Is feminism dead? page 10
Interview with Mercury Prize winners Alt-J page 25
The best day trips in the South West e2
Issue 252
Issue 255
Monday 19th November 2012 www.epigram.org.uk Bristol University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Bristol’s Mayor: ‘I am your slave’ Jemma Buckley
Jemma Buckley News Editor
Around 30 students descended on Senate House last week to rally against the University’s monitoring of international students. The demonstration - which was part of a week of protests leading up the NUS National Demonstration this Wednesday - highlighted the concerns of Bristol’s international students who have been made to check in with their faculty on a monthly basis. Organisers of the event said the monitoring of international students was a ‘violation of these students’basichumanrights,aninsulttotheirhuman dignity, and an intrusion on their private lives’. The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) makes universities such as Bristol - which have been granted the right to sponsor visas for international students - monitor the attendance of their non-EU students to make sure they are actively participating in their studies. continued on page 3
Navigating mud pits and boys: Bristol students take part in the Sodbury Slog
page 34
Pro-Life campaigners parade photos of dead babies on campus
Marek Allen
George Ferguson has secured a surprise victory in the race to become Bristol’s first ever directly elected mayor. An architect with a penchant for red trousers, Ferguson is also a University of Bristol alumnus and trustee of the Students’ Union. He beat 14 other contenders to the position and left Labour candidate and favourite Marvin Rees trailing behind in second place. Bristol demonstrated its independent spirit by rejecting candidates from the main political parties. In his mayoral victory speech Ferguson said that the vote represented ‘A new way of doing things’ and that he did not see it as a vote for himself, but as a ‘Vote for Bristol’. Ferguson is clear that he wants to make Bristol a city that will be recognised across the world. ‘I am fed up with explaining that Bristol is somewhere near Bath,’ he joked, before declaring himself Bristol’s ‘Servant’ and saying that people of all convictions and beliefs are equal in the city and should unite to improve it. There was rapturous applause when Ferguson talked about his desire to knock on the door of No. 10 to ask the Prime Minister for more powers and resources for Bristol. ‘We’ve delivered what they wanted, now they’ve got to deliver what we want,’ he said. Ferguson explained that he will give his formal acceptance speech on Monday at Brunel’s Temple Meads station, taking the same oath as young men of Athens once did – ‘I shall not leave this city any less, but rather greater than I found it’. The result was a bitter disappointment for the Labour Party who had been confident that their candidate Marvin Rees could win the election. If elected, he would have been the first Mayor of Afro-Caribbean descent in Europe. Rees was gracious in defeat, saying of the result ‘This is just democracy. This is just the way it works.’ During his heartfelt and engaging speech he joked that his loosing speech was better than any winning speech could have been. The result was also disappointing for Conservative candidate Geoff Gollop and Lib Dem candidate Jon Rogers who came third and fourth respectively. It appears their votes collapsed as voters who would usually support those parties looked elsewhere. continued on page 3
International students protest against new university monitoring
Independent candidate George Ferguson has been voted Bristol’s first directly elected Mayor.
Campaigners from controversial pro-life group Abort67 brought their graphic displays of dead babies and aborted foetuses to the University of Bristol precinct at lunchtime on Friday 9th November. Their demonstration and use of imagery prompted complaints to the University from disgusted students. In retaliation, sabbatical officers from UBU launched a counter-protest, using a sign stating ‘This Union is pro-choice’ in an attempt to cover up the large graphic images that were erected on the pavement opposite Senate House. Student unions in Nottingham, Cambridge and Sussex have used similar tactics to limit the impact of Abort67 demonstrations, following visits to their campuses during the same week. continued on page 4
Epigram
22.10.2012
News
Editor: Jemma Buckley
Deputy Editor: Zaki Dogliani
Deputy Editor: Josephine McConville
news@epigram.org.uk
zdogliani@epigram.org.uk
jmcconville@epigram.org.uk
Editorial team Editor
Deputy Travel Editor
Pippa Shawley
Alex Bradbrook
editor@epigram.org.uk
deputytravel@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Editors
Style Editor
Patrick Baker
Lizi Woolgar
patrick@epigram.org.uk
style@epigram.org.uk
Imogen Rowley
Deputy Style Editor
imogen@epigram.org.uk
Anisha Gupta
e2 Editor
deputystyle@epigram.org.uk
Ant Adeane
Arts Editor
e2@epigram.org.uk
Rosemary Wagg
Photography Editor
arts@epigram.org.uk
In looking at the figures of how many students In the US, student patriotism centred around
Harry Engels
Deputy Arts Editor
voted in the Bristol mayoral elections, it is clear their universities and – critically – their college
photography@epigram.org.uk
Rachel Schraer
that they are totally irrelevant – it is a case of town is almost fanatical. The local colours
News Editor
deputyarts@epigram.org.uk
distinguishing between whether or not an can be seen emblazoned everywhere on the
Jemma Buckley
Music Editor
news@epigram.org.uk
Eliot Brammer
Deputy News Editors
music@epigram.org.uk
Zaki Dogliani
Deputy Music Editor
zdogliani@epigram.org.uk
Phil Gwyn
The message is simple; most students really don’t between the residents and the students of the
Josephine McConville
deputymusic@epigram.org.uk
care about who becomes our next mayor. Why town.
jmcconville@epigram.org.uk
FIlm & TV Editor
on earth would anyone care about what George
Features Editor
Jasper Jolly
Nahema Marchal
filmandtv@epigram.org.uk
features@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Film & TV Editor
Deputy Features Editor
Kate Samuelson
Helena Blackstone
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deputyfeatures@epigram.org.uk
Science & Technology Editor
Comment Editor
Mary Melville
Joe Kavanagh
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comment@epigram.org.uk
Sport Editor
Deputy Comment Editor
David Stone
Nat Meyers
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deputycomment@epigram.co.uk
Deputy Sport Editor
Letters Editor
Laura Lambert
Lucy De Greeff
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letters@epigram.org.uk
Josephine Franks jfranks@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.
Mona Tabbara mtabbara@epigram.org.uk Travel Editor Alicia Queiro travel@epigram.org.uk
absurdly tiny proportion of students voted, or sweatshirts and leggings of the students, the just a tiny proportion.
alumni and even the locals; there is a real sense of pride about the place, and a healthy discourse
Ferguson is going to do to the buses? After all, Rather than thousands of students trekking most students are only around for three years. to watch the football first eleven week in week This raises an important question: how much do out – as is the way in the US - most Bristol Bristol students care about Bristol?
students just do their own thing on weekends; one or more from a selection of sleeping,
Meetings News:
The White Bear, 12.15pm Nov 20th
Features:
The White Bear, 1.15pm, Nov 29th
Comment: Contact comment@epigram.org.uk Science & The White Bear, 1.15pm, Nov Tech: 26th The White Bar, 1.15pm, Nov 20th
eating and watching TV. It is hard to imagine masses of Bristol students walking around in Bristol sweatshirts, getting actively involved in the political community, leaving something of themselves behind. For many, the city represents a nice place to live, a bubbly nightlife and a decent academic experience. And that’s pretty much it. Those who get involved are – perhaps, sadly – in the minority.
Imogen Hope Carter Deputy Living Editor
Do we really care about our city?
Living:
Living Editor living@epigram.org.uk
Editorial
Advertise with Epigram? To enquire about advertising, please contact Leanne Melbourne - advertising@epigram.org.uk
Travel:
The Refectory, 1.15, Nov 19th
Style:
The White Bear, 1.15pm, Nov 21st
Arts:
Contact artst@epigram.org.uk
Music:
Contact music@epigram.org.uk
nauseous fanaticism of the States, of course
Film & TV:
The White Bear, 1.15pm, Nov 27th
– but perhaps it would be important to show
Sport:
The Refectory, 5pm, Nov 20th
city.
We lack a sense of who we are as a studentbody, a university, a community in relation to this town – not that we need to resort to the
a little more engagement and pride with the
Epigram
19.11.2012
3
Ferguson: Mayor of Bristol Jemma Buckley
Jemma Buckley
Ferguson’s campaign team wore matching ‘George for Mayor!’ t-shirts
Continued from page 1 According to Dr David Sweeting, a Lecturer from the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Studies, Ferguson was helped to victory by those who had deserted their usual Tory or Lib Dem vote. He told Epigram ‘I don’t think the Lib Dems have done themselves any favours with the tuition fee thing – I think their vote has collapsed because of that. At the same time, many Conservative voters might have thought their vote would have been a waste. For them, George Ferguson was the obvious alternative.’ It has also been suggested that the low voter turnout – only 28% of the electorate – would have favoured Ferguson. Dr Sweeting
suggested that the areas with a high turnout tended to be those which would have supported Ferguson as a first or second preference candidate. Voters in Labour strongholds did not seem to make it to the polls. Ferguson came to the city to study architecture at the University of Bristol and never left. He has since become a generous donor to the University and is a Trustee of the Union. After his victory speech Ferguson told Epigram that he believes it is important for students to engage with the city. ‘I came to study in Bristol because of the quality of the city. I got really involved with it whilst I was at university and it made my time so much more
Joe Kavanagh Senior News Reporter
Boris Johnson (left) supported Mayor candidate Geoff Gollop (right)
28% spearheaded transformational urban regeneration projects on a local and national level. Examples of such projects can be seen around Bristol. His work on the regeneration of the
Non-EU students monitored Pippa Shawley Editor Continued from page 1 Currently non-EU students at Bristol must register their attendance with their faculty every month. In August this year, the UKBA withdrew London Metropolitan University’s licence to sponsor students,duetoslackmonitoring. In an article published in the Times Higher Education supplement in September, Bristol University’s Vice Chancellor Eric Thomas wrote that he thought universities were ‘still some way off a genuinely collaborative relationship with the UKBA.’ Kelvin Cheng, a final-year Law student originally from Singapore said that the whole process ‘made me feel like I was on parole; like I was a criminal. I understand that the University is doing this to comply with UKBA regulations, but the whole process made me very uncomfortable.’ Following the demonstration, the University attempted to clarify the situation. David Alder, the University’s Director of Communications and Marketing, thanked protestors
Flickr: Nina J. G
Boris Johnson’s recent visit to Bristol became heated when he referred to a group of protestors as ‘lefty tossers’. During his visit Boris was disrupted by protestors, who were heard to shout ‘Tory scum’ in his direction. After referring to them sarcastically as ‘sweethearts’ and ‘lovely people’, the Mayor of London lost his temper and shouted ‘lefty tossers’ in reply. The outburst took attention away from the purpose of his visit, which was to show public support for the Tory candidates for Mayor and Police Commissioner. Ken Maddock,
the candidate for the role of Police Commissioner, and Geoff Gollop, the mayoral candidate, spent the day with Boris in order to persuade Bristolians to vote for them in the elections. Boris Johnson is notoriously prone to such public ‘gaffes’. During the 2005 Conservative leadership contest he admitted to supporting David Cameron ‘purely out of cynical selfinterest.’ During the general election that same year, he told voters that ‘voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts.’ He was also widely satirised after failing to remember his own policy on drugs in 2005: he was quoted in The Sunday Mirror as saying, ‘What’s my view on drugs? I’ve forgotten my view on drugs.’
Voter turn out for the election was just
harbourside and the Tobacco Factory – which is home to a theatre, bistro and Ferguson’s penthouse apartment – are notable achievements. According to Dr Sweeting, his visible achievements across the city would have made him an appealing mayoral candidate, as would his ‘reputation for getting things done’. Dave Dobbs - the candidate for the Birthday Party - came last in the mayoral race, not even managing to secure 500 votes. He attempted to clarify rumours that he was only standing for Mayor in order to promote his new book. ‘It’s kind of half-true really,’ he admitted, before urging everyone to buy a copy.
a legitimacy to make decisions that previous council leaders did not. Some have questioned the fairly poor turnout at the election – just 28% of the electorate voted – and have said that this means Ferguson will not have a mandate. Regardless, Bristol now has a leader who is accountable and visible - everyone will know who is running the city - and Ferguson can expect to take both the criticism and praise for decisions made. Bristol is the 17th city in the UK to adopt a mayoral system. The first was London when Ken Livingstone became Mayor in 2000 and other big cities following the model include Leicester, Liverpool and Middlesbrough. Academics from the University of Bristol (UoB) and University of West England (UWE) are carrying out the first ever study to scrutinise a city’s transition to the mayoral model. The study will survey a segment of the local population of Bristol and stakeholders about their thoughts and expectations about the governance of the city, both before the election and then in spring 2013. Ferguson may have made history in Bristol, but how he makes its future depends on his ability to produce big and bold ideas, to demonstrate a strong personality and represent the entire city to achieve his aim of putting Bristol on the national agenda. Josephine McConville
for highlighting what he called the ‘confusion’ over the University’s monitoring process. Alder told Epigram that the University was not required to pass on its monthly attendance records to the UKBA, and would only need to contact the agency if a student had missed 10 consecutive registration sessions. ‘The main reason we are doing it is as a welfare activity. For example if a student didn’t register for one month we would immediately ask if there anything wrong and could we help?’ Alder claims that the system is useful for checking that students are not struggling in silence, and that it is something the University is looking at rolling out to other students too. This comes as little comfort to international students though. Turkish student Umut Parmaksiz - who is working towards a PhD in Sociology has lived in Bristol for just over a year and was at last week’s protest. ‘I like Bristol a lot, it’s a very nice city, but I do think that the University – all universities in the UK – should get together and say to the UKBA that these policies are not doing anything other than intimidating international students.’
Jemma Buckley
Boris heckled by city’s ‘lefty tossers’
enriching than if I’d simply been going to lectures,’ he said. He was given an honorary degree by the University in 1999 to recognise his services to architecture, having
BEHIND THE STORY Bristol has woken up to a new era. No longer will the city be run by unidentifiable council leader Simon Cook, but according to the priorities and demands of one man – Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson. Nine cities across England – including Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield rejected a directly elected Mayor in a referendum held in May. Bristol was the only city to vote ‘yes’ – perhaps indicative of a disillusionment with Bristol City Council. Power has changed hands six times in 10 years and only 24% of the electorate bothered to turn up to the referendum. Now that George Ferguson has been elected Mayor, Bristol will be waiting to see how he tackles many of the city’s difficult issues. Controlling the west’s biggest economy, Ferguson faces huge challenges, the first of which is to cut Bristol’s budget by £25m. There is no official job description for the role of Mayor and he is free to decide his own way of governing the city. Ferguson is expected to concentrate on the development of a new stadium for Bristol, which would stop locals needing to travel to Cardiff - or even further afield - to see big-name entertainment acts. He is also expected to concentrate much of his energy on attracting more businesses to the city. There are concerns that the Mayor will have too much power but - because he was chosen by the people of Bristol - he carries
Students stood outside Senate House to protest against monitoring.
Epigram
19.11.2012
4
Jemma Buckley News Editor Continued from page one Abort67 justify the use of graphic images with the argument that ‘lives trump feelings’ but concern was raised by many about the impact of the demonstration on women who have had abortions or suffered miscarriages. UBU VP Alice Peck told Epigram that ‘Personally I think images of bloody foetuses are not the best way to convey messages about abortion. Women have a choice, and the images portrayed by the campaigners do not convey the context in which abortions happen.’ The University of Bristol
Students for Life Society was quick to distance itself from the Abort67 protest, telling Epigram that ‘The best way to promote the pro-life message at university is through reasonable, rational and considerate discussion and debate, not through emotive imagery’. FemSoc (the Feminist Society) also joined the counter-protest with a sign that read ‘Abortion is a woman’s choice’, believing that to take this choice away would be ‘oppressive’. FemSoc Co-Presidents explained that it was ‘less a question of whether or not an anti-abortion group should have been allowed to be there and more a question of Abort67’s chosen methods.’ In his sabbatical officer
blog, UBU VP Education Tom Flynn admitted that one or two students had contacted the sabbatical officers to ask why they had chosen to obstruct the images. He wrote ‘We feel strongly that [Abort67’s right to protest] has to be balanced with a students’ right to walk their own university campus without being harassed and upset.’ Arabella Noortman a 3rd year English student said that she was ‘Utterly horrified’ to encounter the demonstration in the midst of the precinct. She explained ‘As a young woman, I found these images [of aborted foetuses] especially distressing and gratuitous...I was shocked to see such a conservative and disempowering message being
Kathryn Attowood
Pro-life protesters shock campus with dead baby photos
Sabbatical officers blocked Abort67’s controversial images using banners to mark UBU’s pro-choice
preached so close to home.’ Abort67 questioned the counter-protesters’ choice to block the images with their own banners, saying ‘We respect their right to protest, they should respect ours too’. On the Tuesday following
Geography professors to embark on Antarctic trip Alex Bradbrook News Reporter University of Bristol scientists will soon travel to Antarctica as part of a team conducting ground-breaking research into the subglacial Lake Ellsworth. The group will be led by the Geography Department’s Professor Martin Siegert who has spent 16 years researching and planning the project. The main aim of the project which has received £10 million funding from the UK’s National Environment Research Council - is to extract samples of water and sediment from ancient Lake Ellsworth, in order to get a better understanding of
the presence, origin and the evolution of life in Antarctic subglacial lakes. The equipment that will be used has been carefully engineered to withstand the extreme conditions on the continent, and also to ensure that there will be no contamination or pollution of results - as this has been a failing of previous Russian and American missions to other Antarctic subglacial lakes. The equipment has been kept in conditions even cleaner than those of a hospital operating theatre and the exact methodology of the research has been carefully planned to ensure that such conditions are maintained throughout.
The team plan to have started the operation by midDecember - which will involve the use of a hot-water drill to melt a borehole through the 2-mile thick ice sheet. Water samples will be obtained using a specially-designed probe and sediment cores will gather material from the lake’s floor. After samples have been obtained, they will be analysed at universities across the country - including Bristol - with the aim of broadening knowledge about life in such extreme conditions. Organised by Geogsoc on the 8th November, Martin Siegert delivered a talk to a packed lecture theatre about the project, highlighting
the scientific and logistical challenges in commencing the operation,including navigating around dangerous crevasses in glaciers and transporting tons of equipment to Antarctica by plane. Speaking about the project, Siegert said ‘if we’re successful, we’ll make profound discoveries on both the limits to life on Earth and the history of West Antarctica’. Martin Siegert and Martyn Tranter of the University of Bristol will leave at the end of November and will return in February - hopefully bringing back with them a wealth of new information about this currently undiscovered part of the world.
Lake Ellsworth Project
Transporting equiptment to the region is a particular challenge.
the protest, Abort67 tweeted ‘#Bristol SU is #Pro-choice. They wanted us to know...we wanted you to see their choice’ and linked to a graphic picture of a dead feotus. Kathryn Attwood, Director of Abort67, told Epigram
that universities were being targeted specifically because students are known for being vocal on such issues. Alex Bradbrook and Josephine Franks contributed to this story.
Societies will suffer after ice rink closure Laura Webb News Reporter Bristol’s only ice rink - on Frogmore Street - closed on 31st October after 46 years of serving the public. A University of Bristol Union (UBU) campaign opposed the closure and was proposed at last year’s AGM by Paul Charlton, who is now UBU President. The campaign did not succeed in saving the rink. The site will be redeveloped into flats for 450 students by UNITE group, a UK operator of purpose built student accommodation. The University of Bristol Ice Skating society will now have to relocate much further afield for training. Aiden Thompson, President of the Bristol University Ice Skating Society told Epigram ‘The Ice Rink’s closure is obviously a huge disappointment. Not only will we now struggle to attract members at the next fresher’s fair but also this year we will have to reduce the number of skates we do while raising the cost and time it takes to transport people to other ice rinks.’ Over the Christmas period, skaters will be able to use the Cribbs Causeway Christmas Rink. However, in the New Year they will have to commute to Cardiff or Swindon, resulting in less frequent visits to the ice rink. ‘We are currently awaiting the outcome of a grant application to see if we can get some minibus trips moving, otherwise, we will be taking
people on the train to these rinks,’ Thompson said. If the Ice Skating Society fails to receive this grant, skating may end up costing between 5 and ten times more. Even if the Ice-Skating Society succeeds in receiving the grant, it is likely that members will still have to pay double the current cost. Eddie Pearson, Manager of the Bristol ice rink, informed Epigram that 30 members of staff had lost their jobs as a result of the ice rink closure. ‘Our lease has come to an end and the UNITE group, who own the site, will turn the rink into student accommodation,’ he said. UBU President Paul Charlton voiced his disappointment that a city as big as Bristol would no longer have a permanent ice-rink but promised it would be ‘one of the first things’ the Union would discuss with the newly-elected Mayor George Ferguson. A UNITE spokesperson stated that the proposal for new student accommodation will improve the aesthetics of the area and provide more accommodation for Bristol students. This will include a new leisure space and improvements to the building’s access and facade, which will also benefit the O2 Academy. ‘Bristol is an extremely popular destination for students and purpose built student accommodation is in short supply. This new development will support both Universities’ growth plans, while alleviating pressure from students on the city’s private housing.’
Epigram
19.11.2012
5
Smashed phones Beer tax hurts pubs could self-repair Zaki Dogliani Deputy News Editor
Euan Scott
Katharine Barney News Reporter
another trigger, such as sunlight, could - with the correct technology - heal the cracks in smartphone screens. He added that this technology could be worth a lot to the smartphone market, saying ‘I’m not aware of anyone doing it, but with
“
This technology could be worth a lot to the smartphone market.
”
consumer stuff no one’s going to tell you what they’re doing. If they’re about to sell an everlasting smartphone screen, they’re going to make a packet out of it.’ For those who are interested in the science behind the
idea, Professor Bond and his colleague Dr. Richard Trask say that they are developing vascular networks based on hollow fibers that transmit a healing agent through polymer composite materials, and that they see many useful applications for the technology, despite the potential issues of fluid flow and controlling the extent of the healing once it has begun. The research faces hurdles both in the advancement of the technology itself, and in convincing authorities that the technology is safe and valuable. But Professor Bond is keen to emphasise that this is only the start, and that ‘We’re only beginning to understand how nature does what it does with such basic materials.’
