EPIGRAM 312

Fortnightly 13th March 2017 Issue 312

University of Bristol’s Award Winning Independent Student Newspaper

www.epigram.org.uk

£3 million for fossil free Uni Johnny Thalassites Living Editor

Jamie Corbin

Students in 2015 protesting on Tyndall Avenue: Campaigns against Bristol University’s links to fossil fuels have been a feature of the last several years

The University of Bristol has declared that it will divest its endowment funds from carbon intensive sectors of the fossil fuel industry.

This follows a campaign by the university’s Fossil Free Society – began by former student, Rachel Simon, in 2014 – and will see investment now targeted at companies working to reduce carbon emissions.

Paloma Parkes, Head of the Fossil Free Society, has said that she is pleased with the move.

‘This has demonstrated how far perseverance and environmental commitment can go’, Parkes said.

Parkes added that, ‘we [Fossil Free Society] will continue to be involved and will keep pushing for continued improvement’.

Professor Guy Orpen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bristol, commented that the University is ‘proud to be a sector-leader in sustainability’ – having helped to introduce what the Fossil Free Society has called ‘one of the clearest and most wide-ranging’ plans of its kind in Britain.

‘Our new investment policy has been developed to be consistent with our sustainability aims’, Orpen claimed.

Continued on page 3

Bristol Mayor and former health minster back Epigram mental health campaign Ben Parr Editor in Chief The Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees and former health minister Norman Lamb MP are among the people who have voiced support for Epigram’s mental health awareness campaign, #14Conversations.

From the 13th - 27th March Epigram will be teaming up with Burst Radio to help raise awareness of mental health by publishing articles, podcasts and videos centred on the idea

of having your first conversation with someone about mental health. The #14Conversations campaign will also be raising money for Off The Record. Off the Record are a local charity that provides free counselling for young people in Bristol. As well as this, Off The Record also run group workshops and provide other support.

In his video of support of the #14Conversations campaign, Marvin Rees praised the work of Off The Record.

‘I know it is an incredible an organisation who’ve actually contributed to our own mental

health policy in Bristol… they offer counselling for all people including large numbers of students’, Rees said.

Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem Health Spokesperson and formerly the minister who was responsible for mental health, also expressed his support for #14Conversations.

‘Having a discussion with someone about mental health can be so important, whether it’s a loved one, a friend, a neighbour or even perhaps a work colleague it could be the thing that gets that person to seek help’, Lamb said.

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan MP also spoke to Epigram about the importance of talking about mental health at university.

‘Often when you come to university it’s a whole different environment particularly if you’ve been in a school environment where you’ve been very supported, you’ve had small classes and you’ve had your time planned for you… it’s a big transition in life.

‘I think there’s a lot we can do about stigma, getting people to talk about their mental health’, Morgan said.

Epigram launches #14conversations wellbeing campaign Find out more on page 2

Features When did we become the ‘Oxbridge reject’ uni - page 8

Facebook.com/EpigramPaper

Travel

Have a look at this week’s EpiBlind Date - page 20

Living @EpigramPaper

Looking for a cheaper way of travelling? - page 28 Highly Commended for Best Publication and Best Use of Digital Media 2016

Letters Is it time to get rid of honourary degrees? - page 16

Epigram | 13.03.2017

Editorial Inside Epigram

Quick Crossword

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www.epigram.org.uk

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.

Advertise with Epigram!

To enquire about advertising, please contact James O’Hara at jo14310@my.bristol.ac.uk

Ben Parr, Editor in Chief

As student media, Epigram and Burst Radio have a responsibility not just to cover the issues students are talking about, but to also bring to light the issues that we don’t believe are being talked about enough. This is why Epigram became the first student newspaper in the country to introduce a section that is entirely dedicated to mental wellbeing.

The student counselling service at our university do a fantastic job but they are understaffed and overworked. So we think it’s time to take our mental health care into our own hands. Join us, donate, and spread the word.

The aim of our campaign is to not just raise awareness of mental health problems, but to give students practical advice on how to have their first conversation with someone about how they are feeling. Over the two weeks of the campaign, we will be publishing #14Conversations about the best ways to talk to our closest friends and family or health care professionals about our mental wellbeing.

We will also be using this page to try to raise money for a local, free counselling service: Off The Record. OTR provide counselling, support groups and information of local people aged 16-25 who may be struggling with mental health problems.

They are doing a great job but they can’t do it without financial support. £10 donation buys an emergency session for a young person in crisis. £50 donation buys six sessions of counselling for a young person struggling with self harm. £100 donation buys three stress management workshops for 30 people.

ACROSS

DOWN 1. Pertaining to money (9) 2. Self-control (9) 3. Scope (5) 4. Droop (3) 5. To some extent (6) 8. Slants (5) 10. Anger (3) Webmaster Josh Jones Chief Proofreader Lowri Daniels Sub-editors Zuzanna Needham, Jess Cselko, Sarah Roller, Elly Brett, Samuel Wong, Daisy Dowding, Megan Frost Managing Director James O’Hara Director of Communications Issy Bull Head of Finance Alfie Smith Business Team Calli Keane Amelia McWhirter Ellie Elstub Aravin Skantha Lucy Ellis-Keeler Megan Aldridge Helen Salter Joe Jones Lucy Roe

In May 1994 4,000 students descended on London to march against cuts to student grants... but not a single one was a University of Bristol student ‘Students from all over the country turned up for the national demonstration in London on Wednesday 4th May to voice their anger at the Government’s proposed ten per cent cut to student grants, announced in the November budget’, Epigram’s front page read in 1994.

However, what looked like it would be an impressive and important protest for students all around the country was clearly not enough to stir the apathy of University of Bristol students as not a single one turned up to the protest.

Epigram pointed out how this was a particularly strange turn of events given the announced changes would affect ten per cent of Bristol students as around 900 of the then 9,000 students at the University received full grants.

Worse still, at the Union’s Annual General Meeting – now called the AMM – 400 students had voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to support any official NUS national demonstrations and the Union mandates that ‘The Union sabbaticals and officers would work for the national demonstration and ensure that as many Bristol students as possible would attend’.

The Union did print 1,000 posters to advertise the event, but complaints were made by students that these posters were only put up five days before the march itself.

President of Bristol Union Mat Davies commented at the time that he was ‘bitterly disappointed that more students from Bristol did not go, but I think that much of the blame must lie with NUS who organised the demonstration during the exam season’.

The turnout was especially poor when compared to other universities such as Stirling where students travelled overnight

Epigram/ Ben Parr

Printed by: CN Newsprint Cumbrian Newsprint, Newspaper House, Dalston Road, Carlisle CA2 5UA

I’m an Oxbridge reject and for all you other Oxbridge rejects out there there’s a great piece on page 8 taking you through the history of why, following your defeat in your attempt to join the elite, you chose Bristol. At least in my case it makes sense- I like buildings that look like castles and Bristol has lots of them. Oh and then there’s that course thing which is fun I guess.

From the archives... ‘What march?’

1. Stronghold (8) 6. Wistful recollection of facebook.com/epigrampaper past events (9) 7. Polaris (5,4) 9. To begin with (9) twitter.com/epigrampaper 11. Batch (3) 12. Makes less difficult (5)

instagram/epigrampaper_ epigramfood epigram_travel epigramstyle epigram_music

It’s no secret that many Bristol students this year have felt like they’ve been struggling to get the mental health support they need. Epigram and Burst Radio are saying enough is enough: it’s time to stand together to show fellow students who might be going through tough times that we will not stop until they get the help that they deserve.

mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/epigram

For the latest news, features and reviews

issuu.com/epigrampaper

Oxbridge reject

#14Conversations: we have a special favour to ask...

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university. That’s four years without snow. For someone who likes winter much more than summer this is something of a disaster for me. If it’s connected to global warming – I don’t mean if global warming exists, of course it does, I mean specifically Bristol not having snow – then the divestment plans are a welcome commitment from the University. Anything to slow the descent into perpetual summer is welcome. I include in that an investment in snow machines coupled with a Mr Burns blocking out the sun style plan. Somehow I have a feeling we won’t see protestors outside of Senate House demanding that.

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

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A note from the editor...

Okay now for a ramble. Why is it almost summer already? I haven’t seen a bit of snow this year, or, in fact, any year I’ve been at

Lots more puzzles on page 45!

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Online Deputies: Sophie Hunter; Phoebe Jordan

Bloody weather

Wellbeing My father’s bipolar disorder - page 22 3

Deputies: Caitlin Butler; Stefan Rollnick

Before I start my usual ramblings I just wanted to use this small amount of ink to urge you, dear reader, to have a look at our #14Conversations campaign we will be running from the 13th March.

There’s an introduction to it below my editorial, as well as a news story about some kind endorsements we’ve received on the front, but very briefly we will be publishing an article or podcast on our website every day for 14 days. Each of these will be based around the idea of talking about your feelings.

To coincide with this we will be fundraising for the local Bristol charity Off The Record.

Mental health affects everyone. If not yourself, then someone you care about. If every student at the University donated just £1 to our campaign it would pay for over 2,000 free counselling sessions for students who need them.

Letters The Uni tell us how they’re addressing diversity- page 16

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

A personal plea

Comment Should sports societies focus on matches, not socials? - page 11

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to get to London, and Birmingham who filled five coaches.

Epigram suggested that student apathy might not be the main problem for the lack of turnout as it probably was largely just down to students not having a clue that the protest was taking place.

Original story first published in Epigram on 10 December 1999

Epigram 13.03.2017

News

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@EpigramNews

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

Bristol Palsoc criticise ‘draconian’ new campus free speech restrictions Amy Finch Deputy News Editor

Al Jazeera

New government initiatives aimed at preventing anti-Semitism and combatting extremism have been accused of stifling free speech on campus.

Students have reported excessive or unjustified barriers to and cancellations of events during Israeli Apartheid Action Week (IAW).

Jo Johnson, the UK’s universities minister, has warned universities to police events in the activist week in order to prevent ‘discrimination, harassment or victimisation’ of Jewish students.

Bristol Palsoc told Epigram that they are ‘disappointed to see recent attempts at introducing draconian restrictions to shut down debate and free speech on Israel on UK campuses.’

IAW is a global series of action endorsing boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli settlement

On watch: a list of ‘extremist positions’ that Higher Education staff are required by law to risk assess and manage, taken from a government presentation on Prevent

in Palestine, recently described as in breach of international law by the UN. At the University of Manchester, an academic chair was blocked by university officials over ‘neutrality’ concerns. The Israel-Palestinian expert and historian in question, Lauren

Banko, described this as creating a ‘worrying precedent’ and a threat to free speech on campus. The University of Manchester described it as an ‘administrative issue’.

The action follows the endorsement of a new definition of anti-Semitism by

Students condemn fasttrack degree proposal Emily Faint News Editor

One Neuroscience student who also holds an undergraduate, masters and PhD in Chemistry, elaborated on these issues.

‘I’m concerned that the two-year courses might devalue three year courses over time. Whilst I think that it’s good to potentially get rid of the on-thewhole waste of time that they call first year, many people need to find their footing in higher education beforehand so that they can satisfactorily progress.

‘Another issue is that of academic staff who are already over-stressed with their current workload. I’m concerned that their work will be too thinly spread if they take on more students who are required to do even more amounts of work... There’s a threat to quality of teaching and learning there.

‘However, one good thing is that it will push young people into employment more quickly,’ they added.

Martina Beleva, Arts Faculty Rep, commented: ‘I hate it when governments make education a moneymaking scheme.’

Sam Young, a Mathematics and Economics student, disagrees. ‘As long as they have completely the same amount of work as the three-year courses then I don’t see an issue.’

British universities could see thousands more graduate each year with fast-track degree programmes.

counter-extremism strategy requires that universities are to scrutinise activities judged ‘contentious’ – including ‘vocal support for Palestine’ and ‘Opposition to Prevent’, it has recently emerged.

Bristol Palsoc told Epigram that ‘In Bristol, we have been very aware of recent events at other universities, which represent a clear attempt at silencing the Palestine solidarity movement and BDS activism on campus. These attempts have generally failed, and the vast majority of IAW events have gone ahead successfully, but have contributed to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

‘Students should have the right to hold these events and discuss issues surrounding Israel’s regime of apartheid, settler-colonialism and occupation without censorship and discrimination. As long as Israel continues its oppression of the Palestinian people, we will continue campaigning for it to end’.

Bristol Uni to divest

Flickr/ University of Bristol Epigram/Emily Faint

The recent government proposals for ‘fast track degrees’, a new degree programme that would see students paying more than £14,000 a year to obtain an undergraduate degree in just two years, has been met with a controversial reception from students and higher education officials.

The University of Bristol has claimed that it is ‘too early for us to comment at this stage’, however many Bristol students have expressed strong opinions against the proposals of higher fees for shorter, more intensive courses with less holiday.

Members of the University of Bristol’s mental health society, Peace of Mind, have condemned the notion of ‘fast track’ degrees as ‘a bad idea’, saying that it ‘will put more strain on students, both mentally and physically’.

One biology master’s student echoed these wellbeing concerns. ‘As if students aren’t pressure-cooked enough! It would be interesting to see how this would affect mental health.

‘It’ll be the next thing people ‘have’ to do if they want to be a high achiever. I guess it’s an option for some but I don’t think it’s healthy’.

Marco Barbato, a Politics and International Relations student, said: ‘Three years is already very little, and having only two years does not give you an opportunity to adjust to university standard assessment before they actually start to count.

‘You already have masters [degrees] which are one or two years and they should be for specialisation, whereas [undergraduate] degrees should be more general and cover more ground.

‘I also think fast-track degrees will unnecessarily increase competitiveness

on the job market, meaning that some people may choose to do a fast track just because they’ll be able to access the job market earlier.’

Jo Johnson, universities minister, has argued that fast track style courses would be more attractive for mature students and underprivileged students.

Shorter courses would mean that students would save a whole year’s worth of living and accommodation costs.

Jason Parkash, a third-year medic, criticised this appeal to value for money.

‘I don’t think anyone feels they’re paying for £9000 worth of actual teaching/resources every year, even if you do end up getting paid more in the future for it. So, I can’t see anyone thinking £14,000 for a two-year fast track degree would be worth it either’.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the courses risked creating a ‘pile ‘em high and teach ‘em cheap’ culture.

‘As well as placing a huge burden on staff, these new degrees would only be available to students who could study all year round,’ she said. ‘Our universities must remain places of learning, not academic sweatshops.’

the UK Government, which has been adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, amongst others. Critics, however, contest that the definition is problematic in its conflation between criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism. Speakers also had to align with the new definition of antiSemitism, despite it not being legally binding.

A talk by Palestinian rights activist, Ben White, whose book on the issue waspraised by Desmond Tutu, amongst other prolific human rights activist was also cancelled at the University of Central Lancashire. A message sent by the university published on Facebook, commenting that on assessment, the event contradicted the university’s responsibility to ‘provide a safe and welcoming environment for all’.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, White expressed concern that the event may have been cancelled under pressure from Pro-Israeli groups or the government’s Prevent strategy. The

Johnny Thalissites Living Editor Continued from front page As part of their campaign, in September 2016 the Fossil Free Society unveiled a ‘mural’ on the side of the M32 in Easton with the message ‘Bristol Uni: are you backing dirty energy? Divest, divest now’.

New criteria, agreed to by the University’s Board of Trustees, will see Bristol end investment in companies that derive more than five per cent of turnover from the extraction of thermal coal or oil and gas from tar sands by January 2018.

The University will also actively manage its portfolio of energy investments to achieve meaningful reductions in carbon emissions from its investments.

The University has already moved £3 million – five per cent – of its endowment funds into a fund that invests in companies which enhance the environment and life of the communities in which they operate.

As part of this new policy, the University is looking for a fund manager who will seek to reduce the carbon emissions profile of the endowment assets invested in the energy sector.

These aims were set out after discussions with representatives from the University of Bristol Student’s Union and university staff, who will now hold an annual review of the policy’s implementation. The University set out its commitment to sustainability and addressing social and environmental challenges last year, and still hopes to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Local Green Party councilor, Carla

Denyer, began her involvement in the campaign in November 2015. She used her position on the University’s court to propose the motion on divestment at their annual meeting.

Responding to recent developments, Denyer said she is ‘absolutely delighted’ with the Board’s commitment to divestment.

‘Over a quarter of UK universities have now made divestment commitments, and I am proud that Bristol is one of them’, Deyner said.

Nick Wood, Head of Research of the Fossil Free Society, however, notes that ‘how far the university divests from fossil fuels will depend on how this policy is implemented’.

Timeline of events Fossil Free society campaign founded by former student, Rachel Simon, in 2014 Mural created September 2016 on the side of the M32 calling on the University to divest Bristol declares that it will divest on March 8th 2017 Uni aims to be carbon neutral by 2030

Epigram 13.03.2017

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Dance Society bops to the top of national competitions Noa Leach Deputy Online News Editor

Facebook/ University of Bristol Dance Society

The UoB Dance Society returned from two national competitions having won an outstanding number of awards.

The competition team is comprised of 31 dancers who took part in two competitions across the weekend: the University of Manchester (Saturday 25th February) and the University of Sheffield dance competitions (Sunday 26th February).

They won eight prizes overall, including first place in their tap, jazz and lyrical dances. They also won best overall choreography, best overall team (Sheffield) and best costume (jazz piece, Manchester).

The trip was made possible by the Alumni Foundation Grant, which subsidised the cost of the weekend for the dancers.

Molly Beebee, Competition Representative, told Epigram that ‘everyone really came together as a team, and there was a nice friendly and supportive atmosphere.

‘We watched some amazing new dances so are really happy to have done so well!’

The Dance society returned from the two national competitions with a total of eight prizes, including first place ion tap, jazz and lyrical dances

Bristol readies to Reclaim the Internet Emily Faint News Editor

After the Reclaim the Night march, Bristol SU is expanding its Reclaim campaign to include Reclaim the Internet.

Reclaim the Internet is ‘a broad-based campaign for action to challenge abuse online’ and is part of a widespread campaign taking action to prevent gender based violence and supporting charities that help survivors, Darcy Ramsden, Bristol SU’s Women’s Officer, told Epigram: ‘In November 2016, over 200 Bristol University and UWE students took to the streets to protest violence against women at the Reclaim the Night march. ‘[But] the streets are not the only public spaces where self-identifying women and non-binary people face horrendous abuse and harassment – now we must stand together online to demand change.’

‘The Reclaim the Internet campaign is already a successful national campaign, and in May 2017 the Women’s Network plans to bring the campaign to Bristol to educate students and expose why it is such an important issue here in our University.’

Ramsden said: ‘Sexist abuse and misogyny, racism, homophobia, online stalking and physical threats are too often poisoning the debate, driving people offline, and ruining people’s lives. The internet must be a forum for freedom of speech. But that also means that every voice should matter.

‘It’s possible to both champion freedom of speech and argue for greater responsibility from everyone, so that voices aren’t silenced by abuse online.’

Maddie Burton, the President of the University’s Feminist Society expressed the society’s support for the Women’s

Network’s campaign.

‘Increasingly online platforms like social media sites are becoming central to how we live as a society. But all too often these platforms become centres of abuse for certain people, namely women, those of oppressed genders, ethnic minorities and those not considered to fit into the social mould - to the point where they no longer feel safe to be online. ‘ The extent of online abuse perpetrated towards a vast range of people is evidenced by reports cited on the official Reclaim the Internet website.

‘In that moment those voices are silenced, leaving the abusers wielding power over who gets to exist online.

Avoiding this abuse is never as simple as just switching off - we need social media to live and organise our daily lives.

‘We all have a responsibility to promote the internet as a place where anyone can express their opinions without receiving abuse.

The Feminist Society looks forward to supporting the Women’s Network on this campaign come May – students must consider what constitutes abuse online and the effects it can have on individual lives and our society.’

Those who wish to get involved with the Bristol campaign can find out more on the Bristol SU Women’s Network Facebook page.

Key facts on Online Abuse The think tank Demos found that 10,000 tweets were sent from UK accounts in three weeks attacking someone as a “slut” or a “whore.”

According to the largest teaching union in the UK, NASUWT, over half of teachers report receiving online abuse from pupils and parents.

When is online abuse a crime?

Credible threats of violence to a person or their property

Communications targeting an individual which may constitute harassment or stalking, controlling or coercive behaviour, revenge pornography, blackmail or another offence

Communications which breach an existing court order (bail or a restraining order, for example)

Communications which may be considered grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false

The CPS state that the first three criteria ‘should be prosecuted robustly’.

Prosecution, however, is much less likely to be considered ‘in the public interest’.

Campaign to rename Colston Hall gathers momentum Mairead Finlay Deputy Online News Editor

On Saturday 4th March, campaigners from the group ‘Countering Colston’ protested at the front of Colston Hall, calling for the change of the music venue’s name, which is taken from the 17th century slave trader, Edward Colston.

On the pavement outside, words were scrawled in chalk such as ‘murderer’ and ‘human trafficker’ by protesters as visitors came into the hall.

Edward Colston was deputy governor of the Royal African Company from 1672 to 1698, and responsible for the transportation of around 100,000 enslaved Africans - including women, and children from the age of six, to the West Indies and America.

Each slave was branded with the company initials onto their chest, and the crossings led to the eventual deaths of over 20,000 slaves. Colston also donated much of his fortune to Bristol, with this money used for philanthropic projects, including on schools and churches. The group ‘Countering Colston’ has been gathering momentum.

With over 2000 signatures on its petition which was released last month calling for the name change, as well as the suggestion of a plaque near the entrance of the Hall about Colston, adding that ‘we shall not erase history but move our culture into the 21st century’.

Countering Colston states that it

aims for a ‘call to action’ hoping to ‘acknowledge and repair, as far as possible, the negative effects in the present day of historical slavery and ‘promote ideas of human dignity, equality and freedom.’

So far, numerous musicians and artists, including Massive Attack whose members are from Bristol, have boycotted the hall in support of the campaign, and it’s feared more will be doing the same.

Among students, opinion on the name change has been divisive.

Amelia, a third year Mathematics student, felt that to change the name ‘is denying the fact that Colston is part of Bristol’s history, and the name change wouldn’t ever be able to offset the misery he inflicted on others’.

However, not everyone agrees.

‘Colston may have been a philanthropic figure, but it doesn’t mean we need to honour him through the branding of the hall, when his money was made primarily through slavery’ argued Max, a second year Civil Engineering student.

The venue is currently planning and fundraising a £40 million refurbishment in celebration of its 150th anniversary.

Bristol Music Trust, who runs the hall, has asked people to put forward their ideas on what should be the priorities regarding the changes to the building.

As it stands, the chief executive of Colston Hall, Louise Mitchell has stated to the Bristol Post that ‘as we develop plans for a new hall the name will of course be part of that picture’.

Epigram | 13.03.2017

Bristol fresher ‘one of the most promising filmmakers under 25’ Ellen Jones Deputy News Editor

to direct the University of Bristol Damsoc’s production of A View from the Bridge earlier in February.

Ned Costello, who played the lead role in A View from the Bridge, said of Sam: ‘I have never worked with a director who is so clear and coherent when going over a scene.

He always works around the actors, and is so incredibly clear in his vision’. Sam said, ‘This was such a great experience and I’m looking to direct more theatre for the moment.’

Lifeline, named by the UK Film Review as ‘one of the best shorts of the year’ is now available to view online.

To find out more about Sam, and view his other work, visit his website www.samjonesfilms.com

University of Bristol

Sam Jones, first-year English and Theatre Studies student at the University of Bristol, has today released his awardwinning short film Lifeline, which has received critical acclaim at film festivals around the world.

Sam, who has been named by the British Film Institute (BFI) as ‘one of the most promising filmmakers under 25’ wrote and directed Lifeline during his A-level studies, after receiving a £5,000 grant from the BFI. The 10-minute film follows a mother in a desperate situation, forced to take drastic measures

to provide her son with a final lifeline. This month, Lifeline was shown at the BAFTA qualifying London Short Film Festival 2017, and has today been released for public viewing online.

Student filmmaker Sam, from Manchester, has said: ‘This film was possibly my greatest challenge yet.

There was a fantastic crew of 40 people who all helped make the film possible.’

‘To win first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival was incredible, especially as it’s such a respected film festival for filmmakers.’

The student filmmaker hopes to spend his time at university gaining more experience in directing, specifically in theatre. He was selected

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Government talks getting tough on essay writing websites Ellen Jones Deputy News Editor

denounced students paying for essays as ‘unacceptable’, pledging ‘tough action’ against plagiarism.

The University of Bristol have

formally responded to the Department of Education’s proposals.

‘We take academic misconduct very seriously and have various mechanisms

Epigram / Emily Faint

University students who submit essays they have purchased from others could be criminalised, according to new proposals considered by the Department of Education.

Students caught plagiarising could face a range of punishments, from fines and academic blacklists, to a criminal records for serious cases of cheating.

The suggestion to increase punishments for plagiarism follows a report published by the Universities Watchdog the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), revealing that so-called ‘essay mills’ are charging up to £6,750 for dissertation writing.

Last month, The Telegraph revealed that more than 20,000 students at British universities have been paying for ‘bespoke’ essays in order to finish their degrees.

The Department of Education is currently considering a number of proposals alongside higher education bodies to clamp down on plagiarism.

This includes the issuing of criminal records to those who purchase professionally written essays.

Universities Minster, Jo Johnson,

You wouldn’t steal a car. You wouldn’t steal a handbag. You wouldn’t steal a television. You wouldn’t steal an... essay?

Submitting work from essay writing websites that you pay to do your work for you could soon be a crime.

to identify and respond to any form of student plagiarism or cheating.

‘Any student who submitted a prewritten essay bought online would be committing plagiarism under the University Examination Regulations, and would be disciplined in accordance with our procedures.’

Simon Shaw-Miller, Subject Head for History of Art at the University of Bristol, told Epigram: ‘Plagiarism is a serious issue as it relates to the mechanisms of scholarship: the building of interpretation on the foundation of other scholars’ work.

‘Correct and appropriate citation is therefore fundamental to the ethics of good practice.

‘However, the criminalisation of plagiarism is another matter.

‘Learning requires and expects mistakes…it is therefore essential that such issues are handled sensitively’.

The new guidance from the government is expected to be implemented from September, with the start of the next academic year.

UoB study first to survey children in care in their own words Amy Finch Deputy News Editor

Outcome statistics for children in care are shocking

with children in care more likely to end up in prison than university.

Only 6% of students in care proceed to university, making them six times less likely than the average school

Infogram / Amy Finch

Infogram / Amy Finch

‘Outcome’ data which summarises academic achievement, university attendance and crime and drug abuse incidence has long shown poor prospects for children in care. However, The University of Bristol has for the first time published the perspectives of those in care directly.

