillors that the project could have a negative impact on the city. It was recently found that because of growing student numbers, Bristol City Council has incurred a loss of £1.6 million in tax revenue.

According to Brady, the new campus represents new opportunities which will enable students to engage with community groups, social enterprises and local businesses.

Epigram also spoke with Mayor Marvin Rees, who said that the new campus would help to bridge the divide between students and the local population: ‘We have a very

Instagram / @guido.frabotta

Features

epigram

18.02.2019

Editor: Ollie Smith Deputy Editor: Tom Taylor Online Editor: Niamh Rowe

Elias Williams: ‘Race is just a construct and that’s the most irritating thing about identity’

Zoë Crowther

Students’ Union Correspondent

E

“Mandem is a media platform for young men of colour to express themselves creatively, whether that be through writing, music, film-making”

Mandem / Nick Ogiri

lias and myself are both MA History students here at Bristol University.

Whether in a seminar or at the pub, we frequently engage in discussions about politics, history and identity. This conversation therefore came naturally, the only difference being that this time I hit a record button.

I spoke with Elias to gain an insight into Mandem and the challenges that he has faced in the development and growth of the project. He explained: ‘Mandem is a media platform for young men of colour to express themselves creatively, whether that be through writing, music, film-making.

We also try to engage young people more generally in important issues of our time.’

Focusing on racial and masculine identities, Mandem’s content ranges from personal stories and interviews to opinion pieces and reviews of recent film and music releases. Alongside Elias’ own work, local and independent artists, film-makers and photographers are regularly featured.

Elias explained how his creative background helped him to create Mandem: ‘I did my undergraduate degree in film-making at UWE. That was very useful in creating a media platform because it allowed me to do a bunch of interviews and also it helped me build networks.’

Some of Elias’ own projects have drawn upon historical events, offering commentaries on how history and heritage inform contemporary understanding of racial identities.

I asked Elias why he wanted to study MA History, and what impact this might have on Mandem. ‘I’ve always been aware

Mandem / Olumide Osinoike

Epigram Features talks to the founder of Mandem who was recently listed as one of the most influential young people in Bristol

that from setting up Mandem, I’m going to be asked a lot of questions about race and other complex topics. I felt this was a really nice chance to solidify some knowledge in actual academia. I think it’s going to be very useful because history is all about weighing up both sides of the argument.’

On Monday 4 February, Elias hosted and chaired a sold out panel event ‘Has Identity Politics Gone Too Far?’ The panellists’ dialogue with the audience became heated toward the end of the talk, and it is apparent that controversy is not something which Elias shies away from.

‘I think it’s healthy to approach divisive topics because I feel quite passionately about creating more clarity around topics. I think divisiveness is often rooted in ignorance so it’s nice to gather a few people together from both sides to try and discuss it in a civil manner.’

Mandem has previously held talks on masculinity and fatherhood, as well as a panel event called ‘Do Mandem Need Feminism?’ which, according to Elias, was their most controversial to date. In an article for Mandem, Elias wrote that he believes that ‘radical feminist theory holds many answers to why men inflict violence upon themselves and others.’

I asked whether there is significant crossover with Galdem, a media platform set up in 2015 which publishes content entirely produced by women and non-binary people of colour.

‘In an ideal world I would like to

collaborate with Galdem. But the editor has a problem with the name Mandem. I took it very seriously at the start, but I spoke to a lot of people and decided there wasn’t a strong enough reason not to go with it. Mandem and Galdem are both very young, who knows in ten years what might be happening.’

Elias set out his intention to open up conversations among those who do not necessarily share the same backgrounds or perspectives: ‘We’ve always thought we’d want Mandem to be something where one day down the line, your race doesn’t matter in terms of contributing to these important discussions.’

‘Race is just a construct and that’s the most irritating thing sometimes about identity. It can often feel very restricting, like if you’re a black artist you feel like “I’ve got to make something about blackness otherwise noone’s going to care.”’

‘Part of the reason for having ghostwriters is to give people a chance to be published anonymously. Entering these conversations is difficult and uncomfortable. I think if you want to voice your opinion, anonymity can be a really effective way of still getting that release.’

As well as offering a creative outlet for its contributors, I questioned whether Mandem could also contribute to the conversation surrounding male mental health. ‘Definitely yes - I think it’s important that young people speak up about mental health issues and

don’t let it be something that the mainstream media spin stories on all the time. I think it’s important for those of us in the social media era to come together to discuss them.’

Elias compared Mandem to bigger corporations such as the BBC or Channel 4, saying that he wants Mandem to act as a varied platform rather than an echo chamber.

‘Being independent, we don’t have much of an agenda in a sense.’ I pulled him up on this: ‘I don’t think it’s true you don’t have an agenda! You do have a mission, in terms of where you would like to see Mandem in ten years time.’

‘Yeah, that’s fair enough – it would be awesome to expand and do events at different universities across the country. A lot of the black narrative and culture can feel a little bit London-centric and I feel it is important to break out of that.’

‘What I would really like Mandem to be in the future is a space for the political voice of young people. The mainstream media doesn’t always do that. It’s also important to respect that the very inception was based around race and masculinity and I think from that it allows us to expand. Race and masculinity are involved in everything! Looking into the future, it’s exciting.’

You can find Mandem by visiting www. mandemhood.com and if you would be interested in submitting an article yourself to the website, you can email ghostwriter@ mandemhood.com with ideas or queries.

Are alumni donations to educational institutions fair?

Scarlett Sherriff

Fourth Year, French & Spanish

L

ast week, the BBC reported that hedge fund billionaire David Harding had donated £100 million to Cambridge University. After graduating from St Catherine’s College, Cambridge in 1982, Harding became a stockbroker for Johnson, Matthey and Wallace and later founded his own investment management firm in 1997.

The gift to Cambridge University is the latest in his string of donations towards research and educational institutions, mainly in the field of scientific and medical

research. Cambridge’s alumni page calls the donations ‘philanthropy’, a term usually used for donations to groups or individuals in order to improve their welfare or quality of life.

However, last year the Guardian reported that Oxford and Cambridge already have access to a ‘pool of wealth totalling almost £21 billion’. These are clearly not institutions that are in need of donations.

Whilst Oxford received over five and half billion pounds in endowments as of 2017, Bristol University, which is by no means an institution struggling for funds, received £70.2 million. Alumni donations are an incredibly important source of wealth for universities and many have aggressive campaigns directed at wealthy alumina.

Harding’s donation raises serious questions about philanthropy in educational institutions. The independent boarding school, Eton College, has charitable status

“These issues are part of the bigger picture in a country that prioritises one type of education over another”

and receives substantial donations from alumni. Meanwhile, many state schools are chronically underfunded and are having to cut certain subjects such as drama, music and languages.

Furthermore, last September the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that some educational institutions such as sixth forms and colleges have had their budgets cut by more than 20 per cent since 2010-11 as government spending ‘has shifted towards younger pupils and universities’.

The Financial Times reported that in the same time period, funding for students aged 16-18 in further education, typically on vocational courses at colleges, fell by 8 per cent. These colleges and schools do not have the ‘pool of wealth’ that universities have to fall back on. Like established public schools, elite universities get the most donations even though they are already the best resourced.

These issues are part of the bigger picture

Geograph / Ceridwen

Epigram Features examines the ethical debate surrounding philanthropic donations to universities and colleges

in a country that prioritises one type of education over another. Whilst Harding’s donation will benefit research and progress at Cambridge, there are educational institutions across the country which would benefit far more from such funds. Perhaps, as a society, we need to review the definition of philanthropy and consider that pouring more wealth into an overflowing pot is not the best use of resources.

18.02.2019

Features 9

epigram

Histories of Bristol: Castle Park David Thirkland Third Year, History

W

alking in Castle Park, with St Peter’s church standing majestically in front of you, it’s easy to forget the rich history that lies behind its bruised and battered stone walls.

Between the First and Second World Wars, the park was home to one of the best shopping centres in Britain and its buildings were renowned for their aesthetic

Wikimedia Commons / Steinsky

beauty. Amongst these, a beautiful black and white half-timbered building which stood on the corner of High Street and Wine Street, named Dutch House, has now all but disappeared completely, replaced by a link-road connecting Broad Street to the dual carriageway.

It was one of many of buildings destroyed by the “Bristol Blitz”, a component of the Battle of Britain, the latter of which persisted until the spring of 1941.

A recent BBC documentary series in 2018 reflects on this event in Bristol’s history in a portrait of our maritime city at one of its most testing moments. It reveals images that contribute to our understanding of the bombing that took place amidst the Second World War, and is worth a watch for any who haven’t seen it.

The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against Britain between 1940 and 1941, the term meaning “lightning” in German. Yet, the reality of the Blitz was far more dangerous than the average lightning strike. In Bristol the bombing began on November the 24th 1940 when the deadly impact of an incendiary bomb set aflame St Peter’s church in the heart of Castle Park.

Several accounts lay witness to the destruction and chaos that followed. Sybil Moores, a casualty nurse at Bristol Royal Infirmary, described how there were only two nurses on duty during the raids. ‘You didn’t have much time to think,’ she says, ‘You just got on with it.’ Indeed, Bristol’s hospitals were so busy treating patients that Moores could not consider running to the air raid shelter just outside designed specifically for

Wikimedia Commons / Adrian Pinkstone

As part of a regular series Epigram Features looks into the rich history of a serene green space in the midst of Bristol’s commercial district

“Castle Park now stands as a physical reminder of Bristol’s endurance and resilience”

such bombings, at marked risk to her safety.

Monty Britton, who grew up in an endof-terrace house in Horfield, reflected in a similarly stoic manner. He contemplated how everyone ‘knew we were likely to be bombed’ because Bristol was a prominent city with industry and docks.

Unfortunately for Bristol’s citizens, and its buildings, the German Luftwaffe were able to trace a course up-river from Avonmouth by using reflected moonlight. This path brought them straight to the soul of the city, where Castle Park was waiting.

Britton admits he benefitted from youthful ignorance at the time. Him and his mates competed over “the best piece of shrapnel” from the previous night’s raid, unaware of the reality that his grandmother, and the

two lodgers who lived with them at the time, coped with the stress by getting blind drunk.

In fact, he said that, at the time, he found it ‘tremendously funny’, completely unaware of the turmoil that enveloped Bristol.

The aerial barrage was far from a jovial matter. 207 people were killed during the first night alone before reprisals began again on December the 2nd and 4th. A further two attacks then saw the end of the bombardments which culminated in the Good Friday Raid of April the 11th 1941.

In total, Bristol’s blitz saw 548 air raid alerts; 919 tonnes of high-explosive bombs and thousands-upon-thousands of incendiary bombs. 1,299 people died and 1,303 were seriously injured.

Castle Park now stands as a physical reminder of Bristol’s endurance and resilience. The raids destroyed a vast amount of the built environment in this area. The castle district, in particular, was one of the worst hit zones and has never fully recovered.

Images of jolly residents perusing shops, conversing in cafés and revelling in what was once a bustling social area are now rare. Remarkably, Castle Park has largely remained immune to the significant levels of development that has seen the city’s centre refashioned in recent decades.

As Maurice Bye notes in his book Castle Park: Before the Blitz, any construction that has taken place has supplemented Castle Park rather than detracted from it. Recent buildings across the river are notable for their stark contrast with the history on the other side. Hopefully its prominence remains untouched for future generations.

Turbo Island: ‘The Bermuda Triangle of the South West’ An exploration into the reputation and history of one of Bristol’s less well known sites of anarchic cultural heritage

Tom Penney

Third Year, Philosophy

T

“The wave of gentrification that has hit Bristol and in particular Stokes Croft, has caused many of the rebellious qualities it obtained to be placed into a position of jeopardy ”

Epigram / Tom Penney

urbo Island might not ring a bell in the minds of all Bristol University students, yet I bet that most of you who have been out late in Stokes Croft will have encountered this infamous space. At night it is typically occupied by a congregation of people fraternising, socialising and revelling in the cathartic joys of life.

During the day, the picture is somewhat different. A once green space in a sea of concrete has slowly devolved into a desolate patch of mud, occasionally littered with the odd abandoned mattress or sofa. Yet, regardless of the Island’s current state, an anarchic essence still exists within.

On the face of it, Turbo Island is a small patch of land that separates the A38 and the B4051 near Lakota. Back in the day, it was home to ‘The Shoe Warehouse’ shoe shop, though this was destroyed in a 1940’s bombing raid during ‘The Blitz’. In the aftermath of the bombing, Bristol City Council decided that due to the benefits for drivers’ visibility they would keep the small patch of land empty - unknowingly invoking the genesis of Turbo Island.

Nowadays, the function of the Island

extends beyond mundane road safety.

The surrounding area of Stokes Croft has undergone a great degree of change over the last 10 years, with Turbo Island ironically remaining in a state of inertia. The area itself has been characterised by a rebellious spirit that rejects the typical norms associated with city life.

For example, the 2010/11 plans to build a Tesco in the area were fervently boycotted resulting in an infamous riot. While the Tesco was constructed, the limitations on opening hours and its inability to serve alcohol reflect what the area is truly about - local community.

In the last five years however, the exact value that helped define and develop the area has proven to also serve as detrimental to itself. The wave of gentrification that has hit Bristol and in particular, Stokes Croft, has caused many of the rebellious qualities it obtained to be placed into a position of jeopardy. This can be seen in the closing of local clubs such as Blue Mountain, as well as the rise in house pricing accompanied with a general rise in living costs.

A testament to the most unique island in the northern hemisphere is the Instagram account ‘turbo_island_in_bloom’ that documents the Island’s revellers and I highly recommend following it. Recent posts include Turbo Island’s ‘10 Year Challenge’ in reference to the social media trend.

Turbo Island is an area that remains untouched by this rapid gentrification however. The regular setting up of rigs and bonfires represents more than just a social gathering, it represents a maintenance of a value that is under threat. With phenomena

such as globalisation, most cities seem to be carbon copies of one another, losing fundamental aspects that characterise them.

Slowly but surely, apartments replace clubs, franchises replace local business and the essence that defines an area is dismantled. Whilst it may not have been an attraction on Harry and Meghan’s agenda

when they recently visited our city, Turbo Island conserves Bristol’s anarchic nightlife and has gained a cult following.

With the closure of Blue Mountain and the ‘Lakota-scare’, this counter-culture has become an endangered species. Turbo Island, with all its faults, is a pillar of hope in the keeping of Bristol’s defiant spirit.

epigram

10 Features

18.02.2019

‘The vote is the emblem of equality’: Honouring the Bristolians who campaigned for women’s suffrage With 100 years having passed since the Representation of the People Act, Epigram delves into women’s suffrage in Bristol

Robin Connolly First Year, History

T

he 18th of December 2018 marked the centenary of women’s suffrage.

2018 also saw the Time’s Up and #MeToo campaigns headlining the news, pushing discussions about women’s rights to the frontline of Western news. Whilst 100 years down the line we may have evolved past more fundamental disputes over education and voting, we still live in an

unequal society.

This historical milestone is one of the most pivotal campaigns in our nation’s history. We all learned about the Suffragettes at school, have heard about the Pankhursts in the media and have been told the story of Emily Davison’s stepping in front of King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. Yet it feels as if many voices of the Suffragette movement have been buried in our national consciousness – we bask in their victory while knowing little about their individual struggle.

Bristol has a legacy of political activism, especially in the realm of women’s rights. In 1840, the Bristol and Clifton Auxiliary Ladies Anti-Slavery Society was formed. 1868 saw the Clifton branch of the National Society for Women’s Suffrage open, which joined the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies. The campaign for women’s

Epigram / Ollie Smith

“It is important to stress that we, as young, educated women have an obligation to vote in our country’s elections.”

suffrage acclerated in Bristol, as it became a key location for the suffragette’s work in the South West.

In 1907, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU)’s Bristol branch was opened

by Annie Kenney, a co-founder of the organisation’s first branch in London and a staunch supporter of the Pankhursts. She played a signifcant role in the movement’s growing militancy and was imprisoned twice at the start of the 1900s- one imprisonment saw her behind bars for 6 weeks. The many unsung heroes of WPSU include Maria Colby, Lillias Ashworth, Agnes Beddoe and many other local women. Lucienne Boyce’s work, ‘The Bristol Suffragettes’ is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in uncovering Bristol’s role in suffragism.

These hidden historical activists should be saluted for their fight for women’s voices to be heard at the ballot box.

Take for example Theresa Garnett, who attacked the President of the Board of Trade - and Prime Minister-to-be - Winston Churchill with a whip at Temple Meads station in 1909. Theresa was arrested, went on hunger strike and was force fed. She also set fire to her cell in protest. She was awarded for her bravery by the WSPU and went on to serve the feminist movement until her death. Mary Sophia Allen was imprisoned for fourteen days for smashing windows during Churchill’s 1909 visit to the city. This was not the first act of violence to take place at the railway station. In 1909, MP Augustine Birrell was attacked by two women, while touring to advertise Asquith’s ‘people’s budget’.

It is so difficult for us to comprehend just how far these women were willing to go in order to secure their democratic right. Yet, while it is all very well to write a list of who did what and when they did it, what does

this history mean for us today?

On 15 December 2018, Bristol West MP, Thangam Debbonaire, led a ceremony to unveil the Clifton Blue Plaque, in honour of Florence Davenport Hill, who was responsible for forming Bristol’s Society for Women’s Suffrage. As a female voter and MP herself, Debbonaire remarked upon how far women have come in their fight for equality and how important the work of the Bristol suffragettes was. The plaque was organised, and crowd funded by author Lucienne Boyce and was supported by the Bristol Civic Society. It will remain an everpresent reminder of what these women gave up, in order to secure the vote for people like us.

It is important to stress that we, as young, educated women have an obligation to vote in our country’s elections. Whether in Bristol or in our home constituencies, we must take advantage of the right that we have, that our ancestors fought for, and that so many other women around the world are not able to access. Otherwise, we are doing an injustice to those women who gave their lives for our basic democratic rights. Theresa Garnett burned her own prison cell – it seems little to ask that we turn up at the polling station and write a cross on a piece of paper.

Whilst 1918 did mark suffrage for some women, we cannot overlook that it was for exclusively wealthier women. Analogously, third wave feminism must acknowledge the intersectional disparities that still exist across women’s rights. Women of ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic status face multilayered discrimination that many young women at Bristol are fortunate enough not to have experienced. One thing we may learn from the Suffragette versus Suffragist divide, is that schisms only impede progression.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it oh... where’s it all gone?

A closer look at student experiences on the day of heavy snow that fell at the end of January

Tom Woodruffe First year, Geography

A

‘rahs’ were heard faintly in the distance as Willtonians turned the space into a red run.

As the infamous Ski Society ski trip is this term, it was no suprised that students with their own kit would have brought them back over Christmas and with excited shouts they seized the opportunity to pack in a few practice runs.

This meteorological phenomenon became more than just an excuse to mess around

“Living in Stoke Bishop halls had never been more exciting”

Epigram Kate Hutchinson Epigram / Robin/ Connolly

fter weeks of speculation, frivolous conversation starters and angry messages to mum to stop sending pictures of the white stuff back home, Bristol was satisfied with almost a foot of snow.

At first, the feathery mist was thought to have been the neighbours going particularly hard at ‘pres’ but within an hour - well, two episodes of Outnumbered - Stoke Bishop had been transformed. Snow engulfed all greenery and the climb to Will’s hall became a literal ‘glass ceiling’ of ice.

Living in Stoke Bishop halls had never been more exciting. If having a diverse community and untamed nightlife was not enough, the large, hilly spaces provided the perfect runs for sledging, snowball fights and comedic slips, which where of course

subjected to a sarcastic round of applause.

When it came to picking up speed down the slopes, people’s choice of weaponry evolved. Initially, bin bags were the solution.

Due to their flimsy nature, they were neither sufficient for achieving distance nor speed, forcing students to abandon them half way down the slopes and ‘bum-shuffle’ to complete the length. Some moved onto using the actual bins. I am not sure the Green Soc planned for their resources to be used as such, but at least it encouraged students to become more engaged in the environment.

Those who where bold enough braved the slush kitless, though what was meant to be an aerodynamic skim soon turned into a series of tumbles, followed by a shake and an entertaining attempt to scramble back up the slope. After many methods and much deliberation, the baking tray became the favourite. Those who were catered may have been excluded, but the household item reigned supreme. Next year’s students might want to avoid them.

Obviously, the actual skiing equipment would have been ideal and legend says according to Hiatt-Baker residents - the sight of skis were seen. Yes, indeed as predicted, once the clock struck 11, the faint

with your flatmates, it became a unifier of sorts for all. The previous divide built upon stereotypes of Badock being ‘a madness’ and Durdham being ‘dead’ were relinquished.

Doors opened, groups gathered as the common land, which had been deserted for months due to the unfruitful cold, became a playground. People shared equipment and jokes as the atmosphere resembled the Christmas truce of 1914. No, I am not suggesting Sainsbury’s should make an advert out of it. Stoke Bishop welcomed the snow that evening. After a long exam period, where students had been confined to their rooms, there was reason to go outside once more.

The festivities lasted until the early hours. Drinking and messing around outside became the alternative to Mbargos, much to the delight of the U1 drivers and campus security who watched on, smiling. Although the term was in full swing, it was the calmest the halls had been in a while.

A huge thank you to the drivers of the U1 and campus staff for putting the effort in and keeping everything running efficiently even in the adverse weather. Although most of the us took it as an opportunity to take time off, your efforts were much appreciated.

Comment Twitter and Instagram: @epigramcomment

Editor: Will Charley @willcharley1 Deputy Editor: Noor Evers Online Editor: Ffion Clarke Deputy Online: Maia Miller-Lewis

@ffionclarke5 @maiamillerlewis

Epigram is an independent and neutral newspaper, aiming to publish opinions from across the student body. To respond with an opposing opinion, please contact comment.epigram@gmail.com or join our writers’ group on Facebook.

Bristol’s commitments to mental health are a breath of fresh air Maia Miller-Lewis

Deputy Online Comment editor

I

t is a sad moment when you realise that Bristol University has become synonymous with poor mental health provision and uncomfortably high numbers of students taking their own lives. It is an unsettling and frightening truth to face, especially for those giddy with excitement about the prospect of coming or returning to university, eager to start the next stage of their life.

In a positive move the University has published a Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which aims to address the key concerns raised by students, staff and the general public.

The strategy provides a comprehensive overview of the issues facing the University, addressing leadership, transition to university, prevention and intervention. Points that stand out are a commitment to shorter waiting lists for counselling services, easier access to CBT therapy and open-ended therapy courses.

It would be easy to write the report off as simply another attempt to appease the masses with well-constructed commitments and

promises that just brush the problems under the carpet. Anyone is entitled to be sceptical.

After all, the apparent failure of Bristol University’s mental health services is not new and it is one that has consistently been brought to the attention of the University’s governing body. Indeed, previous steps taken by the university have arguably been to the detriment of student’s mental health.

Despite that, the new Student Wellbeing Service includes the Residential Life Service and Wellbeing Advisers, placing dedicated full-time staff into halls of residence after the University’s prior decision to remove senior residents from halls of residence was a chaotic and miscalculated move.

Yes, they could be annoying, but senior residents acted as an integral source of support for students struggling with first year problems, in an environment fostering isolation and vulnerability.

This new wellbeing strategy does however hit a sincere note, acting in some way as an apology for the University’s previous lacklustre efforts.

Worked on collectively with the SU officers, staff and students, it is an inclusive document that, near enough hits all the points raised about the nature of the service.

Most importantly, this report does not mollycoddle students. It gives them autonomy, encouraging, not obligating students to declare pre-existing mental health issues and approach a trusted body. It treats students with the respect they should be afforded as

Epigram/ Tom Taylor

The Student Wellbeing Survey is a welcome success for student activism

emerging adults. It also does not pull any punches about the extent of the University’s capabilities to holistically tackle student metal health.

I recently heard someone suggest that tutors and lecturers should be trained to directly intervene with students they see struggling. I have two questions about this proposal.

Firstly, as human beings, surely the majority of academics would be able to respond in an appropriate manner in a crisis. Other than an awareness of physical warning signs, what form of training would be appropriate here to supersede intuition? Secondly, imagine you are a tutor and you miss a warning sign you have been trained to spot and the sense of guilt you would feel as a result.

It is not our tutor’s responsibilities to watch our every move. Naturally, they should not be dismissive or uncaring about the wellbeing of their students. But it is not their job to act as a pseudo-parent. First and foremost, they are there to teach and this report reflects that.

Fundamentally, university is about independence. Before you rage against the

machine, I am not in any way undermining or underplaying the importance of addressing mental health issues, or the fact that the University should be aware of the ramifications of neglect. All I am saying is that at the end of the day, university is an institution, a business not an omniscient body.