Wetherspoon chain, which opened a new branch on Whiteladies Road in August. Wetherspoons are widely regarded as compatible with student budgets, though some have said that they would prefer to go elsewhere. Second year Politics student Bryn Rogers told us, ‘At the end of the day I’m not going [to Wetherspoons] for that authentic pub feeling, I’m going there because you can get a pint for a couple of quid’. Wetherspoons spokesman Eddie Gershon told Epigram ‘Wetherspoons is completely with pub operators in believing there is way too much duty charged on a pint of beer. ‘Our prices are very competitive, plus we also have a number of deals purely for students as we see them as an important part of our custom. ‘Our aim is to continue to keep opening pubs, many of those in student areas.’ Georgina Winney
The frustration when you crack your smartphone screen could be a thing of the past as the University of Bristol Department of Aerospace Engineering are conducting leading research into the potential of materials that repair themselves. The possibilities of this technology range from smart phones, airplanes, pipelines and refineries to space rovers or fuel tanks. The potential of the idea has been under investigation by scientists all over the world since the 1960s. University of Bristol research - led by Professor Ian Bond - has focused on its application to smartphone screen technology and the skins of aircraft. The prospect of a cracked mobile phone screen healing itself would no doubt appeal to many consumers, who find that the phone continues to function fine, but a crack impairs the clarity of the display. Professor Bond likened the technology to research carried out in his own department on bullet-proof glass, and highlighted the possibility of flooding windshields with a substance that would fill in cracks, saying ‘That same principle you could potentially apply on a smaller scale.’ Professor Bond said that
24 pubs in the Bristol area have closed this year, say real ale campaigners and opponents of the beer duty escalator. A number of MPs and local campaigners have spoken out against the rise in ‘beer tax’, which has contributed to pubs including The Ranch on Whiteladies Road and The Friendship Inn in Knowle - now a Tesco - closing down recently. Ben Peake, Vice Chair of Bristol Real Ale society, told Epigram ‘Changes in the beer tax have led to a huge increase in the price of pints over the last five years, and we, along with national campaign groups, are (predictably!) strongly against the continual price hikes. ‘All students enjoy the ability to go out and drink whilst having a conversation
in a friendly pub, but the taxes often designed to prevent binge drinking are hitting the wrong source, and hurting traditional British pubs.’ There has also been a marked increase in the number of students staying in with alcohol purchased in supermarkets. Speaking to Epigram, Bristol North West MP Charlotte Leslie said ‘A key to helping pubs is to even the playing field between supermarket sales of drinks and on-trade sales at pubs. ‘Anyone on a low income who wants to support pubs is discouraged from supporting these vital community hubs, and historic elements of our society – and in particular students. ‘This is a real shame – not only for pubs who are struggling, but for students themselves’. In addition to staying at home, more Bristol students now frequent the popular JD
Beer duty and big chains like Wetherspoons might be forcing smaller pubs to close
Strip club planning to open in Bristol flickr: morebyless
George Smyth News Reporter Spearmint Rhino has announced plans to open a new lap-dancing club in Bristol, as part of its plan to expand throughout the UK, opening clubs in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. This is despite recent years being a tough time for one of the most famous strip clubs in the UK. In 2011, Spearmint Rhino recorded a loss of £2.1 million and, since 2008, the company has seen a number of clubs close down. Furthermore, recent licensing laws have reclassified clubs like Spearmint Rhino as ‘sex encounter venues’. Strip clubs have been a contentious issue in Bristol over the past year, with all four of its existing strip clubs having to reapply for licenses after the city council changed its policy. Only one club, ‘Lounge@30’, failed to renew its license, but it does mark a change in the way Bristol views its strip clubs. The
Council had voted to permit only two strip clubs in Bristol, and to close the third, but it has been suggested that they would set aside this policy with regard to Spearmint Rhino. The issue of lap-dancing clubs caused a stir in the run up to the mayoral election on November 15th. In two recent mayoral hustings events, 7
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7 mayoral candidates would close all strip clubs in Bristol if they had the choice
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of the 15 mayoral candidates claimed they would close all strip clubs in Bristol if they had the choice. Spearmint Rhino’s bid could face strong opposition from both the city council and newly elected mayor. Spearmint Rhino’s plans have
been met with fierce criticism from feminists and local residents. Speaking to Epigram, Cat Evans, a member of Bristol University Feminist Society, argues that clubs like Spearmint Rhino ‘Subjugate and exploit women.’ Furthermore, she believes that ‘If the residents of Bristol are strongly opposed to the club, the council has a responsibility to fight against it.’ Despite all of this, boss John Specht claimed in The Sun last month that the expansion ‘Could provide up to 900 new jobs across the UK. Their ‘Gentlemen’s Clubs’ are aimed at an affluent clientele, providing ‘finest food and beverages, attentive management, unmatched interiors and superb entertainment’. Surely there will be at least a few enthusiastic customers amongst Bristol’s high rolling businessmen, but it may still be very difficult for the majority of Bristolians to see any positives about a Spearmint Rhino opening in the city.
Find out more about the NUS Demo on 21 November at ubu.org.uk/demo
Epigram
19.11.2012
7
FoodCycle funding RAG ‘Jailbreakers’ raise over £2000 for charity to reduce wastage Laura Webb News Reporter
A group of 30 University of Bristol students sporting fluorescent green T-shirts swarmed out of the Union at 9am on Saturday morning, tussling for front position in this year’s Jailbreak. The annual charity event one of many organised by RAG - had raised £2140.23 at the time of print with more donations expected in the next few days. Participants were required to get as far away from Bristol as possible within 36 hours. As an added challenge, they weren’t allowed to spend any of their own money, instead relying upon a mixture of sheer determinism and the kindness of strangers. Students from the University of Durham were taking part in their own Jailbreak event, making competition to cross the Channel stronger than anticipated. Each group was required to ‘check-in’ with a status update every six hours, their location being tracked by GPS and plotted on a map on the www.
One Pound Fsih
FoodCycle Bristol - a food recycling social enterprise run by students from the University of Bristol - has been awarded £3,600 from The Funding Network Bristol, an organisation of donors who provide funds to charities which promote social change or support community projects. FoodCycle Bristol was one of six charities out of a total 40 who were successful in making it to the Dragon’s Den-style presentation challenge during which FoodCycle members Amy Hale and Jonathan Broad, along with local volunteer Nathan Kerubairasa, gave a presentation and answered questions to 100 attendees to win the funding. FoodCycle aims to reduce poverty by providing free, nutritious meals for the Bristol community from food that local grocers and supermarkets - including Sainsbury’s on The Triangle - would throw out. FoodCycle recently catered for the Bristol Social Enterprise
Conference in the Victoria Rooms, eliminating the need for a Bristol catering service and helping reduce food waste in the area. Adam Smith, FoodCycle Bristol’s Coordinator, told Epigram ‘The award will help safeguard the future of the project. It will also help FoodCycle to invest in volunteer training and buy more equipment, including a new bike and trailer which are needed to transport unwanted food from the supermarkets and local grocers to the kitchens.’ ‘We were competing against many other incredible projects, so to be considered and awarded the grant is amazing.’ Smith added. FoodCycle currently serve a free three course meal every Sunday at Easton Community Kitchen between 11.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. They also put on monthly student restaurants where students can enjoy a delicious meal for £3. The next one is on the 22nd November at Coexist, above the Canteen in Stokes Croft, in association with the Bristol Oxfam Society.
George Robb News Reporter
Team ‘One Pound Fish’ outside the Notre Dame in Paris.
studentjailbreak.co.uk for all to see. Team ‘Jailbait’, comprising of Hannah Oliver, Ethan Katzenberg and Liam O’Shea, travelled the furthest; passing through France and Switzerland before reaching Venice, Italy before the Sunday 9pm deadline.
Lederhosen, a skeleton costume and immaculately crafted signs are a few examples of the tools used by the Jailbreakers as they attempted to thumb down cars and blag train tickets away from the city. Gender was put to maximum use, with Harry Wells from ‘Big Booty Hitchers’ announcing
‘I’m going to get my flirt on’ as the count-down began. Ben Collins, RAG Events Coordinator, was impressed with the results, stating ‘We’re very happy with how Jailbreak has gone this year, with most teams escaping from the UK and spreading Bristol RAG across Europe’.
Bristol student on a ‘mission to Mars’ Capt. Charlotte Poupon
Olivia Lace-Evans News Reporter Engineering PhD student Ashley Dale has spent two weeks in the Utah desert as part of an experiment to simulate a mission to Mars. Accompanied by a journalist, geologist, astrobiologist, aerospace engineer and an industrial designer, Dale lived in a Habitat Module on the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. The Mars Society - a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Mars exploration - operates this experience annually in order to investigate topics such as the design of habitat modules, the psychological challenges of crew members, how crews should be chosen and testing field tactics in order to develop protocols for human expeditions to Mars. Dale was primarily in charge of assessing the functionality and efficiency of a small, remote controlled rover with a wireless
camera to act as a scout and to reach difficult places. Other members of the crew explored issues such as the limits of human capabilities when in a space suit, particularly in sample collection of isolated organisms.
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Mars could be brought back to life with a relatively small jump start from us.
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Dale told Epigram ‘As I developed more of an appreciation for science, I began to see Mars as actually a viable step in the furthering of humanity. The Earth is a complete and complex system, and anything we do to it is just a subtraction. Mars is a planet that has died. It could be brought back to life with a relatively small jump-start from us.’ During the experience the crew had to face multiple
challenges, ranging from the psychological impact of being alienated and away from home to being thrown off a quad bike and avoiding serious injuries from a crash. Dale’s endeavours have been widely reported across the media, with Physics World, Science Daily and Mars Society all featuring articles on the experiment. Dr Margaret Harris from Physics World informed Epigram ‘If we are ever going to send humans to Mars, it’s vital that we know as much as possible about the challenges such a mission would face. The work Ashley and his colleagues did at the Mars Desert Research Station is an important part of that.’ Dale is hoping to return to the research station with a crew of Bristol academics to conduct relevant research whilst in simulation in late 2013 or early 2014. Dale will also be appearing on BBC Two’s ‘Dara O Briain’s Science Club’ on Thursday, 27th November at 9pm.
Interested in journalism? Want to write for Epigram News? Email news@epigram.org.uk or come along to our weekly meetings in The White Bear at 12.15pm every Monday. All are welcome!
Epigram
19.11.2012
Features
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‘No blacks, no dogs’: the Bristol Bus Boycott Stephanie Rihon Features Reporter When thinking of the AfricanCaribbean Freedom Struggle the first names that come to mind are Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. However, what is often left unsaid is the role of Bristolian, Paul Stephenson. He catalysed the British Civil Rights Movement with the initiation of the Bristol bus boycott in 1963 – 8 years after the American Civil Rights Movement had imploded upon itself. In the 1960s, people of African or Caribbean descent could not operate Bristol’s buses. During a time of fiscal austerity everyone needed employment but most ‘coloured’ citizens were denied this. An action group was created known as the West Indian Development Council. One member, a local teacher named Paul Stephenson, requested an interview for a job as a bus conductor with the Bristol Omnibus Company under the pseudonym Guy Bailey, which was cancelled after Stephenson revealed
Bailey’s ethnicity, proving the existence of a ‘colour bar.’ Inspired by the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the group announced a bus boycott in Bristol. Ian Patey, bus company CEO, defended his position to the Bristol Evening Post, stating that the ‘advent of coloured crews would mean a gradual falling of white staff’. Influential people supported
PULL Black citizens were known as ‘last to be hired, first to be fired’
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the movement: Labour opposition leader Harold Wilson and Bristol University’s students staged a march to the company’s headquarters, which attracted heckling from bus crews as they passed through the city centre. On the 28th August 1963 Patey agreed to end the colour bar and less than a month later
on 17th September the first non-white bus conductor was hired: a Sikh named Raghbir Singh. The legacy of this pivotal moment illustrates its success. In 1965 the British Parliament passed the Race Relations Act, making ‘racial discrimination unlawful in public places’. Before the boycott, there was no such legislation protecting the interests of black citizens. The date of Patey’s decision to end the colour bar is one which bears another great significance: it took place on the same day as King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech 3,570 miles away in Washington. Unfortunately his words - ‘The Negro is still not free’ and ‘is sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination’ - were not only applicable to African Americans, as was apparent from the lead up to the boycott. Even after Patey’s decision, racist sentiments remained amongst Bristol’s inhabitants. The tight-knit bus community had an intense sense of localism, which created racial antipathy towards ethnic minorities. It
Photo: BBC Leqrning Zone
This week, Epigram takes a look at the history of Bristol’multicural heritage following National Black History Month this October.
Bristol University students protest in front of Wills Memorial building in support of the Bus Boycott.
was not uncommon to see signs stating ‘no blacks, no Irish, no dogs’ around Bristol, something we tend to associate more with racism in the Deep South. People thought that black citizens would ‘steal’ jobs, so their reputation as being ‘the last to be hired, the first to be fired’ held strong within the community. The Bristol bus boycott
highlighted the poor condition of the city’s nonwhite inhabitants. By the mid 1960s 1.4 million nonwhites were living in the UK, a third of whom were born in Britain. The boycott gave these people some hope for future equality. The employment of black bus conductors exemplifies it’s success, but it still took Macmillan’s
government five years to make racial discrimination illegal. Nevertheless, Stephenson’s exemplary courage showed that determined individuals willing to defend their human rights could resist injustice. Thatcher’s words epitomise the significance of the event in the British Civil Rights Movement: ‘you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it’.
Bristol’s role in the transatlantic slave trade Ed Trotman Maria Hughes Features Reporters The less seasoned historians amongst you, perhaps those who weren’t as captivated as us by GCSE History, deserve an explanation of what exactly the Transatlantic Slave Trade was. Beginning in the 16th Century, the trade involved the buying of black African men and women from tribes on the west coast of Africa by European merchants. These Africans were then shipped across the Atlantic as ‘cargo’ and were treated as such; packed together in the hold of slave ships many died of dysentery, dehydration and scurvy. Those who survived the voyage were then sold to sugar, cotton, tobacco and coffee plantation owners in North and South America as well as in the Caribbean. The third stage in the trade involved the transportation of produce from America to cities in Europe where it was sold. Bristol played a very prominent role there and in the 18th Century it became the lead slaving port. It is estimated that, at the time, ships from Bristol were responsible for transporting
Tony Forbes, Sold Down the River, BBC Museum, 2003
around 500,000 African people into slavery - a life of fear and pain that ultimately ended in premature death from disease, suicide or exhaustion. The huge cost in African human life - it is thought that as many as 10 million Africans died directly
from the Atlantic trade! - has led many African-American Scholars to label it a ‘Holocaust of Enslavement’, or ‘Maafa’ in Swahili. In the 1700s, at the height of the slave trade, as many as 60% of Bristol residents
were involved, if indirectly. A key group was the Society of Merchant Venturers, which still exists today. This consisted of Bristol’s most powerful citizens: those in mayoral, political and juridical posts, many of whom owned slave ships. This group petitioned against the abolition of slavery in 1789, and only in 2007 did the Society of Merchant Venturers join the Lord Mayor of Bristol, along with other notable figures, to sign a statement expressing regret at Bristol’s role in the slave trade. The legacy of the trade can be seen today in the architecture and in the character of the city in which we all live and work. Many of the buildings in the city’s wealthier areas, such as Clifton, were built off the back of profits from the trade. Contrary to popular belief, the names of Whiteladies Road and Black Boy Hill are not derived from slavery, and the belief that Georgian gentry used to gather there for slave boy auctions is not true. The name in fact comes from the pub Blackamoor Inn, which once stood in the centre of Whiteladies road where the bandstand is now. It is the much less obvious landmarks of Bristol that are
named after key proponents of the slave trade; one name you might recognise is that of Edward Colston. He was a merchant and slave trader employed by the Royal African Company who invested much of his money into Bristol’s schools, churches, hospitals and almshouses. Colston Street, Colston Avenue, Colston Tower, Colston Hall, Colston’s Collegiate School and Colston’s Girls’ School are all a part of his legacy. Controversially, a statue of him still remains in the city centre. Local families also left a rich architectural legacy in Bristol
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shipped across the Atlantic as ‘cargo’ and were treated as such
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on the proceeds of the Slave Trade. The Theatre Royal was built with the aid of wealthy investors in the trade. The Georgian House museum on Great George Street was the home of the wealthy Pinney family, who were the owners of Caribbean plantations.
Building projects for great town houses and a growing financial sector were bi-products of the increased capital to be saved and invested. It is staggering the extent to which Bristol’s involvement in the slave trade has left so many tangible reminders around the city, yet easily manages to slip under the radar. Pero’s Bridge for instance - the pedestrian bascule bridge close to the Arnolfini - opened in 1999 and was named after the ‘personal servant’ to the aforementioned Pinney family who was brought back to Bristol with them and served their household from the age of six. It represents an acknowledgement of Bristol’s involvement in the deplorable trade and the need to maintain this in public memory. Before the Empire Windrush of 1948, which carried 493 passengers from the West Indies wishing to start a new life in the UK, there were already around 10,000 black African men and women still living in Britain as servants and free slaves. It was from these small beginnings that the history of a British black community became characteristic of our national identity.
Epigram
19.11.2012
Photo: Janka Man
Sound of the Underground: Bristol’s music scene Naherma Marchal Features Editor
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It’s what Bristol music is all about the culture clash
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Rank’ club on Nelson Street as part of their tours, for instance. In the 1980s, more informal venues started opening up. Early Wild Bunch DJs Nelle Hooper and Miles Johnson – the party collective from which would originate Massive Attack – performed at the legendary Dug-Out on Park Row: soon to become the spiritual and physical home of Trip-Hop. The atmosphere was laid back and, unlike other clubs, a loose door policy meant that this audience of music aficionados became increasingly mixed. David Drake, founder of ‘Sounds of Bristol’, a website which chronicles and celebrate the city’s music, comments: ‘So many people – even those who weren’t born at the time - know the Dug-Out as a vital part of Bristol’s music scene. It has become a sort of metaphor for what Bristol music is all about – the culture clash’. However, this period also saw a deterioration in racial relations. Tensions mounted as the police made increasing use of the ‘stop and search’ law on Afro-Caribbean youths and on April 2nd, riots erupted in St Paul’s following a police raid on the popular Black and White Café on Grosvenor Road . This incident was the first of a decade of civil disturbances driven by a resurgent Black consciousness which would also find its expression in music. At the time, the music scene was already bursting with the influence of reggae. Co m p e t i n g ‘crews’ were regularly battling it out in soundsystem clashes, using speakers modelled on those in Jamaica. However,
various artists soon began to adopt a darker, more artistic approach to music. They embraced the codes and conventions of the hip-hop subculture - freshly imported from New York- and with it the rebellious habit to scratch, scribble and spray all over the city’s public walls! Bristol’s first fruitful graffiti artist was Robert
Del Naja, who later became a member of Massive Attack, whom Banksy often cites as his original inspiration. From then on, the strong relationship between the worlds of music, art and dance would be the linchpin of Bristol’s identity. Many local artists have made their musical debut on the stages of St Paul’s
A portrait of George Odlum The life and achievements of Bristol University’s first black Student Union president.
Spencer Turner Features Reporter George Odlum, the son of a barber, moved from his native St Lucia in 1956 to come and study English Literature at Bristol University. He would have found the city still recovering from the impacts of the Second World War and still disordered in its race relations. The passing of the Race Relations Act was still over a decade away and Bristol’s boycott of the Omnibus Company had yet to come. This makes Odlum’s experiences and achievements at the University of Bristol even more inspiring. In becoming the University’s first black president of the Student Union, Odlum not only represented Bristol’s students within the university, he also acted on a national stage. Her Majesty the Queen
and the Duke of Edinburgh were both welcomed by Odlum in 1958 and as Bristol was a founding member of NUS, he played a significant role in its development. During his time as Union president, he oversaw debates that included “support for the ‘problems faced by colonial students’ (1957); ‘condemnation of apartheid and violations of academic freedom in South Africa’ (1957); ‘condemnation of the policy of the French government in arresting the officers of the Algerian Students’ Union’ (1958)” During his presidency he strengthened relations between the Union and its students, and as a black president of the Union, Odlum marked Bristol out as a university at the forefront of racial diversity and widening participation for ethnic, minority and
Photo: Flickr/Thai Nguyen
In the 1950s and 1960s, many port cities including Bristol witnessed a large influx of migrants from British colonies. Encouraged to work and live in ‘the motherland’ by the British government, immigrants arrived from the West Indies – particularly from Barbados, Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands – and settled around the areas of St Paul’s and Montpelier, resulting in the fusion of different foods and cultural practices. It is this coming together which also gave rise to a unique Bristol sound and art scene. Nightlife took off in the Eastside in the late 1970s with reggae, blues clubs and speakeasies spreading through town. Reggae legends such as Dennis Brown or Gregory Issacs could be heard playing at the ‘Top
Massive Attack in its first incarnation as The Wild Bunch at the infamous Dug Out; in the 80s raves became an inseparable part of Bristol’s burgeoning music scene.
one party the police actually helped to start a generator.’ Bristol is indeed a city rich in musical pioneers and it remains today a vibrant musical centre. Not only is it home to numerous renowned record labels and clubs but a lot of people would agree that there is still something in the air that makes Bristol’s music scene unique and unites all its participants. Roni Size rightly captures it: ‘This is what we are and this is what we do, we don’t need to prove anything to anyone else. That’s the Bristol attitude.’ As a student, it is worth venturing to Cosies wine bar on a Sunday or to the legendary ‘Teachings in Dub’ sound system clashes at the Trinity Centre for a real taste of Bristol’s musical roots.
Photo: NUS Connect
‘Bristol is a massive melting pot of different cultures: it’s Black, it’s White, it’s Irish, it’s Indian, it’s African and that is where the culture of music in Bristol has grown’ affirms Roni Size, leader of the drum and bass collective Reprazent, in the short but eyeopening documentary Bristol Sound. We are all aware that the university precinct might not provide the best window into Bristol’s cultural diversity. Yet just venture into the Eastside of town, past the colourful independent shops of Cheltenham Road, and you’ll discover a whole new facet of the city. In Easton, Jamaican hairdressers rub shoulders with Moroccan butchers; Sikh temples and mosques cohabit peacefully.