The Our Lives Our Care study, led by Professor Julie Selwyn from Bristol’s Hadley Centre and Linda BriheimCrookall from the children’s rights charity Coram Voice asked 611 children a series of questions capturing wellbeing subjectively.

Over 70,000 children are classified as ‘looked after’ – most because of parental abuse or neglect. 14% of looked after children achieve 5 A*C grades, compared to the 64.9% national average. Such academic underachievement can lead to shocking disparities in achievement in later life,

leaver to progress to higher education.

Further studies have reported further barriers when they reach higher education, having felt unsupported in learning for example, in residential care.

Much of the data found was positive – with 80 per cent of children reporting feeling ‘settled’ in their foster or residential placements.

Positive statements included those of children aged 11-18 who commented life is ‘better than it was when I was not in care’.

A greater number of girls reported problems with wellbeing than boys and were more likely to feel stigmatised because of care, prompting Professor Selwyn to endorse a more ‘gender aware’ approach to care. A quarter of girls surveyed have low wellbeing, compared to one in seven in the general population. One adolescent girl commented that she wanted to be a ‘normal child’.

However, many had little

The University study is the first to survey children in care directly

understanding of their situation, with half of young children not understanding why they were in care, and even a full quarter of teenagers.

One wrote ‘I would like someone to talk to about my feelings and tell me about

my past. I would like to see a picture of my dad so I know what he looks like.

I would like to see a picture of me as a baby. I have never seen a picture of me. I have a lot of questions that noone answers.’

Epigram

13.03.2017

Features

@epigramfeatures

Editor: Amy Stewart

Deputy Editor: Bea Gentilli

Online Editor: Adele Momoko Fraser

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Does Brexit mark a critical moment for language degrees?

Alfred Davies looks at the issues that Brexit could cause for aspiring linguistics Alfred Davies Features Writer

“ Our reluctance to learn languages already costs us 3.5 per cent of GDP

long-term decline in the number of young people studying languages for GCSE and A Level. Indeed, a document titled ‘Brexit and Languages’, released in October 2016 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages demonstrated that our reluctance to learn languages already costs us 3.5 per cent of GDP- and that’s while we can still rely on the European Union to negotiate our trade deals.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the future looks bleak for a linguistically-ignorant nation that can no longer rely on the EU for trade agreements. Baroness Coussins, CoChair of the aforementioned APPG explains: ‘Brexit must make the UK’s language skills a top policy issue.

Language skills are vital for our exports, education, public services and diplomacy and we will not be able to carry on relying on other EU nationals to plug the gap’.

With the impetus on us to find new trade partners and negotiate, language will come to the forefront. English may often be considered the lingua

UoB Chinese Lion Dance Epigram/ Afred Troupe Davies

Brexit is looming. We are at risk of being even further isolated from our European neighbours, and even closer aligned with Donald Trump and the U.S. The frightening socio-political implications of this shift have been much discussed and debated, yet, as a linguist, there is an added dimension worth exploring. I’m lucky enough to have been assured that my Erasmus+ grant will still be there next year, allowing me the financial security to spend my third year of university studies abroad, in order to improve and practice my language skills.

A rarely-mentioned but wonderful advantage of Britain’s European Union is that any students can study or work abroad with EU funding. However, young people, keen to experience Europe, and, often, learn a language, may not have this opportunity in the years to come. With post-Brexit UK looking increasingly bleak, languages degrees look set to becoming one of the first victims. The UK’s political and cultural isolation from Europe will be a linguistic isolation too, no doubt, and the implications of such an isolation are both terrifying and far-reaching.

In the UK, we are notoriously bad at learning languages. In fact, a recent study by language-learning app Memrise has shown us to be the laziest in Europe in this respect. In a nation where there simply isn’t a culture of learning languages, and where we tend to start learning later and later, young people will continue to turn their backs on a skill that can create limitless paths of opportunity, with a Entrants for modern languages had fallen by 16 per cent in 2015, the Telegraph reported, and continue to fall into 2016/7

franca of international relations and diplomacy, and Brexit will not change this, however what is key to understand is that language is about far more than mere communication. Language is about understanding. In order to have truly strong diplomatic ties, we have to be able to understand the reason people see things in a certain way, the reason people take a certain stance in certain situations. Languages and culture are intrinsically related, and until the UK realises this, it cannot expect to play as key a role on the international stage as its leaders demand.

Undoubtedly, the education system in the UK does very little to aid in encouraging young people to take up languages. Schools have, by and large, become factories for producing

”

The uncertainty following Brexit extends to the Erasmus+ scheme

as many A*- C grades as possible, with very little concern for the intricacies of the study of certain subjects. Language learning is an art that requires time and patience. It simply doesn’t fit with the way we are expected to learn

today. Rushing through a textbook, learning vocabulary and grammar in a detached and proto-mathematical manner in order to achieve the best grade possible in the shortest possible amount of time, simply doesn’t work with languages. As long as we follow this path of teaching, we cannot expect the numbers of young people studying languages to increase.

Language learning does not just take time, but also creates opportunities, which may be very hard to come by in a post-Brexit Britain. The lack of linguists in the UK means that we rely heavily on the work of EU nationals as teachers in schools and universities. Many of the inspiring languages teachers I’ve had as a student have been EU nationals.

If the right of these teachers to remain in the UK is not secured, we risk losing brilliant teachers of all subjects, and for languages this will prove pivotal.

Dr Ian Foster, Director of Foreign Language Teaching at the University of Bristol, notes that many of these teachers ‘currently feel themselves to be in limbo, while the Government and the EU debate their future status.

The surrounding insecurity is bound to have an impact on morale’, which Dr Foster fears may have ‘a long-term effect on the quality and calibre of teaching’. Whatever the result of the ongoing debate on the status of EU nationals residing in the UK, much of the damage has already been done,

with many language teachers bearing the brunt of current political turmoil.

As previously alluded to, the uncertainty following Brexit extends to the Erasmus+ scheme, which since 1986 has provided grants to students wishing to study or work in the EU. This scheme is run by an EU body,

“

Brexit is likely to see a further rise in this disillusionment with further education

the Directorate General for Education and Culture, however membership to the scheme is not exclusive to the EU, and therefore could, in an ideal world, still be open to students following an eventual Brexit.

Yet, if such ideal circumstances do not arise, the consequences for language learning in the UK would be disastrous. At Bristol, 75 per cent of those who participate in the Erasmus+ scheme are from the School of Modern Languages. If this scheme is no longer available, studying or working abroad to learn a foreign language may simply be no longer be a viable option for some students, as Dr Foster points out: ‘The loss of these grants could well

have a deterrent effect on students from poorer households, who are already under-presented in our subject area’. The cost of going to university and getting a degree is already acting as a deterrent for many young people in the UK, and Brexit is likely to see a further rise in this disillusionment with further education, particularly for a subject which has only seen a demise in interest in the last decade.

The concerns of languages students and teachers are symptomatic of many of the issues surrounding a hypocritical ‘Leave’ campaign filled with incoherencies. We wish to leave the European Union in order to trade with the world, yet we are doing little in the way of reversing the worrying trend of a declining number of young people taking up languages, despite the fact that linguists will be key to a future outside of the EU. In fact, we can only expect the contrary, with languages degrees becoming less accessible than ever.

The lack of a plan for Brexit couldn’t be more evident for languages students and teachers alike, and, if as the Government states, we wish to trade with the world, we must find solutions not only for the potentially damaging effects of Brexit, but also for the more general declining interest in language learning we have seen over many years. But everyone speaks English anyway, right?

Epigram

13.03.2017

7

“

Is a university degree enough anymore?

Are employers demanding more than just a 2:1? Ruby Cardona investigates Ruby Cardona Features Writer

To certain employers, work experience will be just as important as a degree qualification

tuition fees in the world according to the Guardian, these changes in the employment landscape could mean that many turn away from the expensive investment in a university education if there is hope of employment without it.

Still, most large employers will want a degree. Talking to Deloitte LLP – a large accountancy firm – which

employs between 250-500 people in Bristol – they said that all of their graduate training programmes require a degree. Although the subject is not important, a First is the preferred

organisation, independence to name a few. These are skills that develop throughout the degree experience – they cannot just be taught.

Luckily Bristol has a high rate for graduates finding jobs, but according to Universities UK some 10 per cent of graduates struggled to find a job within the six months after they left university in 2015. And for those who fail to find a job in their first year as a graduate – albeit a small amount – they are faced with another 40,000 or so entering the job market next time September rolls around.

Is too much being asked of students?

More than ever we are being asked to have experience in our chosen fields; to fit internships and placements around already demanding degree schedules and at the end of a course, there is no certainty that the hard work will be transferred into employment.

Competition between graduates for job places will not slow any time soon – we will have to do more and more to stand out.

Fancy writing for Features?

Flickr / DUP photos

The employers’ answer to this has been a refocusing of what they demand from candidates. There is now demand for ‘employability skills’ such as experience with interview techniques.

The focus is also shifting to ‘strength based’ recruitment – in plain English that is personality based: employers want people who are confident and outgoing to ensure they will work well socially within the company.

Being ‘workplace ready’ is becoming more desirable: task management, listening skills and having confidence in meetings.

Of course, personality based recruitment could benefit Widening Participation students (first generation at university) and those from poorer backgrounds. The average student going to a personality-based interview could no better prepare than a fellow student from a public school background. Could this help level the playing field?

But do all employers demand a degree? In 2016, Penguin Random House dropped the requirement for candidates to have a university education so they could widen the diversity of students they attract. Neil

On average female graduates earn £250,000 more over their working lifetimes than non-graduates and male graduates will earn £165,000 more

qualification. For other high-paying jobs such as banking at a major firm or practicing law, degrees are absolutely essential.

Yet it seems that for now getting a degree still makes financial sense – on average female graduates earn £250,000 more over their working lifetimes than non-graduates and male graduates will earn £165,000 more according to Universities UK. There is also value to a degree beyond the purely academic accomplishment which employers take into account.

At the end of a degree, students have spent three years balancing deadlines, course work, extracurricular activities, possibly a job or internship, a social life…and so on. The amount of opportunities presented to students during their degree – whether it is sports teams, drama productions, dance shows – is probably unequal to any other point in their lifetime.

Not to mention the other skills you develop whilst managing these new responsibilities: prioritisation,

Flickr/Mike Fleming

According to Universities UK some 10 per cent of graduates struggled to find a job within the six months after they left university in 2015versity university in 2015 in 2015

“ “

The opportunities presented to students during their degree is probably unequal to any other point in their lifetime

Flickr / Andy/Andrew Fogg

Youtube / BoB Lectures

Penguin were following in the footsteps of Ernst & Young – a major accountancy firm and one of the largest employers of graduates – which made both degree and A- Level qualifications unessential for applicants.PwC – a major international firm which employs up to 500 people in Bristol – also dropped their consideration of A-Level results last year because ‘it unfairly benefits public school students’ and means that they could ‘miss out on key talent from disadvantaged backgrounds’.

For a company as prestigious as the BBC, a carefully designed selection process is used to chose ideal candidates. They are also keen for a candidate to have experience – when applying there is an option to showcase examples of previous work. Placements and internships are also crucial – with companies like this, experience counts for a lot.

For some sectors, experience is everything: the police and fire service need candidates who can pass their challenging physical tests and learn the skills essential to the job – no degree required.

To certain employers, work experience will be just as important as a degree qualification. Research done by the University of East London showed that 32 per cent of graduate students working at the top 100 employers in the country will have already worked for the employer as an intern or on a placement.

With the UK having the highest

Flickr / Andy/Andrew Fogg

A generation ago many of our parents began careers without even attending university. Today, a degree level qualification is expected of young people applying to most of the key employment sectors – and not only are employers looking for students with prior experience in their chosen field, but increasingly they are after students with ‘employability’ skills.

There are more students enrolled at university than ever – nearly twice the number of full time students attend today than in the mid 1990s. According to Universities UK, 2016 saw the highest numbers of students ever enrolled at university in the UK - 1.75 million undergraduates. This trend shows no sign of slowing across the UK or at Bristol – the university’s £300 million development on the site at Temple Meads is set to attract 5,000 more students for the 2021/22 academic year.

With so many more students attending university and their grades increasing, what is there to distinguish between all of these well qualified graduates? According to the Telegraph, 66 per cent of students are awarded a 2:1 or above – up five per cent since 2007 – a proportion which is expected to increase even more over the coming years. Part of this is that the student body is larger today, but it might also be the case that ‘grade inflation’ is occurring where the abundance of second and first-class degrees is decreasing their worth.

Morrison, a human resources manager for the company, said that there was no direct link between a degree qualification and career success in later life.

Deloitte LLP ... said that all of their graduate training programmes require a degree. Although, the subject is not important, a first is the preferred qualification

Join our Facebook group ‘Epigram Features Contributers 2016/17’ and let us know your ideas.

Epigram

13.03.2017

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University of Bristol’s history as the ‘Oxbridge reject’ Ed Southgate looks into how Bristol became the alternative to Oxbridge and how this still affects student life Ed Southgate Features Writer Despite being a relatively young Russell Group University, being awarded its Royal Charter in 1909, the University of Bristol has acquired a great many reputations.

It has a reputation for world-leading research, a reputation for being highly-selective, and a reputation for having a successful alumni network.

But perhaps one of the greatest reputations is that it has become a haven for so-called ‘Oxford rejects’.

It is not unusual to hear this phrase around campus when in discussion about the University generally, despite the University’s best efforts to minimise the association. But, as such a young university, how did this term grow around campus? Where did the association come from? Is the association justified?

The University first became

university culture in the Bristol provinces. Subsequent to this, in 1873, Percival wrote The Connection of Universities and the Great Towns, which was sent to the governing bodies of the Oxford colleges.

Benjamin Jowett, the thenMaster of Baliol College, received this pamphlet well and soon became a significant figure in the establishment of the University of Bristol, an example of this being that he subscribed £300 to the project.

Jowett also, in 1874, led a meeting in the Victoria Rooms which attracted support from the Fry family, who became financially influential. In this way, the basis of the University of Bristol’s establishment and birth has links with the University of Oxford.

The most visual link between Bristol and Oxford, however, is its architecture. As aforementioned, the University received its royal charter in 1909; with this new status, however, it was decided there needed to be a new level of architectural elegance.

Indeed, in her book Victorian Buildings in Bristol, Claire Crick says it was decided that ‘the existing buildings were not sufficiently outstanding’. This issue was to be dealt with by the sons of Henry Overton Wills.

The wealthy Wills family earned their fortunes through a tobacco importing company – ‘W.D. & H.O Wills’, which became one of the founding companies of the ‘Imperial Tobacco Company’. Using this wealth, the architects George Herbert Oatley and George Churchus

Lawrence were designed to build a new campus.

This is the campus that we now know and admire as the Clifton campus. Indeed, a great many of the buildings in this precinct were commissioned by the Wills family, with some being named after them, including Wills Hall, H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, and the centre piece that is the Wills Memorial building. All of these have been said to resemble the architecture that would be found at the University of Oxford.

The reason for this is simple. The Wills brothers who commissioned these new buildings commissioned them with the intent to rival the beauty of Oxford’s buildings.

traditions in having a formal with gowns every Friday is particularly in line with the Oxford ways.

One student currently studying at Keble College, Oxford said: ‘We have two to three formals a week, always on Sundays. We have to wear our gowns, but we can wear normal clothes underneath.

‘The Chaplain reads Grace at the beginnings or, on Sundays, the choir sing Grace. The tutors, warden and staff sit at the high table and everyone has to stand when they leave’.

Bryony Chellew, a current first-year student studying English Literature and resident of Wills Hall, described the formal of Wills Hall in a way not dissimilar to that of Keble College: ‘You have to wear your gown and wear black tie. We have to stand up when the Warden comes in and can only sit down once he has said Benedicto Benedictur. He says this at the start and the end of every formal.

‘On special formals, like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, we have readings and guest speakers. Also, for the Christmas formal we all sang hymns which was super fun’.

Bryony also drew attention to ‘pennying’. This drinking game is a rich tradition within the University of Oxford, and seems to have caught on well within the University of Bristol too.

Moreover, the admissions process of the University of Bristol creates a demographic which some argue is indicative of an ‘Oxford reject’ culture.

‘Private schools notoriously aim to have their students sent to Oxbridge, and will encourage the majority of

them to apply’, said one first year student who wished to remain anonymous.

‘A disproportionate number of privately-educated students come to the University of Bristol – more so than other Russell Group universities – which is probably because it is Oxford-like in its character’.

The University of Bristol has 61.4 per cent of its students from a state school background, which, although more than Oxford at 55.7 per cent, represents a slightly lower amount than that of Cambridge University at 61.9 per cent. Approximately seven per cent of children are educated in the private sector.

Additionally, Bristol University has recently been in receipt of criticism for its ‘Bristol Scholars Scheme’, which seeks to widen its accessibility for poorer students, as one third of offers have gone to students privately educated. Could it be that the apparent divide between state and privately-educated students is perpetuating the Universities connotations with Oxbridge?

The connection with Oxford tradition propels also into the territory of formal academic dress.

Academic dress involves the gowns used at graduation ceremonies;

” “ “ The Wills brothers ... commissioned [these new buildings] with the intent to rival the beauty of Oxford’s buildings.

associated with the University of Oxford in 1872, 37 years prior to it being awarded its Royal Charter.

The headmaster of Clifton College, John Percival, wrote to the colleges at Oxford relaying his concerns regarding the distinct lack of

‘We have to stand up when the Warden comes in and can only sit down once he has said Benedicto Beneditur’

Therefore, the university was both born in connection with Oxford, and developed as a rival to Oxford’s aesthetic, which may have opened up potential for comparisons to be made.

Wills Hall, one of the many student halls of residence in Stoke Bishop, is generally seen as most in imitation of Oxford out of all the student halls in Bristol. Not only is its design reminiscent of the Oxbridge style, being built around a quad, but its

Wikipedia Commons

Will’s Hall ... is generally seen as most in imitation of Oxford out of all the student halls in Bristol

In 2004, Bristol’s ViceChancellor ... Professor Eric Thomas had to warn both teachers and parents alike to stop viewing Bristol as a back-up plan.

at graduation ceremonies for the University of Bristol, students’ gowns comprise a mixture of those worn by students at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

It appears that various aspects of university life connect Bristol with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The main question, however, must be whether this is adequate grounds to think of the University of Bristol as a place for those turned down by Oxford.

In 2004, Bristol’s Vice-Chancellor at the time, Professor Eric Thomas, had to warn both teachers and parents alike to stop viewing the University as a back-up plan if Oxbridge does not go the intended way. Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: ‘They are places in their own right’.

With this came concerns with viewing Bristol through an Oxford perspective: ‘Even the most balanced parents don’t seem to be able to suppress their negative emotions in front of their children and the term “Oxbridge reject” rears its ugly head. Every year 25,000 or so of our brightest young people apply to Oxbridge and there are only 7,000 places’.

Should we be concerning ourselves and our perceptions so much with Bristol’s similarities with Oxbridge? Or should we be viewing our experiences at the University of Bristol in isolation? Are Bristol’s connotations as a home to ‘Oxfordrejects’ an unnecessarily negative portrayal of the student body?

Comment

Epigram 13.03.2017

@epigramcomment Editor: Abbie Scott

Deputy Editor: Ed Fernyhough

Online Editor: Sarah Williams

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Sports teams are going too far

The Weekly Angry Takedown

This week Jessica Cripps argues that Bristol sports societies need to watch their step - page 12

Read fatboy, read: Pegg’s favourite articles* Student feedback forms are a waste of time - Page 12 AMM lukewarm in antisemitism condemnation - Page 13 Thank maths for progress, now the rest of you follow on - Page 13

What the #editors are saying...

“At least the van advertising to the world that our toilet is blocked doesn’t have flashing lights on it...Oh”

So, you’ve left home, you are no longer under the restrictions of your parents, you’re free to do and wear whatever you like, yes?

Well, that’s great and all but I think some of us students take this luxury of freedom way too far. Your long hippy skirts paired with your tie-dye t-shirt just isn’t cool. Sorry.

I’m fine with freedom of expression, but seriously, some of these ‘fashion’ trends must come to an end. We live in England! Your lacey seethrough tops and three quarter frayed jeans in the rain just demands ridicule, not fashion fame!

So, I ask, what’s wrong with being ‘basic’; surely your heavy (and attic-smelling) fur jacket can’t be comfortable in a swelteringly hot lecture theatre?

Please, from a basic but comfortable student, I ask you to leave your waviness for the clubs!

Claudia Linton-Butt

*Simon Pegg may not have actually read this issue and may not actually think you are a fat boy

OVERHEARD ON THE 16 BUS “Donervan’s gave me ketchup instead of mayo last night and then got annoyed when I wouldn’t pay?”

“Big day today, 2 lectures.”

“Only plebs drink coffee from Source.”

@StefanRollnick

Epigram

13.03.2017

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Are sports socials getting out of hand?

Jessica Cripps questions whether sports societies should focus more on their matches than socials

For many students, a big part of the university experience is joining one of the University of Bristol’s sixty sports societies. From American Football to Ultimate Frisbee, it is probably less likely that you will come across a student who is not in a sports society than it is that you will get to your 9am lecture on time after a big night out.

And that is a large part of the appeal of sports at university. Beyond Varsity, and team photos, and just generally working up a sweat with a great bunch of new people, big society nights out are a large draw for all aspiring athletes. From initiations,

to the regular Wednesday-night Score, to the postwin victory party (or post-loss communal drowning of sorrows), sports societies offer perhaps the most consistent opportunities for downing a few shots and dancing the night away on the Triangle.

Gone are the days when exercise was just about fitness. Partying has become an inherent, assumed part of playing a sport.

However, sports socials are not all fun and games.

A darker underside bubbles below the surface: rape culture, alcohol related injuries, theft and other indiscretions are a sports-social normality that does not appear to be in the University’s vocabulary.

Cheerleading sparked debate when a ‘Chavthemed’ social received attention for ‘appropriation of the working class’. SU Equality, Liberation and Access Officer Hannah Dualeh intervened and the social was begrudgingly changed to ‘comfortable tracksuit bottoms and jumper night’, before being

common among students. While sexual violence is not simply limited to women, it is true that one in three female students will be sexually assaulted while at university. According to Rape Crisis, only 15% of all rape incidents are reported to the police – usually because of outside factors such as alcohol consumption deterring victims from feeling like they can report the crime.

The University is notoriously bad at addressing alcohol-related issues, and particularly the bingedrinking culture glorified by official university societies. While there are support services and official SU advice for substance misuse, there does not appear to be a concrete university policy towards alcohol for students. For staff, yes; but students, no.

In fact, the only time the University appears to express concern about alcohol consumption is in the official ‘undergraduate accommodation’ guidelines that all Freshers receive before arrival into halls. Here the University claims it ‘is concerned about the detrimental effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the overall welfare of students’.

While encouraging Freshers to refrain from alcohol, particularly during the first two weeks of the year (ahem, the craziest weeks of university), there appears to be no official support or advice for those wanting to enjoy university societies without the binge-drinking experience.

With Varsity coming up, it’s time the competition moved away from the drinking and returned to the matches.

Facebook/ Bristol Jets Cheerleading Squad

“

A darker underside bubbles below the surface: rape culture, alcohol related injuries, theft and other indescretions

cancelled altogether.

While societies at Durham and Liverpool universities have also received indignation for similarly themed socials, it has been Bristol’s response to criticism that has been unacceptable.

No apologies were given until the social received press attention, and, despite it being cheerleaders themselves who first took offence, the whole affair was treated by the society with a childish ‘why are you ruining our fun’ disdain.

As a city, Bristol has a significantly higher rate of alcohol-specific hospital admissions than the average rate in England – a rate that is on the rise.

Men in particular are twice as likely to be admitted as women. While students are not the only people included in this statistic, it is not uncommon for what starts out as a fun sports-social pres to end up in A&E. Even if the binge-drinking culture emphasised by sports socials does not cause physical harm, it lowers inhibitions and therefore leaves people at risk.

This can be expressed in physical violence, or rape, among others. How many times have friends been lost on the way into nightclubs because they foolishly attempt to take on the bouncer? Blame that slippery friend: jaegerbombs.

“

Jessica Cripps Comment writer

One in three female students will be sexually assaulted while at university

Alcohol consumption also means that individuals are more likely to be victims of theft, assault or muggings – students in particular are at a high likelihood of experiencing these crimes.

Incidents of sexual violence are also disappointingly

The Bristol Cheerleading squad recently cancelled a ‘Chav-themed’ social

Feedback on feedback - do students know best?

Oliver Cohen argues that the university should pay less attention to unreliable student feedback Oliver Cohen Comment writer Feedback. Nothing struck me more as a fresher than the tidal wave of requests for feedback on the course, university and other aspects. The particularly high degree of feedback may just be a nuance of my course. Yet, regardless of course, all students are asked to give feedback on other aspects such as the university and sports department. In fact, I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of feedback on the feedback, ‘optional questionnaire’. Whilst most would consider the copious number of requests for course feedback to be a good thing - and I am inclined to a degree to a certain extent - a small voice has been asking what has now become a pertinent question: do students really know best?

It was the late Apple visionary Steve Jobs who reportedly said, ‘You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.’ Now, regardless of the authenticity or validity of this comment, it raises an interesting question; namely, is it the students’

I would argue that while this may be correct, the inherent laziness of students is unlikely to change, hence a pragmatic approach of the university would be for them to come up with a different solution. They need to find a way to address this issue - even though they might not have caused it. In doing so they will be able to ensure the high standard of teaching they purport and for the most part offer.

What this unhinged rant comes down to, I suppose, is not the abolishment of feedback. I’m sane enough to see that student input on their own course and university to a certain extent is in most cases a good thing. My ironical feedback on the feedback is that it needs to be more focused.

Would a small group discussion between the lectures/leadership team and a small but diverse group of students not be better than the variety of small undetailed responses that the current system produces?

What would an alternative feedback arrangement look like? My personal thoughts are that it should be based in small groups whose constituent members are picked fitting to the distribution of the year ensuring no biases involved with self-selection. This could vastly increase the detail. A very good example of what I’m talking about are the feedback sessions run at the end of the term in my course. They involve an actual conversation between the university staff and students in my department. A total overhaul of feedback is not needed but small changes wouldn’t go amiss.

Here is a student giving feedback

Facebook/ Epigram / Bristol Stefan Socialist Rollnick Party

“

Does a student with no knowledge of running a university...really know the best way forward?

place to dictate changes? Does a student with no knowledge of running a university, organising a programme and no experience in teaching really know the best way forward? There are many tasks and activities in life that are not necessarily nice, but nevertheless fundamental to achieving a goal or aim. Those undertaking the task at the time may not realise this but it does not depreciate the necessity of it. If a referendum was held tomorrow on, for example, taxes, can it truly be believed that people can put the bigger picture above their short term personal views? It is possible that students’ feedback on what they would change could be things that benefit them in unforeseen ways.