As highlighted in the report, it cannot replace the NHS, your friends or your family.

It can only go so far to help students cope with an overwhelmingly challenging and complicated transition.

There is always room for criticism, and I could level it just as easy as the next person.

But I think we need to simultaneously see the positive progress made by this report.

Motivated by the incredible power of the student body and the organisers of the march for mental health, who deserve far more credit that can ever be set down in print, this report is a step in the right direction.

We just have to keep up the momentum and all realise we are not alone, the support is there and we just have to reach out and make others aware of our struggles. Little steps.

Bristol students, please stop with all the MacBooks There is a mad craze at Bristol University to own Apple MacBook.

My question is simple: why?

Elisha Mans

First Year, Politics and IR

H

“If we stop to think about it in monetary terms, this is simply insane”

Epigram/ Will Charley

ave a casual look around in a lecture. Do you notice something strange about the amount of people sat with a £1000 piece of tech in front of them? Probably not.

We have probably all got so used to this MacBook usage that we ignore the madness of it.

In every lecture I have ever sat in, there is an overwhelming amount of MacBooks. That not-so-subtle bright Apple logo repeats itself across every row in the lecture theatre, as does the incessant sound of tapping at the keyboard.

But, if we stop to think about it in

monetary terms, this is simply insane.

There are so many other, cheaper laptops on the market. This has surely got to reflect something about the way in which Bristol students live.

I myself am the proud owner of a Microsoft Surface Four; a laptop that I bet many people have never even seen. And if they had seen it, say in a lecture, it would be to remark on the fact that it is not an Apple and so they are not really interested.

So, what is it? Is it evidence of the consumerist, brand-led society that we live

in? Is it the result of going to a university with the reputation of being for posh kids?

Or am I just overthinking this whole thing?

I can of course admit to the latter, but I think that there is definitely more to it than that. The fact that it is almost surprising to see someone use a non-MacBook must indicate the power of herd-mentality.

If you were to compare like-for-like MacBooks against other laptops, there probably would not be an overwhelming difference for the vast majority.

Okay, I know some computer-scientists could come at me and hit me with the facts, but for those of us just using our laptops as a note-making tool, the differences would be, I imagine, pretty insignificant.

So, I remain unsure what the cause of the MacBook phenomenon is. I am tempted to put it down to that feeling of being a part of a consumer-led group identity.

When everyone in primary school had Heelys (you know, those super-cool but also mega-dangerous trainers with wheels), there was that feeling that if you were not wheeling your way around the playground

you were not quite ‘in’. You might have had a very aesthetic, more-efficient, less-life threatening pair of shoes but that did not matter. You needed Heelys. Perhaps the same can be said about MacBooks.

There is value in being the owner of a MacBook, just because everyone else also has them. You can be a part of the group of MacBook owners who all light up the lecture theatre with little white apples. Maybe it is not even a conscious thing to want to be a part of the MacBook group. Maybe it is literally just the influence of seeing everyone around you with MacBooks.

But I think that it is time to branch out.

I do not mean go and buy a new laptop to break the Apple consumer loop, but to branch out in terms of seeing other laptops as a possibility. After all, should laptops really be a fashion accessory? They are not even as cool as Heelys.

I am ashamed to admit right at the end of this rant that I actually own an iPhone, and so I am probably doing exactly the same thing as the MacBook flaunters, but hey, consumerism, am I right?

12 Comment

epigram 18.02.2019

Our drug policy risks lives: it is time for change Epigram/Harry Coke

Your weekly rant:

Nikki Peach Deputy Editor

S

tudent landlords must do more to support their tenants in the aftermath of a burglary.

Having recently been burgled in my student house, Digs Residential Lettings are refusing to change the locks or provide a second bolt, claiming the house is already ‘secure enough’.

We were also told that providing basic security in the form of a chain would be ‘too expensive’ for our Landlord, the same Landlord who has twice allowed himself into the house without any notice and has organised viewings to take place pre-sunrise when my housemates and I have been asleep (cue the second lock).

The sweetheart on the phone also told us that we ‘probably didn’t shut the door properly’ and having our possessions stolen is our own fault since we have ‘lost two keys in the past’.

My housemates and I were away when the burglary took place, the door was locked and, as far as I am concerned, the incident was entirely unforeseen. It is the handling of an invasive, upsetting and often distressing situation which then becomes the most important and that is something that Digs have failed to do successfully or empathetically. And they are not the ones with dirt from the burglar’s shoes on their ikea rug.

Given that the majority of students are private-renting for the first time at university, there is a level of vulnerability and inexperience that Landlords have to stop exploiting; it is unjust, patronising and blatant malpractice.

I am sure there are many landlords and agencies that are both sensitive and aware of this fact, unfortunately, I have only encountered those that are not. The stolen items are replaceable (if graduate prospects and the general state of the world improves) but the sense of security I would expect from my home is gone.

Until something is done to improve safety measures and the way they handle these upsetting situations, I discourage any prospective renters from choosing a Digs property.

Hannah Cahill

Fourth Year, Biochemistry

D

rugs policy is a sensitive issue, especially with politicians. The close links between drugs and crime, health issues and morality make it a political hot potato rarely treated rationally.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was set up in 1971 as an independent expert panel providing recommendations on government drug policy to prevent it becoming a political leverage tool. However, all too often its recommendations have been ignored, with far-reaching and disheartening consequences.

The UK’s drug class system has been repeatedly criticised by the ACMD and wider groups, for example in cannabis’ re-upgrade to Class B in 2009, despite an extensive ACMD study finding weak correlation between its use and psychosis. The Home Secretary chose to move it up anyway, to ‘err on the side of caution’.

But does increasing the prison time, stigmatisation and fear surrounding a drug actually reduce its harm to society?

Professor David Nutt (a neuropsychopharmacologist and then chairman of the ACMD) began to ask this, and in 2010 conducted a study into the harms of 20 drugs across 16 weighted criteria. His panel of experts found alcohol ranked highest in harm, while the bottom of the scale was littered with Class A drugs. Overall, the correlation between this ranking system and the government class system was 0.04 – i.e. non-existent.

Contrasting the UK’s class approach, the successes of Portugal’s decriminalisation of all drugs in 2001 are well documented.

Decriminalisation was put in place when a staggering 1 per cent of the population were addicted to heroin. Since then, cases of HIV and overdoses have fallen dramatically, while the number of addicts seeking treatment has

Unsplash / Matthew_T_Rader

Landlords are robbing us of our security

The UK’s current drug laws are ill-advised and are causing more drug-related deaths by focusing on criminal justice over public health

“The UK’s focus on prevention as a form of harm reduction is not working”

soared. As well as the legal change made

by Portugal’s government, it is arguably the change of attitudes towards drugs that has improved and saved lives.

In 2017, Norway revealed plans to follow suit, and Scotland’s 2018 Drugs Strategy clearly moves towards decriminalisation.

Importantly, Scotland’s strategy combines alcohol and drug misuse; treating legal and illegal activities together and allowing a focus on public health rather than criminal justice.

They poured an additional £20mil into the strategy, which included fix rooms allowing addicts to take heroin safely under medical supervision. The UK Home Office have since declined this proposal, stating that it is illegal.

When countries so geographically and culturally close to us are supporting evidence-based harm reduction policies, it is discouraging to see what the UK has been working on.

In July 2017, the Home Office rolled out their new drug strategy, complete with continued focus on criminal justice as the primary means of prevention, refusal to consider decriminalisation and no increase in funding – in fact since 2014, UK drug and alcohol services have been cut by £162mil.

While there are positive points: more focus on prevention through education, better prison recovery programmes and clearer guidelines

on opioid treatments, the report ignored most recommendations from the ACMD, with no incorporation of evidence-led harm reduction, while still having the audacity to claim it will be ‘leading and driving action on a global scale’.

There is not time for the UK’s drug policy to remain stagnant.

In 2016, it was reported that UK drugrelated deaths were at a record high, whereas the number of people taking illegal drugs was at a record low.

The UK’s focus on prevention as a form of harm reduction is not working. It makes the most vulnerable people more isolated, while stopping demographics who are unlikely to become problem-users.

While some claim the UK drugs policy is not harsh enough, in a recent poll, 56 per cent of the public believe drug users should receive treatment rather than be criminally charged.

The public are ahead of the game.

Harm reduction charities such as The Loop are growing in popularity, and the government even stated ‘we won’t stand in your way’ regarding their legality. They provide drug safety testing and give harm reduction advise at nightclubs, festivals and even Bristol city centre. Their work has allowed identification of high-strength pills to avoid, and although they are too new to give exact figures, it is obvious that being able to tell a drug user that his ketamine is actually fentanyl is likely to reduce drug-related harm.

While there are localised moves towards a more progressive drugs policy – Avon and Somerset Police Force have tested de facto decriminalisation – the UK government lacks these advances.

Of course, it is important for laws to be followed, however they must be informed laws.

The general public is expected to use drug laws to make decisions that could have profound impact on their lives, and when government advice does not align with what other sources recommend about safe drug use, they risk losing credibility.

Scientific understanding changes with new evidence, and drug laws imposed across the UK should mirror this. However, until the policy-makers truly understand, it is addicts and those around them who will be paying.

Comment 13

18.02.2019 epigram

Bristol SU is fantastic, students just need to engage with it Epigram / Hannah Worthington

If Senate House cannot be renamed Housey McSenate, then Bristol should admit the process is despotic The renaming of Senate House is just another University process that pretends to be democratic Michael SheridanWarburton Third Year, Philosophy

S

Maggie Sawant

First Year, Law

U

ntil hearing of the Student Union elections recently, I only had a vague idea of what the SU actually does. Organises Freshers events? Offers bubble wrap to stressed students during exams?

It was only recently that I took it upon myself to learn more about it. And I have realised that it is fantastic.

The opening of the SU Living Room is its most notable recent achievement, a direct response to student requests.

It is a place where the focus is not on work, where students can relax, socialise and eat their packed lunch. And, more broadly, the living room serves as recognition of the importance of taking breaks from work, for the sake of our mental health.

The union has also taken affirmative action to represent student voices regarding the University’s mental health and wellbeing strategy, ensuring feedback regarding the strategy was taken on board during its formulation.

Moreover, through SU councillors and academic reps, educational changes have been brought about, responding to student demands for improved feedback, access to exam transcripts, and changes to reading weeks sought by Arts students.

The outstanding ability of the SU to capture and represent student opinion is reflected in the fact that the SU research team was shortlisted for a Bristol teaching award.

In addition, the SU runs fourteen networks, with which each SU officer is involved. These networks create a sense of cohesion within the University, something the University lacks.

Perhaps if the work of these networks, and ways in which students can become involved with them is publicised more widely among the student population,

“The outstanding ability of the SU to capture and represent student opinion”

there would be a greater sense of community, and greater interaction with and appreciation for the SU. Impressively, the SU also launched the BME Powerlist following its research into the BME attainment gap.

However, as we are largely unaware of the superb work of the SU, we fail to appreciate or engage with it.

This is disappointing, as the SU has an impressive capacity for enabling student involvement and engagement, which could cultivate a rich student democracy.

For example, any student can attend the Annual Members Meeting (AMM), where new policies are suggested, debated and voted on, and students can ask questions, holding SU officers to account. Further, any student can attend the Student Council, although only eligible members can vote on policy decisions.

So why do intelligent learners fail to engage with the SU, undermining student democracy?

Because what the SU does and how it operates is not made clear to us. An ‘explainer’ booklet should be given to students upon starting university, covering the main aims of the SU and how to get involved with it, either as a representative or by voicing complaints.

But it is not simply the result of a lack of understanding. Students have other priorities.

It is easier for a student to anonymously type a complaint about their failure to find a workspace into Bristruths than it is to attend the AMM, or directly pressure SU representatives to force change.

We need to be more proactive in voicing our grievances.

Students are always complaining. So why don’t we try and turn our criticisms into tangible change? We have the mechanism to do this, and that is the SU. Our voice has to be effectively represented. And for this to happen, we need to engage with the SU in larger numbers.

We should explore what the SU is working on. If we have a better understanding of the SU, we can better hold it to account, bringing forward candidates who are more likely to bring about real change. This will enable the SU to be better able to enrich our lives as students.

Bristol SU

enate House is being renamed!

‘Be part of the action’, a sleek new website implores the viewer – ‘make this yours’. Paid teams of students laden with sweeties, smiles and sign-up forms have established camps in study spaces and along Tyndall Avenue. It seems a shortlist of names is to be compiled by joint enterprise between students and the University establishment, with the final name intended to be agreeable to all. If you take part in the process to rename Senate House, the website declares, you might even get a LinkedIn recommendation.

I do not want a LinkedIn recommendation, folks. I want democracy. I want Housey McSenate.

This consultation period, in which stakeholders are consulted and events held for people to express their views on proposed changes, does not necessarily mean anything – do not take it from me, take it from Caroline Court (Head of Student Residential Life), who in a leaked email last academic year expressed her surprise at Senior Residents and students who still seemed to ‘think that consultation [meant] that they [could] shape/ change the proposed structure, and that consultation means debate.’

Similarly, we might rest assured that once all suggestions from the student community are in, closed-door meetings will take place to decide which names will be allowed through to the final gauntlet – all of them dry, unhumorous and apolitical – with Housey McSenate left by the wayside.

This façade of participation against a predetermined outcome, however, comes at a

price - low turnouts in SU Elections, general campus malaise and students’ deep cynicism about possible change – because ultimately, what is the point?

Thus, my proposal: the University executive should either cut to the chase, renaming Senate House whatever it intended to all along without going through the usual tired pseudo-democratic motions — or it should endorse a nothing-off-thetable submission-spree followed by wholly democratic primary and deciding referenda with the final result accepted without question.

Essentially, the only reasonable choice is between honest despotism and Housey McSenate.

Even the first case would be preferable to the current situation. At base, the University would be telling the truth and, jarred into motion, students might begin a conversation about the action required to make it listen to them once again.

The second case, however, would be positively revolutionary. Putting serious agency and trust in the student community might well result short-term in a daft name, but the potential long-term gains far outweigh the silliness.

Such a policy would demonstrate that student democracy is not pointless, that the University considers us as they should – as equal partners, or even majority-stakeholders – and might pave the way for further and much-needed student-led changes in every area of academic life.

Maybe we need to get Housey McSenate out of our systems, and then we can get on with the straight-faced business of democratically transforming our university into a haven of participation where every student feels themselves a valued trustee, not just a customer.

Go on then.

The University will renew its democratic mandate and score a humorous public relations coup at home and around the world. And perhaps in three or four years when we are all too old and busy to care, you can quietly rename it to whatever you secretly favoured all along as a retirement present. Deal?

Students should seek to be more involved in the world of SU politics if they want to produce change and make this uni better

Science & Tech Technology Special

Editor: Bethany Harris Deputy Editor: Vilhelmiina Haavisto Online Editor: Caitlin Bromfield

Follow our Instagram/Twitter @episcitech

AI for everyone!

AI is becoming increasingly commonplace in society, but how are we adapting to the major changes it brings?

A

involved in AI. By last December, over 10,500 people had graduated from the course — president Sauli Niinistö even attended the first graduation ceremonies in September 2018. Finland is in a similar position to the UK; under pressure to remain competitive in a market dominated by China and the U.S.A., with the additional aim of not generating a repeat of the demise of Nokia, the country’s past foothold in the mobile phone market.

However, they are rising to the challenge; Finland’s government formalized a national AI strategy in October of 2017, becoming the first EU country to do so. They are also teaming up with neighbors Estonia and Sweden with the intention of becoming a

Epigram / Vilhelmiina Haavisto

“41% of UK business leaders know that their workflow will likely change markedly due to AI within the next five years, but over half do not have an active AI strategy.”

Unsplash / Kristina Flour

rtificial intelligence (AI) has gone from being a futuristic sci-fi trope to a real-life technology with a myriad of applications in human society. The so-called first wave of AI was born in the 1960s, and simply involved programming rules for algorithms and software to solve specific problems.

Now, we are in the middle of the second wave: supervised machine learning.

This includes capabilities such as image processing, data mining, and speech recognition from sets of big data; the latter is a basic feature of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. Autonomous artificial intelligence, the third wave of AI, is steadily emerging with development of AIs that can adapt to different situations using contextual and adaptive reasoning. Though no products using third wave technology are on the market yet, many are powering through the development phase; just last October, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced a $2 billion investment into a third wave AI project.

The technology itself is advancing quickly, but the general public’s attitudes to AI remain divided. An early 2019 report by the Centre for the Governance of AI at Oxford University surveyed over 2,000 American adults about how they view AI. Most either supported the development and use of AI, or did not support nor oppose it.

12 per cent thought that AI could have

Epigram / Vilhelmiina Haavisto

Vilhelmiina Haavisto Deputy Science & Tech Editor

apocalyptic consequences, and overall over a third of respondents believed that AI will have a harmful impact on society. Those who answered in support of AI were largely men with household incomes of over $100,000 and experience in programming and other areas of computer science, while those with the most concerns tended to be women and people with lower household incomes. The latter especially is not surprising: AI will most likely take over repetitive, monotonous jobs such factory work, some customerfacing jobs such as help lines, and analytics jobs dealing with big data.

However, a 2018 report by Microsoft found that although 41 per cent of UK business leaders know that their workflow will likely change markedly due to AI within the next five years, over half do not have an active AI strategy to address the transition.

Microsoft also recently named the UK a possible ‘game-changer’ in the AI industry, thanks to its “mix of start-up culture, renowned academic research capabilities, and innovative mindset”.

To cultivate this AI-oriented outlook, Microsoft is launching training programmes in the UK which they hope will help to boost the number of people skilled in AI across the worlds of both business and academia.

Preparedness is key, as AI could end up having further-reaching impacts than anybody can predict at this time. Microsoft UK CEO Cindy Rose asserts that AI will be “more game-changing than any technology that came before it” and that it is “critical for [the UK’s] future success and prosperity.”

The University of Helsinki and consulting agency Reaktor are thinking along similar lines. In May 2018, they launched an online course entitled “Elements of AI”, which aimed to introduce people with no coding experience to some of the basic principles

European hub for experimental AI trials.

We may be decades away from computers surpassing humans in intelligence and ability to learn, but one thing is for sure: AI already has and will continue to change the way our society works. Though views on AI differ, an overwhelming 82 per cent of the Americans surveyed by the Centre for the Governance of AI believe AI is a technology that “requires careful management”. So, to face future challenges posed by AI, we must at least understand its basic principles and appropriate applications — and programmes such as Elements of AI, which is freely available online, are just one way of helping us do exactly this.

Will technology kill my brain cells? and cancer using animal models, the U.S. National Toxicology Program found evidence to be inconclusive, and Cancer Research UK states that it is “unlikely” that mobiles increase people’s risk of cancer. Research in this area is still in its infancy and more studies need to be done before any strong conclusions are made.

Technology is making the world smaller and more connected, yet it appears to be harming our real-life interactions.

A study using undergraduate students showed that strangers waiting in a room together smiled at each other less when their phones were present. A separate study, also focussing on social interaction, showed that conversations in the presence of phones were of lower quality with participants reporting lower

Our generation is hooked on technology - but could this be having adverse effects on our health?

Laura Weatherby Third year, Neuroscience

T

“simply interacting with technology can have a deleterious effect on memory.”

Flickr / Michael

his morning, 70 per cent of us (18-24 year olds) were on our phones within 30 minutes of waking up and in lectures all of us will be surrounded by people merrily typing away on laptops. Consequently, there is a growing sense of concern about the extent to which technology is incorporated into our daily lives. This raises the question: is technology killing our brains?

With rates of an aggressive type of brain cancer doubling in the past ten years, the finger has been pointed at technology, particularly mobile phones. There is increasing debate amongst researchers about the impact of microwave radiation emitted from mobile phones on our brains. Researchers in India have looked across 22 studies and concluded that long-term phone use significantly increases the risk of developing a brain tumour. However, when studying the relationship between phone radiation

levels of empathy, reducing the reported closeness between participants.

Whilst our phones may be smart, there are concerns that technology is affecting our intelligence. Everyone knows that if you want to be productive you should put your phone on silent, but a study carried out in this context has shown that simply being able see your phone impairs cognitive ability. A study of Swiss adolescents found that greater exposure to radiation emitted from technology, like our phones, is correlated with poorer memory and it has been found in mice that this radiation can damage brain cells. Memories are encoded by neurones in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Perhaps the radiation is damaging our neurones, so they function less effectively. However,

attention is also crucial for memory, signalling what information to prioritise.

It is more likely that technology, like our phones, is distracting our attention from what we are trying to memorise, thus resulting in poorer memory when phones are present.

Researchers in the U.S. found that when participants were told that a typed list of trivia would be saved on the computer it was remembered less well than if they were told it would be deleted. Another research team showed that taking photos during a tour impaired memory of that event. This indicates that simply interacting with technology can have a deleterious effect on memory.

However, this does not necessarily mean that you should bin your phone and laptop just yet; you could be using technology to your advantage. There is a belief that technology is being used to complement our memory and is altering what we subconsciously prioritise to remember. We remember how to access information, and we are using technology to store all the facts we may want so we remember these less well.

Technology is likely to be changing the way our brains work, for better or for worse, and more work needs to be done to find out the long-term effects of our immersion in technology.

18.02.2019 epigram

Technology Special

Science and Tech 15

Worried about the switch to Microsoft?

Take steps to protect your digital work before the compulsory IT migration from Google services in the summer.

Patrick Sullivan Film & TV Editor

Tom Kilcommons

Fourth year, Engineering Design

L

ast term, the University announced its plans to migrate its IT services from Google to Microsoft and many students have since transferred their email and calendar to Outlook. In August, students - unless graduating this year - will lose access to their Google account through the University and risk losing work if they do not take the correct actions.

After the public announcement of the IT changes in November, much of the student body are doing what we do best: procrastinating. Early migration of email and calendar services has been promoted (bristol.ac.uk/office-365-students), but less than five per cent have shifted across to Outlook and there is no pressure to do so until the end of the academic year, when it will be compulsory. Any risk of losing emails or calendar entries is a pain, however potentially losing access to vital University work for past or present assignments could be even more costly. There is plenty of time and assistance to come before the switch, but it is worth being diligent early and understanding what needs to be done.

If you are reliant on the University Google Drive storage, currently unlimited, you can either move your work across to a private Google account or follow the University advice and move to the University-managed OneDrive for Business service. There are pros and cons for both, and your decision should depend on how you intend to use the services. One key downfall of private Google

accounts is the 15GB free storage limit unless you pay a monthly subscription (£1.59 for 100GB, £7.99 for 1TB) or have purchased a substantial Google product (Chromebook or Pixel). OneDrive for Business automatically backs up files created on Study Space computers and these can be synced with any linked personal computers and has a maximum 1TB storage.

It is reckless to store all work on your personal computer, a memory stick or an external hard drive unless you sync and backup to an external cloud storage service such as Dropbox. If you are reliant on your hard drive and it gets stolen or breaks, you could lose all your data and jeopardise any University projects. The change in system does give everyone an opportunity to evaluate their working methods and how these services can support learning. Do you use your personal computer or laptop for most of your work or are you heavily reliant on University Open Access computers? How often do you work collaboratively with other students and what is the importance of shared file storage to your group projects?

Are you required to protect sensitive data for societies or projects? The most important aspect to consider is the consequences if you were to lose access to any files if you fail to manage your migration correctly by August.

IT Services offer full support for the Microsoft system and recommends adjusting to using OneDrive for personal file storage and Office 365 groups for shared file storage, especially for significant or longterm University projects. First year students, research postgraduates, and all staff are already using the services, but, for those taught students who have been here since 2016/2017 or earlier, you might prefer to use familiar systems for the remainder of your degree.

Full instructions on moving across either to OneDrive or another Google account can be found at bristol.ac.uk/office-365students. However, Epigram have compiled our own tips to help ease the transition!

“There is plenty of time and assistance to come before the switch, but it is worth being diligent early and understanding what needs to be done.”

What’s new in science? Moth wings and LED lights!

Luke Leckie reports on the use of LED lighting to reduce the attraction of disease-carrying insects.

Moths are common prey of insectivorous bats. Whilst it is known that ermine moths have a variety of adaptations to defend themselves from bats, which detect prey by means of echolocation, sound production has never before been observed in this genus.

The team was comprised of researchers from the University of Bristol’s Biological Sciences department and the Natural History Museum, London.

It was discovered that a small group of British deaf moths, the small ermine moths, make a continuous clicking sound in flight to serve as a warning to approaching bats. This is a direct contrast to many other species of moth which only produce sound in response to the detection of a bat.

