February 2017 by Orbital Magazine

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FEBRUARY 2017 | FREE

TALKING ALL THINGS SCIENCE: FROM THE SCIENCE OF LOVE, TO THE GAME, SIMS.

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ROYAL HOLLOWAY STUDENTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UNION

EDITOR Holly Pyne DEPUTY EDITOR Louise Jones SUBEDITOR Rosalie Falla NEWS Anna Robinson Paco Tijdink COMMENT Abbie Cheeseman Cemre Camuz SCIENCE AND GAMING Grace Yeadon Alis Reid

NEWS

THE PACKHORSE

LIBRARY NAME

‘Monkey’s Forehead’ to be reopened and renamed as ‘The Packhorse.’ The new library building will be named ‘Emily Wilding Davidson Building.’

FEATURES

08 10

THE SABBS

The Sabbatical Officers let students know what they’re up to this term.

SWIPE RIGHT

Yasmeen Frasso discusses the use of dating apps, ready for this Valentines Day.

FEATURES Yasmeen Frasso Stephanie Bagnall LIFESTYLE Annie Pantry Elizabeth Rosenberg ARTS Joanne Archer Elizabeth Carr SPORT & SOCIETIES Michele Theil Kathryn Pearson ONLINE Beth Gooding

SCIENCE

COMMENT

LOVE IN A TEST TUBE

MARROW SOCIETY

Grace Yeadon talks about the science behind love and why it happens.

Emma Halahan spoke to the new society on campus: the Marrow Society.

VIRAL VIOLENCE

Sahar Mahmood writes about the new dangers surrounding social media.

SELF CARE

Grace Yeadon talks about the importance of self care when you’re on social media.

OPERATIONS Nebiu Samuel PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron James Seymour DESIGN Holly Pyne Louise Jones Grace Yeadon MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA Emma Halahan ADVERTISING Hannah Foord EVENTS AND TRAINING Lis Carlton

LIFESTYLE

THE BUCKET LIST

ROHOROSCOPES

Hefina Everard talks about the positives of creating a Bucket List. Elizabeth Rosenberg predicts your life at Holloway for the next four weeks.

ARTS

28 32

RISE OF VINYLS

Georgia Beith reports on the increased use of Vinyls over other forms of music.

TURN IT OFF

Nebiu Samuel tells you why the cinema is best experienced with mobile phones.

CO-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & MEDIA Pippa Gentry ADDRESS Media Suite, Students’ Union, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX WEBSITE theorbital.co.uk COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Phillips

SPORTS AND SOCIETIES

COMEDY SHOWCASE Michele Theil reports on RHUL Comedy Society’s Showcase last term.

ENGLISH PEN SOC

English PEN Society spoke to Sports and Societies Editor, Michele Theil.

EDITORIAL The Orbital’s Editor, Holly Pyne, lets you know what we’re up to this term and the great things sports and societies have been up to around campus.

elcome to the first issue of 2017! We hope you all had a lovely holidays and are well rested from the break.

This month, The Orbital Magazine has been busy created our first official Science and Gaming section! February marks the month that all this planning becomes a reality. Head over to page 14 to read our new Science

content, beginning with Science and Gaming editor, Grace Yeadon’s article on the science behind love. February is also the month of love so we had to write an article on dating apps - the not-so-new way to find love. Yasmeen Frasso’s article can be found on page 10. This is folowed by her interview with RHUL CoppaFeel! and why it is important to check your boobs or pecks.

Our sports and societies on campus have not been idle with Rowing Club rowing the length of the Thames, Comedy Society’s Showcase, and English PEN continuing their great work, championing Freedom of Speech on a global scale. To get involved in our new Science and Gaming section, or any other, please email me at: editor@theorbital.co.uk.

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A NEW SCIENCE BUILDING Paco Tijdink reports on the construction around campus and the development of the new Science building.

onstruction work has begun on the new Science Building, with the building site set up and foundation work set to begin at the end of the month. The Science Building, which will occupy the area around the John Bowyer building and replace car park 5, is a move by the university to expand the space and infrastructure available to science students. It was green-lighted in the winter of 2014 through the approval of a sizeable £5 million grant, awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Construction company Osborne have been awarded the contract. Their CEO, Andy Steele: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract. It is a prestigious and challenging project, and collaboration at all stages will be a key factor in successful delivery.” Detailing the benefits of the new

facilities, a page on the university’s website states: “The building will include new stateof-the-art lecture theatres, seminar rooms and flexible and multi-functional laboratories suitable for use by staff and students in our science departments. “The Science Building will also provide the space and facilities to support the initiation and development of an Electronic Engineering department that will deliver the new undergraduate (and ultimately postgraduate) programmes.” These plans align with a predicted increase in the university’s student population, set to rise to 10,500 by the year 2020. Crucially, the new facilities are also designed to increase the number of female students in Electronic Engineering, representing efforts to counter current shortfalls in female students studying the discipline:

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

Photography Credit: Cameron James Seymour

“Our top priority will be to attract more women to achieve a genuine gender balance in a subject where the national average for female students is only 10 per cent of the cohort.” Of the new building, Principal Paul Layzell said: “We look forward to working with Osborne on our new Science building. From this exciting and modern building we will deliver new courses, and ways of working, that will enable us to increase student numbers, specifically supporting women.” Construction is planned to finish during the 2017/2018 academic year. In the meantime, the cut-through next to Reid will be inaccessible except to emergency vehicles, construction traffic, and pedestrians. The nearby bike shelter will also be closed off, and all parked bikes need to be removed by the 11 January.

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VENUE TO REOPEN AS ‘THE PACKHORSE’ Anna Robinson addresses the rumours surrounding ‘The Monkey’s Forehead’ and the future of the venue.

n the final week of the Christmas holidays, the Students’ Union has finally released a statement confirming that the college have completed the purchase of ‘The Monkey’s Forehead’ – the pub on the A30 leading to the main gates of Royal Holloway. After months of rumours, they acknowledged that ‘it may not come as a surprise to many of you’, but ‘the college has taken the opportunity to purchase the lease’. This exciting news has been long in the running; it was over six months ago that it became apparent that the current owner was wishing to sell the establishment, which has been one of the most popular student haunts in Egham for many years. The college have bought the venue and has handed it over to the SU, with the intention to continue operating it as a pub, ensuring the services are retained and ‘to prevent the loss of a popular space for students’. Whilst the SU are still in the process of the detailed planning phase, it has been confirmed that the venue will be renamed ‘The Packhorse’, which was the original name of the pub in the 1800s. In the official statement from

the SU, which was released online on 6 January, they stated that it will be opening in March, either at the end of Term 2 or at the beginning of Term 3, depending on how long the refurbishment takes. The SU states that there will be an exciting grand opening to celebrate the occasion, and from then on it will be open seven days a week, 365 days a year, for students and residents to enjoy alike. ‘The Packhorse’ will continue to appeal to the student population of Egham, offering high quality food at student prices. Although they claim the menu will be changed slightly, do not fear, the famous ‘Monkey’s’ breakfast is to remain, and will be renamed ‘The Monkey’s Breakfast’ in honour of the popularity of the dish. The venue is going to operate as a ‘not-for-profit social enterprise’. Neither the college, or the Students’ Union, will make a massive return; the SU openly claims the profit-budget ratio will only just be breaking even over the next three years. As with other on-campus student venues, ‘The Packhorse’ will be run by student staff, ‘creating more part time jobs on campus and putting more money back into your pockets.’

VENUE TO REOPEN AS ‘THE PACKHORSE’

‘The Monkey’s Forehead’ will be rebranded as ‘The Packhorse.’