Carnival, a yearly street party which comprises of vibrant processions, dance shows and live music, and some of the city’s biggest exports - such as Portishead, Tricky or Massive Attack - famous for their highconcept videos and album artwork. Nevertheless, the most important legacy of the ’Bristol Sound’ is undoubtedbly its thriving party culture. As Chris Burton, co-author of The Art and Sound of Bristol Underground, remembers, The Wild Bunch became legendary for their much-attended parties: ‘These guys organised the rave parties themselves in any building that was available, which was possible then as there were a lot more empty and abandoned properties in Bristol. The police didn’t know how to deal with it, so they weren’t par ticularly hostile. I can remember at
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international students. The historical, cultural and social context of Odlum’s achievements makes them even more remarkable as we look at them today. In the mid 50s race relations were a serious issue in the UK and beyond. Odlum was faced with the challenges, both at home and here in Bristol, of potential racism and the difficulty of acceptance as a result of his heritage. However, the transition from St Lucia to Bristol appeared to be an inspired one. Despite the difficulties many minority students had at the time, Bristol was seen to be a forward thinking and more open university than others. In 1958, there were already 28 nationalities represented by the university -there are well over 100 today. Throughout his life, he acted as a prominent politician for
his home country: he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Santa Lucia’s Labour Party in 1979 and Foreign Minister in 1997. Though George Odlum died in 2003, his legacy at the University of Bristol lives on. A plaque in the Odlum Rooms describes him as ‘a man of immense political experience’ and a ‘catalyst for mobilisation’. Even today, his vision of the role of the Student Union still rings true: awareness of the community, widening access and promoting the student experience still need to be the top priorities of not just the Union, but the University as a whole. Odlum’s inspiration reminds us of how far we have come as a university in the last 50 years and also encourages us to keep going to achieve greater things.
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19.11.2012
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The big question: Is feminism really dead? Epigram asks for your opinion on the subject, while Sophia Padgett reassures that the answer to the above question is ‘no’. Sophie Padgett Features Reporter Feminism is dead, according to NetMums- a UK based parenting website run by mothers. The findings of their recent survey, which polled over one thousand three hundred women currently living in the UK, saw just 14% say that they consider themselves a feminist.
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So what does this mean for feminism in our society? NetMums reports that many women, especially younger women, simply do not identify with the label any more. They consider it old-fashioned, no longer relevant and above all a term which has aggressive manhating connotations. In the words of Caitlin Moran, ‘What do you think feminism IS, ladies? What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? ‘Vogue’ by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that good shit GET ON YOUR NERVES? Or were you just DRUNK AT THE TIME
Photo: Flickr/ vivalavis
In the words of Caitlin Moran: ‘What part of ‘liberation of women’ is not for you?
OF THE SURVEY?’ So do these findings mean that as a nation we have simply stopped concerning ourselves with matters of gender equality? No, what this survey represents is the crisis in media portrayal that feminism is currently experiencing, wherein a feminist is conveyed not as someone who fights for gender equality, but instead as a man-hating, ball breaking, humourless, bra burning mad
woman. In the case of Bristol, we can at least rest assured that feminism is far from dead. Sian Norris, a co-ordinator for the Bristol Feminist Network, told Epigram, ‘In my experience of running a feminist network for five years, feminism has never been dead and now it’s more alive than ever! In the last two years our membership has doubled and we now have an online membership of nearly
1,000 if you bring together Facebook and our mailing list’. But what about the rest of the UK? Norris went on to say, ‘This experience is reflected across the UK, in fact I think last year UK Feminista found that 18 new feminist networks had been founded in 2011 alone. Then you have the packed out events - from our own Reclaim the Nights - our sell out Where are the Women and Future of Feminism events at the Watershed, to
our discussion groups; to national gatherings such as Fem School, Fem conferences, Go Feminist Conference and more. Last November I sat in a packed hall with 1500 other feminists listening to Sandi Toksvig introduce the Fem 11 conference - no one would dare look at that inspired, energised and happy crowd and ring a death knell of feminism!’ Epigram’s own survey on whether or not feminism is
Epigram Survey:
‘Feminism is being a woman without making yourself into a man’ Georgina Berry ‘Ideals and Liberty’ Deborah Penninger
‘‘Feminism is equality rather than superiority’ Louisa Williams
Rosie Goodhart
dead shows more positive statistics still. Seventy seven percent of those polled said that they considered themselves feminists, something even more encouraging considering thirty percent of those who took part in the survey were male. Along with this a staggering ninety percent answered that no, feminism is not dead. So just how has NetMums come to the conclusion that modern day feminism can be written off? Well it has to do with the validity of the survey. Firstly although they polled what was seemingly a large sample (1,300 women), all the women who took part in the survey were members of NetMums, hardly the most representative sample of the entire female population of the UK. The fact that the survey showed women to be calling for the reinstatement of the value of motherhood is no surprise, the clue is in the name! The fact that so many associate feminism with devaluing the job of bringing another human being into this world is also worrying, to be a feminist is not to be a hardnosed business women who abandons her child. Feminism is not a brand of woman, it is a movement which stands to help all women achieve whatever they aspire to. The survey has also been accused of using leading questions and a misleading pie chart system to display the findings of the survey on the website. The fact that no men were polled also goes to show the oversimplified approach to the survey, feminism and women’s rights are not issues which affect only women, they are societal topics and if research is being conducted about them, they should be carried out in a way so as to reflect this. What can be said of the survey however is that it may be representative of a certain demographic. But rather than convince us that feminism no longer has a place in the lives of many women it has done just the opposite. The views expressed about feminism, ranging from complete unawareness to resentfulness show a huge misunderstanding of the movement and what it hopes to achieve. It shows our desperate need to reclaim the term feminism; it shows why we still need feminism. We need to eradicate the fear of feminism, to educate about feminism, because feminism is nowhere near dead, it continues to stride forward with more impulsion than ever, and it wants to take as many of us as it can with it.
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Bristol strip clubs: are thongs wrong? Rob Stuart I entered Bristol’s Urban Tiger as a man - of sorts - but left as a boy. Whilst there are numerous arguments against the culture of strip clubs concerning the subjugation, degradation and exploitation of women - all of which are completely legitimate - what I didn’t realize is that I would leave feeling similarly treated in many ways. On 4th June 1913, Emily Davison threw herself to her death at the Epsom Derby to support the cause for women’s suffrage. On the 7th of November 2012, Krystal whispered in my ear that all she really wanted was to ‘rub my arse in your crotch and put my tits in your face.’ Oh Icarus, fly not so near the sun lest thy waxy wings should melt. Considering the centuries of oppression that women have faced in societies across the world, it leaves me incredulous to think that strip clubs can be considered acceptable in a modern society. Upon entering Urban Tiger, I asked one man what sort of clientele were to be found in such an institution. ‘Perverts, mostly,’ he said and
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It leaves me incredulous to think that strip clubs are considered acceptable in a modern society.
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turned away, bemused at my ignorance. From then on, what I experienced left me feeling emasculated, embarrassed and anything but sexually aroused. In fairness, I have never received so much attention from women and probably never will again, but at that moment in time, I would have much preferred to have been sitting in my living room. The root of the problem is what a strip club can do for the mind of a lonely and/ or sexually deficient male individual. Unless you’re Ryan Gosling, the circumstances that occur in such a place massively
distort one’s perceptions of women and relationships. It’s odd to see how many people are willing to let women treat them like gods for a couple of minutes at a price, without the privacy, or indeed the conclusion, that something like pornography delivers. It appeared strange to myself and my co-writer that somebody would fork out to pay for something that doesn’t really deliver any sexual satisfaction. Instead, there is a situation created where people are given a false sense of emotional and physical desire, which is quickly extinguished once the stripper’s shift is over. Whilst the bouncers claimed vigorously that they experienced little trouble from men in the club, the defensive nature they adopted upon us questioning them suggested otherwise. The sheer number of people undertaking a role in security implied enough that women are under threat in this business. A room full of drunk and lecherous old men teamed with young, glamorous women? Smells like a sitcom to me. A sort of sad, unsanitary sitcom that leaves you feeling a little empty inside. In the end, I left rather disillusioned with life. At first, I was disappointed with myself, so timid and scared of the opposite sex. Then, I was disappointed with my fellow man. Is this what society wants us to advocate? Strip clubs do absolutely no favours for men in dealing with accusations that we still live in a society based on male supremacy. The female employees don’t really help themselves, or their female compatriots, but the harsh reality is that for some, working in such a business is the only way for them to make a living. But to degrade oneself in order to put food on the table and sleep under a roof is simply unacceptable. Strip clubs are rather unsavoury places at best, but the fact that another is opening in Bristol is a truly depressing thought. Whilst many can argue that such insitutions represent a step forward in women’s liberalism, I can’t really see why. Trust me, when you see a group of men ask for a young woman to sit on their mate’s face, you’d understand.
Flickr: Jim O’Connell
Yes
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No George Robb What’s that I hear? Spearmint Rhino are planning on opening a branch in Bristol?! Woof! I just can’t wait for me and the lads to get lashed and lairy and spend our nights and student loans watching boobs bounce to bumptious beats! Not. I would never say anything so vulgar and primitive. But that is not to say that I am opposed to or worried by the idea of the self-appointed ‘high class’ stripclub chain from opening a love hub somewhere within the city. If a Spearmint Rhino does come to town, one can only be sceptical as to whether it will result in the ‘harassment’ of women as prophesised by an assortment of feminist groups. Of course the club will see the occasional sexually-frustrated man who can’t keep his hands from roving and his tongue from wagging in a slightly misogynistic fashion, but for years the media and our common sense have shown us that in any profession which views beauty as an essential requirement there will be a risk of unwanted male attention. To enter such trades without appreciating this would be harmfully naïve, and it is safe to assume that the majority of dancers, some of whom work as bankers, PHD students and post-grads by day, are more clued-up on this than their critics. I certainly don’t endorse it, but a man getting handsy is a professional hazard, one which is reduced as much as possible by zealously violent bouncers and ‘no-touching’ rules. An acceptance of this should be a prerequisite for the job. For the purpose of this article I subjected myself to the emasculating experience of Bristol’s Urban Tiger, a pole-dancing joint near the harbour side. If this place were anything to go by, it would be completely inappropriate for anyone to claim that dancers are vulnerable. As a client, it was I who often felt under attack, constantly being propositioned and threatened to have a stranger’s nipple rubbed in my face. Not only that, but when I tried to have a refreshingly sane chat with a bouncer he threatened to kick me out simply for talking. As described by one employee, however, there was definitely a ‘family atmosphere’ shared by the staff, many of whom
socialise with one another outside of the office. Last year, controversy was stirred after reports stated that students had become strippers in order to pay for their maintenance. However, this is certainly not a necessity due to our good friends at Student Finance, and by no means can we view Spearmint Rhino as a horned pimp waiting to charge at and skewer impoverished students. No student is forced to swirl around a metal pole for financial reasons; it is simply a highly lucrative opportunity which was, and is still, taken by a miniscule proportion to help them along, no doubt facilitated and encouraged by the pole-dancing societies present in universities around
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If your morals lead you away from strip clubs then so be it, but to force others into following the same path is narrowminded.
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Spearmint Rhino recently revealed plans to build a new strip club in the centre of Bristol. With objections raised by feminist groups and local activists, should we be concerned?
the country. Essentially, it is the market which decides whether a classy strip club is needed. This includes you, me, and the many other Bristolians who will potentially be tucking their cash into diamante-encrusted thongs. If your moral predispositions lead you away from such an establishment then so be it, but to force others into following the same path would be financially damaging and narrow-minded. It would result in the abortion of the 150 jobs which a Spearmint Rhino branch would create and, however seedy one may consider these livelihoods, we must bear in mind that the selling of female beauty is all around us and has been for decades. I can promise that I have no intentions of ever going to the proposed Spearmint Rhino. However, I can also appreciate that the longevity and strength of such trade shows that, much like alcohol or free-love, it was once considered immoral but has now, thankfully, become an integral part of democratic, 21st century living.
Epigram
19.11.2012
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Police brutality is a kick in the teeth for justice Kyle Mulholland questions whether the boys in blue have too much power after the recent Police Commissioner elections
On 15th November, the first ever elections for the newly created ‘Police and Crime Commissioners’ across England and Wales were held. According to Bristol City Council, the new Commissioner will ‘set local policing authorities and decide how your council tax is spent on crime and policing issues.’ Over the last 15 years, the role and powers of the police have changed dramatically, and I am not sure that all of this change is for the better. There have been a number of high-profile incidents in recent years of police using excessive force against citizens. The most recent disturbing incident involved Colin Farmer, 61, of Chorley in Lancashire, who was reportedly struck with a Taser stun gun in the back by
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The election of these new ‘Commissioners’ will do little to change the current trend, characterised by a police force which believes it has licence to behave badly and scares us rather than making us feel safe.
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Kyle Mulholland
a policeman. It gets worse. Mr Farmer is blind and, having suffered two strokes, has limited use of one side of his body. The officer apparently believed Mr Farmer’s white cane to be a ‘samurai sword’ and, once he had struck Farmer with the weapon, proceeded to handcuff the terrified man whilst he lay immobilised on the ground. In isolation, this incident would be horrifying enough. But there have been a number of such cases in recent years. In May, Alzheimer’s sufferer Peter Russell was surrounded by police in his home, stunned several times, bound and loaded into a van to be taken to hospital, all in front of his
frightened wife. In 2010, left-wing protester Jody McIntyre, who has cerebral palsy, was allegedly tipped out of his wheelchair by police and dragged across the road during a student demonstration. The year before, Ian Tomlinson was caught on camera being struck in the back of the leg and shoved to the ground by a policeman wearing a visor over his face. What is going on here? Have I just picked up a few isolated incidents? Am I extrapolating from these a general conclusion I’ve no right to make? The culture of the police has most certainly changed. A regular constable is rarely just walking ‘the beat’ – he can most often be seen patrolling ‘problem areas’ flanked by other officers, or in command of some fluorescentclad fast car. The police have also acquired much more power than the original force designed by Sir Robert Peel - was ever intended to have. DNA samples are routinely being taken from suspects and are not destroyed, even when no charges are brought. Terror suspects can be detained for
28 days without even being informed as to why they have been arrested. People can even be arrested for taking photographs of police if they are considered ‘likely to be useful’ to a terrorist. Curious, then, that the opposite story is being told in the courts. Last month Samuel Evans was sentenced to just three years imprisonment in Gloucester Crown Court for a brutal attack, which left 33 year old Matthew Edmunds paralysed. Judge William Hart even told Evans that the public might view his sentence as ‘pathetic,’ failing to reflect the gravity of the crime. What this story tells us is that we have two choices if we wish to live in an ordered society. The first entails continuing along the present trajectory: increasing police power, extending state surveillance and eroding the presumption of innocence. This will have the effect of scaring all, good and bad, into conformity. The other option, which I prefer, would necessarily involve rolling back the scope and power of the state.
In order to do this, though, we need a serious deterrent justice system, which punishes wrongdoing and forces the wicked to think twice about committing crime. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, and having both liberal policing and soft justice is surely a formula for chaos. Of those two choices, then, which is preferable? This depends on your view of crime. If one believes crime is a social problem, which is perfectly conceivable if we encounter misfortune – abuse, poverty, addiction – then one would naturally prefer the former. That is because it makes no moral distinction between the law-abiding and the criminal. If, however, one believes in human free will, they will prefer the latter since all humans have the freedom to commit crime, or refrain from it, and wilful wrongdoing is, well, wrong. With this view, those proved to have done wrong should be severely punished. Everyone else, being presumed innocent, is left alone. Our attitude to crime is essentially a moral question, then. The election of these new
‘Commissioners’ will do little to change the current trend, characterised by a police force which believes it has licence to behave badly and scares us rather than making us feel safe. It is about time for a major cultural shift in the realms of policing and justice in this country, and this is not it.
US Elections 2012 DonkeyHotey
#FourMoreYears. Obama himself can take credit for that particular Twitter trend. The newly re-elected US President took to the social network in the small hours of Wednesday morning to share a picture of an intimate embrace with his wife Michelle, accompanied by the already iconic superscript that has since been spread by his millions of followers. Both the post, the most popular tweet in history, and the hashtag, which trended across Twitter as a result, struck just the right note in the wake of Obama’s victory: part jubilation, part palpable relief. In hindsight, analysts have said that the election was
campaigning,’ bombarding American voters with endless party political broadcasts and automated telephone calls - an invasion of privacy that literally brought the election home to the nation. Now, whilst Romney is left to rue the financial toll of an unsuccessful bid for presidency, Obama must count the moral cost of his own. Obama knows he is no longer seen by America as the straight-backed, squeaky clean Paraclete of four years ago, and this election was far from the comparative nobrainer of 2008. America has been presented with a choice between two flawed candidates – and its decision has in part been decided by whose faults have weighed heavier on the public conscience. Romney’s foot-in-mouth moments, such as his infamous ‘47%’ remarks, may have swung the election in Obama’s favour. After a campaign characterised as divisive and acrimonious by many pundits, Obama will be
ges
Sam Fishwick
always likely to swing the way of the Democrat candidate, whilst many pollsters had been consistently predicting Romney’s defeat for some time. Nevertheless, the sense of release was evident from the thousands of online responses. ‘PM: Warm congratulations to my friend @barackobama. Look forward to continuing to work together,’ was the reaction from @Number10gov. ‘Phew’ was the neat conclusion from Ben Stiller. There is certainly a suggestion that despite the significant margin of victory Obama won 332 electoral votes to Romney’s 206 - the President has survived rather than thrived in this campaign. Obama has much to prove in his second term in office. The President swept into the White House in 2008 on the back of a campaign swollen by a rhetoric of idealism and promise. The race in 2012 proved to be a far less clandestine affair. Both candidates have been tarred by the same brush of ‘dirty
Sam Fishwick questions if this is Obama’s finest hour?
keen to clean up his act. Perhaps Obama’s greatest challenge will be addressing the deep divides that still plague a nation of red and blue states. Obama’s skills as an orator remain undiminished, and he spoke movingly of a more united States in his victory speech last week. ‘We are an American family and we rise and fall together,’ the President assured the enraptured crowd. However, the echoes of the President’s inaugural 2008 address, in which he promised much the same unity and
togetherness, were clearly audible. It remains to be seen if the President can put up as much as he promises this time round. The President has work to do, and the next four years will shape his legacy far more than the last. Nevertheless, the Obama saga continues to generate an infectious optimism in people as it enters its second term. A pregnant 21 year-old woman struggled to the polling station to cast her Democrat vote despite her waters breaking en route,
whilst a video of two toddlers debating who would make the best President has been a hit on YouTube. Expectations of Obama have been dampened by the last four years, but not extinguished, and there is every hope that his next term will add fuel to the flame. Obamacare will continue to make great strides under the stewardship of its greatest champion, whilst the proliferation of social equality continues to make slow but steady progress: Democrat Tammy Baldwin, openly gay, was elected to the Senate in the elections, and Obama has promised to continue the fight against state laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. Obama is continuing to grow as a President and politician. Four years ago, America was promised change it could believe in, only to be disappointed by Obama’s lack of an instant fix. Last Tuesday’s results have given Obama another four years to tinker with America’s engine; by 2016 she may be ready to roar.
Epigram
19.11.2012
13 13 13
The biology of bingeing: why boozing is in our genes
Ben Lucas Binge drinking is an odd phenomenon. The most popular environments for young British humans to fan out their plumage and woo potential mates in their biological struggle are clubs, bars and parties. Yet our forefather Charles Darwin hasn’t equipped us with minds to deal with these situations which are so critical for the survival of our genes. We resort to imbibing great quantities of destructive, mindaltering poison to increase our chances of success. Why should evolution make minds so badly adapted to our environment?
“ The brutal truth is that we do not all quite possess the charm of celebrities
The envy of all people aside – the naturally confident Lotharios of the world – everyone would admit to wanting to be a bit more confident. Stealing a coy gaze from provocative, beguiling eyes does not naturally evoke the Don Juan in us: we sweat, blush and freeze. As we plan our suavest lines, our crippling genes inevitably ensure failure. Evolutionary psychology provides a plausible reason for this. Robin Dunbar famously found that we can maintain no more than around 150 social relationships at a time, concluding that the human brain has not adapted to work with large populations. Satoshi Kanazawa similarly found that our brains struggle to cope with situations unfamiliar to our ancestral environment, where we lived in relatively minute groups of hunter gatherers. It seems our tribal genetics still play a part and can account for our social phobias. Living in a small tribe, an overly bold move could result in being ostracised from the group, with obvious implications for the subsequent survival of one’s genes. A study has shown that social anxiety is an adaption to help people ‘stay on track’ with acceptable behaviour and to prevent exclusion. Comparatively miniscule communities meant there were fewer people on whom our social status depended, so being too confident and overstepping norms could
have disastrous consequences. This is particularly relevant to attracting the opposite sex; making a move on that hot tribe woman could be bad news if she had a husband with a big club. But we don’t live in tribes anymore. Britain – the first country to industrialise – had a vast majority of rural dwellers until well into the nineteenth century, but now 91% of its population live in cities. The world has changed exponentially over the past few millennia, and evolution hasn’t been able to keep up. Living in cities with millions of people, individual social interactions matter far less. When we go out to low-lit, noisy clubs we have little to fear from a failed social interaction: if we are rejected, so what? It will most probably have little to no negative consequences for our social standing. We realise this but our bodies are routed by our frustratingly archaic genes. This is where alcohol waves its wand; perceived increased sociability unerringly tops the polls when people are asked for their predominant reason for drinking. It is an ideal concoction to wipe away our ancestral impulses – an artificial answer to genetics ill-suited to urban communities. According to this logic, if a country has a relatively high proportion of city dwellers, inhabitants on average should have less to lose in approaching people they don’t know. This
hypothesis correlates with the statistics. Denmark is the only country with more binge drinkers than we have, and it is predictably highly urbanised (87%); countries such as Portugal and Italy at the sober end of the scale only have 59% and 68% living in cities apiece. Other factors also have their parts to play. In Britain, the modern idolatry of reality TV stars has made cringeworthy shamelessness – epitomised by the Spencer Matthews and Mark Wrights of the world – a trait to which many aspire yet very few can soberly portray. The brutal truth is that we do not all quite
possess their charms, and social anxiety is increasingly prevalent due to pressure to unrealistically aspire to be like these figures of worship. Celebrities’ most alluring features are their confidence and charisma and people perceive alcohol to facilitate these characteristics. Compounding our woes are the Victorian mores of prudery and haughtiness which still linger today and form part of our national stereotype. Our aloofness shrouds us in an ‘I’m too great to speak to you’ mist, masking our insecurities. This breeds intense awkwardness among us, to the extent that we
have to seek friendly faces in public just to ask for the time. It is no surprise that social anxiety is a major issue today, and one which naturally leads to alcohol abuse. British teens are going to university more and have more progressive morals than previous generations, and there is also less youthful criminality. Maybe they are not such louts and should be looked upon less scornfully for trying to compensate for genes so inadequately equipped to deal with such an urban and awkward country.