Thinking about this from a different angle, I would argue that the unrepresentative results it generates may be more of a hindrance. With no requirement to fill in the various feedback sheets, the sample set of those who fill it in may be called into question. There is no doubt that those on the extreme ends, the outliers of opinion, are more likely to respond. A representative survey shouldn’t focus on the few extreme positives or extreme negatives but the clear majority – at least in theory.

With the barrage of received request emails, I, unfortunately, don’t shake with excitement at the sight of one. Unfortunately, I feel I am not alone. Undeniably the key problem causing the misrepresentation is simply not enough participation. Now you are probably screaming, internally of course, that it is therefore the student’s fault for not filling the sheets in.

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Bristol must condemn antisemitism without hesitation Rebecca Filler & Hannah Rose argue that antisemitism should be challenged without compromise Rebecca Filler & Hannah Rose Comment writers Despite the atrocities of the twentieth century, antisemitism still persists in our society.

According to the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects the Jewish community and records antisemitism, reported antisemitic incidents in the UK have risen by 36% in 2016 compared to last year. It is something that can be found across the political spectrum and is a particular problem in the student movement. In Bristol during the NUS referendum, the response to antisemitism was a major concern for Jewish students, and many were disappointed that the Remain campaign did not engage fully with the issue.

“

a free and independent Palestinian state.

However, I do not believe that any of this is relevant to combating antisemitism, and to suggest otherwise is highly inappropriate. An amendment to my motion was proposed by a student officer, specifying that this motion should not prevent pro-Palestinian activism on campus.

A motion with the title, ‘Combatting Antisemitism’, now has this amendment at the end. Personally, I was completely baff led by the sudden proposal of the amendment. Why must there be a caveat to standing alongside Jewish students asking for solidarity when tackling antisemitism?

I find it incredibly insulting that when asked to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish students in the UK, the first concern of some is ‘will this affect my ability to criticise

Israel?’ Standing up to antisemitism shouldn’t be based on certain conditions, antisemitism should be challenged regardless.

The past year in the student movement has seen the concerns of Jewish students dismissed by student leaders. Now, more than ever, we need to stand by Jewish students and not on the condition that ‘we will stand by you if its suits our politics’, but ‘we will stand by you no matter what’.

It is of no comfort to Jewish students when precursors are placed on challenging antisemitism. Whilst I’m glad that the motion passed with the wording of the original motion unchanged, the amended addition serves as an example of how not to approach combatting antisemitism. Stand with us, on our terms, and help us defeat antisemitism once and for all.

Standing up to antisemitism shouldn’t be based on certain conditions; antisemitism should be challenged regardless

Ed Fernyhough rants about matters outside of Bristol...

Theresa May has given up crisps for Lent.

Despite being disgusted by the state of public swimming pools, the Guardian’s Sally Goble has still swum in over 100 of them.

Asking all the important questions, the Telegraph (sorry, the Daily Mail) are trying to figure out whether Meghan Markle will fit in with Prince Harry’s inner circle (you tell me!)

The Independent have featured an article about a Pornhub user successfully finding help with their maths homework in the comments section of a video.

Breitbart still exists.

Bristol SU

The AMM acknowledged that there had been a 36% rise in antisemitic crimes between 2015 and 2016.

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The AMM (Annual Members’ Meeting) demonstrated a big step forward for Jewish students, but not in the way that I expected.

Various amendments, multiple speakers, and 20 minutes of debate, were somehow necessary to pass a simple motion pledging to combat antisemitism. I proposed that Bristol Students’ Union define antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition, adopted by the UK government and the Labour Party, but it became clear that for some, a conversation about Israel/Palestine was of greater concern than the ability for Jewish students to be able to define antisemitism.

Let me be clear; I believe in a safe homeland for Jewish people in the state of Israel. I also believe in justice for Palestinian people in

Beyond campus

I’ve outlined the current decrepit state of journalism in a university newspaper’s column which, relatively speaking, few people read, without proposing a viable solution to the industry’s startling problems.

God bless journalism.

It’s not all doom and gloom...

Maths trailblazes in decision to provide exam scripts

Lucy Thompson suggests other departments could make our lives easier by following the lead...

Lucy Thompson Comment writer Mathematics students at Bristol have for the first time been allowed access to exam scripts, a positive step in improving exam feedback at university. Having the ability to see where you have gone wrong is crucial, fundamental for students wishing to achieve a first class degree.

Jolyon James, a second year mathematics and economic student, described it as an ‘amazing idea’ as ‘you can see how they actually award the marks, [given that] the official marking criteria is not released.’

This is particularly useful for maths students as it enables them to see look back over their methods and correct their mistakes. However, it would also be beneficial for humanities and language students. The university has not provided the same level of feedback for all subjects, nor access to the scripts. As an English Literature student myself, I was disappointed opening my exam feedback this year to find two inhospitable lines of feedback for my essay. While university is primarily

Hopefully this progress will lead to other subjects following suit.

‘impossible’ to provide more detail due to the fact that essays had to be turned around in five working days, and that ‘most universities provide no feedback on exams.’ They cited that ‘external examiners are always impressed that we provide as much commentary as we do.’ Unsurprisingly, that doesn’t read ‘our students are always impressed…’

Their response to complaints suggests a fundamental reluctance to adapt and improve to fulfil the needs of their students. Although the option exists to see your tutor during office hours, it would be highly useful to have the exam scripts to hand in order to go through the paper with them. Either that, or more thorough feedback. It’s next to impossible to have constructive one-to-one meetings with personal tutors without having the exam

scripts as a point of reference. I can barely remember what I myself wrote - how can my lecturer possibly be expected to remember my script, having had to mark many other similar papers?

Meeting with tutors is always useful, but the process could be made even more constructive by the provision of scripts to students from every department. Surely this step would improve student performance.

At present, I believe that the lack of

this opportunity is a contributing factor to Bristol’s lowly position in the student satisfaction league tables (currently 24th on The Complete University Guide). The change is in the University’s interests as well as ours. I commend the Maths department for this change, and hopefully this progress will lead to other subjects following suit. It is not ‘impossible’ to listen to students and make improvements, as this particular department has shown.

Epigram / Stefan Rollnick

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Maths student access to exam scripts [is] a positive step in improving exam feedback at university...

focused on independent learning, there has to be more guidance for students.

I spent hours reading texts and trying to learn Middle English words; to be provided with a vague line of criticism has left me clueless on how I can improve. When questioned on the matter, the department described it as

Exam performance might improve if students were able to go through scripts with lecturers and tutors

13.03.2017

Science & Tech

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Epigram

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

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

Sharing the hate to find love; is this the new Tinder?

“ There are over 3000 topics to ‘like’, ‘love’, ‘dislike’ or ‘hate’

plates’ came up consecutively.

You can also skip topics, if, like some, you have no idea what’s trending world wide or just do not want to form an opinion on something. At least topics such as ‘abortion’ can be out of the way before the first date.

Once you have swiped on a topic, you can see how many others have agreed with you. Surprise, surprise: only 7 per cent of individuals love it when “‘girls ask guys to buy them drinks”. Apparently I’ve got it all wrong in SWX! However, according to Alper, the only consistently loved topic was guacamole with everything else being inconsistently rated.

When you have been sufficiently saddened by how many people hate ‘pillow fights’, (65 per cent) then you can move onto viewing your matches.

However, do remember to change

the age range and preferences on the settings so a balding 52 year old man with a 72 per cent match on mutual dislikes does not scare you away.

You can then swipe through a selection of close up pictures of this charming individual as well as seeing their topics that they’ve despised too.

Almost better than Tinder by this point.

However, one feature that puts Hater apart from all other dating apps is that it can hold your metaphorical hand when chatting to someone for the first time. Hater misses out the awkward pick up lines or awful ‘hey’ introductions by the use of the apps light hearted trump cards. They require you to fill in the blanks along the lines of ‘is it me or does it smell like (insert

word) in here?’ Definitely time to play your cards right.

As to the future of Hater, Alper plans

Hater doesn’t let users use awkward pick up lines, instead you use light hearted trump cards

to expand the app to a more social level and change the language barrier; it is currently only available in English.

He wants the app to have less bias towards dating and more to be used between friends all over the world as a comparison of views. Additionally,

he is trying to incorporate brands into the app’s topics to see what the market thinks of their item.

Personally, I think the mutual hatred for something is quite a catch.

It involves a little more brain power than the judgmental and slightly monotonous Tinder. I mean it’s great fun, if you’re looking for some light hearted relief and to be and want to be nosey! I’m definitely going to use one of the slightly rude topics as a conversation starter.

Unfortunately, Hater is only available on iOS and has not yet been released onto the android market. I know, when Hater finds me someone who shares my hatred for Apple snobs, small talk and bucket hats, that he will be The One.

Hater/Press release

Most dating apps are characterized by cheesy one liners, a few catfishing selfies and occasionally a sprinkle of romance. Surely, it’s more realistic to find a true love who shares your hatred for Trump and public displays of affection? Fortunately, a new app launched this month is here for you.

Hater is here to match us love birds not only through shared likes but also on what topics individuals mutually detest. Brendan Alper, founder of Hater, said the idea stemmed from a comedy sketch he was writing when he realized the app could be a dating sensation. He believes that two individuals form stronger bonds over shared dislikes than shared likes. Quite hard to disagree with, right?

There is some scientific support for this idea. A study by Bosson and Co., named ‘Interpersonal Chemistry Through Negativity’, suggested that shared negative attitudes towards topics elicit a closer response between individuals than positive ones and, interestingly, this bond is even stronger over sharing negative topics with strangers.

After logging in with Facebook, creating a profile with up to 5 photos and a short bio, the app lists topics one after the other where you swipe in different directions depending on how strongly you feel about the topic.

With over 3,000 topics to ‘like’, ‘love’, ‘dislike’ or ‘hate’, it has never been

easier to build up a quick and accurate estimation of someone’s personality.

The variety of topics includes anything from sport and inanimate objects, to politics and intimacy. For instance, topics such as ‘music during sex’, ‘the 2016 elections’ and ‘expensive cheese

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Liv Hunter Science Writer

Could the UoBs new app help get you ENTWINED? Hudi Charin Science Writer Confronted with a photo of Hellman’s Mayonnaise, I have to admit I was a little bit taken aback by my first encounter with the ENTWINE app. This is The University of Bristol’s answer to the age old conundrum of finding a date. We live in a world where everyone seems to be on at least one dating app, or simply spending a lot of time chuckling over mate’s screenshots of

ceaselessly ineloquent chat-up lines.

So what makes this new app different?

Created by Dr Roland Baddeley and Dr Felix Mercer Moss from the School of Experimental Psychology here at Bristol, ENTWINE asks users to evaluate three different photos of potential dates. It is based on the premise that analysis of these three swipes will be more accurate than other apps which create matches by, for instance, asking questions about our hobbies.

Unfortunately, it makes this quite

difficult when creating a profile. Unlike with other apps where you can happily nick a catchy bio off the internet and load your favourite filtered summer snaps, your only info on ENTIWNE is these 3 photos. To make matters more difficult, you have to take these selfies through the app, so no cheeky Valencia filter there. Not just that, but the premise of these pictures is that they show three angles of your face: straight on, side view, and classic slightly-above head height selfie angle.

With the first two photos, I felt like I’d regressed to photography from the ‘90s. Here was my face, straight on, with no filter. Shock. Horror. And don’t get me started on the side view selfie, which may or may not have made me consider rhinoplasty for a few moments.

In some ways, this is an interesting psychological debate in itself. We’ve got so accustomed to showing potential partners our most edited selves, that when it comes to taking a very standard head-shot, it’s almost impossible to click ‘submit.’

After taking a few minutes (read: 45 minutes, not including retouching of makeup and a shot of vodka) to take the three photos, I got into the fun part: the swiping.

It turns out the Mayonnaise photo

“ Don’t get me started on the side view selfie, which might have made me consider rhinoplasty

Flickr/Eltpics

is just part of the demo. Admittedly, there is an orange bar at the top that reads DEMO, but if you –like me- aren’t especially observant, here is your heads up. Other demo photos include snaps of light bulbs, and walls. If you persevere past this slightly dodgy intro to get to the actual app, you’re one

step closer to finding love with a fellow Bristolian.

Which brings me on to another of the issues. At the moment, the app is only available for UoB students. It’s quite daunting to download an app

If you persevere past the slightly dodgy intro, you’re one step closer to finding love with a Bristolian

where you know everyone you see could feasibly sit next to you on the 16 bus or in a lecture. On the other hand, Facebook was initially only for Harvard students, so let’s dream big, people.

Of course the main thing you want to know about a dating app is whether or not you’ll get any dates. I’m ashamed to say that after having an account for three days, I have not had any matches!

Whether or not that is because of my highly flattering photos or the lack of people currently using the app, only time will tell.

The app wasn’t just made by bored academics either. Information about how humans go about pairing with each other will inform research into Darwinian principles. As Dr Moss has said ‘you may not find love’ on the app, but if you can get through the mayonnaise and the brutal selfie taking, then hopefully you’ll be more successful than me.

Epigram 13.03.2017

Netflix or beer, what’s your binge?

13

Bethany Harris Science Writer

Andrea Kriska, an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh, states that the ease of access to online streaming has resulted in a rise in the number

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“ 32 per cent of people consider ‘bingewatching’ to be their main hobby

of people with sedentary lifestyles, and predicts that this is only going to increase further. This is putting television audiences at a much greater risk of developing health problems such as type 2 diabetes. Experts suggest that even just an hour sitting in front of the television can boost your chances of developing diabetes by 3.4 per cent.

Whilst the negative effects of bingewatching are clearly concerning, researchers state that there may be some unexpected positives. Increasing levels of television exposure have led to young people developing more elastic brains, resulting in faster information processing, decision making and heightened cognitive and analytical skills. This gives today’s students a wider array of transferrable skills and therefore may be of an advantage when seeking employment. The concept of technology ‘rewiring’ our

brains is worrying and is leading to a generation that may lose its ability to contemplate, imagine and play.

Research into binge-watching has revealed that the associations with other, more dangerous addictions such as binge-eating may not be just a harmless trend. Whilst it is a wellknown fact that the more television a person watches, the more likely they are to become overweight, a study

Experts suggest that an hour sitting in front of the television can boost your chances of developing diabetes by 3.4 per cent

conducted by the University of Texas found that 26 per cent of participants

Epigram/Matt Davis

A recent shift in the way in which television is viewed and consumed has led to a dramatic increase in ‘bingewatching’ amongst the UK population.

Evidence suggests that a rise in the availability of viewing platforms for popular television shows such as Netflix and Now TV, have resulted in more people turning to online streaming than ever before. In the UK alone, 32 per cent of people consider ‘bingewatching’ to be their main hobby, with popular thrillers such as Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones significantly contributing to these figures.

Although many of us will be guilty of enjoying a Sunday night ‘TV marathon’ with friends, 3 quarters of the UK population admit to always watching more than one episode, with the national viewing average now reported to be a shocking 6 episodes at a time.

Whilst this may appear to be a harmless craze, evidence shows that high levels of television exposure may be detrimental to both mental and physical health. Results published in 2016 from a Japanese study revealed that watching 5 or more hours of television a day can increase the risk of developing a blood clot by 2.5 times, due to prolonged periods of inactivity.

(316 18-29 year olds) admitted to binge-eating whilst binge-watching television.

To explain this trend, researchers at Cornell University state that the levels of action associated with a particular program influence the likelihood of binge-eating. Action packed TV shows such as The Walking Dead resulted in participants consuming twice as much food than those who watched a talk show. This was thought to be due to a rise in stress levels increasing the amount of cortisol produced by the body, a hormone associated with overeating.

In contrast, psychologists argue that addictions are simply ‘out-ofcontrol habits’ and that dependence on particular substances such as television, food, or alcohol are just a matter of personality. Therefore, it is possible that correlations between binge-watching, eating and drinking

may be caused by personality type along with other psychological factors such as stress, anxiety and depression.

So are students more at risk from binge-watching? With the stress of leaving home, low-budget lifestyle and copious amounts of free time, it is not surprising that 55 per cent of UK bingewatchers fall into the 18-24 age range.

By providing an escape from reality and a cheap hobby, it is possible that students may be more susceptible to binge watching than other members of the population. On the other hand, it can be argued that online streaming services see students as a target and so cater their services towards them.

Despite this, the number of adults turning to online streaming is on the increase, and with this trend only set to continue, we may be facing a future where binge-watching is no longer the pastime of the minority, but the majority.

Under the microscope... Dorian Grey, a second Earth and cancer hibernation I f me the na u, you te a h o y you e out v nts ga ased to find is a e r a p e le r p e n your th a t r e less th eve tha nd you might btists now beli first name a med the r r n u te ie that sc n between yo has been ertain names c o on correlati e phenomenthe idea is that s. You may ton -a Th d looks. rey Effect’ an cial expectatiothen the laugh ty G o ie n ‘Doria ciated with s ore restrained eflect how soc d n o are ass a Tim to be m ces will then r ing angular a s a m fa t o w c c le e e p is p o ex ’s face b ypothes Bob. Pe minute them, with Timunder. The h to correctly o d r treats becoming manage Bob’s d after peoplendom faces. a r create n names to assig

s N A S Ar’ecently t is t n ie arth is c chief s g a second Ewhen’. His din ut he said ‘finmatter of if, bt about after t in a s a h t t g e s u n o ju not ts were br rth-like pla way from n a commrey of seven E0 light years tas to 4 with 4 e v e r o disc stem a me oughly convearre promisingd solar symetres this r The planetse to Earth anar us (in s behind it!)of similar siz the small stin e from e present 17 zero they ar b istance becausere the right dallow water toto be key for a o d t y e e v it h e t beli y orb that the form (this is id u q li orm). life to f

Matt Davis...

Explains how first names may be associated with looks

ation Hiberne key to inal h term e t may abtients with ggests. Afteerve u s p eli curinga new studys, scientists bature of t r a e , r p r cance enting with er the tem ernation like , to low enter a hib more quicklyre experim o y s ossible it is ps so that therepair occudr the body is cmould A n n a s N a e s m D s hu which e cancer slowso higher dot. Roughly state in is of th s a herapya living patiecner that has t metas nt to radiotld kill e can nce; resistaed that wou sufferers hav of occurreo w e s r ll it u e a s c be would initial all can half ofad from theduced torpor to form a spre rnation/ in r Doctors hibe re time fo mo ategy. str

Reports on the discovery of seven earth-like planets in a nearby solar system

Discusses the recent advances in using hibernation to combat cancer

Flickr/thellr

Epigram 13.03.2017

14

University Sponsored Content

Bristol’s new Chancellor Sir Paul Nurse high fives comedian Matt Lucas. A former Bristol student, Lucas was recently awarded a Doctor of Letters from the University of Bristol

Introducing our new Look after yourself ahead of exam season Chancellor Sir Paul Nurse will be officially installed during a special ceremony in the Great Hall of Wills Memorial Building on 22 March. He takes over from The Right Honourable Baroness Hale of Richmond, who has held the role since 2004.

A leading geneticist, Sir Paul Nurse is Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute, and former President of the Royal Society.

His contributions to science were recognised with a knighthood in 1999 and he won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2001 for his part in the discovery of protein molecules that control the duplication of cells in the cell cycle.

Sir Paul said: “Bristol is one of the UK’s great universities, both in terms of its world-leading research and also its teaching. With the recent announcements about its new campus and ambitious plans outlined in its new strategy, it’s an exciting time to be involved.”

As our Chancellor, Sir Paul will be the ceremonial head of the institution and play an important ambassadorial role, nationally and internationally. He confers degrees at graduations, chairs Court, supports fundraising efforts, and is a source of counsel to the Vice-Chancellor and the institution as a whole. The Chancellor is elected by Court after nomination by the Board of Trustees.

Previous Chancellors include former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Jeremy Morse, who provided the inspiration for Inspector Morse, and Nobel Prize-winning scientist Professor Dorothy Hodgkin.

Read our Bristol Faces interview with Sir Paul: www.facebook.com/bristoluniversity. You can also meet Sir Paul in the Students’ Union, from 12 pm to 1pm on 22 March – just register online at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sir-paul-nurse-my-life-inresearch-tickets-32291807666

You already know that your health and wellbeing are important, especially at busy times such as before and during assessment periods.

Being well prepared gives you the best chance to achieve your potential.

So to maximise your studying, revision and exam performance we’ve got some tips to help you look after your body and mind. Make sure you include time for relaxing, refuelling and refreshing in your schedule. r 3= relaxing x refuelling x refreshing Relaxing • Practice tensing and relaxing each muscle group in turn starting with your toes and working your way up the body.

• Practise breathing deeply, evenly and slowly.

• Sleep well. If you’re tired it’s hard to concentrate and maintain perspective. Cut down on stimulants and allow time to unwind before bed. The key to feeling refreshed is having a regular pattern – getting regular exercise helps (but not immediately before bed).

• Relaxing massage and exercise classes are available from Sport, Exercise and Health.

• Attend one of Student Counselling’s wellbeing groups.

Refuelling What we eat and drink influences not only physical performance but mental performance too. If you want to boost concentration, memory and mood in the run-up to exams try some of these: • A good breakfast to start the day • Five pieces of daily fruit and veg • Oily fish

• Healthy snacks - try raw carrots, celery, chopped nuts, raisins, dates, etc.

• Research suggests drinking water during exams can help improve grades – so don’t forget your water bottle!

• Go steady with alcohol – it’s bad for performance and sleep quality Refreshing Some anxiety can help motivate, but high levels of stress cause excess adrenaline resulting in headaches, racing heart, fatigue, irritability and sleep problems.

Including some exercise in your day will boost energy and clear your head. It doesn’t have to be a two-hour gym session or a five-mile run. A brisk walk is great exercise and doesn’t need specialist kit or planning. Even small bouts of activity can reduce tension and boost productivity. r3 was initiated in 2012, supported by funding from the Alumni Foundation. Read the full notes at: www.bristol.ac.uk/sport/activities/healthy-living/ live-well/relax-refuel-refresh

Find organised classes with Sport and Exercise Health: www.bristol.ac.uk/sport Handouts on study strategies, motivation and managing exam anxiety: www.bristol.ac.uk/student-counselling/ self-help/studystrategy Just Ask’s Guide to Surviving Assessment: www.bristolsu.org.uk/ advice-and-support/issues-with-yourcourse/exams Our wellbeing homepage has lots of advice and contacts: www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing

Created by Bristol artist Luke Jerram, the Museum of the Moon will be exhibited in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building between 19-26 March. Come and try some moon-gazing for yourself!

Study skills workshop The Study Skills team are on hand to help in the run up to exams in April. Our revision and exam skills sessions start on 21 March and will give you practical advice on revision techniques, how to test yourself and how to tackle exam questions.

If you want to improve your grades, if you’re feeling under prepared, or not sure where to start as you approach your exams, a session with our new Study Skills team could be exactly what you need. No booking required, just turn up for group or 1-1 sessions.

From 21 March Workshops: Tuesday and Thursday, 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm, Room 5.12, Richmond Building

From 22 March One to one tutorials: Wednesday and Friday, 1:00 pm – 2:00pm, The Pod, Beacon House Here are some top tips from the team to keep you going until then: 1. Plan your revision, use a list or timetable 2. Put your phone out of sight so you don’t get distracted 3. Leave gaps in your revision timetable for emergencies 4. Test yourself as you go along and fill in gaps in your knowledge 5. Ask for help if you’re feeling stressed.

University Sponsored Content

Epigram 13.03.2017

15

University Sponsored Content

Beacon House: one year on

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directions and opening times to where they can eat and talk. The general public want to know what the building’s about. A lot of lost property turns up there too!

Now more non-university visitors are getting to know the place, they are spreading the word and more of the general public are coming in to the café. It’s definitely going in the right direction.

‘It’s worked exactly how it was supposed to.’

We get a lot of staff in the café and over the past couple of months, we’ve started to see a lot more of the general public. In the reception area there is a good information point; we’ve got everybody coming in and out. It’s really worked how it was supposed to.

People ask all sorts of questions there – from

Beacon House in numbers Items handed in to Lost and Found: 970 Strangest item found: two tubes of toothpaste Busiest day in the study centre: Sunday 8 January with 379 students Busiest time in the study centre (on average): 3:30 pm.

“

We spoke to Debbie Hastings and Chloe Langham, Beacon House coordinators, about their first year in the new space open for students, staff and the general public.

Since the doors opened, it has been very popular with students as a learning space.

During assessment times it’s full. And even at quiet times, we’ve still had people coming through which is lovely.

‘Events really bring the building to life.’

Buzzing with activity Who studies at Beacon House? A complete mix of students, across all courses and year groups.

And it’s not just a space to work – there’s a range of support, from study skills workshops to individual help for writing reports.

Apart from desks and study space, there’s a huge amount of activity at Beacon House.

The three open days have gone extremely well; weird and wonderful student-led sustainability projects pop up in reception; and a range of stalls regularly promote opportunities to staff and students.

You can buy a student card, talk about wellbeing support and services, find a job with the Temporary Staffing Service, or take a tour of the University. Staff and students both use the meeting rooms, and there’s scope to broaden

that out further outside of term time – the space could be promoted to local businesses, alongside in-house catering.

We want to use the space a lot more; it’s in such a good location. I’d like to see more events here. They really bring the building to life.

Going green Beacon House was developed with a strong focus on sustainability and that’s continued to go from strength to strength.

Source Café sells a range of organic and vegetarian food, as well as reusable Keep Cups.

You’re walking on carpets made from recycled fishing nets, and staff ensure energy use is efficient.

This year everyone in the building is also taking part in the Green Impact award; fulfilling a range of actions to improve sustainability in their work. The team are already generating great ideas, from battery recycling to lower use of printers.

What do students say?

“It’s very convenient for me; right next to my house and close to the shops so I can buy lunch.”

“It’s modern, clean and I really like that it’s not completely silent.”

“Nice atmosphere, nice work environment.”

“I like to be able to bring in my food.

It’s a light, open and bright space, which keeps me more awake!”

“It’s relaxed. You can still speak; it’s sociable and close to Uni.” Tell us what you think via our suggestion boxes, email beacon-house@bristol. ac.uk, or have your say online with #BeaconHouse.

Who inspires you?

2016 award winners with University and Union representatives

University Sponsored Content

The Bristol Teaching Awards are a joint venture between the University and the Students’ Union, now in their fifth year, to recognise and reward staff members who make an outstanding contribution to students’ educational experience.

Nominations categories cover: Outstanding Teaching, Outstanding Teaching by a Postgraduate Student, Outstanding Support and Outstanding Supervision of Research Students.

This is a chance to highlight those members of academic, support or technical staff who make the experience that students have at Bristol the best it can be.