Insects commonly use colour as a conspicuous visual signal to warn predators of their distastefulness or toxicity. However, bats hunt at night therefore colour would not provide a useful cue. Subsequently, moths have evolved to warn bats acoustically. The team propose that the ermine moths are acoustically mimicking toxic sound producing moths, such as tiger moths, to warn bats of their unpalatability and protect themselves from predation.

Sound is produced by structures called tymbals. Whilst in the majority of moths, the tymbals are connected to muscle and sound is produced as a result of muscle contraction, in ermine moths sound production in the tymbals is initiated by wingbeat.

Future work will focus on the exact mechanism by which sound is produced in the tymbals of ermine moths.

LED lighting has a wide range of benefits over filament lighting. This is reflected by the rapidly growing global market for LEDs: by 2025 the global LED market size is predicted to reach a massive $108.99 billion. The broad-spectrum ‘white’ light emitted by LEDs differs from the much more narrow-spectrum ‘yellow’ light emitted by traditional bulbs; however, the effect of LED lighting on wildlife such as insects is still poorly understood.

Recent research presented by the University of Bristol compared the attraction of LED lights with more traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps. Traps illuminated with one of the three lighting categories were placed across 18 field sites across South-West England. The >4,000 insects captured were then identified by the team. The results showed that LEDs attracted significantly fewer insects compared to the other lighting methods, with four times as many insects attracted to the incandescent bulbs and twice as many insects attracted to the fluorescent lamp.

Some species of the midge genus Culicoides carry disease and highlight the important of these results, with only 2-3 per cent of the Culicoides midges captured in the study being caught at the LED lamps. Transitioning towards LED lights in other parts of the world may reduce the presence of insects carrying more severe diseases such as mosquitoes carrying malaria and Zika. The need for further research on the interaction between diseasecarrying flies and LEDs has led to Professor Gareth Jones being awarded a 4-year industrial CASE PhD studentship from NERC in partnership with Integral LED. The research, which started in September 2018, focuses on the attraction of mosquitoes to a selection of different lightings in Africa.

Flickr / Ryszard

Science and Tech Editor, Beth Harris investigates novel sound production in ermine moths.

Flickr / Ryszard

epigram

16 Science and Tech

18.02.2019

Should we be using class A drugs in mental health research?

Can studies using psychedelic drugs accurately be used to research mental health problems?

Nina Bryant

News Sub-Editor

R

ates of mental illness are climbing, with one in four people in the UK experiencing some kind of mental health issue. Admittedly this crisis may be greatly attributed to a lack of NHS funding, but with so many affected some clinical researchers are questioning the efficacy of conventional therapies.In the 50s and 60s, thousands of studies were conducted into the therapeutic use of LSD, involving over 10,000 patients. Whilst findings showed potential, research came to a halt when the recreational use of psychedelics became abundant and psychedelics became associated with hippies who broke the rules of social conformity.

As a result, psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin—the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms—were banned in the UK in 1966. They were subsequently labeled a schedule 1 drug (i.e. a drug with no medicinal value) under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. This created a huge obstacle in psychedelic research; it can take years to get a schedule 1 license and the research is more costly.

Despite this, research in this field has picked up in recent years, using drugs resembling classic psychedelics—such as synthesized psilocybin—as well as drugs

with psychedelic properties such as MDMA and ketamine (a more convenient option for research given its current status as a drug with medicinal uses). Such studies have provided a lead for future research into conditions such as depression, PTSD, OCD and anxiety in terminally ill patients.

The reason psychedelics are thought to be effective in treating such conditions is that most drugs with psychedelic properties act on the same neurotransmitter as conventional antidepressants: serotonin. Drugs like MDMA mirror the psychodynamics of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), by blocking re-uptake of serotonin, whilst drugs such as LSD and psilocybin act directly on serotonin agonists.

Professor David Nutt from Imperial College London—one of the few places conducting research in this cutting-edge field—say that scientists are still unsure why SSRIs do not produce hallucinogenic effects, given their similarities with psychedelic drugs. David Nutt is currently researching the use of MDMA in those with addiction to alcohol, following promising findings for the use of MDMA in the treatment of PTSD. One of the main reasons this research is

“The reason psychedelics are thought to be effective is that most drugs with psychedelic properties act on the same neurotransmitter as antidepressents.”

Flickr / CIFOR

viewed as groundbreaking is the potential it offers for helping those who are ‘treatment resistant’. Both depression and PTSD are typically treated using SSRIs alongside some kind of talking therapy. However, research has indicated that both conditions may have a treatment resistance rate as high as fifty per cent.

These high rates of treatment resistance have varied explanations. For instance, for those who suffer from PTSD, reliving negative memories may trigger fear, mistrust or dissociation, thereby making therapy impossible. Interestingly, one of the ideas that propelled research in the 50s was that certain characteristics of MDMA (and indeed other psychedelic drugs) make them the ideal pharmacological treatment to facilitate psychotherapy: increased trust, decreased fear response, increasing access to repressed memories and increasing alternative ways of thinking.

More recently, clinical psychologist Dr Rosalind Watts from Imperial College London, has advocated for the use of psilocybin as a way of addressing the root causes of problems, as opposed to SSRIs, which tend to cause emotional blunting.

Whilst studies at Imperial are still in the early stages—meaning their primary aim is to test the safety of such treatments rather than the effectiveness—they have still observed greater effectiveness in those taking psilocybin than typical antidepressants, with the majority of patients maintaining a reduction in symptoms.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, it remains unclear whether the use of psychedelics would save money in terms of mental health treatment. Whilst there is a possibility that such treatment could have curative rather than alleviatory effects—meaning treatment required may be short-term—most researchers say that such treatment would have to be used alongside the supervision of a clinical psychologist in order to be effective.

Regardless of the cost-related specifics, the results of recent drug trials are of great interest to clinical researchers and psychedelic treatment campaigners.

Campaigns such as ‘Psychedelics for Mental Health’ hope to see rescheduling of drugs such as LSD, psilocybin and MDMA to schedule 2 drug in order to improve efficiency of research in this field.

Postgraduate open afternoon Wednesday 27 February 2:30pm - 5:30pm Thinking of postgraduate study?

Want to find out more about research opportunities?

Join us for our postgraduate open afternoon where you will have the chance to: u Attend introductory talks and a panel discussion u Discuss your subject options with our friendly academics u Meet current postgraduate students

Book your place today and join our world-class, multi-disciplinary and research-led University.

surrey.ac.uk/pg-afternoon

See differently.

THINGS

Wellbeing Living Food Style Travel Issue 8 / 18th February 2019

Travel //

Flat trip?

Top tips for group holidays Style// How your skin type affects your skincare regime

Living// Year abroad: expectations vs reality

Wellbeing // Drug abuse: the quiet contributor to the mental health crisis

epigram / The Croft 18.02.2019

Editor Jasmine Burke

Deputy-Editor Luke Unger

Online Editor Marina Afzal-Khan @epigramwellbeing

Epigram Wellbeing

@EpigramWB

Drug abuse: the quiet contributor to our University’s mental health crisis Alex Sacks considers Bristol’s drug culture and its effects on mental health TW: This article contains sensitive information about drugs and drug abuse.

D

rug abuse can be defined as the habitual use of drugs; someone who abuses drugs at university typically does a range of substances four or more days of the week and at least once or twice a week very heavily.

Why do students do drugs at university?

Furthermore, the pressure of exams can lead to drug abuse; one third of students who used drugs said they had done so to deal with stress. Finally, students often feel vulnerable at university, as many struggle to adjust to the distance from both friends and family. A recent study conducted by the National Union of Students suggested that individuals who have issues with their mental health are more likely to use recreational drugs.

Epigram/ Jasmine Burke

The science of drug abuse

Drugs abuse can seriously affect the brain; it can alter the natural brain functions, which can, in turn, lead to mental health problems. Drug abuse can alter the brain stem, cerebral cortex and limbic system. For example: • Cocaine can reduce activity levels of neurons, making it difficult to feel pleasure.

• MDMA depletes serotonin. This can lead to depression, anxiety and weakened cognitive functions.

As a person takes drugs on a more regular basis, their tolerance increases, resulting in a constant increase in the quantity required to be consumed to achieve a comparable euphoria. This can result in rapid deterioration, compounding on potentially harmful mental issues.

For those with mental health problems, the noted impacts will serve to exacerbate their pre-existing issues.

Drug abuse can make a student’s lifestyle unfulfilling and unaspiring.

Drugs release up to ten times the amount of dopamine and serotonin that a regular activity like playing in a football match may release. Hence, a student may focus on using drugs as much as possible due to both the minimal effort required to attain them, as well as the euphoria that they provide.

Engaging in fulfilling activities like volunteering or playing for a university team has a greater long-run payoff for one’s mental health.

These activities can enrich students’ lives, making them feel more content, proud and confident. By contrast, drugs provide short-lasting and unnatural benefits. Martin Seligman, a professor who specializes in positive psychology, discusses the importance of leading an engaging and meaningful life, alongside immediate pleasures, in order to be truly happy. Drugs can only provide immediate pleasure and often students adapt to replace traditionally engaging activities with the ephemeral pleasures that drugs can provide. This can push students down a path of mental health issues.

Mild drug abuse can quickly escalate to intense drug abuse. Students may be willing to take more drugs to deal with their problems that arise as their mental health deteriorates and, even if a student is aware of the problem and wants to cut down, it is understandably hard to stop. Once drug abuse becomes a habit, it can increase exponentially, leaving a host of ever-growing issues in its damaging wake. More serious mental health problems may subsequently emerge, such as psychosis, self-harm or even suicidal thoughts.

”

In combination with this, the unique challenges that students face at university push many to quickly resort to substance abuse as a way of dealing with their problems.

Drug abuse and its impact on student lifestyle

Bristol has become a drug orientated city where getting drugs is easier than getting a takeaway Solving the problem

”

Universities need to be more proactive in helping students with drug problems. They are not going to be able to eradicate drug abuse but they can reduce it.

Most universities refuse to acknowledge students’ drug use. The Vice article, ‘Why are Universities so Scared to Talk About Drugs?’, explains that universities are reluctant to talk about drug problems because they fear that their reputation will be damaged. I have never seen a poster or been talked to about the risks of taking drugs at UoB even though

universities are often the first time people are heavily exposed to drugs.

The taboo needs to end and universities need to accept that there is a drug problem. They need to take responsibility and protect their students rather than their reputation.

Universities must educate their students about the effects drugs have on mental health. If people knew the effects they would be less likely to abuse them. They must also give advice on how to take drugs safely; if a student body has been well-educated, it will be in a much better position to help out those in need.

Equally important is educating students about how to live a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of doing so, as a healthy life is vital for good mental health. Exercise, for example, releases chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, as well as simultaneously reducing craving for drugs.

Being proactive can be difficult, especially if someone is dealing with personal issues, but, if people were more aware of the benefits, they may make a conscious effort to be active. The University of Buckingham have implemented healthy lifestyle classes that are mandatory to attend.

Other universities should similarly implement obligatory health classes for first year students.

”

Both the availability of time and the accessibility of drugs at university has created an environment that has cultivated substance abuse. Bristol has become a drug-orientated city where getting drugs is easier than getting a takeaway. Students have extensive amounts of free time with only about 5 hours’ worth of work a week (at least in first year) and, if you want to, you can do even less. Moreover, halls of residence are perfect for doing drugs; there are a mix of newly inducted and impressionable freshers who are open to the idea of toying with substances. These substances are normalized by students to the degree that doing class A and B drugs weekly is considered ordinary. Hence, students find themselves in the perfect environment for drug abuse.

Unsplash/ @Thought Catalogue

Epigram / Luke Unger

A drug-fuelled lifestyle can quickly put someone’s life into a downward spiral. Drug abuse is a serious problem at UoB and many other universities but one that is blatantly ignored, despite the mental health problems that it can cause. Universities can help solve the issue by accepting the existence of illegal drug use and being ready to provide support and education for the sake of our students’ mental health across the nation.

Drug abuse is a serious problem at UoB and many other universities and is one that is blatantly ignored

”

Additionally, providing counselling is necessary, as, even with education, people will still end up abusing drugs and may require further support. A professional counsellor would prove to be an invaluable resource for those who need guidance that might be more specialized or tailored to the individual. There should be a sub-sector within the mental health services at universities that works specifically with people dealing with drug problems.

Both education and a counselling service could be provided by a drug specialist charity such as Release or Addiction, both of whom could provide part-time support at the university. These charities could provide a counsellor who works at the university for 2-3 days a week, specifically to help people with drug problems.

Educating students and providing a counselling service is the least a university can do. More substantial change like making first year count towards the degree would be more effective, yet this is unrealistic as an initial goal. If you ever have concerns about your mental health, be it drug-related or not, please be open about it with a friend, family or a counsellor. It will do you so much justice.

Alex Sacks Second Year, History

3

18.02.2019 epigram / The Croft

W

hen I was around twelve years old, I used to be teased for being too thin, which inevitably meant that I did not have the typical ‘assets’ young girls are meant to start growing during their pre-pubescent years. I had skipped a grade so I was surrounded by girls either one or two years older than I was. How is it fair to compare the body of a twelve-year-old to that of a fourteen-year-old? Thankfully, it did not last long as I became home-schooled and managed to escape the teasing. The reason I am revealing all these details is because they all connect to the unhealthy eating habits experienced throughout the past ten years of my life.

By 16 I had moved out from my parents’ house and was living in a onebedroom flat on my own. This meant being able to throw parties - one of which the police were called to, something I was regrettably proud of - being able to stay up until the early hours of the morning and, basically, do whatever I wanted. With all this responsibility also came the food shopping, which is something I wish I had had more guidance on prior to my independence. Fearing my college peers would tease me similarly to those I had when I was twelve, I ate as much as I could: pizzas, pasta, crisps, chocolate, basically everything you should eat in moderation. I did not do much exercise and I lost control of my physical health in the few years following.

Unsplash/ @flaunter

This unhealthy habit lasted until I was about eighteen, only to grow into another form of eating disorder. Having been alone at home when classes finished, my only solution to escape isolation was through browsing the internet, mostly Instagram and Tumblr. Everywhere I looked on these sites, every single woman I saw a picture of was thin with flawless skin and a Kardashian bum. It did not take long for me to look in the mirror and realise I was not in possession of any of those things. All I saw was cellulite and an over-loaded face of make-up to hide the blemishes under my skin, all of which were a credit to the bad food I was shoving down me. Suffice to say, any amount of confidence I had previously had, had washed away alongside my appetite.

Eating disorder recovery: food is fuel for your brain

W

hen in the grips of a restrictive eating disorder, you may often be told the phrase ‘food is fuel’. You may also not believe it, like me. I simply did not think it applied to me. I was suffering terribly with moral scrupulosity OCD and restricting my food intake was a form

punishment.

I blindly thought that other people just did not understand that for me there was a bigger picture. A reality I have become aware of is that there is always a bigger picture when it comes to an eating disorder, but that does not make food any less important. When you are suffering mentally - as people with eating disorders are - maintaining a stable energy intake is of even more vital importance.

When I was at my worst, I could not remember how to do the most basic things. My ability to pay attention to things was horrific and my brain was filled with negative thoughts. The biggest focus of any day was simply making sure I didn’t pass out in public; most days I literally just wanted to die.

So, I did some research and I stumbled across meal replacement shakes. Just to clarify, when used in moderation, these shakes are not harmful per se. However, I was indoctrinated to drink them every day, sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would believe that if I drank the shakes like the celebrity endorsers on Instagram suggested, I would drop the pounds and have the enviable ‘Instagram body’. On the days where I was too faint and had to eat something, I would become increasingly distressed at myself for breaking my so-called ‘diet’ and feel an overwhelming sense of inferiority in comparison to these women I was obsessing over.

Inevitably, I realised the shakes were not doing any good mentally or physically and I was not losing the amount of weight I wanted or needed to. This resulted in me being caught within the vicious circle of hunger and desperation without seeing a good way out. My solution? I went back to constantly over-eating as I did when I was eighteen/nineteen and getting drunk most nights with my friends to help soothe the pain of having to look at my body sober. I am no alcoholic but those nights and hungover mornings would help.

With cuffing season upon us, it can be easy to feel particularly lonely, especially if you already suffer from mental health issues. The solution seems simple; get into a relationship and you will no longer have to be alone. However, in reality this does not solve all of your problems. In fact, going into a relationship expecting it to solve everything could actually make things worse.

So, how do you approach a romantic relationship with a history of mental health issues without letting them weigh you - or your partner - down? One answer is to tackle your own mental health issues before doing so. This seems reasonable, but in many cases mental health issues are chronic, so they will never be completely ‘gone’. Even if they were, no one is perfect and once you have sorted one issue, you may find yourself trying to improve yourself in other ways, eventually convincing yourself that you are not good enough for a relationship. Trying to ‘fix’ yourself completely before you are able to feel ready, or good enough, to be in a relationship is in some ways just as dangerous as getting into a relationship purely because you believe it will immediately solve everything. So, if you want to be in a relationship, waiting for these problems to be entirely fixed is not an option, but neither is getting into a relationship because you think it will automatically solve everything.

This means that you need to find a middle ground between these two extremes.

This ‘middle ground’ is being able to accept and acknowledge your own issues, whether you are in a relationship or not. If you are single, being kind to yourself and being able to understand yourself are integral to feeling content and happy. When you are in a relationship, this extends to the other person; a healthy relationship is one where you really feel like you trust and understand each other.

My realisation of how vacuous I was is still in effect each day as I grow to appreciate the body I have, whilst understanding that nutrition and fitness play a factor within the process of acceptance. Perhaps I could accuse my family, letting me move out at the young age of sixteen without any knowledge of the importance of healthy eating and fitness, but the truth is, it is not their fault. My ignorant reliance on Instagram to represent the ideal body type is laughable now that I think about it, yet I still fall within its wicked ways now and again when I am feeling sorry for myself.

In our experience, there are some general rules that could ensure that both you and your partner feel safe and understood within the relationship. A relationship is, after all, a two-way street.

If there is anything that I would want a reader of this article to take away, it is that Instagram should not depict our ideas of what we think our bodies should look like. Its only purpose is for us to stay in touch with the activities of our loved ones and those people that we do not like but are too nosey to unfollow…

Firstly, always be honest, especially to yourself. If you want to understand the mental health issues you have and how you are affected by them, you must first be honest with your thoughts and emotions.

Do not be ashamed to admit when you are not 100 per cent. Firstly, to yourself, but then also to your partner. Often in relationships, we find ourselves expecting our partner to automatically know and understand exactly how we feel. That is why honesty and the ability to be vulnerable with your partner are so important. Trust and understanding, at a high level, is not possible without honesty.

Claudia Brooks Third Year, Film and Theatre

My grades suffered drastically, which is something I am now managing to deal with the consequences of. Worst of all, I only felt more and more worthless as I let my eating disorder drive all my thoughts and behaviours. I was difficult to connect with and I am almost certain that I was difficult to talk to because my brain was stuck on a loop of about three topics of conversation.

It sounds incredibly cliché, but I look back at who I was a year ago and I do not recognise myself. I would be impossible to recognise because I was barely even a person; I was almost incapable of having any kind of personality. It was a way of hiding from absolutely everything, but this included all the good things too.

It is a tragic illness, but there is a good take home message that comes from all of this. The answer can sometimes be as simple as ‘just eat’. If you have an eating disorder you have definitely heard this phrase before and I do not blame you if it has filled you with frustration or feelings of being misunderstood. This is why it is important to hear it from someone who has felt the frustration. Eating will only improve things; it is okay if sometimes eating feels easy. Being bombarded with thoughts of ‘this is too easy - maybe that means I’m not ill at all’ is enough of a struggle. Eating is supposed to be easy. We are biologically wired to find it rewarding. Worrying about whether eating is too easy is already more difficult than eating should be.

I now notice whenever I forget or don’t make time to eat enough, I fall back into the trap so quickly it can take me a couple days to get out of it.

But in recovery I have learnt that the first step is always to eat and not to think about it, even if my body does not feel like it. Some days, recovery is going to be hard, and that is okay too.

Nina Bryant News Sub Editor

This ‘middle ground’ is being able to accept and aknowledge your own issues, whether you are in a relationship or not

”

Secondly, always do your best to be sympathetic to your partner. Many arguments and spats in relationships stem from a lack of understanding and a lack of sympathy, so it is important to try and be sympathetic, particularly at times when you do not really understand their actions or motives. Ask them how they are feeling and try to listen to where they are coming from. Odds are, your partner may have mental health issues of their own, or even if they do not, nobody is perfect and everyone has their own problems and insecurities. Make sure both of you know that you will be there for each other and will always try to be sympathetic and understanding.

So, what you are really striving for in a relationship is not a fairy tale perfection that will instantly make your problems magically disappear.

What you really need is to be able to understand yourself and come to terms with any issues you may have. This applies if you are single or in a relationship and is important in platonic friendships too. Genuine understanding is a keystone of a healthy relationship and can really help you with your own mental health issues, as well as allowing you to help your partner with any of theirs.

Epigram/ Luke Unger

Despite this, rarely is the phrase ‘food is fuel’ ever followed by ‘for your brain’. The brain is an organ just like any other and uses up a huge amount of your daily energy intake. Mental depletion is an important topic of conversation because it is a symptom of an eating disorder that has nothing to do with what you look like.

Following this, I started following Instagram celebrities in the mere hope that looking at them everyday would turn me into one of the beautiful women I was looking at. I was brain-washed. If anybody who looks at these types of sites every day denies any inculcation, then I would severely question their sanity. Let us not confuse one another, there IS a way to look at these pictures and distance yourself from the idea that you should look like them. However, when an impressionable teenager with low self-esteem views them, chances are that false expectations will slowly start to establish themselves.

Approaching relationships with mental illness

”

Exploring Eating Disorder Awareness Week: 25th Feb-3rd March

Alice Proctor and Euan Merriles First Year, History/ Philosophy

epigram / The Croft

Editor Hope Riley

Deputy Editor Imogen Rogers

18.02.2019

Online Editor Josie Roberts

Epigram Living Writers 2018-19

Year Abroad: expectation vs. reality

Spanish and Portuguese student Mia Wilmott’s musings from her year abroad in Colombia

”

Do I work or study? How do I find a job?

”

A

”

The reality of life abroad is not always what the Pinterest boards portray

”

set up camp and become the go-to topic of conversation for any group of language course mates.

By second year the reality hits harder after the first few

For me, this was the point I realised I’d somehow managed to create a life for myself in Bogotá. I realised that I understood how the buses worked and how to top up my phone; I had a witty reply for the inevitable ‘and your boyfriend?’ question from yellow taxi drivers; I’d visited other towns and cities; I could comment on Colombian politics; laugh about the costeño accent; I had a social life that wasn’t just built around expats. These things added up, filled a week and made a life.

I left Colombia with a love for its culture, history and people, and I’m soon to begin the second half of my year in Portugal. They don’t tell you how unnerving it can be leaving one place, having established your life there, and heading to your second location to start it all again.

Epigram / Ruby Gleeson

” ”

I left Colombia with a love for its culture, history and people

your job works, you’ve chatted to the barista at your local coffee place, and the owners of your local grocers know your face. The buzz of life in a new place has worn off and normal life resumes - just this time in a different language.

Epigram / Mia WIlmott

nyone’s year abroad (or YA as it is more commonly known) is anticipated for years. We dream about drinking red wine with Italians or hopping aboard a wooden boat to explore the Amazon River. I remember contemplating my options at a university Open Day, aged seventeen, wondering where I might go during this magical year.

Yes, we romanticise, and dream, and pore over the Pinterest travel boards, even though our lecturers make it very clear that, “This is not a gap year; you are expected to work.” Despite the warnings, we jump in, hoping to come out the other side fluent in a language (or three), and having seen more of this multicoloured world. It’s true that this year is phenomenal, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it’s also fraught with disappointment, misunderstanding, and the exhausting unknown.

In first year we hear stories of the embarrassing moments on Italian trains and see the pictures of coffee-sipping Parisians and

Epigram / Mia WIlmott

” indigenous Peruvians. This is what’s to come, we think, a year of wonder and culture. Everybody is trying to figure out how to play it; how far out of his or her comfort zone they’re willing to dive. Do I work or study? How do I find a job? Will I find somewhere to live?

These questions are repeated so often through your mind that they

The first month flies by, then the second, and then the third

”

Then, with exams done, summer arrives, and the year sprawls ahead of us. Some people leave early, others slightly later. I boarded a plane to Bogotá, Colombia, in August and worked there for five months. In my first week I remember feeling in the ocean depths of my comfort zone. Achieving the basics of life felt like the greatest accomplishment: finding my local supermarket, withdrawing cash (third time lucky), getting a Colombian sim card, having a conversation with the security guard, topping up my Tu Llave card (think Oyster card, but for Colombian buses), ordering lunch with colleagues… this first month is a rollercoaster. The ups so high that anything feels possible. The lows so low that you wonder whether you’ll make it to the end in one piece.

