Epigram 344 - The Croft

Wellbeing How to eat well and feel better p.7

Food A review of your favourite tapas treats | p.11

Style Look at leopard print through time | p.14

Travel Photography competition winners | p.19

the croft

Staying Sustainable

Eating environmentally friendly and seeking sustainable styles

the croft issue 5 | november 25 2019

Editor Daisy Farrow Deputy Editor Hendrike Rahtz Digital Editor Emma Holding

the croft editor’s no tes

Y

ou might’ve noticed over the last couple of prints that we have been trying to promote more art through the magazine. This has led to me spending more time with the artists, illustrators and poets, contributing to The Croft, which I have enjoyed so

A warming letter of thanks to autumn in the front pages of The Croft, pg. 4

much.

MeWe Fashion - The UOB student who has set up a new brand, in Style, pg.15

Art used to be something I loved at school and college, but maybe studying it right to the end of school made me grow to dislike the rigid criteria and deadlines that began to come with it. I lost sight of the enjoyment of it, with my focus on filling up a sketchbook for the next deadline which inevitably came around all too quick. In the summer after college, I got a bit more interested in written arts as I let go from visual, but any extra writing once starting uni then became a bit of a chore - especially when relaxation time could be spent binging a cheesy rom com on Netflix.

But now that I have the freedom to be creative without the restriction of meeting criteria and deadlines, I find myself always prioritising other things. It’s easy to when life is a busy schedule of lectures, deadlines, and socials. I forget how relaxing being creative can be, and how satisfying when you have an actual product at the end of it too! Our editor Daisy’s recent love for knitting inspired me to pick up the crochet needle again on a cold evening after a long day at uni and it was so cathartic and relaxing; and now I’m working towards a hat!

Eat a Pitta - Food look into about Too Good to Go and how to eat with less waste on pg.13

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Pre-menstural Dysphoric Disorder - Wellbeing take a look at what it’s like to live with this disorder pgs. 8-9

It is so important to stay creative, and being at a uni like Bristol, where visual arts aren’t studied as a subject and there is such a strong STEM presence, it can be easy to forget that we should let those creative juices flow every now and then. Whether it’s just carving out 30 mins of your day to sit with some materials or heading down to one of Art Soc’s Drink ‘n’ Draw nights with your friends; art can be a great way to relax and let out some stress.

We’ve made the Epigram Creatives Facebook group to encourage students to produce art and get it published in print or online. If you’re already an art fanatic, it’s a great way to get your work out there, or if you’re just looking for something to try then why not make the most of the opportunity? Just carve out that time to let yourself be creative and enjoy making something to be proud of.

Emma Holding

The Croft Digital Editor

Colonia de Sacramento - Find out the winner of Travel’s photo competition, pg.19

Dear

consult

‘One night stands: A theory’

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I have had a few one night stands since being at uni, and I have come to a theory. Guys on one night stands always fit into one of three categories: 1. They are all for themselves, all take no give; 2. They treat you like a serious partner for a single night but then disappear the next day; or 3. They end up being a bit too matey, you kinda wish you didn’t sleep with them because they could’ve been a good friend. Number 2’s are the best sex, but does leave you feeling a bit weird after they dissappear - you can’t start thinking it could’ve been more. I have found 1’s and 3’s to be far more common, and 3’s usually better sex than 1’s. Just some food for thought for you all.

“ Unsplash / Danny G

‘Conflicts of casual interest’

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I was speaking to this guy from Tinder, he seemed really nice but I just wasn’t sure if he was right for me. What put me off the most was how... forward he was? It got weird. First he said he was going to bring me sushi in bed (even though I told him I don’t like sushi) the first day I started speaking to him. Then he said that he was going to ask his mum to make a pineapple cake for me. Which I’m not sure how that conversation would have gone down: ‘mum, can you please bake a pineapple cake for a girl I’m speaking to on a dating app… oh, and by the way, we haven’t met yet.’ And finally when I told him that I was only looking for something casual, he told me he wanted the same, but that he also wanted to be there to see me graduate in 2 years. A lovely guy, but we clearly had different definitions of ‘casual’.

thecroft...

All my friends are applying for jobs and internships for after we graduate, but I don’t know what I want to do

First off, it’s still very early on in the year so I wouldn’t worry too much about applying for things just yet. But even if it gets to the end of uni next year and you still haven’t figured out what you want to do, that’s okay! There’s some myth that just because you graduate from uni, it means you’ve figured your life out. Even if it takes you a year, or three, or even ten to finally decide what you want to do, that’s totally fine. It’s better for you to take your time and think things over than rush into something you’ll later regret.

I’m starting to get weighed down by assignments and I’m really struggling The first thing you should do is speak to your personal tutor about this. You’re not the only one feeling this way, and I can guarantee that they’ve had hundreds of other students over the years come to them and say the exact same thing. It’s what they’re here for, and they can help. Whether it’s helping you figure out your time management, or maybe apply for an essay extension, they will work with you to figure out what’s best. Relax, and understand that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Uni can be hard, but the help is out there.

I’ve been fighting with one of my housemates and it’s tearing our house apart Arguments are natural when you’re living with people and spending what feels like 24/7 together. The trick to making sure it doesn’t turn into an unhealthy environment to live in is to communicate your issues.

You don’t have to be best friends, but sitting down and working out your issues means you can at least be civil, and will make things easier for the people living with you too.

Love, your Editors x

“

Have a story to submit to Bristol in Bed? Or a burning question for Consult the Croft? We are taking submissions by anonymous Google Forms, available on The Croft’s Facebook Writers’ Group.

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A letter to Autumn

With Thanksgiving upcoming, Daisy Harriet-Game writes an open letter of thanks to Autumn, her favourite season Dearest Autumn, You’re my favourite – and I want to tell you why.

Cinnamon and syrup on hot porridge, coffee kick and apple crush and blackberry pop

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Umsplash / Gabri-

cobbles.

I’m thankful for the glow of shivering streetlamps in the dark early evening, and for the puddles of light which gather - spilled pool of fall honey - on the pavement below.

wax, and for the twist and twirl of its smoky goodnight. I’m grateful for park benches and crossed legs clad in blue jeans. I’m grateful for the smell of the damp and the smoke and the wood.

For the small, twitchy smile of a stranger. I’m thankful for the couple holding woolly hands and tripping over the zebra crossing – woozy, nervous: wonderful.

I’m thankful for first years gathered outside the pub at midnight, freezing and grinning and ecstatic with the joy of it all. I’m thankful to throw clumsy-coatcoated arms over the shoulders of homefrom-home friends. I’m grateful for the babble and chatter of strangers clustered in house party kitchens, cradling wine bottles and roll ups and reduced-price doughnuts.

I’m thankful for messy bookshelves and it’s tea-time kitchen tables, crouching eager - behind street level windows. I’m thankful for hazy, exhaustion fuelled afternoons spent dancing in a room cluttered with dirty mugs and student newspapers and charity shop T-shirts.