The awards are nominated, shortlisted, and decided by students. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 6 June with student representatives present.

Zoe Backhouse, Bristol SU Undergraduate Education Officer, said: “The Bristol Teaching Awards are the best opportunity for you to recognise the member of staff that has gone above and beyond. From the personal tutor that’s stuck by you to the lab assistant that fixes all your problems, use this chance to tell them how important they’ve been. What’ll take you five minutes will make their year.”

Make your nominations now at www.bristol. ac.uk/bristolteachingawards before 31 March.

Epigram

13.03.2017

Letters

@EpigramLetters

Editor: Claire Hargreaves letters@epigram.org.uk

Stop honourary degrees Lily Hammond Letters Writer The University of Bristol has recently awarded honorary degrees to a number of public figures as recognition of their various achievements. Matt Lucas (TV comedian, actor and screenwriter), Chrissie Wellington (four-time winner of Ironman World Championships) and Chris Jolly (Managing Director of Jolly Learning Ltd) were all awarded with doctorates in their respective fields without having done any of the usual requirements that the rest of us would have to endure.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the basis for these honorary degrees.

It is a formal recognition from an established institution for an amazing accomplishment. And all three alumni have done just that…but why award them with a degree?

For the mass majority of the student population the time and effort put in to getting a degree is all-consuming for the period that we are at university.

Dissertations and examinations are hard, and although I’m not suggesting that the achievements of honorary degree members were not difficult in the making, to receive the same level of recognition without the same hardships just feels a bit unfair. It makes you feel a bit mugged off.

And ironically, this was the very stem of Matt Lucas’s acceptance speech. He spoke of his unworthiness in accepting the doctorate compared to those with ‘actual degrees’, having dropped out of his final year at Bristol after ‘not understanding a word’. He called himself a ‘charlatan’ and the University ‘fools’ for offering him the award.

Although all said in jest and made for a very good “graduation” speech, there was a definite underlying tone of embarrassment on Lucas’ half as he

accepted something which, I believe, he thought himself to be undeserving of.

Chrissie Wellington, a female endurance athlete, received a Doctorate of Law from the University of Bristol which I also find slightly baffling. This is due to the fact that her contribution is in that of the sporting world rather than having any direct relation to the field of law. As well as this, unlike the other two, Chrissie had no previous connections to the University of Bristol at all, having got a first class degree in Geography from the University of Birmingham.

I know that it is not custom for people with honorary degrees to actually use their full title or put letters after their name but that poses the question; why are they awarded degrees and not another form of award? If it is a purely decorative endeavour, then why undermine the significance of a degree in the process?

I also think it is naïve to view honorary degrees as a purely “kind” endeavour on behalf of the university.

Although not everyone that receives one is a household name - take Chris Jolly for instance - a substantial number of those given honorary degrees would be identified as a celebrity. It is in the interest of the university in terms of publicity to award those who are rich and famous so that the public might care. In doing this, however, universities are awarding fame and celebrity success rather than academia. And if universities are not prioritising the celebration of academia, then what institution is?

For me, the whole concept of an honorary degree is flawed. Degrees are a level of qualification that you have to earn in a certain way, showing real dedication and passion for a particular subject. Although acknowledgment of other achievements is obviously hugely important, let’s not group the celebrity world and academia together.

Increasing diversity in the student population Lucy Collins UK Student Recruitment Diversity is one of the key themes of our new University strategy: we know, from the strategy consultation process, that increasing diversity in the student and staff populations is a goal we all share. We are in the process of introducing two new schemes that will lead to a significant increase in the number of offers of places made to students from state schools, and to those who have suffered some educational disadvantage, such as a long period of illness, a disrupted family background or caring responsibility. Bristol Scholars is one of those schemes.

At the heart of the Bristol Scholars scheme is a determination to provide opportunities for all local students whose potential is not currently recognised in their predicted A Level

results. Bristol Scholars is a radical programme: eligibility for the scheme is based on the Headteachers’ assessment of high potential and progress, rather than examination results alone. It will capture the talent we know exists in our city and recognises educational disadvantage is more complex than school type. Each local school is able to put forward 5 applications with all students having to fulfil at least one widening participation criteria.

Ultimately, we want all local schools to take part in Bristol Scholars. This year is a pilot year and we received applications from 15 of the 22 schools in Bristol. We worked hard to encourage all state schools and colleges to submit nominations and will be redoubling our efforts for the 2018 cohort. We have established a working group with senior teachers from local state schools and colleges and we expect to receive a

higher proportion of applicants from these schools as the scheme becomes more established.

The other new scheme is our revised Contextual Offer policy, which is tackling social mobility on a national scale. This scheme focuses on young people attending the lowest 40 per cent of schools and colleges in England and Wales based on A-level results and the number of students applying to higher education – and makes offers up to two grades lower than the standard for this cohort. Only state school and college students are eligible and almost 3,000 such offers have been made this year.

The University is determined to diversify the student community. We are confident that combined, both the Bristol Scholars scheme and the contextual offer policy will ensure we achieve this goal.

Keep an eye out on our website for our #14conversations campaign!

With interviews and videos from special guests...

Nicky Morgan MP

Mayor Marvin Rees

Norman Lamb MP

Political apathy in students stems from lack of education

Ellie Chesshire Letters Writer An article was recently published in Epigram discussing why the younger generation appear to be so politically apathetic. The article concluded that the young had no one to believe and no one to listen to them, leading them to become disillusioned with politics and the benefits it may bring them. While this argument is valid in some ways, I believe it goes further than this. One of the main issues with young people and politics is that they do not know enough about it. It is very difficult to become passionate about something when you do not know how the system works or what each political party stands for.

The subject of politics is not taught as part of the national curriculum meaning that the only way for young people to study it is by selecting it as an optional unit, normally for A Levels - few schools offer it as a GCSE. In the school year of 2015/2016, 131,000 young people under the age of 19 left school to pursue apprenticeships, meaning that they had no access to any teaching on politics for their entire school career. The very fact

that politics is not easily accessible for young people to study means that most people leave school and turn 18 with no idea how the system really works. If the basics of politics became a compulsory subject for young people in secondary school, then everyone would have a basic understanding of which political party they want to vote for when elections roll around. How can we expect young people to vote when

“ ‘It is certainly true that many young people feel disillusioned with politics at the moment’

they don’t know who they are voting for?

It would seem that studying politics is as important as teaching science or maths. Politics affects everything that happens around the world and it is vitally important that young people understand why voting is so important and what it changes or affects. Even with the recent Brexit referendum, the biggest thing to

happen in politics in a long time, only 64 per cent of young people voted.

Over 70 per cent of these voted to stay in the EU. If more young people had decided to vote then there is a chance that the referendum result could have been different. Arguably a better education in politics could have changed this; some young people chose not to vote and many more to follow the opinion of their parents because they didn’t really understand what they were voting for.

Education is the key to progression in society and in a time when understanding and getting involved in politics is so important, it is vital that young people get educated on the basics.

Political apathy in young people is a big problem in Britain today and something that must be addressed.

It is certainly true that many young people feel disillusioned with politics at the moment, that they feel there is no one to listen to them. But maybe

if more people understood and were educated in politics, then young people would have more incentive to fight for what they believe in and what they want. And not only that, maybe they would then know how to get involved in politics and how to make your voice heard. Surely the only way to do this is through education so that hopefully future generations will not have the same political apathy because they will understand and want to get involved.

We asked, you said...

Following the recent Letter ‘Confessions of a Fresher’, we asked you what you thought Has freshers’ year met the expectations you had at the start of the year?

Worse than my expectations: 51% Better than my expectations: 27% The same as my expectations: 22%

E2

Christy Nunns

#14Conversations

Living Well Being Travel Style Food What’s On

18

Editor Johnny Thalassites

Online Editor Lucy Thompson

living@epigram.org.uk

lthompson.epigram@gamail.com

@e2living

Deputy Editor

13.03.2017

Saskia Hume saskia.hume@epigram.org.uk

Epigram Living Section 2016/17

Love thy neighbour

Want to get on with your neighbours, you disputatious little things? There’s just one place to go - E2 Living

Flickr/Nick Epigram/Serena Sekhon

It goes without saying that student-neighbour relations are traditionally ones of conflict. Local residents are all too ready to complain about their university counterparts before any offence has been committed. Similarly, students are keen to disregard their older neighbours as boring and sensible, always on the lookout for something to complain about. However, it is possible to have a successful relationship with the inhabitants of your street without having to try too hard. Nobody’s suggesting you become best friends and invite them round for dinner, but a rapport of mutual respect is, in fact, pretty easy to achieve. As such, here are a few tips from the Epigram Living Team to help you keep unnecessarily awkward encounters at bay:

Sweeten them up

Google: John Lord

This is a classic trick, particularly useful as a pre-warning or apology for something you’ve done wrong. Taking round a batch of freshly baked brownies or even a bottle of wine is perhaps a slightly transparent gesture, but it is a gesture nonetheless. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce yourself and prove that not all students are the archetypal antisocial adolescents they are purported to be.

Give them your contact details

This can be done when taking around the aforementioned presents of bribery. Giving a neighbour your mobile number or email means that they can contact you directly when they have a problem - rather than contacting the far more ominous landlord or even the police. It also immediately sets up a more mature and equal relationship between the two parties.

Look after the small things

There’s plenty of daily tasks that can be quickly carried out in order to maintain a mutually respectful relationship with those living around you. These include taking out the bins, keeping the hallway clean (if you live in a shared flat) and signing for deliveries.

Although these chores may seem obvious, it’s easy to forget to carry them out when deadlines are looming.

Stormy skies over Cotham Vale - where students live side by side with Bristolian locals all year round

Party Preparations

If you are planning on having a big party at your house, it’s always best not to push your luck in the lead up. There’s no point getting complaints about small gatherings which may add up to the neighbours refusing to let you host your housemate’s 21st birthday party at the end of the year. Go that extra mile with the small things in the lead up - keep the hallways extra clean and be the first to take out the bins if you share them. That way when the time comes to break the news to your unfortunate nearby residents, they don’t have any more of an excuse to reject your party plans.

On the night

If, even after plenty of warning and sweetening up, the neighbours still aren’t happy with your party plans, there are things that can be done. If your house are willing to pay, offer to put them up in a local B&B or hotel for the night. If they’re staying in, be sure to soundproof your house as much as possible, and put the loudest speakers in the basement if you have one. Keep outside noise to a minimum by letting people smoke inside. And, if they seem up to it, you can always invite them to join the party - although this might be detrimental depending on what they see once they’re inside.

Top 10 Bristol coffee shops

Living Writer Joe Gorecki travels accross the city to scout out the best spots for your daily caffeine fix While it’s easy to see coffee as just a liquid caffeine drink, it can be so much more, and being in Bristol we’re so well placed to try the best coffee has to offer. However, a good coffee shop is more than the drink: atmosphere and ambience also play a role. Whether you’re more interested in the coffee, the ambience, or just a good study space, here’s a rundown of the top ten spots if you fancy being adventurous and leaving the comfort zone of the Triangle’s big chains.

10. Two Day Coffee Roasters, St. Michael’s Hill

9. Dom’s Coffee House, St.Augustines Parade Fairly newly opened, with an expansive upstairs that actively caters for those wanting to do work, Dom’s makes for probably the best coffee shop study space in Bristol. Perfect for a welcoming study space that’s not a library.

8. Tin Can Coffee Co., North Street With an aesthetic that recalls a ‘50s diner, Tin Can Coffee Co. is an always busy spot on the varied, independent-minded North Street.

It’s a bit out of the way from the traditional student areas, but has good coffee nonetheless.

7. Brew, Whiteladies Road Providing good coffee at the bottom of Whiteladies, when Brew really comes into its own is in the summer. When basked in sun, its

6. Tradewind Espresso, Whiteladies Road Perched towards the top of Whiteladies, Tradewind has a great atmosphere and great coffee which is definitely worth making the trip for.

5. Boston Tea Party, Park Street Despite being a chain, BTP know how to do coffee right and their Park Street branch is their flagship for a reason. With the elegant upstairs and cute garden out back, it can be enjoyed in all seasons.

Definitely the place to take (and impress) parents.

Flickr/Duncan Hill

This doesn’t really count as it’s takeaway-only but TwoDay provide really great coffee (roasted in-store) at reasonable prices that undercut most sit-down places. Unassumingly perched on St. Michael’s Hill, Two Day makes for a great place to get that preseminar pick-me-up.

patio makes for the perfect place to enjoy a coffee.

4. Wainwright’s Coffee, Clifton Village Making for a great end to a walk to the Bridge, you don’t have to be able to understand the names of the various ways they can make coffee (V60, Aeropress etc.) to know that you’ll have a great cup.

3. Cafe Kino, Stokes Croft With an emphasis on the ethical, Café Kino, which is run as a worker’s co-operative, sits at the bustling heart of Stokes Croft. It offers both great vegan food and drink, in addition to a community spaces offering events like art classes. With most coffee places charging more for different milks, the vegan emphasis is refreshing (though admittedly, I am thankful for also having the dairy option).

2. Full Court Press, Union Street Serving some of Bristol’s finest coffee, Full Court Press really is the place to receive an education in coffee done right. With always two filter and two espresso blends to choose from and in constant

The famous Park Street branch of Boston Tea Party

rotation, it prides itself on its coffee and every cup will be expertly made, and different in the very best way.

1. Small Street Espresso, Small Street The perfect blend of awesome coffee (with a bespoke espresso blend by Clifton Coffee Roasters) and a very cosy setting tucked away in the Old City, Small St. Espresso is the embodiment of a great coffee house. While one could lament how small the shop actually is, the intimacy of the place really adds to its unmistakeable charm.

The perfect coffee shop for any occasion: you’ll be in good hands with Small St. Espresso.

13.03.2017

19

Spring un-cleaning Living Editor, Johnny Thalassites, wants to muddy the waters this March - with a host of depraved actions you can take today to feel that bit worse about things Spring is actually a debauched, wild and riotous little season – or, at least, that’s how I like to imagine it.

Yes, forget the tripe of old tropes. ‘Healthy body, healthy mind’ and all the rest can go to heck. Spring cleaning is a saccharine little thing, but it is deathly dull. I prefer to think of the wanton, depraved acts we could be pressing on with in Spring.

That is why I have constructed a few options to carry you, bacchanalian, towards the summer. Some of the things that you can do to make your life more tawdry, unclean and uncouth over the coming weeks. Spring Un-cleaning, if you will.

Clean environment

Healthy Mind There are cute things, lovely things, romantic things, that you can do TODAY to begin actually clouding your judgment.

Indeed, there are few cheaper and more thrilling ways to make

Flickr/Luis R Lebron

Insanity, Einstein explains, is: ‘doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for different results.’

Now, consider the following: Good Samaritan that you are, you clean the house’s plates and make up the kitchen. And yet, tomorrow, home after a long day procrastinating, the dishes need washing. They are not just unclean, a sort of benign muck – they are dirty, ravaged by lunches and dinners since your last scrub.

In this instance, how can you justify washing dishes again? If when you get home from the library, time and again the plates need washing – despite your well-intentioned exertions the previous night – then what are you really achieving?

You are cleaning your cutlery, only for it to be dirtied anew. This is the worst kind of futility.

Instead, this Spring, say knickers to the pessimists and shucks to the gloomsters.

Leave your plates unclean after meals. Actually, dirty a few extra plates for good measure. Maybe go one better – do like the Greeks and smash a few plates! Tell your pals it’s just a custom over there, because it really is. And not only will you have won the argument, you’ll have painted those fools into a narrow-minded and xenophobic little corner, as they stew in their cultural ignorance.

a real change in your life than to just start thrashing around university like a testosterone-infused stag bounding towards a mate.

Spring is Gold-Rush season, and you can begin living down to expectations TODAY. Single? Sleep with the gal on your floor in halls, or the gal in your favourite society, or that gal in Mbargo’s.

You’ll feel conflicted, immediately, first of all.

Or hungover.

More than that, though, you’ll simply be tired. Because, if you’re doing it right, you won’t have got much sleep, anyway.

And that essay? Don’t bother.

Flowers may bloom in Spring, but I hope that you wilt.

There’s a bloodlessness to student metronomes, churning out thousands of coherent, if unspectacular, words a term. Don’t join the hordes, passing through on their ways to PWC and EY. It isn’t worth it.

Get your leg over or go for a walk. Do something – just don’t do your degree work.

You’ll be stressed and feel a profound sense of drift in no time.

And that’s just the start, before you begin to feel anxious and without place in the world.

Healthy Body

This one unites the previous two ideas. It’s a fun one, trust me.

There’s actually a quicker way to un-clean your environment

and your mind – and it might even help you sleep with that gal from Mbargo’s.

Just throw a party.

I’ve always been sceptical that there’s strength in numbers. But hey, maybe there is something to the whole two – or 200 – hands being better than one.

Invite the masses to your house. In no time, I am sure that not only will pint glasses and cups be dirtied, but furniture might be, too. It’s genuinely possible – and you don’t even have to un-clean your home yourself this way.

Plus, with so many revelers at your pad, you can drink, too. You know, beer. I’ve written about it before - as I’m sure you know. But it’s great, beer.

I’m actually writing this between pints.

Still, if you throw a party, you can un-clean your mind by drinking!

It impairs your judgment and might even help you forget about that gal or that essay. So that’s the whole ‘un-clean mind’ thing done, as well – your judgment impaired in just a few pints.

But the way in which, significantly, parties can wreck your body is that they ruin your next day. You’ll wake up late and you won’t go to the gym.

If you’re lucky, you won’t have eaten much dinner before the pre and you won’t have had much water before bed, either.

You’ll feel groggy and fatigued. You’ll feel starved and dehydrated.

You might even feel randy and impotent. Which that gal will just love.

This is an unusual combination – and it is one that without careful debauchery via all the methods described, is hard to obtain.

So...

If I’m honest, just writing this cantankerous, little prose has made me feel a bit less clean, a bit less angelic and a bit less incorruptible.

I’m normally a guy of really unimpeachable morals.

But penning this damned article, I feel corrupted. Which suggests that if preaching these un-clean ideals can weigh you down, practicing them can surely have a real effect on you.

I am confident that if you follow my advice, you, too, can engage with Spring Un-Cleaning in a pretty big way. Good luck; stay safe and grow un-clean.

In defence of: the golden oldies Living Writer, Chloë Moloney, launches a passionate defence of old music, vintage tunes and her father’s record collection Coming from a world where Michael McDonald would serenade me as I ate my breakfast, I was astounded at how few young adults tapped their feet along to these 60s and 70s legends. Yet, I did attempt to dip my toe into the foreign waters of modern and new-fangled melodies, but found the water to be emetic and tart. Palpably not to my taste. In my humble opinion, I’m yet to find the same measure of talent and calibre of musical expertise in today’s Top 40 artists as I find in the glittering gems of the swinging sixties.

”

As we prepared to leave for Bristol on that bitter Saturday morning, my dad shoved an old Crosby, Stills and Nash album into the CD player in our car. Cruising on down the M4, we drummed our fingers along to the beat and whispered the sweet lyrics under our breath. By the time we pulled into Stoke Bishop we’d worked our way through CSN, a bit of Steely Dan and a scattering of James Taylor’s hits. Once they’d said their goodbyes, I continued to loosely hum Taylor’s melodies as I unpacked. A few days later, when we were gathered around my flatmate’s Spotify, I had to tacitly shove Sweet Baby James in my back pocket. It turns out that the introduction of 70s folk-rock in this setting was a definite faux-pas.

I was perfectly aware that my taste in music leaned towards the antiquated. However, upon my arrival at university, I realised how blissfully unwitting I was to the contemporary music scene. The grainy and sienna-toned portrait of my taste would be cracked right down the middle. In an era which appears (at least to me) to be filled with repetitive, droning beats and empty lyrics, it can sometimes seem more like cacophonous noise rather than the liquid gold of music itself.

[Modern music is] palpably not to my taste.

”

Having now become case hardened to the prim and disapproving judgements of my peers, and with a back catalogue of musical ripostes under my belt, I’m sure I could try to trounce some of my friends’ tastes when it came down to it. Their efforts to coax me into tasting a forkful of their contemporary listening proved somewhat ineffectual, as they found inordinate amounts of humour in my bewilderment. With all due respect, it just didn’t settle well in my

outmoded ears.

Having attended a sprinkling of gigs with my father, I have often been the victim of a few irresolute glances from other concertgoers. Being the young and fresh sprog amongst an audience of more mature citizens, the gawkers have frequently felt the urge to comment on how I was ‘awfully young to be here’ and that my father must have ‘dragged me along’. I gave them a frosty glance, unaware that there was an age restriction on first-rate music. I had simply considered it an honour to be in this musician’s orbit for those few sparkling hours and I certainly wasn’t going to let a haughty, inebriated sixty-year-old rocker tell me otherwise.

These artists are indeed referred to as the ‘golden oldies’, but they are most definitely prosperous for a reason. The chocolatey voice of James Taylor, the fuzzy amber glow of Al Green’s vocals and the country-rock twang of Neil Young are all seminal constituents for the shaping of modern music. While, no doubt, you are more than entitled to grace your ears with whatever you please, it would do you no harm at all to rewind the tape and tune in to Golden Oldies FM.

13.03.2017

20

A sermon: on muzak, dating, and alienation Regular word writer Lucky Dube traverses wild and muddy terrain - from FGM to Marvin Gaye - discussing background music in Bristol

‘Perhaps my aversion to muzak is a result of not liking the sort of music played.’

”

”

My criticism of muzak aside, the point about music in the background influencing your mood, and that of the room, is an important one. Roger Scruton argues in his book ‘The Aesthetics of Music’ that ‘if music is good or bad because of its effects, then the act of listening drops out of consideration altogether. The good effects of music might ensue, regardless of whether it is listened to: muzak induces relaxation precisely in those who do not notice it.’ Perhaps my aversion to muzak is a result of not liking the sort of music played. Indeed, I recall working in the Balloon Bar in the Student’s Union and suddenly feeling empowered, consoled, compelled to move my head to the grove to the music – I noticed that neo-soul was playing in background.

If the music is to someone’s taste, the way that muzak affects them wont change but the resulting relaxation and enjoyment will be heightened: perhaps I should frequent bars and cafes that play neo-soul in the background.

Within a piece of music – in its construction – lies the origins of the tradition in which it was written and the evolution of that tradition that has lead to the creation of said piece. One gets the sense of the openness, freedom, and joy that would’ve been felt by attendees of a jazz bar when listening to be-bop, for instance.

Within a tradition, there lies a set of values adherence to which is necessary for you, or a piece of music, to be a part of that tradition.

It follows that within a piece of music are a set of values: is it no surprise that we often require that our suitors to have similar tastes in music, or a willingness to listen to the music we enjoy? We wish for our romantic interest to share our values or to be willing to learn about our own values – listening to music is a way of doing this.

An issue then arises: if music is indicative of the values we hold, or those to which we aspire, then what kind of music is suitable for a date? A delicate balance has to be struck between choosing a genre that creates an environment that is conducive to fruitful conversation without being too suggestive, and without alienating the other. You don’t want to show yourself as – or you may well do – being too ‘keen,’ in which case its not advised to have Marvin Gaye or Barry White playing in the background. The other extreme is showing oneself to be distant and overly intellectual, in which case playing the string quartets of Haydn or the concerti grossi of Corelli is not advised. It follows that the values evinced by the music should appeal to the lowest common denominator or, to be less coarse, the values should be those that we all hold. That way, you avoid alienating the other who has kindly agreed to spend time

Flickr/Marco Federmann

Often I feel as if my views tend to be more attuned to those of the elderly and I suspect my views on muzak are no exception.

‘Muzak’ refers to the music, often thought to be washy lounge music played in shopping centres, which is played in the background in places of commerce. Restaurants, bars, cafes, are chief among the culprits that seek to anaesthetise their listeners by playing quietly in the background dull, uninteresting, moodmusic. But this, of course, is their intention: they wish to impart on customers the good effects that music can have without requiring them to actively listen. In so doing, you can feel at ease, content, laid back, whilst also being able to think about how much to want another chai latte, with soy milk of course, and more of those delightful amoretti biscuits.

Vinyl is a tremendous choice for background music.

with you.

Another option, is to go without music altogether. What is risked by doing this is letting the subject of conversation be the sole determinant of mood. Namely, if discussion turns to something serious – like female genital mutilation as it has on a date I have been on – then the conversation may become infused with sombreness, and perhaps tension, that may be difficult to recover from. If there is muzak, of a genre that both participants would find agreeable, in the background then it allows the conversation to meander and have peaks and troughs but there’s still a sense that you are enjoying yourself: your values are attuned to the other person’s, in spite of the sombre topic.

Love is blind

Epigram Living sent singletons James Protheroe and Bobbie Lawrence to Flipside for cocktails. But will their date lead to sex on the beach or leave a whisky sour taste?

James Protheroe James says that Bobbie’s best feature is her eyes,and that if she was an animal she would be ‘something orange’.

What were your first impressions?

JP: Her lovely long locks.

BL: A little bit shy but had a nice smile and was friendly.

3 things you chatted about?

JP: Death, criminality and caffeine BL: The adverse affects of caffeine (espresso martini as a first drink was not a good choice); Alice in Wonderland; how he managed to get two years free groceries by exploiting Sainsbury’s Were there any awkward moments?

JP: Few awkward and numerous funny moments, notably the funny moments were on the topic of death BL: Him describing his brother at his grandfather’s funeral (morbid I know) - I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in my life What did you like most about them?

JP: Her sense of humour BL: Never met anyone like him Would you see them again?

JP: Probably not, had a nice time, but not sure she’s my type.

BL: I would What happened at the end of the date?

JP: Got off outside her halls after walking back BL: We kissed and exchanged numbers Rating out of 10 JP: 7/10 BL: 7/10

Bobbie Lawrence Bobbie also thinks that James’s best feature is his eyes, and that they discussed what kind of animal he’d be: ‘some sort of bird, maybe a swan because it has a long neck.’

Editor Tianna Graham

22

Online Editor Flora Doble

tianna.graham@epigram.org.uk flora.doble@epigram.org.uk

@EpigramWB

Epigram Wellbeing

Need some help?

Student counselling service: 0117 954 6655

13.03.2017

Bipolar Hotline UK: 0333 323 3880

‘We shouldn’t let our pride stand in the way’ Prince Harry and Pride

My Father’s Bipolar Disorder

Anna Hart (Second Year Student)

(Anonymous)

Those people who speak out and ask for help often don’t recognise the bravery of their actions

”

I begin to pity him, which feels unnatural when realising that I idolised my parents throughout my childhood

”

”

After the mania, which usually lasts a number of months and occurs around the summer, his moods begin to drop and we breathe a sigh of relief. His character completely changes for a second time, and he is muted and subdued and quite obviously depressed.

