February 2016 by Orbital Magazine

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Ben Tozer interviews

Paul Layzell

Boris Bikes at Holloway?

Crunch time for the EU? Disastrous Dating

+Valentine baking

4 AFFORDABLE & QUIRKY LONDON NIGHTS OUT

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF STUDENTS’ UNION ROYAL HOLLOWAY

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TABLET

THIS ISSUE

EDITOR Laura Denham DEPUTY EDITOR Holly Pyne SUBEDITOR Alice Mason NEWS Chloe Wright Louise Jones OPINION Abbie Cheeseman Tom Vaughan FEATURES Tomike Adeniji Imogen Lily Trinder LIFESTYLE Abigail Rebecca Turner Annie Pantry

NEWS

CHEATING SCANDAL

PAD FLOODING

FOI reveals epidemic of cheating across UK universities Further disruption at the private halls adjacent to the university

COMMENT

EU DEBATE

TERROR STEREOTYPE

A discussion of the potential effects of leaving the EU Are Terrorism and Islam becoming synonymous?

ARTS Michaelangelo J Fano Lis Carlton SPORT & SOCIETIES Lydia Macanovic OPERATIONS Hayley Ashworth PHOTOGRAPHY Saurav Chowdhury MARKETING Aakriti Gupta ADVERTISING Sasha Stone

FEATURES

LIFESTYLE

LITTLE WHITE LIES

ROHOROSCOPES

GO GREEN

FUDGE RECIPE

Is lying on you CV ethical?

What’s happening for Go Green week this week?

What do the stars have in store for you this month? Make your valentine a super sweet treat!

WEBSITE Dylan Maryk CO-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & MEDIA Brianna Middleton MacPherson

ADDRESS Media Suite, Students’ Union, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX TEL +44 1784 276 744 EMAIL editor@theorbital.co.uk WEBSITE theorbital.co.uk Cover Photography: Laura Denham

ARTS

SPORTS & SOCS

OSCAR PREVIEW

VEGSOC

IN THE HEIGHTS

VOLLEYBALL

Who has the best chance of scooping an Academy Award this year? A review of the new London musical

Why join one of Holloway’s newest societies? A mid-season review of RHUL’s Volleyball club

4 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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UK UNIVERSITIES CHEATING SCANDAL ver 50,000 university students have been caught cheating at UK universities over the last three years, new figures suggest. Freedom of information data obtained by the Times found that international students were the highest proportion of so called ‘cheaters’, with Students from outside the EU four times more likely to cheat in exams and coursework essays.

Of the 70 universities that provided data on the nationality of those students caught cheating, international students made up 35% of all cheating cases, despite making up only 12% of the student body. At Queen Mary, University of London, 75% of postgraduates found plagiarising were from abroad, a third of which were from China. However, the figures obtained from 129 UK universities revealed that only 362 students were dismissed due to cheating

allegations, making up just 1% of those found guilty of misconduct. Eleven institutions in total each found over 1,000 or more students guilty, with The University of Kent finding the highest number of student cheats, discovering 1,947 over the three year period. Although a high proportion of cheating involves plagiarising existing essays and coursework, the new figures have also revealed that there were at least five cases of impersonation found, where students arranged for someone other than themselves to sit their exam for them. There has also been a rise in the use of professional essay writers, widely available on the internet. Unregulated websites such as these charge huge amounts of money for essays, dissertations and model answers written by academics right up to doctorate level. One website, called ‘UK

WORST OFFENDERS

The university with the most cheating cases was Kent, followed by Westminster, Sheffield Halllam and Oxford Brookes.

Essays’, charges £839 for a 3000 word undergraduate essay graded as a first. Due to the rise in essay producing sites such as the one mentioned above, the data produced from the Times investigation is likely to be a vast underestimation of the true numbers of students not producing their own work, with cheating figures likely to be much higher than the figures suggest. Professor Geoffrey Alderman of the University of Buckingham said: “What I’d call type-1 plagiarism, copying and pasting, is on the wane because it’s so easy to detect. But my impression is that type-2 cheating, using a bespoke essay-writing service, is increasing.”

Alice Reynolds

February 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

FOUR-STOREY FLOODING

IN ‘THE PAD’ HALLS

Residents of the Egham private halls faced yet another disruption in the form of flooding across four floors of the accommodation block adjacent to the university

t midnight on the morning of 18th November 2015, a ruptured pipe on the third floor caused a four-storey flood to occur in block A of The Pad. The ruptured pipe, occurred in a cupboard on the third floor, then proceeded to flood the second, first and ground floors. Stuart Moore, Commercial and Marketing Director of CRM Management, the management company in charge of The Pad, said: “The fault which caused the leak has been traced to a 22mm pipe in a riser cupboard, with all similar joints being checked for similar faults”. The fire service attended the scene and it transpired the site was not secure, leading to a total-block evacuation. Affected individuals were moved to the common room for the rest of the night,

with all but one student, back in their room by 1pm. Upon arrival, the fiire service proceeded to shut off the water supply to the affected area, before isolating the electricity supply. The site on this particular night was not being guarded by the usual security services, but since the event, night-time security has been considerably stepped up. Students have expressed previous complaints over flooding occurring within The Pad, with one resident claiming: “Smaller-scale flooding has occurred on the site before, but not to this magnitude”. Furthermore, a review left on The Pad’s Facebook page left a 1 star review, due to “water shortages plus flooding twice a month”. As well as the flooding events, there have also been reports of overly sensitive fire alarms. The resident we spoke to also said, “When Pad 2 was built, the smoke

WORTH THE MONEY?

The flooding is simple the latest in a few cases of disruption for residents

alarms were placed directly above the hobs, so just the simplest of cooking would set them off. However, apparently they are being moved and last time I spoke to the landlord, I was assured I would never hear a fire alarm again except for a real emergency”. Despite the flooding affecting four floors of The Pad, Stuart stated: “All students affected were kept fully informed. At no point was any individual in physical danger.” With prices of rent for accommodation in The Pad from £9,690 to £15,300, it can only be hoped that these disturbances do not continue into 2016. Alice Reynolds

6 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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COLLEGE CARD ACCEPTED IN SU Students’ Union president, Nayab Cheema, has announced that you can now pay with your college card in the SU building

O OUTRAGE OVER

DSA CUTS

The universities minister, Jo Johnson, has revealed plans to cut Disabled Students’ Allowance for the next academic year n December 2015 the government announced their plans to cut Disabled Students’ Allowances, which will see universities having to foot a large share of the bill instead of the Department of Education.

DSA is currently used to fund a range of supportive measures, from providing dedicated assistants for disabled students to specialist equipment to help students get around campus and study effectively. The new measures will still allow DSA to cover the costs of some areas, including the provision of guides for the visually impaired, however, specialist technology

and accommodation and the provision of note-takers will cease to be funded. Disabled Students’ Allowance spending has, according to Universities Minister Jo Johnson, increased significantly, rising by 44% to £145 million between 2009 and 2013. The cuts will reportedly save the government around £30 million. However our Students’ Union Disabled Student’s representative, Molly Coulthard, said that “The government has not listened to student feedback, and these cuts will make higher education a less accessible place for disabled students. This is discriminative, and an appalling way to treat current and future students.”

n the 11th January, president of the Students’ Union, Nayab Cheema, revealed that College cards are now an accepted form of payment in the students’ union building.

Students will be able to use their college card to pay for food in Tommy’s Kitchen and for drinks during SU function nights until midnight, providing they have not crept into their £2 overdraft. The new measures see Nayab ticking off another of her manifesto points, she said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to bring in this change. When running for election this was a key part of my manifesto and was based on the views of students I consulted with at the time. I’m certain that the use of college cards across our venues will have a positive impact on students’ experience while at Royal Holloway.” The change to payment methods comes following recent improvements to the Tommy’s Kitchen area of the SU which has seen an increased number of seating areas and the installation of a new kitchen in response to student-led feedback about the venue.

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

February 2016

EGHAM NEWS BITES

EGHAM PREZZO NEW CHURCH ASSAULTS RE-OPENS BUILDING

The first incident is believed to have happened on St Judes Road at 3:30am where a woman was approached by three men. Following this, another woman was approached at 6:30am by men in the area of Rusham Road. The suspects of both incidents are described to be white men, in their late teens or early twenties, and wearing dark hoodies.

n the 13 November 2015 the Italian restaurant, Prezzo – located on Egham Hill roundabout - reportedly caught fire. The blaze proceeded to make its way to the lower level, where customers would typically dine. The fire which occurred at 5:45am, had five fire engines sent to deal with the blaze, although it was reportedly put out by around 7:30am. Not only had the fire not resulted in severe delays for at least half an hour for motorist on Egham Hill and along the A30, but also meant the restaurant had to be shut until further notice.

On 17th January, Murilo Lopez Dacosta, 26, of Caddy Close in Egham was charged with attempted rape, threats to kill and possession of an offensive weapon. Further updates can be found at: theorbital.co.uk

After being closed for several weeks, fire damage has been fixed, necessary refurbishments installed and business for Prezzo has resumed to normal, just in time for the start of term and return of Holloway students.