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Students a valued part of the local community Following Comment’s recent coverage of the University’s Community Fund, Zaki Dogliani argues that so far it’s been a success
The other week my housemates and I attended a complimentary meal at The Alma Tavern organised by Clifton Down Residents’ Association to welcome students to the area, funded by a Bristol University grant recently subject of The Big Debate (Epigram, 22/10). Having read the Comment pieces on the fund that same day I had the arguments fresh in my mind as I tucked into the equally fresh free food. The author of the ‘No’ piece
claims the author makes about ‘money which we pay.’ The evening wasn’t about challenging stereotypes – though they did approve when I turned down a second glass of wine, citing a 9am start the next day – or proving that students don’t just spend all their time frequenting clubs on The Triangle. There’s no need. Students – and journalists – too often seem to think that locals hate us. The Bristolians at the meal, however, were - as I’ve always found - sympathetic towards students and interested in what we get up to. What we study, what we make ourselves for dinner, which clubs we go to - they always seem surprised when names they list don’t seem to exist anymore. It is no coincidence that police officers and recycling
teams, both at the meal, have reported fewer complaints following such initiatives. The money could actually be made back – consider, as the author of the ‘Yes’ piece pointed out, fines for noise can be up to £5000 – and the police time saved from dealing with complaints better spent elsewhere. With students generally under attack – £9000 fees, skyhigh rents and bursaries under threat, only saved at Bristol by a campaign this year – let’s not complain about a positive scheme aimed at giving us a free dinner and a chance to meet the people we in past years may have lived next to without even knowing their names. While neighbours accept that students are more likely to be in Bunker on a Friday night than reading Balzac,
wouldn’t you like it if someone knocked on your door to introduce themselves? Having the university fund events like this make introductions easier. It’s like how you’ll probably introduce yourselves in your first seminar or society meeting of the year. It may be slightly awkward, but much less so than the alternative: not doing it, and for the rest of the time not knowing who you’re speaking to. Given the choice between first contact with our neighbours being at a free meal in a friendly setting or on the doorstep accepting their congratulations for a 3am drunken rendition of [insert popular jingle] the previous night, I know which I’d go for.
“ Students and journalists - too often seem to think that locals hate us. In fact the Bristolians at the meal were sympathetic towards students and interested in what we get up to.
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Zaki Dogliani
appears not to believe in any concept of community or society, seemingly advocating a kind of segregated, gated community future that young Thatcherites could only dream of. He also seems to bang on about ‘taxpayers’ money,’ that well-known Daily Mail favourite used angrily when a government dares spend a penny on international aid ‘Taxpayers’ money squandered in Somalia’ - or welfare - ‘State subsidizing scroungers!’ It’s interesting that it’s always ‘taxpayers’ money’ when it goes on something they’re not keen on but ‘investment’ when it’s spent on roads or something else more likely to meet Jeremy Clarkson’s approval. As far as I’m aware, students are exempt from council tax, which does appear to call into question
Epigram
19.11.2012
Science & Tech
Editor: Mary Melville scienceandtech@epigram.org.uk
@epigramSciTech
Felix Baumgartner: A Leap of Science
Flikr: Cyril Attias
Sol Milne Technology Reporter If you haven’t seen Felix Baumgartner’s jump from more than 24 miles above the earth, you should. My heart was in my mouth when, after more than two hours of ascent in a tiny capsule attached to a weather balloon, the door rolled open, revealing the curvature of the earth and the dark ceiling of space looming over. Felix Baumgartner, a 43 year old daredevil skydiver and
helicopter pilot from Austria decided to break the record of highest freefall. This was previously set by his mentor Joe Kittinger, when he jumped from a similar weather balloon at an altitude of 102,800ft (31km) in 1960. Felix broke this record as he jumped from the balloon at an altitude of 128,100ft and actually breaking the sound barrier as he fell. He reached a maximum velocity of 833.9mph or 1,342.8km/h. Most commercial aircraft fly at around 0.8 Mach while Felix did 1.2 Mach, with just his body.
This stunt was ridiculous and his safety was not ensured. Before the jump there was much speculation as to whether or not he would survive. The main fear was that he would start to rotate too quickly and get caught in a ‘death spin’. The density of the air is significantly reduced at altitude, so if Felix began to spin, there would not be much resistance to slow him down. Before the jump, he expressed fears about the spin’s effect on the body. As put by Felix himself, ‘When G force hits a certain level there can be a build up of blood and
spinal fluid in the skull, and pressures force these fluids outward, and the nearest exit being your eye sockets. Not nice.’ The ‘death spin’ actually did occur mid- fall, yet he somehow managed to correct his trajectory and evaded any nasty consequences. The only real fault in the jump was when the heater, that stopped Felix’s visor from fogging up, malfunctioned. This stopped him being able to see and operate his equipment; clearly, he jumped anyway. The air pressure at Felix’s jump altitude is less than 2% of what it is at sea level, and it is impossible to breathe at those altitudes. Felix had to wear what was effectively a space suit, pressurized and with its own supply of air; it provided his body protection from what the sound barrier was potentially capable of. When an object breaks the sound
barrier it causes a ‘sonic boom’; the effects of these shockwaves on the body were unknown and as a result he needed as much shielding as he could get. However when he did break the sound barrier he didn’t even notice. This incredible stunt, however, has been met with some resistance in view of the money it took to get him up in the air. Despite the entire project receiving its funds from Red Bull ™ privately, amongst other sponsors, it was little understood what we actually stand to gain from the experience. The jump has actually provided NASA with much needed data on how astronauts and high altitude pilots can ‘egress’ their craft and reenter the atmosphere safely in event of an emergency. The jump has also provided some important data that will aid in the development of safer high
altitude and high performance parachutes. Baumgartner has not only put some wonder back into
“The ‘death spin’ actually did occur mid- fall, yet he somehow managed to correct his trajectory ” space exploration, but opened up what we still have to discover about our own planet. A man falling out of space then getting up and walking away seems just as profound a movement for our species as landing on the moon. Baumgartner has subsequently retired his daredevil career and decided to apply for a role in public service in Austria as a rescue pilot; I think he’ll get the job.
App of the week: ReferenceMe Currently many of you will be approaching your first essay deadline. I have never been a fan of referencing, often leaving it to the last minute. However here is an iPhone solution that can potentially save you a lot of time and hassle: The app ReferenceMe.
ReferenceMe allows students to scan the barcode on a book and then choose the style they want the citation created in. It can also make projects for essays and store your citations accordingly. Once you’ve compiled your list you can easily send it, via email, to your laptop.
How do video games affect your mind? Sebastian Green Science Reporter
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One study suggested that video games could cause desensitisation to violence
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are learnt and adjusted for in future. The exact same thing happens here: coordination improves via the feedback loops established. One of my favourite studies, done in 2007, found that surgeons who had played video games performed better in a laparoscopic and suturing skills session. They made fewer errors and were significantly faster. Another study using PET scanning found that levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine increased in the striatum, a
part of the forebrain, when adults played violent video games. Dopamine has been linked with feelings of reward and motivation. This highlights what an incredibly powerful form of entertainment they are; it’s not surprising that they can be so addictive. The frontal cortex is, however, found to be under-stimulated in people playing video games. This area is generally concerned with planning behavioural responses to stimuli. One study claimed that players could get ‘video game brain’, where they have altered moods, particularly an aggressive one, because of the low usage in the frontal cortex, which lies in the brain’s largest lobe. The most contentious area of it all is the violence. It seems very easy to say that people, particularly children, adopt violent personalities in real life if they play violent video games. However, many major studies, including one in the British Medical Journal, have shown no such link. And if it’s anything to go by, despite the hordes of deaths I’ve piled up online, I am probably the least
violent person, in real life, that you will ever meet. A separate question I want to ask is why children are playing 18+ video games in the first place. One study suggested that video games could cause desensitisation to violence through low activity of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the amygdala. It is thought that interaction between these areas is involved in resolving emotional conflict. Any reduced activity could signify
a suppression of an emotional response when performing violent actions. I like to believe that this interaction has been found because the gamer is intelligent enough to know that they’re not taking violent actions in real life, and so they’re not worried about any real repercussions. The danger is that such thinking will transpire into real life, but as I said, evidence for this is inconclusive. The truth is that video games
have both good and bad effects on the mind. Undoubtedly, the effects will depend on both what you’re playing and how much you’re playing. Too much is never a good thing for several reasons, namely the danger of a sedentary lifestyle, and there’s usually something more productive you could be doing. Regardless, the next time you put your feet up and pick up the controller, don’t expect your head to relax with the rest of you.
Flikr: RebeccaPollard
Rather than writing a novel or translating Latin, I’ve just reached the top level on Call of Duty. Realising this revered status made me question what exactly was happening in my head every time I stabbed a terrorist or shot a soldier’s head off and what the long term consequences might be. The more neurons in the brain fire together, the more they wire together, and impact on activity. If you look at someone’s face when they’re trying to slice a zombie’s head off, they probably resemble a dimwitted ape. However, the human mind is immensely stimulated when gaming, and brain activity has been identified in several key areas. The prefrontal cortex, for example, which is concerned with decision-making, is stimulated in gaming when any logical thinking is required. The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, responsible for cognitive control or planning, is stimulated too.
In addition, psychomotor development has also been found to positively correlate with playing video games; it can strengthen the relationship between cognitive functions and physical movement. Just like with any other action, for instance knitting or cooking, if you make mistakes, these
Epigram
19.11.2012
15
Art: Why do we find it so irresistible? Erik Müürsepp Science Reporter Art and science seem to be about as closely related as politics and fine cuisine. Nevertheless, the emerging discipline of neuroaesthetics exists in the crossover region of these two fields and attempts to rationally explain the neural basis for our appreciation of art. One of the stars of neuroaesthetics, Vilayanur Ramachandran, has developed what he calls the ‘eight laws of artistic experience’ that summarise the main rules that make works of art either appealing or unappealing to us. He recognises that often an aesthetically pleasing result can be achieved by deliberately going against them. However, a wide range of art, from tribal sculptures to abstract expressionism can be explained
with these principles, three of which are presented below. A phenomenon called the peak shift effect has been known from animal learning studies for a long time. It can be exemplified by teaching a rat to discriminate between a square and a rectangle by rewarding the recognition of the rectangle. If the rat is presented with a rectangle that is even longer and thinner than the original, it responds even more vigorously. Ramachandran argues that just as a rat reacts more strongly to a shape that is more rectangular, so do we enjoy exaggerations in visual stimuli. Take for example a caricature of a politician like David Cameron. The cartoonist has emphasised all the distinctive features of Cameron and is amplifying the response of the part of the brain dealing with facial recognition. But faces aren’t the only category where the peak shift effect takes place.
Artists deliberately exaggerate aspects of their works like shading or illumination to extents that couldn’t exist in the real world. Even van Gogh’s sunflowers are an example of a peak shift in the shades of yellow. The black and white image accompanying this article at first presents itself as nothing but a jumble of splotches. As soon as the Dalmatian in it is discovered, however, the
“ Even van Gogh’s sunflowers are an example of a peak shift in the shades of yellow. ” grouping of the parts of the picture making up the dog is ‘locked’ in our mind and we get a pleasant feeling from this revelation. This grouping of elements can also occur with similar shades of a colour in different areas of a painting or objects of a similar shape. It makes sense from an evolutionary aspect for our brains to be effective at recognising objects from noisy backgrounds. Noticing a camouflaged predator is easier if the initial recognition of the outline is reinforced by an emotional stimulus and as the visual system processes the information the stimulus increases. Through composition, artists can tease
our visual system to produce this enjoyable feeling as a reward for finding patterns and forms through grouping. In addition to grouping, contrast is utilised all the time by our vision to discover objects. Our retina and visual cortex respond to edges far more than to homogeneous surfaces, which makes sense when considering that regions of change carry the most information. As our limited attention has to be allocated efficiently, these interesting areas of images create a gratifying sensation and we would describe what we see as aesthetically pleasing. Contrast exists in categories besides luminance, such as texture or colour, as is beautifully displayed in the accompanying work of the German expressionist movement. We can even think in more abstract categories, for example a nude wearing ornate gold jewellery presents a strong contrast between the smooth naked skin and the elaborate detailing of the jewellery. Due to the contrast we would usually find this image more appealing than a completely naked nude or a woman wearing clothes and the same jewellery. We see that grouping and contrast are very complementary, as the former finds similar features far apart in space and the latter occurs with dissimilar features that are close together. The probing of the secrets of art with the tools of science will continue and even if the aesthetic experience cannot be fully measured and
explained, we can still gain more of an appreciation for the accomplishments of artists. As Prof. Zeki, director of the Institute of Neuroaesthetics
at UCL has said, “The artist is, in a sense, a neuroscientist, exploring the potentials and capacities of the brain, though with different tools.”
The secret behind the Mona Lisa Neuroaestheticists have even been able to crack the secret to the mysterious facial expression of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa that many of us find so alluring. It all has to do with the way our retina works. When we initially look at her eyes, the retina focuses on the shadows cast by her cheekbones that emphasise
the curvature of her lips and thus we perceive her to be smiling. But when we turn our glance to Mona Lisa’s mouth, the retina pays no attention to the shadows and we notice that her lips are entirely expressionless. And so we continue to look at the painting, fascinated by the question of what emotion she’s actually conveying.
Science proves useful tool for adverts
Anastasia Skamarauskas looks at how advertising sometimes uses scientific terms and chemical names to catch the public attention. However there are often limited benefits and often many products contain the same, or even inactive, ingredients. will somehow make your hair shiny. This is often followed by a neat animation to prove it. Or sometime other complex chemical names are mentioned along side a toothpaste ad.
“ They are using key words like collagen and then letting you believe it’s making a difference.” Flikr: Michael
Advertisers have always used clever methods to get us to notice a product or remember a brand, but recently they
have been using more than just slogans or famous faces to get us to pay attention. The new tool in advertising seems
to be Science. Think about how many times you hear shampoo adverts trying to tell you how this new chemical
If you pay attention next time beauty adverts come on, you will probably pick up on words like collagen and keratin. These are proteins found in hair, nails and skin and that are now known by a good part of their target audience. However what most of them don’t know
is that they can’t be absorbed through the skin and will sit on top. They are using key words like collagen and then letting you believe it’s making a difference. Some of the ‘sciencebacked’ adverts are using so many complicated words that mean very little to confuse consumers into buying it; even a Nobel prize winner would be baffled. For products that have so much of a basis in science, you would think they would apply that to consumer research. And yet still 75% of 12 people thought this cleanser improved their skin. Next time they throw a statistic up in the air, look at the small print and see if it means anything, or think if those key words are just there to fool you. Adverts obviously can’t directly lie to you but the natural assumption is that these chemicals and research are
making one product different to the rest, when in fact they could all be the same. Next time you go to a chemist, look at the active ingredients in cough tablets or indigestion remedies and you will probably find they are all very similar. The huge difference in the price will be down to branding. In some products they may be telling the absolute truth, that this new bacteria in a drink will aid your digestion, but can five different brands of toothpaste really be the one most recommended by dentists? So when it comes to adverts telling you they have ‘more science than ever before’, or ones where you can’t even tell if they are still speaking the same language, maybe it would be best if you go for the tried and tested approach, because added collagen will do less than nothing.
19.11.2012
Letters
Editor: Lucy de Greeff letters@epigram.org.uk
A final word on recent class debates The anonymous letter in Issue 254 bemoans those ‘…who, no matter how much encouragement [sic], will choose to only associate themselves [sic] with people whom they identify as being from the same socioeconomic backgrounds, and will often treat others who aren’t from their typically hyper-privileged bubble with shocking ignorance or indifference.’ We can replace ‘hyperprivileged’ with any attribute of absolutely any ‘class’ - since notions of ‘class’ are what you’re insisting on - and the situation will remain precisely the same. A bubble’s a bubble. You’ll still find ‘a barricade of silence, coldness’ and ‘derision’ if people of any background don’t want to talk to you. How are we to say whether it’s any worse in ‘hyper’ or under-privileged circles, in the Geography department or in the street?
Anonymous
letters@epigram. org.uk
A message for the ‘lads on tour’ Please pass the following statement on to ‘anonymous’ who writes the ‘lads on tour’ blog for your travel section: Although you and your friends may describe yourselves as ‘lads’, rest assured everybody else simply calls you ‘cunts’. Thank you very much.
Tom Lewis 3rd year Philosophy
Photo: flickr: ximenacab
So, other than rises in fees, what you’re angry at seems to be a) rudeness, clique-ism, and b) people of the same background sticking together. Of course, no one likes the deafening, besuited, champagne-toting idiocy of rich students out on the town. The rest of the world feels the same way about that kind of thing, which makes me hopeful that, in time, that moronic guffawing will cease to be heard. That’s speculation, but what I think is important is that dwelling on ‘class’ doesn’t seem to be progressive. But then, I guess, neither does meeting accusations of blind bitterness with a simple cry of ‘wrong’! Education becoming more expensive is a bewilderingly, maddeningly shit move, but the fact is that it’s retroactive in just the same way as is your
wielding of phrases like ‘class above the rest.’ Whilst trying to avoid trite comparisons, I wouldn’t want to incite ‘class warfare’ any more than I’d want to incite race warfare. Some people wear corduroy trousers and Barbour jackets; some people wear tracksuits; some people are closed-minded and set in their ways; and some people aren’t. The dogmatic mistake arises when people start dictating that people like X act like Y, that people like ‘them’ think like ‘that.’ In this instance, you seem to be the one reinforcing the perceptions.
Get in touch and share your views:
Photo: Waldo Jaquith
“No one likes the deafening, besuited, champagnetoting idiocy of rich students”
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Tweets of the fortnight @UBUVolunteering Christmas is coming and it’s a great time to get to know your neighbours. Why not let the UoB Community Fund help you ... UBU Volunteering, University of Bristol Students’ Union
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I think November is a little early to be annoyed with Christmas already; but it’s definitely not too early to start talking about being annoyed by Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no scrooge - I love Christmas day itself. My problem lies in the commercialisation of the holiday. From cheesy hits blasted out as early as September, to shops clearing their usual items for a mass stock of wrapping paper and plastic Christmas trees consumers are exposed to Christmas three months in advance. So, by the time the 25th December arrives, the event is a total anti-climax. Many people seem to lose sight of the real pleasures of Christmas, such as spending time with friends and family and enjoying a day of rest, not to mention the Christian message behind the festivities. Instead, the lead up to Christmas is distorted into a scene from The Grinch in which crazed shoppers plunder superstores and obsess over writing numerous Christmas cards. At this point, I’m hoping you’re not making comparisons between me and the Grinch himself, but I think it is an undeniable fact that the pressure of Christmas and the expectations that surround the event are ridiculous. People constantly ask: ‘What are you doing for the big day?’; ‘Have you done all your Christmas shopping?’, whilst remaining smug in the knowledge that they completed their shopping by the end of the summer. A poll by Mind, the mental health charity, found that 19% of people felt less able to manage their mental health because of worries about paying off the cost of Christmas. Similarly, the results revealed that 20% will have problems meeting their rent or mortgage payments after the winter holiday, as well as 50% admitting they had spent more than they could afford at Christmas. This
brings me to the main point of my argument: the intense pressure exerted by shops and marketing encourages us to live well beyond our means. There is incredible pressure to have the best Christmas day yet – a picture perfect M&S advert-style day of presents, beaming family and a lavish display of food. Christmas now seems to have been swallowed up by adverts that steer our perception of the holiday towards a fixed ideal. The stress of achieving this image leads many people to buy more than they can afford. In the credit crunch times we are living in, many of us are struggling to make ends meet. So why do we let ourselves get pushed further and further into debt? According to a 2011 YouGov study, a third of Britons will get into debt to help fund their Christmas spending. This startling statistic makes us ask ourselves: is there a happy medium that can be established? Should we be buying reasonably priced presents and living within our means or continue to splash out on lavish gifts and deal with the consequences post-Boxing day? I think a medium can be found as long as we fight back against the mass consumerism and over-commercialisation of Christmas. Why is there not more emphasis on making gifts for our friends? There is far more thought and care invested into a handmade item anyway. Often people seem to think you can substitute quality time with friends and family for an extravagant and over-priced present. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would prefer a money-poor, time-rich reversal. Imagine that, a Christmas in which Britons don’t crush each other to get that last iPod off the shelves and a January in which we don’t slump into depression at the state of our finances.
Olivia Ward
Our first video of the year came from Bristol Rugby 1st XV vs. Cardiff Medics a couple of weeks ago. Check it out! ... UBTV Sport
@BRISTOLRAG #Bristoljailbreak 2012 is officially OVER!!! Well done to everyone & a massive congrats to winners Jailbait for reaching Venice in 36 hrs! Bristol University Raising And Giving
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Kashmir unfairly portrayed I was very disappointed with Lucy Paterson’s portrayal of Kashmir in the last issue of Epigram - ‘Journeys in Shangri La’, Issue 254. All of her grievances would have been avoidable if she had she not gone about everything with a western state of mind.
“Kashmir is not the place to go around in vest tops and short skirts” Just because a place is angling for western tourism, does not mean that it has to throw all its customs out the window, like you see in much of South East Asia. Kashmir is not the place to go around in vest tops and short skirts, like many female western backpackers do in Thailand and so on. Last year, I travelled
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around Kashmir with friends; some of them were women who had been independently travelling around the region as well. Never once did they feel ‘objectified and vulnerable’ like Lucy did on her travels. Perhaps this was because they wore clothing which was in some way modest. I do not know and would be interested to find out why this happened to her. Lucy asks whether, as an individual, she is free to dress how she likes anywhere in the world. The answer is no, as there exists a little thing called respect. Just as there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’, it is very obvious that accepting a free ride from someone almost always results in you fulfilling your part of the bargain offering them custom.
