December 2016 by Orbital Magazine

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DECEMBER 2016 | FREE

ANIMAL EXTINCTION: IS IT OUR FAULT?

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

EDITOR Holly Pyne

THIS ISSUE

DEPUTY EDITOR Louise Jones SUBEDITOR Rosalie Falla NEWS Anna Robinson Paco Tijdink COMMENT Abbie Cheeseman Cemre Camuz FEATURES Yasmeen Frasso Stephanie Bagnall LIFESTYLE Annie Pantry Elizabeth Rosenberg ARTS Joanne Archer Elizabeth Carr

NEWS

FEATURES

RAILWAY INCIDENT

FINANCE AND BREXIT

Phillipa Walker reports on a railway incident between Virginia Water and Ascot. Anna Robinson reassures students that loans will still be accessible for 2017.

EXTINCTION

Grace Yeadon discusses animal extinction rates and human impact.

PAUL LAYZELL

Yasmeen Frasso interviews Principal Paul Layzell and his career in education.

SPORT & SOCIETIES Jess Hines Michele Theil ONLINE Beth Gooding OPERATIONS Nebiu Samuel PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron James Seymour DESIGN Holly Pyne Louise Jones

COMMENT

TRUMPED AMERICA

ABSOLUTE MADNESS

Sahar Mahmood writes about the US Elections and what to expect next. Natasha Phillips explores how mental health language is used in daily life.

LIFESTYLE

20 24

BUDGET TRAVEL

Alis Reid explains how you can travel on a budget this coming summer!

ROHOROSCOPES

Elizabeth Rosenberg lets you know what the stars have in store this month.

MARKETING Emma Halahan ADVERTISING Hannah Foord EVENTS Georgia Austin CO-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & MEDIA Pippa Gentry ADDRESS Media Suite, Students’ Union, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX WEBSITE theorbital.co.uk COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron James Seymour

ARTS

SPORTS AND SOCS

CHRISTMAS PICKS

NETFLIX’S DIVERSITY

The Arts section have chosen their favourite shows to see this Christmas! Georgia Beith talks about Netflix and its contribution to the entertainment industry.

ANTHONY NOLAN

Women’s Rugby talks about their first ever spit drive and their motives behind it.

RHUL COPPA FEEL

Royal Holloway’s Coppa feel team spread the importance of self-checking.

EDITORIAL The Orbital’s Editor, Holly Pyne, talks through what Royal Holloway students have been up to this month, from campus shows to charity events. It has been a busy month with the performing arts societies putting on plays, musicals and shows for students. Visit page 35 to read Laura Lawrence’s review of ‘Sit On It’ by The Student Workshop.

Also in the Arts section, you can read their Christmas theatre picks and Georgia Beith’s review of Netflix and its emphasis on diversity in its shows. Find this on page 30.

The Conservation and Animal Volunteer society (pictured above) spoke to us about a new report on the human impact on Vertebrates. Grace Yeadon’s article about this topic can be found on page 8, alongside a factfile about the society. Features Editor, Yasmeen Frasso, also spoke to Principal, Paul Layzell, about all things education, from why he chose a career in education, to the possible implications of Brexit on student life. The interview is on page

10, with an extended cut to be found on our website (www.theorbital. co.uk), so take a look! If one of the articles has caught your attention, please get in touch via the website (www.theorbital.co.uk/ getinvolved) or email me at editor@theorbital.co.uk. We are always looking for new journalists and photographers, so make sure to get writing! Honestly, you won’t regret it.

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RAILWAY

INCIDENT Phillipa Walker reports on a railway incident between Ascot and Virginia Water earlier this month.

CAMPUS UPDATE

Anna Robinson reports on the latest news concerning the construction on campus.

ews of the Estate plans have been released onto the Royal Holloway student intranet. From 14 November 2016, and the team state they will be starting work to widen the north west part of the road circling Founder’s Building. “As part of these works, the whole road will be closed to all traffic except deliveries, which will travel in both directions on the east side of the building. Furthermore, in the coming weeks the beginnings of Founder’s Square will become visible. The university spoke to Adam Clarke, consultant landscape architect from Plinke, who commented that ‘Founder’s square will be a fantastic new space for our campus’. The space between the new library and Founder’s Building

is set to knit together the three surrounding area of the library, Windsor building and Founder’s. Clarke commented on the unique nature of the area within the Victorian setting. The area is not only to be a recreational zone for students with space on the grass, benches and also as an events arena and new setting for the upcoming and growing number of concerts, musicals and theatrics at Royal Holloway. So far this year has already seen a huge range of developments around campus; the continuous developments surrounding the new library, the opening and expansion of the Boilerhouse café, and redecoration of the Founder’s Dining Hall pavilion are among a few to keep your eyes out over the next week! Photography credit: Cameron James Seymour

n Sunday 13th November, an incident occurred on the railway lines between Ascot and Virginia Water in which a person was hit by a train.

Although the exact details surrounding the event remain unclear, the service provider South West Trains was able to confirm via Twitter that emergency services were present at the scene at around 5pm, and that all trains between Staines and Ascot were blocked as a result. Services between London Waterloo and Ascot were forced to terminate at Staines, and buses were arranged to connect between Ascot and Staines and Ascot to Reading. In a statement on their website later that evening, South West Trains said “Emergency services and the response staff have dealt with the incident between Staines and Ascot allowing all lines to reopen. Your journey may continue to de delayed by up to 60 minutes as trains may have to be amended or cancelled as the service recovers. Disruption is expected to continue until the end of the day.” In the case of any future disruptions to train services in Egham and the surrounding area, it is suggested that passengers go to the SWT website or Twitter for the latest information on the state of service.

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NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION Paco Tijdink spoke to NUS Vice President, Sorana Vieru about her support of the National Demonstration

orana Vieru, NUS Vice President for Higher Education, was present at a banner-painting event organised by the Royal Holloway Student Union on Wednesday 9th November. The meeting, attended by members of the Left Forum, saw students prepare for a mass demonstration due to take place on the 19 November. Organised by the National Union for Students, the London protest will involve students from across the country voicing their opposition towards increasing tuition fees and a new tiered system. It is being put in place by the current Conservative government. Ms Vieru, who was elected to her post early in 2015, was intensely critical of the Higher Education and Research Bill, calling it “ideologically driven.” She criticised plans to introduce tiered systems, where universities and even courses would be quality-assessed, with higher scoring universities allowed to raise their tuition fees above £9000, in line with inflation. She also lamented

the “privatisation” of higher education and called the new proposals “highly marketised.” The Higher Education and Research Bill claims to want to improve the quality of higher education through market-like liberalisation and rewards for institutions deemed to be of a high standard. To this end, it will be “easier for new high quality providers to start-up, achieve degree awarding powers and secure university status,” according to an official summary of the legislation. Ms Vieru asserts that these start ups will only be able to provide provisional degrees until they are granted proper status, and that a failure of the institution in the meantime would make students’ academic work null and void. This, she says, would “erode the reputation of British further education.” Regarding the planned demonstration, she called it a show of “mass opposition” against privatisation, as well as a show of “solidarity for international students” affected by post-Brexit educational isolationism. “We want to raise public awareness and kick-start

SORANA VIERU

The NUS Vice President attended the Royal Holloway event to make banners for the National Demo

a generation of activist students,” she added. The NUS have come under fire recently after allegations of anti-Semitism and overt left-wing politicisation, with universities like Lincoln voting to disaffiliate from the Union. Lincoln has since re-joined the organisation. Natasha Barrett, President of Education and Campaigns at the SU, called the work of the NUS “invaluable”, and showed her support for the November demo. She hopes the protest will “make a statement” as she believes that the government was“continuously screwing over students” and that “both students and staff are worried.” The Higher Education and Research Bill is due for its third reading in Parliament after amendment by a Parliamentary committee. Paco Tijdink

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FOUNDERS

Photography Credit: Cameron James Seymour

November 3 saw power cuts on the west side of Founder’s Building, resulting in evacuation for first year students living in the accommodation, as well as other residents of the building. This caused upheaval for the days following as it took over 48 hours for power to be fully restored. By the 4 November power was yet to be restored and residents were informed that the ‘maintenance team is doing everything they can to fix the problem, and we hope to have power fully restored by Saturday 5

November’, but ‘if you have a bedroom in Founder’s West on the second, third, fourth or fifth floors, and your room is not being serviced with power, lighting, water or Wi-Fi, it is not safe for you to stay in your room tonight’. Alternative accommodation was arranged for both the Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Royal Holloway’s campus team posted online with instructions for any residents of the west side of Founder’s; “Please pack an overnight bag and ensure you have your College Card with you for identification. Buses will depart from the bus stop beside the tennis courts from 6pm tonight and will run every

half hour up to 11pm. Buses will take you back to main campus tomorrow morning. These will run from 8am to 10am, again running half-hourly”. Residents of Founder’s West were directly sent emails regarding changes in the situation, and the campus team continuously maintained updates via their Twitter page (@RHCampusLife). A final statement was released on November 5 confirming that power had been fully restored to all rooms in Founder’s West, which means that power, lighting, WiFi and water were available again on all floors. First year student and Founder’s West

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FOUNDER’S WEST EVACUATED Anna Robinson reports on the power cut earlier this month and the evacuation that followed

resident, Tierney Chappell, tells The Orbital about her experience… “On the Tuesday evening, all power was lost to the West side of the building starting as an exciting change of environment, but escalated to a four and a half days of uncertainty. Initially, we assumed that the power would soon be recovered and started to make use of the darkness while we could - hosting a movie night in the corridor and embarking on an opportune game of hide and seek! However, after a couple of hours it became apparent that we would be spending the night with no access to Wi-Fi or any form of power.

