January 2018 by Orbital Magazine

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“GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?” OUR 2020 STRATEGY

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ROYAL HOLLOWAY STUDENTS’ UNION N OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ROYAL HOLLOWAY STUDENTS’ UNION N

ORBITAL BOARD EDITOR Abbie Cheeseman DEPUTY EDITOR Stephanie Bagnall

Inside

NEWS Maria Green

FEATURES Dominic Barrett Amber Choudhary LIFESTYLE Victoria Chapman Chloe Buck ARTS Josip Martinčić Georgia Beith SPORTS & SOCIETIES Louisa Wicks SCIENCE & GAMING Clara Cohen Ryan Gulliford OPERATIONS Joanne Archer PHOTOGRAPHY Fab Piolini-Castle MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA Jessie Beach-Thomas SUB-EDITOR Sreeja Karanam ONLINE Beth Gooding DIGITAL Sarah Jane Oxley DESIGN Emma Halahan Michele Theil Cover Artwork Emma Halahan A nU W E

ADDRESS Media Suite, Students’ Union, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX WEBSITE www.theorbital.co.uk EMAIL editor@theorbital.co.uk

EMAIL editor@theorbital.co.uk

Abbie Cheeseman

EDITORIAL

COMMENT Natasha Phillips Izzy Swanson

EDITOR

Welcome to the January issue of Orbital Magazine! This month’s issue is a special one as we have managed to scoop our biggest ever investigation. At the last Staff Open Meeting, Principal Layzell made some comments about our gender pay gap that sat less than okay with us here at Orbital Magazine. After managing to obtain access to a recording of the conversation, we have spoken to academics and unions across campus to discuss it – the end result is overleaf. The editorial team have worked incredibly hard to put together an incredible piece of journalism and I could not be more proud. The only thing left to hope is that following on from this, the College will work harder to close some of the appalling gender pay gaps on campus. If you want to join our investigations team and help to uncover some serious issues on campus, drop me

Orbital Magazine is produced monthly by a team of student volunteers. The magazine is published by Royal Holloway Students’ Union, but the views presented do not necessarily mirror those of RHSU or the editorial team. If you would like to make a complaint or comment about our journalism, please contact the Editor, Abbie Cheeseman, on editor@theorbital.co.uk in the first instance.

an email on editor@theorbital.co.uk - we’re always keen for more people to join the team.

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The conceptual theme for this month’s issue is 2020 and whether we’re going in the right direction as a college. Royal Holloway’s current masterplan takes them from 20132020 – as we’re edging ever closer to the end of this, our comment team have looked at how close we are to our targets.

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It also ties in beautifully with the fact that during the aforementioned Staff Open Meeting, Layzell said that our gender pay gap efforts were ‘going in the right direction’ – I’ll allow you to make your own minds up about that once you’ve read the article. Elsewhere in the magazine – our Debrief interview this month is with Holloway alumna Rebecca Wilson who has set up a homelessness charity, Four Walls.

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Also, Orbital has spiced things up a bit in time for Valentine’s Day in our Lifestyle section. Head over there to see what Valentine’s Day might hold for you and to get our hints and tips to make sure that it’s one to remember.

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That’s all from me for now. Enjoy the magazine and as always, if you want to get involved and contribute to the magazine – just drop me an email.

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ORBITAL CONTENTS

“EQUAL PAY FOR WORK OF EQUAL VALUE?” Abbie Cheeseman, Emma Halahan and Michele Theil report on Layzell’s controversial comments regarding Royal Holloway’s gender pay gap, which is the seventh worst in the country.

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DEBRIEF: REBECCA WILSON Michele Theil talks to Royal Holloway alumna, Rebecca Wilson, about her work as an acitvist and founder of homelessness charity, Four Walls.

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ENVISIONING OUR FUTURE Abbie Cheeseman looks at the colleges 2013-2020 strategy to assess how close we are to our targets.

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ROHOROSCOPES: THE SEX EDITION Looking for a new position to try? The stars have got you covered.