Furthermore, the venue is planning to expand, and the SU are investigating the possibility of utilising the unused space upstairs. The college and SU are working to identify how these areas could be refurbished for use by students, student groups, college staff and other members of the local community. After months of speculation, it is good to know that the beloved Egham pub will remaining as one of the most popular student venues. The SU want to hear from students, to ensure that it continues to be popular location for Royal Holloway students, and members of the local community. The official statement can be read online on the SU website where students can leave feedback. Anna Robinson

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‘IT’S OUR NHS’ Anna Robinson reports on the student contribution for the National Demonstration in London.

n Saturday 4 March 2017 people across the country are planning to congregate in Tavistock Square, London to march to Parliament, protesting their concerns about the conditions and funding of the NHS. The demonstration has been called upon by ‘Health Campaigns Together’, often referred to as the HCT, a national network of more than 30 organisations and unions supporting the NHS. They work together in defence of the National Health Service in Britain, defending the public service offered, and ‘fighting’ against the cuts, closures and privatisation of the service. This event is attracting the attention of students, and those who believe the safety of our not-for-profit healthcare system in Britain is threatened by the current political climate. The NHS has been the sole publically funded

healthcare system in Britain since 1948, employing almost 1.5 million people across the country, and deemed by some to be one of the most efficient public healthcare systems in the western world. For many, there is a threat to public services, such as the NHS.There have been concerns about underfunding and closures of NHS services. There is already a public perception of an increase in private companies seeking to gain even more of a foothold within the NHS. It has been claimed that the ‘continued pay restraint has seen the value of NHS staff salaries reduce by 14% since 2010’. Furthermore, job security and employment levels are seen as uncertain, and there are now 25,000 nursing and 3,500 midwifery vacancies in NHS England. As a result, the Red Cross is describing

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION Students attended the National Demonstration

the climate to be one of a ‘humanitarian crisis’, which is ‘failing the NHS and the service it provides for our country’. The demonstration is representing this view, and many protestors are hoping that it will prompt the government to amend many of the policy cuts, ensuring the NHS remains one of the greatest achievements of the country. An event is being shared via Facebook, and the HCT is using the public platform to publicise the demonstration to a wide range of people across the country. With over 30,000 people already on the Facebook event, and over 3000 having clicked attending, a large turnout is definitely to be expected. The demonstration is taking place between 12 and 5pm.

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NEW LIBRARY NAMED Anna Robinson reports on the announcement of the name of the new library building

n the 11 January 2017, the name for the new library centre was finally announced. After months of deliberation Professor Paul Layzell, Principal, and SU President Natasha Barrett announced, via a live stream on the student intranet, that the centre will be called the ‘Emily Wilding Davison Building’.

one of the most iconic figures in the movement of Suffrage, fighting for the political enfranchisement of women across Britain. As a member of the WSPU she campaigned among the likes of other female activists, such as Emmeline Pankhurst, before becoming a martyr for the movement; she died after was killed under the King’s horse in the Epsom Derby in June 1913.

With the founding institutions of both Royal Holloway and Bedford College being the two of the first in the UK to grant women access to higher education, the university wanted to landmark the new library and student service centre, to celebrate one of the renowned alumna. Emily Davison, who began her studies in 1893 at Royal Holloway, is said to ‘encapsulate Royal Holloway’s ethos of empowering individuals to drive social and cultural change’, and as the Principal, Paul Layzell, commented “Emily’s campaigning spirit, her commitment to equality, and her determination to bring about positive change can be seen in Royal Holloway’s values today”.

Professor Layzell stated “I am proud to put Emily’s name to our new Library and Student Services Centre, knowing that she was one of the first women to be able to pursue a university education here at Royal Holloway, long before many other institutions opened their doors to women.”

Emily studied modern languages at the college, before going on to become

The process to name the new library centre begun over a year ago, in March 2016, when students and staff alike were asked to nominate and suggest names online for a building. The name would become a symbol, which the university believed could equally ‘look to the past, and inspire the future’. The shortlisted names were Sarah Parker Remond, George Eliot, Emily Wilding Davison and Hilda Martindale.

LIVE NAME ANNOUNCEMNT

Photography Credit: Cameron James Seymour

The voting for the name of the library begun in October 2016, before the announcement was officially made on 11 January 2017, only three days into Term 2. Despite the other candidates’ names not being chosen for the new library, the university will continue to celebrate their inspirational alumnae. The new student residences, which are currently being built off Harvest Road, are to be named ‘George Eliot’, after the famous Victorian novelist who released books, such as ‘Adam Bede’, under a male pen name. The new Library and Student Services Centre is the biggest construction project on campus since Founder’s, which was opened in 1886. The ‘Emily Wilding Davison’ building will be home to many services, and aside from the library, it will hold the Careers centre, Student Services, a shop, the bank, and a café. It will be opening in autumn 2017, just in time for the start of the new academic year.

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THE SABBS

NATASHA

PIPPA

Natasha Barrett talks about her plans as President (Education and Campaigns) and her new initative ‘Talk to Tash’.

Pippa Gentry discusses her role as CoPresident (Societies and Media) and the excitement around Socs Ball.

BARRETT

his term will see the launch of our ‘liberating the curriculum’ campaign, my major project for the year, centred on expanding the diversity of curriculum content to enable it to represent all of our students properly.

I will also be continuing to develop the Course Rep system and other aspects of educational representation whilst focusing on the impending TEF implementation and the new Higher Education Bill. Starting from week one I will also be launching my ‘Talk to Tash’ initiative where I speak informally to students around campus to answer questions and gather their feedback on what they’d like to see us doing – the other Sabbs will hopefully be joining me for many of these!

GENTRY

his term I am kick-starting my plans to get student groups access to more space on campus, working towards freeing up more academic rooms for use after teaching hours.

To anyone who is familiar with the hellish room booking system, I think we can all agree that life would be a little bit easier if the list of rooms was just a little bit longer. We’re also working with a number of college departments to do a huge campaign celebrating diversity on campus so look out for that! Obviously, last but not least, Socs and Colours Balls are coming up this term so I’ll of course be spending the vast majority of my time trying to find a bag to match my dress, deciding how many bottles of wine to order, and practising walking in my heels.

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THE SABBATICAL OFFICERS

Photography Credit: Jessie Beach Thomas

STEFF

MILNE

Steff Milne reports on her main projects as Co-President (Sports and Development) including the Healthy U week, this week. y main projects for this term are Colours Ball, Healthy U and Varsity. The next Healthy U week (23-29 January) will focus on Food and Nutrition. Healthy U is a campaign I am running to extend my role to all aspects of activity and lifestyle. Events will include a cooking demonstration with a popular blogger and Food Festival where you can sample foods from different faiths and cultures! Get involved on social media with the hashtag #HealthyU.

We have put a lot more time and staff resource into the coordinating Colours Ball this year. We have updated the criteria for awards and nominations will be submitted via our official Colours Ball website along with information on the judging panel! Varsity preparation is well under way with bi-weekly meetings with University of Surrey taking place this term. 35 Sports Clubs and 6 Societies are participating in our first ever Varsity at Surrey Sports Park! We will be releasing the Varsity website later this term and everyone will be able to purchase Varsity T-Shirts to come and support the Bears and gain entry to Medicine for a night out not to be missed!

LAURA

LEWIS

Laura Lewis talks about what she is doing as Co-President (Welfare and Diversity) and starting Self Care Sessions. his term, I have lots of new exciting plans around different welfare issues. I’m developing plans around establishing a peer support network for BME students, looking into the possibility of a Free Periods campaign at Royal Holloway and expanding our mental health support by starting fortnightly Self Care Sessions.

February marks LGBT+ History Month, and we’ll be celebrating the LGBT+ community at Royal Holloway with lots of cool events –including a focus on LGBT+ in sports, workshops on being LGBT+ and a march around campus. If you want to get involved or tell us about any events you’re holding, please get in touch! February also includes SHAG Week, which is our campaign for Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance. This year’s SHAG week will see STI and HIV testing, a Sexy Pub Quiz and loads of other exciting campaigns come to RHSU.

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DATING APPS Photography Credit: Yasmeen Frasso

ating has always been a curious thing; since the days where Victorian women would be sought after and courted by a suitor (think Jane Austen) not much has really changed. You seek out a potential partner, work up the courage to ask them out and do your best to impress them over a series of meetups. The desired result? Having lots of babies perhaps, but if not maybe just living happily ever after together. Yet, as with everything, the progression of technology has forever

changed the dating landscape.

rapidly become a household name.

Enter the dating app revolution.

These dating apps are generally easy to set up and use. You enter a few basic details, craft a brief bio and upload your best pictures, then wait for matches to flood in.

Back in the mid 2000s, sites such as the ever famous Match.com began to spring up, allowing people to connect and meet new people over the internet. Since, the rise of smartphones has allowed dating to become even easier and more convenient. With a simple swipe to the left or right giving you the power to find that special someone. These apps have infiltrated society, including those from the age of 13 to those over 50, apps like Tinder have

Whilst these apps have made meeting and chatting to people more accessible for everyone (of any gender/sexuality), they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t without their issues. Of course, the obvious danger is getting catfished. As our parents and teachers once told us, you never know who youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really talking to online.