That night we were informed we must evacuate the building – directed to the Hotel Beaumont in Old Windsor. Suddenly, having to evacuate from founder’s beds did not seem such a hardship: the rooms were nothing short of luxury. Room service was ordered in an attempt to raise morale, but the distance from campus and inevitable first year 9ams took away the holiday nature. By Thursday evening, it became clear we’d be spending another night at the hotel, which we were only informed of that evening. Although many took advantage of the hotel’s swimming pool facilities, we were growing tired

of the evacuee life, many students resorting to befriending East side purely to regain the privilege of microwave noodles. By Friday all food in our fridges was inedible and morale was at an all-time low among Founder’s students. On Friday afternoon we finally returned to find the corridor bright, warm and with working electricity and hot water. The university emailed a reimbursement form for all of our spoilt cheese to be refunded to our college cards, but the whole experience was an mid-term interruption we would rather not have repeated”. Anna Robinson

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theorbital.co.uk y 2020, animal populations on Earth will have experienced a 67% decline, on average since records began in 1970. To put that in context, that is the equivalent of nearly 5 billion people dying by 2066, and no one being born to replace them. This is the frightening new data presented by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London in their new ‘Living Planet 2016’ report. Vertebrate species, so those with a backbone, are declining at a rapid rate, and whilst not included in this particular paper, it is reasonable to assume similar levels of decline are being seen in some invertebrates, plant and fungal species too.

CONSERVATION AND ANIMAL VOLUNTEER SOCIETY What is your overall aim as a society? To raise awareness of issues that affect animals (both wild and domesticated) and things relating to conservation of natural habitats. Our society also looks at raising money for charities relating to animals issues and volunteering with animals. Are you involved with any other societies, charities or external partners? We work with a variety of charities and partners including: Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre (DBARC), Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, Muffin Pug Rescue,

Duke Lemur Centre. What has been your highlight since joining the society? The onesie day is a huge highlight! We raised £279.77 for Battersea on top of previously raising £39.63 for them at our ‘A Night with Attenborough’ bake sale, plus raising £72.17 for DBARC at the Fresher’s fair, with the help from the beautiful Japanese Spitz, Miss Kia. Any exciting events coming up soon? Pug quiz (at) Forrester’s Arms, 7:30pm, November 29th. Photography credit: Cameron James Seymour

Some scientists have gone as far to predict that the Earth could even be experiencing its 6th mass extinction, the most recent being the so-called K-Pg extinction that famously killed off the dinosaurs, and 75% of life on Earth. So what’s different this time? The short answer is us, Homo sapiens. Never before has the planet experienced such pressures from one singular species, from fossil fuel usage to deforestation to poaching. Humanity is having such an unprecedented effect on Earth that some geologists are now referring to the current era as the ‘Anthropocene’. But is it all doom and gloom? Not at all. The report also highlights the incredible success stories already recorded in recent years. One standout example is the abandoned Loess Plateau in China, which until as recently as the 1990’s was still being described as ‘China’s Sorrow’ because of the cyclical droughts and famines. But thanks to a huge multi-disciplinary effort, the area the size of France has been restored to a bio diverse, lush landscape that can be sustainably used for agriculture. And individual species are making a comeback too. In April, the WWF announced that wild tiger numbers were increasing for the first time in 100 years, and pandas are recovering too,

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THE ANTHROPOCENE EXTINCTION Grace Yeadon discusses the recent ‘Living Planet 2016’ report and what impact students can have

DACTYLORHIZA FUCHSII Photography Credit: Declan Perry

with a 16.8% rise in the wild population in the last 10 years. Orbital spoke to Royal Holloway’s Conservation and Animal Volunteer Society President Beth Calhoum to hear her take on this issue: “The Living World Report (2016) is the most up to date information on the increasing problems in the world of sustainability and conservation, and is well worth a read! It is based on global problems, but these can be translated locally - here are some ways you, as students, could help in the local area!” “Firstly, how about walking to campus instead of driving? less carbon foot print and less use of fossil fuels = slower climate change.”

“Second, recycle your plastics! - a lot of landfill waste ultimately ends up in water bodies. The plastic then disintegrates and toxic shreds enter the bodies of fish in the sea, killing them.” “Thirdly, eat local, and don’t waste food! Locally sourced produce reduces the carbon footprint, and the less leftovers thrown away, but eaten instead, the fewer animals and plants that have to be sacrificed/harvested!” “Fourth, volunteer with the Community Action team! - Help conserve forests and their inhabitants! Together we can help improve the figures in the report!” These success stories, small lifestyle changes and opportunities on campus to make a difference show it is very possible to reverse the damage human

behaviour is having on our planet and stop exploiting the natural world we should be treasuring. A record 175 parties have signed the Paris Climate Change agreement and 64 countries are taking an active role in reducing deforestation through ‘The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries’ (or UN REDD+ for short). Progress is being made and with enough collaboration from individuals, communities and national governments, the damage we have done may just be reversible. In the famous words of Dr Ian Malcolm, ‘life finds a way’. It may just need a little help from us this time. Grace Yeadon

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PAUL LAYZELL Features Editor, Yasmeen Frasso, interviewed Principal of Royal Holloway, Paul Layzell to remove some of the mystery behind the man we all get weekly emails from.

hat influenced you to pursue a career in education at Royal Holloway? I’ve worked in several universities so I’ve sort of seen different shapes and sizes and styles of places. What’s really attractive here in contrast to a big city centre university is that sense of community. It helps by being a campus and being smaller because you can get out and get to know and see people. Frankly, when you walk out a city centre university onto a street you’re just another one of the people in the city. And that’s great, people like city life and it offers something that’s different to here. But it’s not a very personal experience and if you are shy then it can be quite an isolating experience. Here I think you stand a better chance of getting to know people. And that’s what’s attractive to me, it’s the sense of community.

I’m trying, partly as a sort of fitness regime, to walk around the campus each day. I do it at different times, I try to do it around the changeover times because that’s when it’s busy. And it’s just really interesting to see people and after a while you see the same people. And I do it with students. Sometimes they’re a bit apprehensive so I wish they would talk to me. Some do and that’s great. I can only do my job if I know what you’re thinking and what’s on your mind because then I stand a chance of making it better. Whilst the extent of these impacts is currently unclear, in your response to the Brexit vote you said that the university will continue to support all students. Could you briefly describe how you plan to do this at present? The issue is the reality on the ground and the day to day impact. The very first thing that we had to make sure

happened and fortunately it has, was that students coming from the EU who joined this summer and will almost certainly be completing their studies after knew what their fees would be and what they would be entitled to from the government. Working with Universities UK we got the minister, Joe Johnson, responsible for universities, to undertake that any student from the EU, joining us this summer will have UK fees all the way through and will have access to student loan funding. That was really important because they were arriving and needed some sense of certainty. The next practical step is for the students who come next summer, but we won’t know the outcome until the Autumn Statement (in November). The third issue surrounds our staff who have lived and worked here for many years and have family here. Nobody really knows what’s going

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to happen. It’s sort of unthinkable that we’ll have to get everyone work permits or send them back. It’s a very unsettling time. We’re doing that lobbying to make this clear to government and we’re getting in advice for people to start thinking about the legal stuff. Those are the urgent issues.

was. So the question is can you continue to have the value of that £9,000 eroded? And all it means is that we have less money to put into the education experience. There is a point at which you have to give some modest inflationary increase to keep up the value of that original £9,000.

In a funny way, Brexit takes us back to our core mission in educating students. We’re trying to give you knowledge, to make you independent, to make you confident and prepared for what comes ahead. If you’ve got that you can probably take everything in your stride.