The first month flies by, then the second, and then the third.

By now you’ve found somewhere more permanent to live, you’ve got a few local people you know and trust, you know how

Epigram / Mia WIlmott

YA meetings. Decisions have to be made and job applications written. The questions that once camped out in first year become a daily battleground, as you try to keep your cool while everyone else seems to have it all sorted by January. We trudge through email after email trying to find a job or organise a study placement, wishing we didn’t have to create a Spanish CV and praying someone wants to employ us for that minimum of 18 weeks.

I’m gearing up for it and of course the excitement is there, but knowing that the reality of life abroad is not always what the Pinterest boards portray keeps your feet on the ground, even though your head is in the clouds dreaming of that exotic summer destination.

Mia Wilmott Spanish and Portuguese, Year Abroad

18.02.2019 epigram / The Croft

5

Thoughts from a second-year student

Zosia Gontar offers her verdict on the transition from first-year, and tells us how she has finally found her place, and home, in Bristol

H

”

It can feel like it is just deadline after deadline, which are almost immediately followed by exams straight after the Christmas break

”

activities to do. Having a messy room is also the best antidote to being a bit shy or introverted, as it will make you want to spend time in other people’s houses, even if only to avoid spending time in your own.

In terms of the academics, second year is definitely way more challenging and stressful than first year. It can feel like it is just

deadline after deadline, which are almost immediately followed by exams straight after the Christmas break. The pressure is on, because unlike the year before, this time all of this stuff actually counts towards your final grade. Therefore, if you get overwhelmed by impending deadlines, it is likely this will not be the best time of your life. This is why learning to manage your workload early on is, in my opinion, one of the most important things you can do during your time at uni. Ideally, this is something to do during your first year, when there isn’t too much pressure yet. It will save you a lot of stress (and money on pills, trust me on this one).

On the bright side, however, second year is just so much more interesting. The lectures go into so much more depth, and even the lecturers seem more passionate and engaging. They also tend to use more and more complicated terminology, which even if you fail to understand, is fun to occasionally drop in conversations to impress your Dad. After all, isn’t this the reason we all came to university for in the first place – to learn how to sound and appear superior to everyone else?

No, of course I am joking. We all came here to learn about things we

Flickr / shrinkin’violet

”

For me, one of the benefits of living closer to campus is that it makes it easier to get involved in societies – the distance and perceived effort are no longer valid excuses not to get involved.

Additionally, if you end up living in a small room like mine, and are - like me - someone who compulsively collects things but never throws them away (because ‘I might need this someday’), you might find it gets a bit stuffy. So, a natural solution for this problem is – instead of throwing out things and making space for yourself to live in comfortably – to go outside and find some extracurricular

Epigram / Zoe Crowther

aving felt a bit lost as a fresher, now that I am in second year I feel like I’ve finally found my place here in Bristol, which I think has a lot to do with living closer to everything. As lovely it was living in Wills Hall – surrounded by stunning old buildings and gardens – it feels good to now live in a house that is only a 10-minute walk from campus, and with all the shops, cafes and pubs just around the corner. I no longer need to cycle up Whiteladies to get back home from lectures, which last year I did consistently in all weather conditions (such was my hatred of getting on the overcrowded U1). Now, I can get to places using my legs, which feels like a real luxury.

After all, isn’t the reason we all came to university to learn how to sound and appear superior to everyone else?

”

care about, as well as change the world, find a hobby, engage in countless societies, find a part-time job, make friends for a lifetime, fall in love, learn how to cook cheap meals, garnish your CV… maybe even win a couple of Nobel prizes, who knows? And also, try not to lose your mind. You can do this!

So... no pressure, none at all!

Zorsia Gontar Psychology, Second Year

Time management: technology or the pen?

Epigram / Josie Roberts

University is a world where you are thrust into low contact hours, more free time, and high workloads. You want to socialise, join societies, make new friends, go out, have a job and still get at least a 2.1 in your degree. University demands us to plan our time effectively. In this article I am going to look at whether it is easier to do this online or offline.

Technology Having a smart phone in your pocket or on you constantly means that planning your time via calendar apps is quick, easy and accessible.

You don’t have to flick through weeks in your diary, or laboriously write out your week. Emails can be connected which means for some things you don’t even have to add them yourself! You can also put locations of where you need to be and you will get a reminder. For those that drive some calendars tell you exactly when to leave in relation to the traffic.

Whilst all these perks seem technologically cool and easy, I think that it makes you ironically less organised. When I solely relied on my phone calendar my entire university timetable, events that had been confirmed via email, train tickets I had bought months ago and even gym classes had been uploaded onto the calendar. This meant I forgot about things as I was not physically responsible for my calendar anymore. I relied too heavily on the technology to do its thing and individual planning went out the window.

”

B

ook vs. Kindle, hand-written vs. typed, paper or phone: everyday new apps are created, technologies invented and lives made “easier” and with that comes a choice. Ease, speed and accessibility are what companies think draw us in.

However, what do we prefer?

I relied too heavily on the technology to do its thing and individual planning went out the window

”

Pen Being an English student I somewhat stereotypically love to handwrite my notes, reject the Kindle, and have a physical diary. I find joy in every year going to the shops and picking out the perfect diary. Because there are so many brands you can find a layout that is just right for you and have a book that suits your taste. It is something physical and precious that at the end of the year I keep (hoarder alert) and like to look back on occasionally as memories.

Epigram / Josie Roberts

Online Living Editor Josie Roberts explores the various ways to manage your time at university

Physically writing out your week and adding in events also means that I remember and feel more on top of my life. Having it constantly open on my desk in my room, I always know what’s happening and when, I have to-do lists along the side and can see the entire month in front of me. Obviously you can do that all with calendar apps on your phone, however there is something satisfying about it being in your own hand. You have the control.

Whilst I may seem to be one, I am not a luddite. I love technology and for years have been using phone calendars to manage my time. However, I will always love physically having a diary in front of me. It makes plans concrete, it makes me remember, and it is so much prettier than the screens we are constantly glued to all the time!

Josie Roberts Online Living Editor

epigram / The Croft 18.02.18

6

Bristol’s best alternative study spaces

As we commence a stressful TB2, rather than relying on the ingenious ‘Find a Study Desk’ feature on MyBristol (has this ever been accurate?), why not try somewhere new to get those creative juices flowing?

Boston Tea Party Park Street

Bristol Central Library

The West Country chain of Boston Tea Parties are hardly Bristol’s best-kept secret, but the large, bright top floor space and picturesque garden of this particular branch seemed worth a mention. This spot would be ideal for working with friends, as obviously this is not a particularly quiet place to study.

This pretty public library is situated on College Green at the bottom of Park Street. You’ve probably seen it before - it’s the beautiful rectangular building near the fountains and the Cathedral gate!

Once you get inside, you’ll find yourself in a huge, Instagramworthy quiet study room, which is always super empty since it is not often frequented by students.

”

Boston Tea Party, 75 Park St, Bristol BS1 5PF Bristol Central Library, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TL Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Flickr / stevekeiretsu

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd, Bristol BS8 1RL

Epigram / Josie Roberts

Epigram / Imogem Rogers

”

There is a cluster of tables on the airy ground floor of the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery which serve as a great place to catch up on coursework, whilst simultaneously soaking in some culture.

”

This spot would be ideal for working with friends, as obviously this is not a particularly quiet place to study

You can have a clear ethical conscience whilst you study

”

The Front Room @ the Arnolfini

Cafe Kino

For most students living in rented accommodation, the Arnolfini art gallery might be a bit out of the way, but at least the walk down there (via the Harbourside) is nice and scenic. The high-ceilinged ‘Front Room’ on the ground floor has recently been refurbished and is open to the public during the day - described on the Arnolfini website as a place to ‘talk, eat, meet and read,’ this is the perfect option for those who prefer to study in a venue that is less ‘studenty.’

Cafe Kino in Stokes Croft has now gone completely vegan (they stocked regular milks until recently), so you can have a clear ethical conscience whilst you study. The big windows, friendly staff and comfy(ish) wooden tables make for a lovely calming atmosphere.

Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3RU

Hope Riley Living Editor

Arnolfini, 6 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA

In pictures: worst Tinder chat-up lines

Epigram / Hope Riley

Epigram / Hope Riley

Epigram / Hope Riley

For a dose of light relief, Epigram contributors share juicy screenshots of some of their most prolific Tinder experiences...

YOU MAY

TE DUA

P

RA OSTG

AP N TO LOO U F

A OR

ELIGIBLE E F B

plymouth.ac.uk/pg-open-evening

Editor Laila Freeman @lunchingwithlaila

Deputy Editor

Online Editor

Olivia Critoph

Nicole Abou-Abdallah

Epigram Food 2018-19

@epigram_food

Get that glow: eat your way to good skin and hair Skinfeelinglessthanperfect?Hairfeelinglimporjustnotgrowing?FoodEditorLailaFreemansharesthe bestfoodstoeattocombatallyourbeautywoes

M

aybe it is the fact that the heating has been on for a few months now. Maybe it is because you have not removed your foundation before going to bed after the last five parties. Either way, your skin is not feeling, or looking, quite as bright as you would hope.

Hydration is as important for oily skin as it is for dry skin. Coconut water helps to keep the skin clear whilst providing vitamin C, calcium and several minerals. Cucumbers, which are composed of 95% water, are ideal for keeping skin hydrated and clear, as they act like a natural toner. This high water content helps to flush out toxins from the body and cucumbers are also anti-inflammatory.

The food we eat can make such a difference to our complexion and can be invaluable in achieving a ‘glow’. Different foods can boost different skin types and, by incorporating them into your diet, they can help alleviate your worst skin nightmares.

For your hair Eggs are a food that is continually cited for people that want to make their hair grow quicker. Eating enough protein is esential for hair growth as hair follicles are made mostly of protein; the reverse end is that not enough protein can lead to hair loss. However, eggs contain more than just protein as they are also rich in biotin, which is necessary for the production of a hair protein called keratin.

For dry skin

Epigram / Laila Freeman

Dry skin occurs when the skin is not retaining enough moisture and this is particularly common in cold weather like we are experiencing at the moment. There are several little tips to reduce the impact of having the heating on - such as using a defuser or placing a glass of water next to each radiator - but there are also many foods that can help too. The key to eating for dry skin is to choose oily foods and those with a high water content. Obviously drinking water itself helps too!

Instagram / @beerdbristol

Oily fish is the classic go to food for dry skin. Fish such as salmon and tuna are rich in omega three, which is important as it helps your skin to retain moisture, keeping it hydrated. The red patches associated with dry skin is caused by inflammation and oily fish can help the body to make its own natural anti-inflammatory compounds. If fish is not your food of choice, try other omega three rich foods. Flaxseeds and chia seeds are great options and

dark green vegetables - think broccoli and spinach - and avocados.

Sweet potatoes, besides being, well, delicious, are also recommended for combatting dry skin woes. Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of Vitamin A which encourages healthy skin cell production and stimulates fibroblasts, which develop tissue to keep skin firm and healthy. Besides dry skin, increasing your vitamin A intake is good for skin conditions such as eczema. In addition to this, sweet potatoes, as well as other orange foods like carrots and mangoes, contain beta carotene, which is an antioxidant that helps to reduce inflammation and keeps the skin supple and free of wrinkles.

Leafy greens are not only good for your skin but can do wonders for your hair too. This is because they contain high levels of iron which is an important mineral for hair, as the hair root is fed by an iron rich blood supply. Other sources of iron include meat and pulses.

Similarly, omega three heavy foods are making a reappearance too. Your body cannot make these healthy fats on their own, so it is crucial to obtain them from your food, or if not from supplements, although a balanced diet should make that unnecessary. Omega three keeps hair soft and looking shiny.

Eating a balance of these foods is likely to stimulate good hair and good skin. However, saying that these foods are good is not to say that other foods are bad. As long as you eat in moderation there should be no reason to cut out foods such as dairy or chocolate that are often associated with skin problems. Of course, if your skin is of real concern to you then it is important to see a dermatologist as these food suggestions are not meant to override medical advice.

For oily skin

Nuts are another great food for combatting dry skin as they are high in Vitamin E. This vitamin is super important for many of our body’s functions - besides reducing dry skin it helps aid digestion and reduces your chances of cramping. Almonds are a particularly good source of vitamin E and almond oil is a great substitute to any other oils. Other foods that have high Vitamin E content include

Epigram / Laila Freeman Instagram / @crumbykitchen

Epigram / Laila Freeman

are really easy to incorporate into most meals - try sprinkling a handful onto your morning porridge.

On the reverse end of the skin problem scale, many people struggle to combat oily skin and the spots that are often associated with it.

Whilst oily skin is largely down to genetics, the foods you consume can undoubtedly aid - or worsen - the situation. As with dry skin, ensuring your skin has sufficient nutrients and vitamins is absolutely crucial; these are some of the best foods to eat.

Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits, are very high in Vitamin C and full of antioxidants. Eating citrus fruits can help to support your production of collagen, which is a protein that provides structure to the skin, as well as hair, nails, bones and joints. In addition to this, citrus fruits contain detoxifying agents which flush out excess oil from the body, and citrus acid which helps to dry out acne.

Pulses are great for oily skin. Think: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and even the humble, but trustworthy baked bean. Pulses area cheap, low fat source of vegan protein and the NHS states that they count towards your five a day of fruit and vegetables. Not only this, but pulses are very nutrition dense and contain amino acids.

Therefore, they help to control the oil production in the body and so regularly consuming them can help to keep skin clear.

Laila Freeman

Food Editor

9

18/ 02/19 epigram / The Croft

Date night; great night Valentine’sDaymightbeover,butherearesomeplacesyoucangoonanynightoftheyear.

DeputyLivingEditorImogenRogersshareshertoppicks,whatevertheoccasion For the Instagram…

The Florist, Park Street

For the cocktails…

Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Whiteladies Road

A must-visit for any Instagram lover, The Florist on Park Street is the perfect dinner date restaurant. The food is both beautiful and delicious and they cater for a wide range of dietary requirements.

They have an impressive cocktail menu, as well as a separate bar downstairs if you only want to go for drinks. But most importantly there is an amazing flower wall which is the perfect backdrop for those Valentine’s day or date night candids.

Bristol is full of some great cocktail bars, but this Valentine’s why not shake it up and head to Her Majesty’s Secret Service for a MI6 themed evening? The menu is an artwork in itself, a travel guide to the British Isles with the cocktails taking inspiration from places around the UK. But beware, this hidden bar is not easy to find…

For a date with your best friends...

Atomic Burger, Gloucester Road This comic-covered restaurant is far from romantic, but for those celebrating Galentine’s it is the perfect fit. They serve – arguablythe best vegetarian burgers in Bristol (and offer meat options too) with a huge variety of toppings and sides, from onion bhajis to hash browns. The portions are large and messy, and you will leave hugely bloated and with ketchup down your top - but hey, you are with the gals.

For the views…

Bambalan, Colston Street Having recently revealed their brand new roof terrace, which is now covered and heated, dining outside no longer ends with summer.

Bambalan boasts unrivalled views over the centre of Bristol and a large selection of fresh and healthy meals. They have a happy hour (Two cocktails for £10) between 4-9pm, offer a 20% reduction on food if you have been to the O2, Hippodrome, Colston Hall or the Old Vic that day, and also give 10% discount for NUS card holders.

Epigram / Instagram @brownsbristol

Instagram / @dailycheesedelight

Epigram / Instagram @thefloristuk

For a fancy brunch...

Browns, Queens Road Dates do not just have to be in the evening - and everyone knows that brunch is the best meal anyway. Browns on Queens Road offers a great menu, which includes a rogue offering of steak and chips. Plus, sign up online to receive a free cocktail.

For the price…

Pinkmans, Park Street A favourite here at Epigram Food; Pinkman’s offers an affordable and most importantly, delicious, range of foods. For just £10 you can get a pizza and a drink (including alcohol) of your choice, or £12 for pizza, a drink and ice-cream and thus it is the perfect place for Valentine’s or any date night on a budget. Although we do recommend splashing a little more and treating yourself to one of their incredible cakes for dessert.

Imogen Rogers Deputy Living Editor

Miles to go: Understanding food miles

F

VirginiaCampbellweighsinwithheropiniononthecontroversialtopicoffoodmiles

ood miles - the distance that your food travels from its place of production to you - are a hot topic right now. There are calls for reducing food miles because of harmful environmental effects and ethical dilemmas. But, is the demonisation justified?

alents. Kenyan green beans for example, are grown without any harmful pesticides or C02-emitting tractors and machinery, both of which are heavily present in British green bean pro-

Another important factor is the employment involved in food imports. As population increase can often go hand in hand with unemployment increase, opportunities for work are becoming more scarce. The production of food provides many of these opportunities. An entire boycott on imported foods and their subsequent food miles may cause more present harm than good.

Food miles are a growing concern because they are - quite literally - growing. An increase in the demand for out-ofseason produce, processed food and competitive market prices has led to more out-sourcing than ever before.

It is worth noting, however, that food miles can sometimes actually be a saving grace. Often, there is an important reason as to why this travel is necessary.

Some high-demand foods such as tomatoes would generate more C02 emissions if grown in the UK (due to the cold climate) than they would if imported from elsewhere. Similarly, local farming methods can also be more damaging than their oversea equiv-

The only thing that is clear from all of these findings, is that the problem of food miles and C02 emissions is much more complicated than you might, at first, think.

Epigram / Laila Freeman

The apparent consequences for us are unfortunately large.

More transportation means more C02 emissions which have been shown to be hugely contributory to global warming.

Equally, the taste and nutritional value of foods - particularly fruit and vegetables - often understandably worsens when they have been hauled around for hours across countries.

duction. Storing local produce for when it is no longer in season can also eventually use more energy than importing it in.

It is incredibly difficult to discern which products are more or less harmful to the environment than others. At present, the only real way of helping ourselves and the planet is to use what we already know.

Steer away from highly processed, non-fair trade food; eat more vegetables and less meat (the animals themselves contribute to global warming in large quantities); walk to the supermarket if you can.

You do not have to ban everything or change your whole lifestyle,

Virginia Campbell First Year Religion and Theology

epigram / The Croft 18.02.2019

10

Bristol’s best burgers: a guide

W

FoodSub-EditorErinLawlersharesherfavouriteburgerrestaurantsinBristol

hile great burger chains do exist like GBK and Five Guys and great chains do good burgers like Bill’s, Bristol offers a plethora of amazingly delicious, more unique burger places and I am here to rank my Top 5.

my goodness do they sound worth it. It is a top pick for students who want good flavour for affordable prices at a handy location.

Burger Theory @ St Stephen’s Street

The Hobgoblin @ Gloucester Road

Epigram / Erin Lawler

A cosy and warm pub on Gloucester Road, The Hobgoblin offers the best tasting burgers in Bristol. They offer beef, fried chicken and veggie burger options – even a burger with both beef and chicken on it aptly titled the ‘Cow and Chicken’ which is pictured below – as well as some amazing side dishes. I am probably biased by my love affair with fried chicken, but to me it is the crowning glory of their menu, achieving its golden crunchy best in the ‘Mother Clucker’ burger consisting of seeded bun, fried chicken burger, hash brown, Emmental cheese, tomato salsa and hot sauce.

Not only does the punny name deserve a round of applause but the flavours too. While each burger comes with a side of fries and coleslaw the dirty fries, either topped with pulled pork and blue cheese or bean chilli and sour cream, are completely worth the sickly full feeling that proceeds the meal. While it does not offer discounts or deals for students as some of the other places on this list do I would still say the flavour and satisfaction outweighs the cost.

Near Baldwin Street and St Nich’s Market the home of the bottomless burger club is a slight trek if you are living in Cotham/ Redland but I guarantee you it is worth it. The beef patties are juicy and the fried chicken has a crunch unlike any other I have had the pleasure of munching. The menu is fun and playful, what you would expect coming from a company who proclaim themselves ‘The Creative Burger People’, with many if not most of the burgers featuring blue cheese and pickles. If these do not grab your fancy however they do offer some inspired sides like the ever growing in popularity Canadian delicacy of poutine topped not only with the expected gravy and cheese but also with spring onions and garlic fried chicken thigh. Burger Theory do offer some deals like £8.50 for a burger and fries 12-3 Tuesday to Friday or free fries with a veggie burger on Mondays but they do not quite match the deals offered by Three Brothers Burgers and Burger Joint.

Burger Joint @ Whiteladies Road

Epigram / Instagram @burgerjointbrstil

Coming in at a very close second is Three Brothers Burgers, amazingly only frequented by me recently, even though I lived in Riverside accommodation in First Year. If the restaurant being on a boat is not astounding enough they also do a £5 burger deal available everyday 12-5 or for students all the time, which consists of their classic burger or Portobello mushroom burger and fries. While for some, like myself, a classic burger is a tad too plain, the toppings are great value it being only 50p extra each for crispy onions and American cheese. This place is great if you have dietary requirements as they have gluten free buns on offer and will replace any meat patty with a Portobello mushroom. With the quality and taste of the beefy burger and insanely crispy fries this £5 deal is an absolute steal.

Epigram / Instagram @hubbox_bristol

Epigram / Megan Allard

Three Brothers Burgers @ Welsh Back

Burger Joint has to beat out some of the other great “burger joints” in Bristol purely because of its phenomenal deals: with a valid NUS card you can get 15% off your total bill; weekdays 12-3 you can get a burger, side and drink for £8.50; or on weekdays 3-5 you can get a burger, 2 toppings and a side for £6.95. What makes the burger joint perfect for each individual is that each burger is completely personalised. With their ‘build your own burger’ feature you choose the bun, the burger, the toppings and 1 free side - they charge an extra £1.50 for the parmesan and truffle fries but

HUBBOX @ Whiteladies Road Again, situated on Whiteladies Road near Clifton Down Station and Cotham Hill this is a handy spot for students living in Cotham and Redland and offers great student discount of 25% off Monday-Thursday all day and Fridays until 5pm. While not exclusively a burger restaurant Hubbox has some great ones on their fullyfun-packed menu alongside the hotdogs, salads, snacks, nachos and loaded fries. The burgers were tasty but the ‘Hey-FC’, my burger of choice, was slightly taken over by the pickled onions, but overall was a tasty fried chicken burger with good fries and I have also heard very good things about their mac & cheese side.

Erin Lawler Food Sub-Editor

Editor India Harrison-Peppe

Deputy Editor Jemima Carr-Jones

@e2style

Online Editor Ruby Gleeson

@epigramstyle

epigram / The Croft 18.02.2019

Epigram Style 2018/19

Skills for skin- The 5 skin types and the perfect routine for each Online Style Editor, Ruby Gleeson, reveals the perfect routine personalised for each of the 5 skin types. Take your pick!

T

he world of skincare can be a confusing place. Kendall Jenner was recently exposed to have been paid to falsely advertise Proactiv as curing her acne, when it was actually down to her Hollywood dermatologist.

We are inundated with so-called ‘miracle-products’ that promise to deliver flawless results, commanded to exfoliate daily (or not to exfoliate at all) and told to invest in cult-like followings such as the 10-step Korean skin care regimen. FYI that’s an oil balm, a foaming cleanser, an exfoliant, a toner, an essence, a serum, a sheet mask, an eye cream, a moisturiser and finally, an SPF. But the secret to skin care is more simple than we think. Long gone is the 3-step ‘Clearasil Blue’ method of cleansing, toning then moisturising. I say skip the second step and simply use a coin-size squirt of face wash to cleanse with lukewarm water, followed by a moisturiser to hydrate and soften skin.Yes- the squeaky clean feel of toned skin does feel wonderful at first, but toners strip away your skin’s natural oils. The problem with this is that stripping away oil makes the skin panic and compensate by producing sebum, an oily secretion which actually causes spots. Toners are counterproductive myths of skincare- avoid at all costs!

Winter is here, meaning that it is officially skincare season. The first step is determining which of the five main skin types you are, and then understanding the best regime for your individual complexion.

Dry Skin

If your skin flakes easily, feels dehydrated or raw, you have dry skin.

Dry skin suffers particularly in the winter period because the sebaceous glands produce less oil, which can leave your skin feeling scaly or sore. To help dry skin flourish, moisturise twothree times a day. You can get a travel-size bottle that is perfect to carry around uni. Consider this £1.99 Rich Nivea Moisturiser that is enriched in almond oil to give your skin the moisture it deserves. I would recommend using an oil-based cleanser such as Garnier Micellar Water Oil, which you apply with a cotton pad.

Drink plenty of water, be cautious of over-washing, and avoid super-hot water -even in the shower- as this can dry your skin even more.