David Stone 3rd year History
Photo: Austin Yoder
Puzzles
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Sudoku
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5. Inventiveness (11) 7. Coagulation (4) 8. Swap one thing for
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1. Silly (4) 2. Flame fighter (7) 3. Emerge from an egg (5) 4. One with 2 spouses (8) another (8) 9. Muslim fasting month 5. Uncouth (11) 6. Bargaining (11) (7) 11. Devotion (5) 10. Water-carrying 13. Pig’s nose (5) structure (8) 14. Unbiased (7) 12. Gossip (7) 16. Manufacturer (8) 15. Expanse of sea (5) 17. Leave out (4) 17. American state (4) 18. Announcement (11)
Roller Disco in association with
Lets Sk8
Come dressed in your favourite 70s get up and skate the night DZD\ %HVW RXWÀW wins a prize.
Anson Rooms, UBU, Queens Road The Lanes, Nelson Street Wed 5 December 8pm - late Monday 10 December 9pm - 1am Tickets £6 including skate hire, mulled cider and snacks Tickets £6 including free bowling and free karaoke all night Buy Buy aa Christmas Christmas combo combo ticket ticket for for the the roller roller disco disco and and christmas christmas party party for for just just £10 £10 Available at ubu.org.uk the(subject door (subject to availability) Available online at ubu.org.uk and onand the on door to availability)
ubu.org.uk ubu.org.uk
e the end Join of us term and the the the festive season to celebrate endbeginning of term and theof beginning of the festive season
Free bowling and karaoke
istmas Christmas Party Party
be bringing the cheer with Live DJs willfestive be bringing the festive cheerseasonal with seasonalbeats beats The Lanes, Nelson Street Monday 10 December 9pm - 1am Tickets ÂŁ6 including free bowling and free karaoke all night Buy a Christmas combo ticket for the roller disco and christmas party for just ÂŁ10 Available at ubu.org.uk and on the door (subject to availability)
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RPP_Bristol_Epigram_Advert289x184-5mm.pdf
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It’s very simple... Roosters Piri Piri serves delicious, healthy fast food inspired by vibrant street avours found all over the world. Visit our new Bristol restaurant and try our signature Piri Piri chicken, gourmet burgers, grilled specialities, vegetarian options and much more. We are open from 11am – 12am daily. All students receive a 10% discount when they present a valid student ID when ordering their meal!*
39 Park Street, Bristol BS1 5NH Tel 0117 369 1000 | www.roosterspiripiri.com *Terms and Conditions apply. Present your valid student ID card when ordering your meal. This offer is applicable to the card-holder only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
14 - 20 November 2012 Thursday 15 November LGBT+ Support Group -XVW $VN 2IÀFH DW WKH 6WXGHQWV¡ 8QLRQ SP
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Saturday 17 November Film Event and Discusssion: ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ 05 $ DW WKH 6WXGHQWV¡ 8QLRQ SP SP Monday 19 November How to be a Trans Ally? * :RRGODQG 5RDG IURP SP SP Tuesday 20 November Transgender day of Remembrance Cake Sale 2XWVLGH ,QIR 3RLQW RQ 7\QGDOO $YHQXH SP SP Tuesday 20 November Transgender day of Remembrance: Candlelight Vigil 5R\DO )RUW *DUGHQV SP
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TERMS & CONDITIONS: Valid for dinner after 9pm only. Not valid with any other offer. Please mention when ordering. Offer can be withdrawn without notice.Valid on full price meals only. Offer subject to availability. Valid at Za Za Bazaar only. Offer excludes drinks.
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CULTURE
Arts Pick of the Fortnight Far Away Wardrobe Theatre 19th-23rd November £4/£5 www.thewardrobetheatre.com
Originally performed at the Bristol Old Vic, Dramsoc adapt Caryl Churchill’s play for performance in the cosy confines of The Wardrobe Theatre above the White Bear pub. Directed by Hughie Stanley, Far Away deals with the impermanence of beauty and 1984-style government oppression.
Music Pick of the Fortnight Rodriguez Colston Hall 1st December £19.50 www.colstonhall.org.uk Rodriguez was missing presumed dead until 1998, whilst his debut album, Cold Fact, went platinum in South Africa, and he was at home in the USA working on a construction site. Fortunately, upon discovering his cult status, Rodriguez has been touring, and this visit to Bristol provides a rare chance to see a true folk legend in the flesh.
Film Pick of the Fortnight Amour Out now Michael Haneke’s latest film about love in old age might just be among his most accessible - although we’re not making any promises. What we do know is that it’s a must see from one of the greatest living directors.
Epigram
19.11.2012
Arts
Editor: Rosemary Wagg
Deputy Editor: Rachel Schraer
arts@epigram.org.uk
deputyarts@epigram.org.uk
@EpigramArts
Inspired by Tim Walker’s Somerset House exhibition Epigram Arts settles down for some Story Telling...
The Girl with the Comic Book Dream On the eve ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo being released as a graphic novel, Rosemary Wagg talks to author Denise Mina An Autumn Art Lecture on a cold Tuesday night in the Wills Memorial building is perhaps not everyone’s idea of fun. However, those uncool enough to turn up on Tuesday 30th October were definitely the winners, rewarded by being in the company of the erudite, humorous and well coiffured Denise Mina. Currently in charge of transforming Stieg Larsson’s ubiquitous Scandi-Noir tale, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, into a six part graphic novel, illustrated by Leonardo Manco, Mina sees the adaptation as a chance to get rid of ‘a lot of toffee’ in Larsson’s original. Equally, it is also a chance to subtly reconceive aspects of the story, specifically the presentation of heroine Lisbeth Salander. Unlike in the films, which edited this aspect “Unless it’s a death threat I think everyone’s having a nice time”
DC Entertainment
out, Mina was keen to include flashbacks to Salander’s childhood in which she witnessed her mother being repeatedly beaten. In addition to this feature, which could serve as explanation for Salander’s violent behavior, Mina also chose to not only omit an explicit depiction of Salander being raped, but also to ‘Reverse the pornographic imagery’ that is overly familiar to many audiences, throughout the new book. This meant never showing the character without clothes on and not allowing her face to contort into ‘Is it Pain or Pleasure?’ expressions. With people being so familiar with pornographic images, actively deciding to not include them was, according to Mina, ‘A good way of usurping that.’ The thing with graphic novels – or comics, depending on the label you prefer - is that they force an author to streamline a text. Dialogue needs to be minimalized; the plot cannot develop through characters’ inner monologues and no one can move within a comic panel. They also, apparently, are only read by nervous troglodyte geeks who become obsessed with certain publishers, stories or characters. Has Mina, I wonder, encountered any resistance from comic book hardliners? If she has, it has flown by her ears. ‘I never pick up on those subtleties. Unless it’s a death threat I think everyone’s having a nice
time. I need a notarized affidavit before I clock that someone’s flirting with me. I’m not terribly tuned in.’ Equally, the nervous troglodytes may also be a myth. In other countries, such as Japan, France and Spain, the slightly skeptical and suspicious way in which the British public approach comic books is not shared. One would not need to add an apologetic disclaimer to any mention of them. An ‘I have an embarrassing habit’ footnote when expressing a like for anything with pictures alongside words which is not the Kelmscott Chaucer. For those who do like graphic novels, it would be tempting to imagine that the transferal of a book credited with getting non-readers to read to comic, might signal a similar change in attitudes towards this type of publication. Indeed, this may already be happening, helped in part by big screen adaptations of comic books within recent years. Perhaps over time more people will become, in Mina’s words, ‘aware of the wonderful and unique form of story telling that comics make possible’, especially as the experience of reading a comic is ‘certainly different. It’s more intense, somehow. I find comics very hard to opt out of as a reader, unless the pictures and the dialogue aren’t working together.’ Mina herself, before becoming a writer was a PhD candidate in the throes of producing a thesis destined to be read by ‘about six people’ and then confined to the back shelves of a library. Producing crime fiction appealed as a more accessible mode of communicating, often feminist, theories and frameworks. What advice, then, would Mina give to a feminist academic-journalist hybrid looking “Aware of the wonderful and unique form of story telling that comics make possible”
to embark on her own PhD which might reach a similarly minute audience: should I forget the doctorate? ‘Please don’t. Who am I going to steal ideas from? My best friends are feminist academics and I’ve stolen all their ideas and put them in books. I forgot to mention that I was a terrible academic. Once a class walked me to the train station because they felt so bad for me. I’d arrived to teach a three
hour lecture on legislation which they pointed out had just been superseded by a statutory instrument. Also, while trying to lead a tutorial about crimes of sexual violence I was pointing out that an erection doesn’t equate with consent and told them that cocaine can be used to prolong an erection, sometimes for hours (this was before Viagra). They were quite traumatized, although I still don’t really
understand why that was so very, very wrong. But apparently it was. I ended up in a Derridan cul-de-sac. If language isn’t fixed why the hell am I writing a thesis?’ Frankly, I am quite happy she is writing full stop – in words or in pictures.
A Book in the Life Of...
The Tobacco Factory Theatre’s Becky Lane recommends Cormac McCarthy’s The Road
DC Entertainment
“The story of a father and his son walking alone through a burnt cold. Straight away you realise that you won’t ever learn the names of its two main characters, and something about this initially distanced me from the story and its characters’ plight. As I went on though I found the characters carefully
imagined, and the relationship between father and son sensitively and movingly drawn. The evidently deep love and support they shared throughout their troubles was touching. What particularly struck me, though was the maturity
“I was left wanting slightly more of a resolution” of the boy, who we were given the impression of being quite young. Through carefully considered dialogue, the poignancy of the way he revealed his understanding of the dangerous and desolate world in which they were living, and the way he communicated his fears for the health and well being of his father, resulted in some of the most tender and moving moments in the book. Though the conclusion of The Road didn’t disappoint in packing an emotional punch, and leaving the reader with a flicker of hope, I did feel that I was left wanting slightly more of a resolution. However, perhaps that’s just
Anastasia Reynolds
The Road is the story of a father and his son walking alone through a burnt American landscape, treading the ravaged terrain to the coast. In search of - they don’t know what - they walk in order to survive. I’ve read post-apocalyptic novels before--books like I Am Legend and The Children Of Men--and wondered whether this would be more of the same, a good read but with a touch too much of the Hollywood disaster movie about it to truly emotionally engage. I found The Road, however, quite different. It took a little while to get into the book since, on first picking it up, it felt quite
my yearning for a Hollywood ending, a desire that McCarthy’s thoughtful and engaging tale tries to counteract in its rather more realistic conclusion.
Epigram
Paper Cinema - In the Afterglow
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Julie Lee goes on an epic journey with The Paper Cinema, into the world of grown-up puppetry Cinema manages to put the humour in Homer. My observation of the production was often divided between watching the screen and watching the performers. The puppeteers and musicians were as much a part of the cast as the characters. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way; the antics of the ‘real people’ on stage elicited many laughs from the activelyengaged audience. Before seeing the show, I had questioned the small scale of The Paper Cinema’s production when contemplating the enormity of the canon. Homer’s poem has thousands of lines, while The Paper Cinema’s adaptation has 70 minutes. As a result, some scenes were left out for brevity and for, I think, the production team’s sanity. However, although The Odyssey didn’t deliver some of the scenes I had been expecting, I came into the theatre with high hopes and I certainly didn’t leave disappointed.
“It’s no small feat that The Paper Cinema manages to put the humour in Homer”
James Allan
seem far more tangible. This production retains enough of the canon to satisfy most fans of the original. Thankfully, The Paper Cinema balances reverence to the original with amusement for the audience, often with intentional anachronisms or absurdities. Musical director Christopher Reed said they used ‘lots of pastiche in this show to immediately give a sense of time or place’. The original epic is often associated with yawn-worthy and dust-raising classicists, so it’s no small feat that The Paper
Jonathan Dimbleby’s Just Deserts Lucian Waugh on war and the writing of military history in Jonathan Dimbleby’s newest book ‘pornography of war writing’. In fact, examples of dreadfully graphic first-hand accounts from the battlefield are sparingly strewn through his story. There is undoubtedly potency and poignancy in the contrast between these reports and the letters and cables that reveal the self-indulgent squabbles and neuroses of the leaders. A man who spends as much time with politicians as Dimbleby must also have special insights into the mindset of those who wield power. Yet the emotional preference for the perspective of the comparative orderliness of important men in suits can lead us to evasion. We speak of blood spilt in the sands. ‘Spilling’ with all its connotations of accident but also passivity. Flesh wounds appear and blood gently drips. Limbs are not indiscriminately ripped from torsos. Brave is the artist who paints Christ in genuinely physical agony. But to do so compromises the religious metaphor of the crucifixion. War, though, is not metaphor; it is war. At times of national remembrance we are right to consider the manner in which we, the Living, relate to the Dead. Especially so as the actions of the Past Dead greatly affect the Future Living. The language with which we speak of those killed in war betokens noble, self-conscious sacrifice. Soldiers fall gently into historical mists, so much the easier that their screams are silenced and their limbs stay unsevered in the imagination. Lips remain stiff whilst men are robbed of the last thing they have, all in defence of a yard or so of sand. Death on the battlefield is an honourable and heroic loss, not an outrageous, hideous crime. British forces remain exposed to frightening and targeted violence. Few are the families who have evaded grief this past century, for fathers, sons and brothers (and now mothers, daughters and sisters) killed in anonymous wastelands,
fields, and deserts throughout the world. There must be harmony between preserving memories and telling stories that sustain those left alive, but which refuse to deny how people really, actually, horribly die in war. The stories that survivors, journalists, and historians tell matter because the dead cannot speak for themselves. Their experience has to be mediated in a way that respects sentiment and truth. Because when our political leaders line-up before the Cenotaph they, at least, must not be allowed to forget that where they may stand on the green carpets of voting lobbies determines whose blood drenches the sands underfoot in far-away places.
Rosemary Wagg
And so the Bristol Festival of Ideas marches on: provocative debate, public engagement and book hawking. On Friday 3rd November, Jonathan Dimbleby spoke to a lunchtime Watershed audience about his newest work of popular history, Destiny in the Desert: The Road to El Alamein – The Battle That Turned The Tide. As one would expect from a man who has spent a lifetime in public service broadcasting, his talk was accessible, balanced and careful - doubtless the book exhibits similar virtues. Seventy years ago the Second Battle of El Alamein pivoted the Second World War in favour of Allied forces. Even if we have heard it before, it is a good story. By 1942 the Battle of Dunkirk had been lost, Paris was captured, the Soviet Union was under attack, Japan controlled Burma, Singapore, and Malaya. Finally, thanks to success in North Africa, hope was at hand. ‘The end of the beginning’ was gratefully heralded. The name ‘El Alamein’ is an entrenched part of the bigger narrative of the war, remembered as a decisive moment on our way to victory. The Dunkirk Spirit; the Spirit of the Blitz and the mythologizing of this time as our Finest Hour would eventually become firmly embedded within our cultural memory. For his account, Dimbleby could no more countenance revisionism than he would omit sustained focus on legendary men like Churchill, Montgomery, and Roosevelt. History like this is comfortingly old-fashioned. Flags are moved over continents like a game of Risk. Swashbuckling personalities in Whitehall and thoughtful Generals fight the wars. Battles are strategic signposts on the road to understanding global context. The experiences of those who are ordered to face down the bullets are kept at arms length. The motives behind this are entirely understandable. Dimbleby consciously rejected a
Anastasia Reynolds
James Allan
A white sheet unfurls. Paper cut-outs dance. Thusly begins The Paper Cinema’s The Odyssey, a unique adaptation of Homer’s well-known epic. It’s hard to classify The Odyssey. It is part puppet show, part silent film, part cinematic display, part… interpretive dance? I’m not sure it should be reduced to traditional definitions. If anything, it’s an arithmetic puzzle: how many hands belong to five performers? The answer should be 10, but it certainly seems like a lot more. The Paper Cinema has experience making these sorts of performances, but The Odyssey is their first, well, odyssey into feature-length productions. It is headed by artistic director, puppeteer, and The Paper Cinema founder Nicholas Rawling. What distinguishes The Odyssey from their previous work is the shift in ‘focus to understanding narrative’, said Rawling. Quite importantly, this performance is still accessible to those unfamiliar with the original story. Although there is no dialogue, strictly speaking, the accompanying orchestra creates the story. A number of cinematic techniques also play a role in enhancing the audience’s understanding of the plot. Rhythmic shaking of the puppets suggests movement. Red overlay
on the video projection creates the impression of fury in one scene, and bloodshed in the next. Use of a second video feed is creatively used for insight into the characters’ minds. In The Paper Cinema’s adaptation, Odysseus is still the pathetic hero, and Penelope is still the faithful wife. However, the playful interpretations of The Odyssey’s supporting characters really make this performance stand out. Penelope’s suitors are represented as a pack of wolves – literally animalistic antagonists that bay and growl. They are introduced in the first few scenes, and the imagery is captivating. Odysseus’ son Telemachus, shown growing up with his father then without, develops into a surly teenager. In one scene, he stands on the side of the road with a sign for Sparta. In another, he rides a motorbike to the strains of a power drill. The characters are only ink drawings on pieces of paper, but they
Dispatches From Russia Super-Putin and I: The Latest from Anastasia Reynolds Now, at the risk of sounding like a terrible milksop, I’m twenty and a half and the film I am about to tell you about may have been the first 18+ rated one I’ve seen. Pulp Fiction has been on my to-watch list for years, but the damn thing keeps growing and I can only go to the cinema so often. (She said, ignoring the fact that I saw four films this weekend: Tylko nie teraz, a Polish-Russian love-depressing film; Asterix and Obelix; Skyfall and I have a programme of Hallowe’en shorts scheduled for Wednesday). Anyway, this is not the issue. The issue is that I saw Dyxless the other day and felt the need to tell y’all about it. Dyxless is a Russian film from director Roman Prygunov, who has made a few other films - Indigo; Stereoblood - and is well thought-of out this way. It premiered at the Moscow Film Festival earlier this year and then hit Siberia. I heard about it from my Russian tutor, who said it was a modern take on Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time, a book of which I am fond and on whose title character I have a small fictional
“Super-Putin (flying round St Petersburg telling people to stop smoking pot and go to bed)” crush, so I went to see it. The main character, Max, is a dissipated notso-young womanising bastard with a lovely chest that the director shows off in numerous shower scenes. So is Hero’s Pechorin - apart from the shower bit. However, I can confidently say that the on-screen sex (human and nonhuman), cocaine, nightclubs, prostitutes with moving tattoos, militant vegan anticapitalist campaigners, rampant alcoholism, suicides, murders, and, best of all, SuperPutin - flying round St Petersburg telling people to stop smoking pot and go to bed - are modern additions to the plot. I’ve pretty much conveyed the essentials there. The girl he falls for is one of the vegans, incidentally, and at the end he narrowly escapes a horrid death in landfill and goes off to bail her out of prison - awww, romantic. We are left to our own devices to work out whether the police will let a rumpled man smelling of rubbish and last night’s cheap vodka bail a lawless paint-flinger, but for the sake of argument (and happy endings) let us assume they do. Don’t get the wrong impression, Dyxless is a) extremely good, b) extremely funny, and c) extremely Russian. For this reason, I doubt that it will be released in the UK. If a chance does arise to see it and you fancy an insight into the Russian soul that will both confirm and upset all your prejudices, do. At the very least Super-Putin might make you wonder whether Marvel et al aren’t trying a bit too hard.
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Everyone’s an Improv actor, according to Imogen Palmer
Gjeta Gjyshinca investigates computer generated literature
If someone had told me a year ago that it was possible to make up an hour long play on the spot, in front of an audience, I would have snorted. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be making up such plays on a frequent basis, I would have snorted and then told them to piss off. Why, you might think, would anyone want to go on stage without a script? Surely that’s the most terrifying thing in the entire world, beaten only by the Saw films. But the thing is we improvise and make up stories all the time. People are always writing themselves into their own narratives in order to make sense of the world around them. Did anyone else have a line to this effect in their personal statement?: ‘My passion for (subject, which has been fuelled from an early age by the experiments/ sports/ books I read in the shed, has grown and grown and like the fire consumes the wood and turns it into charcoal, my passion solidified and positively blackened every part of my life.’ Alright, maybe not those words exactly. But whether you’re recounting a memory, bigging yourself up in a personal statement, or even telling someone about your day, you turn it into a story, and often without any sort of clear preparation- so why can’t we do this on stage? ‘If it’s made up on the spot than it’s obviously going to be shit’, is the obvious criticism levelled by Improv- bashers. Maybe improvised plays aren’t exactly Tolstoy’s War and Peace, but I’ve seen some incredibly engaging stories played out; there are times when loose ends aren’t tied and bits don’t quite add up but more often than not, the skill of the performers is that they can justify and link up just about anything in order for the story to make sense. While Improv for the most part is comedy, the groups I’ve been performing with are aiming to imbue the stories we tell with more depth, to make the audience think as well as laugh. With this in mind, Bristol Improv are attempting their most ambitious project ever: an improvised film noir theatre show. While this experiment is intimidating in comparison to the slightly more
Could a novelist be replaced by an algorithm? Could a computer write a book? It might be a terrifying thought, given that storytelling seems to us such a distinctly human trait, but Philip Parker, professor of INSEAD Business School, believes a computer can write literature. Parker is the ‘author’ of some 200,000 books, mainly nonfiction, created using computer automation. Each book is created in less than an hour using software capable of compiling existing information and making new predictions using formulae – and Parker is now experimenting with software which allows characters, locations, genres and plot mechanisms to be set and then uses this information to create a novel. Start-up company Narrative Science has already begun to create articles written by computers collating data, a service that business news site Forbes uses daily, and in 2008, Russian Alexander Prokopovich published the first book successfully created by computers. However, he said of his work that “The program can never become an author, like Photoshop can never be Raphael”. It is often argued, however, that the point of fiction is to reveal some truth about life – in his collection of essays, Through the Window, Man Booker Prize-winning author Julian Barnes argues that novels speak to and from the mind. This raises questions around the worth and purpose of reading fiction written by a computer; is this unique relationship between a writer and a reader not destroyed, when a novel is written by an entity which is, by definition, mindless? Novelists address what it is to be an individual and a part of a society; what it is to think and to feel, and stories deal intimately with emotions and spirituality. To read is paradoxically to be both alone and in the company of a writer – when the writer is a computer, it could be argued that reading suddenly becomes empty, and the reader is truly alone. Computerised writers give rise to the issue of literally unreliable narrators. The Turing Test is a test devised by Alan Turing, the father of modern computers, in which a human communicates with an unknown entity and tries to determine
straight-forward comedy shows we normally perform, the pay-off if we hit the mark will be immense: nothing beats the cathartic experience of a tragicomic show. Moreover, there’s never been a more exciting time to be improvising, especially in Bristol. At the time of writing, the Bristol Jam is taking place, the Old Vic’s showcase of worldclass improv, from Reggie Watts the improvising beat-boxing comedian, to Showstoppers the allsinging all-dancing improvised musical. Improvised plays might not have the polish and fine-tuning of a scripted piece, but they are loaded with punch, glee, adrenaline and impulse. There really is nothing like discovering plot twists at the same time as the audience, playing a multitude of characters, or the exquisite relief when you achieve a final scene where everything falls into place.