We’re very conscious that many students who have come into the system in previous years never had an expectation that it was going to go up. But it’s clear that if we are going to continue to invest in great staff and improving facilities then we have to have that inflationary increase. The only thing we know is that we have permission to go up to

And I know it’s a cliché but my door is always open, I’m always happy to speak to a student who wants to tell me something because if it’s important to them it should be important to me. Some students from low income families have low levels of aspiration/ attainment and the tendency to think university isn’t for them. So we work with schools more to make university feel more accessible for those coming from a culture where university isn’t the expectation. So it’s not just about throwing cash at students to fund their way through but to also help people who think university isn’t for them and trying to break down those

It’s the same for the college, we don’t know what will happen. Maybe EU students will stop coming and I can only do my job if I know what you’re thinking we have to be in a good shape and what’s on your mind because then I stand a financially and academically, to take chance of making it better.” this in our stride.

“

Beyond that there’s quite a lot of talk about what Brexit means, and this is a place where we should encourage that debate and allow people to express views and have a platform to speak, even if their views are unpopular, but equally give others the right to challenge views and put a counterargument. That is the essence of academic freedom in a university. And an open debate is something we have to preserve. Another big change is the increase in tuition fees to £9,250 a year. Will this decision be likely to stand if tuition fee loans do not also increase in line with the fees themselves, and if they do not, will extra support be available to students? From a historical perspective the £9,000 fee has been there since 2012 and we probably have inflation each year of about 3%. £9,000 today isn’t worth the same as it

£9,250 and we don’t know how that will change year on year. We have to think long and hard though, I would not want to see the UK end up in a position like the US. But some modest inflationary income, yes. The loan has to be linked to it. It’s inconceivable for it not to be and I don’t think there’s any indication that the loan won’t go up but if there was I think there would be a huge backlash to it and we would have to think very hard about it. This year we are expecting to spend over £3.5 million on financial support for students from low income families. If the fees go up and number of students go up then that has to increase in proportion to that.

PAUL LAYZELL Photography credit: Yasmeen Frasso

misunderstandings about what a university is like. Especially with such an austere building that may look unapproachable when actually it’s a very friendly place. And lastly, what one bit of advice would you give to students for the coming year? One. Work hard. How do you work hard? Just plan your time and pace yourself. Of course students will still be rushing for deadlines, we won’t stop that but try and plan your time. Secondly, value all of your extracurricular experiences. It’s not just fun, it’s not just a job, it’s giving you practical skills employers are looking for. They expect you to get the degree, that’s a given, but what else do you offer as a future employee. Read the full interview on the website at www.theorbital. co.uk.

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TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Yasmeen Frasso talks to Alumni Nens Corran about her role in a unit focused on Domestic Abuse.

ou’ve had quite a diverse experience in the police force, could you briefly outline your journey to where you are now? Roles include being on a response team, a Detective Constable with Trident and four years on Tower Hamlets CID, dealing with robbery, domestic violence and proactive operations. Finally, almost two years as a Detective Sargent at Lewisham CID dealing with violent offences, sexual assaults, fraud and then domestic violence, before temporary promotion to Detective Inspector in charge of the Community Safety Unit (Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime) at Lewisham.

Domestic abuse is such a tricky area, what is it that drove you to get involved in combatting it? It iis also an area that needs a lot of development. The criminal justice system is not well equipped to deal with the problems posed by domestic abuse, in which the desire to get a judicial outcome, or any kind of closure in court is markedly lacking. For me, working within the domestic abuse world, gives the best opportunity to safeguard the people that are most vulnerable in our communities and use all possible tactics to solve problems that often look unsolvable: my people have to have an extraordinary work ethic, empathy, resilience, courage and ingenuity. It is not the “sexy” policing of

other specialist units, but its importance can’t be exaggerated. What forms do you see domestic abuse take? Any forms you can think of. Emotional, financial, sexual and physical abuse. Some of the worst cases we see challenge cultural clashes– as in honour based violence or female genital mutilation – and some of them, such as coercive controlling behaviour, involve no physical abuse at all, but profound psychological or financial abuse that is often difficult to prove. Beyond that, of course, the most extreme crimes possible occur in domestic situations – domestic rape reports are received on a daily basis,

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The prevalence of cases, and particularly repeat incidents, of domestic abuse is staggeringly high, with estimates that it affects one in four women and one in six men throughout their lifetime, yet knowledge and awareness of it is still lacking among the public. Why do you think this is and how do you feel awareness can be raised? Quite honestly I think that there is a feeling of shame attached to being a victim of domestic abuse. That fallacious sense of complicity or fault in the ongoing process of abuse stops people coming forward to tell their stories, and makes documentaries and films about domestic violence uncomfortable to watch.

METROPOLITAN POLICE Photography credit: Yasmeen Frasso

and no single month goes by without a domestic murder taking place. Some people may argue that domestic abuse is not a public safety issue, despite being a crime against the law, but rather a private matter between individuals because it happens behind closed doors. What would your response be to people who believe this? This is an excellent question, and goes to the heart of the community safety question. The line between what is private and what is in the public realm is constantly redefined, but I deal with the law. Statutes make it an offence to assault, rape, control another person, whether in public and in private. Further

to that, where laws broken behind closed doors are not investigated, cultures of abuse can emerge unhindered. Child abuse rings, people trafficking and human slavery flourish in just that situation, and if anyone argued to me that these things are irrelevant to public safety, I would have obvious strong arguments for them. Beyond that, even at the most trivial level, domestic abuse does not affect one person, but everyone that knows them and loves them. The damage it wreaks, particularly on children, is incalculable, and I believe that people brought up in a culture of violence are always affected, whether they turn from that route themselves, or replicate these learned behaviours.

Films like “Nil By Mouth” give some air time to such issues, and I was particularly moved by a television drama called “Falling Apart” in 2002 which depicted a strong female character reduced to helplessness by an abusive partner. However, these have been few and far between. The recent storyline in the Archers has given an extraordinary insight into the depths of abuse within a partnership and this has raised awareness of the issues involved. It has enlightened and moved many, and, indeed, former RHUL alumnus Paul Trueman started a Just Giving page for Helen Archer née Titchener for the benefit of Refuge. He aimed to raise a few grand, but ended up raising over £170,000 for Refuge, who provide accommodation to victims of domestic abuse. These are the conversations we need to be having and the stories that need to be told. The current London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has pledged to make violence against women a cornerstone of his policy on crime. The tide is turning, but it needs ongoing vigilance and debate between those most affected and those whose job it is to help them.

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BE POSITIVE Maria Green discusses body image and how it is time to commit to a loving relationship with yourself

any young people in this country will have struggled with body image at least once during their lives.

A study conducted two decades ago highlights the effects of the media on our perceived self-worth: until mid-1995, the Nadroga province of Fiji had not been exposed to Western television, and there was a distinct lack of body image issues. Three years after Western television was introduced, eating disorders emerged and many girls expressed an interest in weight loss to look more like the American TV characters. This information is nothing new, yet we still put ourselves down about our figures. We know we feel bad about ourselves because we look different from those worshipped in the media, yet

often, we do nothing about it. We live in a society which thrives off of the insecurity of women to sell beauty products, and it has shaped us without us realising, leading many cultures to internalise misogynistic and Westernised beauty ideals. It can seem impossible to break free from the expectations which seem to hold us down.

up the twins as they are no longer in fashion. Body negativity is alive and well within our society and the way to fight it is with radical self-love. As many women have said before me, it’s time to ignore these attitudes. Our bodies are functional; they do not exist to be rated out of ten by the likes of Donald Trump.

From the ‘stick thin’ trend of the past, with popular culture fraught with remarks of ‘does my butt look big in this?’, to modern day, with nothing more desirable than a big bum, there will always be something ‘wrong’ with our bodies.

With the rise of body positivity on social media, views are changing for the better, but we all need a reminder every now and again. It’s time to stop being complacent. It’s time to commit to a loving relationship with ourselves, and this means real commitment: getting through the bad days and working towards the good ones. We are all capable of self-love and we are so much more than just our bodies.

We’re told that women should be curvy, but only in the right places, and only if they have small waists. To top it all off, Vogue has recently announced that cleavage is ‘over’ – that’s right folks, it’s time for breast reductions and covering

Maria Green

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TAKE A PICTURE Isabel Swanson remarks on the phrase ‘If you didn’t take a photo, did it really happen?’

e honest. How many photos have you taken or posted online today? Did you upload a photo of you and your friends from last night on Facebook? Instagram a photo of your lunch? Post yet another photo of Founders on your Snapchat story? According to photographer Paul Strand, “your photography is a record of your living” and this idea summarises today’s social media age. We have the opportunity to broadcast every single aspect of our lives through photos and videos to the extent that we can ask the question ‘if you didn’t take a picture, did it really happen?’ I’m sure, like me, that whenever you do anything remotely exciting you take

a picture and post it on Snapchat or another social media platform. But this action of actively posting a photo online can suggest that we are seeking validation from our peers via the social currency of views or likes, rather than simply remembering a moment for ourselves. This thus encourages us to compete and compare ourselves to others. But of course you can take as many videos or photos and upload them to wherever you want, nobody can stop you, right? Well, wrong. Alicia Keys and Guns N Roses have decided to ban mobile phones from their concerts following on from Adele’s demand that a fan watch her show “in real life, rather than through [her] camera”. This raises the argument we are so focused on documenting our lives that we are

neglecting to live in the moment. I definitely understand this, in the summer I took far too many photos and videos at festivals which I either haven’t watched since or simply deleted. But while it must be annoying for artists to only see a room full of iPhones rather than people, the NME argues that “personally documenting a moment on [an] insanely amazing piece of technology… does not mean we’re not fully embracing it too.” But ultimately, whatever happens to you, happens, whether you took photographic proof or not. You did have to take the bins out yesterday, you did oversleep and miss your lecture and you did have a great time at the SU on Friday. Therefore the ‘record of your living’ does not have to be only managed by your camera roll.