“

I’m thankful to throw clumsy-coatcoated arms over the shoulders of home-from-home friends

I’m thankful for evenings spent tacking post cards and the mystery of summer disposables to the wall above my bed, and I’m thankful for nights spent toppling about neighbourhoods - tipsy and young and bright and arm in arm with the people I once wished I knew - and now I do. I’m thankful for the one I have yet to meet.

So, thank you, Autumn. You make me smile.

Daisy

Epigram / Daisy Harriet-Game

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I’m thankful for the smell of burning, r o s y candle

Cinnamon and syrup on hot porridge; coffee kick and apple crush and blackberry pop. Fairy lights in jam jars and pressed flowers in cookbooks. Chunky jumpers atop metallic nail polish blinking from beneath had-these-since-Year-Eight gloves. Thankful for the buzz of cold fingers in warm lecture theatres.

Thankful for the smell of cider and cigarettes. For the scratch of a page as you turn it.

“

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Epigram / Daisy Harriet-Game

I’m thankful for warm coffee on cold lips. Thankful for wet weather hair and rain dropped smiles.

Thankful for pumpkin seeds and lumpy, peppery soup and damp sparklers kicking to and fro among the last-minute shop-bought toffee apples.

I’m thankful for the crack and crunch of fallen leaves and the hollow touch of wet feet on shining

Cuffing Season

Laura Aish discovers the realities behind what we have come to call ‘cuffing season’

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Epigram / Rosa Stevens

u f f i n g season.

It sounds like some sort of weird fashion event on the calendar revolving around shirt sleeves. However, this phenomenon actually has nothing to do with shirt cuffs - or even cuff links.

So, what is cuffing season actually all about? According to the Urban Dictionary, the online tome of all things slang and current, the general definition of cuffing season seems to be when people who would ordinarily be content with being on their own start to seek out someone to endure the cold, winter months with.

That’s right. The warm summer months subside, the ice lollies and sunny days begin to fade into the far distant reaches of our memories and the colder weather and shorter days begin to draw in, bringing a sense of loneliness along with them.

The term cuffing appears to be a reference to handcuffs, suggesting that the person who is seeking out a relationship during this time is looking to essentially handcuff themselves to someone else for the duration of winter with the potential of forging a long-term relationship in the process.

The question is, though, is there actually any truth behind it? Apparently, after a cursory Google search, it seems so. It genuinely seems to be possible that people really do feel more drawn to seeking out partners and relationships in the colder winter months. There are

multiple articles written about it and it is used as a hashtag on various social media platforms.

Although it has become a funny meme and something we joke about, cuffing season highlights the fact that some of us really can feel more alone during times when couples are all over our screens, and couple’s actvities are rife.

Every romantic Christmas movie can leave us feeling lonely. A plethora of cheesy adverts showing everyone cuddling up in a cosy scene. That Christmas episode of your favourite show where all of the couples have cutesy moments, giving each other special gifts as the snow begins to gently fall around them.

It is important to remember though, that there are plenty of other ways to feel fulfilled than to seek out a new relationship, even if the pressure of what we see in the media around us may make us feel differently sometimes.

On the cusp of the New Year, a time famous for making new resolutions and making positive changes in our lives, it is the perfect time to start something new – and it certainly does not just have to be a new relationship.

This could also be the perfect time to take up a new class and learn a fresh skill or discover a new hobby. Why not try a new society or group? If you find yourselves at a class that involves making something, you could even double it up with some handy and budget gift ideas for your friends and family.

It seems that cuffing season is upon us.

It has nothing to do with shirt sleeves, or even cuff links, but it could be the perfect opportunity to try something new and start those New Year resolutions early.

December: What’s On

The festivities happening in Bristol which are not to be missed this December Broadmead Christmas Market Drinking mulled wine and eating Churros while wrapped up in scarves and hats on Broadmead is a December must.

Stokes Croft Beer Garden Stokes Croft Beer Garden are putting on screenings of all our favourite Christmas movies throughout December.

St Nicks Market St Nicks are running their winter night market on 06/12, all their regular marketbut with more food stalls, cider and live music.

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Wellbeing

Editor Bethany Harris Deputy Editor Rosie Angel-Clark Digital Editor Diana Toma

Why we should all talk more about our mental fitness

Patrick Sullivan puts a spotlight on talking about men’s mental health

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k The basis of Talk Club is that male tee Unsplash / Pra friends talk to each other all the time, but many fail to properly communicate when they are struggling. There’s the stereotype of men deflecting real issues by talking sport in the pub or bonding over video games, but also

Epigram / Patrick Sullivan

l

a confusion surrounding masculine to create a regular space in your traits and a reluctance to seek circles, regardless of gender, to give diagnosis or medical support. yourselves and those around you These general behavioural the opportunity to open patterns is a potential up if need be. contributor to the Another weekly statistic that session I have three out of four with my closesuicides in the knit friendship UK are men. group of mostly The first women is step is called Wine & creating a safe, Whine and has confidential a completely space where you different vibe can talk about to Talk Club, yet your life without it still achieves judgement, agendas, a similar sense s r STE VE / Ben Ake or distractions. And that’s of togetherness and all Talk Club is. No real advice, openness. There’s many ways solutions, or revolutions. It simply the same support system can be helps you realise where your head’s applied to different groups, but it’s at and is a marker for checking your particularly important for men to mental fitness every week rather acknowledge their need for it and take than seeking support for your mental conversations away from the pub and health. I personally have quite a hectic the screens. life, and confronting myself with the If you’re interested in coming along starting point - ‘How do you feel today, to our Talk Club, all self-identifying out of ten?’ - every Monday evening male students or staff are welcome gives me some breathing space to talk Mondays, 5-6pm. Simply message if I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s also Isaac or myself and we’ll add you to a massive relief to spend the session the group chat. Beyond that, we’ll being considered a human being happily help anyone set up their own rather than the walking machine of support group because we literally professionalism I can feel like during just booked a room, got a small group everyday University interactions. the together, and started talking. Since important things. then, I’ve certainly found it more I’d encourage everyone at University natural to be more open.

Ka tya

E

very Monday at 5pm I know I have a space to talk. Some weeks I talk about the good bits of life, other times about the stresses on my course, other times more personal matters. But every week, there’s a group of around five other men happy to listen.

Talk Club isn’t group therapy, and it’s important that nobody goes in expecting that. The charity started off the back of a documentary Bristolbased filmmaker Ben Akers made in memory of his childhood best friend, Steve Yates, who died of suicide aged 38 in 2014.

When I invited Ben to come speak to a group of around 15 students involved with Epigram Film & TV in October last year, I expected a conversation about how the film format can be used to accurately convey the feelings of mental illness. Instead, we got round in a circle and discussed how we could support ourselves and others.