Sensitive Skin If your skin goes red easily, products often sting or you react easily to things like dust, stress or household pets, your skin is probably sensitive.

Consider using a balm or cream, such as L’oreal Paris Fine Flowers Cleansing Cream. Follow this with Aveeno or Simple Light Moisturiser. Avoid heavy scents or chemicals and go for natural, simplistic products.

Oily Skin If you have a natural sheen and can be prone to acne or clogged pores, you have oily skin.

Avoid loofahs or flannels as too much friction can aggravate the skin to produce more oil. Look for products that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide as these ingredients can reduce sebum production and balance your skin more. Try using Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub that gently exfoliates and thoroughly cleanses skin.

Follow this with a water-based moisturiser rather than oil-based, such as Nivea Soft. For flare-up days, use a clay mask to draw out impurities.

Combination Skin This one’s a bit more complex. If your skin is sometimes dry but also oily, particularly on the T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin), the chances are that you have combination skin.

Use cotton pads to cleanse with Loreal Micellar Water for Normal Skin.

Use a moisturiser that is non-greasy but also is hydrating enough for the drier parts of the face, such as Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Combination Skin Moisturiser.

And, at the end of the day...

Everyone’s skin is different and there is no one-sizefits-all regime. Ask for samples and try different things out until you find your perfect match. My housemate swears by slathering on sudocrem to cure an emerging pimple. And to recall Baz Luhrmann’s famous lines: ‘Don’t forget to wear suncreen’. Protect your skin by applying an SPF after your moisturiser.

Ruby Gleeson Online Style Editor

‘Normal’ Skin

If you feel like your skin is neither oily or dry, congratulations! Your skin is ‘normal’.

Dermatologists refer to this skin type as eudermic; normal skin is well-balanced and easier to manage.

Use Garnier Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash followed

by NIVEA Soft. Consider splurging on a fresh, natural face mask for off-duty days, such as Mask of Magnaminty from LUSH.

SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK: 2nd Year English Student, May Garland shows us some of her 50s inspired clothing designs. For a chance to have your designs/ illustrations or fashion inspired doodles featured in the paper, send contributions to @ EpigramStyle on Instagram our join our Facebook group.

Image Credit/ May Garland

Image Credit/ May Garland

Image Credit/ May Garland

Image Credit/ May Garland

12

18.02.2019 The Croft / epigram

A hair tutorial to DYE for 2nd Year English student, Isabelle McMinn, offers the first of two hair tutorials in Epigram Style. This Ribbon Braidhairstyle is sure to keep your love burning long after Valentines Day!

W

hether you’re getting ready for date night, a girls hang out or just want to look extra chic when you walk into your tutorials, here are two simple yet striking hairstyles to add that extra something to your day-to-day outfits

Do you have some left-over ribbon from your Christmas present wrapping? Try plaiting it into a braid to add a new streak of colour to your hair.

Any ribbon works, as long as it is about 5cm longer than your desired plait length and it is less than 1cm wide. This tutorial shows three thin pieces of tinsel string, but you can you use more, or less, pieces to show different amounts of colour; but bear in mind, the more pieces of ribbon/string, the more difficult it is to keep the plait looking neat!

This look takes between 10-15 minutes to complete depending on how confident you are plaiting hair.

Ribbon Braids:

a)

1.

b)

Make sure your hair is parted the way you want, then place the ribbon diagonally. Have the person whose hair is being done place a finger on the ends of the ribbon which should be at

2.Begin plaiting. A Dutch braid is better 3. When you have done a couple of

than a French braid as it shows the plait and ribbon more clearly. To do this, just move each outside segment of hair underneath and to the middle, instead of over the top – it is basically a reverse

inches, you can let go of the beginning ends of the ribbon. Then, gently pull each string one at a time through the plait until you can only just see the end.

c)

4. Continue the plait. This is the most

difficult part as it is hard to keep the ribbon visible, so try to keep the string at the top of each segment of hair the entire time.

d)

5. Next, continue the plait without

bringing in more hair. You can continue the dutch braid for all of the hair for a neater look. For a softer look, leave out the baby hairs and some hair above the ear to frame the face.

e)

6. When you have finished the braid,

tie it with a band. If you want more of the ribbon showing, then you can take a pair of tweezers and gently bring some of the ribbon to the front, but do this carefully as it is easy to pull out the ribbon too much and ruin the look.

f)

7. Do the same on the other side of your parting, cut the excess ribbon and you’re done!

Isabelle McMinn 2nd Year English Student

A sneak peak of the hair tutorial featured in our next issue. The Heart Braid! For a chance to have your own style tutorial featured in Epigram Style, get in contact with us via Instagram or our Facebook Page!

Deputy Editor Editor Amelia Edgell-Cole Rachel Evans

14

@EpigramTravel

Online Editor Amelia Shoebridge

@epigram_travel

Top tips for planning your next group holiday Planning a group holiday isn’t easy - luckily Lily Donnelly is on hand with some great getawayplanning tips and tricks

W

hether your preferences lie in a cultural city break, a week lounging on the beach or a blow-out in (what most right-minded individuals consider to be a hellhole)Magaluf, a group holiday is always a trip to remember. Henceforth, here is a guide to organising a great one.

Location, Location, Location Do not be surprised by the 15€ gin and tonics if you have chosen to holiday on the Cote d’Azur, despite your dwindling bank balance (tried and tested – this ended in drinking cartons of wine). A student-friendly holiday requires a student-friendly destination.

you on their rooftop. Be sure to read reviews, ensure there is a WiFi connection and that the neighbourhood isn’t on the wrong side of the tracks.

Spending and Debt Collecting One individual (me) is likely to end up booking most things for a trip. This individual would like prompt repayment. Someone realised this, and set up the app ‘Splitwise’. It allows these freelance holiday agents to request money for flights, accommodation or any holiday purchase from their friends, thus erasing any confusion or arguments that may set a tense tone for the upcoming trip. Alas, spending doesn’t stop there. Budgets are boring and often broken, but essential if wallets aren’t to be bled dry by day three. Outlining some guidelines is important here.

For example, two meals in and one meal out a day. One night on the strip followed by beachside beers. The next, searching for flights on an incognito browser to avoid price-heightening cookies more than a few weeks before your departure date.

But what is also important is not being scared to splurge. A holiday is not an exercise of willpower, and no one recounts stories of how they stuck meticulously to their budget on glory-day holidays. Anyhow, before money was plasticised, I liked to think of it growing literally on trees – a reassuring thought, only if you forget about the dying crop in your financial garden.

Choosing Carefully For a group holiday, you will indeed require a group of people.

Friends made at university can become some of the closest people in your life, and more importantly, the perfect holiday

The likes of Spain, Southern Italy, Greece, Portugal and all of Eastern Europe accommodate common interests of affordable food, affordable bars, affordable absorption of culture scattered on historic streets with what is most likely to be free entry to museums and galleries with the mere mention of student status. For example, a traditional pizza margarita can be found anywhere in Sicily for just 4€, seducing your taste buds with a tricolour of red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil.

Epigram / Lily Donnelly

Finding somewhere to stay in the thick of the action seems like a very obvious suggestion, but also one that can be forgotten in the selection process. Trekking to unreliable bus stops for early morning excursions or returning debaucherously in the dark of night is absolutely not ideal nor entirely safe, so finding accommodation in – or at least near - the centre lays the essential foundation for a successful trip. Getting home via a metro, two trams and a considerable stroll is not an effective way of kicking back and relaxing (also tried and tested – this ended in unnecessary uber expenditure).

The question of making this all affordable has been miraculously answered by Air BnB, often offering a three-bedroom apartment with a terrace for the same price as one night at some hostels. Some of the best experiences can be had by just renting a room in someone’s place, offering an on-hand tour guide who might just open two bottles of local French wine for

Turin

“An interesting place with less interesting cuisine. Took five days to find a pizza place. Laughed at by locals when we told them where our Air BnB was.”

Epigram / Lily Donnelly

Epigram / Lily Donnelly

Valencia

“A beautiful city enhanced by by its sangria supply.”

partners. Listen to these friends when they tell you that you are rapidly burning in the sun. Listen again when they tell you not to buy those drinks or not to accept one from a questionable character at the bar. And maybe befriend some languages students, so that you can save money on a phrasebook and they can do all the talking so you don’t have to.

It’s meant to be a holiday, after all.

Montpellier

“A wonderful city with an even more wonderful host who invited us out with his neighbours and onto his terrace with his family.”

Lily Donnelly Third Year, French & Italian

epigram / The Croft 18.02.2019

14

Your ultimate guide to working abroad this summer

Not sure what to fill your days with this summer? Rachel Evans walks us through her top tips for securing volunteering opportunities and intern placements abroad

I

know it’s still cold, grey and miserable, but summer is approaching scarily fast, and with it the promise of exciting opportunities abroad. No doubt some of your friends - and possibly even you - will have some really cool things lined up for the summer. But if you’re feeling a bit scared that you’re going to be stuck at home, working to pay off your overdraft whilst everyone is abroad having fun and adding impressive sounding internships to their CVs then here are my top tips for finding opportunities abroad.

Don’t Panic!

Epigram / Rachel Evans

Some good companies that my friends and I have used include International Volunteer HQ and Plan My Gap Year (but there are many others out there). On these programmes you can choose which country you would like to volunteer in and which project you would like. They have a huge range from helping in hospitals, community projects, teaching and animal conservation. These organisations often offer accommodation, food, in-country pickup, people on-hand 24 hours a day in case anything goes wrong, and maybe even language lessons or cultural introductions, which is a really nice safety net to have and a great way to meet other volunteers. They are also normally really happy to help with things like Visas, booking flights, booking travel insurance and any extra questions you may have.

Working at camps Lots of people choose to spend their summer working abroad on camps. This mainly started out in America at summer camps, however they now have opportunities in many countries such as Thailand and South Africa. For these you apply online and then are Keep your eyes peeled

Volunteering When it comes to volunteering, you may also be able to find an opportunity through the university. The BVDA (Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad) have many exciting opportunities on sustainable projects in developing countries (find their page on the

often invited to days in London where they asses your skills and see where you would be the best match. Most of the time you pay for flights then receive a wage once you’re there. You won’t get rich but it should be enough to break even, with maybe even a bit left over to travel round some of the country at weekends or after the project.

Make sure you can commit the time Quite often, these experiences will want you to be there for a minimum of two weeks. For my internship I was out in China for three months, but with many volunteering projects you can choose (price changes depending on the duration). With camps you are also expected to be there for the entirety of the time. It may sound great in theory to be able to escape to another country for three months, but it is important to consider whether you are really ready to spend that much time away from family, partners and friends. As great as it is, you may still get FOMO seeing all your friends relaxing on a beach on a group holiday.

Remember that most of them still involve work As fantastic as it seems to go abroad, you do have to remember that for the majority of these you do still have to work and it’s not just a holiday. Go into it with a good work ethic and remember you are there to contribute something, whether it is to a big company or to a small local project. It’s very easy to go into it expecting a holiday then be a bit disappointed when you discover you still have to get up early, can’t go out to bars every night and don’t have every day to yourself to do what you want.

Keep trying!

Epigram / Rachel Evans

We get bombarded with so many emails that, more often than not, we just skim over them, or delete them outright. One of the best things you can do is to actually read over them and take in what they say. A lot of the time, members of your department are actually emailing you about things that are quite valuable or important.

Many of the opportunities are academic based, but there are still so many exciting research opportunities at other universities abroad or internships that you wouldn’t want to miss out on because you trashed the email straight away. Another great place to look is the university’s MyCareer page, where jobs and internships are also posted. In the summer between my second and third year I managed to find my internship in China through MyCareer, so I know that there are definitely things out there! If you want any advice on how to find internships or want help with interview practice once you’ve found one, then the careers service have some really great events for helping with this. The Bristol University Go Abroad page also has many opportunities for the summer such as internships, international leadership programmes and summer schools.

Flickr / Art of Backpacking

I know that right now it may seem like everyone else but you has a plan, but honestly they don’t! It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you’re missing out when people are talking about their plans, but I promise that there is still loads of time and countless opportunities left.

SU or on Facebook). You could also check out the Bristol Students to Fiji page on Facebook to find information about their talks and opportunities. As for opportunties outside the university, these are countless. For many of these you will most likely find that you have to pay a fee for things like accommodation, food, and admin fees for the company, so compare different companies and make sure that you aren’t paying too much. Another thing to be wary of is the fact that some of the projects aren’t actually doing as much good as you may think. Voluntourism has received some bad press for doing more harm than good in some cases. For instance, for some (a very small amount) orphanage projects have been found to have children that aren’t actually orphans at all, but are instead sent there by their parents because they know they can get money from volunteers who will pay to come and do what they believe to be helping. Don’t let this put you off too much, but just bear in mind that it is worth checking the reviews and that not all of them are as they seem.

Like jobs, it doesn’t matter if you don’t get the first one you apply to. You may find that you have to apply to a number of different opportunities before you manage to get something. But with enough determination you will get something in the end!

Rachel Evans Deputy Travel Editor

15

18.02.2019 epigram / The Croft

Totally twinning: the benefits of twin cities

Amelia Edgell-Cole explains how Bristol has benefitted from its links to sister cities across the globe

D

town they live in.

So what about Bristol? The harbourside city has links with seven cities and municipalities worldwide: Beira in Mozambique, Bordeaux in France, Guangzhou in China, Hannover in Germany, Porto in Portugal, Puerto Morazan in Nicaragua and Tbilisi, Georgia, resulting in countless crosscultural business and education opportunities.

The twinning of Bristol with said cities is not arbitrary: being sistered with Hannover in 1984 cemented trade links with the German city going back to the 17th century, whilst Bristol forged a connection with Tbilisi in order to strengthen relations with postCold War countries. What’s more, the city sought out links with Puerto Morazán and Beira in order to show its solidarity with the political revolutions in both places, a sure sign of the benefits of twin cities to political and social reform.

Examples of the benefits reaped by Bristol as a result of this scheme are countless: the West of England China Bureau previously assisted in the arrangements of a visit of 40 primary school children from Guangzhou to its partner school, the Bristol Brunel Academy, and the University of Bristol sent a second year Portuguese student to Beira to work with the schools linked to counterparts in Bristol. Despite schemes between Bristol’s twins being largely small scale projects - such as artists funding, sports tournaments and even wine tastings - they demonstrate an attempt to integrate cultures in a way that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Unsplash / hjrc33

Despite the cultural, educational and economic benefits of adopting twin cities being widely felt, it appears that little is known about twin cities amongst the general public. In fact, some even see the concept as outdated and pointless. But twinning isn’t just used for linking humorously named locations, it can also also provide significant industrial and commercial benefits.

Take, for example, the twinning of Nottingham and Karlsruhe: this allowed the UK city to use it’s German sister’s extensive tram network as a blueprint for its own, with its second tram line being constructed in 2013 which now has an annual ridership of 17.8 million. But more than just being for knowledge gain, twin cities also invite residents to engage with those from their twin locations. The relationship encourages people from different countries to meet, build relationships and have new experiences, for even if it may seem on the surface like they have little in common, the commonality is the kind of city

r

Perhaps one of the standout projects is the bringing of fairtrade cocoa producer Angela del Soccorro Zelaya Jarquin to Bristol from Nicaragua to work with over 2300 pupils from local schools, teaching them about the Fairtrade practice and thereby broadening their cultural understanding and knowledge of developing countries. Whether funding groups of citizens trips to said sister cities, or providing students with the opportunity to study abroad, it cannot be said that twin cities are a bad thing.

So, whilst twin cities may not initially seem overwhelmingly important, they have their purpose: to provide international experiences where they may not have otherwise been available. In a world of increasingly tense global relations, restrictions on immigration and cross-cultural suspicion, it is surely a beneficial thing to be able to say we have a twin on the other side of the globe.

Amelia Edgell-Cole Travel Editor

Amelia Shoebridge reflects on her role as a volunteer in Kenya

I

will be sad to leave this clanging, frightening, kind and laidback city. Looking back at what has been one of the most tightly-packed two weeks of my life, I have seen, heard, smelled, tasted and touched many an experience that I will do well to remember long into the future.

Starting my first day with the Nairobi Child.org team, Doreen and I headed to Westlands Health Centre where we picked up the boxes, and on the way, carrying a small pile of blankets, I managed to trip and fall down some steps. Determined to carry on I shuffled my way around work for the best part of the day before begrudgingly accepting that perhaps some ibuprofen and a support sock might be in order. Returning home later that evening and putting my foot up to rest I realised that the damage was more than just mild. On doctors’ orders I spent the next two days recuperating in bed. I told myself it can only get better from here.

Epigram / Amelia Shoebridge

When it comes to forming the twin links, geographical location has little to do with it; instead, towns and cities are often sistered based on similarities to do with industry, culture and even the etymology of a location’s name. Take, for example, Rochester in Minnesota and Knebworth in the UK, paired due to their both having significant medical research facilities, whilst the pairing between Chicago and Warsaw is fitting due to Chicago’s large Polish community. Twinnings also occur on somewhat more trivial grounds: 2012 saw the sistering of Scottish village Dull with the US town of Boring, Oregon for fairly obvious reasons.

o

Unsplash / gflandre

eveloped in order to promote friendly relations, cross-border projects and a greater cultural understanding between cities, towns, counties, regions and states, ‘twin’ or ‘sister’ cities have long been a beneficial concept worldwide. In fact, despite their popularity hugely increasing after World War II as a means of promoting international peace and appeasement, the earliest known example of a relationship of this kind was between Paderborn, Germany, and Le Mans, France, which was formed in 836 and still remains in place to this day. Subsequently, sister cities have been created across the globe; in 1905, Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, arranged a twinning agreement with French communities Suresnes and Puteaux and the conclusion of WWII in 1947 saw the sistering of Coventry with Stalingrad and Dresden, and Reading with ‘former enemy’ Düsseldorf.

Volunteering in Kenya

Which it did! Now I had the gift of mobility restored to me, I headed out to the Kangemi settlements where Doreen and I met mothers who were three months in to using their Baby Boxes. Doreen carried out her survey on the usage and effectiveness of the box whilst I interviewed the mothers on their experience of motherhood, personal history and collected advice for our Team Mum campaign.

Chris the community health volunteer who took us around was an undeniably great help, someone trusted by the mothers and who was on hand to answer any post-natal questions.

Starting my second week, Doreen and I (we were quite the power couple by this point) headed off to Meru. Our work here was to conduct interviews and photograph women from the agricultural groups and new mothers partaking in the nutritional seminars.

Margaret, who heads the CIFORD office in Meru, took us to meet groups at different stages of their agricultural training and they showed us around their kitchen gardens, explained to us their new initiatives of saving water by re-using what they washed their clothes and utensils in, and proudly displayed their produce. Many had goats, cows and rabbits which was made possible through the micro-finance scheme that runs within the agricultural groups.

Women can borrow and lend money to one another through a collection pool that occurs weekly.

When visiting the Nutritional groups, many of the women opened up about how alone they felt in their pregnancies, all were 22 years old or younger at the time and many fathers of the babies had left them. They voiced appreciation of learning how to provide a balanced diet, and support gained from meeting other women in similar situations. Having a safe place to communicate, laugh and lean on one another has increased their confidence, feelings of selfworth and hope for their future.

Returning to Nairobi, I spent the Friday doing paperwork, a welcome respite from the long hot days spent in rural Kenya - the burn on my neck can vouch for the heat.

Amelia Shoebridge Online Travel Editor

Bristol SU Sponsored Content

Nominations are open for next year’s student reps Which position should you stand for?

What would you like to organise? a. A free lecture event b. A protest c. A club night d. A puppy room e. A pub quiz in the SU bar f. A cultural festival What do you care about most? a. Tackling hidden course costs b. Accessibility for students, eg: wheelchair access c. Making extra curricular activities more affordable d. Making sure first years have enough support from their halls e. Making sure that everyone’s voice is being heard f. Making sure International students have the right support Which would you rather star in? a. A documentary about your subject area b. A video about sexual consent c. An aerobics video in which you’re the instructor d. A video guide to coping with stress e. A political music video f. A video to introduce Bristol to new students

Would you rather: a. Attend regular meetings with the most senior people at the Uni b. Organise a series of events for LGBT+ History Month c. Run a Give it a Go campaign, encouraging students to join societies d. Lobby lettings agents to lower agency fees e. Decide the menu in the SU bar f. Ensure Union activities are relevant and engaging to international students Which would you rather work on? a. A panel at an event such as ViceChancellor’s Question Time b. A research project on the experiences of Black & Minority Ethnic students c. Offering training to student leaders d. A committee that sets halls fees e. A redesign of the SU’s democratic systems f. A showcase of all our international societies

Mostly As – Academic Rep You want to help improve the academic experience at the University.

You could be running lecture series' or social events for your course mates, consulting on the development of new study space across the University, or campaigning for curriculum changes.

Mostly Bs – Liberation Rep You’re most interested in working towards equality at the University. You could be organising marches against sexual violence, making campus more accessible for wheelchair users or working for a more diverse curriculum.

Mostly Cs – Sports or Societies Rep You’re most interested in helping our student leaders develop their skills, organising events such as the Varsity series, or working to improve the room bookings system for student groups!

Mostly Ds – Student Living Rep You’d like to be running campaigns around mental health or student housing, working with the SU letting agents or helping students live sustainably through initiatives such as bike-hire schemes.

Mostly Es – Union Democracy Rep You want to make sure that all students are fairly represented and that the Union is run in a democratic and transparent way.

Mostly Fs – International Rep

Find out more about all the roles, and stand for any position at bristol.org.uk/elections

by Thursday 28 February.

You’re most interested in supporting international students with all aspects of the student experience, and making sure the university is as accessible as possible to those students.

Bristol SU Sponsored Content

WHAT'S ON Annual Members' meeting Tuesday 27th February, 6pm, Anson Rooms

All students are invited to attend the Bristol SU Annual Members' Meeting (AMM), our largest democratic event of the year!

There will be student debate, policy making and reports from the Bristol SU Elected Officers. There will also be pizza!

Doors open at 5:30pm and the meeting begins at 6:15pm sharp - please arrive early to sign in and get some pizza.

Interfaith Week: Where's the Proof?

Thursday 21st February, 5pm, Coutts Lecture Theatre

Sustainability Month: Clothes Swap with BUST and Bristol Hub, Friday 22nd February, from 11am, Bristol SU

How do we stop men dying young?

Panel Friday 22nd February, 6:30pm, Queen's Building

What ties all faiths together is a belief in something without seeing. But why do we believe without proof? And how is what each faith believes in similar and different? Come along to our panel discussion event where each faith society will be bringing an expert to discuss these big questions!

Time to reinvent your wardrobe - bring along the clothes you no longer want, and pick some new pieces for yourself.

Best of all - it's completely free!

A panel event with a selection of different men to discuss whether masculinity is killing men as part of the Man Feelings campaign.

Bristol University Fight Night 2019 Saturday 23rd February, 6:30pm, Anson Rooms

Aashiyana Spring Ball 2019, Saturday 23rd February, City Hall

Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to watch Bristol's elite boxers represent the university at the Students' Union. Both male and female bouts will go ahead with opponents from various universities.

LGBT+ Performance Showcase, Wednesday 27th February, 7pm, Anson Rooms Bar From spoken word to improv to drag, the LGBT+ student community at Bristol is brimming with talent. So we're celebrating this talent with a night of mixed performances from LGBT+ students and allies, all while raising money for an LGBT+ charity.

Blue Oyster Cult, Thursday 28th February, 7pm, Anson Rooms Over their four-decade carrer, Blue Oyster Cult have established themselves as one of the most iconic bands of their time.

Join them in the Anson Room with support act The Temperance Movement.

Join us for a Dinner & Dance extravaganza celebrating Asian Culture!

Be dazzled and wowed by a selection of Bristol’s most scintillating talent whilst you dine on a South Asian inspired 3 course sit-down meal. Following the meal and acts, the dance floor will then be opened to allow the audience to showcase the real talent in the room...

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

Film & TV

epigram 18.02.2018

Editor: Patrick Sullivan Online Editor: James Turnbull Deputy Editor: Luke Silverman Student Film Correspondent: Miles Jackson

2019 Academy Awards breakdown London Film Festival / The Favourite

Ahead of this year’s Oscars on February 24, our writers’ group voted on their favourite nominees for a series of awards

Netflix / Roma

IMDb / BlacKkKlansman / Focus Features

“Yorgos Lanthimos’ biting comedy - led by three formidable actresses - doesn’t go out of its way to make a feminist statement. The Favourite is un-showy in its feminism, and perhaps all the more powerful for it.”

Eliza Parr Third Year, English

“No foreign language film has ever won both the Best Picture and Best Foreign Language categories before.

Roma deserves to be the film to make history.”