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DONALD TRUMP Billionaire Businessman wins U.S. Elections against Career Politician Hillary Clinton

n the 9th of November the world saw the United States of America elect Donald Trump their 45th president. With a campaign accused of being marred with statements of bigotry, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism and hatred, Trump made his way comfortably to the White House. But what does an America with Trump as president actually look like? Trump has promised amongst many things to deport immigrants and build a wall between Mexico and the United states. The first 100 days in office are extremely significant for any president to cement the public’s faith in their

ability to deliver on the promises they have made. So here’s what Trump has vowed to do in his first 100 days in office. Immigration has been a key issue within his campaign. Trump initially promising to deport all 11 million immigrants from the United States settled on the promise of deporting 2 million illegal immigrants with criminal records in the first hours of his presidency. At a campaign rally in Arizona, Trump promised that on “Day 1, my first hour in office, those people are gone”. In reality the figure is much closer to 168,000 individuals according to the New York Times. In addition, he plans to introduce vetting and plans to suspend immigration

from countries that are “terror-prone” because “vetting cannot safely occur”. And not to mention, Trump still plans on building his wall between Mexico and the United States and insists that he “will make Mexico pay” for it. All of this is extremely dependent on having the right expertise, resources and time. Whether any of this is practical or possible in his first 100 days is therefore completely unlikely. On other issues such as trade, Trump has promised to impose a set of policies that will close America’s economic borders. He wishes to advance new trade agreements with Canada and Mexico and wants to scrap plans to become part of the Trans Pacific Partnership, which sees

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A TRUMPED AMERICA Sahar Mahmood reports back after the U.S. Election results earlier this month

12 countries including Japan building greater ties and reducing trade tariffs massively to advance growth. On foreign policy, Trump has advocated for a recall of American support overseas. He proposed that the US would only provide protection and offer help to NATO countries that have met the alliances’ obligations. This view, according to the Telegraph, is the “first time in [a] post-World War Two era” that a candidate running for office has put limitations on the support America would offer to its allies. The surrounding rhetoric of these policies seems to be shading heavily into isolationism and into a dangerous, dark and unstable future. It is a wonder how any country could

prosper if we didn’t all communicate and have an open dialogue. But the promise of all this in the first 100 days in office is a bit of a stretch. Worryingly, on the extremely important issue of the environment, Trump who frequently claims it is a “Chinese hoax” has promised to stop millions of dollars of funding to various United Nation climate change programmes. He also promises to put a stop to the newly agreed Paris Agreement on climate change which was seen as one of the most important agreements to ever have been reached at such a global scale. Trump also wishes to make way for the controversial Keystone Pipeline which is said to put at risk fragile

ecosystems. This issue has motivated many environmental activists and raises the question of ‘don’t we all have a greater responsibility to take care of the world we live in?’. These are only some of the many issues which Trump has promised to advance when in office and they have thrown millions of individuals in America and around the world into doubt of the future of the United States and the world under a Trump presidency. Truly and honestly, the nature of the campaign he ran and the policies he promoted do sincerely give rise to the feeling that America has seriously been ‘trumped’ out of a better future for all.

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‘ABSOLUTE MADNESS’ Awareness of mental illness has seen considerable progress over the past decade, and yet, language used to describe and classify mental disorders is still being misused. “Mentally-ill” may have the most synonyms of any word in the English dictionary, and so many of them have damaging and undesirable connotations. “Demented”, “insane”, “lunatic”, “maniac” and “unsound” are just a few examples – none of which are useful in describing any aspect of mental health and all of which contribute to the exclusion and ridicule of the people they are used to describe. And yet how many of us are guilty of using this language? Most of us wouldn’t bat an eyelid because constant use has led to normalisation of these words. This reflects a lack of understanding of mental health issues despite its high prevalence across the population.

Discussions about the effect of ‘triggering’ language will likely be met with cries of “political correctness gone mad!”, but the fact is, we don’t realise how much this language seeps into everyday life. A study looking at the use of such language in secondary school-

age children found that almost half of the words they used to describe people with a mental health condition were classified as ‘popular derogatory terms’. The impact of these negative affective words should not be understated; around 10% of young people are affected by mental illness and these words create a self-perpetuating cycle of stigma for already marginalised individuals. Not only are behaviours associated with mental illness colloquailised, but the disorders themselves have become trivialised in everyday conversation. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is just that – a disorder. It’s something you have, not something you are. Often, people use this label to describe their neat and orderly personality – they are not saying they are mentally ill. Reducing the complexities of mental illness in this way trivialises this not uncommon experience, and spreads misinformation. Words like ‘schizo’ or ‘psycho’, which have obvious negative connotations, cause negative judgements about the disorder they are associated with, and the legitimate experiences of thousands of people. Clinical labels are of great importance – they help people to understand their illness and take the

blame away from the individual – but words change meaning through their usage, and these labels are no longer just descriptive, they are derogatory. The misuse of medical terminology may be, in part, to blame for the overmedicalisation of human experience. Throughout Trump’s presidential campaign, the torrent of abuse he received included attacks about his mental state, and critics have even suggested he be diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is not only unhelpful and unfeasible to diagnose an individual through the TV screen, using it as an attack against someone’s character is hugely offensive and stigmatising for many. Trump’s bigotry, inflated ego and hateful rhetoric shouldn’t be used as proof of mental illness and the implication that it can, further perpetuates negative judgment cast upon sufferers. But what if this language is used without any reference to, or suggestion of, mental illness? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what your intentions are for using this language, there are so many alternatives – use them. Natasha Phillips

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FORGOTTEN HISTORIES:

BEDFORD COLLEGE Julia Coonan writes about Bedford College, its founder and its history here at Royal Holloway, University of London.

oyal Holloway and Bedford New College was founded by two pioneering social reformers, yet to current students one of them is far more familiar. Whilst Thomas Holloway, our namesake, stands proudly in the South Quad, Elizabeth Jesser Reid has no statue to commemorate her and perhaps many students are not aware who Reid Hall is named after. Almost forty years before Royal Holloway College was opened with great fanfare by Queen Victoria in 1886, Bedford College had been founded by Elizabeth Jesser Reid as the first institution in Great Britain built solely for women’s non-vocational higher education. Following the early death of her

husband, Reid used her income to support abolitionist campaigns in America and women focused education schemes in England. It had always been a passion of Reid’s to be able fund a college for women, and that dream was realised when Bedford College’s first site opened at 47 Bedford Square in 1849. Although, arguably all of the early students of Bedford College would have been remarkable for the part they played in furthering women’s education; some notable students include nominees for our future Library and Student Services Centre - Sarah Parker Redmond and George Eliot - and the first female doctor in the western world, Dr Elizabeth Blackwell. As the college expanded, it had to move premises into York Place and then later in 1908, after it became a college of the University of London, into a site in the beautiful Regents Park. It was housed

FORGOTTEN

Photography credit: Cameron James Seymour

there for over 70 years until the merger with Royal Holloway College in 1985 relocated everything to Egham. Since Bedford College had to relocate its buildings and campus, it is often forgotten in our history and even our official name Royal Holloway and Bedford New College is sadly almost always shortened to leave out the Bedford half. It is important that we as students remember the name of Bedford (beyond shuddering at the thought of all-nighters in Bedford Library). The women (both colleges only became co-educational in 1965) who attended either institution in the 19th and early 20th centuries can teach us a good lesson about valuing our education. In a world where they were not an education priority, our alumni paved the way to changing the system and empowering other future women. Our university has come from the amalgamation of two revolutionary world-leading institutions and that’s something we should all be proud of.