Flickr / Defence Images

Often people are afraid of what others will think; they’re afraid that they’ll seem strange, weak or incapable if they admit that they’re struggling with mental health issues. ‘You do not want anyone to question your ability to cope with pressure and stress’, as the Prince said, drawing on his own experience as an Apache pilot to express the reservations that many of us have around admitting that we’re struggling. What people often don’t recognise is that most of us have experienced some sort of mental health difficulty at some point, or will in the future, and that we all need help from time to time; this is definitely not something to be ashamed of.

It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, or the only one who has felt like this. Your problems are valid and you deserve support.

We shouldn’t be so afraid to admit that we’re struggling and ask for help. Because it’s not weird or strange, and it doesn’t make us weak. Far from it. Actually, it takes an immense amount of courage to open up about mental health issues and ask for help, whoever that may be from: a family member, a friend, a member of staff at uni, or a stranger on a telephone helpline. Those people who speak out and ask for help often don’t recognise the bravery of their actions.

Hopefully in time, when they’re on the path to recovery, they can recognise the courage it took to face the vulnerability of speaking out about their mental health difficulties, and their amazing inner strength as a person. We shouldn’t let our pride stand in the way of seeking support; we should, in fact, be proud of our courageous decision to speak out and not suffer in silence.

And we should be reassured in the knowledge that by admitting we’re struggling and asking for support, we’ve taken the first step to a healthier mind and happier life. It may be a cliché, but that’s because it’s so damn true: what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

Flickr/ Shohel Hanazakl

Referring to his work with veterans and his former army friends, Prince Harry raised the pertinent point that those ‘in the armed services often need to think they’re invincible’ in order to give them the courage to endure the harsh and threatening conditions they’re faced with. Although they’re not always played out on a battlefield, we all have our own inner struggles and battles. We’re all soldiers in our own way. Perhaps we have a need to think that we’re invincible in order to cope with whatever life throws at us and to give us a sense of control over the sometimes turbulent ride we call life. Understandably, those struggling with mental health difficulties often deny their problems or their need for help at first, perhaps in a bid to prove their own strength, to themselves and to others. Struggling with mental health issues and asking for help doesn’t make you weak; in fact, quite the opposite. We all possess the inner strength and power to overcome our problems, but sometimes we just need a bit of extra help to believe in, and access, that inner power.

‘Nobody can get through mental health difficulties without being willing to have a conversation, and being able to admit that we might need some help’, as Prince Harry said. So, why is it so difficult to speak out about problems we’re having and ask for help? Pride combined with the ‘fear of judgement, stigma and outdated prejudice’ that the Prince refers to, creates an unhelpful and dangerous combination, which all too often prevents people speaking out about their difficulties, and seeking the help that they need and deserve.

Bipolar is a less known and infrequently discussed mood disorder, affecting one in a hundred people in the UK. It is characterised by a person’s fluctuating periods of elation or ‘mania’ and depressive states – hence its old title, Manic Depression.

Bipolar, for me, strikes a little closer to home. I have heard good but oblivious friends state ridiculously insensitive phrases like ‘God, the weathers so bipolar today!’ and it cuts a little deeper than a passing comment should. My wonderful, kind, intelligent, loving and warm-hearted father is a sufferer of Bipolar disorder, and watching his struggle alerts me to the difficulty that families and friends of mental health sufferers face.

It goes without saying that this difficulty is completely incomparable to that of the pain that sufferers face on a daily basis. Luckily, I am free of mental health problems and for this I am hugely grateful. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for people who stoically carry their illness, and I am writing merely as an onlooker. I therefore do not claim to completely understand the illness or wish to victimise myself.

When a bipolar patient is manic, they are happy, energetic, ambitious and excited, which must come as a relief after a bout of depression. These intense feelings can quickly change to agitation, paranoia and psychosis, but by this point, from my experience, the sufferer is too engulfed by their illness to think reasonably or logically, or to seek help.

When my dad is manic he is a completely different person; his pupils contract and he speaks quickly and fancifully. He decides that my mother and his wife of 25 years is the epitome of evil and has prevented him from achieving what he wanted to in life (when, actually, it’s bipolar which has hindered him).

He is insensitive and at points it feels like he is deliberately cruel.

I find myself getting angry, and then feeling overwhelmingly guilty for being angry at something which my dad cannot help, and I cannot ever completely understand. My dad is difficult to be around when he is manic, and so again I feel guilty for outcasting him.

”

Prince Harry touched on an important and rarely spoken about topic in his latest speech about mental health; pride and its potentially detrimental effect of preventing people from seeking help for mental health difficulties. Whether royalist or republican, I hope we can all agree that the Prince’s ongoing campaigning for mental health issues is an extremely important and valuable use of his wide-ranging influence and privilege.

I begin to pity him, which feels unnatural when realising that I idolised my parents throughout my childhood. Unable to adequately comfort him, again I feel guilty for not doing enough or coping with the situation in the best way. We, as a family, are stuck in an unusual paradox; we either function ‘normally’ when our dad is depressed or we suffer though his elated highs of mania – there is not one time when we all harmoniously suit each other’s moods or feelings.

I think the key to preventing manic episodes is spotting the warning signs, like sleeplessness, stress and seasonal changes.

But this in itself becomes a problem as well. I find myself double guessing everything my dad does and worrying prematurely that he is on the verge of a manic episode when he is simply having a good day. I also think it is hard to tell a bipolar sufferer that they are coming up – what authority or superior judgement do you have over them? Surely they are more aware of their moods than you are?

Though awareness and understanding are increasing, and prejudices are faltering in the new generation, I feel that psychotic disorders remain stigmatised more than other mental health problems. This short recount does little justice to the reality of mental health illness, but it begins a conversation about bipolar which needs to be continued.

Wellbeing is releasing an article a day from the 13th to the 17th of March online!

The articles will be centered around the first experience a student has opening up about their mental health issues as well as advice on how to do so yourself.

The next two weeks aim to raise money for the mental health charity Off The Record, which provides free student counselling.

Visit their website and make sure to look out for the Epigram articles coming your way, along with information on how you can donate!

Postgraduate Open Afternoon Date: Wednesday 5 April 2017 Time: 2pm to 7pm Location: Priory Rd complex Register: bit.ly/PGOpenEvent

At the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol we offer a wide range of academic and professional courses.

MSc Disability Studies: Inclusive Theory & Research

Learning alongside our leading experts and practitioners, your studies will incorporate the latest research and practice in your field.

MSc Policy Research

Most of our programmes are available on a part-time basis, ideal for those combining work and study. Some of our research Masters are also recognised by the ESRC.

MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health MSc Public Policy MSc Social Work MSc Social Work Research

For more information contact us: sps-pgadmissions@bris.ac.uk bris.ac.uk/sps @UoBrisSPS

School for Policy Studies

Keep an eye out on our website for our #14conversations campaign!

With interviews and videos from special guests...

Norman Lamb MP

Nicky Morgan MP

Mayor Marvin Rees

24

Editor Ellie Donnell

Deputy Editor Hugo Lebus

Online Editor Jane Cowie

edonnell@epigram.org.uk

hlebus@epigram.org.uk

jcowie@epigram.org.uk

Join us at: Epigram Food Section 2016/17

13.03.2017

Follow us at: epigram_eats_out

Bristol student wins ‘Student Cook of the Year’ Competition Bristol student, Jake Barwood, impresses judging panel at Losalt’s ‘Student Cook of the Year’ competition with his winning lentil lasagne recipe.

Bristol student, Jake Barwood, has been crowned LoSalt Student Cook of the Year in the high-pressure culinary cookoff final in London on Thursday 9th February 2017.

LoSalt, the leading brand of reduced sodium salt, launched their competition at the end of 2016 in response to the growth in awareness amongst students about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

To enter, you simply had to snap a photo of a healthy, nutritious and delicious looking dish you’ve created and post it on Instagram or Twitter with its title and the hashtag #LoSaltStudentCook or #LoSaltSCOTY. Those shortlisted were then set a challenge to create a healthy meal for four on a budget of approximately £20.

3rd year Social Policy and Quantitative Research Bristol student (which is a mouthful in itself !), Jake, has since been through the ranks of each social media challenge and finally whipped up a storm at Cactus Kitchen in London.

Epigram: Satellitepr

When I was younger, the decision between ‘education’ or ‘food’ came up time and time again. I thought I had to choose one over other but it turns out I can do both!

”

”

The five finalists were simply told to make a lasagne with the ingredients presented in front of them, giving them the opportunity to add their own creative f lair in just an hour and a half. Their creations were then judged on their creativity, the taste of the dish and nutrition in a bid to claim the title LoSalt Student Cook of the Year.

He impressed the judges with his winning lentil lasagne recipe. He commented, ‘I am absolutely over the moon at being crowned the LoSalt Student Cook of the Year! I opted for the only veggie lasagne, because like many students these days, I’m becoming less and less reliant upon meat for the basis of my meals’.

In fact, Jake is no beginner when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. Having started cooking at the age of seven, he has

since worked in award winning restaurants in London and on organic food stalls. He now runs Barwood Barbecue, an outdoor catering company, with his father.

‘When I was younger, the decision between ‘education’ or ‘food’ came up time and time again. I thought I had to choose one over other but it turns out I can do both. It was a brilliant day and to top it all off, it was also my birthday, so yeah…best birthday present ever!’

This year’s judging panel included some of the most influential foodies in Britain – founder of Olive magazine and ex-BBC Good Food editor Orlando Murrin, celebrity chef and

author Sam Stern, ASDA’s innovative chef Mark Richmond and author of Charlotte’s Kitchen Diary, Charlotte Pike.

Orlando comments, “Jacob’s winning lasagna stood out because of the imaginative way he incorporated lots of wholesome ingredients, and the rich, layered f lavour of the finished dish.”

If you fancy making Jake’s winning lentil lasagna then have a go at the recipe opposite! If Jake Barwood is set to be the new Jamie Oliver, then maybe you could be the next Jake Barwood.

Ellie Donnell

Epigram/ Ellie Donnell Epigram: Satellitepr

Epigram: Satellitepr

25

13.03.2017

Student lead charity ‘Just Eat It’ continue war on food waste

There’s no slowing down for student run charity, Just Eat It, who continue to battle against food waste. Food Editor, Ellie Donnell, looks into their latest endeavours. sharing pages internally for halls (similar to OLIO but just for students), and ensure all flats and study spaces have the correct recycling facilities. Their ambition seems to have no bounds and it’s already proving to be a good thing!

Tips to reduce food waste 1. Know what’s in your fridge 2. Plan and prepare as much as possible 3. Make friends with your freezer and learn what can and can’t be frozen (cheese, meat, veggies can all be frozen if prepared correctly)

If you want to get involved with events and tackle food waste yourself, then you can sign up to volunteer with Just Eat It via their website, check out their facebook page for the latest events, or contact Rosy Scholes who runs the campaign!

Ellie Donnell

Ingredients:

Epigram: Jake Barwood

Method:

5. Weigh out your portions of food such as rice / pasta so you don’t end up throwing it in the bin!

6. Share food with your friends!

The food I couldn’t live without: Lentils

Recipe - Roasted puy lentils, broccoli and leeks served with a plum tomato and basil salad and fluffy buffalo 1 leek (halved lengths and cut into 3 inch chunks) 1 broccoli (cut into florets, using all the stalks) 2 shallot (sliced) 1 cup puy lentils A couple of handfuls of kale A handful of baby plum tomatoes (halved) 1 ball of buffalo mozzarella (ripped) 1 pack of basil (chop the stalks & rip and bruise the leaves) Extra virgin olive oil Lemon juice Balsamic vinegar Salt and black pepper

4. Download OLIO and have look at ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ online

Flickr/ Scandic Hotels

Flickr: Jbloom

They’ve hosted pop up cafés, live music, cooking workshops, stalls at markets and talks from leading food sustainability professionals and it doesn’t look like they’re slowing down any time soon!

Student led charity, Just Eat It, aim to educate students about food waste sustainability issues locally and globally. With a committee of seven, as well as 24 other active volunteers (and over 90 signed up that want to get involved), the issue of food waste is an increasingly hot topic amongst the student population.

In the UK, we throw away 19 per cent of all the food we buy – that’s 7 million tonnes of it each year! If we stopped throwing all our edible food away, we would save the equivalent of 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – the same as taking a quarter of all cars off our roads.

If the environment isn’t reason enough to stop chucking out those slightly black bananas, the average person in the UK could save £200 a year from eliminating avoidable food waste. Save money and make that banana bread.

The team have recently been visiting university halls to talk to students about food waste and recycling in their latest food battle venture.

The feedback from the students was passed onto the sustainability department and then to the hall management themselves, so that students were given an input on food waste reducing techniques in halls and on campus.

Their aim is to allow students to choose their own portion sizes in catered halls (maybe even get seconds!), as well as organise a welcome week talk on recycling and food waste, set up food

The food I could not live without is lentils. Since I decided to go (nearly) veggie, I satisfy my meat cravings with pulses, and for me, the king of the pulses are these tiny little gems.

They’re super healthy, full of protein and provide slow releasing energy. I love making dahl with red split lentils, but personally, my favourite are the beautiful green grey puy lentils.

They hold their texture really well and are delicious in soups, stews, in replacement for beef in a Bolognese and as in the case of this recipe, lovely roasted with a load of vegetables. Add them to a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes - don’t salt the water or it will make them tough!

Jake Barwood

1. Pre heat the oven to 180.C. Add the leek, broccoli, shallots and chopped up basil stalks to a roasting tin, with a pinch of salt and pepper and a good glug of olive oil. Roast for about 20 mins, but keep an eye on them (it’s nice if the broccoli florets are crispy, but you don’t want to burn them) 2. Meanwhile, get a pan of cold water and add the puy lentils, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

4. While this is in the oven, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice for a salad dressing. Season to taste with salt, and once happy, add the tomatoes and basil leaves, and mix well.

5. Plate up with a bed of lentil/roast veggies at the bottom, tomato salad on top and then add fluffed up/pulled apart buffalo mozzarella on top, drizzle over some of the left over dressing and serve.

Epigram/Jane Cowie Flickr/ theImpulsivebuy Flickr: Jacqueline

3. After the 20 minutes, drain the lentils, and add to the baking tray along with two handfuls of kale. Give it a good mix and bake for another 10 minutes.

Editor Jessie Onion style@epigram.org.uk

26 28

@e2style

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

13.03.2017

Deputy Editor Mary Richardson

@epigramstyle

Sports Check Sportswear favourites by Harald Lumnis to help you stay on top of your game 1.Retro fleece

5. Adidas D2M shorts

3. Nike Air Max TN’s

Do you really live in Bristol if you don’t own at least one retro fleece? Lucky for the sporty ones amongst us, massive athletic names such as Umbro and Adidas have 90s style fleeces to wear over your chilly gym attire, while reminding everyone that you like to party hard in Stokes Croft. To find a fleece like this, your best bet is either in a vintage shop, a charity shop or on Depop. Expect to pay from £15-£25.

Packed with bounce and covered in edge, the Nike Air Max TN’s mean business. These trainers not only look the part, but provide comfort like no other. Perfect for running, athletics and even better for heading to the rave. TN’s come in an array of colours, but black is definitely the most versatile. The only downside is the cost - £130.

2.Adidas tracksuit bottoms

While this guy appears to be your bog standard stretchy smelly gym top, he is in fact totally different. The Tog24 ‘Cairn’ is manufactured in quick drying and fast wicking bamboo technology. That’s right, your gym tee came from the rainforest.

The light material is highly breathable and is ideal for any kind of fitness related activity. Hang on, it gets better – these genius garments are affordable too, expect to pay no more than £22 per top. I guess it just goes to show that the brand isn’t always the most important part.

You don’t have to be a f**kboy in order to model this classic sportswear piece. Providing a twist on the black Adidas striped skinny tracksuit bottoms, their blue cousins give a new take on the mainstream trend. Show off your calves without overheating thanks to the light and soft material that these bad boys use; why not even style them with a sweatshirt or an oversized jumper when not training, to achieve the ultimate versatile ‘I’m into fitness look’.

Retail Price £35.

4. Breathable T-Shirt

Nobody likes to be a sweaty mess in the gym, so how about a pair of sleek sports shorts to let your legs breathe. These Adidas D2M woven shorts feature a flat knit waistband for a streamlined look and secure fit with mesh side panels for added breathability. You won’t even know you’re wearing them. The look is complete with the Adidas logo on the left leg to remind fellow gym goers that you know your brands. RRP £25.

6. NY beanie Strictly speaking it isn’t sportswear, but who’s smiling about training in cold conditions. Wrap up warm between trips to the gym and sports sessions out on the field with this blue woollen NY hat. Nothing will keep your ears toasty like this piece does. It’s time for NY to make its comeback and you should be one of the first to encourage that. This will cost between £8-£10, so you won’t be set back largely for the sake of staying warm.

survivalrules.com

ebay.co.uk

survivalrules.com

surfanic.com

shop.adidas.com

survivalrules.com

ebay.co.uk

Harald Lumnis Style Writer

A review of Vintage Weigh and Pay Alex Boulton reviews the newest innovation in vintage shopping

Epigram/ Alex Boulton

You could go below or above one kilo and there were some bargains to be had, my favourite being a number of silk scarves that weighed so little they were practically free amongst the rest of my purchases. There were many branded pieces, an abundance of Levi jeans and converse. I weighed a pair of Converse and it was revealed they only cost £10 with this system.

All very easy and stress free. Perhaps the only downside was how far away it was held. Motion isn’t that convenient to get to at the best of times and the distance from campus may well have put many people off. Ultimately though, the prices were unbeatable, especially for lighter objects. Vintage Weigh and Pay promises to return to Bristol soon, so keep an eye out for future events.

Epigram/ Alex Boulton

Epigram/ Alex Boulton

Epigram/ Alex Boulton

First founded in 2016, Vintage Weigh and Pay paid a visit to Motion on 19th February and Epigram Style tagged along to see what it was all about. The basic premise is that you pay however much your haul weighs, with one kilo being £15. The stock comes straight from wholesalers, providing customers the opportunity to shop at trade prices.

There was typical vintage clothing on sale, similar to that you’d see in Sobey’s or another vintage shop, except at a fraction of the price. Both men’s and womenswear is stocked and it was all very organised, kudos to the numerous assistants constantly tidying and adding new stock, and clothes were organised dependent on type.

There was everything from jeans to shirts, shoes to bags, mostly on hangers or in piles. The organisers reasoned they didn’t organise dependent on size due to the constant addition of new stock and I don’t think this was a problem at all as sizing isn’t exactly a priority when vintage shopping. The only thing I would say, it was hard to dig through the stock in piles, especially the jean pile, so perhaps the organisation was let down by this.

Entrance was £1.50 from 11am, or you could arrive an hour earlier for earlybird entry and pay £3. I’m not sure how worth it this is, considering new stock is added all day. I arrived at 2pm and there were still plenty of finds. On entering, you get a clear bin liner to put clothes that take your fancy in and a stamp so you can leave and re-enter as many times you wish. While you are shopping, you can use the scales set out to estimate how much you are spending and there are changing rooms provided and mirrors around the room to try before you buy. Once done, you head to the paying scales for your bag to be weighed and tied up. Payment was by cash or card.

Alex Boulton Online Style Editor

13.03.2017

27

London Fashion Week

Olivia Cooke’s guide to 3 new trends from LFW on the High Street Sea Scapes

As LFW drew to a close this February, let’s take a look at the defining trends of the London collections that you will certainly want to add to your wardrobe. From the return of tweed to nautical stripes, the catwalks were awash with a variety of designs and outfits which are sure to translate on the high street very soon.

Florals

Taking inspiration from the coastal landscapes of the Shetland Islands, Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton filled the runway with Fair Isle knits and lavish gowns embroidered with marine life and fishing nets. The Topshop Unique collection also featured sailor stripes and strong primary colours on skirts, dresses, and trousers.

Colour Blocking

Once again, international designers are turning to floral designs for inspiration. Mulberry looked to their 1970 wallpaper patterns - frilly dresses and coats were covered in a printed garden’s worth of heritage prints. Emilia Wickstead’s models wore gauzy dresses covered in printed floral designs.

It’s not unusual to see unorthodox colour combinations on the catwalks, and certainly LFW didn’t disappoint. Oxblood was clashed with bright blue and green, chestnut with violet purple and yellow.

Take the plunge by matching different colours together.

BooHoo £18

Emilia Wickstead

Topshop Unique

Alexander McQueen

New Look £27.99

Mulberry

Topshop £46

River Island £60

Topshop £24

Adidas Originals £65

Missguided £22

Topshop £3.50

Olivia Cooke Style Writer

New phone case, who dis?

2. Don’t fret though, Android girly girls, Skinnydip’s got you with this pretty pink star case! Forget StarBoy and welcome StarGirl!

All SkinnyDip cases come with a free screen protecter as well.

3. For those of you who want to ensure that your phone case will truly protect your phone, look no further than RhinoShield!

The guys behind the screen protector that will supposedly protect your phone from the blow of a hammer offer cases too.

My personal favourite is the CrashGuard Bumper Case, allowing you to keep the look of your phone whilst protecting it from drops of over 20 feet.

4. If you’re a proper Bristol student and want your phone case to look edgy and original then Photobox is for you.

You can take any photo you want and make it into a phone case! From bae, your friends, or even Cash Me Outside, there are infinitesimal design options at the touch of a button.

Photobox £15

1. As a girly girl at heart, I love glitter and pink! This awesome case from SkinnyDip ticks both of those boxes! It can be annoying when all of the glitter clumps at the bottom/top, so make sure you shake the case a few times a day to get the full glittery unicorn effect! However, Android users beware, this case is strictly iPhone only.

Rhino £22.99

SkinnyDip £16

SkinnyDip £12

Oluwaseun Matiluko Style Writer

28

Editor Nia Price nia.price@epigram.org.uk @e2travel

13.03.2017 Deputy Editors Online Editor Anna Lezard & Edie Essex Barrett Izzie Fernandes izzie.fernandes@epigram.org.uk

Epigram Travel Section 2016/17

@epigram_travel

A cheaper way of travelling

Anna Juliet-Stephens talks Workaway, last-minute volunteering and making friends as ways to save money travelling

sense you’re a foreigner, so get clued up about the going rate first

”

The majority of places I stayed when I was travelling were hostels I was working for

”

up extending my trip by three months: more than double the time I had set aside at the beginning of my trip. I had only around £500 and a place to stay in Peru, but feared not, because through the travellers’ grape vine I had heard that there were secrets to making this last three times the amount of time it normally would.

Once I had spontaneously chosen not to take my flight home, I had no other choice. I had to see if I could make this happen.

”

” Epigram / Anna Juliet-Stephens

One thing my experience has taught me is that it turns out you don’t have to worry. If I learnt one thing during my five month trip around Latin America, it was that you can cut your travel costs down by over half depending on how flexible you’re willing to be with the type of place you choose to travel to and the style in which you do it. While you might not have the money to sip cocktails while looking sleek in a trendy bar, you can get a much grittier, rawer experience if you’re willing to work a little for it, and it’s one you won’t regret.

I never planned to travel cheaply; in fact my travels began with an expensive language programme in Costa Rica. However, that is because I originally only planned to travel for a limited amount of time. This all changed after two months experiencing the vibes of Central America and its ‘Pura Vida’ lifestyle.

I decided it was way too soon for me to go home yet and ended

”

Epigram / Anna

Surf life in Lima.

So, defeating the stereotype that travelling is expensive, here are some ways in which you can make it a bit cheaper - if you’re willing to put in the effort.

A massively underrated method of travelling cheaply is volunteering. This doesn’t have to be a big, preplanned project. It can be completely impulsive and still in the place of your choosing.

The opportunities for it are everywhere - if you know where to look.

The majority of places I stayed when I was travelling were hostels I was working for - ‘work’ being an ambiguous term, as it was anything from cleaning kitchens to simply hanging around A lake in Costa Rica. and waiting for guests to show up. My tactic for nailing this deal is simple: show up in a town a great thing to use just if you’re in need of a little travel inspo. and ask around different hostels until you find one which takes volunteers. If you’re smiling and seem friendly then you’re more Some people worry about the safety side of this but I’ve found that it’s best to trust your instinct with any kind of volunteering you Volunteering can be completely impulsive. decide to use, and I think this applies to all kinds of travelling in The opportunities for it are everywhere - if general.

If you want to be a really authentic traveller you can actually you know where to look. book to stay in a local’s home. You can do this through various than likely going to find your new home in no time. travel companies (STA is one I used) and I highly recommend it, particularly if it’s a relatively rural location.

Most places expect 4-5 hours of work a day and offer a free bed in return, sometimes meals as well, depending on how much you’re willing to work. I used to work in the mornings or Local taxi drivers will try rip you off if they Epigram / Anna Juliet-Stephens

Travelling around Latin America for five months last summer taught me the tips and tricks of travelling cheaply, but it didn’t come straight away. Common quandaries when it comes to discussing travelling is how much you need when you’re on the road, and how on earth you’re going to save enough to begin with.

Working behind the bar in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

A lovely local bar in Nicaragua.

Epigram / Anna Juliet-

Epigram / Anna Juliet-Stephens

evenings and spend the rest of the day surfing and exploring the town I was in.

Another money-saving perk of this type of travelling is after sticking around for a few days you soon find out where the cheapest markets are to buy food and can buy things in bulk knowing you’ll be there for a little while. You also make friends with everyone who comes through the hostel and get to know the locals around town; speaking from my Latin American experience these are generally the most interesting people you’ll meet, and if you want to learn a language they’re perfect to practice with.

If you’re thinking about travelling this way but prefer to plan out your trip beforehand, a good website is Workaway.

Workaway runs in pretty much the same way I’ve described, the perk being you can find your home as far in advance as you want to (although hosts are often as spontaneous as travellers), and they have all types of volunteering from farming to gardening to helping rebuild run-down towns.

They’re a great way to find volunteering while giving back by helping a community or something that more specially matches your skill set. Once you’ve set up an account you can scroll through hosts who post opportunities from all over the world so it’s

”

I found waking up to a rooster and walking barefoot on dirt paths to be the purest and healthiest way of living.

On this note, understanding how the local transport system works can massively help with your saving goals, and if you’re with one or more people (for safety reasons) hitchhiking works great in tourist locations. A lot of this knowledge involves bargaining, as local taxi drivers will try rip you off if they sense you’re a foreigner, so get clued up about the going rate first.

There’s loads of companies and projects you can get on to travel a bit cheaper, but the thing I’d recommend overall is just to make friends. Not only will they tell you about the best places to go for the cheapest deals, they’re generally incredibly hospitable (if you’re heading for the South American area anyway) and will open their homes to you willingly. Be careful doing this if you’re travelling alone though; it’s only worth it if you trust the person. In the end I actually found talking to people much more effective than any kind of organisation I could have used. Friendliness when you’re on the road can go a long way, and it will most likely take you where money can’t.