Holly Pyne

Anna Robinson

hree men were arrested after the attempted sexual assaults of two women in their thirties in the early hours of 15th January.

he second phase of building work at Egham’s parish church has begun, after completion of the foundations of the new building in late 2015.

The building work is part of the church’s Building for the Future project and since early 2015 builders have been working on site to demolish the old church centre, readying the site for the building of a new centre to meet the needs of the church and community. Work was also required on the original Georgian church building to create the foundations of the new link between this and the complementary modern extension. The building is due to be open for use in early 2017.

Beth Carr

To read the full versions of these articles head to our website theorbital.co.uk

8 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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CRUNCH TIME Alexander Balkan discusses the potential economic and social benefits of Britain choosing to leave the European Union

Alexander Balkan Chairman of Young Independence London and studies Politics and IR

At thirteen, I became a political activist. My central motivation always being Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union and the redevelopment of effective trade relations with the rest of the world. Back then, I was bombarded with view that the EU is naturally a force for good. But year after year, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Greece fell under the whip of the monolithic superstate - and only then did they start questioning their preconceptions.

But as a rebellious teenager, what really struck me was other young people’s misunderstanding of the explicit purpose of the EU project, and what it has done to the identity, democracy and global standing of the UK and other great European countries. What’s more, the project clearly undermines the interests of working men and women and yet, is defended by

So let’s get rebellious - really rebellious, in the knowledge we might actually win something this time.”

“

the very politicians who claim to defend the working classes. Some may tell you Britain needs the EU to survive economically and departure would mean isolation. However, tables have turned since 1975; Europe needs us more than we need them. Britain is now forecast to be the third largest economy in the world, beating France and Germany, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research being largely down to independence from an ailing Eurozone. Students spend a lot of time protesting for “Free Education!” with the abolition of tuition fees. Savings from leaving the EU would make that, and other investments, a very rational possibility. So let’s get rebellious - really rebellious, in the knowledge we might actually win something this time. For freedom and prosperity, leaving the EU is that best choice for Britain, and I urge you to read and watch on as much of the debate as possible. Debates and discussions will be held across campus from now to the referendum, and I recommend attending these to develop your understanding further. You choose who governs Britain - a choice between the people and some bloke in Brussels. The UK political system may have its problems but we at least have choices within it. Our only choice on the EU comes up on referendum day.

February 20165

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

FOR THE EU Holly Pyne argues why Great Britain should remain within the European Union for the sake of the safety of economic and social freedoms It is always more difficult to defend an institution that already exists rather than suggest hypothetical alternatives that may or may not be more successful. In recent years, the European Union (EU) has come Holly Pyne under scrutiny, as any large Holly is Deputy organisation is likely to, and Editor and studies arguments have begun to Modern History and surface in favour of leaving the Politics EU. The argument in favour of remaining in the EU is not one detailing the EU as the “perfect institution” but rather that it is the better option. The Single Market is the most debated element of the EU that is constructed from four ‘freedoms,’ which are goods, services, people and capital. The Centre for British Influence Through Europe, in July 2015, described the Single Market is the UK’s largest trading partner because half of all the UK’s trade is with other EU countries. The Confederation of British Industry, which represents 190,000 businesses employing 7 million people, publicly supports remaining in the EU.

The argument in favour of remaining in the EU is not one detailing the EU as the “perfect institution” but rather that it is the better option.”

“

The European Union is especially influential for students as ProEuropa highlights that the UK is the second largest beneficiary of EU research funds that provide essential income for our universities. Furthermore, the free movement of people allows for increased opportunities for students to study abroad and in 2012-13, more than 14,500 UK students took part in the EU’s Erasmus student exchange scheme. There remains support for staying in the EU, which increases if reform is a possibility. In OpenEurope’s poll, commencing 11th January, suggested that if Cameron secures all his negotiations, 65% of voters would choose to stay in the EU. The statistic indicates that remaining within the EU, and reforming the existing structure, is the preferred option for many within the UK.

10 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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Not all Muslims are terrorists, so why do we think that all terrorists are Muslim?

Millie Pyne discusses how terrorism is becoming synonymous with the Islamic faith ight? Western media seem to think that the word ‘terrorist’ is interchangeable with the word ‘Muslim’, with no one seeming to question the validity of this. This assumption is leading to a whole religion being demonised. An example of this, is how after the Paris attacks, there were calls for British Muslims to condemn the extremists publicly. While, I’m sure, British Muslims condemn terrorism, it is not reasonable to demand they state this publicly, in the same way it is not expected that Christians should publicly condemn the attacks.

It isn’t just our media that is churning these lies, but our politicians too. Nigel Farage stated that British Muslims have a ‘split of loyalties’ between the ‘British way of life and the conservative strains of the religion’. But this surely implies that every Muslim is vulnerable to extremism and are, therefore, capable of committing these monstrous acts. There also has been the development of ‘Pegida UK’ which is a UK branch of a German anti-immigration party. The new leader of Pegida UK, Tommy Robinson, has called on the government to ban all Muslim immigration to the UK for five years, and wishes to impose a five-year ban on the

construction of any mosque in the UK. Although Robinson was born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, he could also be referred to as the Donald Trump of the UK. Don’t lose all faith in humanity – the group has also been criticised as having “prejudice, coldness, even hatred in their hearts” showing at least some of us realise the evil nature of the organisation. The reason we have this depiction that all terrorists are Muslim could be a result of how we never refer to white mass murderers as terrorists. After the massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, the shooter, Dylann Roof, was referred to as ‘a lone wolf’ or ‘crazy’, ignoring his blatantly racist agenda to perpetrate an act of terrorism. The refusal to accept that a white, Christian man could be a terrorist is not only shocking but delusional as, according to the FBI, the majority of domestic terrorist attacks in the United States are committed by white, male Christians. Let us not forget that the IRA killed over 1800 people in the 1960s through their terrorist attacks and they were Catholics. IS terrorists are certainly not the first group to exploit religion to justify evil actions.

WORST OFFENDERS

It is important to remember that while not all Muslims are terrorists, not all terrorists are Muslim either.

So what exactly is the issue with this assumption? In addition to it being blatantly racist and putting nothing but hatred out into the world, these views can actually have quite serious consequences. When we ostracise a whole religious group, we are suggesting that 2.7 million people are all the same and think all of the same things because of their religion. It is doubtful that people would make the same broad generalisation with the 33.3 million Christians in the UK. This promotes the ignorant belief that people who have nothing in common except faith, somehow share the same mind. These negative opinions also mean that young vulnerable Muslims are rejected by society making them more susceptible to radicalisation by these terrorist organisations. It is important to remember that while not all Muslims are terrorists, not all terrorists are Muslim either.

Millie Pyne

February 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

THE ‘B’ WORD Amy Livermore discusses the backlash those who identify as bisexual are facing ‘Bi-erasure’ is the reduction of bisexuality to merely a ‘phase’ or even denying its existence as a valid sexual orientation. It is an extremely harmful and increasingly prevalent ideology. Orbital spoke to Josephine Chick, President of LGBT+ at Royal Holloway who defined bi-erasure as “a behaviour that attempts to wipe out the experience of bisexual people for not fitting into the binaries of straight/gay”.

Now, a friendly reminder that there is nothing wrong with labelling yourself as bisexual, and then later realising that another sexual identity fits better! Sexuality is fluid and can change a little or completely as you grow as a person, much like any other aspect of a human’s identity. However, while for some people the time they identify as a bisexual may indeed be transitory, that does not mean that bisexuality isn’t a real or valid sexual orientation. Bi-erasure can have lasting mental repercussions, with bisexuals often ranking among the highest rates of depression, self-harm and anxiety within the LGBTQA+ community. It is easy to see why when they face judgment or erasure at every turn. Bisexuals are often called ‘greedy’, ‘not gay/straight enough’. The last time I checked, the definition of bisexuality didn’t involve a lack of belief on monogamy, and you certainly did not need to qualify for being straight or gay. ‘Gay, straight or lying’ is bi-phobic; reducing bisexuals to ‘confused’ or ‘liars’ is harmful. Bisexuals are one of the least represented sexualities in the media, barring asexual, On the off chance a bisexual is represented, the B word is never explicitly used and the character is eventually revealed to have been straight or gay ‘really’ all along. Usually once a bisexual person starts a relationship, their partners gender is the determining factor on how others refer to their sexuality: a bi woman starting a relationship with another woman is immediately labelled a lesbian, not a bisexual. Likewise, if a bisexual woman were then later to get involved with a man she would become labelled as straight, her bisexuality once again erased, probably with a dismissive comment about her ‘bi/lesbian-phase’. All in all, human sexuality is a complicated thing, which we are only just beginning to understand, and generally as a society, accept. Therefore, it is important to think about the effect dismissal can have on the lives of people around you. While people should not be defined by their sexuality, it is still a part of their identity which is being erased, and denied. In order to speak of our society as ‘modern’, it should be imperative that we view all sexuality as a valid life choice. To denigrate and undermine any sexual choice is to misunderstand the transitory nature of sexuality and impede society-wide understanding of sexuality.