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BRAZIL

Travel does not have to break the bank, as Alis tells you how to do it on a budget

t’s that time of year again - the excitement of being back at university has worn off, the weather is miserable, deadlines are looming, and all you really want to do is pop down to Heathrow and jet off to some far flung island. Of course, this isn’t exactly a possibility. Even when summer does roll around, it’s pretty much impossible to travel on a student budget these days. Right? Wrong. Just last year, I discovered an amazing way to travel, enhance my CV and pick up some language skills, all on a student budget. I wanted to share my experience to inspire other students to get out there and explore the world.

It all started when I discovered the website worldpackers.com - a website which allows you to find hostels who will give you a free bed in exchange for your skills. Sounds simple, but is actually an ingenious concept that works out perfectly for students. You ‘volunteer’ to work in a certain role at a traveller hostel and stay for free! The most obvious reason that this is a great deal for students is because we are famously time rich, money poor. In general it’s pretty difficult to get a paying job abroad because visas and particular qualifications are often required. Offering up your time as a ‘volunteer’ in exchange for accommodation solves all of this,

because it’s usually much easier to enter countries on a tourist visa. Plus, when travelling, a fair bit of money usually goes on accommodation anyway! Staying for free is a great pull factor, but it can be difficult pushing yourself to travel, especially when most of your uni friends are all heading to their home towns for part-time jobs and home-cooked meals. If you can’t convince them to jet off with you, take the plunge and go alone! The great thing about volunteering at a hostel is that it’s completely solotraveller friendly. Hostels are hubs for travellers from all over the world, and working as part of a team is an instant way to get involved. You’ll

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LETS TRAVEL STUDENT STYLE Alis Reid shows us it is possible to travel with a student budget.

soon realise that you don’t need to be joined by existing friends to have an amazing experience abroad, and when you get back they’ll all be jealous of your new worldwide connections, independence and sense of adventure. Of course, some people might say that the long summers at universities should be used for internships, work experience and expanding those CVs. The great thing about working in a hostel is that there are so many skills needed - it’s not just cleaning. Those who are mathematically inclined can offer to volunteer in accounts; artsy types could volunteer in decorating, music, video making or photography; drama students could offer their skills

as tour guides or party promoters. Looking for teaching experience outside your degree? Try teaching languages or sports. Even if you fancy doing something not related to your degree, experience in admin, social media and web development are great, employable skills to add to your CV. All of these skills are valued on Worldpackers, and if you have a skill that’s not on the list but that you think could be useful in a hostel, you can always reach out. Still need convincing? I used Worldpackers last year on a trip to Brazil, and it was such a unique experience. As a media arts student, I made promotional videos for a hostel chain in both Sao Paulo and Rio De

Janeiro. I came out the other end with new material for my showreel, a host of new international friends, and money left over to explore Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Plus, since Worldpackers aren’t sponsoring this article, I’m going to let you know that there are loads of ways to work in hostels! In many countries, it’s possible to roll up to a hostel, offer up your skills in exchange for accommodation, and get a bed for free. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and swap a boring summer at home for an unforgettable adventure across the globe. Photography credit: Alis Reid

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AFTERNOON

DELIGHT, ANYONE? Deputy Lifestyle Editor, Elizabeth Rosenberg, discusses the possible ways to relieve stress. hen you tell someone you’re stressed, here’s what your housemate/family/the internet will tell you to do: go for a walk, meditate, eat a pizza, change your perspective, have a cuppa (or a pint), do some yoga, learn better coping strategies. Being in my third year, I have tried most of these and let me tell you – you won’t want to exercise instead you will want to wallow in your bed; the pizza will make you feel bloated so you’ll feel fat and stressed; the “learn better coping strategies” plan (albeit completely correct) isn’t really a short term fix.

Luckily, I’ve come up with a stress relief tactic that works nearly 100% of the time and means 1. You won’t have to leave your bedroom. 2. It makes you feel really good about yourself. 3. Isn’t on the first page of the google search for “ways to relieve stress”. It is, Masturbation. Woah! I know! Taboo subject! Abort, ABORT. No no my friends, this is the 21st century and it’s about to get sexual up in here. I would love to have done a study where I stood on the bridge into RHUL and asked every student if they thought

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TABOO

Elizabeth talks all things taboo as she offers up a new stress relief option

masturbating reduced their stress levels but I expect that no one would have responded to me. All I can go off here is my own experience and basically, well, it’s a winner. Masturbating means that you have to focus on one all important thing and takes your mind completely away from the school work, home life, weight of the world’s problems that that was taking up all of your head-space previously. In this way, it gives you a well needed break and everyone knows that once you take your mind off something, the solution you’ve been searching for immediately pops into your head. If not, well, you’ve had a break at least. Scientifically, masturbating releases dopamine in the brain which gives us a sense of pleasure and, the all-important endorphins that everyone goes on about are also released, these give us a sense of well-being. Low dopamine levels can lead to a lack of motivation, fatigue and memory loss so if you’re struggling with a late night essay, masturbating is DEFINITELY going to help you. Orgasms = great essays. However, if you go too crazy you could end up falling asleep. Additionally, masturbation is free! Unless of course you want to go crazy and get yourself some sex toys then the world is your oyster. I can’t promise that masturbation is going to work as a tool for stress relief for you, all I know is that it works for me and I’ve heard that sharing is caring. So next time you feel at your wits end and you could really do without having any responsibilities at all – shut the door, lay back, let your hands travel south and treat yourself to some afternoon delight.

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A HOT CHRISTMAS Online Editor, Beth Gooding, shares what it is like to have a hot Christmas.

he time is finally here, the run up to Christmas has begun. We will now spend the next few weeks hoping and praying for snow on Christmas Day to bring that extra bit of magic to our holiday. Whether it snows or not, we will spend the entire day moaning how cold we are and probably doing anything to avoid going outside. The day will likely consist of many Christmas movies being shown on TV, maybe even watching the Queen’s Speech, filling our stomachs with endless pigs in blankets and numerous other foods whilst huddled in pyjamas or jumpers for the day. But would we ever swap this freezing British Christmas day for one in the Philippines where the temperature can reach 30 degrees? My housemates spend their Christmas’s in these

tropical conditions... So maybe it’s time for us to give it a go too?! Celebrations in the Philippines begin just as early as in the UK, sometimes even earlier, with Christmas decorations appearing in shopping malls as early as September or October. My housemate, Rachelle, who grew up in the Philippines spends her Christmas traditionally - going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and returning home to a huge family celebration, to open their presents before eating a big feast known as Noche Buena which often features a roasted pig as the centre piece. Christmas Day is then a slower day, waking up late and spending it once again with family as the main celebrations have taken place on Christmas Eve.

Princess’s (my other housemate) Christmas is often less traditional, waking to a Christmas brunch on the day and continuing with family parties throughout. She rarely spends Christmas inside watching Christmas movies and playing games, why would she when she could throw on a bikini and spend the day at the beach? Turkey may feature in her Christmas meal but it is not the typical Christmas dinner cooked by Mum every year, she usually goes out for a huge buffet of international cuisines! Two years ago she spent her whole Christmas Day on the beach, sunbathing and playing games with her family and the day ended in a huge firework display. Of course they still get presents, have Christmas trees, Father Christmas and the odd turkey just like we do in England, it’s just 20 degrees or so warmer!

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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.

Scorpio

Aquarius

Taurus

Leo

23rd October

– 21st November

Love: You already have someone to kiss under the mistletoe. Travel: Christmas Markets are amazing, stay at a friend’s and go visit. Study: Love is nice, but your studies don’t need to suffer because of it.

20th January

– 18th February

Love: You’re the author of your own story so write that attractive person in your seminar into it – pronto! Travel: See the New Year fireworks somewhere other than on the telly this year. Study: Maybe it’s time to study some cookery books instead...

20th April – 20th May

Love: Yeah, that one night stand isn’t going to call you. Travel: Book trips in advance and save money! April flights to Amsterdam are now only £50... Study: Crack on now and then all you have to do over Christmas is eat food and watch films.

23rd July – 22nd August

Love: Only you defines you, don’t forget that. Travel: The pond at RoHo should be your new favourite place. You need some ~chill out~ time. Study: Honestly, Bedford library is more of a social experience than anything else. Take a coffee and simply pretend to work.

Sagittarius

Pisces

Gemini

Virgo

22nd November

– 21st December

Love: Flirt. Shamelessly. Travel: Come off it, the amount of times you go out a week, you’re way too hungover to go anywhere! Study: You deserve to chill out before the Christmas rush of essays and stress.

19th February – 20th March

Love: Come midnight of New Year’s you’ll have more kisses than you could ever have imagined. Travel: I think it’s a good idea to stay home this December, you’re bank account can’t really take it. Study: Lecturers have office hours for a reason – use them!

21st May – 20th June

Love: When else can you make out shamelessly with 2 guys? Travel: The only travelling you should be doing is from your bedroom desk to the library Study: Seriously, stop writing your essays the night before. Just stop it. Now.