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SWIPE RIGHT FOR LOVE Features Editor, Yasmeen Frasso discusses the use of dating apps, ready for this Valentine’s Day.

But what’s more interesting is the psychological effects that are now being researched. A recent study, reported on by The Guardian, has shown that users of Tinder, in general, have lower levels of self-esteem and body confidence. This isn’t too surprising a finding considering that most Tinder activity involves determining a person’s worth within seconds. Who ever said it’s what’s inside that counts? These apps so often revolve around superficiality. But in a post-romantic

world where one night stands are apparently preferred to relationships, it seems this is to be expected. It’s not abnormal either in our social media driven world – but that’s another topic in itself. Also, dating apps seem to skip the most fun parts of finding a partner. There’s none of the cutely awkward moments, or the general getting to know each other over a period of time. They simplify the dating process, as most technology aims to nowadays. But in doing so have they cut out the romance and genuine connection?

That’s not to say that dating apps are all bad. There are plenty of success stories, where individuals have found long-term partners using them, or for those who aren’t looking for relationships, they’ve provided successful one night stands. In some cases, what started as an attempt to find a partner has resulted in finding life-long friendship instead. Like anything, these apps have their good and bad points. It’s how you use them that determines the result. Yasmeen Frasso

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COPPAFEEL! THIS VALENTINE’S Yasmeen Frasso interviews Asha and Francesca of the Royal Holloway Uni Boob Team about something everybody should be doing this Valentine’s Day and every other day of the year.

verybody likes boobs. Let’s face it.

Whether you’re a proud owner of a pair or not, boobs are pretty cool. Have I caught your attention yet? Good. No, you were not duped into reading this, it is actually about boobs. But I’ll let the interview speak for itself. CoppaFeel! is a pretty cool name for a charity. How would you best describe it? CoppaFeel! is a charity set up by a lady called Kris Hallenga, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 23. It took a long time for Kris to be

diagnosed, and by the time she was, her breast cancer was at stage four. There is no stage five. Frustrated by the fact that there was nobody telling young people they should be checking their boobs, Kris set up CoppaFeel! CoppaFeel!’s aims are to raise awareness about checking your boobs/pecks among young women and men and to stamp out late detection of breast cancer. One way in which they do this is through their free* monthly text service which acts as a helpful reminder to check those knockers. You can sign up by texting UBT RHUL to 70500. What is it like being part of the Uni Boob Team (UBT) at Royal Holloway? Seeing as this is our first year on campus, the UBT is still finding its feet.

However, it is a great way to not only be more involved in uni life, but to also tackle real world issues. It’s fulfilling to know that we are making a difference, even to the lives of just a few people. Next year we hope to become a society recognised by the Students’ Union, which will allow us to grow both in number and force. Do you think that there should be more of a focus on educating individuals about disease prevention/detection measures at school? For example, being told how to examine your own breasts? Definitely! One of the most shocking things that we found when we first started was that a large number of guys had no idea that they could get breast cancer which was something

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COPPAFEEL Photography credit: Yasmeen Frasso

there is definitely a stigma attached to opening up about checking your boobs. CoppaFeel!’s #GetItOffYourChest campaign is about just that and encouraging all young people to not only coppafeel but also to be confident enough to tell a friend and go to the GP if there is anything abnormal. The more people aware of CoppaFeel! the better and hey who doesn’t love to talk about norks? What has the Uni Boob Team got planned for the near future? After an extremely busy Breast Cancer Awareness Month we are still doing lots to spread boob love across Royal Holloway. We have already hosted one pop-up salon in Bedford Library and plan to do another one shortly. We have a Glitter Party coming very soon - so keep your eyes peeled. To keep up to date with all our events follow us on Facebook (CoppaFeel Royal Holloway Uni Boob Team) and Twitter (@UBTRhul). So, why not check your boobs/pecks now? that we just presumed everyone knew. That’s the whole point of this charityraising awareness so that more people remember to check themselves. It’s all about knowing your own boobs and what’s normal. That way, it’s easy to identify when something doesn’t seem quite right. CoppaFeel! have a campaign called #RethinkCancer which ultimately aims to educate the masses about cancer from as young as possible and supporting teachers with teaching their students about cancer – including risk prevention.

and asked her if she had a minute to talk about boobs, to which she stared at us in a panic and promptly ran away. The weirdest would have to be two guys at our cake sale in Bedford, who; after asking for a free cake, started to coppafeel in the foyer of the library, and ask if nipples and chest hair were normal. The cheeky charity name definitely draws people in and gets lots of attention which we see as a positive.

One of the funniest reactions we have had was when we approached a girl

Talking about boobs so openly can sometimes seem quite controversial and

Other campaigns such as ‘Free the Nipple’ have been quite provocative and have changed public perception. Do you think I can imagine that being part that there is a similar sort of of something with the name stigma that surrounds checking CoppaFeel! you’re sure to get a variety of different reactions- what your breast? And if so, what do you feel would lessen this? are some of the best you’ve had?

Yasmeen Frasso *Standard network rates apply for your initial sign up text (10p plus VAT but free for Vodafone users) but everything from us is FREE after that. By signing up you agree to us texting you once a month to check your boobs. You can stop the service at any time by texting STOP to 70500 (Standard network rates apply). You will receive a welcome text from CoppaFeel! And Paul Mitchell is offering you the chance to enter an online competition to win a prize. We will keep your details safe and secure and will not pass them onto any third parties.

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LOVE IN A TEST TUBE Grace Yeadon talks about the science behind love, and why you feel the way you do.

s the 14 February approaches once again, the population seems to fall into three categories: those that embrace the sentimentality and romantic significance of the day, those that ignore the occasion completely, or those that wish the nauseating selection of sickly-sweet cards, red rose bouquets and heartshaped novelties were thrown into an industrial shredder.

It is widely accepted that there are three main stages to falling in love: lust, attraction and attachment. Obviously the feeling of love itself is incredibly difficult to quantify but the chemicals thought to be involved in each stage can be. During lust, the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen play a major role, driving you to search and find potential partners. In other animals, these hormones trigger certain behaviours like mating calls, displays and preening.

Most of us will experience falling in love at some point, on average twice in our lifetimes in fact, and may choose to celebrate ‘catching the feels’ on this annual celebration. Regardless of how you view love, as some magical, mysterious entity or otherwise, the same biological factors are thought to be at work from person to person (sorry).

And before you think that humans have moved on far away from ‘primitive’ behaviours like howling for a mate or fluffing up feathers, we are nearly all guilty of wanting to look our best and impressing people we want to attract - just think of the effort that goes in to getting ready for a night out or a first date.

Once someone has tickled our fancy, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin kick in to build a deep attraction to that person. When you really start liking someone you may lose sleep, appetite and actively seek to spend as much time with them as possible. Soon enough attachment develops with the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin released during sex maintaining and strengthening the bond. All these chemicals play their part perhaps and we could even combine them all together to put love in a test tube, but why fall in love in the first place? Studies with human pairings are difficult and often unethical so scientists turn to mammalian relatives to understand the evolutionary importance of forming close bonds with a single mate. One well-studied example is the prairie vole

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THE SCIENCE BEHIND THOSE FEELINGS

Photography credit:: Grace Yeadon

where the same attachment hormones seen in humans are released during mating, ensuring the male and female voles stay together from year to year. It is thought this is a better strategy for the voles as the males help rear any offspring and protect the female from other males, ensuring more babies survive to reproduce themselves (and therefore passing on the genes that encode this behaviour). These ‘love hormones’ have been seen widely across the mammalian group and not just in mated pairs but between family members and mothers and offspring too. From a human perspective, a monogamous relationship is generally the societal norm in most cultures (though not all). However only five per cent of mammals do the same so the role of hormones is still questionable. Polygamy is commonplace and harems

can exist where one male mates with a group of females, seen with elephant seals and lion prides. The male ensures he has lots of offspring and the females are reassured that their children are fathered by the best candidate, as the male often has to fight off competition to gain and maintain his dominant position. Clearly, monogamy as a reproductive strategy doesn’t work for everyone and therefore its role in human lifecycles is still debated. Is love really down to hormones driven by evolution or societal influences and our environment? Are we conditioned to feel it for one person or is it important for our species’ survival? This is a classic example of the nature vs. nurture debate, and one that doesn’t seem to be resolved anytime soon. Regardless of whether you are in love, have ever been, or are yet to experience

it, Valentine’s day looms, for better or for worse. Putting the science and joking aside, if you do find this day particularly difficult, then it’s even more important to focus on yourself for that day. Do things you enjoy, treat yourself to things you like, let yourself have some time away from work to watch that Netflix show everyone is talking about, have a relaxing bath or spend time with the loved ones you already have like friends and family, rather than craving one you don’t. And if you are still struggling, or you feel someone else might be, then don’t hesitate to contact: • The Health Centre on 01784 443131, or your local GP • The College Counselling Service on 01784 443128, or email counselling@ royalholloway.ac.uk • Mind on 0300 123 3393