Amy Livermore

‘Bi-erasure’

Those who come out as bisexual are often face with critisms of being greedy or that it’s ‘just a phase’

12 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

theorbital.co.uk

s the job market is becomingly increasingly competitive, it is becoming harder to stand out to employers. Gaining experience and qualifications is often an essential requirement for candidates but exaggerating or completely fabricating your achievements is seen as a way out for many prospective employees. Despite lying on job applications being illegal, with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, 58% of employers claim to have caught an applicant lying on their CV. But why must people resort to lying to be considered suitable for a role that they have no experience in?

Of course, some embellishments are more serious than others – it is commonplace to make yourself seem as desirable as possible on a CV, but at what point do morals take over? Extreme fraud can cost employers a lot of money if the job is given to a candidate that is unqualified and has to be replaced. 51% of employers would automatically reject a candidate who they believe had lied on their application. However, there is more of a grey area when the consequences of a little white lie are less disastrous. It is true that not all of the skills and experience that are considered for a position are even necessary for the role, and in some cases a full CV will not put you at any advantage over someone with little experience in terms of ability to do the job. How hard is it today to tick all the boxes and be the ‘right man for the job’? To get ahead of the crowd you need experience, but to get experience you need experience. This paradox is particularly unhelpful for people trying to break into a new industry, such as recent graduates. As the number of people who go to university now compared with to 20 years ago has increased exponentially, the value of a degree has decreased in response. Is it necessary to have a string of letters after your name to set yourself apart from the rest? No – but it certainly helps. This is why many have taken the all-too-easy shortcut and fabricate qualifications and experience. It is easy to blame employees who lie their way into a job, but it is just as easy for employers to misrepresent the specificities of the role and the job prospects that they are advertising. And how much more likely would this be if jobs were less sought after and there were fewer candidates to pick and choose from? Dishonesty in the recruitment process is not stigmatised in the same way but if the job is not as expected, it could cause employees to further feel the need to embellish applications. In general, the view is that as long as you can actually do the job to the degree expected, it probably won’t be too detrimental to be a little creative. Keep the consequences in mind and remember, to not tell the whole truth is to base your employer-employee relationship on a lie. Neglecting to mention how your life-changing work experience was actually only four days in Year 10 at your uncle’s office, could set yourself at a disadvantage in the future.

Natasha Phillips

ARE YOU ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH?

February 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

THE PERILS OF THE ALL NIGHTER

Beth Carr on why we need to stop the habit of staying up all night

t’s 3am on a Wednesday night and campus is buzzing. But it’s not the SU that’s full: it’s the library. Not so much buzzing with activity but with caffeine. This is a picture of end of term deadline season and it’s worrying to think about.

A second year historian floats into her sixth consecutive all-nighter. An MA student spends 50 hours awake to complete an essay and falls asleep in the SU. Even first years don’t escape the lure of skipping sleep in order to complete work on time. Third years in the midst of dissertations keep the quietest about their essay writing habits, but with the increasing trend of squeezing work into the night before the due date, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them do this too. Why do we do it? Peer-pressure plays a key part – library sessions are

increasingly being shared as a group activity, and it always seems better when other people are doing the same thing as you. Part of it is the deadlines, which can pile up even with the best time management. Even the back gate must have some bearing on the trend – if you’re in the library past 1am and live in Egham, you’re destined to stay until at least 6am.

It’s counter-productive in the long run too. If you stay up all night, what you learn is unlikely to enter your long-term memory. Your brain works during sleep to ‘store’ the day’s memories and integrate them with others, which could give you an insight into the tricky parts of your assignment. Plus it often takes days to get back into a usual routine after being up all night.

This all-nighter culture has some concerning consequences- think about the last time you tried to do anything on barely any sleep. It’s hard to concentrate, so any lectures or seminars will be a write-off. Forget about trying to recharge with a nap, your body clock will be messed up and although you will probably manage to stay awake, you’ll feel lousy. Your brain will be messed up too, the effects likened to being anxious: loss of judgement and sociability.

Maybe you see all-nighters as an integral part of the university experience. Maybe you’ve been driven to working through the night by the sheer number of deadlines thrust upon you at once. Or maybe you just drifted into the trend, but please, for the sake of your health, make a change this term and get some much needed sleep.

Beth Carr

14 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

BORIS BIKES AT HOLLOWAY?

Go Green Week 2016 The week January 25th- 29th is Go Green Week and as a university we will be highlighting and putting a spotlight on the environment. The goal is to see if we as a student body can change our behaviour and see if energy and water usage decrease. Throughout the week there will be debates and information on how we as students can get involved in issues such as the problem of consumption. On Tuesday there will be a social enterprise night which will highlight career opportunities in the sustainability sector, and Friday there will be an SU night called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lights Outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, themed around reducing energy usage. The Surf Club is taking leadership by fundraising money for Surfers against Sewage by drinking just water for the whole of January. If you would like to get involved then please donate money to the Surf Club through their JustGiving Page.

Ben Tozer, Ethics and Environment Officer

theorbital.co.uk

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

February 2016

hey’re one of the most successful additions to London’s transport options, and soon a ‘Boris Bike’-style bike sharing scheme may be heading to Royal Holloway. We spoke to Izabela Pawlic, one of the students who is currently pioneering the scheme here at Holloway, to find out what it’s all about and how likely it is we’ll see the bikes at our university in the future. What is the NextBikes scheme all about? NextBike is a German company that specialises in developing and operating public bike-sharing schemes around the

around the campus itself as required. Plus when becoming a NextBike customer we are able to use bikes not only in the UK but anywhere we are in the world. How far along in the planning stages is the scheme at Royal Holloway? The project is run by five Royal Holloway students: Megan Karlshøj-Pedersen, James Raven, Izabela Pawlic, Mikko-Waltteri Sihvola and Selina Pascale. With help and support from the Students’ Union, NextBike UK and a representative from the College. We have been working on this project since October 2014 and we are pleased to announce that our proposal and the proposal written by the representative from college have had a positive reception from the College’s Executive Committee

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We are hoping that we will be able to see the bikes on campus within the next few months to a years time. world, currently on 3 continents and over 16 countries. NextBike UK has its headquarters in London and it provides public bikesharing schemes in many of cities and universities in UK. Some of the locations include: Bath, Bristol, Glasgow, Stirling and Warwick University. It is the only company that offers a unique public bike-sharing schemes which are individually designed to all of the universities. How would it benefit students at Royal Holloway? NextBike rental bikes are available 24/7. Bicycle users are normally obtained through a subscription system, where each bike is locked to either itself or to a rental station. As part of an agreement with the universities or students’ unions, students and staff are given a package of free memberships and rental rates are set individually to each university. Students and staff have access to any of the bikes in their city with additional stations installed on and

NextBikes

The team responsible for launching the campaign hope to see the bikes on campus very soon

who have now appointed two members from Campus Services who are currently writing a business case to be submitted to College’s Planning & Resources committee. If approved there it will be tendered out, the contract awarded and funded. Which is still a long way ahead of us but we are hoping to hear from the Campus Services soon and we are hoping that we will be able to see the bikes on campus within the next few months to a year time! How can students get involved with the project? We would love for more students to get involved in advertising our Facebook page, RHUL NextBikes, where we post updates about our project but also other bikerelated stories as well as information about Nextbike and other universities that have implemented the scheme. During this term we are also going to run a campaign called #bikes4bears to raise awareness of our project, get more people talking and to like our Facebook page; and to enable students to share their opinions about the scheme but also to find out how and why they would use it. More details about the campaign will be available soon on our Facebook page.

16 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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USA COLLEGE GUN THREAT

Katherine Gorman spent a term studying History at Royal Holloway. Last month her US college was closed after parents reported that their son had retrieved a gun from their home and went missing. Beth Carr spoke to her about the situation and the steps taken by the College’s leadership.

ashington College is quite a small community, did you choose it because it was likely to be safer than somewhere bigger in a more urban location? Yes, I thought Chestertown would be safer than Baltimore or DC since it’s surrounded by farms. Since my first year there in 2012 there have been a few reports of armed robbery near campus but nothing more serious. Most of the gun crime seems to occur in the cities where the gangs are. How did you and those around you react? When the first alert was sent I thought Public Safety would quickly find and arrest the gunman and the issue would be resolved in a few hours. I was also half-asleep so I didn’t think much about it. Even when the campus was on lockdown I wasn’t that worried. Jacob was in one of my classes so I certainly didn’t feel comfortable leaving my room but that was the only time I felt afraid. It was rumoured that he was angry with his fraternity brothers because he was kicked out of the fraternity a few weeks earlier: since I have no connection to that fraternity and my dorm is not close to the frat houses I felt pretty secure. Some students were so afraid that they hid in the bathroom for a while but I think most people were more surprised than afraid. The college was closed for the

majority of a week because of the incident, plus Thanksgiving break, do you think they took the right action? Public Safety and the police department did a fantastic job of protecting us and keeping us informed of the situation as it was progressing. I think the college made the right decision to close. Campus shootings have unfortunately become more common in the United States over the past two decades so it was better to stay on the safe side. I think students and parents felt more relieved when the college closed too. I give Jacob’s parents a lot of credit for alerting the college in the first place since that phone call was probably one of the hardest ones they had to make. I’m not sure any parent wants to believe that their child would kill his classmates but, due to the increased number of campus shootings, they made the right decision. What advice would you give to anyone who is worried about gun crime, especially students considering spending part of their degree studying in the US? If students are worried about gun crime when studying in the US, they should learn a little more about the school they would be attending and the area the school is located in. Whether you are in downtown Detroit or a small town in a rural area, don’t walk anywhere at night by yourself. I think most colleges and universities

DESTRUCTION

The death toll reached above 90,000 and over 138,000 people were injured in 2005.

have lockdown and evacuation plans if they would ever need to use them. When I entered my college as a freshman I received a card with instructions for responding to a gun threat, and these can probably be found online. Campus shootings can happen anywhere and they seem to be reported more in the media but they are still not that common. Like any act of crime they are something to be aware of but not to be worried about. We still attend class each day worrying more about completing our assignments than anything else.