23rd August

- 22nd September

Love: Sassy = single. (soz) Travel: Ice skating at the British Museum! It’s nearly Christmas after all! Study: Rest. You need rest. Get a pizza, watch a film, DE-STRESS.

Capricorn

Aries

Cancer

Libra

22nd December – 19th January

Love: The SU is fun, but it’s not for anything long-term. Travel: Christmas getaway? Maybe go somewhere hot and try something new. Study: Time to start reading through that pile of library books on your desk.

21st March – 19th April

Love: Don’t give up on your relationship, everything needs work put into it. Travel: Why are you travelling? It’s Christmas, stay home and rest! Study: Stop that school girl crush on your teacher, it isn’t going to help your essays…

21st June – 22nd July

Love: If they’re wearing corduroy, they’re a winner. Make your move. Travel: The Veggie Pret in SoHo is fantastic! Study: Maybe check your emails? There is probably some work that’s been set that you’ve missed…

23rd September – 22nd October

Love: You are confident and wonderful and you totally deserve some loving. Travel: Travel to Windsor for a night out, fresh meat anybody? Study: I think Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home” needs to be your new anthem.

December 2016

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VICTORIA SECRET SHAMING Hefina Everard discusses the tabloids’ persisent body shaming of the Victoria’s Secret Angels

rom New York City to Paris, the Victoria’s Secret Angels descend onto the runway for the annual Fashion Show on November 30th. This year’s squad includes the likes of Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and newcomer Bella Hadid- all of which are busily in preparation to showcase the newest collection. Controversially, former model Cara Delevingne has been recently shamed by tabloid newspaper ‘The Sun’ over her body image. Cara walked both the 2012 and 2013 shows but was surprisingly absent in the 2014 show despite winning Model of the Year; however, as later explained in a published letter, she was absent due to filming commitments in North Carolina.

Modelling has always been under fire for promoting a ‘skinny’ and ‘toned’ image for girls, however ‘The Sun’s’ article proves that even slender girls get criticised too. It’s sad that in such a complex society, no size is free from prejudice.”

“

But, in true style, ‘The Sun’ made up their own story, claiming that she had been turned away from the castings for looking ‘bloated’; both Cara and Edward Razek (the company’s executive producer) fought the article, which resulted in Victoria’s Secret inviting the model back to the 2016 runway. Everything we do should not be based on public approval, we should do it for ourselves; WE dictate our own body image. It’s our generations job to encourage change. Whatever body size, whatever gender, it’s important to accept everyone as their own individual

and put a stop to body shaming. There is too much expectation and pressure for men and women on their appearances in today’s society, with research showing a strong link between negative body image in relation to eating disorders, anxiety and depression. It’s not an issue that can be taken lightly, it’s our generations job to encourage change. Whatever body size, whatever gender, it’s important to accept everyone as their own individual and put a stop to body shaming. Photography credit: Igor Leandro

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THE CARNABYS Ruby Rogers chatted to Indie Rock band, The Carnabys, after their gig at the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union.

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December 2016

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o we think that Jack could fit into your skinny tights?” asks Ben Gittins, guitar player of up and coming indie rock band The Carnabys. We never did find out the answer (maybe next time?) but I quickly realised that my pre-interview nerves were almost totally unwarranted. Chatting to Ben and lead singer Jack Mercer after the gig felt more like chatting to your significantly cooler mates at the pub, mates who’ve toured with Blondie (“Yeah, you’d just sit down and have a bit of soup with Debbie [Harry]”) and played gigs at the Roundhouse. Playing at the Students’ Union as part of the tour for their debut album ‘Too

These are big dreams, but until the day comes when they’re playing sell-out gigs to 80,000 people, the guys are sticking to smaller venues. And they are passionate about these venues – they’ve donated all the proceeds from the pre-orders and first week of release of this album to the Music Venue Trust, a charity which helps to support grassroots venues. As to their favourite venue, both Jack and Ben agreed: “KOKO [in Camden]… It’s an old theatre, and it’s always great fun when we play there. It sounds great.” While playing live gigs is the main way through which the band can access their audience, the band were also inspired to become musicians by many classic British artists who made their

Their visit to our little uni might be over, but the Carnabys certainly left an impression on me. [T]hey never fail to deliver on a good time.”

“

Much Never Enough’ on Saturday 5th November was the third time I had seen The Carnabys, after seeing them at the SU last year and again at the Camden Barfly earlier this year. This time, the band was supported by the talented if melancholic folk noir singer Echo Wants Her Voice Back alongside promising newly formed student band Marios, fronted by third year Marios Panayi. Despite it being a fairly small crowd, the atmosphere in the room was almost palpable: the Carnabys have a wild energy when they play that is difficult not to get caught up in, even if you don’t know all the songs. And it’s easy enough to picture them playing big arena gigs, a dream the band has: “I’ll always feel like we’ve succeeded when we headline our hometown,” said Jack, “when we sell out Twickenham Stadium.” THE CARNABYS Photography credit: Dulcie Jackson

names by playing in small venues. “Coming from Twickenham, it’s the home of rock and roll. You’ve got Eel Pie Island, where the [Rolling] Stones, the Beatles, Led Zep, Rod Stewart, they all started playing,” said Jack. “We started playing with all the old boys who have played with these people.” It’s easy enough to see evidence of these influences in the band’s music, and why being able to play live in smaller venues is so important to them, coming from this background so rich with amazing musicians. Their visit to our little uni might be over, but the Carnabys certainly left an impression on me. Whether they’re tearing up a stage or having a beer and a chat with you in the bar, they never fail to deliver on a good time. Same time next year, lads? The Carnabys’ debut album, ‘Too Much Never Enough’, is now available on Spotify and iTunes. Tickets for their UK tour are also still available online.

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CARLOS ACOSTA: FROM POVERTY TO BALLET STAR Victoria Bastable reviews Ballet legend Carlos Acosta’s career

n October I was honoured to see Carlos Acosta perform in ‘Carlos Acosta: A Classical Farewell’ at The Royal Albert Hall. His ovation lasted for at least 20 minutes, and the whole audience was on their feet, not just for the performance that evening, but for his career. Acosta has brought passion and charisma to dance in Britain and throughout the world.

There is no adjective to describe watching Carlos dance, because the sensation is visceral. Passion meets power and precision. His incredible jumps and charismatic stage presence combined with technical skill and athleticism acquired over 17 years as a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet and as a Guest Principal Artist in all leading Ballet companies around the world, makes for an unbelievable viewing experience. But even more remarkable

is his journey to stardom. Carlos was born in Havana, Cuba in 1973 into poverty.

joined The Royal Ballet under director Anthony Dowell in 1998 and became Principal Guest Artist from 2003-2015.

Dance is a part of Cuban life and a young Carlos used to Breakdance and Salsa in the streets of Havana. He was forced into Ballet at the age of 9 by his father, who was concerned that he was falling into the wrong crowd. Initially Carlos was not a fan of Ballet, but his love for it began to grow and his talent was soon noticed.

Acosta may have left the principal roles of the Classical Ballets behind him, but he is still dancing and has moved into the exciting realm of contemporary dance. Carlos has brought his Ballet success back to his roots in Cuba and created ‘Acosta Danza’; his own dance company.

Carlos trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba and was taught by many influential teachers, including Ramona de Sáa, the woman he said defined him as a young dancer. Carlos soon rose to the world stage and in 1990 won a plethora of Ballet awards throughout Europe. Over the next 12 years, Carlos danced as principal in the English National Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba and the Houston Ballet. Carlos

Carlos Acosta continues to inspire dancers worldwide and it seems only fitting to finish with some words from the great man himself. Carlos gave this advice to the new generation of dancers after his final performance with The Royal Ballet: ‘Allow yourself the freedom to commit mistakes. There is no such thing as right or wrong, better or worse and no such thing as failure because life is an eternal learning process.’

December 2016

CHRISTMAS PICKS:

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

T THEATRE

With Christmas approaching, it’s the opportune time to head into London and see some West End theatre! Here’s a few shows that some of the Arts team have on their Christmas wish list

heatre is a great thing to visit with family and friends this christmas.