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ONE CANDID CONVERSATION Three girls spend an evening asking and answering questions about sex, Valentine’s day and handling that morning after awkwardness.

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THE RUSSELL GROUP: IS IT WORTH IT? Louise Jones and Michele Theil debate the all important questions of Russell Group status.

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RESIDENTS VS. STUDENTS Emma Halahan discusses the prominent Facebook group Englefield Greenies where student bashing is the norm.

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ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF MUSIC? Georgia Beith ponders the murky world of music copyright and asks if original content is a thing of a past.

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ATLANTIC TEAM Michele Theil writes about one team’s ambition to row across the Atlantic.

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“EQUAL PAY FOR WORK OF EQUAL VALUE?” Abbie Cheeseman, Emma Halahan & Michele Theil report on Layzell’s controversial comments regarding Royal Holloway’s gender pay gap which is the seventh worst in the country.

they’re good at” leading many academics that we have spoken to accuse Layzell of believing women are more suited to teaching than research.

Speaking at his last Staff Open Meeting in November, he claimed the problem was instead rooted in the fact there are not enough women going for promotion.

Douglas Cowie, a lecturer in the English Department commented: “The women who work in this department, I assume the women who work in every department, are fundamentally as good at researching and teaching as anyone else.

oyal Holloway Principal, Professor Layzell has claimed the university has a “transparent and fair pay system” despite having the seventh worst gender pay gap in the country at professorial level.

In a recording of the meeting obtained by Orbital Magazine, the Principal claimed that “there are certain protected groups where there is a natural tendency to not have a go and put themselves in for promotion - sometimes that’s gender, sometimes it’s the BAME group”. The Principal is facing backlash from his “natural tendency” comments, with one member of staff in the Geography Department telling Orbital that it was “an example of everyday sexism”. Professor Layzell, who has recently been appointed the Deputy-Lieutenant for Surrey, also hinted that women were better suited to teaching than research. Layzell commented on the strategy that some academics are using a teaching route into a professorship, which is normally research-led. He said this would “play to things

4 4 normally research-led. He said this would “play to things

“The idea that there are fundamental differences in men and women’s intellectual abilities is a nonsense argument to be having in 2018.” As previously reported by Orbital Magazine, Times Higher Education (THE) found that Royal Holloway has a 10.01% gender pay gap at professorial level. The UK average gender pay gap for full-time professors is 5.70%, highlighting the fact that Royal Holloway is almost double the national average. In 2015/16 the pay gap at professorial level was 8.1%, in 2016/17 it was 10.01% - Layzell insisted at the Open Staff Meeting, however, that whilst there is still work to be done “we are going in the right direction”.

INVESTIGATION INVESTIGATION

At Royal Holloway, there are five categories of performance, or bands, within the professoriate. This banding system was introduced, on the back of a 2010 employment tribunal over equal pay, involving Royal Holloway Drama and Theatre Professor, Liz Schafer, in an attempt to create a more transparent pay scale. All national gender pay gap figures use the averages for men and women from the entire professoriate to calculate the figure. Layzell, however, chooses to look at the gap within each individual band. As he rightly pointed out in the meeting, “within a band the pay gap is relatively small”. He went on to discuss how the overall gender pay gap figure of 10.01% is “distorted” by the fact that there are not enough women in the highest professorial bands. Layzell puts this disparity in gender across the professorial bands down to confidence. The Enabling

Women Academics through the Promotion Process programme has been put on to give women “the confidence to go in for promotion”. Clare Bradley, a former equalities officer and member of the University and College Union (UCU) local association committee at Royal Holloway, whose question at the Open Meeting initiated discussion of this issue, suggested that data from these workshops were being misrepresented. Bradley pointed to figures in which the College suggested that there were 24% women in the professoriate when the Enabling Women workshops started. She claims instead, that when the workshops began, 30% of the professoriate were women. She said, “Since the workshops began there has been a reduction in the percentage of women in the professoriate not the increase that was claimed. Women may be encouraged to apply for chairs but are they getting them at Royal Holloway? Many are having to go elsewhere to get their promotions and some are doing that.”