Patrick Sullivan Film & TV Editor

“Almost every part of [Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse] - the pacing, the humour, the villains, the character arcs, the soundtrack and music, the delightfully disorienting fight scenes - is perfectly balanced.”

Alicia Wakeling Third Year, Film & TV IMDb / Sony Pictures

“Close has more Oscar nominations without a win than any other living actor. It is strangely fitting that this ‘long suffering wife’ role may allow her to write a speech of her own.”

Lara Kelly Second Year, English

IMDb / The Wife / Meta Film

IMDb / 20th Century Fox

“Even though Malek was not the original choice for Mercury, he definitely encapsulates his essence, from mannerisms on stage to his behaviour in his private life.”

Sára Neužilová Third Year, Theatre & Film

“Besides the remarkable shapeshifting, Bale nails this paradoxical performance of a vicious and cut-throat politician with a type of measured reservation. It’s to do with how he carries himself, how he tilts his head, and how he speaks every word with a patented restraint.”

Ewan Marmo-Bissell Second Year, History

“[BlacKkKlansman] fits with [Lee’s] body of work perfectly and is a must watch for the politically minded amongst us, or simply those with a love for their fellow man, and a hatred of hatred burning in their hearts.”

Leah Martindale Third Year, Film & TV

IMDb / Annapurna Pictures

T

he nominations for all the categories were announced on January 22 and featured standout nominations including a ‘Best Picture’ nod for Black Panther and 10 nominations each for The Favourite and Roma. Controversial inclusions for Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, especially in the main category, however, somewhat taints any feeling of inclusion for underrepresented communities.

Once again, the five ‘Best Director’ nominees are all men.

To commentate on the nominations before the ceremony itself reveals the winners, 37 of our writers took part in a survey choosing their favourites for nine of the main categories.

epigram

Film & TV 35 IMDb / Annapurna Pictures

IMDb / Green Book / Universal Pictures

“Regina King’s performance stood out as particularly gripping, playing a defiant mother-in-law seeking justice for the imprisoned Fonny, in a film that was otherwise slow in pace.”

Hope Riley Living Editor

“Mahershala Ali has such a magnetic screen presence and an innate ability to characterise, and he really should be leading these types of films.”

Patrick Sullivan Film & TV Editor

LFF / The Favourite

“Colman expresses nearly every human emotion throughout the film, from offbeat comic delivery to frankly haunting scenes of her screaming and crying down to dimly lit corridors.”

Kate Llewellyn Fourth Year, Liberal Arts

“Whilst there’s an array of brilliant songs and vibrant cinematography to give us an insight into the exciting world of fame, it also notes the dark byproducts, which give [A Star Is Born] a depth and relevance to addiction and depression in society.”

Olivia Savage Third Year, Film & TV

IMDb / A Star Is Born / Warner Bros

18.02.2018

Editors’ Picks

IMDb / Warner Bros

IMDb / Miramax

IMDb / MGM

IMDb / Twentieth Century Fox

This issue, we choose between the 90 previous winners of the ‘Best Picture’ Academy Award

Nora Gunn

Luke Silverman

James Turnbull

Miles Jackson

Sub-Editor

Deputy Editor

Online Editor

Student Film Correspondent

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Chicago (2002)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

All About Eve (1950)

Dances with Wolves, directed, produced by and starring Kevin Costner, is a story of a Union Lieutenant stranded alone on the western frontier.

He makes contact with a local Sioux tribe, initially they are wary of one another but eventually the Lieutenant earns their respect and is endowed with the titular name ‘Dances with Wolves’. Although the film’s live action ends with optimism, an epilogue informs the audience that within thirteen years all the remaining Sioux people would be subjugated by the American government. The film’s themes of acceptance of difference, inter-racial cooperation and resistance to unwieldy governments remain as relevant today as they were in 1990.

Chicago is a classic stage-to-film adaptation of one of the greatest musicals. The film follows Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) who, having shot her lover, is sent to jail. The film delights the audience with the colourful supporting performances of Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn. Both are brilliantly slick in both their acting role and singing role. But don’t just take my word for it: along with winning Best Picture, Zeta-Jones also won the award for Best Supporting Actress, and Zellweger was also nominated for Best Actress. If you love the film or show as I do, in collaboration with MTB I am directing Chicago at the Winston Theatre, SU from February 20-23.

I’d love to talk about Brokeback Mountain (2005) here, but I’ve got to stick to Best Picture winners rather than Best Picture really-should-have-woners. Still, Million Dollar Baby was a worthy winner the previous year. The film enters familiar boxing film territory early on, as embittered former trainer Frankie (Clint Eastwood) agrees to train Maggie (Hilary Swank), a small-town Missouri waitress with dreams of turning professional. However, it becomes something far deeper, before a devastating twist sucker-punches you. Anchored brilliantly by its central trio of lost souls - including Morgan Freeman in Oscar-winning form - Million Dollar Baby demands we explore the costs of our dreams.

It’s testament to what a good year for film 1950 was that the Academy could award Best Picture to a film as vicious, vivacious and enduring as All About Eve over the well-liked Sunset Boulevard. Even so, this tragicomedy of a Hollywood star usurped by a trusted friend has more than secured its place in the canon of cinema with its gorgeous framing, noteperfect screenplay and a heaven-sent cast. Bette Davis is rightly remembered for her performance as an ageing star, by turns ferocious and heartrending, but George Sanders deserves more love for his role as a deliciously evil theatre critic, as delightfully deceptive as the hall of infinite mirrors that the eponymous Eve finds herself in at the film’s end.

epigram 18.02.2018

36 Film & TV

The elephant in the room at film awards Third Year, History

T

he film awards season seems never ending. Running from November to February, it comprises a third of the year. Yet the season continues past this with summer film festivals, such as the Festival de Cannes in France awarding its coveted Palme D’Or at the end of its spectacle in May. Film festivals and award ceremonies today have also spread to all corners of the globe, with countries as diverse as Burkina Faso, Armenia and even North Korea dedicated to bestowing various accolades on the nation’s purported best in film.

On February 24, the Academy brings us coverage on the most renowned of all: the Oscars. In this, critics, industry experts, and audience voters alike seek to determine the best of the best from a long list of categories, of which ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Actor’, and ‘Best Actress’ are the very pinnacle. As the hype builds, controversy builds with it, and the inevitable spate of ‘snub’ articles ensue.

Writers angered that superior films have been robbed of their rightful awards beg us to consider: are awards ceremonies such as the Oscars representative of the best films

“For many the awards season is an opportunity to feel involved with the film community through several evenings of light-hearted entertainment”

and film talent?

Of course, the intentions and criteria of film awards vary globally, but all broadly aim to ‘support, develop and promote’ films, whilst rewarding and inspiring excellence, to use the words of BAFTA. Each of the Oscars, BAFTAs and Cannes have been attacked on occasion as the public, journalists and critics remark their failure to correctly reward excellence in film. Naturally, it is impossible to please everyone. The academies themselves would acknowledge that their opinions are just that, opinions - although they would argue highly informed ones.

The Oscars, however, have been particularly criticised for reasons beyond taste. The term ‘Oscar bait’ is a phrase that suggests some films are produced for the sole purpose of earning Academy nominations.

Films categorised as such supposedly favour the predominant liberal world views

of Hollywood’s elite. For instance, the late ‘70s and early ‘80s saw anti-war films rocket to success. Best Picture winner, The Deer Hunter (1978), and nominee, Apocalypse Now (1980), arguably extended the narrative of the anti-war movement in America, which spoke of ‘Making Love Not War’, by imposing morbid images of war’s horrors.

The former has had a marked impact on how studios market their films today. The director of The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino, only showed the feature to a handful of audiences filled mainly with Oscar voters and critics in its campaign for the awards. The film was also shown in as narrow as possible a timeframe to enable it to meet the criteria eligible for nomination. It’s notable also that De Niro’s performance in The Deer Hunter lost out to Jon Voight’s portrayal of a paraplegic vet in Coming Home (1978), reaffirming the Academy’s tendency to award actors who play a physically or mentally disabled

LMDb / Universal Pictures

Getty Images / Matthew Eisman

Awards seasons can be seeen as a narrow insight into a wider film industry David Thirkeld

protagonist. More recently, ‘Oscar bait’ has remained at the forefront with Moonlight (2017) being denigrated with the term due to featuring an all-Black cast and centring on a young, homosexual, Black man.

Yet it is inevitable that the decisions of the Academy, and those in other awards ceremonies, will be shaded by the perspective and preferences of those in their ranks. ‘Best’ is an expressionless word when considering subjective works such as film, and it is impossible for Academies to fulfil the lofty ambition of recognizing the most accomplished film of the year. Neither is it desirable for the Academy. The elephant in the room with awards ceremonies in general is their financial motivation. The glitz and glamour should remind us of their primary purpose: entertainment. Whilst incidents of publicity such as the ‘Best Picture’ fiasco of 2017 will be best avoided, and certainly not calculated, other controversies give a prominent boost to marketing.

George C. Scott said as such when he failed to turn up upon winning an Oscar for Patton (1970), calling the ceremonies a ‘two-hour meat parade’ with ‘contrived suspense for economic reasons.’ Perhaps this is cynical. For many, the awards season is an opportunity to feel involved with the film community through several evenings of light-hearted entertainment. Maybe, then, the elephant in the room is better left undisturbed.

LGBTQ+ inclusion celebrated in the GLAAD Awards deserves more recognition Second Year, Biology

I

n her acceptance speech at the 29th GLAAD Media Awards, Lena Waithe was widely praised for her call on the LGBTQ+ community to remain united: ‘We have to support each other, we have to talk to each other, we have to educate each other about our own individual journeys because at the end of the day, we’re all we got.’ Launched in 1985 in part to counter homophobic coverage of the AIDS crisis, GLAAD continues this unity by celebrating queer content in the media, helping it reach a much-deserved wider audience.

The nominees for the 30th Media Awards this year are in many ways expected and likewise justified; Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite has lived up to its name in leading the nominations. Lauded for its ‘irreverent and delicious queer feminism’, the performances of Colman, Stone and Weisz have been gobbled up by audiences hungry for multifaceted and eccentric portrayals of queerness. Disobedience, also starring Weisz, has been recognised for its profound examination of how religion and sexuality intersect and can be reconciled.

This particular intersection has been explored in other films, including Boy Erased

and The Miseducation of Cameron Post, both explicitly centred around teenagers subjected to gay conversion therapy.

Miseducation is an excellently paced story of self acceptance, and the inclusion of a steady, platonic relationship between two main LGBTQ+ characters is a welcome contrast to a well-worn trope that ‘if they’re both gay, they fall in love’. Elsewhere, in the ‘Outstanding Reality Programme’ category, RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009-) has once again been given a nod. Regardless of whether one can see the ‘uniqueness, nerve and talent’ of the competitors, it is hard to argue that Drag Race hasn’t brought drag culture to a new level of mainstream acceptance.

One notable absence is Green Book, which attracted more criticism for its white saviour narrative than it received praise for its portrayal of Don Shirley’s (Mahershala Ali) personality and sexuality. Meanwhile, recent allegations of sexual abuse have seen director Bryan Singer and his Golden Globewinning Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody

removed from the nominations. Singer has defended himself, calling the allegations a ‘homophobic smear campaign’. His statement, oozing with the self-confidence of someone too comfortable in their position of power, dismisses what happened to the reported fifty men as ‘an inherent part of gay culture’. Singer’s expulsion from the film two weeks before its completion, and Bohemian Rhapsody’s clear suggestion that Mercury’s sexuality contributed to his demise, sees the content of this film also miss the mark. GLAAD’s decision to remove Bohemian Rhapsody from contention should be lauded as a brave move; it declares a clear intolerance of abusers in light of the #MeToo movement. In doing so, the Awards will continue to be a safe space for all.

The nominees are also a reflection of how far Hollywood has yet to come; still we have not seen films of this scale fronted by an openly gay actor. While the aim is not to prevent straight actors playing LGBTQ+ roles, it is undeniable that Hollywood is

“The majority of LGBTQ+ sex education is carried out in safe spaces online and GLAAD is wise to recognise their impact”

IMDb / RuPaul’s Drag Race / World of Wonder

Watershed / Disobedience

GLAAD will hold its 30th annual Media Awards this year on March 28 in LA and May 4 in New York Esme Hedley

an unequal playing field - gay and lesbian actors and actresses have been denied roles in the past explicitly because of their sexuality. Certain stories demand a certain level of authenticity; A Fantastic Woman (2017), winner of ‘Outstanding Film Limited Release’ at last year’s awards, was commended for its casting of Daniela Vega, a transgender actress, to play the lead.

The range of award categories at the GLAAD awards, including video games, blogs and family programming, deserves recognition for rewarding excellence in forms of media disregarded by other awards.

In this way, the GLAAD Awards distinguish themselves as leaders in recognising every aspect of representation. Those in the ‘Outstanding Blog’ category, for example, are often unsung heroes; the majority of LGBTQ+ sex education is carried out in safe spaces online and GLAAD is wise to recognise their impact.

Considering this progression, does the world still need the GLAAD awards in a time of the ‘Queerest Oscars Ever’? Absolutely.

The recent racist and homophobic attack on Empire (2015-) actor Jussie Smollett reveals the so-called ‘paradox of queer visibility’ and serves as a high-profile reminder that violence against the LGBTQ+ community still exists. These awards are an essential step towards achieving consistent mainstream visibility, boldly celebrating and supporting talented filmmakers eager to bring to life accurate visions of LGBTQ+ lives. The GLAAD Media Awards are here to stay, and deserve your full attention.

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS FOR Bristol STUDENTS

Buy one Get one

Free

Use code:

UNIBOGOF at the checkout

Valid at participating stores only. Medium & large pizzas only. Cheapest Pizza free. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer.

Can be removed or amended at anytime without notice.

Arts

epigram 18.02.2019

@epigramarts

Editor: Alina Young Online Editor: Avital Carno Deputy Editors: Anna Trafford & Gabi Spiro

@epigramarts

A student comic walks into a bar...

Joseph Draper Third Year, History

I

was sitting in the most remote corner of the Hawthorns café, listening to the high-minded chatter of academics relishing their Friday evening pints when Alex Kitson, final year Politics student and amateur comedian, arrived to meet me. He had spent the day telling jokes to a room full of newborn babies (and, admittedly, their mothers), which is exactly the sort of thing that you would expect someone like Kitson to be doing on a weekday afternoon: ‘It’s a perfect match. Mothers and comedians have nowhere to be in the day. We were made for each other.’

To say that Kitson has had an atypical university experience is an understatement.

As well as being a committee member in the University’s sketch comedy society, Revunions, he writes and and performs his own stand-up comedy and runs his own weekly comedy night at the Kingsdown Vaults. He has worked his way into the bulging underbelly of the Bristol comedy circuit where he performs alongside up-andcoming comedians from the amateurish to the semi-professional.

A born performer on stage and off, Kitson’s face is a visual screen of comedic potential which jitters and seethes with energetic charm and animation. He is distracted, at first, by a small and adorable child who is giggling and smiling at him through the glass panelled door; clearly, she’s a fan.

Originally from Tiverton in Devon, a place he describes as a ‘place you go on the way to somewhere nicer,’ Kitson first discovered

his love for comedy when he was 13 at the age when the boys and girls in his school first started to get together for parties: ‘Well, I was never invited but the next day everyone at school was talking about Michael McIntyre’s “Hello Wembley!” which they had watched at the party the night before. I had never heard of Michael McIntyre or watched stand-up in my life, so that night, I went home and watched it and I remember thinking it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. There were these fireworks going off in my head. Just being able to make a career of standing there, going ‘blah-blah-blah’ and having people laugh seemed ideal.’

But, if laughter is a source of nourishment for Kitson then it can also be a source of pain.

We talk extensively of the deep emotional fallout which is associated with this powerful addiction and I get a glimmer of those lonesome and anxious days when nobody laughs at his jokes: ‘the lows can be very low.

I’ve driven miles to ge to some of the worst gigs I’ve done without getting paid and have gotten no laughs. Then I’ve driven all the way home by myself, just thinking, “What are you doing, you dick?”’ Alongside this, however, he describes the feeling of elation, like a literal high, when an audience has laughed at a joke he’s written and his face is suddenly aglow with the luminous residue of those moments.

Given the pressures associated with comedy and performance, I ask Kitson if he feels comics are especially vulnerable to feelings of anxiety and issues with mental health: ‘I think problems like that have a lot to do with what comedians are trying to do. If you’re trying to make a living then it’s very competitive and there’s a lot of pressure associated with that. There’s always someone better than you and you want to be on that next rung.’ For Kitson, such issues do not have to be entirely negative but could be utilized through his art: ‘These struggles should never be seen as essential, but comedy requires someone to look at the world from a different angle and I think that having something a bit different about your experience gives you some leverage to do that.’

If a continuum exists, Kitson is certainly at the far end of the extreme when it comes to extracurricular activities and his singularity of passion is a rare find. I cannot help but to feel inspired and just a little bit threatened by the wealth of his energy and I wonder how he manages to balance his comedy life with his

This Next Act / Alex Kitson

Epigram catches up with student comic Alex Kitson, who has established his own weekly comedy night hosting performers on the edge of professionalism.

Kitson spills all about balancing studying and comedy, sleep deprivation and telling jokes to a room full of newborn children

Epigram / Alex Kitson

university life. He laughs at this. ‘Oh God!’ he says in mock despair. ‘You should see the state of my room. I’m so tired.’

Does that become a problem?

‘Sometimes you do end up burning the candle at both ends but at least I don’t have a job. I often compare myself to other people I know on the circuit who have day jobs and kids - that’s 40 hours a week that they’ve got to be at. So actually, compared to everybody else, I’m charmed. But, to do comedy means sacrificing a lot of other stuff. My New Year’s resolution is to sleep more, I think. I need to get better at that.’

His determination is impressive. Very few people dedicate so much of their time to a creative endeavour like comedy: ‘There’s actually too many people like me, you’ll be surprised to know! Way too many posh middle class boys trying to be comedians.’

I wonder if he has any advice for students who may feel apprehensive about balancing multiple commitments alongside their university work: ‘I would absolutely encourage people to give something a go.

Lots of people leave the structure of school and come to university and they just feel purposeless because they don’t know what to do. Pursuing a passion makes things more interesting. I just think people need to be coaxed out and a lot of what holds them back is fear. If you shy away from the world then it becomes harder and harder to break out of that cycle. But go out there and do something – anything – it will make you happy. Some of the societies here are seriously fantastic resources and if you’re studying at Bristol then you’re in an incredibly privileged position. Now’s your time to do it.’

During his second year at university, Kitson and another comedian established their own fortnightly comedy night, ‘This Next Act’, which hosted amateur and up-and-coming comics from throughout the Bristol circuit.

After returning from the Edinburgh Fringe last summer, Kitson was surprised to hear that the pub where they ran the show had closed down and that his partner was moving to China. A little perplexed, no doubt, Kitson now had to find a new pub. He heard through a fellow comedian that the Kingsdown Vaults was looking for a slot to be filled. Kitson has been running a weekly show there ever since.

The format is split down the middle; half of the show acts as a classic open mic night whilst the four remaining slots are filled by established comedians in the circuit.

Given that anyone can request to perform at ‘This Next Act’, I wonder what Kitson’s

“Some of the societies here are seriously fantastic resources....

Now’s your time to do it”

views are on the fine line between blocking material which is unacceptable and being overly restrictive: ‘It’s a huge risk allowing people to deliver material that you’ve never heard before. I’ve had people complain about certain jokes at This Next Act but I will never try to censor the jokes that another comedian makes.’

This seems like a far cry from the cautious approach to comedy by Revunions and other student comedy societies, where safe space policies restrict the kinds of jokes that students can make: ‘With regards to the Revunions, that’s a different issue. I think it has been resistant to ideas that some people might construe as offensive. There are some jokes that comedians are just not able to tell there. Personally, I think that for an SU society that’s the right way to go. My basic stance is that you have to know your crowd. Student crowds don’t like anything that they perceive as offensive, whether or not they actually think it’s offensive or not.

They just don’t want to be seen laughing at certain jokes. Bad jokes don’t go down well.

Offensive jokes don’t go down well. Bad offensive jokes are an absolute lead balloon.’

A large part of what makes ‘This Next Act’ so appealing is its perfectly raw and conversational quality. The atmosphere is relaxed and impishly chaotic and the performance often spills beyond the barrier which hangs between comedian and audience, who both seem united in a symbiotic and complementary balance.

Kitson’s jitterbug style is charming on stage and off - an inherent idiosyncrasy, no doubt, but one which has been refined and utilized in his comedy.

‘I try to balance the night so that it’s not completely shit,’ he tells me, giggling. ‘I think that really works because you get to see the full range of comedy that’s out there.

From the really amateurish to the really experimental. If you want something that’s consistently good then – you know – go pay for it. The bits which are more chaotic are the most entertaining. We try not to edit our podcast - which we film on the night - at all, which means that you can listen to me dying on my arse. You just don’t see that on T.V., so it offers something different. Bristol’s in the middle of a comedy boom and there are people who I’ve gigged with who I know will be on T.V in the future – people on the edge of professionalism who practice new material at my nights – and every student in Bristol has the opportunity to see them right now for free at “This Next Act”’.

18.02.2019 epigram

Arts 39

A girl presents Daisie: an app for artists Ahead of Arts Careers week, Maisie Williams speaks to a room full of creatives and Game of Thrones fanatics about her new app venture, Daisie Yasmin Inkersole Second Year, English

M

Twitter / UoBrisCareers

aisie Williams has taken on many significant roles in her career, from the fearless - and faceless - Arya Stark of HBO’s record-breaking series Game of Thrones to the brave and sensitive Casey Jacobs in her docu-drama, Cyberbully.

But, now, the young actress has turned her hand to the creation of an app, Daisie.

In front of a packed hall of Bristol students last week, Maisie delivered a passionate and excited presentation on how Daisie came to be and its potential to help artists network more easily than ever.

Peppered with jokes, Game of Thrones

references and details of her journey from a young girl growing up on a council estate in Bristol with a dream of becoming a dancer, to a very recognisable face from the most Primetime Emmy-winning TV series ever, Maisie’s talk was both captivating and down-to-earth, speaking as one young artist to a room full of others.

So, what is Daisie? Well, as Maisie explained, Daisie is a ‘social media which is for artists to create with each other and make projects’. Daisie aims to connect artists within their realms of interest in order to collaborate with one another. For example, through Daisie, a screenwriter could contact a budding director and together they might produce a short film.

Maisie explained that Daisie was inspired by her perception of the ‘huge problem with the creative industry. There are so many talented people and none of them have the connections they need’. The app is intended to help artists make these connections and surpass the ‘gatekeepers holding all of the power and selecting who they deem talented enough to advance to the next level’.

So, is Daisie really the answer to overcoming the who-knows-who culture that governs the world of the arts? Well, yes

Daisie / Alina Young

“is Daisie really the answer to overcoming the who-knowswho minority that rules the world of the arts?”

and no. Daisie is an extremely promising venture, and with a focus on the industries of art, fashion, acting and writing, it is able to give a much louder voice to a strong body of talented people.

However, the app is still in its beta stage and has a few hurdles yet to overcome. Such issues were raised in the Q and A portion of the talk, in which Maisie was asked how the app would gather enough people already in the arts industries to connect with the multitude of young people clamouring for a paid career in the industry.

While Maisie described that the app implemented a system for ranking users based on their career level, this issue is still a serious one in terms of outreach

and networking for artists who don’t have familial or other connections to key people in their competitive field of work, and one which Daisie will need to consider as it undergoes further testing and development.

However, it must be said that Maisie’s talk and the awareness she has raised about the very prevalent issues of elitism, nepotism and biased selectivism within the arts has undoubtedly raised awareness around the barriers that exist for those pursuing careers in this industry.

As Arya Stark once said, ‘The rules were wrong. I was doing what I was meant to be doing’. It’s time for the rules of the arts world to change, for talent to come before favouritism and equality before elitism.

Madeleine Miller, Circe

- Nora Gunn, Third year, English

Four figures muddling through life in the capital. Will make Londoners smile in recognition and get just a little homesick.

- Siavash Minoukadeh, First year, Liberal Arts

‘Through Your Blood’ is a witty, touching and sometimes heartbreaking journey through the contemporary LGBT+ experience.

Cannot recommend it enough.

Gripping and atmospheric - a tale where fiction and reality merge and seven, young Shakespearean actors become involved in horrors which should only be seen on stage.

- Clodagh Chapman, Third year, Geography

- Imogen Howse, Second year, English

Telling the true story of Lale Solokov’s experiences as a camp inmate, and how he found love in such a dark place, this is a truly page-turning, moving read.