Bristol Improv presents: A Night of Noir, Bierkeller Theatre, 26th November, www.bristolimprovnetwork.com
Marcin Wichary
Once Upon An Algorithm...
Andy Yeoh
Home Improv-ments
whether it is a man or a machine; if the human is incorrect or unable to distinguish between the two, then the computer is said to be ‘intelligent’. If ‘Storytelling’ software becomes truly successful, then, what is left to distinguish between a story written by an emotionally detached machine, mechanically computing an algorithm, and one written by a human author who has poured their feelings, experiences and thoughts into the work? Wouldn’t you feel cheated if you were truly moved by a piece of literature only to find afterwards that it was the result of a randomised function which got lucky with its selection of words and phrases? The authenticity and value of fiction would be compromised. Computers already solve complex mathematical problems, drive trains, and carry out a number or varied tasks – but writing fiction is an activity which seems so intuitively human, and the practice of narrating our lives such a human quality, that the idea of a future in which computers can write novels is a disturbingly dystopian one.
The Really Arty Show Provides a Genius Mish Mash of TRASh
Tom Brada talks TRASh about DramSoc’s ambitious offering of time travel, tall tales and narrative twists The problem a show like TRASh can face is that, with eight different plays all squeezed into a two-hour performance, it can be very difficult to maintain a sense of narrative continuity and keep the audience’s attention. With this difficulty in mind, this year’s production included plays from every decade starting at the 1940’s and rolling into the present day, with Rosie Joly’s ‘Shivered’ providing the final poignant performance of the night. This chronological mode of storytelling has certain complications as each play is concerned with very different themes and resonates with very different genres, ranging from farces, like ‘Noises Off’ to more sombre pieces like ‘The Odd Couple.’
The way in which this TRASh production managed to successfully inject narrative continuity was through a small but significant storyline introduced at the very beginning, as well as through various alternative modes of storytelling used within the individual plays. From the very first moment the lights came up, TRASh asserted its rather unusual narrative intentions. Ollie-Jones Evans loped mysteriously onto the stage with only a rubbish bin for
on its head by Miriam Battye in her piece, ‘Single Sex.’ Miriam incorporated a simple but effective device, using different entrances on opposite sides of the stage to convey significant lapses in time and even to indicate location shifts. These distinct modes of storytelling all combined to form one mildly manic mélange
“One mildly manic mélange of theatre which is TRASh”
of theatre which is TRASh. While full-length productions often have more scope to play around with different modes of storytelling, it is important, in an evening with lots of different pieces of theatre, that the audience feels some sense of narrative cohesion. The opening story of goofy time travel contextualized the decadejumping theme and lent the entire performance a definite structure, without which the energy of the production might have floundered. The decade changes were further alluded to by the discreetly symbolic set design, with flamboyant strips of wallpaper being visually evocative of the changing times. It was by these devices that TRASh was able to maintain its level of engagement despite the drastic differences between each play. Succinctness and
Antonia Northam
“A time-bending theatrical mission from the Forties to the Noughties”
company, awkwardly dangling in the stage centre. Suddenly, a voice boomed at the audience, accompanying Ollie’s actions and explaining in melodramatic fashion how Ollie’s character had discovered a magnificent time-travelling device, which just so happened to be a bin (stop press – implicit Trash reference!). Ollie proceeded to engage in a stumbling masterclass as his lengthy physique grappled with the relatively petite timetravelling machine, until the narrator finally informed the audience of Ollie’s apparent success in manning the tinny time-craft and embarking on a time-bending theatrical mission from the Forties to the Noughties. This eccentric opening storyline contextualized the ‘play from different decades’ concept and gave the individual TRASh performances a license to bend the tone of the evening. This flexibility can be clearly seen when contemplating the different modes of storytelling it employed. There were frantic pieces like ‘Noises Off’ and Tash Dummelow’s novel twist on ‘Lord of the Rings’ which corresponded to this initial narrative eccentricity. With these pieces, the real quality lay in the play’s comic randomness, manic energy and moments of slapstick and farce. Meanwhile, there were more content-heavy pieces such as ‘The Odd Couple’ and ‘Art,’ whose concentrated narrative trajectories allowed the pieces to engage with more serious themes. This narrative device was subsequently turned
slapstick were equally important in sustaining the relentless energy of the night,. In truth,and the production as a whole was carried off in such a way that, although it was silly at times, never strayed too far from storytelling sense.
Music
Epigram
Editor: Eliot Brammer
Deputy Editor: Phil Gwyn
music@epigram.org.uk
deputymusic@epigram.org.uk
19.11.2012
@epigrammusic
Riding the crest of An Awesome Wave In the aftermath of their Mercury triumph, Alt-J talk to Eliot Brammer about a whirlwind year and their plans for the future. Alt-J are, undeniably, the success story of the summer. They’ve reached that strange level of acclaim, reserved for the likes of The xx in 2010 and maybe SBTRKT last year, whereby people would give you an odd look at any response short of complete adoration at the mention of their name: to simply say ‘they’re alright’, or that you ‘quite like’ a few songs, just doesn’t cut it. The best thing about their sudden rise is that no one really saw it coming. The band weren’t splashed across all the start of the year lists of what was going to be massive in 2012, and though in the wake of their success at the Mercury awards the Guardian were quick to herald their victory as the ‘rise of boffin rock’, not one broadsheet newspaper carried a review of An Awesome Wave on its release. After nearly five years of rehearsals, writing, and ‘whittling down’ in their student digs, a transformative couple of months catapulted the album into the UK top 20, the Radio 1 playlist, and placed them as the bookies’ favourite for the Mercury Prize weeks before the nominations were announced. This mainstream success is perhaps at odds with the band’s intellectual inclinations. With a song written about the doomed love affair between 20th Century war photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, a music video for ‘Tessellate’ that re-imagines Raphael’s School of Athens as a scene of urban gang culture, and lyrics full of veiled literary and film references, it’s fair to say the band are, or are at least trying to be, just a little bit cleverer than most guitar bands operating at the moment. Bassist Gwil Sainsbury says that ‘it was sort of the intention to make something a bit cult-y, something for people to become quite attached to.’ Criticisms of esotericism or pretentiousness don’t trouble the band, he insists, because ‘Christ, what about Bowie? Isn’t that what music is, you’re standing up in front of people and singing songs and playing instruments. All music is pretty pretentious.’ Often, though, accusations of being even slightly highbrow in pop music carry the implication that it’s all a bit too middle-class; music made by and for the cardigan-wearing elite. It certainly winds up Yorkshire-bred drummer Thom Green, who determinedly declares himself as working-class and points out the obvious when he says ‘I’d rather be like us, as opposed to someone like Plan B who deliberately tries to be a chav’. The four members met at Leeds University in 2007, where Sainsbury, Green and singer Joe Newman studied Fine Art and keyboardist Gus UngerHamilton took English Literature. After graduating, the band decamped to Cambridge to finish the album and secure a record deal. Those songs which seduced the panel of judges into awarding them the Mercury Prize for album of the year, then, have been
with a label it’s always Art vs. Business, but winning the Mercury should give you leverage, power.’ Alt-J are signed to the modest independent Infectious, and there’s no doubt that it’s a good thing to see them challenging the domination of major labels; it might even prove to be a catalyst to launch the label into the big league, as the twin Mercury success of Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys in 2004 and 2006 did for Domino. After a gruelling run of shows next year the band hope to set aside ‘maybe three months’ to write new material. But the pressure of expectation that will be heaped upon them is the polar opposite to the complete freedom they enjoyed in honing their sound over the past few years. What’s more, as listeners and critics we always seem to demand some sort of trajectory in a band’s career and sound, and often those who start out with an intimate, intricate, layered sound, like Alt-J’s, trip up when attempting to expand that sound to fill bigger venues and satisfy festival crowds. Sainsbury explains that in the making of their debut, poor equipment imposed ‘restrictions of what we could actually use and so that didn’t allow us to make any sort of epic sound. And I’m not really a fan of any sort of ‘epic’ sound, I find it pretty boring. So I hope that doesn’t happen, but it might be one of those things where you get into a studio and they’ve got loads of toys to play with and you’re like, this makes a massive sound, but I don’t think we will. I think we’re quite disciplined in our minimal approach.’ It’s unclear how big the band will be, or how big they really want to be. Whether they are simply this year’s model, or if their music will continue to mature and reach the ‘intangibly good’ level of Green’s admired Radiohead and Hot Chip, intelligent music so good that ‘it’s rare that it can reach so many people.’ As with any snowballing success, a cynical backlash builds in opposition, and there are those who seek to deride Alt-J, for a bit of a silly vocal style or supposedly superfluous ornamentation disguising a lack of real substance. It would be no surprise if, in the absence of mainstream acceptance, it was the exact same crowd banging on about the band to anyone who might listen. knocking around for up to five years. Surely the band are itching to move
“You’re standing up in front of people and playing instruments. All music is pretty pretentious”
onto new material? ‘I think from a selfish point of view it is a bit annoying, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to go into a studio tomorrow and start working on new tracks’, says Sainsbury. ‘But if there’s people who have bought your album and people around the world who will pay to see you play those songs then we should try to play to every fan we can.’ Green sees it in more pragmatic terms. ‘The longer we can go with this album the longer our career will be, and winning the Mercury is like security.’ In truth, many commentators
consider the award to be something of a poisoned chalice; leaving aside the credibility of a shortlist that painfully overlooks forward-thinking electronic artists in favour of overly safe indie and folk acts, you need only look at a list of a few past winners – Speech Debelle, Klaxons, Gomez – to realise it’s no guarantee of an illustrious career. ‘I think what often happens is you win the Mercury and your label are like, right we need an album by next year, and you have a month to make it and then it’s shit. Well obviously, if you haven’t had time to make it. Working
An Awesome Wave is out now on Infectious Music.
Epigram
19.11.2012
26
Q&A: Glass Animals
The language of emotion What is music? Where did it come from? What are its uses? Where do we process it in the brain? And why does it feel so good? Luke Swann investigates.
‘The Morrissey effect’?
Cerebral Cortex/Janata
The unfathomable role of music in our lives seems largely irrational when stepped back from and looked at. For an ‘unnecessary pasttime’, which bears no direct survival benefit like food, sleep and sex do, it seems like a waste of our short existence to spend even a fraction of the time we spend listening to music on it. Yet we do: endlessly. With the exception of other people, like our dearest friends, partners and close relatives, the vast majority place music at the apex of human existence – more enjoyable, even, than eating, drinking, gaining knowledge and experiencing all other art forms. Definitions of music are usually vague, f loating around from ‘organised sound’ to ‘a social construct’; whereas some academics have described it as ‘what feelings sound like’, or ‘the dialogue between the two powerful sides of human nature, instinct and intelligence’. The origin of music is even sketchier. For it to have evolved, it must have posed some reproductive benefit, either of survival – like supporting group identity – or of sexual nature, such as luring a prospective partner with a lullaby. Both seem insufficiently explanatory. A more likely origin comes from the cultural explosion that our species underwent around 40,000 years ago, yielding artwork never before conceived, tools to further our race and, perhaps, our dear, dear music. Given the emerging vocal capabilities at the time, the first instrument may have been the human voice, up to 60,000 years ago; or, alternatively, the Divje Babe f lute 43,000 years ago. The current uses of music are plentiful. We stand in dark rooms, drinking alcohol, and allow music’s rhythmic fingers to manipulate the strings of our bodies. We stand in fields, in our thousands, transfixed, in awe of the men and women who produce it. It terrifies us, creating a perception of fear, a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, in horror films that would otherwise be quite laughable. It mentally transforms us, rather unlike anything else, to a different time and place, sometimes like we are even in the company of the ones we shared that time and place with. We change our psychological state, to feel happiness, aggression, sadness. More recently, it is played to patients with depression, schizophrenia, dementia, epilepsy and other
This image shows the tracking of music tonality in different areas of the brain. disorders in the growing field of music therapy. And on it goes… Imaging studies tell us that we predominately process music using the right hemisphere of our brains, particularly in the auditory cortex. However, like language, which was originally thought to implicate just the left hemisphere, both sides are involved, with even certain regions such as Broca’s area processing both language and music. Several studies have even demonstrated gender differences, showing men to process music more using the right and women using both hemispheres. In the ever-changing world of our brains, where even reading this sentence is causing alterations in its circuitry, it should be no surprise that musicians’ brains undergo permanent structural changes (plasticity), meaning they require fewer neurons to perform the same task as a non-musician. Also, similar studies have shed some light on the nature of musical imagery (something we engage in all the time). Even when we play a song in our heads for our own amusement, many of the brain areas that would activate if we were actually listening to the music still do so when nothing is playing - meaning
emotion can essentially be indirectly imagined. On a similar note, it has been found that we can improve our performance of any musical instrument we play by, again, simply imagining (or simulating) the required movements of the piece. Physical practice is still required to near our potential (I’m afraid to say!), but various experiments have demonstrated that even simulation of an action can have permanent changes on our brains. Music generally feels good for two reasons, the first and most obvious of which is because of the emotion it evokes in us, due to activation in the amygdala and other regions. An appealing feature of music is that when listening to depressing music we can experience emotions like sadness without the adverse association it usually brings, of losing a partner or a job, for example. So when listening to The Smiths, we revel in our own comfortable pits of sadness, enjoying the emotion their music is conveying without experiencing the things they talk of (what we could dub ‘the Morrissey effect’). Interestingly, even for untrained adults and children who have never experienced Western music, major chords are considered to be ‘bright and happy’, whereas minor chords are ‘dark and sad’. This means that in music we don’t just learn that certain things are happy and certain things are sad: music constitutes a universal code of expression, a kind of language of emotion. Music also feels good because the majority of us are addicted to it (try to remember the last day you didn’t listen to music; now remember the last day you didn’t drink, have sex or watch television). Animal brains, such as ours, are designed to experience a positive response to certain rewarding stimuli, such as food, sex, sleep and drugs like MDMA and cocaine. An area of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is responsible for this, releasing the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter dopamine whenever we experience pleasure and reward, such as when listening to music. Despite our knowledge of how music caresses and sculptures our brain, the majority of the music phenomenon continues to remain elusive – like a beautiful magic trick.
Oxford’s Glass Animals have had a more than successful 2012: having signed to XL Recordings’ new imprint Kaya Kaya to release their debut EP, Leaflings, and receiving high praise from everybody from the Guardian to the NME. Meanwhile, they’ve continued crafting their stark and haunting music which lands somewhere between Wild Beasts and Mount Kimbie on the musical spectrum. We met up with the band before their appearance at Fear of Fiction Festival to let them introduce themselves... Q: When and how did Glass Animals get together? A: Well we all went to school together, and then went to different universities but David started writing some music and played it to us in holidays. Exactly how we formed has sort of got lost in the midst of time. It was just in the ether from the word go. We got quite a lot of attention quite early, but it was impossible for us to rehearse together, so we had to turn everything down and get on with our degrees, and then get back together after university last year. Q: Did it take a long time to come to your sound? A: It just happened, the sound just tends to spew and sprawl out of David’s mind. His head’s just a weird stewing pot of the really weird music that he listens to, and partying and drugs and things. I don’t think we do particularly fit into the current musical landscape, though. The organic stuff, the guitar and the vocals and the drums – they’re there because we really like those sounds. The electronic stuff is there because we really like that too. I don’t know where we are in that spectrum, we’re just somewhere in the middle. Q: Do you feel like the reaction to your EP, Leaflings, was calmer than the unjustified hype that you see elsewhere? A: Yeah, I think that’s because it’s quite weird. I think that the response was very measured but very positive, and you get the feeling that the people who are saying things definitely mean it. Musically, it’s good that things aren’t going too quickly – I think that the music that’s being written has really been given time to grow. We played lots of gigs off the back of it, and we’ve written a lot of songs – it sparked us a bit. It’s been the most intense period for us. It feels like the next step in the life cycle of Glass Animals. Q: So what next? A: We’re just prepping our next single in the studio, which is completely new. We’re not going to play it tonight because it’s particularly hard to translate live. It’s quite a lot of effort to play our songs live because we don’t want to have any pre-recorded bits. We find ways – Drew’s playing synths with his hands and synths with his foot, and Ed’s doing something similar. We haven’t played too many gigs though because I think we’ve been very picky about our gigs, because we’re quite demanding technically. Phil Gwyn
Epigram
19.11.2012
25 27
Reviews FORMER LIVES Benjamin Gibbard City Slang 12th November 2012
LUX Brian Eno Warp 12th November 2012 Brian Eno’s latest release, his first solo project since 2005’s Another Day On Earth, is presented as a cohesive, seventy-five minute album divided into four sections. It marks a stylistic shift away from the collaborations of recent years and provides a welcome return to the ambient genre he pioneered in the late seventies. It is fitting then that his 1978 ‘manifesto’, printed in the sleeve-notes of Music for Airports, remains the best description of this often misunderstood musical style. Eno claims he writes for ‘particular times and situations’, and the inspiration for one of his first ventures into ambience, the aforementioned Music for Airports, was taken from the architecture and internal atmosphere of Cologne Airport. This focus on space is an important one. Lux is an album whose music seems to occupy a physical environment rather than a temporal one. The texture is built largely from single points of sound, bathed in reverb, that hang motionless after the initial attack before gradually decaying. In amongst these droplets emerges the occasional sustained string chord that grows and fades, subtly gaining the listener’s attention for a moment before passing it on. Much of the music is built not upon a progression of chords but on
the development of a single one. Bass notes are plucked and the chord is slowly revealed before being tilted and rotated, shown under a new light. What makes Lux such a successful and interesting work is the attention to fine details. Eno claims that ‘ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting’. Lux can be played in the background but, as soon as the attention is focussed, the fascinating ambiguities begin to emerge. Is the source of the sound-droplets a piano? A plucked string? A glockenspiel? The abundance of reverb often makes it impossible to tell. Where much of Eno’s earlier work was based on noticeable repeated phrases, Lux manages to keep its motifs discreet and fragmented. They do exist, but are not used as part of the music’s structure and, as a result, it never feels repetitive. Lux is a very beautiful, unhurried piece of music that is one of the strongest of Eno’s creations for a long time.
There are a lot of questions in the air when a member of a band goes it alone, mainly based on whether their creativity alone can produce a good album. However, in the case of Benjamin Gibbard’s (frontman of Death Cab for Cutie) new solo album Former Lives, there are many more questions regarding its topic. It is his first release since his divorce from New Girl actress Zooey Deschanel, and this fact is reflected throughout the album. The names of the songs alone (‘Bigger Than Love’, ‘Lily’ and ‘Oh, Woe’) all hint towards the subject of love and loss. Lyrics such as “You call a truce and then you start a fight” are littered across the album. This alone suggests that the album itself might be filled with heart-wrenching soppy ballads and tooth-achingly sweet love songs, but Gibbard maintains a smooth juxtaposition between the music and the lyrics. This contrast works very well in songs such as ‘Dream Song’, ‘Duncan, Where Have You Gone?’ and ‘A Hard One To Know’, but a few other songs come up short. Regardless of this, Gibbard shows a lot of promise in his solo endeavours.
Liam Taylor-West
Liam Wilkinson
BY THE SEA By The Sea Dell’Orso 12th November 2012
(III) Crystal Castles Fiction 12th November 2012 Since releasing their first eponymous album in 2008, Crystal Castles have gained popularity at an impressive rate, although without the accompanying commercial success; their highest charting single reached the heady heights of number 54 in 2010. However, in recent years they’ve played high up on the main stage of festivals like Bestival and Reading & Leeds. For an outsider it can be hard to see why the band has gained so much mainstream popularity when listening to tracks like the oppressive ‘Insulin’. The aforementioned is a lo-fi glitch-ridden affair; cutting in and out a few times a second while Alice Glass’ vocals, which sound like another layer of synths in themselves, echo chaotically. The band eases you in gently though; the opener and first single from the album ‘Plague’ is far more accessible, building nicely throughout to a simple but effective hook. The second single, ‘Wrath of God’, is undeniably catchy and is reminiscent of the band’s previous work. It’s not a stretch to see much of this album working well on the large outdoor stages Crystal Castles have become accustomed to in recent years.
Overall the band has made steady progression and for the first time a coherent idea is formed and maintained throughout. ‘Oppression is a theme, in general,’ says vocalist Alice Glass, perhaps referring not only to the album but also to how she sees the world. With lyrics like “Christen them with paraffin” and “Your first born will be accosted, fill their lungs with tar and sage” pointing towards themes of inequality, a message that has never been more relevant with recent events in the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement. At under 40 minutes, their shortest album yet, (III) doesn’t hang around for long and although to the point, it leaves you wanting much more. This is, however, a small gripe with an otherwise enjoyable release. The album draws to a close with ‘Child I Will Hurt You’, showing a more melancholy but no less full sound. Minimalistic tones and soothing vocals steeped in reverb allow for a period of reflection, echoing the pessimistic and morbid sentiments of the previous 36 minutes.