Beth Carr: Jersey Boys Frankie Valli’s songs are true classics and with the show closing next year on the West End, it’s something I’m hoping I’ll get to see before it disappears because it looks like a great time! Sumi Bal: Motown the Musical If you’ve ever felt like there ain’t no mountain high enough to keep you away from old school music, Motown the Musical is a must! Features a very talented cast who sing all the popular hits, especially the adorable little guy who plays Michael Jackson. It’s so good it’ll make you want to go dancing in the street. Hehe. Laura Connie Lawrence: Dream Girls Dream Girls comes to the West End next month and I am dying to go see it! The Broadway version has so many good reviews and the videos they have been posting of their rehearsals on Facebook are making me even more excited. Ruby Rogers: Memphis the Musical Memphis the Musical is fantastic! A wonderful commentary on racism in southern America, interspersed with great R&B numbers. Georgia Beith: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime after reading this book I think it would be absolutely fascinating to see how the story is brought to life on stage. And after raking in the Tony’s and Olivier Awards, I’d love to see what makes this show so highly rated. Joanne Archer: Aladdin If I had a Genie and three wishes, the first thing on my list would be tickets to see Aladdin! The show looks spectacular with stunning costumes, mind-blowing sets and it is set to be a ‘whole new’ take on the world of the Disney classic we all know and love. Holly Pyne: Matilda the Musical The musical is a masterpiece by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It is based around the children’s novel by Roald Dahl, ‘Matilda.’ Music and lyrics are by Tim Minchin, so it is obviously a great experience. Ben Tozer: Book of Mormon This religious satirical musical is a must-see this Christmas. The humour is based around the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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NETFLIX AND DIVERSITY Georgia Beith gets to grips with an issue bigger than Netflix and Chill: the topic of Netflix and Diversity.

THE NEW ENTERTAINMENT Photography credit: Georgia Beith

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December 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL etflix is widely recognised as the future of the entertainment industry - it’s not news to anyone. It’s a way of watching film and TV that has rapidly increased in popularity. But it isn’t just its quickly garnered success that sets Netflix apart; it also far outstrips traditional forms of media in terms of representation.

TV and film’s lack of diversity is not a new issue by any means but, more recently people have finally been taking notice of this problem. The #OscarsSoWhite controversy, a response to the lack of diverse acting nominees at last year’s Oscars, highlights the limited opportunities and recognition given to actors of ethnic minorities. The lack of representation concerning sexuality and gender also poses a problem. A report from the Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative revealed that, out of 11,194 speaking characters across film and television, only 2% identified as LGBTQ. The same report showed that, from 2007 to 2014, for every female actress in a film there were 2.3 male actors. The age old myth that the world contains only straight white men still plagues most of Hollywood. Netflix doesn’t seem to suffer from the same ailment as its more mainstream counterparts. It’s noticeable that its original content performs far better when it comes to diversity and representation. Cindy Holland, Vice President of original content for Netflix, stated that they are creating with ‘an increasingly global audience’ in mind. Take their most famous original production ‘Orange is the New Black’: the cast is not only overwhelmingly female, but also hugely diverse in terms of race, sexuality and gender. Another example is sci-fi show ‘Sense8’, which features eight main characters of different genders and sexualities, all from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Undoubtedly, their success is down to the opportunities Netflix gives to creators from underrepresented demographics. ‘Orange is the New Black’ is created by a female Jewish writer, and ‘Sense8’ by two transgender women. It has been proven that diverse content needs diverse creators. For example, in films with at least one female writer or director, women comprised 50% of protagonists, but in films with no female creators, they made up only 13% (Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film). In an industry where 82.4% of film directors are Caucasian males (Directors Guild of America), it is clear that this is where the root of the problem lies. And Netflix’s efforts to combat this are making a difference. So if they can do it, why can’t the established film and television studios of the world follow suit? Netflix has the unique advantage which leaves it unrestrained by the antiquated rules of the traditional media. The freedom to create is a benefit of being in a section of media that is largely undefined. Even so, Netflix’s commitment to representation should be the rule, not the exception. That isn’t to say that Netflix never falls foul of the crimes that the industry at large is guilty of. Its latest hit; ‘Stranger Things’ came under fire with accusations of tokenism – there are only two featured characters of colour – and for not featuring a single character who identified as LGBTQ. True consistency is just beyond their reach. But the fact that they are dedicated to diversity, and actively striving towards improvement is commendable. There is much to be learnt from Netflix, with the streaming service taking its place alongside TV as the new normal, it represents a shift in attitudes that we will hopefully see reflected across the industry very soon. Georgia Beith

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PHOTGRAPHY CREDIT: Arzenia Arabe

COFFEEHOUSE: LEE RASDALL-DOVE Arts journalist Sumi Bal, drops by Coffee House Sessions to check out Lee Rasdall-Dove

offee House Session welcomed singer songwriter Lee Rasdall-Dove. At only twenty, he has performed over 150 gigs in one year alone. If this wasn’t impressive enough, some of these venues include festivals such as Bestival and V Dub Island Festival.

How refreshing it is to see an artist accompanied by only his guitar, leaving the soul focus on his strong vocals and guitar rhythms. Lee’s recently released EP, ‘Head in the Clouds’ is definitely worth

checking out. Paired with a nightmarish yet emotive music video featuring a forest chase with an unhinged looking women- it makes for an interesting watch, with a very catchy song. His sound is similar to the likes of Ed Sheeran, but at the same time remains original. This originality stems from the diverse range of genres he covers, coupled with thoughtful lyrics with which audiences can easily relate. The genres Lee tends to work in range from indie folk to reggae for a more upbeat twist. One of his greatest inspirations is Passenger, the UK based artist. This influence is evident in Lee’s

work, especially in his impressive vocal range. We were lucky enough to sit down with him after his set, and discuss his influences, advice, and surreal past few years. Lee tends to avoid writing about girls, which he did a lot of at sixteen, and instead focuses more on life experiences that audiences can interpret and fit to their own stories. His advice for up and coming artists like himself, would be perform, perform, perform and get comfortable with that experience. If you’re in the mood for something earthy and raw, check him out!

December 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

STUDENT WORKSHOP PRESENTS

‘SIT ON IT’

LAURA LAWRENCE

Reviews Student Workshop’s performance.

aura Lawrence reviews the Student Workshop’s latest production.

On the 10 and 11November, Royal Holloway’s Student Workshop brought to life the play ‘Sit On It’ by Georgina Titheridge in the Caryl Churchill Theatre. The hilariously honest play explores the comings and goings of the girl’s bathroom within a busy student nightclub. The performance was adapted to be set in the heart of our very own university, the SU (VKs and all), in a hugely successful bid to make the comedy even more relatable. Audience participation isn’t something that everyone is particularly fond of but the actors managed to achieve it in a very unique way. The play broke the boundaries of private and public by

having the audience placed standing on the night club floor and the fourth wall disappeared by interjecting moments of music onto the dance floor to make the audience feel as though they were part of the SU night.

the gender constructs that we are all so used to seeing. Rather than the dolled up girls that we are used to seeing on the dance floor, the performers give us a raw portrayal of university students with anxieties, flaws and misguided priorities.

It is impossible to mention the whole of the amazing cast that performed. The play is entirely an ensemble show, bringing together so many different stereotypes of a night club event. It includes the girls always choosing to spend their limited money on alcohol rather than essentials such as tampons (played by Alice Ingram and Jess Coburn) and even the girl who is just trying to desperately make friends and fit in (played by Hannah France). The show shinesa light on the previously unseen side of a night out in a way that showcases another side to traditional femininity, breaking down

The performance was made complete by the show’s crew who took on the role of the SU’s security team, asking to see all college cards and ID before we entered. They even adopted a ‘no tolerance’ policy when people tried to joke around with them, keeping in strict character the whole time. The piece as a whole was amazingly clever and very well planned. Not to mention that it managed to make audience interaction funny instead of scary (which isn’t often done well). The Student Workshop deserve a massive round of applause and I cannot wait to see what they do next!

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VEGANUARY Jess Hines talks to VegSoc (Vegetarian and Vegan Society) about living vegan for the month of January.

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December 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

t’s been already been a busy year for Royal Holloway’s VegSoc, a society comprised of vegetarians and vegans dedicated to creating a welcoming and accepting community focused on animal rights and environmental sustainability. The march, put on by the animal rights activism group, Surge who are dedicated to making corporations, businesses and politicians to take responsibility for their mistreatment Those involved called for politicians and businessmen to end the exploitation and murder of animals for human benefit. The Vegetarian and Vegan Society is a new community on campus, having been ratified 2012.