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“Equal pay for work of equal value” said Layzell, reemphasising his view that the gender pay gap at Royal Holloway is not a problem with the system. Layzell also claims that part of the problem is within the way that gender pay gaps are calculated.

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WE HAVE GOT A TRANSPARENT AND FAIR PAY SYSTEM. A spokesperson for Royal Holloway, University of London said: “the programme has gained momentum, with women from each cohort progressing through the professorial promotions bands. Three years into the programme in 2016 the percentage of women in band five, the most senior grade for a professor, had increased from 5.6% to 19%.” Further conversation with academics around campus, however, confirmed an atmosphere in which women are not going for promotion because they believe it is unlikely that the panel will allow them to advance.

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UCU anticipates that their proposed transparency in pay strategy will help to pave the way towards more equality within the college.

Orbital Magazine can confirm that Royal Holloway UCU will call for more transparency in pay from the college.

A spokesperson from Royal Holloway commented, “As one of the first colleges to provide higher education for women, Royal Holloway, University of London, is committed to championing equality and diversity for students and staff.

Jeff Frank, the equalities officer for the UCU’s Royal Holloway branch, is going to put forward a proposal on behalf of UCU for more pay transparency to the Equality and Diversity Steering Group in hope that the Senior Management Team will look into the issue in more depth.

“Our approach to pay and promotion is both fair and transparent however, we recognise that there is more that we, and the sector, can do to tackle the causes of inequality. In response, for some years now, Royal Holloway has been making changes to processes and procedures to minimize barriers to promotion”

In conversation with Royal Holloway UCU, they told Orbital Magazine that “we already know who is a lecturer, senior lecturer, reader or professor and yet there are 5 bands within the professoriate - we want to know who is in each band and perhaps the actual salary”.

In order to meet their 2013-2020 strategic plan target of a gender pay gap of less than 5% in any staff group, Royal Holloway has just 2 years left to halve the figure for the professoriate and there is work to be done in other staff groups too.

They believe that this will be a good move to equality and would “encourage women professors to put forward for advancement if they knew how much their male counterparts were being paid”.

Clare Bradley said: “If the argument is, as the Principal maintains, that women aren’t putting themselves forward - well, there’s nothing quite like finding out that someone you regard as no more competent than yourself is getting paid a great deal more than you, to encourage you to apply for advancement.”

In Part 2 of this feature, we review Royal Holloway’s 2013-2020 strategy and look at what Royal Holloway post-2020 could look like. •

PRINCIPAL’S PAY REACHES 300K Editor Abbie Cheeseman reports on RHUL Principal Paul Layzell’s increase in salary, which has now passed the staggering sum of £300k.

A TOG EVAH EW S DNA TNERAPSNART .METSYS YAP RIAF With the release of the latest financial statements from Royal Holloway, Orbital Magazine can reveal that Principal Layzell’s salary passed the £300,000 threshold in the 2016/17 academic year. Excluding any benefits in kind and pension contributions, Layzell’s pay rose from £298,000 to £301,000.

Layzell’s pay package for 2016/17 totalled £313,000 including benefits in kind and pension contributions. He also has his free house ‘Settrington’ which is adjacent to the college.

2016/17 also saw lecturers who are members of the University and College Union strike over insufficient pay rises for staff, whose pay was decreasing in value in line with inflation. Sources within the college have confirmed that we are likely to see more of these UCU walk outs over pay within the academic year. A spokesperson for Royal Holloway, University of London commented:

“This year (2017/18) the College’s Remuneration Committee recommended that the Principal be awarded the nationally negotiated pay award to all staff covered by the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES) pay bargaining arrangements. He has declined this 1.7% increase. “The university generates multimillion pound revenues and makes a significant contribution to the regional and national economy. The Principal’s salary reflects the immense challenges and responsibilities that come with the leadership of such a complex organisation.” •

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ince 2011, Royal Holloway has seen a declining trend in the rankings of the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings from 88th to 197th. In this time, Principal Layzell’s pay package has increased by 17.89%.