The self-titled debut LP from Merseyside guitar pop outfit By The Sea is quite simply overflowing with joyous melodies. This short collection of only nine songs combines bright jangly guitar parts, sunny reverb, and chilled vocals to create a pleasantly ambient pop sound. There are certainly beachy elements to this album, and similarities can be drawn to bands like Beach Fossils and Craft Spells, who bring together bright and sunny instrumentation with dreary vocals and come up with an interesting guitar pop concoction. However, By The Sea create a slightly different vibe, with vocals that are still far from the forefront of the mix, but are merely dreamy instead of dull or dreary. In fact, the lead singer actually sounds rather similar to the Courteeners’ front man Liam Fray and some have compared them to early Stone Roses, but their blend of wonderfully classic pop melodies and beautiful guitar tones makes their naïve, sunny sound quite unique. By The Sea are unlikely to take the world by storm, but if understated dream-pop is your thing, then this solid debut full length record will really hit the spot.
Joshua Clark
Matty Edwards
INSTRUMENTAL TOURIST Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin Mexican Summer 19th November 2012
Last year, both Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin made waves in the electronic scene, Hecker with his dark, claustrophobic Ravedeath, 1972, and Lopatin with the experimental, sample-heavy Replica. Instrumental Tourist sees both artists experimenting together with various sounds in a free jazz style of improvisation. Opener ‘Uptown Psychedelia’ acts as an atmospheric harbinger to the album: numerous instruments are encircled by undulating arpeggiated synth stabs while harsh crackling noise creates the impression that the whole track is being slowly ripped apart. Both artists’ styles can be identified throughout: from Hecker’s simple ethereal drones on ‘Vaccination’ to Lopatin’s perpetual micro-loops running throughout ‘Whole Earth Tascam’. Attention to detail is rewarded, as the subtle variations in sound texture contribute to the album’s ambience and start to lose their effect if the listener is not fully engaged with the music. Instrumental Tourist doesn’t feel as though both artists have come together and formed something which is greater than the sum of its parts, but instead the collaboration is more of a stylistic push and pull that has resulted in an incredibly detailed and intricate piece of sonic artwork. James Lindsay
NEW VETERAN Blacklevel Embassy Battle 5th November 2012 Generally speaking, the best heavy metal bands are able to weave a thread of pleasurable melody through the surrounding cacophony and formless noise. This fibre may be disguised as masculine bravado or even atonality, but it is always present within the works of the skilful. Melbourne’s Blacklevel Embassy are usually good at this. However, their latest spawn New Veteran is disappointingly threadbare in this department. With its Spartan punchiness and clanging guitar, opening track ‘New Veteran’ immediately establishes Blacklevel Embassy’s intentions, and its atonal vocals and incessant key changes create a sense of nightmarish disconcertment. Although the majority of the album is spent trying, and failing, to establish an atmosphere of suppressed rage, ‘Weng Weng Is A Secret Agent’ is one of a few surprising successes, building tension and apprehension in equal measure. The haunting clap of the hi-hat and nonsensical lyrics are unexpectedly appealing, and only partly because it gives the ears a rest from the jarring monotony of the track’s predecessors. One thing that Blacklevel Embassy are consistent about is that they are only ever inconsistently good. George Robb
Film & TV
Epigram
Editor: Jasper Jolly
Deputy Editor: Kate Samuelson
filmandtv@epigram.org.uk
deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk
19.11.2012
@epigramfilm
The Great Twilight debate: is it any good?
Twiharder Genevieve Cox and cynic Tash Hyman try to settle one of the great questions of our time as the saga finally finishes
YES
So what is it that can turn the sanest of us against our judgement into crazed fans and why are so many us too embarrassed to admit this? Besides the fact that the Twilight films have the perfect balance of romance, drama, and action, the directing has been taken over by Bill Condon, responsible for five films with Oscar-nominated actors. But beyond the obvious aesthetic pleasures of the series there are underlying metaphysical desires - the premise of the Twilight stories relates to our primal desires for immortality, power and the rejection of authority. I understand that the average teenage girl won’t have thought that much about what I’ve included as the positives of Twilight but that’s probably because they’re too busy staring at Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson (right). Twilight wouldn’t be the first franchise to succeed because of a dazzling young cast and these two are hot… and they take their tops off. GC
Life not imitating art: The happy couple. Breaking Dawn Part 2 is out on 16th November
allmoviephoto.com
I am a Twilight fan. I feel that seeing it in print will be the closest I can get to a session in AA surrounded by a circle of strangers. I’m facing my addiction head on and it’s one I’ve tried to hide for quite some time. Before the term ‘Twihard’ had even be coined I read the first installment in the Twilight series and was appalled, convinced I could write better. Twilight was instantly thrown into the paper reject pile. And then something incredible happened; Michael Sheen, one of my favourite British actors was announced as the newest member of the Twilight cast and I was forced to reconsider my position. Admittedly, he says he first considered the role for the sake of his daughter but then he read the books and - shock horror - ‘really enjoyed them’. He has even praised the author Stephanie Meyer for the multidimensional nature of his character. As far as I’m concerned Stephanie Meyer can forget the millions of dollars, awards and red carpet events, as praise from Michael Sheen is a much better accolade. So I put aside my initial trepidations and watched the films and I enjoyed them, far more than I had hoped to.
NO
The first time I encountered Twilight was when I was on holiday in France. My friend was reading it, and I thought, nothing like a bit of a vampire romance for lying beside the pool. How wrong I was. And let me get this straight, I had low - very low - expectations. But somehow Twilight still failed to entertain me, and I think I only managed half the book. Now, I have nothing against a bit of teen lit, with its mundane plot lines, two-dimensional characters, and even if it’s a bit shoddily written. But not only is Meyer’s premise clichéd (unhappy teenager finds excitement at school through mysterious boy), but her protagonist, Bella Swan, is unbearably irritating and morose. So when the first Twilight film came out in the cinema I kept it firmly at arm’s length. But after all the cooing over Robert Pattinson, I must say, I was interested. I went with a Twihard fan a couple of weeks after the release date. In the cinema, it was just us and closet Twilight fans (teenage boys). I vaguely remember a raunchy window almost-sex scene and the oh so serious vampire bits were quite funny. I was amazed at how
Kristen Stewart managed to capture Bella Swan’s unappealing quality so well. All round, not a film that has stuck in the brain. That said, it was more entertaining than the book, but then, it’s easier to make a film that’s vaguely entertaining, isn’t it? The premise of Twilight is just so futile. They’re vampires, which is sexy, but they can’t have sex. (I’m not up to date, have they had sex now? Isn’t Bella pregnant with a vampire baby?) Meyer had to throw in some werewolves just to spice it up, because frankly, the whole celibacy thing wasn’t going to get that far. I’d rather watch Harry Potter. One dubiously good thing that has come from the vampire mania are programmes like True Blood. If you want vampires, then surely just watch that instead. (I haven’t watched True Blood, but have been assured that it is literally vampire porn.) So, a new Twilight film is about to come out - Breaking Dawn Part 2. I’ve just watched the trailer and there was a very nice opening shot of trees. I could possibly be persuaded to go just to see the beauty that is Taylor Lautner. However, ultimately, an hour and a half of intense, sparkly Bella/Edward moments could be fatal. TH
Too much Rust and too little Bone Disney’s return to the Jedi Michelle Chamroo
Why Not Productions
to really grab you fully. The lack of chemistry leaves me feeling cold as there are passionate scenes that are devoid of emotion. In fact there is more warmth and emotion exchanged between Stephanie and the Orca when she returns after her accident, than I ever felt between Ali and Stephanie. There are occasional glances from Stephanie at Ali’s muscular body but nothing that suggests the attraction that is meant to be there. Rust and Bone is amazingly shot. The sometimes claustrophobic nature of some of the scenes make you feel as though you are sat right behind Stephanie and Ali in the café gazing out at the sumptuous French Rivera. The fight scenes convey the power and damage harnessed by Ali and the close up shots are difficult to watch. Apart from a questionable sound track (Katy Perry - even Cotillard looked uncool during this scene, and Cotillard never looks uncool) the film offers an interesting journey that is sometimes hard to follow and watch. However the lack of depth of the main protagonists results in a lack of empathy from the audience which is why I left feeling a little empty. Both characters are acted phenomenally well and their stories evoke strong emotions, yet I would suggest the writing doesn’t do this justice.
Rust and Bone Released 2nd Novmeber Dir. Jacques Audiard, 120 mins
Nathan Evans The news that Disney have bought Lucasfilm, the makers of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, for over $4 billion has made waves around the galaxy. This story is much bigger than just another corporate takeover: Disney plan to make a new Star Wars film (Episode VII) for a 2015 release. But what would a new film be like? Return of the Jedi tied up most of the loose ends. The Death Star was destroyed (again), Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine were dead and Luke, Leia and Han were having a party with some teddy bears. The only plot thread left hanging was Luke’s possible surrender to the dark side. If this happened, the new film would continue the Skywalker family saga that runs through Episodes I to VI. But haven’t we already seen a powerful Jedi named Skywalker turn to the dark side? Wouldn’t this just be repeating things all over again? Of course, it’s possible that the new film won’t involve the original characters at all. Even if Episode VII allows for the actors’ aging, it might prove difficult to get everyone back together. In particular, Harrison Ford (above) may be a hold-out. Ford has hated Star Wars from day one, and has enough money not to need it any more. This
Newsarama
I hate love stories, the fluffy, mushy, vomit-inducing nature of them. Which I guess makes me an ideal candidate for De rouille et d’os (Rust and Bone) as Jacques Audiard (A Prophet and The Beat That My Heart Skipped) is renowned for his unique take on humanity and its innate brutality. This brutality is reflected in Rust and Bone, and makes for sometimes very uncomfortable viewing. Audiard’s original take on a love story reveals the harsh reality of ‘romance’ in the modern period and how it can be devoid of emotion. It is this that left me feeling cold as I witnessed the ‘love story’ develop and the somewhat implausibility of its inception. Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) is a reluctant father and a brute, who has been left to take care of his son without any of the tools needed to do so, from a roof over their heads, to the
capacity to love. It appears that Ali’s brutish nature and imposing physique is his meal ticket and once settled at his sister’s place he takes a job as a bouncer at a nightclub. We are introduced to Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) as she is lying on the floor being attacked by a rather violent man. Ali swoops in to rescue her, and even though they have only just met Stephanie is happy for Ali to drive her home, whilst he insults her provocative sense of style. In this meeting and exchange, I’m not aware of any profound connection or even physical attraction which is why what happens next puzzles me so. Stephanie trains Orca whales, perhaps again demonstrating her attraction to danger. The shots of the Orcas in the water are phenomenal as are the moments directly after the horrifying accident that befalls Stephanie. The scene where Stephanie discovers her fate is compelling and Cotillard conveys the very real shock and distress with such conviction you could hear a pin drop in the theatre. Stephanie lies in her hospital bed, catatonic from her new reality. However, her eyes express her darkest fears and at one point she contemplates the very worst thing you can do. The film oscillates constantly between the two characters. There appears to be no rhythm to this which feels unsettling. Ali has an appetite for violence and casual sex, both of which he indulges in at his gym, and yet I never really know who he is, and I feel that more depth could be given to this complex character in order for the film
is just one of the ways making a direct follow-up to Return of the Jedi may prove difficult. But it’s a big galaxy and there are always new paths to explore. What if the Empire was never truly defeated? Palpatine may be dead, but there are still thousands of stormtroopers all over the galaxy. A lot of the Star Wars books (yes, there are books) take this route, portraying a universe of dangerous political infighting as Imperial officers vie to succeed the Emperor.However, you have to ask whether people really care about the politics of a fictional galaxy that much. As it is, people barely care about reallife politics, though admittedly Prime Minister’s Questions might be more interesting if there was the occasional lightsabre duel. Another possibility is that Disney could do something completely different to the original films. What if Episode VII was a sitcom? After Han and Leia get married and settle down in the suburbs of Mos Eisley, they finally have to face the question: when is Chewbacca going to move out? Let’s face it, it can’t be any worse than Attack of the Clones.
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19.11.2012
Watershed
Digital Spy Watershed
Amour shows no love is truly lost
Joe Dodd: Michael Haneke’s winner at Cannes is excrucitating and brilliant Amour, Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Orwinning new film, is a stark meditation on love, death and the inescapable degeneration of the mind and body. As desperate as that sounds – and it is – the film is Haneke’s most human feature yet, demonstrating his austere style and keen, deadly eye that penetrates the meaning behind silence and expression. Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are characters typical of a Haneke (below) feature; two retired music teachers, they are cultured, cultivated, happy and unmistakeably bourgeois. A grand piano stands in their book-lined living room where they are visited by former
uniFrance
protégés or estranged children. The film’s central crisis (a crisis must always upset the gentle equilibrium afforded by the comfortably bourgeois in Haneke’s work) is Anne’s deterioration after a series of strokes and the severe strain this places on the relationship of the elderly couple. As the title would suggest the film wants its audience to address love and all its implications. As well as this, Amour is deeply concerned with the unmanageable or the uncontrollable – our bodies, the lives of others, memory, emotion. The instabilities of memory motivate the entire narrative of the film, the documentation of Anne’s mental decline is a vicious realisation that the processes of the mind are automatic; it is with heavy dramatic irony that Georges, looking for a misplaced book, comments that
“There is nothing like an infallible memory”. Many reviewers of Amour have commented that Haneke seems determined to depict the impossibility of ageing gracefully, that ageing is an inevitable slide into indignity, and this is true in part. Anne’s inability to communicate by the film’s end, her mouth ugly and broken and her French fragmented, is impersonally filmed by Haneke. However, the Austrian’s direction seems markedly more human than in his previous efforts and it feels as though, dare I say it, a quiet sincerity lies behind the film. In many of Haneke’s other features he quite conspicuously thumbs his nose at his audience - his last picture, The White Ribbon (which also won the Palme d’Or), was a picture of similar ascetic beauty but also hatefully ambiguous. Thankfully Amour largely does away with any crippling ambiguities or pomo gimmicks. Perhaps this is because the film occupies itself with those ancient bedfellows of death, love and time and treats them so beautifully and so harshly that any meta-reference would trivialise the film’s subject. That is not to say that Haneke avoids completely his self-conscious method; his camera forever lingers a few awful, naked moments more than it should on a character’s body or anguish or private instant of contemplation that the viewer cannot help but feel like something of a voyeur. Haneke’s style is that of a documentarian; he examines his subjects with a ruthlessness that boarders on the obscene – a vulnerably nude Anne being washed by a nurse whilst moaning that it hurts her insists intently that the audience is being allowed access to an intensely private moment. Yet this discomfort is counterbalanced by Haneke’s focus and his determination to show a fully realised pain and insist that the experience is terrible and vital and important – and that each of us must recognise it as such. There is a kind of optimism, as I see it, buried very deeply beneath the sterility of Haneke’s style. When Anne, after a second stroke,
can only chew out the few words she can remember, words like “Hurts”, “House”, “Mummy”, Georges’s silent contemplation of the words’ sources becomes a devastating spectacle; a man searching a face etched with meaning but finding nothing with which he can identify. This scene (and many others, some joyous, some despondent) encapsulates the essence of what I feel the film is about: the interdependency that exists between two people in a loving relationship and the extent to which either partner must act to
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Haneke examines his subjects with a ruthlessness that borders on the obscene
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preserve the dignity of the other. Indeed, there is a paradox in discussing Amour’s representation of the indignity of old age. On the one hand, it renders the humiliations of obsolescence so startlingly and honestly that I felt horrified at the prospect of ageing at all; and yet Riva and Trintignant play their parts with such a dignity and sense of pathos that their characters are elevated to become symbols of a wonderful and hopeless struggle against the impossible. It is easily Haneke’s most optimistic film, which is saying something given that it is so incredibly sad. There is a tacit understanding that, though the final descent into destitution is inevitable, the ‘long life’, as Anne remarks whilst turning pages of a photo album slowly and carefully, must be lived to its fullest extent. Once watched, Amour cannot be forgotten - yet Haneke’s marvellous film understands, with a brutal accuracy, how powerless we all are to ensure this.
Amour (Love) Released 16th November Dir. Michael Haneke, 127 mins
Sapphires has heart and soul Alejandro Palejar Fernandez: The Sapphires is the feel-good comedy of this winter so far Starring Deborah Mailman and Jessica Mauboy, as well as Chris O’Dowd (of The IT Crowd and Bridesmaids fame) among others, The Sapphires is this winter’s feel-good comedy. Full of great songs, it is much better than Mamma Mia!, lacking the awkwardness of the latter’s unnnatural outbursts into song, and has a heart-warming plot that makes you want to both laugh and cry: a feelgood feast. Though the initial prospect of a film about a ’60s girl band seems drearily familiar, and the trailer and poster seem to market it as the new Dreamgirls, comparisons with the latter lie merely in the musical style of the chanteuses. And these musical similarities can be attributed to the fact that the real girlband The Sapphires, whose story this film is based on, were shaped as an Australian answer to The Supremes. All in all, it is incredibly refreshing; a genuinely surprising delight. The Sapphires recounts the story of a group of Aboriginal girls and their love for music. Initially singing country music, and called the Cummeraganja Songbirds, they are soon discovered by a boozy Irishman (O’Dowd) who becomes their mentor and manager, encouraging them to find a catchier name, and to change their musical direction: soul is the answer. He shapes them as one of the Motown bands of the time: dropping the instruments
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The Sapphires is a great celebration of music and racial equality
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and introducing a few simple dance moves, The Sapphires are born. He soon books them to do gigs for soldiers in Vietnam, not knowing the physical and psychological effects of touring a war zone. The contrast between the great, up-beat, well-known songs and the devastated locations they visit is incredibly striking; the girls become a symbol of hope and joy for the soldiers, and in many ways they encapsulate this, only noticing the realities of war much later in the film. The great thing about The Sapphires is that they don’t seek fame or fortune, they just want to do what they enjoy the most: to sing. In this sense, the film
is much deeper and more profound than the typical Hollywood flick. Their enthusiasm prevails over the stress and pressure of singing in a war zone. Indeed, their singing has a real effect on the soldiers, who seem to really enjoy it - some enjoying their company more than their singing. It is a great juxtaposition of happiness in the saddest of places. They don’t seek riches but joy, which, for them, comes with self-fulfilment. From the discrimination they endure at a small-scale competition dominated by whites - in a scene much reminiscent of The Help - to their peak, their attitude is the same, enjoying each song. Moreover, the great chemistry between the actresses is evident, and their familial banter seems natural. However, it is Chris O’Dowd who really shines in this film, with a great number of comic moments - he even tries his hand at singing, and, it has to be said, isn’t bad. What is good about The Sapphires is that it doesn’t just work as a comedy, but plays on an emotional level too. The director, debutant Wayne Blair, is great at manipulating the audience’s feelings: when you’re on the brink of tears, someone will make a few light jokes, reinforcing the film’s warmth. The film’s various side-stories with the mandatory love interests - are constructed excellently, and don’t seem irrelevant to the plot but, rather, enrichen it. During their time in Vietnam, the girls get to know each other - and themselves becoming a close group of self-aware strong women; this self-discovery also strengthens their emotional impact on the audience. There are many clichés, and some slightly predictable scenes, but it works. The story is different, as is their perspective, and maybe this is the key. It is not a classic - far from it - it is simply a very pleasant film, with some misses, but full of great songs, actual laugh-out-loud moments, and a lot of emotion that will brighten up your day. The Sapphires is a great celebration of music and racial equality.
The Sapphires Released 7th November Dir. Wayne Blair, 103 mins
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XOX0: say goodbye to Gossip Girl Sophie Jarvis
eonline.com
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It’s certainly interesting to see the transformation of the delectable Dan Humphrey
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Boy’ certainly suggest this. Overall, the continuation of character’s personas, with the exception of Dan, is somewhat comforting as it reminds us that the characters we know and love (or hate in Georgina’s case) are still very much prevalent in the Upper East Side. Despite Constance and St Jude’s being overrun by a new generation, the playground politics of Serena’s year have managed to manifest themselves through their university careers, and now their adulthood – much to our delight. itvmovie.eu
girls-talk-tv.com
the liberal passing around of sexual partners, betrayal around every corner and constant scheming between catty socialites. Certainly the ratings would suggest so; they have dipped to an average of 0.6 million in season six and prior to this, the average was 1.5 million an episode. Perhaps it’s the ongoing troublesome Chuck/Blair relationship, the return of drugged-up Serena or Nate’s flitting between MILFs and 17-year olds that has deterred viewers.
long-last accept him to be a member of the elite? The newly calculating, heartless and ruthless nature of ‘Lonely
Gossip Girl ITV, Wednesdays at 7pm
This is not the end of the world Adrian Choa is unconvinced by Derren Brown’s controversial Apocalypse
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We are left with the lucid offensiveness of Brown’s selfproclaimed lifealtering omnipotence
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budget. Here’s the precept for Apocalypse: Derren Brown aims to transform the life of a lazy and selfish man, Steven Brosnan, by leading him to believe that he has just woken up in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. From his unashamedly 28 Days Later awakening in an abandoned hospital, it becomes immediately evident to anyone with
Channel 4
even a vague notion of filmmaking that this is a ruse. Brown claims at the start that hundreds of cameras have been installed on the site. However, the cameras that shoot the majority of the programme are clearly being held by cameramen as the lenses shake and have manual focus-pulling. Perhaps an invisibility cloak? What is more, the clear studio lighting in his home and in certain parts of the “hospital” would certainly not aid Brosnan’s investment in the whole scenario. Brosnan’s movements through the hospital follow a linear screenplay to a tee, as he slowly wonders through each part allowing such events as a zombie to cinematically approach the glass, just long enough to get the perfect shot. One cannot help feeling that if this scenario were thrust upon you, you would either crawl under a table and shake back and forth, run for your life or have a heart attack. The subsequent entrance of one of the weakest actresses television has played host to is also rather damaging to any remaining shred of verisimilitude. In the week following the first episode, controversy arose as it was discovered that Brosnan in fact had an account with the acting website Casting Call Pro, an account which was curiously deleted the day of the show. With the discovery of blank ammunition being used in Derren Brown’s previous live Russian Roulette in mind, this did not look good for the mentalist. Brown immediately created a YouTube video
Channel 4
In the cynical world we live in there are seemingly minute cracks where figureheads of mysticism sneak through, convincing an audience to dispatch all logic and science. Derren Brown (below) is one of these magicians who has risen up the televisual ranks, gathering a widespread following in his hypnotic wake. His latest series of programmes seem to have abandoned the unadorned hypnosis act and have become reality TV with a Hollywood
Brosnan escapes from the ‘zombies’ where Brosnan is asked whether he is an actor. His response is ‘no’, so the matter was apparently settled... But let’s pretend for a moment that it is all 100% authentic. Placing
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Derren Brown is no longer showing off his skills of mental manipulation and hypnosis
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all technical and performance criticisms aside, we are left with the lucid offensiveness of Brown’s selfproclaimed life-altering omnipotence. The concept that he is responsible for transforming somebody’s life through the staging of a zombie apocalypse is laughable. What is more, he is no longer showing off his skills of mental manipulation and hypnosis: he is now merely a good TV director.