Joe: ‘Veganism is a social justice movement, we’re just trying to spread justice, that’s our main goal. One of the biggest things for us as a society is outreach, we want to reach out to everyone vegan or not and provide support and education.’ Andrea: ‘The biggest problem is that in general is veganism is seen as negative thing which is something we want to change.’ Raahat: ‘We want to debunk all the myths surrounding veganism’ On the 28th and 29th of November, the society have organised for iAnimal to visit Royal Holloway as the first vegan activism event on campus. A virtual reality headset will allow students to experience the conditions animals are

“

Speakers at the march included Tracy Cassidy from the Manchester Pig Save and John Curtain, who has been an active figure in the animal liberation movement for over 30 years.” Society Secretary Raahat Kaduji: ‘When it began it was mainly a society for vegans and vegetarians. This year we’re moving to make it more inclusive and open to all students for all lifestyles, and that’s where Veganuary is coming into play!’ Veganuary is a global charity launched in January 2014 which encourages people to try to live a vegan lifestyle for the month of January, for many it becomes a permanent change. Vegsoc will be working with the Sustainability Society for nutrition week in January as well as Veganuary where they plan to consider all sides in their campaign. Society Vice President Joe Bloomfield: ‘There will be the opportunity to go vegan for a month, we’ll help people through that to make it an easier transition.’ Society Treasurer Andrea Bonilla: ‘Veganuary is an international campaign, we’re focusing on providing support from current vegans.’

forced to live in within the meat industry. It will showcase the journey from birth to slaughterhouse, a fully immersive experience it is sure to generate a lot of discussion. Society President Beth Yarrow: ‘We will be providing cakes to soften the experience, as well as a follow up support session to talk about what they saw. We can support the students and help them should they decide to become vegan or vegetarian, we’ll provide them with all the resources they may need’. If you’re interested in learning more on the controversial topic of veganism or taking part in the iAnimal event, you can contact any of the committee members through their Facebook page to get involved. Interview with Vegetarian and Vegan Society by Jess Hines

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ANTHONY NOLAN SPIT DRIVE Jess Hines and Alice Reynolds report on the Anthony Nolan Spit Drive organised by Women’s Rugby, with an interview with Suneeta Gill, their Volunteer Co-ordinator. nthony Nolan, a charity dedicated to saving the lives of people with blood cancer, visited Royal Holloway last month to run their first spit drive on campus.

RHUL’s Women’s Rugby’s Volunteering Coordinator, Suneeta, said: “Women’s rugby decided to support Anthony Nolan this year as it is a great charity, helping those who suffer from illnesses such as leukaemia and blood cancer, find a bone marrow match. Unfortunately, one of our girls became very ill over the summer and has had to take the year out of university, therefore we wanted to pick a charity that was close to our hearts. Anthony Nolan are a key charity helping her with advice and support”. Anthony Nolan was set up in 1974 by Shirley Nolan, after her three-year-old son Anthony was in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. As a result, she set about setting up the world’s first register to match donors with

people in desperate need. RHUL’s first spit drive was aimed at spreading the word about becoming a lifesaving bone marrow donor, explaining the processes involved, as many people have different ideas of what it means to be a bone marrow donor. They called out for donors and raised money for those suffering with the rare aplastic anaemia after one of their own was diagnosed with it. Aplastic anaemia is a caused when the body is unable to produce enough of all three blood cells. This makes a person prone to extreme fatigue, infections, uncontrolled bleeding and more. This condition can happen to anyone and can develop at any time. The treatment is a complicated mix of medications, blood transfusions and/or a stem cell transplant. Last year, second year mathematics student Amanda Lonergan, described as ‘top of her class’ had to put her studies on hold after she was diagnosed. She was forced to drop out of university and give up her sports. Suneeta explained,

‘You can’t do any sports because one of the symptoms is swelling really easily, you get bruises really easily.” “The event was successful, with 37 new bone marrow donors signed up! The aim is to run another spit drive in the spring and make spit drives a yearly occurrence at the university. Our university is a good place for Anthony Nolan to run a spit drive as we have a large mix of ethnic backgrounds - exactly what they are looking for. My advice to people who are worried about signing up would be to pop down and have a talk to one of us at the next event. There will be an Anthony Nolan representative present as well as plenty of leaflets to go through to answer any worries or queries”. The process of signing up is simple. Step 1 – Fill out a form. Step 2 – Spit in a tube. It really is that easy. So what’s your excuse for not attending the next spit drive? Join us, and spit to save lives. Photography: Matthew Phillips

December 2016

Royal Holloway Student Magazine | ORBITAL

RAISE AND GIVE WEEK

Orbital spoke to RAG (Raise and Give) about what they have planned for their RAG week from 26th November to 2nd December; one of the most exciting charity events of the year. AG week is the celebration of the well named RAG (Raise and Give) which is the fundraising arm of the Students’ Union. As you probably know, RAG raises money for a selection of charities – big and small, local and worldwide- by putting on events, venturing out of RAG raids, climbing mountains and having fun doing it! This years’ partner charities are Meningitis Now, White Lodge Centre and Action against Hunger.

Basically, any fundraising that goes on here at Royal Holloway, RAG is at the centre of it - but they can’t do it alone. All clubs and societies fundraise for RAG each year, and anyone can raise money for a charity of their choice in conjunction with RAG. Not only will the RAG team support you in your charity fundraising, it’s awesome at the end of the year to see just how much we

have all raised together - a total fundraising figure for all students here at Holloway! Last year RAG raised over £115,987.10 for various deserving charities and this year they plan to raise even more. RAG will be holding many exciting events including Jailbreak – a challenge attempted previously, in which participants had 36 hours to get as far away from campus as possible without spending any of their own money. In the past, people have travelled as far as Hungary, Amsterdam and Paris! – and which was a massive success. Naked Calendar last year was also a huge success with many dozens of societies and club involved and hundreds of pounds raised for charities.

RAG week is the celebration of events in aid of charity and raising money on campus. It is a fun and rewarding time, with all the campus working together on the behalf of charity and volunteering. The RAG week program is incredibly exciting this year. It starts with Jailbreak 2016 departure from the SU on the 26th November, following with some funny events like “RAG reveal” at Medicine, for which the RAG board is preparing some surprise and awesome revelations for this year ! or Toast – aka Everyone’s favourite Monday night out on campus. Not to mention the eagerly awaited 2017 RAG Naked Calendars launch but also ‘Movember’ celebrations and a crazy Candy Cane Grams. I also heard that Santa Claus might be around, so keep your eyes open! Truthfully, this week is going to be stunning and you are all heartily invited to take part in the RAG party of the year. Literally, this is going to be a RAGvage.

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RHUL COPPAFEEL

KRIS HALLENGA

Founder of the CoppaFeel charity.

he surprising benefits of getting to know your boobs.

What happens at 23? For most people it’s probably a combination of uni, travelling with mates, looking for the elusive interesting but well-paid graduate job and having a lot of fun in the process. And, if you’re not so lucky, breast cancer. At least, that’s what happened to CoppaFeel! founder, Kris Hallenga. At age 23 Kris was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer (which is what it’s called when cancerous cells spread around your body, FYI). In Kris’ case the cancer had found a home in her spine, meaning that it was - and is - incurable. As a carefree twentysomething, a bombshell like cancer was not something she’d bargained for, in fact breast cancer was firmly not on Kris’ radar. Or most young people’s. So she

decided to do something about it. Three months after her diagnosis, Kris founded CoppaFeel!, in a bid to ensure people like you start showing some love to their boobs and pecks (we’re talking to you too, fellas). You might have seen CoppaFeel!’s boob clad volunteers educating the masses at festivals or even have spotted our Uni Boob Team talking knockers right here at Royal Holloway. Why? Because we want you to know that getting to know your boobs could save your life. Too many women and men die of breast cancer due to late detection. This is unnecessary. Which brings us to the crucial bit. You need to be checking your boobs. Regularly. Whether it’s in the shower, as you read this in bed, or as you sit in the library (if you pick the latter, we promise it will spice up revision). If you get to know what your boobs look and

feel like normally, it will be easy to spot anything that’s not right. And should that be anything serious, early diagnosis means better and more effective treatment options. Luckily, If you need reminding, we have that covered too. Your Uni Boob Team will be popping up at events all over campus like our pop-up nail salon this month and a glitter party soon to follow (find out more on Facebook: CoppaFeel Royal Holloway Uni Boob Team or on Twitter @UBTRhul). And you can sign up for free text reminders direct from Boob HQ to your phone. Just text UBT RHUL to 70500 for your free monthly message (check out the terms and conditions). Or order a waterproof shower sticker from coppafeel.org. They give you all the info on the signs and symptoms you need to keep an eye out for, and they’re free. Win win.

The coldest place in the Universe What is the coldest place in the Universe? Is it somewhere in deep space, in a Galaxy far away? Could it be in Neptune, 4.5 billion km away from the sun? Could it be in our own moon, in a crater so deep that light can never reach? Or is it in physics labs, right here, on planet Earth? One of them is actually within a walking distance from the venue of our Christmas evening lecture! Come and find out about exotic phenomena like super conductivity and super fluidity, discuss Nobel Prize 2016 and participate in a lecture on the coolest topic everâ&#x20AC;Ś literally. Join Dr Andrew Casey, Royal Holloway Physicist, as he explains the amazing, large-scale quantum phenomena that take place in very low temperatures.

Science for Schools Lecture Series - all welcome

6.30 pm 8 December 2016

Windsor Building Auditorium

For more information: physics.outreach@ royalholloway.ac.uk To book: rhulphysics_xmas.eventbrite.co.uk Royal Holloway, University of London Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX @physicsRHUL