Peruvian locals hanging out in the central plaza of Lima.

13.03.2017

29

A New York state of mind To put yourself in the mood evoked by Billy Joel’s iconic song, Edie Essex Barrett suggests some alternative things to do when in NYC There are perks to having a 17-year-old brother who models.

One of them: a free trip to New York. Having been to NYC once before, I made the most of my weekend there while my brother worked, trying to do things aside from the regular tourist attractions which I’d seen a couple of years before.

Where to stay: Recently becoming a magnet for the young New Yorkers, Williamsburg in Brooklyn is a much better place to stay than Manhattan. Classic fire-escape-lined buildings and plenty of subways, you can experience living in New York city without the stress and noise of Manhattan. There are a plethora of vintage stores, cafés with amazing coffee, pop-up boutiques, bars and interesting restaurants to try out near Bedford Avenue, and there’s also Nitehawk Cinema – featuring a full menu brought to you while you’re watching one of their independent films.

”

on one of their ‘adopted’ benches to enjoy your lunch while people-watching.

Using your MetroCard, a cable car to Roosevelt Island will only set you back a couple of dollars and it’s totally worth it for the amazing views of the skyscrapers from the island.

The tense moment when you are almost touching the tops of the taxis and cars on the street below only adds to the experience. Once there, hunt for the abandoned smallpox

Trump Tower versus equality advert day. It has stunning views down the centre of the streets: you can watch the hubbub of the yellow taxis from a peaceful, tree-lined promenade as you eat your lunch you picked up from Chelsea Market. Even better, it is lined with antiTrump street art. Speaking of which, next to Trump Tower I discovered an ironic juxtaposition in the form of a huge ‘EQUALITY’ advert.

Bringing a student card is an essential: museum entry prices are almost halved. As a Spanish student, I was keen to see what New York had to offer in terms of museums. El Museo del Barrio did not disappoint, with rooms full of films of Puerto Rican jungles and Haitian spoken word. Next door is the Museum of the City of New York which I - luckily - got a free ticket for. In here there are a number of fantastic rooms to explore, from interactive photography displays that tour you

Epigram / Edie Essex

Where to eat: Swaying away from typical Philly cheese steak sandwiches, Champs vegan diner offers a creative alternative to the meatbased diner norm, without being too pretentious. I’m not a vegan myself but it was the nearest diner to our apartment, and it was delicious!

The quaint Café Mogador in both Williamsburg and East Village is a friendly place to get brunch (get the French toast!) and chat with the locals while having a read of the New York Times.

After a wander over the high-line, Chelsea Market’s food court parades a huge array of fresh food choices: noodle bowls, sushi, smoothies, coffee, pastries, lobster and pretty much anything else you can think of. I challenge you to decide on what you want in under 30 minutes. Believe me, it’s hard.

For a treat, City Bakery - just off 5th Avenue - is a must.

A foodie’s dream - every February they host a hot chocolate festival, in which they feature a different obscure hot chocolate flavour a day, such as banana peel, bourbon or chilli pepper.

The tense moment when you are almost touching the tops of the taxis and cars on the street below

Epigram / Edie Essex Barrett

Epigram / Edie Essex Barrett

Street art on the High Line, Greenwich Village

around New York’s boroughs and allow you to design streets, to an exhibition named ‘Gay Gotham’ that features Andy Warhol and multiple rooms teaching you about New York’s port, commercial and activist history. This time, wander through Central Park just opposite the museums, and sit

Roosevelt Island cable car, 2nd Avenue

hospital, a haunting relic of New York’s forgotten past.

In a jam-packed city, sight-seeing around New York by myself could easily have been a lonely experience. However, the people couldn’t have been more friendly and I couldn’t have had a better time. If you get the chance to f ly to New York (and Norwegian Airlines do much cheaper f light deals!), try and see different things in the city. It really adds to the experience, making for great memories.

Watch the hubbub of the yellow taxis from a peaceful, tree-lined promenade

Epigram / Edie Essex Barrett

”

And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, they top it with one of their famous homemade giant marshmallows.

What to do: Although I was lucky enough to stay in, and get to, NYC for free, I’m still a student, and I still wanted to find ways to save money. Luckily, I discovered that MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art - has free openings every Friday. It’s right in the centre of Midtown and it is definitely worth seeing, with several rooms to explore filled with strange and beautiful art.

Of course, there is the High Line, which is free and open all

View from the High Line, Chelsea

Tag your travel photos with #epitravel to be featured on our account.

Each issue we’ll print the photo with the most likes.

13.03.2017

30

There’s no place like home Rediscover the UK: Alice Oliver celebrates her favourite places right on our doorsteps Knaresborough Nestled in the countryside of North Yorkshire, Knaresborough is an idyllic market town with arresting natural scenery. The railway viaduct across the river cuts through the scenery, presenting a visually stunning architectural feat.

The town is also home to both the ruins of the medieval Knaresborough Castle and the mythic Mother Shipton’s Cave and Petrifying Well. The latter is Britain’s oldest tourist attraction - open since 1630 - where Mother Shipton is said to have prophesised the Spanish Armada, the Great Fire of London and the invention of planes and trains as early as the 16th century.

Lindisfarne There’s something uniquely romantic about a castle on an island. First settled in 635 AD by Irish monks, the tidal island of Lindisfarne hosts not only a small sixteenth-century castle but also the ruins of a medieval monastery and stunning panoramic views of the sea and sand and mud f lats.

While tourism is mainly contained in the south of the island - around the castle - the north offers a valuable escape from the tourist bustle, with a nature reserve home to an array of bird species, seals and peaceful beaches.

Epigram / Alice Oliver

Liverpool Iconic birthplace of The Beatles, Liverpool is rich in culture, with the highest number of galleries and museums in the England outside of London. The Tate in particular features an array of modern art from artists such as Picasso, Tracey Emin and Jackson Pollock.

The waterfront is, of course, a must see. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it even hosts its own Yellow Submarine, inspired by the iconic song. The Albert Dock is also home to The Beatles Story, a permanent exhibition on the Liverpool native band.

Who doesn’t enjoy a sunny day on a punt in Cambridge?

Cambridge Packed with tourists and bicycles, Cambridge offers all the charm of college life combined with a lively market place and great shopping.

Punting tours along the river offer stunning views of the colleges and their grounds, and are a fascinating way to find out more about the city’s rich history. It’s well worth paying for entrance to one of the colleges; St John’s in particular hosts a range of architectural styles, from the sixteenth-century red brick first court to the more lavish New Court, a construction nicknamed the ‘Wedding Cake’ for is ornate design.

The college also features the Bridge of Sighs, a gothic, covered walkway across the River Cam. The market place hosts an eclectic range of stalls, from handmade jewellery to exotic cuisines to bike repair stalls.

Epigram / Alice Oliver

Epigram / Alice Oliver

Liverpool is much more than just the home of the Beatles

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales are famed for their natural beauty. The region offers a diverse array of attractions, from castles and ruined abbeys to caves, steam railways and mills.

A personal favourite is the estate of Bolton Abbey, home not only to a ruined 12th century priory but also a popular spot for open air swimming in the River Wharfe, complete with stepping stones across the river.

The dales equally offer a great place to hike and explore. There are numerous hiking trails,

including the Three Peaks, as well as cycle trails and mountain bike routes. Home to over 2500 known caves, the dales are also Britain’s number one caving area.

An idyllic scene in the Yorkshire Dales.

Travel tips from the editors In this issue: avoiding jetlag

Epigram / Alice Oliver

The Bridge of Sighs, Cambridge.

• Adjust your phone and watch time as soon as you get on the plane • Don’t over-think it • Don’t get an alcoholic drink on the plane, drink plenty of water

• Try and move around on the flight • Don’t take naps when you get to your destination, caffeine up and power through • If flying overnight, try and sleep – bring an eye mask!

• Try and plan your flights so you get there during the day • Try and alter your sleeping times closer to the times there in the week before you go • Consider taking shortterm sleeping aids such as antihistamines to sleep at the right times

Epigram 13.03.2017

31

MUSIC

Blossoms

02 Academy, 24.03

To simply pigeon-hole them as a ‘psychpop’ band would do them a disservice.

They have been navigating this overcrowded genre with such impressive authenticity, and it’s a testament to their already recognisable sound as they compete with bands like Tame Impala and Genghar. With notes of nostalgic northern angst and classical pop songwriting they’ve hit the sweet spot between The Arctic Monkeys and The Doors. For fans of Circa Waves and Sundara Karma.

Johnny Flynn Trinity Centre, 29.03

When a songwriter cites Shakespeare and W.B Yates as their influences, I’m initially sceptical. But, Johnny Flynn is a man of many talents, and music just happens to be one of them. This actor, poet and songwriter is achingly multitalented, and his americana style folk mixed with a floral and classical style of songwriting makes him a must-watch.

For fans of Laura Marling and Villagers.

Facebook: Junkyard Event Page

Facebook: Blossoms Facebook Page

Facebook: Varsity Launch Party Event Page

Editor Anna Wyn annawyn.epigram@gmail.com

Thundercat Thekla, 22.03

After spending the last few years becoming the industry’s go-to bassists, having played and recorded with the likes of Erykah Badu and Kendirck Lamar, Thundercat is back with his senior effort.

His new album, Drunk, is an effervecent blend of classic jazz and nu-rap, pulsating with the artist’s class and oddities.

Fusing 1970’s soul with Thundercat’s legendary acrobatic bass, I can only imagine how glorious he sounds live. For fans of Kamasi Washington and Flying Lotus.

THEATRE Spotlights Presents: Ifs and Varsity 2017 Butts Venues PeggVarious Theatre, 16.02-18.02 16.03-30.03 I don’t like sport all that much but as a student at this fine university I will indeed pander to the school spirit that Varsity brings out in me.

Catch the launch party, the boat race, the rugby games, darts matches and more across the next month

The Things We Do Not Know People’s Republic of Stokes Croft, 16.03-18.03

Having recieved a 5* review from Epigram for their run last year, this stunning verbatim theatre piece is back. The piece began development last year in collaboration with Bristol-based charity One25, and with help from Spotlights they have been able to revive the show.

This revival has been edited and updated since then and the charity works to help get the women clean, safe and off the streets. It speaks loudly and compellingly about brave and enduring streetsex workers in Bristol. It’s a compelling, moving, haunting and enlighting watch, and not to be missed.

Junkyard Bristol Old Vic, 24.02-18.03

It’s 1979, rubbish is on the streets of Lockleaze, and growing up is tricky for Fiz, Higgy and Ginger. Rick remembers what it’s like to be a teenager. So when he decides to build a junk playground, he’s pretty sure he has the charisma to get a bunch of reluctant kids involved.

Inspired by the true story behind the Lockleaze playground known as ‘The Vench’, established over 30 years ago and still operating today, Junkyard is a story about Bristol, for Bristol, from BAFTA award-winning writer and Bristolian Jack Thorne who most recently wrote Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. After BOV’s tremendous triumph with their last original musical, The Grinning Man, Junkyard promises a fun and heart-warming portrayal of Thorne’s very own Bristol.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! Vote for the students you trust to represent you

14-16 March bristolsu.org.uk/elections WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ELECTIONS EXPLAINED

EMBRACE THE RIVALRY

VARISTY LAUNCH

bristolsu.org.uk

LECTURE PROGRAMME REVEALED

BEST OF BRISTOL

ELECTIONS EXPLAINED

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Who are we actually electing?

A lot of people! You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to vote for all the positions, only the ones that are relevant to you, but the full list of roles includes:

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7KHVH DUH WKH VL[ 6WXGHQW 2IÃ&#x20AC;FHUV ZKR OHDG WKH 8QLRQ RQ D GDLO\ EDVLV Their various portfolios include: â&#x20AC;¢ Union Affairs â&#x20AC;¢ Equality, Liberation and Access â&#x20AC;¢ Student Living â&#x20AC;¢ Sport and Student Development â&#x20AC;¢ Undergraduate Education â&#x20AC;¢ Postgraduate Education

(GXFDWLRQ 5HSV â&#x20AC;¢ Faculty Reps â&#x20AC;¢ Course Reps

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Each Identity Network Chair is voted in by members of their identity group, to ensure marginalised voices are represented in Union decision making.

We have Identity Network Chairs for: â&#x20AC;¢ Women Students â&#x20AC;¢ BME Students â&#x20AC;¢ LGBT+ Students â&#x20AC;¢ Trans Students â&#x20AC;¢ Disabled Students â&#x20AC;¢ International Students â&#x20AC;¢ Students from Widening Participation backgrounds

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â&#x20AC;¢ Chair of Student Council â&#x20AC;¢ Societies Chair â&#x20AC;¢ Sports Chair â&#x20AC;¢ RAG, Volunteering and Sustainability â&#x20AC;¢ Chair of the brand new Wellbeing Network

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Trustees ensure the smooth running of the union and delivery of its strategy.

What do these people do?

Obviously they do a lot of different things, depending on their remit, but their job across the board is to look out for Bristol students. This might mean organising events to socialise, lobbying the University for more books in the library or campaigning to diversify the curriculum. Every single student at Bristol is affected by the actions of our reps, even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realise it!

In the past few years, student reps have: â&#x20AC;¢ Rolled out lecture capture across the University â&#x20AC;¢ Fought for more and improved study spaces â&#x20AC;¢ Run campaigns such as Varsity, Reclaim the Night, Mind Your Head and LGBT+ History Month â&#x20AC;¢ Set up Balloon Bikes: a scheme which allows students to hire a bike for £50 a year â&#x20AC;¢ Secured funding to carry out research on the attainment gap between BME and white students â&#x20AC;¢ Set up the Postgraduate Network, which has built a strong postgrad community at Bristol

Why will my vote make a difference?

These reps are usually in post for just one year. That means that they can only focus on a few key things. You want to make sure that the reps who are voted in are the ones who are going to focus on the issues that are most important to you. It could make a big difference to your time at University.

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varsity - this week

Embrace the Rivalry with Varsity!

The rivalry between Bristol and UWE heats up this week, as we go head to head in a series of sporting events for Varsity. Check out this week’s unmissable programme:

16 March - Ignit10n: A 10 hour long marathon of sporting events where teams will push themselves to the limit.

18 March - Varsity Boat Race: The oldest event within the series, will see a series of 10 races between UWEBC & UBBC, including Alumni Men’s & Women’s races. Free to attend!

24 March - Friday Night Lights: An all American pairing of American Football and Lacrosse, in which Bristol will seek to overturn UWE's victory in American Football last year.

22 March - Colour Run: New this year, an event that everyone can get involved in! It doesn’t matter who you are or how far you can run, it's all about getting out there and having fun.

23 March - Darts: A spectator sport like no other! Complete with a professional darts compère, discounted food & drinks, and after party.

For the full Varisty events listings, tickets and more see: varsityseries.com

BEST OF BRISTOL The annual Best of Bristol Lecture Series sees students vote for the best lecturers Bristol has to offer to share their knowledge and expertise.

The speakers come from a variety of schools and offer a stimulating selection of lectures to attend. Here’s a rundown of just a few of the events on offer: Out of the Echo Chamber: Listening to the Voices of the Past. 'U *DUHWK *ULIÀWK looks at literature of the distant past to see whether it can address the increasing polarisation of the world we live in.

The Demise of the Lecture. Dr Steven Proud looks at how for the past 50 years, academics and commentators have repeatedly claimed that the lecture would soon be replaced with other forms of teaching, yet it still remains one of the dominant forms of information delivery in Universities.

How Are We Still Alive? Dr Tristan Cogan will talk about how with each outbreak of a new disease prompts dire warnings of a coming pandemic of disease, but despite this humanity seems to ride out every crisis and eventually win the battle.

Check out the full programme of events at: bristolsu.org.uk/bestofbristol

WHAT'S ON RICHMOND LECTURES HILARY BENN The Search for Control in the Age of Internationalism In a fast-changing world, voters are looking for more FRQWURO +RZ FDQ ZH Ă&#x20AC;QG WKH ULJKW EDODQFH EHWZHHQ WKLV aspiration and the continuing need for international FR RSHUDWLRQ" ,Q WKLV OHFWXUH +LODU\ %HQQ ZLOO UHĂ HFW RQ this new global challenge.

Tickets available from: bristolsu.org.uk/richmondlectures

The Big Fat Pub Quiz. Monday 13 March, 8pm, Balloon Bar, Bristol SU. Expect obscure facts, near-impossible challenges, general hilarity and extremely cheap beer. By far the best thing to do with your Monday evening!

Proper Jokes Comedy Club with Andy Field and Gareth Richards.

Hosted by George Rigden, this is a night not to miss, with Winner of the Chortle Student Comedy Award Andy Field and Fosterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominated Gareth Richards.

Varsity Hill Climb. Tuesday 14 March, 2.30pm, Belmont Hill.

Cheer on Bristol and UWE cyclists in WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW HYHQW RI WKH 9DUVLW\ VHDVRQ D hill climb up Belmont Hill. Tickets and t-shirts available from varsityseries.com

Ending Poverty - Sustainability Month.

Wednesday 15 March, Anson Rooms, Bristol SU. Join David Gordon, Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, in discussion of the Sustainable Developement Goal to end poverty in all its manifestations by 2030.

Shakespeare - You Can Forget it Mate.

Best of Bristol. Wednesday 15 March, 7pm, Clifton Hill House.

Drawing on a range of contemporary SHUIRUPDQFHV VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDOO\ IRU \RXQJ people, Dr Jan Wozniak will explore the value of performing Shakespeare in an age of increasing populism and distrust of experts.

Thursday Night Live, Thursday 16 March, 8pm. Balloon Bar, Bristol SU. We're teaming up with the Bristol Institute of Modern Music to bring the freshest student talent to the Balloon Bar! Fancy throwing your hat in for a performance? Email the events team at bristolsu-events@bristol.ac.uk

PG Network Go Bowling. Thursday 16 March, 7.30pm, The Lanes. ÂŁ5.

Join the PG Network for an evening of fun, socialising and bowling!

All postgraduate students welcome, reserve your place at: bristolsu.org.uk/events.

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

Epigram

13.03.2017

Film & TV

@EpigramFilm Editor: Ella Kemp

Deputy Editor: Josh Spencer

Online Editor: Phoebe Graham

ekemp@epigram.org.uk

josh.spencer@epigram.org.uk

phoebe.graham@epigram.org.uk

@ella_kemp

@_joshjs

@phoebe_elise19

Logan review - Wolverine’s emotional swansong Film & TV Writer James Turnbull reviews Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine that will tug at your heartstrings.

“

None of the strong character development from other scenes is cast aside for [...] a fight scene

Logan is a very emotional film. Putting aside the context of waving goodbye to one of the most iconic portrayals of a comic book character in the history of film, there’s still a lot here that tugs at your heartstrings. Wolverine is still jumping in front of bullets, but only so nobody scratches the limo he’s renting for his job as a chauffeur. He still gets up after each shot, but barely has the energy to squeeze the bullets back out of his body. The wounds still heal, but his body is a wretched canvas of scars.

Also a shadow of his former self is Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) whose crippling seizures have left the world’s most powerful telepath waiting for death in a desolate bunker just

Charlie Gearon on Twin Peaks Page 37

Max Langer on Patriot’s Day Page 37

some sort of sense.

James Mangold’s careful, thoughtful direction means Logan shines brightest in its quietest moments. Light and shade fight for space on the faces of Logan and others as they consider the paths they took to end up in such wretched circumstances, and struggle to confront the dark secrets that threaten to swallow them whole.

Logan [...] offers Hugh Jackman the closing chapter his portrayal of Wolverine deserves

Xavier’s finest hour, perhaps, is a heartbreaking moment of introspection where he ponders his role in what (for the sake of sparing you from spoilers) I will only call an atrocity in Westchester. Another highlight has the three characters joining a family of farmers previously stranded on the side of the motorway for dinner. As they sit down to eat, the audience gets to see these characters enjoy the simple act of living. With the future of their subspecies sitting a few places across from them, moments like these remind them of the better future they could yet fight for.

Logan is, in so many ways, a triumph. It offers Hugh Jackman the closing chapter his portrayal of Wolverine deserves, and once again proves the versatility of the superhero genre. Charles Xavier tells Logan that ‘he still has time’ to appreciate real life and the quiet dignity it affords those who partake in it. For all the bleakness of this dystopian tale, that might be the film’s most prominent message: there’s always something worth living for, if

Tim Bustin on Eternal Page 38

Wikimedia

In this issue...

“

I just about managed to hold off the waterworks when I watched Moonlight, the stunningly realised coming-of-age tale of a young gay black man in Miami. Full of confidence in my emotional stability, I sat down to watch Logan, Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine. In it, a bearded, battle-scarred Canadian sat alone in a modestly lit room, wincing audibly as he wrenched a single metallic claw from deep inside his fist. Cue the welling of tears in eyes – including my own.

over the US-Mexico border. After handing him enough drugs to get his brain back under control, Xavier claims Logan too is just waiting for him to die. Heavy stuff from the man who gave Logan everything he had to live for once upon a time.

It’s little wonder that Logan carries an Adamantium bullet in his pocket. He once had a philosophical reason for doing so – it reminds him of what he is, i.e. a killing machine with a metal skeleton – but now it’s more of an escape route. An oddly comforting reminder that the pain might end someday.

Everything changes once Laura (played with brilliant, steely efficiency by Dafne Keen) enters the fray. She’s a young mutant smuggled from the clutches of a sinister organisation that aimed to turn children like her into superweapons, and her powers mirror that of Wolverine. After years spent waiting for death to put an end to the life he’s wasted fighting for other people, Logan (with Xavier in tow) has to deliver this young girl to a mutant refuge on the other side of the continent and do the right thing one last time.

Logan makes use of its age certificate (15 in the UK) from the get-go; there’s an uncompromising brutality to every action beat that perfectly captures the inner turmoil fuelling Logan.

The choreography is fluid and far more memorable than the turgid procession of set pieces one might expect to see in a solo Wolverine film.

None of the strong character development from other scenes is cast aside for the sake of a thrilling fight scene – instead, it makes the conflict worthwhile. Stripping away the near invulnerability these characters might have enjoyed in other instalments makes their struggles all the more captivating. Their pain finally makes

Youtube

James Turnbull Film & TV Writer

Epigram 13.03.2017

37 30

Twin Peaks preview - Lynch’s surreal return

“

So - 26 years later and that gum we all like ohso-much is about to come back in style.

ABC’s Twin Peaks first aired in 1990, bringing David Lynch’s signature surrealist touch to primetime television. Previously known for his film work including horror cult favourites Eraserhead (1977) and Blue Velvet (1986), Twin Peaks saw Lynch flexing a different kind of cinematic muscle. Lynch developed the show’s plot slowly, gradually introducing the viewer to the show’s more surreal aspects, leaving room for plenty of quirk and humour.

The show’s central question, ‘who killed Laura Palmer?’, was one of television’s greatest mysteries. It resonated throughout the series, driving it forward until the midpoint of the second season.

Upon revealing the murderer, Lynch’s work was not yet done. Despite a slightly more tepid reception from critics, the second season delved deeper into the absurd, terrifying world of Twin Peaks, Washington.

Capitalising on the success of the series, a film entitled Fire, Walk With Me (1992) was directed by Lynch, serving as a prequel to the show. This work shied away from the show’s light-heartedness and entirely committed to the dark, horrific and mind-bending nature of the series.

I have nothing but high expectations for the show’s return

And here we are. 26 years after the release of the series (unfortunately, one year later than Laura Palmer herself predicted) and a third season is in the works. It is to be broadcast on Showtime with a release date set for 21st May 2017.

As previously hinted at, many viewers fell out of love with the show towards the end of the second season. They argued that the show had lost its

Flickr/Bago Games

Film & TV Writer Charlie Gearon explores whether the new series of Twin Peaks will ever match the original.

direction: its central plot had been resolved, and it was spiraling out of control fast.

That, however, is the beauty of Twin Peaks.

It is a surrealist piece of television. Lynch and the show’s other creator, Mark Frost, are not concerned with adhering to the standards established by most primetime series. They are willing to confuse their viewers, leave them in the dark, throw them off the trail and not let them back on. This is the intention of the show, not a flaw of it.

With this in mind, I have nothing but high expectations for the show’s return. Lynch and Frost are fully committing to the show’s absurdity, even using an unconventional release schedule.

As David Nevins, head of Showtime, claims: ‘I want to embrace the unusualness of it and I think it’s quite possible we’re not going to do a traditional release pattern.’ Viewers should expect irregular episode lengths and an avoidance of the usual one episode per week schedule.

The show will continue to subvert the

expectations of its viewers. This will inevitably upset some, but if it didn’t do this, it simply wouldn’t be Twin Peaks.

If viewers needed any more reason to put their faith in the show’s creators, they need only look at Lynch’s more recent filmography. Since the show’s release, Lynch has only further proved himself a master of the surreal genre. In a recent poll between critics, the BBC gave Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001) the title of the greatest film of the 21st Century.

As well as this, the irreplaceable Kyle MacLachlan is making his return as agent Dale Cooper. In the original series, MacLachlan was undeniably a highlight. The character’s unique combination of irreverence, authenticity and genius made him a lasting fan-favourite. Along with MacLachlan, many of the series’ original cast are returning, including Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey, Dana Ashbrook as Bobby, Mädchen Amick as Shelly and Richard Beymer as Ben Horne.

Apart from this, the direction in which Lynch and Frost will take the show is entirely unknown.

In the past couple of decades, television has slowly been morphing into a higher art-form, liberated from the binds of censorship. In the original iteration of the show, this censorship is fairly evident. At points, Lynch seems to be holding back slightly, a trait which is absent from Fire, Walk With Me. We should expect Lynch to take full advantage of this new approach to television, perhaps leading to a creation more similar to his filmic work than the original series.

It would be remiss, however, if the show substituted its humour and light-heartedness for non-stop grit. It is a fine balance which Lynch and Frost must find, particularly when expectations are running so high amongst long-time fans.

Despite this, fans and first-time viewers should trust the creators of one of television’s finest offerings to recreate some of the original magic of Twin Peaks.

What are your predictions for Twin Peaks?

Get in touch @EpigramFilm

Patriots Day review - a slick picture but a touch too sensitive Partners in crime Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg return with another dramatic retelling of a real life event. But is it soon too soon to be telling this story?

Max Langer Film & TV Writer

The film is unapologetically sentimental about its subject matter, taking a very different view than the negativity often portrayed by news reports of the event. Instead of showing Boston as battered and broken, the city is galvanized, rallying together to seek justice and closure.

Unfortunately, the film swings far too quickly

“

“

The film swings far too quickly from moments of poignancy to action

from moments of poignancy to action. Overall, taking away some of the effect of these more somber moments. It’s all well and good having a massive shootout, but when half the audience are still weeping from the previous scene, some of the effect is lost.