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WHY DO WE LOVE THE SIMS? Alis Reid discusses the huge success of the game despite it’s “extraordinarily ordinary” premise.

hen conjuring up the image of a ‘gamer’, what might come to mind is someone void of human interaction, sitting in a dark room wearing a headset shooting imaginary bad guys on a screen. While this may be a familiar portrayal for some of us, there was always another kind of game which held my attention, and that of many others, for hours on end, right from the release of the first version in the early 2000s until now, where I admit the shortcut still sits on my desktop.

The Sims. You’ve probably heard of it, and I’ll venture a guess and say you’ve

probably played it at least once. The concept is simple - an imagined, virtual world in which you can design virtual people and buildings, and then control every aspect of their virtual lives. However, far from the fantastical worlds of many games, the world of The Sims is extraordinarily ordinary. Whilst the player has complete control, they dictate things like: what the sim will eat that day, or if they will do their homework, or which neighbour they will decide to befriend.

that exists within The Sims is admittedly enthralling. The player’s sim can climb any career ladder regardless of their background, can fall in love with anyone they choose, and (by use of a cheat code) sims can enjoy limitless wealth. There is also another, perhaps more sadistic, side to complete control within the game. The player can kill sims in all manner of different ways, including taking the ladders out of swimming pools and deleting doors from rooms, starving their sims, or even drowning them in their own puddle of urine.

It seems strange, then, that The Sims is such a successful game, when it appears to be a literal simulation of every day life. Simple, then. Is complete control, whether aspirational or sadistic, the While this is true, the ‘God-like’ power

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THE SECRETS BEHIND THE SIMS Is it the ability to control the Sims that makes the game so appealing?

reason that The Sims is so addictive? A study published in Game Studies: the international journal of computer game research in 2006 suggests otherwise. For part of the study, a group of university undergraduates were required to play The Sims 2 as if they would normally, and then rank the importance of a series of 25 gameplay characteristics. Characteristics which ranked in the top five most important included ‘I want my Sims to have exciting lives’ and ‘I work hard at achieving my goals for my Sims’, whereas characteristics which ranked in the bottom five included ‘It’s fun to make my sims tease or insult other sims’ and

‘I like to make my sims cheat on their partners’. These results suggest that, while it may be fun to drown the occasional sim in its own puddle of urine, when investing in a game of The Sims, these particular players wanted positive outcomes for their virtual people. The study proposes that this is because the participants’ sims were reflections of themselves for around 70% of the participants, at least one of the sims they designed was similar to themselves. For me, this is an interesting analysis of why The Sims is so much fun - rather than securing joy from God-like control

over every aspect of a virtual life, it is the ability to reflect our own ambitions in another world. Does this give me more hope for humanity? I’d have to say yes. (And with Valentine’s Day looming, don’t worry - you can always create the person of your dreams on The Sims instead. Plus, if they break up with you, instead of crying about it, all you have to do is drown them in their own puddle.) Alis Reid

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ANTHONY NOLAN Photography Credit: Matthew Phillips

MARROW SOCIETY Emma Halahan spoke to Marrow Society, the latest society to be ratified, which is linked to the bone marrow charity, Anthony Nolan.

RHUL Marrow forms part of a cross country student led network that helps raise awareness of blood and bone disorders effectively saving hundreds of lives year on year.

and what we do. Secondly; Fundraising –each person we sign up to the register costs us £60, of course, there is no price that can be put on a life, however, the more money we raise the more lives we save. Lastly; Donor recruitment events (basically finding the superheroes who are going to be our lifesavers) – at these events we take spit samples and fill in some paperwork.

There are three main aspects to our work. Firstly; spreading awareness - we want everyone to know who we are

This term we will be holding training events for those of you who are interested in joining us as volunteers and

ongrats on getting ratified, tell us more about what your society is!

of course we will be having numerous donor recruitment events. One of the striking things about Marrow is how unified these societies are, people know the value of their work and this creates life-long friendships between members and a strong sense of personal value. The nature of those involved is caring, devoted and passionate, being the president I love seeing and meeting people who share this zest for life. Come along and give it a try.

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What are your goals for the rest of the year? We have so many projects in the pipe line I can barely contain my excitement! We are seeking volunteers to help us spread Marrow awareness and help us to fundraise, therefore, expect to see our faces popping up around campus and the thousands of posters, statuses, Instagram posts and tweets… basically we will stalk you until you help us reach our goal of 500 fantastic sign ups which we aim to achieve this year. the reward is saving a life, there will be (this is a big task… so we need your some costs, however, this is minimal. help!) Science is constantly evolving and hospitals aim to operate in the most How can we get involved this painless and efficient manner and let’s term? be honest we are more than willing to inflict a hangover on ourselves the day Come to our volunteer training sessions, after a night out, with zero benefits, so stand with us at donor recruitment what is the difference? events, read our posters, eat our cupcakes, beg your friends to look Marrow pales in comparison, one day into Marrow donation and ‘forcefully’ of your life, a couple of hours, maybe persuade them to share their spit with some momentary pain when you get

hospital bed, 4 hours of guiltless Netflix viewing and free breakfast/lunch? We are all students right? Can we afford to pass up this free offer of hospitality?) What advice do you have to anyone wanting to start a new society? My advice is to just do it already! I mean obviously finish reading this and sign up to our society first… but afterwards definitely don’t let anybody stop you. Being at university is an amazing opportunity

“One of the striking things about Marrow is how unified these societies are, people know the value of their work and this creates life-long friendships between members and a strong sense of personal value. The nature of those involved is caring, devoted and passionate.” us, run with us, cycle with us, do bag packing at Tesco with us, dine with us, drink with us, find your perfect partner at our upcoming ‘Could you be the match for me?’ Valentine’s themed dating night! We aren’t fussy, we want to see you and work with you all, the more of us involved the more lives we will save. We are all wonderful people, let’s unite and celebrate giving the gift of life together! Like us on Instgram, Facebook, Twitter and share our posts… quickly, what are you waiting for? What do you think the biggest misconceptions about bone marrow donation are? The biggest misconception that I am continually faced with is that donating Marrow is very painful. I cannot stress how far from the truth this is. As everything, especially something where

pricked with a needle and a tiny bit of achiness the next day, but what are you achieving? You will have potentially just saved a life; a child, a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, that is something you can reflect on for the rest of your life. It is simply a feeling that you will have never felt before and when you are asked if you would like to meet that person and you see them thriving, their family smiling, the tears of happiness on everybody’s faces you will truly understand what a special gift you have given.

and too many people miss out on once in a lifetime experiences just because they are scared of stepping out of their comfort zone.

Personally, I would never have dreamed of starting a society last year. I was that person who thought I was only here to get a first in my degree (don’t get me wrong, that would be great) but this year and the experience of being part of such a life changing national group has completely changed my view on everything, of course education is a huge part of university life, but now I have this fresh, ‘just do it All I can say to really debunk this myth attitude’ of which gives me a healthy is I would jump at the chance to be a work- relaxation balance and gives me a match for someone. Those who know new perspective, something bigger than me know I am a massive wimp and my anything anybody will ever learn from a heart rate rockets simply at the mention textbook. of a needle… despite this I would do this ten times over and I beg that you To keep up to date with any events follow consider signing up too. the RHUL Marrow Society Facebook (On a side note it’s a great day off page, or for further information on the university: a nice warm and comfy cause visit the Anthony Nolan website.