- Emily Farrow, Second year, History

Curtis Sittenfeld, American Wife Instagram / laurasbookland

M. L. Rio, If We Were Villains

Instagram / tobycampion_

Toby Campion, Through Your Blood

Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Instagram / andintothetrees_

Circe, Goddess of Witchcraft, still manages to stir drama in the world of myth despite being banished to an island.

Zadie Smith, NW

Instagram / crazybooklady__

Books in brief: Quickfire book reviews in 30 words or fewer

The fictional memoir of a complicated First Lady, by my favourite author for when you’re in the mood for some light – yet not trashy – reading.

- Hope Riley, Third year, English

epigram 18.02.2019

40 Arts

Catch Albert while you can Bryony Chellew gives her thoughts on Albert Irvin and Abstract Expressionism at the RWA, as the exhibition approaches its final weeks Bryony Chellew Third Year, English

A

“His pieces look like a paragon of spontaneity, with large, harsh brush strokes and often visually salient colour palettes”

This award-winning comedian/ poet/ writer/ performer tells us all about talking and the value of having a mouth. Previous appearances on the Russell Howard Hour, Channel 4’s Random Acts, Glastonbury Festival and sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe mean that Rob is not one to miss.

one of the gallery attendants, who had seen me observing Basil Beattie’s ‘When 1st is Last and Last is 1st’ (definitely a philosophy that I will be employing when receiving my degree results), commented to me that he was actually a science teacher and found a constant parallel between the two seemingly polar schools of scientific thought and art. And in light of this exhibition, I would have to agree with him - both, ultimately, are attempting to discover the universe, yet approach the

Get your culture fix Installation: To See, To Feel, To Speak, and To Dare @ Arnolfini Until 16th March 2019 Free

Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing @ Bristol Museum Until 6th May 2019 £6 or free for students on Wednesdays

This installation was designed by students of Bristol Metropolitan Academy, led by artist Bryony Gillard and promotes self-expression in schools, compassion, unity and a reality ‘where effective rebellion is not just a dream’.

The exhibition, featuring twelve of da Vinci’s finest drawings and marking the 500th anniversary of his death, is here until May. Pay a visit to view some of the most technically accomplished drawings in the history of art.

task from different angles.

There exists a fascinating complexity in the desire to explicate a world which dwarfs humanity with its maddening vastness. It is this quality with which Irvin - and the rest of the artists in the exhibition - seamlessly imbue their work.

‘Albert Irvin and Abstract Expressionism’ is on at the RWA until the 3rd March. Entry is free for students.

Epigram / Alina Young

Epigram / Alina Young

Rob Auton: The Talk Show @ The Wardrobe Theatre 7:30pm 4th March 2019 £12

Epigram / Alina Young

lbert Irvin was an English Expressionist artist born in London in the 20th Century. His body of work, as becomes evident upon visting the Abstract Expressionism at the RWA (which is running until March 3rd this year), took on a largely transitional and experimental journey, with Irvin often adopting new styles as regularly as the passing of decades.

The exhibition is divided into multiple galleries, each one presenting different sections of work from this movement, with the first gallery upon entry containing the largest and most varied selections of Irvin’s work.

What is particularly striking about Irvin’s work is the surprisingly methodical creative processes he underwent in order to create the canvases showcased; upon first glance, his pieces look like a paragon of spontaneity, with large, harsh brush strokes and often visually salient colour palettes.

However, Irvin’s sketchbooks, which are presented in glass cases distributed throughout the gallery, detail ‘trial’ runs done in fragments of coloured card, which he would use to gauge placement of brush strokes within his large canvas pieces they are not ‘random’ as the style would perhaps initially suggest.

Also contained in these cases is a pair of Irvin’s ‘painting shoes’, which I first thought to be part of the art exhibition in a Grayson Perry-esque conception of covering a ‘masculine’ everyday object in coats of thick, often pastel acrylic. However, as was revealed upon reading their description, they were merely the shoes worn by Irvin when in his work studio. This in itself I thought to be a pertinent thought process; the line between art/artist, as it were, was blurred, heightening the personal link between Irvin and his pieces further, as if his everyday items also became inescapably a part of the art they were used to create.

In the early 70s, Irvin adopted a lurid, psychedelic colour palette, shown in works such as ‘Rosetta’ and ‘Almada’, which take on a kind of ‘Rothko-on-crack’ quality, and these, along with ‘Into Black’ - an acrylic canvas piece which looks like old velvet - are hugely immersive and quite overwhelming. However, he later strayed from this and incorporated a more figurative technique, using more black to create pieces somewhat reminiscent of Picasso in terms of colour and style.

What is quite visceral about these pieces is the underlying implicature of alarm. In ‘Fallen Child in a Corridor’ and ‘Cellist’, these seemingly prosaic encounters are translated onto canvas with an almost demonic quality; the harsh brush strokes and use of colour contrast lend an idea of haziness and being within immediate transition, but also of urgency and panic, something also felt when viewing the Jackson Pollock piece included in the exhibition.

‘Chicken in a Box’ continues this, detailing a mundane scene as described by the painting’s title, however the heavy use of black paint and microcosmic structure heed a kind of universal imprisonment and desperation to escape.

As I was about to exit the exhibition,

Christopher Kulendran Thomas ‘New Eelam: Bristol’ Mai-Thu Perret ‘The Blazing World’ Both @ Spike Island Until 24 March 2019 Free entry ‘New Eelam: Bristol’ reimagines city living, from styles of habitation to forms of labour, all with a sci-fi twist. ‘The Blazing World’ explores witchcraft and the relationship between women’s oppression and the emergence of capitalism.

epigram est. 1988

The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper

Write for us With a combined online and print monthly readership of 25,000, Epigram is the home of the student voice.

Any UoB student can write email getinvolved.epigram@gmail.com or find the relevant facebook group.

We’re always on the look out for new writers, photographers, graphic designers and filmmakers to continue our award-winning journalism into the next 30 years Inside....

‘Private schools still

Inside....

What is th Banksy’s e value of shreddin Arts pg.

39 g stunt?

INSID ISSUE THIS E...

dominate our society -

Best and worst student this must change’ Comment pg. 13 ‘We mus letting agencies use t helpto pe who ople Living arpg. e 22excl educatio uded from n ga inin Should be cutting acceyou be ss to our g would re down alcohol?

Un No deal iversion Wellbeing tie s’ pg. 19 hard, but we’ Dav prepared

The best - and wor - Spoons in Bristost l The Croft pg.

2 dealing BURG-FOR-1 ‘I am stilleff ER & with the ssecartsy of nece rs’ with SIDEun painkille r while high second yea Navigating prescription on s painkiller out

epigramepigram epigramNoise 21

id Olusoga

speaks to Features Ollie Smith pg. 10

The Croft

pg.37

h Prof. Hug with VC es interviewand Universiti Exclusive Brexit Brady on News page 8

Fortnightly 5th November 2018 Issue 331

Fortnightly 22nd Octob er

Pull

est. 1988

Universi est. 1988 2018 ty of Bri Locals re stol’s Ind est. 1988 paper Issue 330 ependen volt ‘mar dent News The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper t Studen Celebrating 30Stu years auding ba t Newspa ependent Lucy Dow per stol’s Ind ner nds of dr ty of Bri Celebratin Universi e g Th un 30 years k and sc Investiga reaming tion • students • ’ The

Deputy New

s Editor

Noise com have gon plaints issued to Local setse up by 54 per centthe Uni report on up ‘The noise page loud hou se parties s’ blog

Zoe Cro

Illustration

by Camer on

wther SU Correspo • Division ndent escalted Nort on the • Gree hern Irish Border issue of the ns and diverse debaLib Dems calle tors as pan d for more just one el containe wom • Even d t recie an laughter, ved with a mix ture of trivialisingenjoyment and criti important cisms of issues

ram.org.u

k

EpigramP aper

@Epigram

Paper

ges SU reject idea for PaBristol ‘Men’s Officer’

Zoë Crowther

Students’ Union Correspondent

• •

UWE SU spark debate after canidate for ‘men’s officer’ steps down NUS said the controversy was a ‘vile, undemocratic shambles

B

the legiti macy of a People’s attendees Vote on Bristol launches BME powerlist were highl Brexit. Some y critical seemingly of an Grad Chanté Joseph & SU exec Samantha Budd trivialised even whic complex such an h4 Story tinside pg. topic. impo rtant and A Labour source told farce. Drun Epigram ken 18-1 9 year olds ‘The night is a things they know noth shouting issue: peop ing abou about t. This is le a serious opinion when stand here and think they they don’t know have an ristol student Olivia Huxtable’s Be Mankind peakers As a mem what’s going at the cross ber of the gave his on.’

Tuesday -party even audience, campaign has been awarded the ‘Health October opinion t on Edward on the 16 recei censorship raucous Third Theology night: ‘Ther Anders ved Year, applause here on free campaign of the year’ at the 2018 Bristol both of and stron e is objections speech to view. I think gly argue your andnoBath Health and Care Awards. The campaign’s while drun ed student’s it’s great focused • word Bristol opportuni campaign, point kenly they’ve been ty to do debating this:wins on maledrun mental regional givenaim it’s all thehas been to start a conversation and destroy the ken envirhealth, light-hear onment.’ ted, stigma award in a surrounding men’s mental health.

Continued • Campaign aims to encourage men on page 8 The campaign consisted of two parts. In 2017,

S

Scheijde

www.epig

Sparks fl in divisivy drunken e E debate U

ristol SU Officers have told Epigram that they would ‘oppose’ the role of a Men’s Officer, after UWE Students’ Union attempted to intoduce the position.

Stanford, Bristol’s Union Affairs Officer and Sally Patterson, Liberation, Equality and Access Officer, both strongly disagree with the role, and ‘would oppose something equivalent at Bristol.’ Stanford did, however, suggest that ‘that’s a conversation for our students to have if they feel it is necessary.’

Bristol SU has networks for under-represented

lor Editor Tom Tay Features

student demographics, including women, members of the LGBT+ and trans communities, BME students and those from low income backgrounds.

According to Stanford, comparisons should not be made between men’s struggles and the problems faced by these groups: ‘I don’t believe men are a liberation group. And I do not believe that men face discrimination for being men.

‘Men are seriously well represented, if not overIllustration: represented, in leadership roles from the top to the Scheijde Cameron bottom of our institution. Liberation is about historic and institutionalised forms of oppression such as ming” that faced by women and LGBT+ communities. any “sha and s. Second, Men are not historically oppressed, and thus not a y know loud party a ersit d hold you the univ advertise liberation group.’ cted: if you’ve y ‘would awake, is self-infli a bit rich Universit street UWE Students’ Union introduced three part-time Bristol it’s a it’s directly ldn’t keep the the world and privacy’, d with us ity shou s to officer positions in this October’s by-elections, safety and issues were raise commun propertie self main the ent your the r ‘The that t stud ed by far suggest much rathe condemnWomen’s Officer including a Men’s Officer, and ents detail abou . Third, e.’ to then ersity has set up to report rt activities those stud r than any n published onlin is repo Univ your l rathe s th, sion ss risto Transgender Officer. discu datio website Epigram’ ity cohe e viour. Four esperson Pages’, a commun or accommo ment follows A spok NoisesContinued ber of nois social beha raising our es. page risk to 3 y voiced the num e partion ing been lge in antiThis state

B

Universit loud hous s y said ‘The The Noise Page Universit of the for the owner around to the cularly e concerns outset, parti publishing hous from the safety by website students’ impact on ram that

te hous year that in priva ber last in Octo t students ts abou excomplain ded by by 52%. ite foun Waller. has risen is a webs Andrew e Pages h resident, The Nois rts, whic Redland noise repo alist and loud

e BeMankind wins Bristol’s Health Campaign of the Year Exclusiv

Olivia Duggan

@epigram

speak openly about their mental papto er_

•

health Huxtable: ‘it is vital we keep encouraging people to be open’

www.epigram.org.uk

B

Huxtable interviewed over 35 males from Bristol University, including students, staff and alumni, about both their mental health experiences. Huxtable uploaded photos of the men mid-conversation,

EpigramPaper

rs

g 30 yea

Celebratin

‘Men don’t face s The eaches emnfor d discrimination n o c br i n U being privacy for men’

T

he numb er of noise complaint to the Univ s submitted ersity incre ased a considera months, suggests ble rise from to 120 last year, of 80. that this away. last year’ problem s figure Residents is not going The preva issued why he felt surroundin lence of this Bristolian g house parti complaints the need issue has particular s to take to light the antisocial es and gene ly issue of noise set up a blog and matters into forced some local hours. The ‘The Noise ral noise bring to University 34 noise their own complaint Page during ‘In March has alrea complaint s; Waller, allow s’, a website foun hands. of this year dy s about parties on fare this ded s residents there were student hous received term, a figur consecuti about stude two very to log noise by Andrew ve nights eholds so e which, apart. It nts in the loud complaint a very short over the annoyed Redland The webs space of s and me that distance a ite Coth house that has split two am areas Speaking opinion in I had comp the first party was . exclusivel they had the stude lained abou in y to Epigr already been nt body. t previously am, Walle Lloyd (Brist through the , r described ol University system with ’s Comm Joni Continued unity Liais on page 7 on...

tly Fortnigh ry 4th Februa 2019 Issue 334

Deputy

page erson: the

s have who indu y for year r residents Universit ersity, I and othe with the The univ directly l result. public concerns meaningfu to avoid any its own – with little prefer light on , would And es a spot naturally r control. which shin

unde or journ detailed . campaign has told Epig concentrating onkesp their bodyour language, with the numbers’ The believes that physical e activities kesmen” discussion problems e parties creates • Uni spo encourag rson ential enc age get these ent hous ed by “spo Waller little to spokespea positive failure to r if unimpress intention ‘doe of encouraging men encourage by giving men lly a concern stud the street in resid raise doeswell-being s little to other n’ to communicate The always to approach usua would prefe us r on ymity’. cohesio in order lastly, I’m feel this behaviou nitysecond their thoughts. part, in 2018, Huxtable ‘Wesense of belonging, andwe aims to provide und d witha community muthe sion and behind anon on the site pollution. drunken 5... comFor d be raise ity cohe raised arohow mental comthat who hide mungives posts them l noise ed on page werequestioning interviewed over 100 men, men nottsacoul cure but an escape. e9 areas, and Continu residentia ersity with or complain Concerns of house numbers ite s about concerns ort on pag to the Univ students s webs health•has directly impacted their lives. e One participant, a kickboxer, awarenes tion e Pagespoke openly about responded t, no tly’.

Special Rep publicaEpigram: r: “Thinterviews, direc The Nois e numbers and Waller has statement: ‘Firs y sure ndethese from Huxtable told Pag trying to take his own life.

In his interview, he fou‘In prett rts es hous I’m de wing Repo – as se have been urallyattempts, emphasised er inclu the follo website bers longhow • Noi ld nat participants talked openly about suicide important is to speak out d about numit ed on my now no welcome ity wou d house on are nam vers ly state Unithe e has been stud discussi self-harm and stressespub of lic university. ’ the ious stigma surrounding health. ents’ prev paper_ this mov male mental any their . Whilst respecting ctedBristol @epigram She added:avo ‘It’sidvital we keep and towa Bathrds Health and Care awards was tlight on people redaThe a spoencouraging ive step esbe shinto ‘as a posit of all ages and gender open and to talk about created to recognise organisations and people who Pap er that @Epigram failure” how they’re truly ’ help others in the community. ownfeeling. r

@EpigramPaper

k ram.org.u www.epig@epigrampaper_

ape EpigramP

Music

Editor: Alexia Kirov Deputy: Joe Gorecki Online Editor: Bethany Marris

Record shops special

@EpigramMusic

epigram 18.02.2019

epigram_music

HMV and Fopp in adminstration: where next for UK music retail?

Review

Death Cab For Cutie @ O2 Academy Ellen Kinsey

Fourth Year, French and Film

A

With the recent closure of Fopp on Park St. has the vinyl revival really boosted music retail sales? Epigram Music investigates...

Bethany Marris Online Music Editor

Epigram /Bethany Marris

A

t the beginning of the month, KPMG, the administrators of music retail giant HMV, revealed the 27 stores that are planned for, or have been closed. The one hundred remaining HMV stores have been acquired by Canadian firm Sunrise Records, despite the interest of Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley. Chief of Sunrise records, 34 year old Doug Putnam, has expressed that ideally his company ‘would’ve loved’ to rescue all the stores, although primarily due to increasing rentprices, this was not feasible.

Of course, the digitalisation of the music industry and the changes in the ways in which we consume music have also contributed to a decline in sales of physical copies, yet this should not be used as ‘the’ scapegoat for HMV’s dwindling success.

With the proliferation of MP3, HMV stores have adapted to cater the demand, expanding their ranges of products such as bluetooth speakers and headphones. Even so, HMV were, and are still unable to compete with online retailers such as Amazon.

Included in the 27 dropped branches are Fopp, situated on Park Street, and HMV at Cribbs Causeway; both of which have been closed with immediate effect. Following this I visited HMV on Broadmead, the only remaining HMV in Bristol. When talking to one sales assistant who has been employed by the company for almost three years, I was surprised to find that the city-centre outlet had not necessarily experienced a drastic decline in sales nor custom.

epigram_music

‘Losing both Fopp and HMV Cribbs is incredibly sad for a city so invested in music.’

The sales assistant attributed this to the recent ‘Vinyl Revival’, which has seen an extraordinary growth in LP sales. British Phonographic Institute (BPI) statistics reveal that in the UK alone, 3.2 million records were sold in 2016, and 4.1 million in 2017; a huge increase from the 780,000 sold in 2013. As a consequence of this, alongside an expanding range of electronic products, HMV’s range of Vinyl has also experienced huge growth.

Notably, perhaps more than the majority of independent record stores, HMV stock an abundance of recently released LPs. There’s no crate sifting necessary when it comes to sourcing work from artists such as Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran, with the exhibition of such LPs being understandable when we

consider that Sheeran alone accounted for 62,000 record sales worldwide in 2017.

Unfortunately, however, these fresh products have not been able to ‘save’ the business from collapse.

Losing both Fopp and HMV at Cribbs Causeway is incredibly sad for a city so invested in music. The sales assistant I spoke with also disclosed that they had applied for a job with HMV through a love of music; they wanted the opportunity to work in a space where they could discuss their passion with like-minded customers.

Over 450 in total have lost their jobs across the United Kingdom, and it is unsettling to consider that this episode in HMV’s 98 year history may be foreshadowing the future of music retail.

The increase in UK vinyl sales since 1997 Source:BPI

fter 20 years in the industry Death Cab for Cutie have continued to change and evolve their sound. The combination of emotive vocals and lyrics with strong amplified guitar production, typifies the band’s brand of melancohly indie rock. A band always pining after love or success.

The first time I heard them was as a result of their seminal 2003 record Transatlanticism. An album perfect for teenage crushes and background music to a snowy day. That night Bristol had its first sign of snow as I left the O2 Academy, making the experience complete and sending me back to my adolescent years.

Their live show focused more on their latest album Thank You for Today and had a more electronic tinged sound to 2003’s Transatlanticism, the album I was so familiar with. Death Cab, fronted by Ben Gibbard who despite being 41, looked freakishly no older than 21 in his skinnyjeans and floppy hair. The band started with ‘I Dreamt We Spoke Again’ and ‘Summer Years’. Death Cab have managed to maintain their popularity with the combination of lead guitarist Chris Walla’s production that gives an extra kick to Gibbard’s vocals and storytelling.

The rest of the show consisted of songs from their new album, interjected with other career-spanning hits such as ‘Title & Registration’ and ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’, alongside new hits such as ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Northern Lights’.

The band finished the main set with a Death Cab classic, ‘Soul Meets Body’. The introduction to me always seems to mimic the melodic sound of falling snow and the crowd were singing just as passionately to the lovelorn lyrics.

For the encore Gibbard returned to the stage alone to sing their most popular track, ‘I Will Follow You into the Dark’, a simple love song stripped back to just the acoustic guitar. He serenaded the crowd and everybody serenaded back. A perfect and fulfilling ending to their show.

Who’s who in this year’s Battle of the Bands LiveSoc and RAG’s annual competition is back for 2019 and these are the contenders We have 5 groups performing at Battle of the Bands at The Fleece on February 26th. The event starts at 7pm and tickets are available on the door and on the SU webpage. The event is co-hosted by Bristol LiveSoc and RAG with all profits donated to charity.

Here’s what the bands said about themselves: Cassanova Cassanova are a five-piece Bristol based soul-pop band. They formed in 2017 and have been playing venues around Bristol together ever since, with highlights including The Louisiana and Crofters Rights. Headlined by singer-songwriter Cassa Jackson, their performance promises to be a lively mix of original songs and upbeat covers. They are

excited to play at the battle of the bands for the second year in a row!

The New America The New America is a Bristol punk band founded in October 2018. Brought together from a mutual love of bands like Idles, Heavy Lungs, and Rage Against the Machine, The New America’s sound has been compared to Mission of Burma (in a good way), Foo Fighters (in a bad way), and Joy Division. The New America have a mission and that mission is to sound like a blender (but in a good way).

A way that causes wispy tears of joy to stream down your face.

Fado & Ragnarp Fado & Ragnarp are a duet consisting of

Brendon Warwick and Natalia Chan hailing from Bristol. Our musical style consists of R&B, Acoustic and Soul. Our inspirations range from Daniel Caesar to Troye Sivan to John Mayer.

with Ben finding similar interest and Max coming from a jazz background. This’ll be our first gig together and we’re super excited to show what we’ve been working on!

Killiarc Killiarc consists of Alex Carpenter (lead guitar), Rohan Inston (rhythm guitar, vocals), Max Bloom (drums) and Ben Richards (bass), all Bristol students. Rohan and Alex have been playing together for over a year and have written several progressive instrumental metal songs which have been finalised with the help of the others.

We started in blues and metal backgrounds and have common ground on bands such as Tool, Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age,

Seb and The Daymen We are ‘Seb and The Daymen’, an alternative four-piece, conceived in Bristol.

‘It’s like optimistic goth music, I like it’ Stew Jackson (Massive Attack collaborator) Battle of Bands will take place at the Fleece on February 26th. Tickets available now.

Katie Carr-Ferguson LiveSoc President

18.02.2019 epigram

Record shops special Music 43

Spotlight on Longwell Records Epigram Music spoke to Longwell Records’ Iain Aitchison about the closure of HMV stores, Record Store Day and Keynsham Alexia Kirov Music Editor

L

ongwell Records, owned by Bristolborn Iain Aitchison first opened its doors in 2016. Over the last three years, the Temple Street shop has not only become an integral part of the Keynsham community, serving its 16,000 residents, but has happy customers that travel in from all over Bristol, Bath and beyond.

What brought you to Keynsham?

I’m from Bristol originally, I know a lot of people in Bristol, but opening a shop in Keynsham is quite a gamble and because – there’s a lot of young people in Keynsham, but there’s an elderly population as well.

We’ve got our own music festival – [June’s Keynsham Music Festival]. People in Bristol don’t realise how much music there is in Keynsham. It’s amazing.

There’s been quite a lot of proving people wrong – not in a nasty way – because music is about being inclusive… This shop has developed into a proper record shop through being inclusive and not being snobby about people’s musical tastes.

Keynsham is a lot cooler than you think really in some aspects. It was the rent. There’s a bit of a story. I was a substance misuse drug worker for 16 years in the NHS and I got burnt out basically, all the austerity made a really difficult job really difficult.

I was looking for a way out, I was selling records online, going round the country buying collections and selling them, and then a guy started buying them off me privately, and he turned out to be a really good customer.

We got to know each other, and after three or four months, he told me he was a Euro Millions millionaire and had won £150 million. We were friends before I knew that; it was really good that with had developed this rapport and relationship. He gave me the first six months’ rent to open the shop because he knew my battle with the job [and that] I’ve got three children. It was a really good job but it just burnt me out really; he could see

Epigram / Alexia Kirov

that it would be a nice touch for him to do it. I walked past [this shop] one day with my wife and saw it up for rent - I just pictured a record shop in here.

It’s a quiet street in a quiet town which is even odder, but knowing record shops, if you get a decent record shop, people will travel to see you wherever the shop is ultimately – and that’s how we ended up in Keynsham.

I’ve known Keynsham for a long time but it was primarily about the cheaper rent, although he did pay six months’ rent for me – and also, my girls go to school here, it was quite beneficial in that aspect really. It’s an untapped resource, there’s 16,000 people here, quite a large percentage of them are into music, so we’re dipping our toe into that Keynsham water really.

There’s some nice independent cafes. It’s going more towards that now – we were the flag bearers really, which sounds a bit weird, but that’s how it’s going to be down here. There’s 90 flats being built opposite, so there will be more people down this end, this probably will become more like the high street, I imagine. And there’s free parking outside!