Despite the problems with the pacing, Patriots Day is able to produce some very powerful moments that have a visceral effect on the audience. The shot of a police officer watching over a young victim was truly moving, causing many a whimper amongst the audience.

Also, the build up to the attack controls the tension extremely well. Even though the audience knows what is coming, the explosion is still made to feel shocking. This tension is controlled by the great editing that jumps between the

dramatisation and real life footage.

These moments are where the attention to detail really shines through. The difference between the real life footage and the production is hardly noticeable, making the film feel like more of a documentary than a drama.

The double act of Berg and Wahlberg has been proven once again

While the subject material could leave the film feeling overly patriotic and clichéd , the director

Youtube

Patriots Day chronicles the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013 and the aftermath. Not following a linear path, the film meanders around, showing the path of the investigation, but also we are shown the story from the view of the bombers and some victims.

Patriots Day is film that relies on a large and varied cast of characters. While some films with the same number of characters struggle to give them all adequate care, Patriots Day is able to balance its giant ensemble. By focusing on such a large group, the film shifts from being about a person, to being about the city as a whole.

Though the film shares the spotlight amongst its cast, the driving force is very much ‘Marky’ Mark Wahlberg as the Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders. Saunders is very reminiscent of some of Wahlberg’s other loudmouthed portrayals; think Dignam in The Departed. However, he has an added complexity that is great to see from the actor.

Peter Berg repeats the feat he has achieved before on other Mark Wahlberg collaborations and manages to portray the event with sufficient complexity that it doesn’t feel exploitative of the event.

Overall, Patriots Day performs a brilliant balancing act, managing to keep the story fastpaced and thrilling, whilst still allowing the subject to resonate emotionally with the audience.

The double act of Berg and Wahlberg has been proven again, showing how recent history can be transferred to the big screen with great effect.

Is Patriots Day a national testament or a memory that’s too close for comfort?

Get in touch on Facebook - Epigram Film & TV

Epigram 13.03.2017

Meet Eternal – support a Bristol-based, student-made Star Wars fan film

38

Film & TV Writer Tim Bustin talks about his fan film that he is working on with Screenology, in honour of the Star Wars franchise.

“

We’re working heavily with Screenology, to bring this film to life

And that’s just what we’re aiming for in our own Star Wars fan film – Eternal – a Bristolbased, student-made Star Wars fan film currently being brought to life in a collaboration between University of Bristol students and the Bristol film school, Screenology.

Eternal is a bit different. It’s not only a more ambitious and longer film than most, but we plan to cover a fascinating region of Star Wars mythology, rarely brought to life outside the videogames and internet canon of the Eternal Empire.

5000 years before the events of the Star Wars films we know and love, the Jedi and the Sith

Alex Harrison

Star Wars and its fans have a strong connection.

When you’d expect Lucas Film and Disney to keep an iron grip around the rights for their multibillion dollar name, instead we see a generous abundance of Star Wars fan films all over YouTube; new interpretations and stories, adding to an already expansive universe.

Fans use their short films to show the unseen stories: Obi Wan Kenobi’s time silently protecting a young Luke Skywalker from the Empire on Tatooine; Kylo Ren’s turn to the Dark Side and the events leading up to The Force Awakens; or original stories, following blind Jedi or those hunted down by the Empire, set in the time between the prequels and originals.

Whilst most end up being a fun flow of passion for the filmmakers, having a simple story with a cool lightsabre fight, the best do expand on the Star Wars mythology, slotting their stories between the existing Star Wars films and lore, with ambitious storytelling. numbered equally in the thousands. One man – an Emperor, hundreds of years old – looked down upon the tireless wars of good against evil as petty squabbling, that wouldn’t be resolved without intervention. His Eternal Empire swept across the galaxy, with vast power and a unique perspective on the Force, conquering all Jedi and Sith in his wake.

Eternal’s story follows a powerful knight of the Eternal Empire, Senya Tirall, whose strong mind challenged the Emperor intellectually in ways few others could. After marriage, their children grew quickly and with dangerous power. The ancient Emperor caged his daughter’s mind to contain her and became distant towards his sons.

Unable to defend her children, Senya transferred as a knight far away from her family.

Eternal starts some years later, on the battlefield between Jedi and Sith against the Eternal Empire, when Senya crosses paths with her older, powerful and bitter children. Endless support is required in making any film, even our

20 minute fan film. Just writing the script for Eternal required scrawling through masses of Wookiepedia articles for research, making notes on hours of videogame cutscenes and getting the script proof-read by die-hard fans; the script is just the first stage in the process.

Currently we also have a slick logo, original music composed and a production team coming together, but down the line we want to wholly capture the feel of the Eternal Empire, something rarely seen on film, so we’ll need to buy unique weapons – yellow lightsabres, lightsabre pikes, potentially even lightsabre daggers – as well as nailing the costuming, set location, casting, individually tailored fight choreography and so much more.

With our Kickstarter, you can support this Star Wars fan film; pledging just £3 buys you a film credit, but higher amounts lead to extra goodies.

Our goal is £750 – we don’t receive any money and none is given from you until that pledge goal is reached. If we don’t reach it, we receive zilch

What’s On?

Films to Faces

Editors’ Picks

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Watershed

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– so please give your support generously! But we understand many of you are poor students, so you can also support us by liking our Facebook page.

We’re working heavily with Screenology, the Bristol-based filmschool whose students are taught in a range of practical filmmaking techniques, to bring this film to life and make it a success. Just as an example for the scale of this project, we have three visual effects specialists alone to animate lightsabres!

Last year, our Head of Production was the cinematographer for another Star Wars fan film, Fall of the Jedi, and he’s planning on bringing all of his Star Wars experience along to one-up his own work with Eternal. Star Wars is a strong community and we want to build something similar around this film.

So please, students and residents of Bristol, help support a locally made film. Support us and support Star Wars in any way that you can. May the Force be with you!

Phoebe Online Editor

Logan

Gleason

Trespass Against Us

In cinemas now

In selected cinemas

Currently showing at the Watershed

Believe it or not, I’ve always had a soft spot for the X-Men franchise. While Wolverine’s spin-offs haven’t always been up to scratch, Logan is a gritty, graphic portrait of a fascinating character. Brace yourselves -- Mad Max meets The Walking Dead with a hint of Stranger Things. Whether you’re watching for the franchise or the fangirling, Logan not one for the faint-hearted and absolutely not one to miss.

I saw this moving documentary at the London Film Festival without any expectations - and it became one of the best pieces of cinema I saw last year. Following the story of ex-NFL player Steve Gleason when he is diagnosed with ALS syndrome, director Clay Tweel expertly combines home camera footage with interviews and news reel to put together a deeply inspiring story.

We’ve all seen the image of Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson with intensley locked foreheads scattered all over every day advertising, and it’s time to find out why. The debut feature from award wining music video and Skins director, Adam Smith, this film screams raw narrative excitement, and even has a score from The Chemical Brothers.

Broadchurch: Season 3

The Real Marigold Hotel

Robot Wars

On iPlayer

Wednesdays 9pm BBC One

On BBC iplayer

I love Broadchurch. With a burning passion. What started as just another murder mystery BBC drama quickly became a critically acclaimed classic for all ages, and the third season has already kicked off on an intense and gripping high. With a brand new case but still the same key players to solve it, it’s set to be better than ever.

This BBC show follows a group of celebrities who travel to see whether living out their retirement in India would be a more rewarding experience than in the UK. Nodding to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel starring Dev Patel, the series includes Bill Oddie taking wildlife trips into the jungle and visits to many of India’s most spectacular landmarks.

Let the nostalgia sweeten the air as the we herald in the return of that show you and your Dad sort of watched when there was nothing else on while simultaneously playing your Tamagotchi or Hot Wheels. Dara O’Brian and Angela Scanlon are here to whisk you back to the 90s and maintain the modern twist of the latest series of this classic show.

1. Dazed and Confused Richard Linklater just knew. Although the film is set before our time, these kids have still got the right idea. They know how to have fun, but they keep focused on what they’ve got to do. I think the Oscars would have been more fun with the soundtrack of this film.

2. Clueless I don’t believe in gender stereotypes. Cher and Dionne represent the youthful freedom that we all long for. And the name just seems to have a nice ring to it, I’m not sure why…

3. Moonlight I knew La La Land didn’t actually deserve to win anyway.

Who should we interview next for Films to Faces?

Tweet us @EpigramFilm

Arts

Epigram

13.03.2017

@EpigramArts

Editor: Ed Grimble

Deputy Editor: Georgia O’Brien

Online Edtor Helena Raymond-Hayling

arts@epigram.org.uk

deputyarts@epigram.org.uk

artsonline@epigram.org.uk

Karanjit Panesar: artist and gallery director Alina Young talks to Bristol-based artist and co-director of East Bristol Contemnporary gallery Karanjit Panesar about his work, inspirations, and the wider art scene within our city

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Although the beginnings of an artistic career are not without their challenges, Panesar enthuses about the artistic community Since graduating from the University of the West of England in 2014, Panesar’s career has taken him to a residency in Plymouth, exhibiting around the country, and co-founding the EBC— East Bristol Contemporary—gallery. He draws inspiration from a myriad of places, and so thematically his work has huge variation and has evolved constantly throughout his career. We delve into Panesar’s relationship with material— the vehicle to his many ideas.

‘Each interest defines itself and chooses what

Karanjit Panesar

Turning into Panesar’s studio off Gloucester Road, a fanfare of hammers and chainsaws reveals the artistic hub inside an unassuming exterior. The workspace is shared by several artists, Panesar explains, working in their own space. What he loves about the studio, and why he has come here since graduating, is the freedom to use it however he wishes: make a mess, work with wood, throw cement.

As we tour the space, it seems ideal for an artist whose love of material and matter requires working without constraints. Panesar’s artistic interests were born at school, and then evolved into painting, sculpture and film during his higher education. His play between mediums reflects his ideas about material generally; ‘I very much enjoy pulling things from anywhere and turning that into a practice. I try not to limit myself,’ he explains.

medium it’s going to end up as. Sometimes I start with a material and then it will turn itself into an idea, or the other way around; it’s like a big tornado. I explore a malleable understanding of matter, and the different ways it can be understood and read. I like stretching an idea, or a material, or a shape, until it’s almost something else; examining what happens in-between something being raw and something being finished’, he tells me.

At this point, I spy a painted sentence underneath a shelf: ‘It’s a question of connections, and of loosening them up a bit to start with’. This quotation from the Dadaist manifesto aptly reflects his enjoyment in questioning the relationships between materials and their perceived meaning, and how loosening and rewiring connections can create new results. The concept of connections and juxtaposition extends to naming his work; he likes to play with the viewer in his titles, hinting at new ways in which his work could be read and so questioning how our understanding can be moulded. He remarks how his ‘work is explorative, asking, “What am I saying if do this? What will happen if I put this object with that object?”’

It strikes me that much of Panesar’s process is akin to that of an explorer. He describes how his motives and directions are not always immediately clear, but he instinctively lets his ideas grow and manifest themselves into art that often leads to other ideas. When I ask for an example, his answer surprises me—at the core of his earlier work was in fact a piece of writing, titled A Concrete Constellation.

‘I’ve kept coming back to it, and used it as a framework to carry a lot of work and as a way of thinking about things. It explores the space within concrete as a setting, so it’s weird, absurdist. Nothing really makes sense, and rather than being plot driven it explores little, imagined moments—the character encounters a substance called Gloop, which manifests itself in different

Karanjit Panesar. A glacier is a set of points, like gloop or a rumble of apples (2017)

ways. It was one of those instances where, when I first started it, I didn’t know what it was about; in the years since, when I’ve been working on it I’ve realised things about the text and thought ‘Oh that’s what I was interested in, that’s why I was doing it.’

In his recent work for a show in Liverpool, one can see how Panesar’s ideas take root and evolve. Both A glacier is a set of points, like gloop or a rumble of apples (2017) and Everything to its proper place. quick with the kerosene! who’s got a match! (2017) explore a state of flux and the inbetween. The concept of Gloop encapsulates this idea perfectly—a ‘dripping that is chewy, malleable, viscous’ and is ‘responsible for the

Motivations and directions are rarely clear-cut, [...] we are left with the desire to continue to explore and to experiment

Karanjit Panesar

Karanjit Panesar, Everything to its proper place. quick with the kerosene! who’s got a match! (2017)

unseen state of flux within objects’. A glacier is a set of points, like gloop or a rumble of apples seeks to represent this three-dimensional action of dripping in two dimensions. Yet, by giving the work sculptural elements, it returns it to this third dimension—it is caught in-between, in a liminal state between the two. In Everything to its proper place. quick with the kerosene! who’s got a match!, Panesar asks himself: ‘How close can I get to making a static object move?’. He stretches the concept of a table and gives it a sense of liquidity, representing the molecular movements within objects; his manipulation of the concept takes it to a point where ‘while it has some of those traits, it’s not a table.’

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Alina Young Arts Writer

Beyond his work as an artist, Panesar also codirects the East Bristol Contemporary gallery, which he co-founded with the intention of providing a platform for emerging artists. The gallery came about through a necessity for these spaces, which Bristol once had but in which it is now conspicuously lacking. EBC’s most recent exhibition was especially angled towards this, as it exhibited the gallery’s winner of the UWE Graduate Award—Alasdair Munro— alongside two other graduate artists. The award included the opportunity to be mentored and to participate in the realisation of EBC’s show.

Panesar passionately believes in the importance of such exposure, being a young artist himself.

Although the beginnings of an artistic career are not without their challenges, Panesar enthuses about the artistic community; many artists his age are in a similar position and want similar things, and he explains how ‘everyone realises that art’s a bit of a weird thing to do, so everyone is very supportive.’

I ask Panesar, then, what it is that he wants from here, and his answer is refreshingly simple—to continue creating and exhibiting. As I leave, I think back to the nature of his personal artistic process and remark how fitting this future goal is. Motivations and directions are rarely clear-cut, and what we are ultimately left with is the desire to continue to explore and to experiment.

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All the art’s a stage: ‘The Stage’ at the Arnolfini Jordan Barker gives his thoughts on the Arnolfini’s new installation piece, The Stage, an innovative new sculpture and performance space which interrogates the fundamental relationship between artwork and viewer

Let’s face it, there are certain things one simply must not do when attending the art gallery. Don’t cross the red line. Don’t lick the Pissarro. Don’t mention that this sculpture looks suspiciously like a crock of shit. It just isn’t what one does. One must stroke one’s beard, remove one’s monocle for closer examination, and only talk to other gallery-goers in French. It’s an elite place and, quite frankly, only the most pious and refined folks should be granted entrance. At times, art galleries are the stuffiest places imaginable.

Yet four University of the West of England architects have created a project that seeks to redefine our relationship with the art gallery space. The Stage (Working Title), an exhibition at Bristol’s Arnolfini, is a design research project which aims to explore how we interact with performance spaces, public and private spaces, and the gallery itself.

Using movable apparatus, each one of the

Epigram / Jordan Barker

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The Stage enables our interaction with artwork to be both incredibly intimate as well as public

architects is pursuing their own research into how we respond to changes within our environment, as well as how we utilise performance apparatus.

The viewer is asked to stick tape to the floor when moving the apparatus and explain their decisions.

It is freedom like you have never felt it before.

Thomas Sale, one of the architects, is looking at the ways in which portable performance apparatus can aid our understanding of democracy. As so much autonomy is permitted, hierarchies and assumptions about the nature of performance are annihilated. The audience is elevated, and participation is crucial to understanding the thoughtful moral drive behind the work.

Another architect and design researcher, Dhaval Hasmuclal, is interested instead in social and environmental psychology, specifically notions of public and private space and how the reconfiguration of the stage apparatus impacts consciousness. Not only does is this private-public contrast interrogated through the apparatus, but also through our experience of handling them.

Unlike most galleries that foster an alienating distance between viewer and artwork, The Stage enables our interaction with artwork to be both incredibly intimate and public. We move the objects as individuals, though the piece itself is a collective triumph.

Dhaval explains that the space will be used for music, theatre, storytelling and other performance art. Also, there will be opportunities for The Stage to be used by artists and performers

A scale model of the exhibtion

that extend beyond the original wooden stage apparatus constructed by the architects. There is the possibility of going so far as to incorporate virtual reality into the piece, creating virtual walls using the markings on the floor. The Stage offers exciting prospects for fantastical and innovative

performance artwork.

Interestingly, it seems that children get the most out of The Stage. Without fear, I witnessed a knee-high road-runner sprint across a line of chairs, jumping with the deranged joy of the mad March Hare. Completely at ease with themselves and the nature of The Stage, children fully exploit the stage apparatus without hesitation. This is not the case with older audience members.

Instead, they remain hesitant, fearful of touching anything, of nudging a chair even slightly. They cannot shake off the unease that comes from debasing an art object to something corporeal.

But I think this reluctance to engage comes from their elevation as spectators—this new autonomy is something of they are wary in the confines of the gallery.

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Jordan Barker Arts Writer

What The Stage offers is an opportunity to erase the gap between artwork, performance space, and audience

Epigram / Jordan Barker

‘The Stage enables our interaction with the artwork to be both incredibly intimate and public’

Arts from the Past 25th March 1811

Flickr / DonkeyHotey

Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for the publication of an anonymous pamphlet, The Necessity of Atheism. Shelley would go on write such monumental works as ‘Ozymandias’, ‘The Masque of Anarchy’, and ‘Prometheus Unbound’.

He was admired by countless later artists, including the Pre-Raphaelites, Robert Browning, Oscar Wilde and W. B. Yeats.

Iconic Uncle Sam ‘I want you’ poster

Not only does the work invite questions about artistic performance, but also our performances in daily life. When entering the gallery, we know we have to conform to certain rules and a certain way of being, but what The Stage offers is an opportunity to erase the gap between artwork, performance space, and audience. It is an exhibition that is constantly undergoing transformation; it is a social experiment in the notion of ‘the stage’ that will remain unfinished, yet with the power to enlighten and inspire.

The Stage (Working Title) runs at the Arnolfini until 26th March. They can also be contacted in order to use the space for performance or rehearsal.

13th March, 1852

25th March, 1955

Uncle Sam cartoon figure makes its debut in the New York Lantern weekly. Credited to illustrator Frank Henry Temple Bellow, the character is emblematic of so much of American culture, and is entwined with the international image of the USA. The character makes a memorable appearance as a character in Robert Coover’s 1977 novel The Public Burning, in which he sodomises President Nixon.

United States Customs seizes 520 copies of Allen Ginsberg’s poem ‘Howl’, having been sent from its London printers, branding it obscene on account of its graphic depictions of homosexuality and drug-taking.

Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, also arrested, championed the poem. ‘Howl’ won its court case; Ginsberg went on to international fame and Ferlinghetti’s bookshop City Lights is now one of the most well-known in the world.

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13.03.2017

41

What has Art got to do with...Neuroscience?

Emma Isle explores the links between art and neuroscience, including scientists efforts to explain our creative impulses, as well as the natural beauty of the brain’s complex function.

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The sciences and arts are often separated as polar opposites, and in doing so a deep connection between the two is obscured, even lost. Where better, however, to illuminate and explore this often-overlooked link than within the brain itself—which may ultimately hold the key to understanding creativity itself.

This is a subject which can be approached from two angles: while the neuroscientist may study the creative brain to try and discover more about our artistic natures and what motivates and enables us to create masterpieces; the artist may look at the brain and draw inspiration from its complexity.

The fusion between these two disciplines is demonstrated no better than in the work of the artist Greg Dunn—who holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania.

He uses gold leaf, microetchings and paintings in the Japanese Sumi-e style to produce intricate works which mirror what may be seen when the nervous system is put under a microscope. His artwork captures the beauty and intricacy of the nervous system structures, which he believes emulate the beauty that is seen in traditional forms of the same style.

via competitions such as the annual Art of Neuroscience competition, which was born out of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience—and offers a 2000 Euro prize for the winning piece.

The competition describes its goals as making the research from neuroscience labs more tangible, and encouraging the researchers in those labs to look at their results in a different, but nevertheless productive and fruitful, way.

The idea that art could bring subjects such as neuroscience closer to the public in a way that can be easily engaged with is a wonderful prospect, which should encourage further work between the disciplines.

Art will allow people to open up to therapy in a way that some people might struggle to do with words

The question of the link between neuroscience and art can also be looked at from the perspective of the science. Many neuroscientists have devoted their life’s research to trying to understand the underlying processes that drive our creativity and enjoyment of the arts, a subfield known as neuroaesthetics.

‘There is a logic of colours, and it is with this alone, and not with the logic of the brain, that the painter should conform’, said the artist Paul Cézanne. It is the desire of neuroscientists to break down such ideas, and truly discover the neural patterns that accompany enjoyment and the pleasure that human beings glean from an amazing piece of art.

However, the study of such things as creativity provides its own problems, as neuroscience tends to look at what we have in common—such a discipline as art is far more about what makes us unique. A single painting can mean very different things to different people, so the hope that this can be broken down into something scientifically tangible is possibly an unrealistic and somewhat reductive idea.

Art has not just been recognised by neuroscience as something to be better understood, but as a method to help people who are suffering from such disorders as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and autistic spectrum disorders.

Art therapy has been gaining traction as a way to help people with various conditions enhance their quality of life; the pursuit of art allows us to reframe experiences, reorganise thoughts, and gain personal insights into ourselves. Art will allow people to open up to therapy in a way that some people might struggle to do with words.

Given that art—its creation and appreciation—

Flickr/ Fondo Antiguo de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla

Emma Isle Arts Writer

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934)

is such an individual and personal experience for each of us, it may be difficult to see neuroscience ever being able to pin down exactly what makes humans so wonderfully creative. However, by utilising art both as a way to communicate with a wider audience, and help people who require therapy to open up and express themselves in a constructive manner, neuroscience and art can demonstrate that they are not as far apart as one might think.

[T]he expression of neuroscience in art seems to be one that is gaining traction amongst many neuroscience societies and groups

‘Ramón y Cajal was able to bring the complexities of the brain to the human eye by staining the brain and then sketching the images which he saw under his microscope’

17th March, 1960

20th March, 1963

Jean-Luc Godard’s Nouvelle Vague masterpiece, Breathless, is released. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, the film follows an on-the-run criminal and his American girlfriend through the streets of Paris.

The film is praised for its innovative jump-cuts, cool detachment, and engrossing spontaneity—owing to Godard’s use of hand-held cameras and almost entirely improvised script (the director would scrawl new lines of dialogue in a private notebook on set).

Lawrence Alloway’s landmark ‘Pop Art’ exhibition at the Guggenheim, New York City. The show, titled ‘Six Painters and the Object’ features work from artists Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, and Andy Warhol. In his catalogue essay, Alloway unified the artists in their ‘common use of objects drawn from communications network and the physical environment of the city’. The exhibition brought the movement and its practitioners firmly into the public consciousness.

Flickr/ Bob

Flickr/ Ian W. Hill Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in Godard’s Breathless

Flickr/ Luciana Christante

This idea of bringing the nervous system to the visible eye via the medium of art is not a new one, however. In the infancy of neuroscience as a subject, Santiago Ramón y Cajal was able to bring the complexities of the brain to the ordinary human eye by staining the brain and then sketching the images which he saw under his microscope. The result of his work was not only that scientists were able to better visualise the brain, but also the beautiful series of sketches that are still visible in textbooks today.

It is not just on paper where one may find artists bringing the subject to life. Sculptor Ralph Helmick was recently commissioned to create a giant suspended sculpture, consisting of 100 bronze and stainless steel neurons, to hang in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. The sculpture also serves as an optical illusion, as from the ground floor the cascade of neurons looks like exactly that, a cascade. However, from the top of the stairs on the third floor of the building, the neurons combine to form the image of a brain.

Helmick described this as ‘a way to bring another level of optical discovery’ to the work.

Indeed, the expression of neuroscience in art seems to be one that is gaining traction amongst many neuroscience societies and groups. Many provide incentives for people to engage with the fusion and cross-pollination of the subjects

Roy Lichtenstein, Girl with Tear III (1977)

Ed Grimble

Epigram

13.03.2017

Music

@epigrammusic Editor: Sam Mason-Jones

Deputy Editor: Ellen Kemp

Online Editor: Georgia Marsh

music@epigram.org.uk

ellen.kemp@epigram.org.uk

musiconline@epigram.org.uk

An interview with Newton Faulkner Will Deasy chats to the (no-longer) dreaded troubadour about all that’s new in the world of Newton

‘It’s the polar opposite to my stuff!’, Faulkner exclaims with his brilliant, booming laugh. ‘It’s the last film you’d expect me to do the music for.’

Although he apologetically explains that he isn’t allowed to talk about the film, he does allude to its ‘dirty rock vibe’, a totally new musical experiment considering his largely acoustic past.

He also describes the challenges of focusing more on production and his vocals: ‘Vocally and production-wise, it’s been quite a big step up.

of soulful singers in the music scene today, such as Laura Mvula and Rag’n’bone Man, turning to this style seems like a clever move for a musician with such a versatile talent.

In every album and performance, Faulkner displays his unique percussive guitar sound. ‘It’s a whole school of playing’, he explains, listing off numerous influences such as Michael Hedges, Preston Reed and ‘huge chunks’ of Eric Roache, who was his teacher. ‘I’ve never claimed it to be

Will Deasy

my own, although it has my own spin on it’.

However, his last tour was ‘a bit of gear change’ for Faulkner as he began experimenting with live drums, loop pedals and his own custom electric guitar. ‘Being able to do things like guitar solos, which I’d never had the opportunity to do before, was so much fun. It was the scariest bit of the set by a long way as it’s the weakest part of my playing,’ he humbly admits.

Just by speaking to Faulkner, you get the sense that he is totally immersed in every aspect of musical life and is constantly finding ways of experimenting with and developing his music: ‘The last record was very much world music influenced, a lot of Chinese music actually. I just got bored of the same beats that everyone was using, so I thought let’s find some interesting and weird things’.

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His USP remains his prodigious percussive guitar skills; slapping, striking and scraping various parts of the guitar

I’ve been trying to do stuff with my voice which is as technical as the stuff I do with my guitar… it’s been something I’ve set out to do from the beginning’. He even self-effacingly explains: ‘I didn’t really start thinking of myself as a proper singer until the third album! It’s only now that I’m happy to do stuff with my voice that is a real challenge’ - quite surprising considering the vocal mastery he displays on his previous records.

Newton was recently involved in a UK tour of hit Broadway show American Idiot, playing the lead role of Johnny in the musical adaptation of the acclaimed Green Day album of the same name. I was lucky enough to see Faulkner’s stellar performance last year, so asked how it affected his upcoming projects: ‘My voice had such a work out over the past few years because of the show.