It was easily one of my most emotional days in recent times, and, speaking to Ben about the University and the many issues our students face, made me realise that these conversations need to happen on a regular basis. Another student who came along, Isaac Haigh, has since become one of my closest friends and together we started our own small Talk Club towards the end of the 2018/19 academic year. It’s just us booking a quiet room in the Multifaith Chaplaincy once a week, gathering together between five and ten self-identifying men we know from all aspects of University life, and providing the space to talk about how you really feel in that time.

Eat well, feel well Alice Lampard reminds us how important the food we eat really is

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Unsplash / STIL

ie A ngel-Clark

Ep

hen I started university, I arrived at halls with cooking skills are limited!), but there are so many other boxes full of cooking equipment – my parents benefits. The main ones I have noticed are outlined below: had ensured I had everything I needed and sent me into the adult world equipped with my first Saving time in the long run. Batch cooking and cookbook, ‘Nosh for Students’. In the first couple of weeks I freezing portions in re-usable containers for another time didn’t even attempt cooking: I was far too busy meeting new is one of the best things about home cooking. people, enjoying the social life and adapting to university.

You can drag yourself home from a long day of university, I assured myself that I would start eating better once I had knowing that a lovely, nutritious, home-made meal is settled in properly. waiting for you in the freezer.

However, after the course work and social Saving money. Ready meals may seem like a good deal commitments started building up, I at first glance, but when you start to buy fresh vegetables found I kept resorting to the classic and raw ingredients rather than pre-made meals, your microwaveable ready meal. These weekly shopping bill will surprise you (in a good were always on offer at the local way!). supermarket and there seemed It’s your choice. No more trying to find ready to be so much choice. meals which omit that herb you hate or trawling After a long day at university, through the ingredients list to ensure that a it was so tempting to simply certain allergen isn’t present. pop one of these meals in With home-made meals, you can use whichever ig the microwave and within five ingredients you want and you can get creative and ra m /R minutes, it was ready. No dishes, no make meals you would never find on the shelf. osi eA Portion control. How many times have you felt time, no hassle. ngel-Clark hungry after eating a ready meal ‘ideal for one’? Or pushed On the surface this seemed ideal but that takeout to the side after the restaurant piles on the after several months of these dinners, their greasy mountain of chips? negative impact was starting to show.

When you make your meals, you’re in control.

My bank account was emptying much Eat as much as you want and have no guilt over quicker than I had anticipated and wasting. the ‘amazing’ choice of meals was Nutrition. The biggest problem with ready starting to seem limited, with most meals is what they contain – or rather, what meals consisting of the same sauces they don’t. Processed foods lack so many of the or vegetables and that familiar vitamins, minerals and proteins essential for a tomato-cheesy taste. os healthy and active life: no wonder you are always I was growing tired, and not just of /R ram feeling exhausted. the meals – my daily energy levels were Epig I remember being shocked the first time I ever low, much lower than they had ever been examined the back of a ready meal package – most of before. These meals were marketed them contain over 80 per cent of your daily recommended as the perfect ‘dinner-for-one’ saturated fats: a standard beef lasagne ready meal can packages, but I never seemed contain 93 per cent! fully satisfied consuming Start eating fresh vegetables daily and you will see one. I realised it was time an improvement in your energy levels within the to change. week.

I obtained advice from several friends who only eat home-made cooked Cooking every single evening is not what I’m meals. They gave me some suggesting, nor I am suggesting you should banish simple recipes and some all takeouts or ready meals. I’m aware that not advice on how to shop for everyone enjoys cooking and not everyone gets on fresh food without creating with their flatmates well enough to organise group d Epi par gram any waste. I dug out ‘Nosh for meals – but setting aside even just half an hour in the / Alice Lam Students’ from a box tucked under evening to make something fresh and healthy guarantees my bed and opened it for the first time. numerous benefits.

The transition took time, but I was soon cooking the It’s truly amazing how changing simple eating habits can majority of my meals. It’s not an easy change to make, going affect your energy levels and mood – trust me, you’ll feel from only eating ready meals to home cooking most of your more active, more motivated, better rested and you’ll be dinners – but I would certainly recommend it. Not only will shocked at the impact nutrition can have on both body and it taste nicer than microwave meals (yes, even if your mind.

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Women’s Health Crisis: a case study on PMDD Elena Venturelli shares her experience of living with PMDD

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y experience with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - which affects an estimated 5-10 per cent of women - addresses a wider issue of the outrageous lack of funding in women’s health. Many people have not even heard of the illness. Most drugs currently on the market were designed with men in mind. Not only that, this country has an appalling habit of ignoring the major effects that women’s hormones have on their overall health. I challenge anyone to tell me that feminism is in any way obsolete.

The name for this condition comes from it being akin to a very severe form of PMS (Pre-menstrual syndrome). In reality, PMDD is essentially an extreme genetic sensitivity to hormonal changes within the body, ovulation being among the most dramatic of those hormonal changes, which is why symptoms normally occur in a cyclical pattern, continuously triggered by ovulation which occurs seven to ten days before menstruation.

The lack of research into this condition is incredibly frustrating. I saw a quasi-misogynistic article in a major newspaper not that long ago claiming that PMS doesn’t exist, and that symptoms women have are completely normal. My clinician told me they were attempting to rename PMDD to something more severe sounding because of issues surrounding the belittlement of PMS, and the fact that since treating people they have found that ovulation isn’t the only trigger.

I was diagnosed with PMDD in 2017 after two long years of feeling completely misunderstood and desperately alone.

I am one of the lucky ones - most women suffer for a lot longer. 50 per cent more women than men are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and the best explanation for this is that women with PMDD have been misdiagnosed, due to many of the symptoms being almost identical.

Women with PMDD tend to have mainly psychological symptoms which include depression, suicidal thoughts, very intense mood swings, lethargy, over-excitement, anxiety and extreme sensitivity to both prescribed and recreational drugs. I am personally triggered by alcohol, caffeine and sometimes even too much artificial sugar.

Other women I have met with my condition share a similar experience that symptoms seem to come in ‘energy waves’.

The obscurity of my conditions means that, although 5-10 per cent of women are affected there is only one NHS

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Epigram / Elena Venturelli

Trigger warning: this article includes personal accounts of suicidal ideation and attempt

practice in the whole country that treats it. This means the current chances of any affected woman getting the correct treatment, assuming they are lucky enough to be diagnosed in the first place, are close to none.

Most people I have spoken to have little or no clue what PMDD is, let alone the impact it can have on a woman’s life.

This includes GPs and mental health professionals – trust me I have seen a lot them.

PMDD is a lifelong condition and there isn’t a cure.

Getting diagnosed is hard enough, because barely anyone knows about it, and many of the treatments available for the symptoms, such as antidepressants and contraceptive pills, are likely to make it worse due to the whole issue being a physical sensitivity. Many women result to experimenting with various alternative methods and lifestyle changes to make their condition manageable, which normally takes years.

According to statistics from ‘The Recovery Village’ website, 30 per cent of women with PMDD attempt suicide, and you are 70 per cent more likely to experience suicidal ideation if you are a woman with PMDD, compared to a woman without.