Beth Carr

February 2016

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A HOME FROM HOME

Choosing a house to live in is a daunting task, especially after the comfortable safety of university halls, where the worst that can happen is someone stealing your milk. he first thing you have to know is that estate agents will try and pressure you to put money down. They’re a business and you’re a customer, just make sure you’re clued up and savvy about it! There are a lot of estate agents and private landlords in Egham and Englefield Green, ask around for people’s experience of them before you commit and make sure you feel comfortable with who’s managing your property, otherwise, a year can feel like a long time.

The second, and possibly most important thing, about second or third year housing is your housemates. How would you actually feel about living half a centimetre from your guitar-playing bestie at 3am for 52 consecutive weeks? Think about the type of people you want to live with, in regards to cleanliness, noise level, reliability and practicality. If you’re looking for a relaxed house with plenty of booze, parties and pizza, perhaps don’t opt to share with someone who doesn’t want that kind of living environment, despite how well you get on.

Thirdly, couples. The enemy of house sharing. My advice for any couples thinking of sharing a house next year, quite simply, is don’t. It may sound harsh, and as much as it’s understandable that couples want to stay together, it doesn’t always end well. Not for either person, their friends, or the other housemates. This isn’t to say it will always be a complete disaster, some couples manage to live together and maintain and respect one another’s privacy, personal time, studies and friends while living together… it’s just not worth the risk. Even if you choose to live in the house next door, having your own space is irreplaceable. Save time, money, hassle and a lot of stress by living with people other than your girlfriend or boyfriend. Also think about the length of your contract. If you don’t need to tenancy to start in July, remember you’ll be paying for the house even while it’s unoccupied over the summer. Choose a tenancy agreement which suits you and your other house mates. If you’re an international student think about where you will store your stuff when

you’re out of the country, do you need the tenancy to start before term? Renting storage is also an option, just make sure you know when you will need to do so. Another big part of off-campus renting is the room logistics. Make sure every housemate has physically seen the house and their prospective room, or you could end up with a few tantrums. Consider who will need or want a double bed opposed to a single bed, those long-term relationship types may have a double bed high on their priority list. Someone else looking for a cheap and basic room may not mind a single bed in a smaller room, but you have to talk to everyone and make sure their needs are met. Lastly, look at the houses properly. It is an exciting venture but try and remain level headed. Check window sills for mould, check the bathroom for damp, do the locks work? A few household disasters will be inescapable, all you can do is make sure the house is in a good functioning state when you view it.

Imogen Trinder

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IZZY BIZU Jess Hines talks us through the beautiful performance that Izzy Bizu shared with the students of Royal Holloway and the interview that took place shortly after... he atmosphere at Crosslands was cosy and calm. Laughter danced in the air, as the equipment was set up and the cameras began rolling as 21 year-old singer-songwriter Izzy Bizu crooned into the microphone a little; soundcheck. Her velvet voice quickly drew the attention of the entire room, students turned in their seats as their eyes were lured to the front. Izzy warned the audience she’d only just woken up, tired after performing twice already that day in different locations, for her university Coffee House tour. Her voice however was so powerful, so strong yet it appeared to flow effortlessly from her lips as she began her set. A little over an hour later, following a final round of applause, Izzy agreed to sit down with me and share some of her secrets behind her work.

The young artist was friendly and relaxed as she shared with me some of her writing methods and inspirations.

The White Tiger singer described herself as ‘a bit of a loner’ growing up in vibrant and busy London but very much in her own bubble. The key element in her music is poetry, ‘I liked it, it was nice, private’ she explained, smiling. When I asked her how she set about writing she told me how she considered it more like writing poetry, she’d write haikus and other poems that she would sing on top of piano to form a song. Izzy cited spontaneity as a key element in her creative process, claiming, as many of us know, that inspiration can come at the most unusual of times. She gave me an example of being at a party when an idea struck, ‘I’d run off to the toilet to write and then come back to it later’. An artist’s creative process is always unique to the individual, however it is not unusual to notice a poet, writer or musician breaking away from the crowd to scribble down an idea in their notebook. ‘I write about everything, I can’t sit down and focus on one idea. So for example,

RISING STAR

Izzy recently visited Royal Holloway for the coffee house sessions tour

inspiration can be drawn from a sticky situation, weird things I might notice at a party. I write about people, it’s kind of like writing a diary, only when it is presented in the form of music it’s judged less.’ With heavy blues and jazz influences ubiquitous in the music accompanying her incredible voice, Izzy cited artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Erica Badu, Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Curtis Mayfield as some of her greatest inspirations. It’s impossible to stay still while listening to this woman sing, as I watched her perform in Crosslands not one person could resist bopping or swaying their head, tapping their feet, all eyes transfixed on the singer. New single ‘What Makes You Happy’ out now.

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

February 2016

ROHOROSCOPES

What have the stars got in store for you this month? Our resident mystic Annie Pantry predicts your life at Holloway for the next four weeks.

Scorpio 23rd October

– 21st November

Love: A close friend becomes more than just a friend to you. Keep an eye out. Travel: Go to Virginia Water for a relaxing walk. Study: This month will be a breeze. You’re on top of your assignments, good job!

Sagittarius 22nd November

– 21st December

Love: Your crush has finally noticed you but go steady, you don’t want to look crazy. Travel: If your flat becomes too much then visit a friend. Study: No matter how tempted you are to watch Netflix you need to stop procrastinating.

Aquarius – 18th February

Pisces

Love: Don’t be scared to ask someone out for once or to send the first text. Travel: Time to visit the gym and work off some holiday weight. Study: With the deadlines in sight you need to crack down but don’t but too much pressure on yourself.

Taurus

Gemini

Leo

Virgo

20th January

Love: Enjoy being single for now, time to focus on you. Travel: You’re planning a trip with friends. You want to experience some culture. Study: Grab your books and head to Imagine, the new scenery will do you good.

20th April – 20th May

Love: You’re off to a sizzling start. You’ve got the attention of your crush! Travel: Travel home for a weekend, you need a hug from your mum. Study: Time to do that revision you’ve been putting off.

23rd July – 22nd August

Love: It’s a tad quiet for you this month. Be patient and the right person will come along soon. Travel: Time to plan your summer trip. Maybe even a Birthday bash abroad. Study: I know the 9ams are a drag but you might learn something new! Besides, you can always go to back to bed when it’s over.

19th February – 20th March

21st May – 20th June

Love: You’ve hit a grinding halt. Either it’s not working out or you need to spice it up a bit. Travel: Go and check out Windsor, it’s beautiful at this time of year. Study: Prove your seminar leader wrong! Improve and smash this next essay!

23rd August

- 22nd September

Love: You’re completely smitten with someone but it’s time you told them how you feel. Travel: Grab some friends and head to Egham for a well needed coffee. Study: Spending some time in the library will do you some good this month.

Capricorn

Aries

22nd December – 19th January

Love: You’re not feeling the love bug, but don’t worry mum is a phone call away. Travel: You find yourself with spare time, maybe pop into town. Study: Your main focus is your social life but don’t forget to go over those all-important lecture notes.

21st March – 19th April

Love: If a relationship or prospective partner inspires you to feel adventurous, do it! Travel: This is a great time to meet some promising contacts while you’re out and about. Study: Take a break from all those deadlines, you deserve it.

Cancer

Libra

21st June – 22nd July

Love: Put yourself out there! You might get rejected but you also might get a cheeky coffee in Crosslands. Travel: You’ve missed the city! Have a shopping day in London. Study: Take a break and look at it with fresh eyes.

23rd September – 22nd October

Love: That person you’ve made eyes with across the SU is waiting for you to make your move. Now’s the time. Travel: You’re happy staying put on campus for now. Study: You’re worried about all the work due but don’t worry your new study buddie will help.