ARTWORK: EMMA HALAHAN

COMMENT COMMENT

ENVISIONING OUR FUTURE Editor, Abbie Cheeseman, looks at the colleges 2013-2020 strategy to assess how close we are to our extraordinarily ambitious targets.

aving trawled through college strategic strategies, financial information and masterplans, it’s safe to say that Royal Holloway has its sights set high for how it envisages itself at the end of the 2020 grand strategy. It will have been consistently in the top 20 UK universities and the top 200 worldwide universities for the past seven years. In each academic discipline we will have a world-leading research specialism and our research intensity will be of the highest standard. We will have increased our economic contribution by 20%, partly through increasing the number of students attending to 10,500. Our facilities will be fit-forpurpose, from the Davison, Electrical Engineering and Music & Media buildings, to the additional 2,650 bedrooms that will cater for the ever-growing student population. However, as we enter 2018, it might be time to take the rose-tinted glasses off. Since 2013, when the current strategic plan was introduced, our position in Times Higher Education World Rankings have taken a nose dive from 119th to 197th, just keeping us within our top 200 aspirations. Our UK rankings, however, tell a different tale as in 2018 we sit at 31st. Rumours are rife around campus that our next strategic plan will be a final push to getting us admitted to the Russell Group. It is highly unlikely that this will be explicitly mentioned – it is the aim of most universities to be admitted into the most elite and research intensive group of universities in the country, but to publically admit so would be a reputation bruiser. No university wants to set themselves up as a comparison that’s not quite there, or have the audacity to suggest they can strategically plan their way into the elite. The exclusive Russell Group is not the Conservative Party; they will not be rushing to increase their membership or have a reshuffle of institutions. So, why are people so adamant that we’re inching closer? A major part of the speculation is the new focus on engineering. Having started offering Electrical Engineering courses in September 2017, the department is having a £20 million purpose-designed building constructed. The average profile of a Russell Group university offers at least two of Engineering, Law and Medicine. The College have also confirmed that they will be expanding the newly established Law School into the Arts Building. The move will happen once the space has been

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We have a tight community at Royal Holloway – granted, it can at times be soul destroying to never be more than five metres away from someone you know, but it’s also an enormous part of the charm of the campus. By 2021, the college is aiming to ‘modestly’ increase the student population to 10,500. The new George Eliot halls have ensured that we have enough accommodation to house undergraduates to that figure and, well frankly, that’s about it. The £57 million flagship Davison building may be a much more fit-for-purpose space, but it most definitely does not serve the needs of 10,500 students. With Bedford library being used to house the Computer Science and Mathematics & Information Security departments, half of Founder’s library being repurposed and no exact opening date for the other half, we are currently left with the 1,140 study spaces that the Davison building offers. So with no more than 1/10th of students having access to a study space at any given point, Royal Holloway have decided to step up their ambitions to teaching 12,000 students by 2031. On a similar note, finding a study space will be the least of the worries of the Royal Holloway students of the future. What happens when they can’t find anywhere to live in second and third year? The annual panic of finding a house in Egham or Englefield Green seems to inch closer and closer every year, with first years being forced to start finding accommodation in November. The surrounding area is barely coping with the current amount of students, let alone a significant raise. Campus should be fine though as the 2031 masterplan that has been approved by Runnymede Borough Council shows: Penrose, Wettons, The Hub, Electron Microscopy Site (area around old SU shop), Ripley springs (around the back of Queens) and the old library depository site (by back gate) are all planned to be demolished/redeveloped into student accommodation. Whether we are going to make these student intake targets is an entirely other question though. It is a key performance indicator target of the 2013-2020 strategy that 80% of new undergraduate entrants will place Royal Holloway as their first choice. Whilst we do not currently hold up-to-date data on this, Mail Online reported that in 2017 we had 261 courses listed in UCAS Clearing with vacancies. When Orbital Magazine asked the College to provide the number of applications (excluding clearing) for the previous three academic years, they declined to share the data under the Freedom of Information Act. The College stated “to release the information that you have requested would prejudice the College’s commercial interests” and “prejudice the ability of the College to effectively engage in a competitive student market”. In other words, our applications are either going down dramatically or just nowhere near target. The 2031 estate plan that has been approved by the council will also see other developments across campus, including: a social building at The Hub for adjoining residential buildings;