Last week, I admitted myself to A&E because I was considering suicide. I was having mood swings every few hours varying between deep depression and complete elation. I told them about my PMDD and that I believed it was the cause. The first doctor I saw told me the plan was to ignore hormones for now, and he promised to put a psychiatric team on my case.

I was put under 24-hour observation where I was given Continued over page...

Epigram / Elena Venturelli

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50 per cent more women than men are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and the best explanation for this is that women with PMDD have been misdiagnosed, due to many of the symptoms being almost identical

“

Starting an Instagram: @pmdd_awareness If any of the issues in this article affect you, you can contact and talk to any of these organisations.

Samaritans – for everyone 116 123; jo@samaritans.org Papyrus – for people under 35 0800 068 41 41; selected hours 07786 209697; pat@papyrus-uk.org Childline – for under 19’s 0800 1111 – number won’t show up on your phone bill Bristol Nightline - for Bristol students 01179 266 266, 8pm - 8am or visit the University’s Wellbeing services bristol.ac.uk/wellbeing

...a bed without bedding, I had to ask three times for water and eventually got a blanket too. I was seen after a sleepless night by a mental health doctor. She seemed very good, but by that time I was in a good mood and spoke well, and she told me I don’t show sufficient signs of bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, so she sent me home immediately with a few leaflets with numbers for crisis teams. As I left, I noticed a sign outside saying that the hospital was rated ‘Outstanding’. Later that day I tried to jump out of a window at the doctors’ surgery, because, at the time, I was in agonising emotional pain and something snapped in my brain that convinced me that the world was pure evil and not worth living in.

I don’t blame any of the health practitioners for what happened. They don’t have the knowledge or means of treating my condition, and there isn’t a proper medical system in place for PMDD sufferers.

Since this incident, that I can only refer to as mental breakdown, I have decided that enough is enough, and I want to spread as much awareness as I can. Part of my recovery so far involved me walking around campus with a hand-written sign saying ‘STOP IGNORING FEMALE HORMONES’ on my 20th birthday, as seen in this image. I needed to feel I had a purpose.

As I’ve mentioned, I am very lucky because my family can afford for me to see a private clinician in London who has been personally researching PMS and PMDD for years.

Thanks to a £400 blood test, it was found that my natural oestrogen and testosterone levels were so low that they didn’t even show up on the scale.

My family aren’t rich, but they are extremely supportive and have pushed very hard for my treatment, which consists of transdermal gels that I rub into the skin on my arms every night. I wouldn’t have been able to finish my A-levels without what I have previously referred to as my ‘miracle gels’. I saw a staggering improvement in my mental and physical health, but as I said there isn’t a definitive cure, and my condition has worsened again since.

There are also long-term physical effects to having PMDD, the major one being a high chance of developing osteoporosis - crumbling bones - which normally occurs in old age. My clinician tested my bones for free as an experiment, and despite being only 19 at the time I have osteopenia, or weak bones - not quite crumbling yet.

Fortunately for me my hormone gels should prevent this condition from deteriorating.

My clinician has a theory that I find incredibly interesting regarding PMS and PMDD both. The cause may be evolutionary: women’s main function in society for thousands of years has been childbearing, and only 150 years ago most women would spend most of their lives pregnant or breastfeeding. Hence the evolution of female brains hasn’t been able to catch up with this drastic change in lifestyle, causing many hormone-related mental health issues for women.

From this, it seems obvious to me that life for many women is still very much of a struggle, and the government doesn’t seem to be doing much to help. There are also suggestions that autism in women - another very poorly funded area - is linked to PMDD. Maybe tackling the issues of poor funding into women’s health could result in a faster increase in women in STEM industries and high-power jobs.

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Food

Editor Virginia Campbell Deputy Editor Emma Bayley-Melendez

Zero to hero: the affordability of zero-waste Molly Pipe investigates the zero-waste scene in Bristol and whether the lifestyle is achievable on a student budget

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Whilst not necessarily being a haven for budget shoppers there are certainly cheaper-than-supermarket products to be found in Smaller Footprints. At Hungry Caterpillar Co-op I

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Epigram / Molly Pipe

ne Wednesday, I walk into the Multifaith asked whether zero-waste shops could price-match like that Chaplaincy to find an unexpected scene with consistently. ‘If you did it on the scale of a supermarket, possibly,’ the kitchen taken over by bags of grains, a Lea says, but both are troubled by the challenges this might cotton sign has been hung over the counter, face. There still remains conflict around supermarkets going and students are weighing up pots of ingredients. It’s zero-waste especially when it is so much cheaper Ma itl a z n a d p / To often like that, Elizabeth Wilde tells me ‘we get to pack something in plastic which is markedly m a igr people coming in and they say “I’d heard about cheaper ‘than with jars, because it’s costed by Ep you, but I had no idea what you did”’. The weight’ as Elizabeth said. There are signs ‘you’ in the picture is the Hungry Caterpillar that supermarkets are beginning to make Co-op; it’s a pop-up store, run by students, changes on plastic. The UK Plastic Pact of that sells unpackaged goods for a fraction 2018, for example, which saw supermarkets of the price of most zero-waste shops. promise to make all plastic packaging They’re there every week in term time and reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 have been around for ten years; yet it seems shows a certain degree of commitment but that this is one of Bristol’s best-kept secrets. these often have less bearing when you dig beneath the surface. As Lea says, ‘recyclable is It’s a shame that hardly anyone comes in here, a very easy scapegoat,’ and as for the compostable Elizabeth confides in me and I can’t help feeling I packaging, ‘most of it doesn’t actually work outside of agree. President of the society, Lea, tells me the prices are city composting facilities, so you need professional facilities lower than you’d get in any commercial zero-waste shop and for it to have any effect.’ even lower than in some supermarkets. Affordability is a major plus for students. One tells me that it’s a much more accesAs the casual observer, I tell them, I’ve often felt that people sible way to shop sustainably. Here products are sold for the who consider themselves ‘normal’ are put off by the hipster same price at which they’re bought from the suppliers - ‘which image of zero-waste. Grant had been surprised when I said this is really cool’. Despite being cool there’s no real opportunity to to him – even a little outraged. ‘I really don’t understand how raise profit: with no staff to pay and no rent to keep up with it’s hipster,’ he said. ‘[It’s] a very logical thing to do when you does this mean that not-for-profit zero-waste shops are only look at what we’re doing to the planet.’ But Lea and Elizabeth available for those with money? get where I’m coming from. ‘It has that image, I don’t think rightfully so,’ Lea says. ‘But there are enough people that come Yes and no, says Grant Mercer. Grant is an ex-Civil Servant in with washed-out takeaway containers, and lots that do it from Smaller Footprints (a Clifton zero-waste shop) and he because of the price. They all care about the environment, but stated that affordability really depends on what you’re buying.

I think that that is not to everyone the biggest selling point.’