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LOVE IS IN THE AIR RE-CREATING THE ICONIC KISS Fashion society helped re-create the famous ‘Time Square kiss’ for Valentines day

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

February 2016 onsidering the fact that Valentine’s is fast approaching, the Lifestyle team is focusing on dating and love; as we know how hard it can be to find someone when you’re swamped with work. Therefore, for this issue’s photoshoot we decided to recreate famous iconic images of love with real couples, just to prove it is possible to find someone at Royal Holloway.

We photographed Fashion Society’s president Grace Caro and her boyfriend, in the style of the renowned V-day Kiss in New York’s Time Square (1945). The original was photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt and portrays an American sailor kissing a woman (a nurse) in a white dress on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) in Times Square. It is so iconic because if taken from any other angle the lighting would hide either the sailor or the nurse.

“The Times Square kiss” not only shows love of country over a victory but also the romantic gesture of two complete strangers. Surely that symbolises how all love stories begin with two strangers, right? Even if you fall for your best friend you were strangers at some point. Our photoshoot consisted of the great Founder’s building of Royal Holloway acting as Times Square on a sunny Friday afternoon; with a simple white dress (provided by the Fashion Society) and a sailor costume (provided by the Savoy Opera) we were underway. Needless to say, as it was in December, this was a cold photo shoot but we still powered through and came out with some beautiful pictures that not only recreated the original image but also captured exactly what we wanted: love. I consider myself lucky to find a couple so loved up that they were happy to have us photograph their affection for each other.

Annie Pantry

3 WAYS TO SPEND VALENTINE’S DAY Valentine’s day is a day when love replaces oxygen, lovers rejoice under the moonlight and all objects on the street take the form of a heart. In spite of that for some, this is a day that closely resembles the black plague. Yes, Valentine’s day is defined by the presence of love, however it doesn’t specify the recipient of that love and who better to share that love than your best friend? Here are the top three things to do on Valentine’s day with your partner in crime: On top of the list has to be (wait for it) watch ’50 Shades of Grey’ or ‘Titanic’ obviously. Can it get any better than that? The choices are between watching porn (ahem I mean intellectually stimulating piece of literature turned into a moving picture) or a drama where the male protagonist dies.

Book a romantic escape somewhere exotic (no I’m not talking about Bristol or Kent) but somewhere like Rome or Paris and go hunting for the perfect rendezvous with a sexy Mediterranean stranger (no conversation comprehension is needed if you know what I mean..)

A much more affordable option is to have an amazing sleepover which transports you emotionally to when you were 12. A few essentials: a bottle (or three) of wine, a few seventeen magazines, a phone (for frank calls of course), nail varnish, face masks, and a blasting of The Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’ in the background.

Valentine’s day doesn’t dictate who, or most importantly, the kind of relationship you share with that person. Hopefully this valentine’s day prince Harry is going to show up at my doorstep with roses and a Tiffany ring, but in case that doesn’t happen, I have to admit an extremely close second to my prince charming is my best friend, because lets be honest, there is no greater love than the one you share with your best friend… or wine of course.

Loi Ianari

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SUPER SWEET FUDGE Valentine’s day is the perfect post-Christmas excuse to eat your own body weight in sugar! This recipe makes around 40 fudge cups and can also be frozen for up to 2 weeks after for that midweek pick me up. Jess Bantleman

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: A large microwavable bowl A fork, A tablespoon and a Teaspoon (if you even have this much clean cutlery around) Mini cupcake cases (I found these cute polka dot ones in TK Maxx, 100 for £2.50) 2 Bars of chocolate (I used white chocolate but any kind works) 1 Can of condensed milk

THE METHOD: STEP TWO Whilst the mixture is melting, place your mini cases onto a tray and spread out evenly. As I mentioned before, the mixture makes about 40 fudge cups. Once the mixture is melted, you will need to stir it all together, folding the mixture with a spoon. The mixture should be smooth and should form a slight film on top when wobbled.

STEP ONE Break up your chocolate bars into cubes and place in a microwavable bowl. Next, pour in the can of condensed milk and briefly mix through so most of the chocolate cubes are covered. Then, place the bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes, taking the mixture out every 30 seconds to stir through with a fork.

STEP THREE You will need to pour your mixture into the cases, using the teaspoon to scrape the mixture into each case. You can then decorate your fudge with whatever toppings you want! I used desiccated coconut and sprinkles, but anything from coco powder, to dried cranberries could work. Finally, you need to pop the tray of fudge cups into the fridge to cool for 2-4 hours.

February 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

Put yourself out there more – don’t be afraid to make the first move! What if someone else gets there before you?

Don’t underestimate the importance of social networking – and I don’t mean Tinder; how do you expect to find your perfect partner if you’re constantly hiding behind your phone?

Don’t be restricted by a particular ‘type’ – maybe there’s a reason it hasn’t worked out in the past.

Give people a chance – chances are, you were both as nervous as each other on your first date, so don’t be too hasty in refusing a second date. Yes, first impressions count, but don’t push people away too quickly.

10 DATING RESOLUTIONS

Be spontaneous – not everything needs to be meticulously planned; just go with the flow and see what happens!

If it doesn’t feel right, don’t force it. Do something you’ve never done before.

Call me old fashioned, but nothing beats a phone call – so many things can be misinterpreted via text, but picking up the phone is such a simple gesture that means a lot!

Be spontaneous – not everything needs to be meticulously planned; just go with the flow and see what happens!

Chatting up the SU bar staff is unlikely to get you a date, and even less likely to get you a free drink – don’t waste your time!

And if you’re already in a happy, committed relationship…don’t forget the Founder’s steps are a pretty romantic place to propose!

Jessica Wright gives you her dating tips for the new year

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DISASTROUS DATING our dating history is as smooth as Egyptian Whisky!”A friend commented last year and although my first reaction was to throw a tumbler full of Jack Daniels in his face I chose to laugh it off, as he was completely correct. I have thought about this comment at various moments over the past year and have come to conclusion that being a single girl at

university is nauseating and like a sour whisky the mouth goes numb and you want to spit it out and run. I have had a ‘date, I did not know was a date.’ He came round to my flat to cook for me, then spent two hours eating his food whilst dropping it into conversation that he was a virgin. The word awkward doesn’t even come close to describing the atmosphere, turning as red as the wine I wanted

my empty bowl to swallow me whole. On another occasion I went on a date with a guy who was so forceful, or desperate… I shall let you make your own judgement. But, I spent the next day at work wearing bright pink lipstick to hide my bruised lips! Who even knew lips could be bruised? I come from Leeds, which has recently been voted the best place to date whilst at university so you would think

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

February 2016

I would have better luck there. Not so! Although, the dating situation is better with more places to go and things to do than what there is in Egham, I have had some rather stomach-churning experiences there too. From ending up on a double date with a guy’s parents, after only a few weeks of dating, to falling out of trees. I’ve been caught in the middle of family domestics over Sunday lunch. Oh and not forgetting the infamous ‘bromances,’ where you do not know who is the third wheel and who is in the relationship. Sandwiched onto one side of four-seated picnic table my date literally had his cake and ate it, plus a side of cocktail sausage. Although the boys outside of university are not as “forward” as those in university, they have a lot of talk and that seems to be it. For most of the boys outside of uni rely on social media and so when it comes to showing their face they tend to have a media melt down and retreat to their computer chairs, shivering in fear at the thought of a face-to-face meeting. This inboxing and whatsapp war enables them to speak to many girls but then stop as quickly as they can swipe left on Tinder. They then brag to their friends in the pub at how many girls they have on the go, but do they really? For when all the bravado disappears it’s just a big-mouthed coward and his iPhone. “You have an ability to attract the mentally unstable!” another friend recently remarked after hearing about my somewhat turbulent summer of dating in Leeds. What I ask is: can dating at Royal Holloway (boys from university be smoother than dating those at home). So I put some lifestyle journalists and myself to this quest. Wiping the slate clean, as they say, I allowed myself to be set up. At university it went surprisingly well! He was normal and kind; a proper gentleman. Maybe I should not choose men in future as I pick the overly clingy or the media warriors. However, it went so smoothly that I obviously had to take charge to spice up the drama and sabotage myself. Deciding that I could win a wine drinking competition I ended

Wishing for sparkle, danger, and celebration yet comfort and safety, your perfect man, like your perfect drink, becomes a rare gem that takes many bars, pubs, cafés and gauche dinners to endure.”