20 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media allows millions of people to connect across the world, but are there hidden dangers?

rigger Warning: Mentions of abuse and suicide.

he 21st century has been marked by developments in medicine, science and technology. Importantly, the last decade has seen a vast growth in social media platforms from Twitter to Facebook through to Instagram and Snapchat. The one thing they all have in common is the ability to be connected to lots of

different people all around the world in real time. Social media can be a powerful thing. It can be used to create change, raise the profile of an issue, connect to others around the world and even just make life a bit more fun. Campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum and support through mediums such as Twitter and led to the issue of inequality in the United States being put on the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agenda day

after day. Social media has a lot of power and is often seen as a positive development. However, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Many incidents have occurred where social media has been used as a display for violence and crime. In August 2015, a man used Periscope to stream the murder of two journalists in Virginia. In Georgia, 12-year-old Katelyn Nichole Davis committed suicide

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VIRAL VIOLENCE Sahar Mahmood discusses a new kind of crime threatening you through social media.

which was streamed on Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live-streaming feature and only recently, in Chicago an 18-yearold male with special needs was tortured on Facebook Live in what is thought to be a politically and racially motivated attack. Shockingly, in such circumstances little was done by viewers. Social media therefore comes with a catch. It can be used as a medium to incite hate, violence and has generated a new form of crime. The

question that arises now is how we deal with these new types of crime. How can we stop such incidents from happening and how can those who commit such crimes be held responsible? Moreover, should the social media platforms themselves be held responsible for allowing their networks to be used to encourage violence or do we hold ourselves responsible for ever allowing such hate and violence to exist in the first place?

As an avid user of such platforms I believe it is vitally important to be aware of these dangers and the effect of viewing such content. Its implications alone on wider society are grave and therefore it has never been more important to be internet safe. Bringing to light this issue is one way to be aware and start the increasingly imperative dialogue needed to solve this issue. Sahar Mahmood

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SELF CARE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Grace Yeadon talks about the personal implications of social media on body image and self esteem of young adults

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February 2017

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL e’re all aware how technology has revolutionised the world in a way almost beyond comprehension, in many different ways, from how we buy and sell goods to how we diagnose and treat disease to how we communicate.

Arguably social media has had one of the biggest impacts on a global scale, with 65% of American adults reportedly holding at least one social media account, according to the Pew Research Center. Young people have always been the most common presence on these sites and apps, with the same study reporting 90% of the US population aged 18-29 using such platforms. These websites and apps allow us to connect, share, and show our approval (or disapproval) of something we watch, hear or read. Visually-based apps have seen a surge in popularity with Instagram and its 500 million users per month dominating this area of the market. Young people again make up the majority of the users, but is it coming at a cost to the mental health of that demographic? And is one particular feature doing more damage than good? Like most other social mediafrequenters, I find myself casually scrolling through my main feed more times during the day than I would care to admit. Often the feed will actually refresh-no-more and in an effort to avoid returning to the ‘real world’ for a few minutes more, I’ll have a nosey around the ‘explore’ tab. It used to be simply a way of searching up other accounts to follow or hashtags of interest. But now this area of the app is dedicated to images that are ‘similar to posts I’ve liked’ or from accounts similar to ones I’ve already deemed worthy to keep updated with. Perfectly harmless if you only follow pictures of cats or aesthetically-pleasing travel accounts.

But as somebody who is no stranger to the unfortunate feelings of insecurity and doubt about their own body image, images of models, celebrities or anyone I deem more attractive than myself are inevitably triggering. The problem is that Instagram graces your retina with these sorts of images every day, even saving a record of them, via that inconspicuous magnifying-glass icon, to present to you next time you visit the section again. Body image is an insecurity for many of course, on varying levels, often talked about with teenagers but affecting people well into adulthood too. The sad truth is that people have been self-conscious about how they look for generations. But never before has there been such easy, often daily, access to material that definitely does not alleviate the problem and we now know makes it worse in some cases. A review of studies in the area by Holland & Tiggemann (2015) found that there was a significant relationship between social networking usage and negative body image attitudes, with photo-based media the worst culprit. Having an online presence is almost a social obligation so therefore not being online is not the easy way out for a lot of people. Instead, taking breaks from apps that may be causing distress and incorporating ‘self care’ habits into a daily routine could really help. It seems to be one of the latest trends but has a serious, important message. By its very nature it’s something for personal interpretation but basically means looking after yourself in whatever way helps you to relax, and stay both physically and mentally healthy. Social media is truly engrained in a lot of people’s daily existences but it doesn’t have to have such a triggering effect. Prioritising your own mental wellbeing over a few minutes scrolling through a photo stream might be the nicest thing you do for yourself today. Grace Yeadon

February 2017

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THE

BUCKET LIST C hristmas is over and summer feels like forever away; this in-between period is the worst!

Especially when exams and deadlines are looming, your life can seem to disappear and you find yourself daydreaming rather than experiencing. But recently, I’ve seen quite a few people on social media promoting the benefits of making a ‘bucket list’ and how it can help those long, repetitive days of doing nothing.

Some may comment that creating your own bucket list is cliché, cringe or just a list of unattainable dreams; yet from both my own experience and that of my peers, it is clear that writing down all your wishes and targets for the future can bring a more positive and meaningful outlook to your life. Which is what everyone wants to have, right? A bucket list is something that can be kept personal or something to share amongst friends/family; it is your own thing for you to add to, change or (hopefully) cross off. Your tally can include the most outgoing things that

You don’t need to do it alone, get your friends involved, try it together, have some fun! Remember, it’s not about being generic, cliché or cringe, it’s about reaching goals, achieving dreams and staying positive.”

“

aren’t part of your typical student lifestyle, such as: swimming with sharks off the Great Barrier Reef, zip-lining across the Grand Canyon, even partying hard in a Las Vegas casino. However, it can also include the smallest of goals like: becoming a vegetarian, dying your hair or becoming a member of a sports team - the little things are just as important as the bigger aspirations. Direction. Purpose. Focus. Just some of the benefits that a bucket list provides. With all your aspirations written down, it almost feels easier to accomplish them, because you’re visually seeing what you

want from life - giving you the ultimate determination. In addition, there is also a heightened sense of satisfaction once you are able to cross off the things on your list that you have fulfilled; reaching personal goals is something everyone aims to do, therefore motivating you to keep going, to keep achieving. All of this can seem difficult to manage when you’re at university. With reading, hangover cures and budgeting taking a dominant focus in your life, it can be painfully hard to think about the light, that is summer, at the end of the tunnel. This is why making a bucket list is important; it gives your mind a fresh breath of air, thinking of the possibilities other than studying that are out there ready for you to experience. You don’t need to do it alone, get your friends involved, try it together, have some fun! Remember, it’s not about being generic, cliché or cringe, it’s about reaching goals, achieving dreams and staying positive. Hefina Everard

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ROHOROSCOPES

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

Capricorn

Love: Forget the heartbreak you have left at home and try to have fun with friends in RHUL instead. Travel: Westfields still has some good sales on, yay for retail therapy! Study: Go to some feedback sesions, your tutors do actually want to help you.

Love: Whichever way you swing – you do you, it’s the best person to be. Travel:…to the library. You left an essay to do they day before term starts? SERIOUSLY?! Study: …yourself. You doing okay? If it’s all getting a bit much, the uni has counselling service.

Aries

Love: New Year’s Resolution – If they don’t text you, don’t (constantly) text them. Travel: God no. Sit yourself down and look at your bank account. Probably with tequila. Study: After above event, try to stop drinking the tequila and focus on work instead.

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Aquarius

23rd October

– 21st November

Love: The person in your seminar is never going to notice you IF YOU DON’T SAY ANYTHING. Travel: …to your mind palace. (And to the TV to watch Sherlock) Study: Time to swot up on the laws of attraction, looks like you need some help.

20th January

– 18th February

20th April – 20th May

Love: Stop playing! You know you could get any person you choose. Travel: It’s time to rest now, after a hectic Christmas ‘break’. Study: Speed , speed, speed read. Damn all these books.

23rd July – 22nd August

Love: Take some time, be true to youself and be open to opportunities when they come. Travel: Virginia Water is always good for a walk to clear your head. Study: Your society probably needs you to put some work in, now that Xmas is over!

Sagittarius

Pisces

22nd November

– 21st December

Love: Don’t be scared, make the first move. Travel: Go to another friend’s university and explore a new town/city! Study: Maybe you chilled out a bit too much over Christmas – it’s time to work!