‘There are sections which are cheaper,’ he says, pointing out This image shouldn’t be allowed to detract from what they are the dried fruit, herbs and nuts but the areas: ‘where we don’t actually doing and in Lea’s words, ‘It’s not to look pretty, it’s not do so well are pasta and grains.’ He gestures to the ‘22p/100g’ a ‘lifestyle’ choice. It’s an environmental choice.’ labels on the pasta containers. Even with slightly higher prices here he calculates that ‘you could be spending five to ten pounds more over the course of a year to save on all that plastic.’ Not all the price tags differ by a matter of pennies from the supermarket price. Reusable make-up wipes cost £14.90 for a bag of 12 (they’re £1 for 25 in Boots), and a razor with five double-sided blades is £11.90 (£9.90 more than its Tesco equivalent). However, as Grant says, when you look beyond the initial cost, many of these products work out cheaper in the long run.

Poco Tapas Bar: small plates and big ideas

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Virginia Campbell reviews an inspiring Bristol centerpiece

apas is a cult; it’s followers a henotheistic mob of smallplates-only missionaries.

but the pork itself: beautiful.

My pilgrimage to Poco Tapas Bar in Bristol’s Stokes Croft was not marred by such apprehensions; the doctrine and dogma of this place was well known to me. Having won a host of sustainability awards since their opening in 2004, I could not feign indifference at their

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

As of last year, I was not such a pagan.

The little tapas that I had dabbled in was full of soggy patatas bravas and little else. It was found in garish faux-Spanish joints with grumbling waiters and exposing lights.

Soon after we were gifted with two towering shrines. One in the form of a roasted apple and pork belly chunk supporting a slab of crackling, the other in the shape of a highly umami bitter-lime,

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shiitake, carlin pea and squash cold plate.

Whilst both towers were, much to my delight, deconstructed promptly, it was the amalgamative tenderness of the pork belly that truly had me converted. The crackling was disappointingly unsalted,

stand-out manifesto. With statements such as ‘5% to 100% of our waste is composted and recycled’ and ‘our fresh produce is 100% seasonal without exception’, I would defy anyone to.

And what a holy combination it was: light, creamy, punchy but smooth. If Tesco’s don’t start stocking this soon in huge tubs I’ll be thoroughly disappointed.

form of the honey, saffron and yoghurt panna cotta. Though it was more akin to a standard honeyed Greek yogurt, it was pleasant enough. I should however, sooner become a follower of the savoury sect of this religion.

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

If the holy breaking of bread existed in this cult, it would be in the form of the locally sourced and unexplainably chewy sourdough bread which accompanied the marrowfat pea, confit garlic and rosemary fava bean purée.

Our final taste of ambrosia came in the

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

The ethos was entrancingly good, the pices reasonable, and the food generally rather brilliant

To accompany, and in lieu of the aforementioned soggy patatas bravas, some super crunchy (though alas also undersalted) ‘punched potatoes’.

Epigram/Virginia Campbellof

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Further confirming my progression into cultdom was the mallard breast with swede purée, pear, braised leek, bacon and a plum red wine jus. The rouge of the mallard spoke of talented cooking, but the true stars of the show were the velvety braised leeks, infused with the sweet and developed jus. I could have eaten a plate of those alone.

The ethos was entrancingly good, the prices reasonable, and the food generally rather brilliant. It brought a sacredness and respect to the food that should never be lost. I shall happily follow it through the seasons spreading the word of its teachings.

Poco Tapas Bar can be found at: 45 Jamaica Street,Bristol, BS2 8JP.

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Recipe: Stegt Flæsk med Persillesovs Our Food Editor investigates what our Nordic neighbours have on their menu

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Teaming up again with The Croft’s Travel section, we visit Denmark and get to grips with their national dish that’s much less scary than it sounds (don’t worry, we can’t pronouce it either!)

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Method: 1.

Preheat oven to 200 °C .

2. Brush the pork with the oil and season well with the sea salt. Place on a rack, on a roasting tray in the oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Turn over halfway through cooking.

3. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with the salt and plenty of cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in

Ingredients • 800 g boneless pork belly, cut into 1 cm-wide slices

a separate saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a ‘roux’.

5. Gradually whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to thicken to your desired consitency by leaving the

• 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 kg new potatoes

mixture to simmer. Season with salt and pepper,

• 2 tbsp salt

then add the parsley.

• sea salt flakes, to season

6. Drain the potatoes and serve alongside the pork belly and parsley sauce.

Parsley sauce: • 50g butter • 35 g plain flour

TIP: Wrapping the pork in foil for five minutes after they’ve been cooked will ensure the meat stays crisp and tender.

Epigram/Jac k Be Epigram / Hannah Ross

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• 500 ml milk • ½ tspsalt • ½ cup finely shredded curly or flatleaf parsley, plus extra, to serve

Cocktail of choice: The Crumble This cocktail is a fusion of Bradsell’s Bramble and the classic apple crumble, two quintessentially British icons. The fruity tones are characteristic of the turn from summer to autumn, so a perfect one for this time of year!

1.

Add 50ml gin, 15ml of cloudy apple juice, 10ml lime juice, 10ml sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake and then strain into a glass with fresh crushed ice. Stir in the crème de cassis until uniform in colour.

3. N.B Sugar syrup can be made at home by heating sugar and water in a 2:1 ratio – just don’t let it boil!

Waste not want not: Aunt Sorrel responds Agony Aunt Sorrel helps out some busy students with a savvy food app Epigram / Emma Bayley-Melendez

With university in full swing food will naturally become harder to prepare especially when you are worried about getting deadlines in on time. If you’re wanting to save your pennies but also be less wasteful then I think you simply must download the app Too Good To Go. Food on there is not only cheaper than buying it in the store but it is food that would have been wasted if it wasn’t

Epigram / Emma Bayley-Melendez

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ear Auntie , It’s deadline season and despite making my best effort to prepare food from scratch I spend most of my day sat in the ASS. Can you offer me some cheap ethical solutions; I am trying to reduce the impact I have on the environment?

purchased through the app.

It’s so simple to use and considers your location so you can pick the best deals that are closest to you - it’s a win win!

One student was thrilled to get a magic bag from Eat A Pitta - the holy grail for students under stress - and, at £2.99, it won’t break the bank and you get enough food to last a few days.

Other places on the app include Pizzarova, Pinkmans and Cafe du Jour, amongst others. Just make sure you buy the food the day before you are going to collect.