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up passing out. So from angel to clown I fell into a mentally unstable stupor… Perhaps whisky is more my taste! On the other hand, one of the girls got to experience the full vulgarity of a whiskey sour. A, classy, bourbon musician who acted as sour as a jealous understudy, boasting about himself he refused to buy her a cup of tea. Now we are all for equality and take pride in making our own way but, for a guy to insist upon a date to impress then fail in simple, expected, etiquette screams awkward spoilt brat or is overcompensating… So at home can we have better luck? Unfortunately we found that when you return home from university everyone tends to know one another and gossip travels quickly. The boys in Yorkshire, I have found, tend to gossip more than the girls and so if you date someone, by the next morning their “bros” know everything that happened. More so than you! They cannot help but to get out their witches cauldron and start to mix. Suddenly the Whiskey Chaser becomes

more like a White Russian that lingers around mixed with the bitter sweet of knowing someone well but because of that there comes the baggage of everybody else and the ghosts of dating past. Being a single girl at university is a difficult bar to find oneself sat at, and the more sour shots you sample the more you wish to hold out for champagne. Even when you find a perfectly smooth wine or a classic cocktail you easily pick fault. Wishing for sparkle, danger, and celebration yet comfort and safety, your perfect man, like your perfect drink, becomes a rare gem that takes many bars, pubs, cafés and gauche dinners to endure. Although you may loose hope, you will always win a brilliant anecdote and for the most part a JD and coke to numb the embarrassment.

Abigail Turner

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FOUR AFFORDABLE & QUIRKY NIGHTS OUT If you’re prepared to venture into the capital, you don’t need us to tell you that there are hundreds of alternative nights out waiting for you, that don’t involve VKs and sticky dancefloors. So here are our top picks for affordable nights to try this February:

BINGO WITH A DIFFERENCE

H not to like?

ere me out on this one. Rebel Bingo take over bingo halls and nightclubs all over London putting on a show with ‘life-changing prizes and mountains of confetti’, according to their website they deem it to be ‘Bingo, but emotional’. So it’s basically bingo with clubbing thrown in, sounds like chaos, but there are plenty of chances to win some cash, so what’s

13th Feb | Camden Mecca Bingo | Tickets £12

FLIGHT CLUB f you haven’t already heard, darts are now cool. The destination for booze-up with your mates, the PDC world championship is becoming huge. Even I got sucked into in whilst watching the world championships over Christmas. But anyway, Flight Club is perhaps the coolest place to play darts in London, gone are the days of beer bellies, dodgy shirts and attempting to do a bit of mental maths. Here you can play over cocktails, with a slick systems to do the maths for you.

Open Mon-Sun | Shoreditch | £25 per board per hour

DRINK, SHOP & DO rink Shop & Do is a vintage-themed bar where you can get crafty and creative over cocktails. They put on craft classes from ‘building houses from toast’ to my personal favourite ‘Crazy in Love dance classes’ (you learn how to dance like Beyonce, in theory). They also offer sessions which include bottomless cocktails, so if you’re looking to pick up some new skills whilst having a cheeky drink, this place is for you.

Various dates | Kings Cross | Tickets from £10

LITTLE NAN’S TROPICAL DEN hink Pat Butcher or Del Boy embodied in a bar and you’ve arrived at Little Nan’s Tropical Den. It’s a hilariously kitsch set up that offers authentic Caribbean food and bottomless cocktails served in teapots. It’s pop-up so will only be around till the end of February, but fear not, it’s not bad value, with tickets costing £10 for some bottomless cocktail fun and unlimited pick n’ mix to the sound of the 80s.

Open Fri & Sat | Peckham | Tickets £10 for 2 hours

February 2016

REVIEW: WENDY & PETER Holly Pyne reviews the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Winter production endy & Peter Pan is an adaptation by Ella Hickson, from the novel by Jim Barrie, as it returned to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for their Christmas Production. The productions at Christmas always have a lighter feel to them than the usual Shakespeare plays, as they are directed at families, with previous successes including Dennis Kelly’s Matilda the Musical.

These productions have a reputation within the local area of Stratford upon Avon, often proving to be a great success and Wendy & Peter Pan is no different The production retains much of the original story, with one significant difference: Tom Darling. Tom Darling is a character created by Ella Hickson to embody the phrase, of death being “an awfully big adventure.” Tom is a created fourth child of the Darling’s who dies at the beginning of the play and from this is built an adventure for Wendy, and the others, to find their brother. While death is not a traditional topic for children’s plays, Wendy & Peter Pan is beautifully crafted so that the death is not dwelled upon, but rather the sadness is overcome. It was impossible to leave the theatre feeling anything but content and fulfilled. It is incredibly rare to go to a Royal Shakespeare performance and be encouraged to participate such as was the case with Wendy & Peter Pan. Something extra is added to a performance when you hear a cry of “NO!” from a small girl in the audience as Captain Hook tries to poison Peter Pan. From that little outcry to the audience clapping to bring Tinkerbell back to life, the Production balanced maintaining the attention of the children with the slickness of an RSC performance. One actor steals the show in this performance, as Arthur Kyeyune as the crocodile is perfect casting. His appearance is striking but it his movement across the stage that holds the audiences’ attention. It is fluid and animal-like and his embodiment of the crocodile is seamless. It would be impossible to do his performance justice in such few words, but the production is a must-see if only for his crocodile. The casting of this production is executed perfectly, from Arthur Kyeyune as the crocodile, to Rhys Rusbatch with his charming Welsh accent as Peter Pan. It is a joy to watch and a must-see. On until 31st Jan, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

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OSCARS LOOK-AHEAD Olivia Atkinson looks ahead to the Oscars to discuss who has the best chance of clinching an award this year

s the nominations for this year’s Oscars ceremony begin to surface, the spectacular deluge of talent we have been blessed to view on our cinema screens will soon come together for a night of, what is sure to be, immense celebration. To begin the young actor who recently won the Oscar for best Actor in a Leading Role in 2015, Eddie Redmayne has once again captured the hearts of the nation. His starring role in the critically astounding film The Theory of Everything, as Professor Steven Hawking, was breathtakingly brilliant, and his latest debut in the astonishing production of The Danish Girl is sure to be just as inspired. In many interviews, Redmayne has confirmed that he found both roles incredibly challenging,

however, taking on the job of an actor in itself is extremely demanding of raw talent. Luckily for Eddie, this comes rather easily to him, though he has admitted that he had to commit to a huge amount of research, saying to an audience of supporters on The Graham Norton Show that he, ‘spoke to a lot of people’ in order to capture Lily’s character perfectly. In another interview with Fox 5, Eddie speaks of the little things that can make a character come to life for an audience, highlighting his true passion for acting and the joy he finds in his career. In particular, Lily’s smile was brought to attention, ‘for me, finding Lily in this film was about finding her smile, and that being something that, as she’s beginning to transition, is finding comfort in herself and finding herself…that was a wonderful breakthrough’. The Danish Girl hits our

VICTORY

Eddie Redmayne after his Best Actor win in 2015 for the ‘Theory of Everything’

screens January 2016, but it doesn’t end there for Eddie Redmayne. As a continuation of his success, Eddie is set to star as Newt Scamander in the up-and-coming sequel to J.K. Rowling’s world-wide adored series following the life of the beloved Harry Potter; Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is certainly the next biggest thing to keep an eye out for. The intensity of the role Redmayne has recently taken on in The Danish Girl is unbelievable, but over in the U.S.A the marvellous Leonardo DiCaprio has taken on a new form of action in a gripping tale taken from 1939, The

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February 2016

TRANSFORMATION

Redmayne is tipped to win Best Actor for a second yearin a row for his role in The Danish Girl

OSCARS 2016

The 2016 Oscars will be the 88th Academy Award ceremony.

WINSLET

Kate Winslet is also hotly tipped Best Actress for her role in the 2015 Steve Jobs biopic

DI CAPRIO

Will this be the year for a Best Actor win for unlucky Leonardo Di Caprio?

Revenant. This chilling, grim production, based on a true story, is next to be added to the endless list of motion pictures DiCaprio has achieved. He states in a recent interview with CBS News that it was, ‘one of the toughest films I’ve ever been part of’, and it is clear that this actor enjoys the challenge for the fundamental principal of what his job requires; acting. Leonardo DiCaprio, along with the rest of the world, has finally begun to sense a stronghold for victory for his extraordinary talent in the race for the award. From Titanic to Gatsby, DiCaprio has captured each of his characters with the utmost precision and brilliance, providing millions with gut-wrenching entertainment that covers a plethora of acting skills and genres of film. His role in Wolf of Wall Street took a new turn in his career, showing

For me, finding Lily in this film was about finding her smile, and that being something that, as she’s beginning to transition, is finding comfort in herself and finding herself…that was a wonderful breakthrough.”

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the world his comical side whilst still portraying his talent to transform his well-known persona into a completely new character. Taking it back in time to the tragic tale of The Titanic, DiCaprio featured a major role in one of the most influential, historically riveting pieces of time, starring alongside a fantastic and highly acclaimed actress, Kate Winslet. In a recent interview with Today, Leo explains how he wanted, ‘to get the real thing’, even if it meant pushing himself to extremities, ‘my reaction was very much on screen’, such as eating a real bison liver and climbing into the carcass of a horse – truly brutal conditions, yet

Leo was entirely focused on portraying, ‘the perseverance of the human species…to emulate these people’s journeys’. The Revenant is now on screens and all are hoping to see one of these inspiring, delightful actors achieve an award for their relentless hard work. I cannot say for sure who will be handed the title, but I think it is entirely fair to say that they both deserve it. May the best man win.