I’ve been singing in a different way to the way that I sing normally, and created different vocal characters. I’ve learned how to use my voice in more interesting ways.’

Although still in its early stage, Faulkner excitedly announces plans for his upcoming album. ‘It’s way more ‘soul-y’ than anything I’ve done before, and has a lot of space to it. There’s moments of complete silence!’. He confesses he is ‘fascinated by musical space at the moment’ and explains the record will ‘be a lot simpler.’

He attributes this, in part, to his live shows, many of which have featured just him and his guitar. With regard to a potential release date, ‘there’s a loose schedule in there, but I’m not going to release it if it’s not ready. I definitely want to get it right!’ With the rise and popularity

Flickr: Tim Peters

Newton Faulkner first burst on to the UK music scene in 2007 with his number one album Hand Built By Robots, and has since delivered four top 10 UK albums. Although the infamous dreadlocks have now vanished, his USP remains his prodigious percussive guitar skills; slapping, striking and scraping various parts of the guitar to create a whole new world of possibilities for the most prominent instrument in popular music. Today, he is still recording, performing and practising relentlessly, and informs me of two exciting new projects currently in the works: one a new album and the other the music for a film.

‘I didn’t really start thinking of myself as a proper singer until the third album!’

Matt Thorpe

He has a fairly nonchalant approach to recording, explaining simply ‘as soon as I feel like doing something, I do it! I don’t think too far ahead. If I find a sound that has a unique style or groove I’ll work out exactly what it is and ask, ‘how can I put my own spin on it?’’

Although Faulkner is well-known in Britain for his memorable melodies and captivating live performances, his feet have always been planted firmly on the ground. ‘You have to not care that much!’ he laughs as I ask him the secret to longevity in his ever-expanding career. ‘You have to do it because you like doing it. You can’t do it for any other reason and that goes for all creative pursuits. I don’t make an album because I think, ‘I’m going to run out of money’, I do it because I have to make one: its intrinsically what I do as a human being.’

Finally, I jokingly express my disappointment at the removal of his infamous ginger dreadlocks.

‘I looked identical for years!’ he responds animatedly. ‘I just thought it was time for a change, and doing it in real time for a music video was probably the most stressful way of doing it!’ Although trivial, it only served to show Faulkner’s unwavering desire to commit himself wholly to his wonderful work.

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43

Laura Marling’s Semper Femina: Women through the female gaze ‘We’re somewhat accustomed to seeing women through men’s eyes, and naturally that was my inclination to try and take some power over that, but very quickly realised that the powerful thing to do was to look at women through a woman’s eyes’ - Laura Marling

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There have always been various disposable, short-lived attempts by musicians and other figures in arts and popular culture at claiming themslves patrons of gender equality.

Though it can be, tentatively, said that the gender imbalance of the music industry has been slowly tilting away from the extremes in recent years, as in so many other industries (as well as in life itself), feminism still has much to desire and much to achieve.

There have always been various disposable, short-lived attempts by musicians and other figures in arts and popular culture at claiming themselves patrons of gender equality. Very few can be said to have had a lasting impact, and according to PRS only 14 per cent of songwriters and composers in the UK are women.

It is necessary for me to start on this note of cynicism, for the sake of contextualising the world in which Laura Marling’s forthcoming album, Semper Femina, has been written. It is a world still crowded with prejudices, yes, yet increasingly seeping into this world is a wealth of discourse around the perceptions of gender identity, its fluidity, contradictions and the grating struggles that we all have to face, however we see ourselves or find ourselves to be seen.

A little while ago, Laura Marling held a press conference at Goldsmiths Student’s Union to speak about her new album. Ever the literary enthusiast, she described the titling of the release, taken from one of Virgil’s poems.

‘The full quote from the poem is “Varium et mutabile semper femina”, which I might be pronouncing wrong but the translation is:

Sonic PR

Laura Marling is one of the purest songwriters this country has produced in recent years. Ellen Kemp gets an exclusive glimpse of her sixth album Semper Femina, and discusses its place within modern feminist sentiments “fickle and changeable, always a woman”, so it’s better off as just “always a woman”’.

As any fan would tell you, the album is by no means the beginning of Marling’s exploration of femininity. It is a theme explored with fervour in her earlier work, as well as in a string of podcasts entitled The Reversal of the Muse in which she discusses female creativity with other members of the music industry.

Marling hinted at the possibility of creating more of these podcasts on a more varied array of topics about women in the arts.

‘I’m interested to investigate other industries as well, particularly visual art and film and television, because I think the imbalance needs to be rectified in whatever way it can be, so that we can have a more balanced understanding of the world. Because these are the mediums by which we understand the world around us now.’

Asked about her literary influences, she had many recommendations including Anaïs Nin and Joan Didion, but singled out Lou Salome, ‘any biography of hers that you can get your hands on will be of great benefit to your life.’

However she also states, unsurprisingly, that the majority of the literature she surrounds herself with is poetry. She explained how the roots of the album converged with her interest in the poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

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The notion that femininity has been ill-defined, misunderstood and unfairly established throughout the ages seems to have sparked Marling’s curiosity.

‘He’s the reason that I got writing this record in some ways, because I was researching his life for writing the libretto for an opera. He was dressed as a girl until he was eight, which had quite a profound effect on his relationship to women and made him somewhat of an obsessive woman-fancier. It was his misguided perception of femininity that led me to try and investigate more about that.’

The notion that femininity has been ill-defined, misunderstood and unfairly established throughout the ages seems to have sparked Marling’s curiosity. The lyrics of Semper Femina brood with an investigative poetry that delves deep into the social and emotional core of her subject matter, such that through means of her ever superb musical expression, Marling evokes the consequences and implications felt because of the chaotic concept of womanhood.

One of the first things you may notice on listening to the lyrics is the unusually frequent use of the feminine third person pronoun: these songs concern female friendships and relationships, self-perception and shared experiences between women, and the plenitude of emotional range that can be found within them.

The thinly veiled misogyny in the quote of the ‘fickle and changeable’ woman haunts each song ever so slightly, which Marling cites with an air of doubt and contradiction in the lyrics

of the penultimate (and, in this reviewer’s opinion, the most beautiful) track ‘Nouel’.

But she ultimately finds strength in being ‘always a woman’.

‘Whether femininity begins on a biological level or a psychological level or an emotional level or whatever, the answer is there is no answer.’

With 10 years’ experience making music it would be a little trite to claim that Marling’s music has become ‘more mature’. Yet the intelligence and intellectual vigour of this record far surpass her previous output.

Marling herself observes that ‘whereas Short Movie was more based on a landscape, this album was more based in thought’. It is pensive and moving, and is crafted with the same delicate, nuanced touches she has applied to her theoretical and philosophical investigations. Abounding with considered

“

Diverse and profound elements of Semper Femina give irrefutable evidence that Marling is a brilliant creative thinker providing a fascinating multi-layered record.

empathy, nothing about this album feels rushed or forced.

Musically, Marling continues to dazzle, showcasing her mastery of composition, as well as (of course) her skills as an accomplished guitarist. The new album is filled with

intriguing musical nuggets, from the gentle tonality of the double bass on ‘Always This Way’ or the hints of Simon and Garfunkel that come through in the harmonies of ‘The Valley’, to the slick, jaunty minimalism of the opening track ‘Soothing’. Produced with her contemporary, Blake Mills, the album also takes on a new f lavour in terms of the style of its production.

‘Working with Blake all of a sudden was quite a shock to the system, because he has a very different way and he is incredibly innovative…I would go home every night from the studio and practice guitar because I wanted to be as good as him.’

Marling also made her directorial début alongside this release, with videos made recently for ‘Soothing’ and ‘Next Time’. Both take on a similar aesthetic which is seen in the album’s cover artwork too, which she describes as a ‘lucid dreaming quality’.

Through slightly unsettling, witchy expressive dance and careful set design, Marling builds on themes of isolation and intimacy in these videos, lending further insight into her overall artistic vision.

These many diverse and profound elements of Semper Femina give irrefutable evidence that Marling is a brilliant creative thinker, providing a fascinating, multi-layered record which is surely one of her finest to date. It is emotionally powerful, but also intellectually progressive in its analysis of a collection of neglected topics.

The first lady of folk will arrive at Colston Hall for a sold-out show on the 9th of March, releasing Semper Femina the next day, on the 10th.

Epigram 13.03.2017

44

Three little words with The Wailers Luke Unger has a warble with The Wailers’ drummer Aston Barrett Jnr about their reunion

positive energy and negative energy, there’s a lot of jealousy and there’s a lot of privilege. It’s human nature, see.’

Aston pauses on the other end of the line, perhaps reflecting on his Uncle’s murder, perhaps reflecting on the philosophy of his band. ‘You have to be positive and always try to stay in the positive area as much as you can to avoid negative energy. Carly was a positive person and his wife was negative, and those two just don’t mix. It just won’t work; it’s a struggle.’

I go on to ask him if he feels a certain responsibility to preserve the Rastafarian culture and music, interested in a statement on the Wailer’s website, which suggested that music had ‘lost its way’. ‘I want to represent love, I want to save the earth,’ he says. ‘You can’t just think about yourself now because at the end of the day we are all a part of the earth. Look, I’m in Florida, being

“

I want to represent love, I want to save the earth.

around nature changes your mood and your swing. When you’re destroying the earth, it messes with us as humans and it makes us pretty bloody and moody. You have to be one with the earth and one with God.’ Considering one of the key ideas behind Rastafari is the rejection of ‘Babylon’, which include aspects of white culture, seen as degenerate or oppressive, I ask him if his views have changed since the global recognition of Rastafari in the early ‘70s. ‘We used to say, ‘Burn down Babylon’. We don’t want to burn down Babylon, we want to stand firm because now you actually have good people that work in Babylon, but if we burn it down we gonna burn down the good and the bad. Stand firm and give people strength so they can move forward and love.’

This last sentence appears interesting, considering the racial and political upheaval in America and the rest of the world. I ask whether he thought his music would be more relevant to people considering the past year. ‘Our music has always been relevant to people,’ he replies simply, ‘it just hits them at different times in their lives. I represent me and I represent being Jamaican and yes, I’m proud, but I’m more proud being a human being. Colour and division is a business made by man, human race is not a business.

Being in Jamaica, I never learned about different races because my whole family is ethnically mixed up: my grandmother’s grandmother is white but my father and my mother are black but both descend from Maroon, so we have all those things inside of us. Racism is just an ignorant thing. I was never brought up into it. My father isolated that from us, we’d see it and we’d be

like ‘Yeah, whatever, it’s a business’. We don’t attract that energy because when you let that energy in, if you keep on thinking about it, keep on worrying about it, it comes to get you.’

I find it incredible how Aston is so relaxed and composed when talking about such a sensitive topic, especially due to what both his father and Bob Marley had to go through before achieving mainstream success. Aston tells me calmly that ‘a lot of people come to me and actually start crying because I changed their mindset, like if one guy messes with them and hurt them, they blame the entire race and it’s only one person! Y’know, we’ve got to stand firm in Babylon.’

I go on to ask whether The Wailers focus on the preservation of Bob Marley’s music or whether they are trying to create something new. Excitedly, Aston replies that they have a new single coming out between March and April, ‘Stand Firm’, and goes on to tell me about their new Wailer, Josh Barrett. However, suddenly his tone changes as he states, ‘We were trying to find singers and obviously, you can’t replace Bob and we would never dare try to replace Bob.’ There is a reverential tone in his voice as I listen, awestruck. ‘Any singer coming has to respect Bob’s position- you have to come here with the mindset of peace and love and unity…you have

“

I sit by the phone. The phone rings. I am answered by a relaxed, considered voice that greets me without predilections. It is the voice of Aston Barrett Junior, current drummer for The Wailers and son of former Bob Marley bandmate, Aston Barrett Senior.

Aston calmly says he’s in Florida at the moment whilst I look out my grey window, viewing a drizzling Bristol.

I start by asking, enthralled, what Aston felt about playing with the Wailers again after so long. ‘Really, really, really great man,’ he replies, spoken through both a heavy Jamaican accent and a smile. ‘My father is very magical. When I’m around him I know Carly’s around too, you can feel that energy, the spirit of the Barrett brothers. Me being the seed of a Barrett, I can play drums, but when I’m with father I can feel the energy of Carlton and it just flows through me.’

Carlton Barrett, brother of Aston Barrett Snr, was the original drummer in Bob Marley and the Wailers. He was murdered in 1987 by his wife Albertine Barrett and two other men outside his home in Jamaica. Carlton’s wife served only one year in prison due to a legal technicality.

I probe Anton Jnr, asking him if there was still any resentment or anger towards Albertine’s short sentence, and the premature death of his inspiration. He replies after some deliberation saying, ‘I’m not too sure what happened exactly as I wasn’t around at the time, but from what I gather it was to do with a misunderstanding. His [Carlton’s] wife hired someone to get rid of him. She used to put things in his food, got him a little crazy. In 1986 he had to go to the hospital because he was depressed about the death of his father, my grandfather. Look… Wailers come with

When we did the first reunion you could see the tears in the musician’s eyes; they had thought they’d never play again.

to think pure. Josh is one of the best ones right now, put all his feeling in without negativity.’

As the interview wanes we begin to discuss the reformation of the Wailers. Aston admits, with some deliberation, that ‘this band should have been together a loooooong time ago.’ He laughs, ‘you don’t know the stress of it. I was young and when I got older I said to my father, why don’t we put the band back together? No one wanted to do it, it was like one big Wailer curse after the death of Bob. I did this show in Brazil in 2015 and I asked my producer at the time ‘Hey! We should do Wailers shows’, so I called Julian [Marley] and asked him what he thought and he gave me all the dates he was free. When we did the first reunion you could see the tears in the musician’s eyes; they had thought they’d never play again.’

This feels like an opportune place to leave the conversation, on the note of the group’s continued relevance to a modern context.

I think one of the reasons that the Wailers music spans so many generations is due to the immense positivity that Aston Barrett Jr touched on during that conversation. In a sense the music they play is far more than a performance, but a mindset.

Epigram

Puzzles

@EpigramPuzzles

Editor: Suzie Brown

Solutions will be posted online at www.epigram.org.uk before the next issue is released.

puzzles@epigram.org.uk

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DOWN 1. Officer in stead of occupant (10) 2. Shocked at mouth being slapped (10) 3. Moving forward on switching of conflict over Detroit (6) 5. Tea before everything - that’s grand! (4) 6. Called for bewildered anger

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How many words can you find including the middle letter, with at least four letters per word? There is at least one nine-letter word.

18= Average 24 = Good 30= Excellent

Word links

13. Large cylinder is initially divorced spirit (4) 16. Toilet before us is rubbish (5) 17. Carry furry mammal (4) 19. Disfigured ear for a period (3) 20. Tavern in North (3)

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Sudoku

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without energy (4) 7. Characteristic essence is headless Beth’s computer software (5) 11. Practise around coffin (8) 12. To circle also (3)

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Set by Jade ACROSS 1. Henchman after the French in a body of water (6) 4. Begin to bring the base of tarts forward (5) 8. Joint with limitless hell and shipfront (5) 9. Story of Aussie district’s natural ability (6) 10. Next day’s choice between male cat and argument (8) 12. Timid mate’s confused (4) 14. Uncomfortable to stare without force at hospital corridor (7) 15. Instrument makes mixed-up scary sound exponentially (4) 18. Regularly attend my thinking, it’s dullness (6) 21. Leading listless eagle in reverse is keen (5) 22. Meat-eaters in vehicle sent back French wine with zero resolution (10)

0 0 0 0 0 0 Codeword

Each number represents a letter. Decode the grid to find the words.

Set by Jade ACROSS 1. Barren expanse supporting little life (6) 4. Person who exercises power over others (5) 7. Lizard-like amphibian, once thought able to live in fire (10) 8. Someone without a fixed home (5) 9. Most uncommon (6) 10. The domain of an animal or other living thing (7) 13. Precious stone (3) 16. Something wound into a spiral shape (4) 17. Horribly bitter (5) 19. Dull pain (4) 21. Ingrained, unlikely to be changed (10)

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Epigram

46

13.03.2017

The Jets spread Bristol cheer at Nationals

Facebook / Bristol Jets

Jack Francklin Deputy Sports Editor The Bristol Jets pulled off several outstanding performances at the Future Cheer University Nationals, effectively securing their spot as the nation’s best cheerleading squad.

Out of the five teams entered by the club, across a range of levels, two came away with the top prize at the Genting Arena. These five teams competed in a variety of events, ranging from the

pom dance to full stunt squads. Storm, the highest performing Bristol team, won the national championships after competing in the small level three coed division and receiving the highest score of the day.

In light of this victory, Club President Emily Newman was understandably overwhelmed: ‘This is the first time the Bristol Jets has ever won the prize of Grand Champions, which is a massive achievement for the club’.

The prizes kept on coming for the

Jets. After performing and winning against level one and level two Grand Champions opposition, they were eventually crowned Ultimate Champions. This feat was emulated by the boys’ level three stunt team, whose exceptional performance saw them walk away as National Champions.

Elsewhere across the other teams entered, Hurricane, the girl’s stunt group, finished a commendable fourth out of seventeen teams, whilst the pom dance team Tornado came second out

of a possible fourteen. Bristol were quite literally flying.

The highest level entry over the two days was a level four all girls stunt group, consisting of five Storm athletes. After putting their routine together in less than a month, they finished in a very impressive third place.

Reflecting on their success, Newman added: ‘As a squad we spend the entire year working on one two and a half minute routine to perform at just

three competitions, so to come away with two teams as national champions after all our hard work is incredible’.

The squad still have work to do this year and with another competition on the horizon, they will be looking to win even more titles. Their next meet will be taking place in March and it will see the introduction of another new team, performing under the name Typhoon, which was created due to the high number of boys who have signed up for membership this year.

UBRFC secure Southern Premier League Jack Harbridge Sports Reporter

Twitter / UBRFC

On Wednesday 22nd February, the Men’s Rugby first XV capped off a near perfect league campaign with an 8-0 win over Cardiff University in a tightly contested league decider to secure the BUCS Southern Premier A title.

Captained by Max Cresswell, they secured 11 bonus points from 14 games during the campaign, and after the final whistle at Cardiff Arms Park stood nine points clear at the top – a stark reflection of their dominance of the league. The result secured them a place in the BUCS championship, where they will play away against Leeds Becket first XV. Bristol started their league campaign in a good vein of form with bonus point wins over the University of South Wales (USW), Exeter, Cardiff and Swansea University, before becoming unstuck, away at UWE. Following this hiccup, the galvanised maroons came back to finish the season with a nine game unbeaten run, characterised by a 557 thrashing of UWE at home. On top of this, Bristol added to their points tally with home and away bonus point victories over King’s College London and another over USW. Then came Exeter for a second time, who were victims of another drubbing with the home crowd at Coombe Dingle seeing Bristol score just shy of fifty points. A tightly contested home victory over Swansea was then followed by bonus

point wins against UWE and Hartpury, before Bristol claimed the title in their first win away at Cardiff in three years.

Following their success, Club Captain George Carrie praised the squad: ‘All the lads have done really well this year, and it’s worth noting the effort of all the freshers that have stepped up and made an impact. We have often had five freshers in the back line, which bodes very well for the future’.

The thrashing of UWE, with a side that contained eight freshers in the 22-man match day squad can only be positive for the future of rugby union at the university. However, the experience throughout the squad has proved vital over the season, and in the UWE game in particular.

Joe Goodman, the men’s rugby first XV coach, has not only improved the attacking rugby already characteristic of the university, but has also instilled a defensive capacity which led the Bristol outfit to hold the second best defensive record in the league. The players have also benefited from their innovative coach’s squad rotation - a ploy that is scarcely seen at university level rugby, and something that should be noted considering the emphatic nature in which his side won the league.

After a profitable season with the youthful first XV squad winning the Premier South for the second time in six years, the future is undoubtedly bright for the thriving men’s rugby club, and there is much more to come as Bristol face UWE in their third meeting of the season on 30th March at Ashton Gate.

Epigram

The Ultimate Team go for a rare gold

13.03.2017

47 BUCS Wednesday Fixtures and Results Wednesday 1st March (select results) Men’s Volleyball: Bristol 1st 3-0 Bath 1st Women’s Squash: Bristol 1st 4-0 Durham 1st Men’s Lacrosse: Bristol 1st 10-7 Manchester 1st Women’s Basketball: Bristol 1st 89-36 Winchester 1st

Facebook / University of Bristol Ultimate Frisbee

Men’s Football: Bristol 1st 3-2 Bath 1st Women’s Volleyball: Bristol 1st 3-0 Swansea 1st Wednesday 15th March (select fixtures) Men’s Football: Bristol 1st vs Exeter 2nd Women’s Basketball:

Matthew Nahajski Sports Reporter 60 years ago, the name ‘Frisbee’ was assigned to Wham-O’s flying discs to boost sales – and it worked. The toy has become hugely popular and almost everyone has enjoyed these toys at some point in their childhood. Soon after, a sport developed based around the discs and this is rapidly becoming famous: Ultimate Frisbee.

The Bristol University Ultimate Frisbee men’s first team finished second in their league this week, after beating Swansea and FXU. These results takes them to division one at the Nationals among the country’s 16 best university teams. This represents

a great achievement, the culmination of not just this season’s hard work and preparation but also previous years of recruitment and development. Only one player in their Saturday doubleheader BUCS fixture had played the sport before university – this emphasises how much their success is built on teamwork. A squad with no outstanding stars, they all fight for each other and have an excellent team ethos.

The club – known as Mythago – has a history of success, winning three consecutive national titles in the 90’s.

Since then, the depth of university ultimate has risen, with increasingly more universities fielding highly competitive teams. Among those

is local rivals Bath, who took the region’s top spot, boasting multiple GB players in their squad. Despite this, the game between Bristol and Bath was a hotly contested affair. A strong Bristol showing took Bath to the wire, but eventually lost 15 12. Exeter have recently emerged as regional contenders, and were tipped to climb to second this season, but were dispatched 14-12 by the boys in maroon. Both of these teams will join Bristol in Division 1.

A 15-7 win against Swansea and convincing victories over Winchester (15-1) and FXU (15-2) sealed Bristol’s spot. The squad has worked hard, starting with a preseason tournament and continued fitness and training

since mid-September. Competition for places is incredibly high, and a number of last year’s beginners have made strong cases for selection. Ben ‘Heavy’ Petty made a big impression after promotion from the second team, making some huge plays against Swansea and FXU. Next month, Bristol’s Ultimate team will travel to BUCS Nationals in Nottingham. Before then, everyone will have to prove their fitness and fine-tune their offensive and defensive strategies. When every game is as hard fought as the Bath game, they will have to bring their best to get the results they want – time will tell if they can beat Britain’s best.

UOB and UWE ready for Ignit10n battle

Bristol 1st vs Plymouth 1st Men’s Basketball: Bristol 1st vs Marjons 1st Varsity Fixtures 18th March - Boat Race Harbourside 23rd March - Darts - Walkabout Bristol Interested in writing for Epigram Sport? Head over to the Epigram Sport Writers 2016/17 group on Facebook for more information!

Fantasy Football

Epigram / Ellie Hillier

Malik Ouzia Online News Editor The annual charity fundraiser Ignit10n is set to mark the start of the Varsity series, with UWE’s sports teams joining the challenge for the first time.

The event, which takes place in March every year, sees the University of Bristol’s sports clubs taking part in

a series of 10-hour long challenges to raise money for Bristol-based charity Above & Beyond.

This year, on Thursday 16th March, Bristol’s students will go head-to-head against their UWE counterparts, with the university that raises the most money winning the first point of the Varsity series.

The majority of Bristol’s tasks will take place either in SEH or in the open

space behind the Physics and Life Sciences buildings, although some clubs, like cycling, who are embarking on a 110 miles Tour de Burrito, are taking their efforts further afield.

Other challenges include 10 hours of continuous diving catches from the cricket club, 10,000 kick ups from the football club and the lacrosse club’s attempt to spin cycle the distance between Bristol and Guilford, where

the next Lacrosse World Cup will be held, as many times as possible. This year clubs have been set the aim of raising enough money to fund a a Sysmex Blood Analyser for patients of the Bristol Haemotology & Oncology Centre.

The analyser allows point of care testing for certain blood results to give an instant result, reducing delays and increasing doctor-patient care times.

Epigram Sport is running its very own Barclays Fantasy Premier League. Feel free to join!

Liga de Epigram Code: 808585-362510 Good Luck!

Epigram

13.03.17

Sport

@epigramsport Editor: Jonathan Harding Deputy Editor: Jack Francklin

Online Editors: Oscar Beardmore-Gray & Dan Reuben

sport@epigram.org.uk

oscar.beardmoregray@epigram.org.uk dan.reuben@epigram.org.uk

jack.francklin@epigram.org.uk

Women’s hockey team sore to victory

Epigram/Grace Youell

Catherine Allan Sports Reporter Welcome to this edition’s BUCS Star Team which covers the best achievements of one of Bristol’s victorious teams, picked by the Sports Executive panel.

This week, Epigram caught up with captain Catherine Allan who led the University of Bristol women’s hockey fourth team who came out as league champions last Wednesday as they swept past the challenge of Cardiff Medics.

‘Bristol had most of the possession and attacking menace throughout the game, with their opposition rarely troubling our cool and collected goalkeeper, Ellie Taylor.

In the first play of the game we unfortunately lost Emma Mehta, the vice- captain and striker, who after a ball to ear incident required the presence of paramedics. Her absence was missed but we were able to go on and narrowly win 2-1. As the final whistle blew, we could hardly believe we had won!

Our two goals were scored by Rachael

Sharp and Laura Bruce. The post-match party was great fun and highlighted how well we got on as a team, not just on the pitch but off it too.

We would like to make a special mention to our amazing coach Rachel McJarrow, whose drills will forever encourage us to play two-touch hockey and play the ball wide! At the beginning of the season there was no great plan or ambition to be top of the league come March this year.

The fours simply played hockey as a team, and motivated each other throughout. This was particularly the

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case as the results kept going in our favor week in week out and suddenly we were aiming for promotion. From the start of the year, it was clear we had a good ratio of senior players to freshers in the squad.

Our success lay largely in our defence. Ellie Taylor has had an amazing season and has conceded just five goals, helped largely by our centre back pairing of Laura Stacey and Laura Bruce (Laura Squared) who proved a resolute stopping force to any oncoming attacks.

In midfield, Anna Lawson has

received player of the match the most times this season. The strikers have shown determination throughout, whilst Mo Hall’s cheeky deflections and Emma Mehta’s unrelenting hunger to score goals have created some great attacking moments.

All members have scored at least one goal throughout the season which shows what a good attacking unit we are as a whole. The ethos and commitment of the team made my job as captain much easier and I am so proud that the mighty fours showed everyone just how mighty we are!