How do you feel about the closure of HMV and Fopp? Is it a sign that people prefer to buy online – or does it signify a preference for smaller, independent shops?

Epigram / Alexia Kirov

A lot of people thought I’d be quite happy.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because anywhere where people can buy physical music or vinyl or CD is beneficial for me. I used to go to HMV on a Sunday – I don’t open here on a Sunday, it’s a bit dead.

People mix and match and I adapt to that – people buy online, they download, and they buy in big shops and supermarkets. The fact of the matter with me was that HMV has probably been forced out by having Amazon and eBay and probably by not having a personal touch whereas a small record shop like us could have.

Rough Trade – that’s what they need to become a bit more like. [However], not everyone wants to go for the limited pressings, the bizarre bands that you’ve never heard of, they want to go for the middle-of-the-range stuff which is fine, and HMV provides that –

and we do too, here.

I feel really sorry for the staff, because it’s a terrible scenario for them, and it’s always going to be the people at the top who don’t really see that side of things.

With one eye on the future, [HMV] might develop into something quite good. I’ve got to be honest, I’m quite optimistic about their future. They’ve got nothing to lose. If someone’s taken them over and can make them into a bit of a cooler sort of brand, it would be good.

I try to support all record shops – that doesn’t get returned all the time, I’ve got to be honest, but that’s just me as a person.

But there’s a lot of people in the record industry and they support this shop.

It’s unbelievable; the amount of instores we get here is really good. We had Razorlight play here last year, Mike Peters, The Allergies, Novatines, loads of bands like that; they want to come because they like the vibe and somewhere like HMV is a bit bland. But [HMV] still does provide a service for people who don’t want the fancy stuff, it’s not intimidating.

going to have loads of other musical bits.

I love [Record Store Day]. I think it’s a brilliant thing. I’ve got to be honest, you don’t make that much money out of it, believe it or not, but I think the kudos of seeing your name, with all the rest of it, for me, really, really works.

All of a sudden, people take you seriously [they see that] we’re not just an upgrade on a charity shop or something, which we know.

You’ll get people coming to Record Store Day, they probably won’t come more than two or three times a year, but I totally accept it. You get people saying “support your record shop every day”, but some people can’t do that. I accept it.

How did your logo come about?

Over the last few years, Record Store Day has faced criticism for becoming ‘too commercialised’ – what do you think of it?

What it does is it puts record shops on the map. You get people reading the Evening Post and they go “Oh, we’ve got a load of records in the attic - Longwell Records buy records!” It’s not just about that day for me, it’s about the whole bigger picture: people selling their collections and buying secondhand stuff, as well as the nice pressings.

It has changed a lot – it’s in its twelfth year now. Last time we did it, it was the tenth year, it was our first; we were just open a year and it was a real baptism of fire. I spent £8000, it was bonkers. We had racks right to the door, we had queues from 4 am. It was a brilliant, brilliant day – and this year, it’s going to be amazing.

We’ve got Ethan Johns playing here, he’s a really good musician - he’s a producer as well. His dad, [Glyn Johns], produced some of The Rolling Stones’ albums. He’s doing a Guinness World Record In-store attempt and we’re going to be part of it. We’re

‘This shop has developed into a proper record shop through being inclusive and not being snobby...’

We changed it about two years ago. [The original logo] was a computer-generated dog [inspired by Aitchison’s pet, Jaffa]. Me and my friend just did it on a laptop – I never intended to get a shop - it was always going to be online. Never in a million years did I think I’d have a physical shop, then, after about a year, someone suggested talking to this guy called Adam Higden, he’s a musician and an artist.

He was living in South Bristol and that was where I was getting my t-shirts done. I discussed a few things with him and within 10 minutes he’d designed this. that has been a game changer.

He’s had stuff featured in New York Times Magazine. He’s got the most amazing designs that he does for brewery companies, loads of different things. The kudos of having him do that and him wanting to do it is just brilliant.

We do limited edition t-shirts – normally about 20, but they sell out. We sell them quite cheaply, but the fact that people want to wear your brand is mad. You get people who don’t buy records but want to buy your t-shirt, which is amazing when you think about it.

This little old shop in Keynsham that started off from nothing has got people in Australia and America [wearing its t shirts].

To go back to the logo, there are people getting it tattooed - which I think is bonkers but it is cool isn’t it? I’ll probably stick with that logo till the end.

36 Temple St, Keynsham, BS31 1EH longwellrecords.com

s`~êëJ^ééJ^ÇîÉêíJOUVñPSVããKéÇÑ===N===NQLMVLOMNU===MVWPTWOV

Pay by cash o r card

Download our

3 tap taxi app choose 1

your pick up location

`

j

v

`j

jv

`v

`jv

h

2

book for now or later 3

done

we’re on our way!

Puzzles

Editor: Ruby Rosenthal puzzles@epigram.org.uk If you need any help, contact the editor by email or through social media

Cryptic Crossword Across: 1. Obscene number (5) 5. Term of endearment, like ‘honey’ (5) 8. Some sugar used for punishment? (4) 9. Royal pop star (6) 11. Film star giving pal a coin (2, 6) 14. First prizes making models glad (4, 6) 15. Exaggerate term of imprisonment (7) Down:

Easier clues can be found online!

2. Quit and write your name again (6) 3. Attempt - to use a dagger (4) 4. Continent I discovered in camera snap (7) 6. Listen twice for approval from audience (8) 7. Notice a defect (4) 10. No huge assortment is sufficient (6) 12. GIven a seat after standing (7) 13. I’m taking a long time producing pictures (6)

Unscramble these famous rom-coms:

Sudoku Fill the empty squares with numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and 3x3 box.

Solutions will be posted online at: epigram.org.uk/tag/puzzles facebook.com/epigrampaper If you would like to join the Puzzles Team, email editor@epigram.org.uk

46 Sport

epigram 18.02.2019

Man City v Chelsea: Carabao Cup preview With the final to be played on February 24th, will Sarri’s Blues topple Pep’s imperious Cityzens at Wembley?

Poppy Pecorelli Third Year, Sociology

O

n February 24th Man City and Chelsea will come head to head at Wembley for the final Carabao Cup clash, but what can we expect from the two top six sides in the battle for the trophy?

Pep Guardiola’s team will be returning to Wembley in the Carabao Cup Final for the second time in the last 2 seasons, after facing Arsenal in the final last year.

Manchester City comfortably walked all over the Gunners, securing a 3-0 win and giving Guardiola his first trophy as Manchester

City manager. Will Pep retain his trophy, or will the 2015 winners Chelsea manage to nab it? This would be the first trophy on the shelf for manager Maurizio Sarri in his professional football career hence making this a particularly important win both for Chelsea and on a personal level for Sarri himself.

Chelsea are still fighting for their top four place in the Premier League, while Manchester City remain in a heated battle with Liverpool at the summit. This makes a Carabao Cup win ever more important for both sides.

Back in December Chelsea managed to inflict Man City’s first Premier League defeat, securing a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, with stand out performances from Kante and David Luiz. But will Sarri be able to motivate his players to achieve the same level of performance at Wembley?

Will his marquee signings Jorginho and

Higuain perform on the day? Will Chelsea be able to perform their heavy possession style of play against such a high pressing side in such an important game? It’s all to play for on February the 24th.

Some key players on the day:

“If I were a Chelsea fan I would be crossing my fingers for a lacklustre De Bruyne performance”

Flickr/ @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London

Chelsea: Jorginho: The Italian midfielder is central to Sarri’s footballing style of play and he paid £50 million for the Napoli playmaker back in the summer. However, in recent big games it has proved easy to press and mark him out of the game - as Aaron Ramsey executed in their 2-0 defeat against Arsenal . Yet if Jorginho manages to live up to some of his high level performances earlier in the season and at Napoli then he will prove to be a key player in terms of Chelsea preventing Man City from gaining control of the game.

Whilst at Napoli he was never truly tested at the same tempo which teams like Man City play at. This will therefore be an important game for him to step up to the mark and live up to the expectations.

Higuain: Despite a debut to forget in the Premier League, he quickly recovered with a strong home debut, scoring a brace against Huddersfield. With the curse of the Chelsea No.9 shirt, with the likes of Morata and Fernando Torres struggling to make their mark at Chelsea, can Higuain prove to be the striker Chelsea fans have been longing for?

The Carabao Cup final will be the perfect time for him to put his mark on English football.

Hazard: Chelsea’s main man will prove vital in gaining the trophy. One of the best players in the Premier League, with 12 goals and 10 assists this season; Hazard must be up to the mark if Chelsea are going to get anywhere near winning. He will prove to be a huge threat to the Man City side and will

be a key player in securing a Chelsea win.

Man City: De Bruyne: One of best players in world and a former Chelsea player, De Bruyne without a doubt will be a vital man in this match if chosen to start. With the Belgian being injured for large parts of this season and fatigue telling in the recent Arsenal game, the question is whether he will be able to stand the test of a gruelling final against a topside who keep the ball, especially with the possibility of a 120 minute game on the horizon. If I were a Chelsea fan I would be crossing my fingers for a lacklustre De Bruyne performance.

Fernandinho: Two of Man City’s four losses this season have come in two of the games Fernandinho has missed. Arguably the only irreplaceable Man City player in his role, he will be crucial to City’s performance. With Chelsea most likely opting to play through the middle with less width, with Hazard playing as more of an inverted winger and Higuain dropping deep, Fernandinho’s role will be even more important than normal and hence critical to a Carabao cup win.

Ederson: Proving to be one of Guardiola’s best signings, Ederson’s role in the City team can never be underestimated. Despite Ederson gaining most of his plaudits for his ability on the ball and ability to start attacks, this game could see him having to make some big saves, like his impressive save against Roma in the Champions League earlier this season. Ederson is epitome of the modern day sweeper keeper and his ability to read the game and cut out attacks will prove fundamental in this game.

I predict a very close game, but if I had to put my money on a team it would be Man City with a score prediction of 3-1 to Guardiola’s side.

Clyne out on loan: has Klopp’s call backfired?

Freddie Keighley Online Sport Editor

A

faltering title push and a loss of defensive stability has seen both fans and pundits express their frustration at the move that saw the experienced full-back leave the club for the rest of the season. This move took place as first choice right-back Trent AlexanderArnold had just returned from injury, with fellow Englishman Joe Gomez almost at full fitness as well.

Alexander-Arnold was kept out in December by a foot injury before sustaining a knock to the knee in January. Meanwhile, Gomez - plagued by unfortunate injuries throughout his rise as promising youngster to starting defender - suffered a fractured leg in early December that required surgery after struggling to recover.

A tepid January ensued. Liverpool lost their first Premier League game of the season at the beginning of the month at the Etihad, were knocked out of the FA Cup by Wolves and conceded after taking the lead to draw two games 1-1 against mid-table opposition by the beginning of February.

This is a stark contrast to the commanding defensive form the Anfield side showed in the first half of the season and their 100% record against sides not in the top six, recently ended by frustrating draws against Leicester and West Ham. Liverpool fans are searching for explanations for this dip in form, especially under the pressure of a pursuit for a first league title of the Premier League era.

Letting Clyne go has been singled-out as a major reason for letting the opportunity for a seven-point cushion at the top pass by.

However, this is scapegoating at its finest.

The loan deal made sense at the time of its agreement and Liverpool’s problems also incorporate their out-of-sorts midfielders and forwards as well as an injury-struck defence.

It is important to understand both that Liverpool’s injuries were not so severe at the time of the deal and that playing the fourth or fifth choice right-back does not hold the key to winning games.

As well as the aforementioned AlexanderArnold and Gomez, Fabinho and James Milner were arguably both above Clyne in the pecking order of right-backs.

Fabinho has played there on multiple occasions for Brazil and Milner played the best half of a season at left-back in Klopp’s earlier days on Merseyside despite being right-footed and suiting the other side of the pitch more.

Injuries to Georginio Wijnaldum and

Flickr/ Kevin Walsh

Allowing Clyne to leave for Bournemouth on loan has come under scrutiny as the Reds’ defensive injuries take their toll.

“The Reds should not be blamed for the loaning out of a back-up fullback in much need of match sharpness”

Jordan Henderson combined with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ongoing recovery has necessitated that Fabinho plays in midfield as opposed to filling in at full-back. Indeed, the Brazilian has become increasingly vital to Liverpool’s system after taking some time to adapt to the English game.

This has led to Milner and even Henderson playing at right-back against Leicester and West Ham respectively. While not naturals in this position, both players worked tirelessly on the flanks and were not responsible for the two goals conceded in those games both came from set-pieces.

Milner even picked up the assist for Sadio Mane’s goal at the London Stadium, although he was clearly in an offside position.

Compare this to Clyne’s record this season and the clamour about his departure in pursuit of match fitness is even more bizarre.

The former Southampton man has started two games this season: a 2-1 loss against

Chelsea in the EFL Cup and a 3-1 win over Manchester United - the game before Jose Mourinho was sacked - in which Jesse Lingard’s goal came from a goalkeeping error after a cross came in from the left.

No one could have accounted for Alexander-Arnold’s injury against Brighton so shortly after Liverpool’s number 2 left on loan, nor Gomez’s repeated setbacks and struggles in the midfield. Dejan Lovren’s ongoing muscular issues have also contributed to a loss of stability at the back and a series of sub-par performances by the Reds should not be blamed for the loaning out of a back-up full-back in much need of match sharpness.

Despite Jamie Carragher and Tim Sherwood’s recent criticisms of Clyne’s move to the south coast, Jurgen Klopp is right to defend letting him go - he could even return sharper for next season after securing the regular first team football he badly needs.

Sport 47

18.02.2019 epigram

Great sport to watch around Bristol Want to enjoy some great sport that is right on your doorstep for the remainder of the term? Epigram gives you the lowdown Henry Edwards Sport Editor

B

Bristol City WFC: Unlike the male Bristol City team, the city’s women currently play their football in the nation’s top-flight. They are currently doing very well; they sit in a very commendable mid-table, ahead of sides such as Liverpool and Everton. The ‘Vixens’ play their football

Epigram/ Henry Edwards

ristol City FC: Bristol’s most high profile football side, Lee Johnson’s men will need plenty of support as they seek to continue their startling run of form in search of the Premier League’s promised land. The Robins play their football at the immaculate Ashton Gate stadium, located just South of the River Avon – an enjoyable stroll from Clifton. The family-friendly ground, which has a capacity of 27,000, feels ready-made for the top flight, although fans wanting a grittier atmosphere may be left disappointed.

Tickets are not the cheapest, although there should be great spectacle as Bristol enter the final few months of the season with promotion very much on their minds. A visit from pacesetters Leeds United in early March may well be the pick of the remaining 2018/19 fixtures.

at the Stoke Gifford stadium, north of Bristol in Filton. The distance should not put off potential supporters, however; ticket prices are far cheaper than games played at Ashton Gate. Winnable matches against teams including Everton and West Ham may well tempt fans to pay a visit in the coming months.

Bristol Bears: Bristol’s newly named rugby club ply their trade in the Gallagher Premiership having achieved promotion last season. Sharing a stadium with Bristol City, ticket prices are

similarly a little pricey, but the best rugby in the country is on offer. An April match against league challengers Saracens will follow mouthwatering visits from rivals Gloucester and Worcester in March.

“Unlike the male Bristol City team, the city’s women currently play their football in the nation’s topflight”

Bristol Flyers: Bristol’s basketball team plays at the SGS College Arena, next to the Stoke Gifford stadium. In terms of tickets, the prices are fairly reasonable, while seats are often in high demand: their March game against Surrey Scorchers in the BBL Championship is already sold out. The side wins about as

many games as they lose, so could do with as much support as possible.

Bristol Rovers FC: This one is for fans of gritty, high-stakes drama. Bristol’s older football club faces a heated battle to remain in League One. Of their remaining home fixtures, Sunderland’s visits to Memorial Stadium – one in late February and another at the beginning of March – look like some of the tastiest. Adult ticket prices vary around the £20 mark, while under-21s could get a match ticket for the lowest price of £14.

Dull transfer window suggests policy shift Despite excessive coverage and speculation, the January window was an underwhelming affair - is this becoming the norm?

David Bates Second Year, Ancient History

F

“The deadlineday programme ramped up the drama of the day, but in reality it ended up being a damp squib”

judgment can be very costly. This window has demonstrated the tentative nature of the clubs and the managers, as the process of adding real quality to a squad is now one of real risk. Newcastle have taken that gamble with the £20m acquisition of Paraguay playmaker Migeul Almiron; this is one that could very easily go either way for the Magpies, and it will be intriguing to see which direction it does go.

Deloitte also revealed that the ‘big six’ accounted for 43% of the January spending, which is down from 62% of last year’s figure. Moreover, the clubs occupying the

bottom six spots at the end of January only spent £20m – this number was at £70m this time last year.

The overrated nature of deadline-day – largely fuelled by the excitement that Sky Sports News aims to portray – has been evident for a few years now. The deadlineday programme ramped up the drama of the day, but in reality it ended up being a damp squib. This window has seen a profound shift in the nature of business amongst England’s elite clubs. Is this just an anomaly, or will we see a more cautious dynamic from the Premier League sides in time to come?

Flickr/ Mark Hakansson

or the first time since 2012 Premier League spending in the January transfer window fell, and the drop in expenditure was not of a small margin either.

Figures from the Sports Business Group at Deloitte show that this year’s window saw Premier League clubs splash £180m on new signings, a considerable decline from the £430m that was spent in January 2018.

In fact, £150m was spent on deadline-day alone last year.

The obvious reason for the drop in expenditure this January has been due to the lack of money spent by the ‘big six’. Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both appear to be relatively content with their respective squads, and for good reasons too. As for the two North London rivals, Arsenal’s business has been restricted to just loan additions, whilst Daniel Levy’s money has been directed towards Tottenham’s new stadium.

Manchester United were never likely to give an interim manager huge money to spend, so it is of no surprise that there were no incomings at Old Trafford.

Chelsea are the exception to this, having brought Christian Pulisic in for £57.6m and Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus.

That said, the biggest story at Stamford

Bridge still revolves around one of their young stars, Callum Hudson-Odoi, staying as a Blue despite wanting to leave for German giants Bayern Munich.

The main narrative of the window has been one of key players staying put, rather than big names joining England’s top tier.

Anthony Martial signed a new contract with Manchester United until 2024, with the option of extending it for a further year.

West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic also put pen to paper on a contract extension after much speculation that he would be moving abroad to China. The way that these stories have outshone the new additions to the Premier League reflect just how quiet the window indeed was.

The reduction of expenditure, according to Deloitte, is a result of the strongest ever financial position of Premier League Clubs.

This, therefore, meant that clubs were not required to sell their most valuable players to stay afloat financially. Clubs such as Watford have been able to keep hold of their prize possessions in Abdoulaye Doucoure and Gerard Deulofeu amidst strong interest from elsewhere. This provides credibility to the point which Deloitte raises; the clubs outside the top six are now less likely to succumb to the financial superiority of the sides inside the top six. These clubs are now able to stand on their own two feet without having to sell.

In the footballing world of instant success being a necessity, this window has arguably shown the shift in nature of the pressure on Premier League managers. With the skyhigh price of footballers at the top level, if a club makes the mistake of spending a huge fee on a player who fails to succeed, then the consequences of that error of

Sport

Editor: Henry Edwards Deputy Editor: Charlotte Greenwood Online Editor: Freddie Keighley Deputy Online Editor: Barney Stone

Female Spartans victorious against Cardiff Epigram / Ed Hanton Epigram/ Freddie Keighley Epigram/ Henry Edwards

The Women’s Basketball 1s put in an impressive display at the Indoor Sports Centre on Wednesday 30th January Henry Edwards Sport Editor

B

ristol pulled further away from rivals Cardiff in their Western 1A league in their first match of 2019 thanks to a 66-48 victory. Coming off the back of a superb away result at Bath, the female Spartans were clearly full of confidence as they sought to keep pace with league leaders Bournemouth.

Bristol did not have it all their own way in this match, however. Having been forced to wait an extra twenty minutes to play due to a longer-than-expected volleyball game, the women’s 1s were second best in the earliest stages.

Cardiff’s number 12 was particularly impressive as the Welsh team bagged the first points of the game. A time-out was called with the score at 7-5 in Cardiff’s favour. Whatever was said certainly had the desired impact; Bristol found themselves in front for the first time in the fifth minute.

Bristol’s number 23, having defended admirably, finished off a devastating move to put the score at 11-8.

From that point on, the Spartans began to dominate in superb fashion. A fantastic

three-point shot from the ever-impressive Bristol number 1 put the score at 18-8. The 22-12 score at the end of the first quarter evidenced Bristol’s tightening grip on the game.

Cardiff were marginally better after the interim, but Bristol stood firm. Bristol’s numbers 21 and 9 were defensively outstanding as Cardiff attempted to crank up the gears in search of the lead. A devastating break started and finished by the number

“Bristol showed resilience and confidence to see the game out in the final quarter”

7 saw Bristol go into half-time 37-27 up having survived plenty of Cardiff pressure.

As they had done at the start of the last quarter, Cardiff responded admirably. They clawed to within five points of Bristol, to which the Spartan coach called a necessary time-out. Armed with the appropriate words of encouragement, Bristol regained their supremacy; at the end of the third quarter, the score stood at 55-41 with the game all but won. According to their character,

Bristol showed resilience and confidence to see the game out in the final quarter.

Having overcome some early scares, Bristol came away as worthy winners in a key match in the division. The gap between the two sides now stands at 9 points, while Bristol will be hoping for a couple of Bournemouth slip-ups in the coming weeks in order to challenge for the title. Check out the BUCS website in order to find fixtures and results for this exciting team and others.

Women’s Water Polo team breeze past Exeter With momentum on their side, the league leaders were once again impressive in a 28-4 win Charlotte Greenwood Deputy Sport Editor

C

“The team cohesion in the pool has improved a lot since the beginning of the season”

after two strong performances and strong training ethic, top goal-scorer, Jenny said’ We’ve been working on our set plays following exclusions recently, so to see them looking so much sharper is a real credit to the training we’ve been putting in. We had a couple of girls who hadn’t played with us before and it’s great to see them making such positive contributions’.

Captain, Lauren Harrison also agreed, stating that ‘the team cohesion in the pool has improved a lot since the beginning of

the season’ with high hopes to ‘continue our form and remain undefeated’ at the close of the season.

With strong hopes to continue their dominance, Bristol Women’s water polo are in a strong position to close the season how it began; presenting their opposition with a well-practiced plan, a strong marking system and impressive scoring ability as a cohesive unit. Epigram wishes Bristol Women’s Water polo the best of luck in their final game of the season against Bath.

Emily Dickinson

oming off a 22-goal win against Exeter 1s on the previous weekend, it was undoubted that Bristol Women’s Water Polo team entered this match with a real sense of confidence with an opportunity to take away another win. The second game of their year saw Bristol take on Exeter again in their BUCS schedule, this time welcoming their rivals on home ground. Yet, despite the adverse weather warnings and snow promising to affect the game being played, Exeter made the trip across to Bristol to try and regain their defeat in what could only be seen as another opportunity.

The sense of preparation from Bristol was unavoidable as the team were in the water, waiting for Exeter to assemble their team, provide a sheet of players and get their caps on in time for the beginning whistle. When the match did begin, an immediate penalty was allowed for Bristol, beginning their run of 7 goals within the first eight minutes of the game. The constant interception of Exeter’s passes, quick paced attempts and impressive progression towards the goal, immediately threw Exeter off guard.

Heading into the second quarter, Bristol held their impressive lead, adding a further 5 goals to their side against just 2 successful shots from their opposition. Within this middle part of the game, calls for formation and marking were constant, keeping their lead in tact and challenging Exeter’s advances even further.

At the beginning of the third quarter it was clear that both sides were beginning to tire. After Exeter scored two goals in the beginning of the quarter, this was enough motivation for Bristol to re-group, execute their plan, and continue their remarkable lead. Within this quarter, Jenny Herring, number 5, added to her impressive tally of scores, scoring 5 goals in just 8 minutes as well as nearly scoring half of Bristol’s overall total by the game’s conclusion. Whilst ‘man of the match’ may not be a position rewarded, it seems certain that had it been, Jenny would have earnt this recognition.

With the end in sight, the fourth and final quarter saw a confirmation of Bristol’s impressive technique, careful set-ups and successful shots, taking the goal count up to an impressive 28 to 4. The last quarter saw no attempt from Exeter to salvage their goal deficit with all goals in the quarter, all 8 of them, belonging to Bristol. With the final whistle blown, Bristol had continued their impressive win from the weekend before, in a near repeat of success; taking their 22-9 lead to a rewarding 28-4.

Reflecting on their repeated success