Have you been having trouble in the kitchen and don’t know who to turn to? Contact Aunt Sorrel via our Facebook page: Epigram Food Writers 2019/20

Competition

Win a hot drink and pastry for two at the newly opened ‘Cloakroom Cafe’ on Woodland Road by cooking the Danish recipe opposite and sending us a photo! Send your photos to: epigramfood@gmail.com

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

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Style​

Editor Orin Carlin Digital Editor Laura Mallinson Deputy Editor Lilly Hill

Leopard print lovin’

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Jemima Carr-Jones sings the praises of an old favourite

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t’s 10.30am and as I’m making coffee number three I catch sight of my leopard clad legs. Leopard print has increasingly become a wardrobe staple for me. In fact the other day a friend of mine asked, ‘Jemima, do you always wear leopard print? Were you wearing leopard print before it got boujie?’ I vaguely remember answering yes, but I’m now wondering when exactly did leopard print even get to be ‘boujie?’ Has it ever even been ‘boujie,’ and why - for goodness sake - do I love it so much? I realise I actually know very little about my beloved leopard print. I only know how it makes me feel: fantastic.

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Whether you see leopard print as garish, kitsch, exotic, glam or truly just of poor-taste, it has undeniably stood the test of time.

Needless to say, sartorially the print goes back very far. Ancient Greek art depicting the god Dionysus is always depicted wearing leopard print or riding one. During the Egyptian period leopard print was worn by the likes of pharaohs and priests.

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In 2019 I like leopard print because it’s versatile - unlike most patterns it can be paired with virtually any colour palette (minus greys for some reason), and therefore fits well in a capsule wardrobe. It can be dressed up or down and it’s always a bit groovy.

@Courtesy Everett Collection

I’ll leave you with one final thought: Christian Dior once said, “If you are fair and sweet, don’t wear it.”

etty Im ages

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So, have I only liked leopard print since it got boujie? Well no, because it’s been ubiquitous for centuries, empowering both women and men who feel a certain way on the inside with a wish to present this on the outside. @G

During the 1940s and 50s the print’s association with eroticism was born. Mass-manufacturing of clothing was picking up steam and with that there was a considerable rise in leopard-print lingerie and corsets shown on American pin-up girls.

Simultaneously, fur coats became increasingly symbolic for affluence and social standing.

Later on in 1991, fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa featured an abundance of leopard in his collection, resulting in compliments that commented on his skill in capturing the dichotomy of leopard print in being simultaneously both confident and neutral.

Leopard print additionally projects an undeniable confidence.

Personally, I was a shy child and my mother didn’t help as she used to dress me in the most chintzy Boden clothes. I’ll always remember a particularly awful pair of bright pink cotton trousers with images of parsnips pasted all over by some designer hell-bent on ruining my childhood. Needless to say, leopard print is now symbolic for me - I suppose because of the confidence I discovered in myself on entering my teens. Critics call it trashy, cheap and yes there certainly are some examples worthy of this denunciation. But this is not all leopard print.

Pick your print as you would pick an avocado at the supermarket - carefully. Like anything, it all comes down to how you style it.

Sustainability, surplus and saving the planet

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Eliza England shares her brand new idea to champion not-new clothes

he fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, responsible for 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. With people wearing items of clothing on average just five times before throwing them away, our planet is dying. On discovering this, I felt a duty to at least try and make a change. As an individual who was previously guilty of buying endless items purely because they were cheap, I felt a little hypocritical trying to enter the world of sustainable fashion. Feel the same way? Keep reading.

MeWe Fashion is a new sustainable Bristol fashion brand based on renting and lending clothes. It’s simple. If you’re a lender, you send them pictures of the items you want to lend. They put these on our Instagram for renters to browse. Once selected by a renter for a week, you send the item to that renter and they pay you for that week. We have a deposit system in place to keep your items protected.

If you’re a renter, you can browse our Instagram and tell us what you want and when. The item will be sent to you once you have paid.

At the end of your week, you send the item back to the lender.

We’re Bristol based so try and walk to a meeting point to deliver items instead of using the post – we’re trying to save the planet after all!

So those dresses you bought for that one party that you know you’re only going to wear maybe one more time (and only if it’s with a different group of people), maybe you should think about putting them on MeWe? You’ll earn money whilst you’re not wearing it without having to sell it. The renter pays less for a dress which they were also planning on wearing just once.

And finally, nothing is thrown away or wasted. But MeWe is not limited to dresses.

Whatever you want to lend and make money from is perfect for MeWe, be it streetwear, suits or costumes; we are open to anything you want.

So far, we’re just a couple of weeks old and we need your support. There are many exciting things lined up for the future but for those things to happen we need lenders and renters.

Find us on Instagram: @mewefashionuk Email us: mewefashionuk@gmail.com.

For more information, go to our website www.mewefashion.wordpress.com.

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Orin Carlin honours her constant outfit saviour

ear trusty black nylons, I owe you, big time. You are a friend I can rely on, always ready to lend a hand in my times of fashion need. Ever able to hide a multitude of sins, I can count on you to shield my perhaps ungroomed, dry or pasty (or likely a combination of all three) legs from the outside world.

I bloody love winter fashion. Layering is so effortless and it’s the best feeling to be cosy and snug rather than exposed and sweaty like in summer. Tights - if the right denier - can be fantastically warm despite me always being told that I must be freezing. I couldn’t possibly go any lower than 60 on a chilly day.

Although this love letter is primarily addressed to opaques, it would be remiss of me not to mention your similarly beloved sisters: patterned tights.

They are such fun! I adore them all florals, spots, chevrons and sparkly pair for any occasion past 1st December.

You are so easy to be around, going with anything and everything.

I’d struggle to find a skirt or dress that you wouldn’t get along with because you’re brilliantly versatile. Not only that, but you are deliciously comfortable, miles better than the stiffness of jeans.

There’s something about your silky smooth feel that just makes me feel instantly put together and ready to tackle the day ahead.

I cannot thank you enough!

Love from Orin x

Double, double, oil and trouble Editor Orin Carlin

If you suffer from dry skin, i.e. lacking in oil, the winter weather can wreak havoc on your poor face. The combination of chilly temperatures, central heating blasts and blustery gales will likely leave you flaky, uncomfortable and chapped.

Enter facial oils.

While I do not recommend oils for daytime - they do not provide a good base for under makeup - they are perfect for slathering on just before bed so you can wake up feeling comfortably moisturised.

FACIAL OIL, £28 | SPACE NK

OKA STIC | LO

FACIAL OIL, £3.49 | SUPERDRUG

| ASO S

£10

£11 | ASO

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£8 | A SOS

REN’s Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Serum Oil is an old favourite of mine. It is absorbed very easily and does not feel at all greasy but instead leaves your skin feeling lovely and supple.

£4.5 0

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Thanksgiving letters

If you are at the end of your loan and strapped for cash, Superdrug’s Vitamin E Skin Oil is an excellent alternative. It does not absorb as quickly as the REN but if you can cope with that, it offers great moisture at an affordable price point.

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The X-ema Files

Daisy Lacey shares her top tips for dealing with both dry skin and eczema

ver since I was born not only have I suffered with eczema, but I have always hated the cold weather. And unfortunately for me, the two go hand in hand to cause me extreme discomfort. However, after years of trial and error, I have managed to find a routine that works for me during these cold winter months. I thought I’d share some recommendations whilst bearing in mind the needs of the suffering student and their potential budget.