Olivia Atkinson

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REVIEW: THE FOREVER LOOP he latest exhibition at the Barbican’s Curve certainly is an interesting one. Designed by North Londoner, Eddie Peake, The Forever Loop combines installation and live performance with smaller pieces to create an experience that is as engaging as it is strange. And it definitely doesn’t shy away from showing a bit of flesh.

Eddie Peake piqued the interest of the masses with his 2012 piece, ‘Touch’ which was essentially a five-a-side football game presented at the Royal Academy, the plot twist? All the players were fully nude. Since, he has exhibited his edgy, provocative works in galleries in Rome and São Paulo, as well as in the TATE, to name just a few. Now, The Forever Loop takes a more interactive stance, thrusting you into a labyrinthine structure in which a mesh-clad roller skater can be found juxtaposed with suggestive sculptures

and writing squeegeed on the walls. The exhibition takes the viewer through a maze, passed a marbled dance floor and onto an industrial structure and at each, the same video is played on a TV screen. This is all before arriving at the centrepiece, a live performance by two naked girls mimicking dancers in this bizarre rap video around a mangled sculpture. Whilst sexuality may be at the forefront of ideas expressed in The Forever Loop, Peake strives to create an androgynous experiences, describing nudity as something that is “unremarkable” and “not shocking in any way”, and he succeeding in doing exactly that, the nudity of the performers did not detract from their performance in any way. The Forever Loop may not contain the most amazingly carved sculptures or the most intricate paintings or even make a lot of sense but it does hold a lot of artistic merit in its own right, particularly because it was designed to

GROUNDBREAKING

This documentary film set out to recreate the image of Amy Winehouse in the media

metaphorically represent the circular structure of the space in the Curve itself. If for nothing else, The Forever Loop was worth seeing just to witness the shock on guys faces caught off guard and to see their confusion of whether to avert their eyes or watch the captivating performance by two women baring all. Yasmeen Frasso

The Forever Loop may not contain the most amazingly carved sculptures or the most intricate paintings or even make a lot of sense but it does hold a lot of artistic merit”

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February 2016

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REVIEW: IN THE HEIGHTS

LATINO VIBES

The musical has been hugely successful on Broadway so has recently transferred to the West End

Set in one bustling neighbourhood of Washington Heights, this musical tells of friendship, family tensions and blossoming young love, all set against the lively backdrop of South American culture. This inevitably includes the sizzling rhythms of feisty song and dance, featuring spectacular choreography and a musical score that promises to get you dancing in your seat!

The principle cast members in the production are extremely strong, particularly Jade Ewen in the sassy role of Vanessa – many audience members will commonly know her as one third of the Sugababes, but any preconceptions of feeble, candy-coated pop vocals are surely eliminated in the gutsy solo ballads of ‘In The Heights’. Joe Aaron Reid must also be acknowledged for his superb musical performance as ‘Benny’ – his theatrical biography includes starring opposite Disney’s Frozen star, Idina Menzel in the modern American musical, ‘If/Then’ and so it is unsurprising that his singing and, indeed, rap skills stand out as incredible.

The cast’s experience ranges hugely, including multiple young, budding performers amongst many enormously successful veterans of the West End and even Broadway! This being said, the difference is inconceivable - uplifting large musical numbers mean everyone is on stage together and even the minor characters are evidently talented and matching the high standard set by the principles. Currently sharing King’s Cross Theatre with ‘The Railway Children’, the theatre lies beneath London’s famous railway station, which means that the background noise (although inevitable) can be somewhat distracting. Moreover, it is impossible to escape the train-themed style and surroundings clearly created to house ‘The Railway Children’. However, the small-scale, underground auditorium is hugely effective in conveying the intimacy of the community on stage and Victorian

railway can surprisingly be easily transformed into the dilapidated grunge of 21st-century Manhattan. In fact, the physical setting of ‘In The Heights’ is striking, as podiums and balconies create the necessary height for dramatic and visual lucidity. As audience members sit along two sides of the catwalk stage, it is intriguing to read the opposing spectators’ expressions throughout the action, and small moments of audience interaction also mean that this show is certainly captivating. ‘In The Heights’ surpassed any expectations of an enjoyable theatre experience and it is undoubtedly gaining recognition. As a huge success in the USA, the show is bound to be received similarly in the UK and, as a rawer, more realistic style of musical, suited not exclusively to traditional musical theatre fans. Isabella Mansell

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THE PRINCIPAL MEETS

rhubarbTV

For the first episode of their new show, ‘From Head to Tozer’, fronted by Ethics and Environment Officer, Ben Tozer, rhubarbTV interview RHUL principal Paul Layzell, here’s a sneak peak of the chat en: Coming to the building work. I read part of the plan and a phrase you use quite often is a ‘21st century campus.’ I was a bit confused by what this meant. What do you think a 21st century campus is?

Paul: It is part of a phrase that talks about our historical estate and the 21st century campus. So it’s trying to get the balance of retaining founders and everything Founder’s stands for. There is always a sort of wow factor and it’s an important part of the Royal Holloway experience. It’s about maintaining the historic building and in fact its grade one listed so we have an obligation to maintain it. But recognising that what we need to do today as staff and students in a community is not always suited to the shape and size of this building and there are other building not quite as old as this one. It’s about the extend one can repurpose them and refurbish them. Years ago there was no internet in any of these buildings and we have these ugly cables down the corridor and so on. It would be better if it looked a little nicer than it did at the

moment and we are working on that. Ben: Lots of students are worried about if the college is maximising the amount of students too quickly and they are wondering about how that will impact student experience and the learning environment. Some buildings are not built yet and the college is trying to get more and more students

It’s really important that faculties keep pace you can’t just keep jamming more people into the same resources.

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every year. What would you say to these students? Paul: That’s a good question Ben. I think one of the things we all enjoy about Royal Holloway is that sort of community feel and you hear the word ‘Community’ an awful lot. Communities work when you know and recognise people when out and about the campus, in Crosslands and café Jules. I’m sure you can get too big and many universities in this country have expanded very rapidly. Many of

them are above twenty thousand and we are only just about nine thousand. What we are wanting is some modest growth and it’s around about ten to ten and a half thousand but we will do that over a period. It’s really important that faculties keep pace you can’t just keep jamming more people into the same resources. Ben: Finally I want to ask what do you think is your greatest achievement as Principal so far? Paul: Getting the library built. Well it’s not built yet and we have had to get the money. But I think of the day I arrived in the first week of the first term I was here and I walked into Bedford library and it was full and you just thought that’s not right. It’s taken a long time to get here but at the moment I am proud of that big hole in the ground. In two years time I will be proud of a fantastic building. Check your emails soon to watch the full show!

February 2016

REVIEW: SLEEPING BEAUTY Louise Jones reviews Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

atthew Bourne (or so I should say), Sir Matthew Bourne (New Year’s Knighthood and the likes), famed for his successful take on two of the great Tchaikovsky ballets, reinventing a dark, Dickensian Nutcracker and a wild Swan Lake, has taken to the stage to complete the Tchaikovsky trilogy with Sleeping Beauty. Yet, in tackling Sleeping Beauty, one would consider it to be a much harder challenge. A simple story with much loved, well-known characters, and the Disney retelling cemented in the public consciousness, in theory and on paper, Sleeping Beauty seemed a much harder ballet to reinvent. But Bourne delivers with style and excellence.

On the 30th of December I was lucky enough to go and watch a performance at Sadler’s Wells: the home of Matthew Bourne and his company ‘New Adventures’. As I entered the theatre, located in Islington, the building had an exciting atmosphere around it. People of all ages had flocked to see the performance, with such a diverse audience ranging from children to the elderly, it was apparent that the story of Sleeping Beauty was certainly one that had a universal appeal. I don’t think I have ever seen so many different types of people come to watch a ‘dance’ show; a story told simply through movement for two and a half hours. That is the beauty with Bourne’s creation; he crafts pieces of works which are accessible to all, targeting not just die-hard ballet fans, but inclusive performances for the whole family to enjoy. It is this very point which I think made the whole performance of his Sleeping Beauty so enchanting from start to finish. There was never a moment where I as an audience member felt excluded, I was aware of what was happening from the very beginning right to the end. There were moments in Bourne’s version where his choreography didn’t have the exaggeration to match the grandeur of Tchaikovsky’s music, but this really didn’t matter. From the minute we heard the sound of thunder bellow around the auditorium, and a baby’s howls bursting through this particular version of the score, this

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was then made more dramatic by the looming winged silhouette of the wicked Carabosse (the evil fairy or the Maleficent character to those more accustomed to the Disney tale and not that of the Brothers Grim version). It was clear that Bourne had created a darker, more sinister, and captivating tale than one could have ever imagined. Without giving much of the plot away, the inclusion of multiple fairies and vampires only heightened the intensity of the overall performance. What could have been seen as gimmicky and unsophisticated, was instead heartfelt, and with the current trend for such topics thanks to franchises like the Twilight Saga, the audience thoroughly connected with the characters and their elaborate plots. Special credit must be given in this review to the incredible dancers, from principles to ensemble, who graced the stage in the show. Making every movement seem effortless and elegant, each and every member of the company worked tirelessly to bring to life Bourne’s imagination, and executed it with pure triumph and charisma. In Bourne’s clever gothic rewrite of sleeping Beauty, he has successfully discovered something enthralling and beautiful, which is delivered to perfection by his talented cast.