19th February – 20th March

21st May – 20th June

Love: You are a fabulous person who has no need for people draining their energies right now. Travel: ...to the gym! We all feel your pain of the Christmas weight. Study: You and Taurus should probably make a study group, you’re in the same boat..

23rd August

- 22nd September

Love: My mystic senses tells me that there is a friendship in your life that needs some work? Travel: Amsterdam, Budapest, Wales - go to one (or all of them!) Study: You put the hard work in last term, this term should be easier.

22nd December – 19th January

Love: It’s time to move on - get out there and make a match. Travel: Reading week isn’t that far away, time to plan a stay-cation? Study: Remember that place called the library? Yeah? Okay, go there.

21st March – 19th April

21st June – 22nd July

Love: I think you need to put some ‘me-time’ in. Travel: Start planning your summer holidays now, it’s the only way you’ll get through January. Study: Blessed be, you have completed all your work over Christmas. How very jammy.

23rd September – 22nd October

Love: Fall back in love with the late and great, George Michael. What a hero, and what great tunes. Travel: Volunteering is a fantastic way to see new countries and do some good! Study:…your horoscope. It’s going to pave the way for you.

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DON’T BE SAD Hannah Rogers discusses the topic of Seasonal Affective Disorder and offers some activities that might help.

t’s not the most lighthearted topic, but Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be a real concern for some during this time. However, as the weather gets colder, seasonal depression (also known as SAD) becomes a real prominent issue for thousands of people every year. Some people are more likely to be effected by it than others; the cold miserable weather and the stress from going so long without a break can be incredibly difficult. Depression is not only linked to feeling sadness for an extended amount of time. In fact many people, especially students, find themselves under “a grey cloud”, where they find it hard to connect with anything. This happens in moments when whatever you’re watching or reading stops meaning anything to you; it can feel like your focus isn’t being held at all. For a lot of people this can manifest as a lack of motivation to do anything,

ranging from showering to making plans. (Showering is a surprisingly common thing for people to find difficult with depression). Some signs of depression are harder to determine in winter, like sleeping for longer time; after all, no-one wants to get out bed when it’s cold! Withdrawing from people is also more common in winter, since the cold weather is a little too convenient an excuse to cancel plans. The nature of seasonal depression is that it will pass once winter does. Yet there’s no need to just wait out these feelings. There are plenty of small things you can do to really help you come out from under your little grey cloud: Improve your physical health- this has a huge impact on mental health. Making sure you exercise and eat right not only has the obvious physical benefit, but making that effort can boost self-esteem and help spark motivation. See some sunlight- Although it is quite difficult in the cold, trying to go

outside at least once a day is also very beneficial: a change of scenery can take your mind off difficult feelings. Create goals - The most important aspects are structure and communication. Having clear goals and reasons to get out of bed in the morning often helps give people a sense of purpose. Try writing down a to-do list for the day so that your day has focus and a final goal. Talk to someone - Talking everyday about absolutely anything with friends will help you get through so many of those feelings. Social withdrawal gets much worse as time passes and you begin to overthink how difficult talking will be. Get help - If you struggle with these feelings and feel as though nothing is helping you, talk to a doctor. The Welfare and Diversity office at Royal Holloway offers great advice on all these feelings, as well as being willing to talk about anything that causes you anxiety or stress.

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THE RISE OF VINYLS Georgia Beith talks about the recent rise in the sale of vinyl records and how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all part of the changing shape of our music industry.

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Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

n our ultra modern society, a surge in the sales of vinyl records might be one of the last things we would expect to read about. But the latest 21st century trend in the music industry is a little more old fashioned. So why is it that people are passing over CDs and digital downloads in favour of dusting off their record players? And what does it tell us about how the way we listen to music is changing?

Or perhaps it’s just the latest trend in the cycle of mediums through which we consume music? From vinyl records, to tapes, to CDs, to digital downloads, and back to vinyl again. A kind of musical devolution.

According to the British Phonographic Institute, in 2016 sales of vinyls were up 55 per cent compared to 2015, and numbers reached a 25 year high – the last year sales were that high was 1991, when ‘Stars’ by Simply Red was the highest selling album. Around 3.2 million vinyl records were sold over the course of the year but, most

However, vinyl records still only make up five per cent of overall music sales, and while that is a number which has steadily risen, it is still a very small percentage. This small shake up of the music industry is all part of a wider diversifying of the way we listen to music. With streaming storming ahead as the leading way in which

There is always the argument that the sound of records is simply better, and that’s why people choose them ahead of downloads or CDs. Many will talk of a certain ‘warmth’ and ‘depth’ that records possess which cannot be replicated.

In our ultra modern society, a surge in the sales of vinyl records might be one of the last things we would expect to read about. But the latest twenty first century trend in the music industry is a little more old fashioned. So why is it that people are passing over CDs and digital downloads in favour of dusting off their record players? What does it tell us about how the way we listen to music is changing?

“

interestingly of all, 2016 marks the ninth year of growth in the sale of what was, until recently, only seen as an old school collector’s item. It is undeniable that the sad passing of many major music stars provided a boost to sales in the past year, with David Bowie’s ‘Black Star’ the biggest selling LP of 2016, and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ also charting highly. But that doesn’t account for the continuous growth in the sale of records over the past decade. Maybe vinyl possesses a certain aesthetic appeal that is starting to attract more people?

VINYL INCREASES Photography Credit: Georgia Beith

we consume music, it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s accompanied by a drop in the sale of CDs and digital downloads. Streaming is also becoming more valuable for the chart success of artists. While sales suffer a massive decline after the first week of an album or a single’s release, streaming can continue to rake in the numbers for months. With people turning away from buying CDs or paying to download songs, vinyl records could be the new preferred way of owning a physical copy of your favourite album. Their antiquated charm certainly makes them a far better keepsake or gift than a cheap plastic CD or an iTunes voucher. Georgia Beith

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MEG RADIOS FOR ROB

Elizabeth Carr reports on Insanity Radio’s recent 36 hour radio marathon for charity.

hat would it take for you to do an all-nighter? For alumna Meg Walker, not sleeping for two days is just a part of raising money for CLIC Sargent - and we got to experience the whole 36 hours of ‘Radio Robbie’ with her, live on 103.2FM and via rhubarbTV’s live stream. It’s certainly not the most usual fundraising method, but this isn’t the first time Meg’s been on air for a long time. The idea of doing a marathon started after her helping with the 128.7 hour marathon back in 2014 and when the opportunity came up last year to be part of the annual Insanity Radio marathons at Easter she jumped at the chance and took on 26.2 hours of live broadcasting, raising just shy of £1000. The duration of her first radio marathon, 26.2 hours, give a clue to her other means of fundraising: running, more specifically the London Marathon. The reason for her charity work? A very personal one. Her friend Rob Harris

passed away aged 21 in November 2014 after a short battle with testicular cancer, and to remember him she began long distance running in aid of his chosen charity, CLIC Sargent, as well as making him the namesake of her radio marathon. CLIC Sargent was formed in 2005 as a merger between two other charities and works to support children and young people suffering from cancer. Their aim is to help everyone under 25 with the disease not only survive but thrive, fighting their corner even when they feel helpless. The support received by each child and their family is different but the charity will listen to what they need and try to help them maintain as much normality as possible in their lives. This year, the challenge has increased – not only has Meg completed 36 hours on air, but she’s challenged herself to run 1,000 miles from September 2016 to September 2017. Four months in and she’s already run more than 400 miles, with the total only able to get bigger as

CHARITY MARATHON

Photography Credit: Elizabeth Carr

the marathon approaches. She could have chosen any other radio station to host the marathon, but Meg always wanted to do it with Insanity, the station where she started doing radio. The marathon not only reached local listeners from North Surrey and South East Berkshire, but all around the world. From Vienna to Vietnam, Australia to New Zealand, Canada to India, and with a Ms Costa from Costa Rica, Radio Robbie took Insanity and CLIC Sargent global. Having raised £650 from her 36 hours on air, Meg will take on the London Marathon for the second time on 23 April, as part of the CLIC Sargent team dressed as the Scooby Doo Gang. If you want to support her, her donation page, ‘Meg is runnin for Rob,’ at Justgiving. Elizabeth Carr

February 2017

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

DOCTOR WHO? Ruby Rogers addresses the criticisms of BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Sherlock.’