In short, grease is good whether in the form of oil or emollients - do not fear the grease! I know it can feel uncomfortable but if it enables you to maintain calm and soft skin all year round, try to embrace it.

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5 NSING OIL, £9.2 | AVEENO

EAM, £14 | LUSH

BODY LOTIO N,

I try and keep my skin routine very minimal as I don’t want to aggravate my skin any more than necessary, but sometimes I do resort

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Not only does this product contain the wonders that are olive oil and cocoa butter, but all proceeds go to small grassroot organisations that are close to the heart and ethos of the company.

The more affordable choice is another product from Aveeno: their Apricot scented moisturising body yoghurt.

Again oatmeal is at the heart of the moisturiser. The product gently nourishes the skin and the scent isn’t too strong either.

CLEA

With both products, use a slow and steady dry brush first on your body. This might seem counterproductive, but it increases your circulation and gets rid of any flakes of dead skin.

Take care if you have sensitive skin and massage the brush in slow circles.

to some slghtly more expensive products. It is easy to go overboard with the application of skincare on your eczema but you should use products sparingly.

To tend to the body there are two showstoppers I use: Lush’s Charity Pot and Aveeno’s body yoghurt.

R SHOWE

I have two suggestions for use when washing in the shower or the bath: Aveeno’s daily moisturising cleansing oil, and Lush’s oaty creamy dreamy shower cream. Both of these products contain oats which are known for their moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties. I will say though, be careful when using the cleansing oil - you’ll be slipping and sliding everywhere!

BODY YOGURT, £5.25 |AVEENO

editors’ picks

HAIRDRYER, £79.95 | PARLUX “This superlative hair dryer cannot be beaten. I was reminded of my love for it this week when my hairdresser whipped it out and gave me the mother of all blowdries.This helping hand is much adored by the professionals, and rightly so!”

HAND CREAM, £5 | THE BODY SHOP “With the cold bite of winter beginning to draw in, it’s important to protect our hands against the chill. I’ve always loved The Body Shop hand creams and they’re super affordable! My go to is the Shea Butter.”

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BOBBLE HAT, £7.99 | NEW LOOK “I love bobble hats in the winter season for two reasons: first, they keep your ears warm (duh). Secondly, no one can tell that you’re only wearing a hat because you’re having a bad hair day. Shhhh!”

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Deputy Editor Hendrike Rahtz revives the timeless leopard print for a cold, sunny Sunday this November.

Travel

Editor Lily Donnelly Deputy Editor Emma Loubser Digital Editor Will Holmes

Travel photo competition

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The results are in...

fter a great deal of debate, the Epigram Travel Team have decided on the winning photo, as well as highly commended and shortlisted photos! The top photo from each category is featured below, while the collection is available online.

Congratulations to everyone who is featured, and thank you to everyone who participated.

Winner - Daniel Harris (Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay)

A photo I took from a lighthouse, looking back into the seaside town of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.

Highly commended Emma Croggon (Dolomites, Italy)

Shortlisted Talhah Nesar (Hong Kong)

View from Rifugio Nuvolau, Italy. Halfway through the Alta Via 1, we got up at 4 to see the sun rise over the dolomites.

This picture was taken in Hong Kong- also known as the concrete jungle.

If you are a budding travel photographer, or just want to share some photos of your own adventures abroad, please email them to: epigramtravel1920@gmail.com.

19

Russia: Defining Feminism

ussia’s complex relationship with feminism is something that’s intrigued me ever since I began studying its language and culture, and in February I finally found myself sitting on a plane bound for Tomsk, Siberia, ready to live amongst Russians for the first time. It felt like the culmination of the last two years of hard work, and I was filled with a cocktail of excitement and impending dread, as everything I’d learnt was about to be put to the test.

As I and my fellow Bristol students attempted to adjust to our new icy but beautiful hometown, we began to consider topics for our essay assessment. During class, I decided to raise the subject of feminism with one of our teachers, Tatiana. She was one of a motley crew of 6 stern but kind Russian women who taught us everything from grammar to media studies. After a pause, and an exhale of breath that sounded both amused and bewildered, she replied ‘in Russia we don’t have feminism’, going on to explain that many Russian women have difficulty with the label ‘feminist’.

Tatiana suggested that because Russian women were granted many freedoms after the revolution of 1917 (with the introduction of laws enabling women the vote, abortion rights and paid maternity leave to name a few) they have not needed to fight for their emancipation in the way many of their European counterparts have. Because of this, she observed that many women today in Russia find it hard to identify with or affiliate themselves with the feminist cause because historically women were given these rights by law, without need for struggle or protest.

Despite this, I couldn’t help but feel that Tatiana had only illuminated part of the picture, so I decided to broach the subject with one of my female friends at Tomsk Polytechnic University, Rufina. She told me that from a young age she thought feminists were women who hated men. It wasn’t until she experienced sexism at the hands of a male professor, who refused to help her with a programming

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project because she was a woman and ‘should be having children’, that she began to research women’s rights in Russia.

She stumbled upon the YouTube channel ‘NixelPixel’, run by a young woman named Nikita, and after watching several of her videos, Rufina now considers herself a feminist.

This realisation however has put a strain on relationships with the closest people in her life: she has recently broken up with her boyfriend because of their different views. When I asked if her friends and family knew about her opinions, she admitted she can’t discuss feminism with them because they don’t not understand it, blaming this on negative media coverage of female activists. Rufina recognizes that her own upbringing has shaped her outlook on women’s rights, saying that there are still some aspects of feminism that will take time for her to accept and understand.

After chatting with Rufina about the current situation in Russia I felt somewhat inspired and comforted, as I had proven my teacher Tatiana wrong: of course there is a feminist movement in Russia. Rufina had however pointed out that she comes from a small, Siberian town and attitudes towards feminism in Moscow (a hefty 2,240 miles away from Tomsk) are different. She muses that whilst it is a challenge to change such engrained beliefs about women’s roles in older generations, she is hopeful that in 10 years or so, Siberian people will become more understanding and accepting of feminism. Until then, she is herself continuing to learn and expand her knowledge of women’s rights and gaining the confidence to share it with her peers.

As I prepared to leave Tomsk I began to reflect on my time in Russia and what I’d learnt. I realised that what had impacted me the most from my time in Siberia was the people I had met and the insight into their outlooks on the world, particularly on a subject that was so divisive and complex in Russia. Perhaps the response Tatiana gave me did not mean ‘in Russia we don’t have feminism’ but instead ‘in Russia we have a different kind of feminism’.

Epigram/ Eve McGrady

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Epigram/ Eve McGrady

Eve McGrady and the feminist education she received in Russia

Studying in Copenhagen Epigram/ Joshua Daniels

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Epigram/ Joshua Daniels

Benjamin Salmon on how he embraced the Danish weather

ou may have watched enviously as your older sibling’s friend forged a typical Spanish tan on their study abroad placement in Valencia. You may even feel like that is what studying abroad is all about – enjoying a six-month holiday in the sun. But you can still have the time of your life even when the temperature is not quite so Mediterranean. Taking the (literal, as will be explained later) plunge and choosing somewhere on the colder side of mild to spend my exchange was a decision I hold no regrets over.