Derren Brown: Apocalypse Catch up on Channel 4oD
Sky Atlantic
Since series 1 of Gossip Girl raked in an average of 2.7 million views in America alone per episode, has the series lost its spark? Have we got bored of envying the affluence and somewhat debaucherous nature of the Upper East Siders? Not to mention
Additionally, the predictability of the characters may also be a reason for the plummeting ratings – Rufus is still pushed around and manipulated by women and Georgina remains Iago incarnate. However, for me anyway, Gossip Girl still has the edge. Chuck and Blair’s relationship is still passionate, its turbulent nature making it interesting. Serena’s behaviour in the first few episodes of season six echoes her former rebellious self, and she still bears the same potency, glamour and attractiveness that she has possessed throughout the series. As for the direction of the plot, the producers have kept us guessing after every episode; will Chuck and Blair (left) reconcile their zealous love? Will Chuck find out why his father faked his own death? Moreover, regarding character development, it’s certainly interesting to see the transformation of the delectable Dan Humphrey (right). After selling the dirty details of the Upper East Siders to Nate’s paper and then going a step further by ditching The Spectator for Vanity Fair, do we at
Here come Lena Dunham’s Girls
Alice Johnston: it almost lives up to the huge hype Firstly, a disclaimer: I fit neatly into the target demographic of Girls. Apart from the fact of indeed being a girl, I am young, white and reasonably middleclass. I am liberal minded, study an arts degree and am enthusiastic about blogging sub-cultures and the type of artsy films that induce the eye-rolling scorn of long-suffering friends. With these qualifications I would fit quite neatly into the cast of the show, which predisposes me quite dramatically to like it. For what it is, Girls has received a disproportionate amount of media attention. It is a comedy-drama set in New York following the lives of four women trying to find their way in the world. When you put it like that it not only sounds dull but also horribly familiar – almost like another show with the same premise that was extremely popular. We all know Girls has similarities to Sex and the City; indeed it is acknowledged so early in the season that it becomes part of the character’s pop culture background. Having outgrown a harrowing few teenage years when I mainlined SATC, I am happy to report that Girls far surpasses the expectations of these
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Sadly, strong female characters taking charge of their bodies and sexual freedom can still be surprising
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easy-to-make comparisons. The literal star of the show is the jealousy-inducing Lena Dunham, who writes, produces, directs and stars in Girls, all at the tender age of 26. Whilst the storylines are in no way groundbreaking - though they cover subjects such as STD testing and abortion in pleasingly frank ways Dunham’s writing is sharp and clever. The women in the show are extremely welcome departures from the toned plastic mannequins that pass for female characters in many dramas. The audience sees Dunham naked multiple times, frequently when she is experiencing embarrassing sex with men who tell her to be quiet while they take her from behind. In the words of her character, Hannah, she is ‘12 pounds overweight, and it has been so hard for me my whole life’. In other words, she looks normal and it is a
delightful departure from the norm. The previously mentioned media storm around Girls hyped the show so much that it would be difficult to not be slightly disappointed when - to appropriate the overused quote from the first episode – the show that is the ‘voice of a generation’ failed to produce all the fireworks and screaming it was supposed to. There has been a significant amount of media controversy about the lack of characters that are not white or privileged. Whilst this is true, I don’t believe it is an intentional racial slur. Although the show is set in the
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Girls is about some girls, not every girl
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famously multicultural Brooklyn, the cast is comprised of Dunham’s friends and peers, most of whom had a similar rarefied bohemian upbringing in the same social circle she inhabits, meaning they, like her, are both white and privileged. Dunham is not trying to represent the interests and opinions of everyone who watches her show, only her own. Girls is about some girls, not every girl. The show never set out to be overtly feminist but its content has meant that it tends to be interpreted in this way. Sadly, strong female characters taking charge of their bodies and sexual freedom can still be surprising. There are aspects of the show that are disappointing, for example when one of these strong females is revealed to be a virgin, her section of the plot revolves primarily around this and the stigma she faces, showing her in a slightly desperate way. Although, undoubtedly, there are faults with the series, there are few equivalents of the same high standard to be found elsewhere. The hype has been so huge you now essentially have to watch it in order to understand the social references, 50 Shades-style, that will no doubt render Girls a classic small-screen offering. Hopefully teenage girls will take this sarcastic and smart show as their manifesto over its often bland and badly written contemporaries. Girls Sky Atlantic, Wednesdays at 7pm
Epigram
10.10.2011
Letters & Editorial
Epigram
14.05.2012
13 Editor: Emma Corfield letters@epigram.org.uk
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Views from the Dugout...
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05.11.2012
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Formula 1: battle of the broadcasters Woe for weary Robins as the defeats pile up James Smith Sports Reporter
Who watches and how many? When it was announced 12 months ago that Sky would be launching a new channel with live uninterrupted coverage, the concern was that UK viewing figures would tumble, with many viewers unwilling to pay the extra £381 just to view the ten extra races not shown on BBC. The evidence suggests that such concerns were not unfounded. Over the first 11 races of the 2011 season, there was an average of 4.15m viewers per race, whereas for
What about the personnel? For me, the BBC suffered two big losses this year, while still retaining their three biggest assets. Martin Brundle’s infamous grid walk just before the cars head out on their formation lap is a must see. His authority is immense, not to mention his ability to part other
F1Technical.net
Do the BBC presenters lead the way...
Alex Benedyk Football Correspondent
...or Sky’s technological advantage instead?
global broadcasting stations like the red sea, just to ask how Felipe Massa might be feeling. Secondly, pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz, an expert who has been a huge success with Sky and a man who the BBC has struggled to replace. However, it is the three amigos, Coulthard, Jordan and Humphrey who, for me, give the BBC a slight edge when it comes to personnel. For all of the money that Sky have to throw at their F1 channel, and there is no denying they throw it well, with impressive graphics and analysis, BBC’s trio make the build up and post race debrief a more entertaining watch. Humphrey’s enthusiasm and superb anchoring, coupled with Coulthard’s expert knowhow and Eddie Jordan’s taste in shirts and general mannerisms was always going to trump whatever Sky managed to draw together, and, in my opinion, it does. One thing that Sky does excel in is their ‘Sky Pad.’ Georgie Thompson and Anthony Davidson do a fantastic job at manipulating the huge array of technology at their
F1Technical.net
This year has seen the introduction of Sky F1 in fantastic high definition. Like many, I was sceptical at first; the BBC has been excellent in the recent past, so why change something that isn’t broken? With just one race to go in the 2012 season, my opinion however isn’t quite the same. So what has changed, and now that we have a choice on several races, which broadcaster would you go for? Let’s have a closer look…
the first 11 of 2012 this falls to 2.2m. Interestingly, the number of viewers for the races broadcasted on BBC as well as Sky has fallen, the average being just 3.8m. For instance, both Sky and BBC broadcasted the Monaco Grand Prix, a jewel race in the F1 calendar, yet viewing figures hit less than three quarters of last years race. It seems a shame that in what has perhaps been F1s most exciting season in years, with an unprecedented 7 different winners in the first 7 races, less people are able to see the races. Perhaps in the second half of the season, with the fight for the title a little more uncertain than the familiar Vettel poleto-race-win that put off viewers towards the end of last season, the viewing figures will tell a different story.
disposal. The iPad companion app also adds to the viewing experience, viewers being able to view a number of highlights, interviews and different camera angles to complete an impressive package. Who has the edge? It is not as easy as saying BBC or Sky straight out. I believe there is a compromise to be found. Obviously, for 10 races of the season, Sky are out and out winners, but when it comes to the races BBC broadcast, I tend to find myself swaying towards the familiar BBC coverage. I find their coverage more entertaining and prefer their build up, but maybe this is just personal. For a true F1 fanatic, Sky is undoubtedly the more complete package of the two, though for those who take a mild interest in the sport, or perhaps only watch odd race or two, I would advise doing what I do, and sticking to the more relaxed and familiar BBC. Besides, BBC’s soundtrack is that much better. Additional reporting by Greg Gooding
As Bristol City slumped to their seventh straight defeat on Sunday afternoon after being on the wrong end of a 2-0 score line against a rejuvenated Charlton Athletic, it is difficult to understand exactly why their form is currently so bad that the Ashton Gate crowd is seeing their team’s worst run of results in seven years. Rather than injuries chipping away at a small squad, City have been leaking goals through both individual and organisational errors, despite some very positive early signs in the season such as back-toback home victories against Crystal Palace and Cardiff in August.
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It is diffcult to understand why their form is currently so bad
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In September however, City were on the wrong end of some very close, high scoring matches at home and confidence around Ashton Gate quickly faded. They lost 3-5 against Blackburn and 23 against Leeds, in a month where despite scoring nine goals they only picked up four points out of a possible fifteen. October ran in similar vein: after being 0-2 up away at Bolton
they conceded three goals and, in a quite extraordinary game at home against Burnley, they clawed their way back from 1-3 to 3-3 only to then concede in the sixth minute of stoppage time. After the disappointment of the Burnley game, manager Derek McInnes, under mounting pressure, revealed to the press that he may have to swap his attacking formation for a tighter, albeit less exciting, style of play. And whilst the ragged City defence have started to concede fewer goals, goals at the other end have now become few and far between. In the last four games, they have scored just one goal, coming at home against Hull City in a game they lost 1-2. And after losing against Charlton on Sunday, it appears as if the Championship’s basement side, sitting on just eleven points after sixteen games, are going to be in for a very long, difficult season. Check out the Epigram website for regular Bristol City match reports.
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19.11.2012
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A right Royal victory for the Barracudas Continued from Back Page Following the kickoff, the Barracuda defense took to the field looking to emulate the offense’s successes. Again
the Royals could find no way through with linebackers James Stables and George Baker making crunching stops all day. Worcester was forced to punt with McDowell back
Paul Beard
The Barracudus storm to their first win of the season
to receive. A mazy 60-yard run with many broken tackles followed and ended in a punt return touchdown, the first in the club’s history. 14-0 Cuda. Sooner than expected, the
Barracuda defense was back out and again proving hard to beat. The front line of Sam Farley, Markus Olsson and Seb Charpentier led by example, putting some strong pressure on the Worcester offense and forcing mistakes. Again they were forced to punt, straight to McDowell who again surged for the endzone with a blistering outside run which the Royals’ punt team couldn’t get near. A second special teams touchdown for Bristol and a first half hat-trick for McDowell who Worcester had no answer for in the first half. 21-0 Cuda. As the half time whistle approached, mistakes started creeping into the game, which put a halt to any further scores, but Bristol could be pleased overall with how the first half went. The second half began and Worcester were unable to produce anything of note on their first possession. Bristol were back on the ball and following an injury to Jack Scott, rookie QB Patrick McIntyre now had an opportunity to show what he could do. The drive began with much promise but
ended in the first interception of the game. The Worcester cornerback continued to push upfield with the ball before being laid out by fullback Joshua Owolabi for the hit of the day, which sent the Barracuda sideline into a frenzy.
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Again the Royals could find no way through with linebackers James Stables anad George Baker making crunching stops all day
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Heading into the 4th quarter, players were beginning to tire, giving the coaches an opportunity to give rookies some much needed game time. A particular defensive highlight was a quarterback sack by new LB Luke Townsend, which annoyed the QB and caused him to hit a Cuda player in the helmet – a 15-yard penalty. The team continued to fight on both sides of the ball, but was unable
to produce anything of value. A late punt was blocked close to the Cuda goal line, giving the Royals great field position to get their first score of the game. It came on 4th down with a throw out wide, which was hauled in by the receiver despite some strong defensive pressure. 21-6 Cuda. The final whistle went with the score line a fair reflection of the game. Both teams will go back into training with plenty to improve on before their next match-ups next weekend. MVP, McDowell was pleased with the team’s all round performance, ‘the O-line did a great job today making it easy for the running game to function and Jack to complete some good throws. The defense also chipped in with some huge plays. We have a lot to work on still, but that was a great start.’
The Bristol Barracudas will next be at home on Sunday 2nd December. The play Plymouth at Clifton College sports ground, sponsored by Armasec Security
Boost for Bristol Women’s Slogging it at Sodbury Slog Rugby start the season with a big hit on and off the field David Stone Sport Editor
to attract to the club. In total 29 came to play in the match which is the largest number of players I think the club has ever attracted. This year has seen a massive influx of new players for us and Women’s Rugby will only continue to grow at Bristol and nationwide.’ Bristol Women’s 1sts next home match is against Southampton on the Wednesday 28st November.
Alice James
The University of Bristol Women’s Rugby Club recently recorded an historic victory over Plymouth in their first BUCS match of season, thrashing them by a convincing score of 63-22. The win, their first for over a year, is hopefully an indication
of things to come as Club Captain Katie Abbott explained. ‘After last season, which was slightly embarrassing, this victory meant a lot to the whole club. You can only imagine how happy we were!’ UBWRFC’s successes this year are however not just limited to the pitch. ‘The biggest achievement for us so far is arguably the number of girls we’ve been able
The squad in it’s fancy dress finery
Alice James Sports Reporter
UBWRFC
On Remembrance Sunday a coach full of Bristol University Cross Country Club runners dressed as Angels and Devils headed for Chipping Sodbury to take part in the 13th annual Sodbury Slog. Once the current students had finished stapling tinsel to white T-shirts and the Alumni had plastered themselves in a sufficient amount of red body paint we took part in a quick warm up led by ‘Terry the Tornado’, who opted for Gangnam Style as his opening track. After listening
to the Last Post and observing the 11:00 two minutes silence the race gun sounded. The Sodbury Slog essentially involves 9 miles of navigating mud pits, boggy fields and wading through streams with the occasional half a mile of solid ground thrown in for good measure. Perhaps the most impressive obstacle was the waist-deep ‘sheep dip’, requiring a pair of burly men and some rope at the far end the help competitors haul themselves out. The weather was kind, but that didn’t stop us all emerging looking as though we had suffered a faceplanting incident at a pig farm.
The nature of the race was well summed up by the area marked ‘Trainer Graveyard’ at the finish line. Bristol University current students and Alumni had some fantastic finishing times - with Oli Mott winning the Senior Men’s category and Steve Mitchell and Steve Francis crossing the line in joint 3rd place. In the Senior Women’s category Hilary Mott, Phillipa Williams and Hannah Pollack finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Overall the Cross Country Club had a fantastic time at the Slog and celebrated in the evening with a hearty feast at Pizza Provencale.
Epigram
19.11.2012
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Medals on show at Bristol Reds evening As the University’s past and present elite athletes gathered, Law graduate and bronze-medal winning hockey star Georgie Twigg spoke exclusively to Epigram Sport about the High Performance Squad, student life at Bristol and her highlights of London 2012 Laura Lambert Deputy Sport Editor
“
The whole success of all the GB athletes bred success in all the others
”
So, how did she marry student living with professional sport? Well, during her first two years she admits she ‘didn’t know that London [2012] was on the horizon at all’ and was therefore able to enjoy university life. It was only at the end of her second year that she was called up to the GB Senior Squad, and reveals that although she has
Rupert Hill
21 year old Georgie Twigg is living proof that you can be an elite athlete and graduate from a top class university. But it soon becomes clear that Bristol did more for her than we expected. She is effusive in her praise of the High Performance Squad system. Not only did they give her access to physio and medical support, they also assigned her a mentor who provided the link between herself and the University. All of her tutorials were moved to a Friday, so she could train all week and just come back to Bristol on a Friday and says ‘I don’t think many universities would do that, so it’s nice to come back here and say thank you’. Twigg is the first to appreciate how fortunate she was in also being allowed to split her final year in two, as it enabled her to train full-time with the GB squad and complete her degree.
‘made some sacrifices along the way’ her friends have always been very understanding of her sporting commitment. As the youngest member on a 28-strong squad, when did it dawn on her that 2012 was a realistic possibility? ‘Honestly, it was about New Year!’ It was only during the Champions Trophy in Argentina this January that Twigg felt she was putting herself in a good enough position to be selected for 2012, as she had previously only been focusing on Rio 2016. Considering the majority of TeamGB don’t have university degrees to their name, Twigg explains why young athletes should follow the path she took. ‘Well especially from my point of view, with regards to hockey, you’re not going to make a living out of playing hockey unfortunately!’ Not only did Twigg like having a balance between a sports career and the rest of her life, she realises that her career could be cut short at any moment by injury and she would need something to fall back on. Considering the range of sports represented, what was the interaction like between the TeamGB athletes? ‘I was actually quite surprised because it was really unified’. TeamGB was in 2 blocks, and sharing a medical and physio centre, and fondly remembers how close the whole squad was: ‘You don’t expect Mo Farah to be wishing you good luck in your next game but everyone in TeamGB wanted everyone else to do really well which was so nice’. Twigg suggests that the unity in the GB squad inspired the British athletes: ‘the whole
success of all the GB athletes bred success in all the others’. Almost three months since the Games ended, the athletes have had a chance to reflect on the Games and all will have their personal highlights. So what are hers? She initially says two, the opening ceremony, as ‘that was when it hit me that I was taking part in the Olympics’, and secondly ‘stepping out on the pitch for the first time, that was pretty special’. Almost as an afterthought she laughs as she remembers the one we were thinking of: ‘winning our bronze medal, yes that was up there as well’! So what is the future for
Georgie Twigg? ‘For me personally, I’m doing my LPC this year at law school and I’m doing it this year because we have a down period from GB training’. And even before that has ended in May next year Twigg will be back in full time training with the GB squad as they prepare for Rio. There is no doubt that however much she enjoyed London 2012, she is not taking her eye off the prize and would love to represent TeamGB at major championships in the coming years and the Olympics in 4 years’ time.
It was a night that fittingly celebrated Olympic success and toasted Bristol University’s current High Performance Squad. Set at the grand Marriott Hotel in the centre of Bristol, the university’s top athletes enjoyed an evening that both reflected on summer Olympic success whilst affording a look to the future. The evening featured amusing BBC and ITV journalist John Inverdale interviewing the three Bristol members of Team GB: silver medallist sailor Hannah Mills, women’s hockey bronze medallist Georgie Twigg and fourth place hurdler Lawrence Clarke. As an added bonus, former World Cup Rugby winner Josh Lewsey spoke about his life after rugby. No doubt an inspiring evening, and we wish all the current High Performance Squad members the best for the coming year. Rupert Hill
Time for Children’s TV show galore at O2 Academy SCORE David Stone Sport Editor It was again that time of the year when the residents of Clifton and Cotham make sure they’re home early with the doors locked securely. As the sun sets, windows are bolted and kebab vans light up. Once the moon has risen, hordes of scantily clad men and women are unleashed onto the streets all heading down Park Street towards that most sacred of club venues, the O2 Academy. It can only be Bristol SCORE. Once again the event was a roaring success. VP Sport and SCORE organiser Hannah Pollack was very pleased with proceedings. ‘It was such a fantastic sell-
out night. The sports executive were the face of the event and put in a great deal of work into the night (they even enjoyed a bit of stage dancing). So great to see a room full of Smurfs, Tarzans and Where’s Wally’sexactly what the first biggest sport social of the year should be about. Keep Wednesday 12th December free for the hotly anticipated Christmas SCORE!’ Here are a few of our favourite photos from the night. The rest can be found on the UBU: Sport and Health Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/ ubusport All photography by Alex Sheppard.
Epigram
19.11.2012
Sport
Editor: David Stone
Deputy Editor: Laura Lambert
sport@epigram.org.uk
deputysport@epigram.org.uk
@epigramsport
Inside Sport
Worcester bashed and battered by Bristol in big BUCS season opener
Team GB hockey player and Bristol Law graduate Georgie Twigg speaks to Epigram Sport about winning her bronze medal, her time at university and her sporting highlights.
Bristol University Sports Clubs and Societies relive their childhood memories at SCORE club night
Paul Beard
Maxwell Meuth Sports Reporter The Bristol Barracuda began their life as a BUCS team with a solid victory away to the Worcester Royals on Remembrance Sunday. Three touchdowns from man-of-thematch running back, Mike
McDowell, helped the Cuda to a 21-6 victory that was well deserved. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, both teams were looking to kick off their 2012/13 campaigns with victory and strong performances. Despite battling hard, quarterback Jack Scott and the rest of the offense were unable to make strong
inroads into the Worcester defense and were forced to punt. The Royals had similar luck on their first drive. It was now time for the Cuda to step through the gears and the offense duly obliged. Long outside runs from McDowell and solid catches on short pass plays from tight end Andrew Corbett helped to keep the ball
marching down the field. Mike McDowell finished the drive for the first score of the season with a short run down the middle following good work by the O-line. Kicker Daniel Moore added the PAT kick on a day that would see him finish with a 100% success rate. 7-0 Cuda.
Bristol City Football Club in trouble with yet another defeat
Next Issue: Interview with Olympic hurdling star Lawrence Clarke
Continued on Page 34
Another cracking fortnight of sport for the University Hockey Women’s 3rds destroy Swansea 19-0 in BUCS cup match!
Charles Knight
Chris Hartley
UBBC Rowing Coach Gordon Trevett with the cup
A cup celebrating the Varsity Boat Race Cup has been donated by Chris Hartley, who has been chair of the UBBC Alumni for the past 25 years. Inscribed with the Varsity Challenge winning captains and universities from 1996, it highlights the importance of sport for both Bristol and UWE universities.
UBRFC 4ths smash UWIC 32-6