octor who?” – the famous question, that has been asked by almost every character on the BBC’s favourite family sci-fi drama, has suddenly gained new meaning for me. I, like many other people my age, remember vividly when the Doctor returned to our screens in 2005, in the form of the leather-jacketwearing, more-intense-less-eccentric Christopher Eccleston. My brother and I watched it every week without fail for years, and, when it wasn’t on, we’d spend countless hours re-watching previous episodes, playing with my brother’s TARDIS set or running around the garden pretending to be aliens. Then, the question “Doctor who?” was nothing more than a plot device, a question to which the answer was simply ‘the Doctor’, because that said enough. But after watching the Christmas special, the only answer I have to the question “Doctor who?” is ‘I don’t know’. Because the whole episode made the

Doctor almost obsolete in his own TV show. The storyline, a weak parody of Superman at best, would have made sense had the Doctor been removed from it completely. The Doctor is defined as a time-travelling alien, and yet the only two substantial incidences of time travel did very little, if anything, to further the plot. The lazy superhero storyline overshadowed, at least for me, the real threat of the alien invaders, the details of which I had forgotten by the time the credits started rolling. The Doctor did not save the planet, the ‘Ghost’ did. The Doctor wasn’t needed. I will be the first to admit that I stopped religiously watching ‘Doctor Who’ after Matt Smith’s first season as the eleventh Doctor. My interest these days is restricted to the odd episode and the Christmas specials. And although I don’t necessarily like the most recent two Doctors (and always will be a diehard fan of David Tennant’s Doctor), it isn’t their portrayals of my beloved Doctor that turned me off the show – it’s the

IS IT THE END?

Both shows, Doctor Who and Sherlock, have faced fierce criticism after their last programmes

poor writing, showcased perfectly in this most recent episode. And it’s not just ‘Doctor Who’ that has gone this way. ‘Sherlock’ too, at least for me, has lost its bite. The New Year’s Day episode this year was convoluted, forgettable and at times downright outrageous. John seemed to find himself made useless and semi-replaced by Mary as Sherlock’s right-hand. And where was the good old simple crime solving? Is it not enough just to have Sherlock outwit everyone around him? So I want to make an appeal to Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Bring back the truly scary aliens – the weeping angels, the gas-mask zombies, the Silence – and bring back the Sherlock who solves a mystery based only on how someone’s nails were chipped. Bring back the simple and effective storylines and do away with these disasters that you’ve been making us sit through.

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TURN OFF YOUR PHONE Nebiu Samuel discusses the possibility of a theatre mode for iPhones and his take on cinema etiquette.

e’ve all been there, sitting in a darkly lit room, waiting to lose ourselves in a film when suddenly a light appears a few feet away shining someone’s face so brightly you’d almost think they’d seen the face of God. But sadly, no it’s someone using their phone while in a cinema.

Considering how long mobile phones have existed you would have thought that this would have stopped but people still do it. However, it has recently been leaked that Apple may have a solution to this problem. Among some of the rumoured new features in the next iPhone update set for 10 January is a theatre mode which would disable sounds, block calls, messages, and reduce screen brightness. Now, as appealing as some of those features may sound, I doubt in reality it’s going to stop people from texting,

answering so-called ‘urgent’ calls or recording the twist ending of films on Snapchat while simultaneously providing an expletive filled commentary to the anger and bewilderment of their Snapchat followers (people actually do this, I’ve had so many films and plays spoiled for me this way). People who are bold enough to use their phones in a cinema or theatre clearly aren’t going to bother to use a theatre mode since it stops them from doing the very thing they feel they have a right to do in a cinema. Furthermore, the feature in many ways seems redundant as there isn’t much reason for someone to have their phone on while in a cinema if they can’t make calls and receive messages and the same effect can be achieved by just turning your phone off. Now if you’re reading this and are guilty of such offenses then let me just remind you if it wasn’t already clear to you at this point…DON’T DO IT!

If you need help with some other dos and don’ts of cinema-going allow me to introduce to you Wittertainment’s Code of Conduct courtesy of the BBC Radio 5 Live film podcast (which I highly recommend if you enjoy film reviews). No eating of anything harder than a soft roll with no filling. No slurping of drinksyou’ve already drunk a 5 litre of diet coke, you really don’t need the melting ice too, you are not six years old. No talking in a cinema – you have come here to watch, not to discuss, more importantly, no-one in the cinema has paid £8.50 to hear your director’s commentary on the movie. No rustling of super high density, rustle-o-matic, extra rustle bags, no kicking of seats and no shoe removal: this isn’t your front room. A cinema is a wonderful place where people can go to forget about their worries and lose themselves so turn your phone off, raise your head and enjoy the film.

February 2017

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

UNSCENE FESTIVAL: A REVIEW Emma Halahan reviews a night of laughter, tears and tender moments.

he 10 short pieces that made up Drama Society’s UnScene Festival certainly packed a punch. Ranging from spoken word to a brief improvisation by The Holloway Players, the 2016 UnScene Festival had something for everyone. Original writing at RHUL doesn’t have much of a platform: if you are a Drama or Creative Writing student there are opportunities with the Student Workshop and Musical Theatre Society’s ‘Variations’ offers the opportunity to write an original musical, although it is for first years only. UnScene plugs this gap in the market by allowing a plethora of original writing styles to gain stage time and I can attest, the results were simply magical. Guided by two wonderful co-hosts, Ellie Cozens and Azan Ahmed, the night produced an array of work and allowed not just great writers, but fantastic directing and acting to shine. Love in all its forms; unrequited, mutual and downright confusing was explored time and time again. Daniel Jones’

spoken word poetry, directed by Imogen Mills, was scattered throughout the show and provided a beautiful take on the trials and tribulations of modern relationships. Likewise, Elizabeth Carr’s short script, ‘The Conversation’, directed by the evening’s co-host Ellie Cozens, was a stunning example of what simple, honest writing can do. Set around the premise of an awkward conversation about feelings on a fire escape, its no-nonsense dialogue coupled with a wonderful use of proxemics on Cozens’ part, captured remarkably accurately what it’s like to have that talk. Strong writing was a running theme with both ‘Recoil’, written by Rebecca Dendroff, and In A Quiet Place by Imogen Mills, also providing incredibly poignant food for thought. The pieces took many forms in their direction, Anna Tamela’s poem ‘Vampires’, performed by three talented dancers, was complemented by a clever use of lighting that made me wish the venue was somewhere more capable than the limited tech capacity

of Jane Holloway Hall. Comedy didn’t disappoint either. ‘Taste’, the Roald Dahl classic, adapted by Tim Chapman, and the original ‘Extra Curriculum’ by Kieran Salmon garnered lots of well-deserved laughs. As did Drama Society’s improvisation troupe, The Holloway Players, with their 10-minute skit littered with some rather crude references to some of the recent events in Founder’s which had me and many others in hysterics. The comedy standout of the night though, was the ingenious use of technology by Tim Chapman in the creation of ‘An Abundance Of Tims’: we aren’t quite sure how they did it, but there was definitely more than one Tim present with us, and it was incredible! UnScene is due to return this term, and as an audience member who thoroughly enjoyed it, I can only hope the UnScene Festival grows in its reach and on to bigger and better venue spaces that can really complement such a talented showcase of work. Photography Credit: Elizabeth Carr

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ROW TO THE RESCUE Michele Theil reports on RHUL Rowing Club and their charity event on campus last term.

n the 5th of December, the members of the Royal Holloway Rowing club sat on rowing machines outside Bedford Library and aimed to row 346km, the length of the Thames river. The fundraiser was in aid of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and the British Heart Foundation as well as the purchase of a new boat for the club’s competitions.

member in the wake of tragedy and the fundraiser was a nice gesture on their part to help the charities that in turn helped the club member and his family.

Each member was required to sign up for at least one hour of rowing (or 12km) as part of the fundraiser. In the end, the rowers surpassed both their distance and fundraising goals. They rowed over 500km, the distance to Calais, France and raised £633, exceeding the £500 they originally aimed to raise.

The MAA has operated 46,000 missions since 1991, averaging nearly 2000 each year, cementing its authority as one of the biggest air ambulance operators in the UK. The charity is reliant on donations from businesses and the public as it receives no government or National Lottery funding. Over £7 million is needed to keep the air ambulances operational each year. The Rowing Club’s donations to the charity will be appreciated and will help to keep the air ambulances running; every little bit helps.