From February to July this year, I studied abroad in Copenhagen. The city may be known for Hans Christian Andersen’s cutesy fairy tales and the cutting-edge gastronomy at Noma, but there is a whole lot more to this city than the gimmicks. Denmark’s lamentable weather may seem to some as somewhat of a challenge, and at times it was, but it also opened up opportunities through the life of a different culture.

One way is through an incessant use of saunas. These cosy wooden boxes are a way of life in this part of the world and with good reason. They bring warmth to the cold winters in Scandinavia and, as any good Dane will tell you, they can’t be experienced without afterwards plunging into the brisk but exhilarating (and surprisingly clean) waters around Copenhagen harbour. Before this exchange to Copenhagen, I didn’t even like saunas!

The best sauna experience out there is at La Banchina – a restaurant/café/bar on the water about a 15-minute bus ride north of the city centre. Punters can enjoy world-class food and drink and then go enjoy the sauna, followed by a dip in the chilly yet remedial Baltic Sea – absolutely worth it, trust me.

If saunas and cold-water swimming make you hungry (they do), then there is a wealth of choice to fill that void. Nowadays, Copenhagen is rightly known as the pioneer of New Nordic Cuisine, which utilises overlooked local ingredients to produce outof-this-world flavours – though these usually come with a hefty price tag.

In more of a student price range, Copenhagen is full to the brim with convivial restaurants and cheap eats to keep you sustained during the cold. For cosy vibes head to Café Halvvejen in the city centre. Traditional Danish dishes – think meatballs, stew and seafood – wood-panelling and good beer on tap transport you back to the Copenhagen of old. It is the kind of place Copenhagen’s own Søren Kierkegaard would have found the true essence of a good life.

To sample truly hearty Danish food, trying smørrebrød is a must. Essentially a fancy open-faced sandwich, smørrebrød is somewhere near what tasty sustenance should be and most places do it nicely. Hallernes Smørrebrød in Torvehallerne food market provides hungry customers with this scrumptious and filling Danish staple – be it with roast pork, smoked salmon, egg and shrimp, or beef tartare – all for less than a tenner.

Nothing warms one up like alcohol does, which is great when Copenhagen has suitably cosy drinking establishments to fit the bill. Bo-Bi Bar is just one of the many ‘bodegas’ (traditional pub-like bars) found dotted around the city. Its faded walls and smoky interior may not sound like fun, but cheap prices (this city is very expensive) and a buzzing clientele with a wide age range provide the ingredients for a great bar. It is not uncommon for total strangers to end up best friends by 2am, buying rounds for each other.

I received many queries before I set off on my semester abroad: why are you choosing to go to a land of darkness? Why are you choosing cold weather when you could go to California or Australia? But I would not have swapped it for anywhere else. The city wears its frosty Nordic situation on its sleeve, showing what’s possible when it includes hearty food, copious drink and brilliant sauna action. When such a creative, accessible, welcoming, at times cosy, and effortlessly cool city embraces you whatever the weather, you know you’ve found a home.

Epigram/Joshua Daniels

Flick through to the food section to find a traitional Danish recipe!

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Helpful for your career

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Epigram / Anna Davis

Georgie Rea tells all about life at the University of Bordeaux, and how it led her to the European Court of Justice

eek 4 into your year abroad and you’re doesn’t remotely cut it. It’s bound to be seriously competitive supposed to be having the time of your and I don’t think I’ve got a hope in hell. I start my cover life. But the hangover is hitting, classes letter, with the usual spiel about my academics and work have started, and it turns out that once the experience and I imagine the recipient placing it onto a pile welcome parties end, real life returns. of pages outlining the lives of equally competent lawyer It’s not the home sickness that’s getting to you, it’s the linguists. disappointment you feel in yourself for feeling homesick.

The European Court of Justice is in Luxembourg You’re an MFL student, adventure and travel is in your blood, which is similar to Strasbourg in terms of its cultural so why do you feel so out of sorts? and historical significance as the heart of European This is a turning point faced by all year abroad students. jurisprudence. So, I added this paragraph to my cover letter.

The adrenaline that got you through the first weeks has 'During my year abroad, I won a photography competition faded and you wonder how this year which stretches for my photograph of Strasburg Cathedral, with out before you like a mirage could possibly help both French and German architecture in the "My your career, let alone your wellbeing. streets leading up to it, entitled “the Heart of year abroad Whilst at the University of Bordeaux, the Europe”'. minimal contact hours came as a shock to my In an interview about the photograph, I taught me system, and with a limited budget and only so stressed how important it is for young people, more than much sight-seeing and drinking one Erasmus and particularly young lawyers, to keep in just French student can do, I took some initiative and touch with European news and politics. joined several societies. Between drama and Turns out I was bang on the money. law and photography, I became busy and my everyday I’ve now been working at the Court for 5 language."

French improved more during these activities than months and the collegiate atmosphere among in my law lectures. the trainees from across Europe has defined my Fast forward 3 years. I’m about to be called to the bar of experience here.

England and Wales after an intense year of training to be a My year abroad taught me more than just French law and barrister. My French has long since forsaken me and my book language. I made friends from far flung cities in Eastern shelves of Baudelaire and Zola have been replaced with Civil Europe, watched films about migrant communities in Procedure and Blackstone’s criminal practice. The Brexit southern France, took bla bla cars to places I didn't know fiasco has meant that my dream to practice EU law has been existed. put on hold, as I branch out into more general areas of public No matter how good my legal analysis and ability to read law.

French judgments, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take ... And then a friend messaged me. 'They’re looking for this job, let alone be accepted onto the placement, without a trainee in the cabinet of the UK’s judge at the European the experiences I achieved on my year abroad.

Court of Justice. I don’t know many other people with a joint Moreover, it's the experiences you don't expect to have honours Law and French degree'. during that year which could end up leading you to where The job starts in 3 weeks. Calling it the job of a lifetime you want to go.

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Digital Editor Emma Holding reminisces about her Barcelona break back in blisteringly hot August.

Autumnal Outings

Our Editors share what they’ve been up to during Autumn Reading Week, taking a break from dissertations

Digital Editor Emma Holding captures some red-hot fireworks on Bonfire Night in Brisol

Editor Daisy Farrow takes her dog Hawkin for an early-morning autumnal walk back in Wales

Back home for her Reading week, Emma Holding takes dog, Dugley, to bask in the multi-coloured leaves of Fall

Deputy Editor Hendrike Rahtz snaps a clear sunset over our city’s favourite landmark, Clifton Suspension Bridge

Have any good photos of Bristol or student life? Submit them to thecroft.epigram@gmail.com for a chance of featuring on the back page!