STYLE & EXCELLENCE

Bourne delivers a ballet more captivating than one could ever imagine

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EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM Want to change the way you think about the world this year and make a real difference those less fortunate? Look no further than Royal Holloway’s Effective Altruism Society t’s a new year and many of us are making the usual resolutions: eat healthier, drink less, be more organised, and so on. But how about entering a new year, a new term as an effective altruist?

What is effective altruism? A social movement which applies evidence and reason to determining the most effective ways to improve the world. Each of us buy things that we don’t really need. We buy fashion items, have lavish meals out, and even drink bottled water when the water we drink out of the tap is perfectly safe to drink. By not having 4 meals out which would come to around £70, and giving the money to a relevant charity you could pay for 150 months’ worth of education for children in poverty. Being an effective altruist is more than just using your heart and giving up

some luxuries; it’s about using your head to find the most effective charity to donate to. Consider this: It takes around £27,000 to train a single guide dog and its recipient. The same amount of money, £27,000, could be spent on curing between 400 and 2,000 people in developing countries, who have trachoma - bacterial infection which can cause blindness. Royal Holloway is lucky to have a brand new society rather appropriately named the ‘Effective Altruism’ society. They have recently focused on a tropical crisis, the refugee crisis. The Effective Altruism committee and its members teamed up with the society Teach First, and organized a bake sale. All proceeds went to Train of Hope, a charity which gives refugees arriving in Vienna medical help, legal advice, food, and clothes.

The Effective Altruism society chooses fundraising ideas which help the chosen cause. They also aim to educate both members and non-members during the fundraisers. An example being that they are hoping to host a film night with a guest speaker who has witnessed first-hand what it is like to work in a refugee camp. All proceeds will go directly to Train of Hope, if not a similar charity. By joining the effective altruism society you will be giving effectively as they carefully select the charities they donate to, you will also make lots of new friends whilst fundraising. As previously stated it will make your life fulfilling. If you still don’t think you want to commit to being an effective altruist after reading this article, then please support this new society in whatever way you can and you will still be making a difference!

Lucy Thomas

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February 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON: VEGSOC President of VegSoc Alice Barnes Brown tells you why you should join one of the fastest growing societies on campus I should probably begin by saying that the author of this article (yours truly) is also the president of the titular society. Some would say this was a conflict of interest, but it’s really just plain and simple bragging about how far we’ve come since the society first became official in 2014. The Vegetarian and Vegan society may not be campus legends – yet – but the growing interest in veggie lifestyles is reflected by a growing society membership. In the last issue of the Orbital, you might recall one of our writers attempting to live a vegan lifestyle, and seemingly not enjoying it very much.

We aim to address common misconceptions about vegetarianism/ veganism, and provide advice to those interested”

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This is where Vegsoc comes in. We aim to address common misconceptions about vegetarianism/veganism, and provide advice to those interested in changing or switching up their current diet. The most common myth about veggies is that if you don’t eat meat, you don’t get enough protein. Wrong! Protein can be found in many non-animal sources, such as soya and beans. Vegsoc also aims to create a

In the first term alone, membership of the society has doubled from last year. Event attendance has risen, and more and more people are getting involved.”

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community of like-minded individuals, bonded by their shared love of meat free food, and the commiseration of having their Quorn dinners laughed at by housemates. It’s a fun society with a serious message – the impact the global meat industry has on us is detrimental to both our own health, and that of the planet’s. In the first term alone, membership of the society has doubled from last year. Event attendance has risen, and more and more people are getting involved. There have been two new committee positions created, filled by enthusiastic and passionate individuals. The society is going from strength to strength. We’ve also started co-operating with the catering outlets on campus recently, so if you see more veg and vegan options on the menu, you know who to thank/blame. A wider range of activities and outings have been featured on the society’s events calendar thus far. Some highlights include Vegfest London, the UK’s biggest vegan festival. As

President, I took it upon myself to eat all the free samples I could get my hands on, and was sad to discover that later on I’d be paying for it with my stomach. Undeterred by this, a few weeks later we went on a quest to find the perfect vegan takeaway, and found it in a glorified shed at the end of Heathrow’s southern runway. Vegsoc rounded off the term with a festive ice-skating trip, and a vegan Christmas meal stocked by a vast selection of hand-crafted goodies from members. This term, Vegsoc is planning a number of events to raise awareness on campus, including debates with other societies, guest speakers, and fundraising for charities against cruelty to all animals – wild or farmed. The final event of term will be a fundraising vegan bake off. If that all sounds like your cup of (soy milk) tea, come and find us on Facebook, where you’ll find out all about our committee, events, and of course more hilarious tales from the eclectic president/author/food waste bin.

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SPOTLIGHT ON: VOLLEYBALL Alice Reynolds reviews Royal Holloway Volleyball club’s rise to the top fter a hugely successful season last year, Volleyball has gained a growing fan base. With the women’s team continuing their unstoppable winning streak, I speak to President Ludovica De Santis and Vice President Robert Batterbury to find out more.

How has your year gone so far? So far the Women’s team has won nearly all of their matches, and reached the finals of the National Indoor Students Cup, so we’ve had a very strong year! The men’s team has also fought strong, with a fresh new team ready to dominate the future. What makes Volleyball a unique sport on campus? We have a huge amount of international students playing for us, with the women’s team in fact being made up entirely of international students, so it gives everyone the opportunity to meet and team up with

GIVE IT A GLOW

Be.active volleyball has been growing this year

people from all over the world. What is the best part of being part of the club? We are quite a small club, with around 30 members, so it is quite easy to assemble a large portion of us for socials, and even mixed matches. It makes it very easy to become familiar with everyone, and hang out on and off the court.

The women’s team in fact is made up entirely of international students”

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What have you done differently this year? This year the club is working

alongside Volleyball England and Royal Holloway’s own Be.active to promote the popularity of recreational volleyball. Be.active sessions are led by trained Higher Education Volleyball Officers, to give players both a professional and fun experience. We’ve also held great events for the public this year, holding both a UV and a sitting Volleyball session, which both achieved great feedback! What have the Volleyball Club got planned for 2016? We are currently planning a ‘Valentine’s Mixed Doubles Tournament’ which will be an event to look out for! Also, both club and be.active members will be able to take part in the Volleyball England Beach Student Cup, a weekend-long beach volleyball competition that will be held in June after exams are over, a perfect way to relax.

February 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

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Coming along to be.active sessions also offers the opportunity to play in Mixed League matches around London alongside members of the club.”

How can people get involved? Be.active sessions happen every Tuesday, 5-6pm in the Sports Hall. This is open to all abilities whether or not people have played before. Coming along to be.active sessions also offers the opportunity to play in Mixed League matches around London alongside members of the club. A note from Royal Holloway Sports Activator Sophie Harrison: “Volleyball be.active has grown substantially since last year with up to 20 participants per session every week on a Tuesday at 5pm. Both of our student activators have done an amazing job at making the sessions innovative and interesting with sessions including sitting volleyball. As part of our be.active UV Week in early December, the volleyball session had over 40 participants ‘give it a glow’ which was double the amount last year.”

Alice Reynolds

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ed by president Tristan Johnson (3rd year PPE student), and his merry wanderers, Red Cup Company has taken Royal Holloway by storm in their awesome stash throwing insane socials, SU movie nights and even hosting their own events at Egham’s finest: The Monkeys Forehead.

Despite only becoming an official society last September this social enterprise has accumulated over 70 new members and hope to gain more as the year goes on making them one of the fastest growing societies; especially considering they have managed to branch out to the

University of Westminster, who have created their own Red Cup Company this year. Not only do they throw what some people have called ‘the best pre-drinks ever’ thanks to their sponsor Ruby Wines, but they also have monthly events at the Monkeys called Red Cup Thursdays. Every first Thursday of the month Red Cup takeover Monkeys with live music, pizza provided by second sponsor Papa Johns, jelly shots and beer pong. Yes this is for fun and socialising but the society’s main objective is to raise as much money as possible for the Syrian Refugees: Solidarities International and towards Macmillan and Future Sense! Saying this crew is determined would

Photography: Will Chamberlin. Goliath Creative

be an understatement as their goal for this year is to raise £10,000. With £5000 left to go some may say that’s impossible, 4 months in they are halfway there thanks to the Charity Masquerade Ball last December. It is a society unlike any other and that is down to the amazing people involved and the frequent lively events and socials, one member even said “I’ve made friends for life, I’ve never felt so welcome”. What more could you ask for? If you want to meet new people and get involved with something worthwhile whilst at University I would strongly recommend signing up now and join the new kids on the block.

Annie Pantry

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