The idea for the fundraiser began when the father of one of their senior rowers passed away from a heart attack very suddenly. The club rallied around the

The Midlands Air Ambulance provides support for thousands of people every year, funding and operating three air ambulances in 6 Midlands counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

The British Heart Foundation is a charity that boasts itself as the largest independent funder of cardiovascular research. It was founded in 1961 and has since enabled research into heart disease, discovering vital treatments that has helped thousands of people to survive heart attacks and heart disease. The charity has many supporters and gains many donations each year for their research but the increasing financial strain on cardiovascular research means that any and all donations are greatly appreciated. The club is also raising money for a new boat for the new rowing season. The club operates on membership money and thus cannot afford to get new boats very often as they cost thousands of pounds. The fundraiser will add to the boat fund so that the club can “improve their fleet” and accommodate a “larger number of members”. Photography Credit: Michele Theil

February 2017

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

COMEDY SOCIETY SHOWCASE THE SHOWCASE

Comedu Society put on their showcase at Stumble Out

oyal Holloway’s Comedy Society is popular for one reason: everyone wants to laugh. There are around 20 regular members of the society as well as many others that attend and perform at specific events, making the eventual number of participants in the Comedy Society uncertain but high. The Santa Isn’t Real event on the 7th of December was a striking representation of what Comedy Society represents their dedication to the “appreciation and performance of comedy”, as the description of the society’s Student Union page states. Several students went up onto the stage at Stumble Out to make jokes, sing songs and perform skits about Christmas and Santa in honour of the season.

Stand-up comedy has gained notoriety and recognition in the last few years as an increasing number of standup comedians rise to fame. This is particularly seen through the increasing number of stand-up comedy specials that populate online streaming services such as Netflix. One place to see live comedy is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every summer, in which RHUL Comedy

Society has an annual show that they are starting to plan and organise now. It is very exciting endeavour and the committee members are looking forward to new and interesting comedians to join the veterans in the show. The society brought back one of their alumni members, Harun Musho’d, who studied English & Creative Writing between 2010 and 2013. He seemed very happy to return to Royal Holloway to perform for the comedy society, utilising the skills he learned as a part of the society in the past. Musho’d’s jokes were slightly more mature than the previous performers and had an element of ‘political incorrectness’ that earned some nervous chuckles. The president Ned Sanders and the secretary Philipp Kostelecky not only organised the event along with social secretary Olivia Barry, they each also brought their own flavour of humour into their roles as the M.Cs and performers of the show. The audience seemed to enjoy the performances, bursting out in laughter often, suggesting that the performers succeeded in their comic

takes on Christmas and the odd joke about believing in Santa. Performers like Martha O’Brien and Kieran Salmon really shone in their monologues, rife with sarcasm and the occasional rib at the audience while Martha Lockhead and Eleanor Cobb performed the one and only skit of the evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. The majority of the performers at this event were fairly new to the society and to stand-up comedy performance, making their successful debut all the more interesting. President Ned Sanders stated that he was “immensely proud of the newcomers to the society who in the space of single term have become very competent comedians”, singing the praises of everyone that performed at the Santa Isn’t Real event as well as the other events the Comedy Society have organised earlier in the term. All of the performers, did extremely well in performing in front of the small crowd and enshrined the ethos of the comedy society in both appreciating and performing comedy well. Michele Theil

36 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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ACAPALOOZA FESTIVAL

Lydia Macanovic talks about what Absolute Harmony are up to, with their festival of all things A cappella.

bsolute Harmony will be kicking off Term 2 with Acapalooza: a festival celebrating all things A cappella!

As Royal Holloway’s only A cappella choir, we believe in fun, un-auditioned music and variety. With that in mind Acapalooza will be a great event drawing on all of the best parts of musical enjoyment and performing. The festival will be taking place between January 21st-28th and each day Absolute Harmony will be hosting an exciting event. Acapalooza will be bringing in collaborators from other performing arts societies to make it the best one yet! Events to be expected include an ‘Open Rehearsal’ on the Monday 23rd followed by a ‘Lip Sync’ at Stumble Out, a ‘film night’, an ‘MD swap’ with Voices and ‘Absolute Harmony takes over Stumble Live’! These are just some of the events to

expect, so keep your eyes peeled for further disclosure! All events are open to all, so if you’ve been curious about A cappella or just enjoy doing something different, come to Acapalooza! As one of Absolute Harmony’s most anticipated events it is well worth your while! Keep tuned for our promotions and release! If you would like any more info about Absolute Harmony and the events we

A CAPPELLA FESTIVAL

Photography Credit: Bethan Ayres

host, check us out on social media: Like our Facebook page: www.facebook. com/AbsoluteHarmonyAcappella Follow us on Twitter: @AbHarmRHUL and Instagram: absoluteharmony

February 2017

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

Isabel Swanson looks forward to what Musical Theatre Society have coming up this term.

here is no doubt that the Musical Theatre Society had a busy 2016; last term’s production of ‘Bring It On’ received rave reviews and this success was emulated by the success of their Christmas Concert, with a record number of participants and audience members. And this year, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. First up for the society is their production of ‘Marvel vs. DC: The Musical’, from the 18th-21st of February, a show written, produced and directed entirely by its first year

BRING IT ON MTS

members. The original plot will blend the popular comic book characters with existing musical theatre songs and is advertised as ‘a great, comedic show with many unexpected twists and turns, which promises to be fun for everyone.’ Their next big production will be ‘Spring Awakening’ from the 12th-15th of March. The musical covers major and relevant topics such as sexuality, morality and societal pressures, all set to a score inspired by rock and folk music. The society will end the year with their annual Summer Cabaret which will be packed with 22 numbers from all your

BRING IT ON

Photography Credit: Joanne Archer and Pippa Gentry

favourite musicals featuring over 70 of the society’s members. Accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra, this promises to be an unmissable show. But what Vice President Max Harris is keen to highlight is the inclusivity of the society, as not all of their performances are subject to auditions. He states, “We cater to all of our members by holding six inclusion events, all of which are open to all to participate in as they are un-auditioned.” These events, which occur throughout the year, include ‘A Night At The Theatre’ and the ‘Informal Concert’ and are “fantastic ways to get more of our members up on the stage performing”. Therefore, whether you sing, dance, act, play an instrument, are interested in being behind the scenes, or simply enjoy watching a good show, there is every opportunity for you to get involved. Isabel Swanson

38 ORBITAL | Royal Holloway Student Magazine

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REUNITING THROUGH POETRY Michele Theil reports on English PEN society’s event last term.

he Royal Holloway English PEN society hosted a poetry and speaking event on 2 December that aimed to highlight the differences and similarities between the Eastern and Western worlds.

According to the English PEN society, the event was about “breaking down the East/West divide, through poetry and spoken word”. The event saw several students, one staff member and two outsider poets speaking about dual nationality and their positions in both the Western and Eastern worlds. Victoria Bulley and Antosh Wojcik, the two outsider poets, as well as Jazz Kaur, Modupe Reis, Prudence Chamberlain and Dr. Eley Williams all dazzled the audience with their insightful observations regarding the “East/West divide” and their

own experiences of it, emphasising the notion of free speech that is encapsulated by the English PEN. It was interesting to see the diverse interests and inclusionary atmosphere of those in attendance at the event, particularly with the description of the event suggesting that the event and society as a whole was needed due to our increasing failure “at being an inclusionary society”. Royal Holloway English PEN is a relatively new society and just a branch of the organisation PEN International. PEN International promotes and protects free speech around the world. English PEN in particular is only one of 145 PEN centres in over 100 countries, campaigning to defend the “human right to freedom of expression” for “writers and readers in the UK” and working to release international prisoners persecuted for free speech.

The Royal Holloway branch of English PEN and PEN International seeks to give a voice to students at the university that feel like they are unable to express their ideas and opinions elsewhere. The ‘We of the Western World’ event charged £3 entry to those that wanted to attend and all proceeds went to the English PEN organisation, adding this successful event to their roster of outstanding charitable outreach fundraisers. Should people wish to donate to the English PEN, a worthy cause celebrating free speech and the right to freedom of expression, the website enables people to donate to and volunteer for the cause, visit the charity’s website. Photography Credit: Cameron James Seymour

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