the forest behind queens to have a landscaped trail and fitness equipment; a pedestrian access to the A30 between Boilerhouse and the International Building will be opened; and the main car park by Piggery Gate will be decked and have 700 spaces. It’s better to be ambitious with development than to stagnate. However, it seems that there is only so much that our small campus can take. So is there a possibility that the campus will spread further into Egham post-2020? Runnymede Borough Council’s Sustainable Community Strategy calls on Egham as ‘Runnymede’s university town’. It goes on to suggest that it will promote the ‘expansion and development’ of Royal Holloway and ‘seek more student built accommodation’. Although much of the land that could be developed is protected by the constraints of the Green Belt Policy, the council have acknowledged that the master estate plan can exceed what would normally be acceptable development in this area in the Local Plan Core Strategy.

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It seems that Royal Holloway in 2020 stands at a crossroads in terms of development and expansion. Can we continue to invest so heavily into estate plans that will rival us with Russell Group counterparts whilst our rankings continue to decline? It seems as though Royal Holloway needs to limit its expansion, focus on improving the number of applications that it is receiving, the quality of its teaching and ensuring that it’s current estate is fit for its purpose and size before expanding and turning Egham into a ‘university town’. There are other ambitious KPIs that the College would seem to be hard-pressed to achieve in time. The Passport Award which is designed to encourage participation in extracurricular activities, currently has 4,267. The target for 2020 is that every single undergraduate will be taking part in the scheme, meaning they have over half of the student population to convince. Similarly, as has been discussed in the previous article, we have a gender pay gap aim of less than 5% in any staff group. If you have read the news piece that precedes this article, I’m sure you can come to your own conclusions of how likely that is to happen. How many of the targets in the 2013-2020 strategy that we will achieve is a mystery, however, it is safe to say that there are some highly important KPIs that may not be easily met. Sources have told Orbital Magazine that the Principal pushed through another mid-term strategy at the last Academic Board. Hopefully, this won’t lead to any important targets that are seemingly unreachable at the moment being swept under the rug - but, only time is to tell at this point.

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So, what do you think? Is the college going in the right direction?•

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released by the new Music and Media Building, set to be built near the current Katherine Worth Building.

THE RUSSELL GROUP: IS IT WORTH IT? Louise Jones explains why the Russell Group status can grant an institution and its graduates benefits beyond better research quality.

he Russell Group universities are often described as “elite”. According to a Guardian article, the “24 institutions – which include Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Manchester and Warwick – are said to carry out some of the most highly rated research in the world and have a reputation for academic excellence”. Whether we want to admit it or not, there are still some people who continue to believe that Russell Group universities are better. Now, this is without a doubt an ‘education snobbery’, but the term ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ rings all the truer. Despite Royal Holloway’s Research excellence which “sits within the top 25% of universities in the UK for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent”, the lack of this ‘elite’ label means that Royal Holloway loses a potential selling point to prospective students. If sixth from centres and colleges are encouraging students to apply to universities, they will and have previously been more inclined to promote universities that are a part of the Russell group above non-members. This effectively side-lines places like Royal Holloway as a result, even though Royal Holloway is ranked 35th in the country and many of its academic departments awarded top 10 ranking. Admittedly, Russell Group universities do not hold the same weighting in terms of academic excellence and innovation these days than once considered. Take RHUL, which is ranked higher than some of its Russell group competitors like Cardiff University and the University of

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Liverpool which are ranked as 37th and 41st respectively. Nevertheless, there is still a prestige attached to its name as a result of being involved in the group - something that surely most universities want to achieve. Russell Group university director, Wendy Piatt, goes on to say that “Russell Group universities have higher than average student satisfaction and lower than average dropout rates”. In addition, “Graduate recruiters rank ten Russell Group universities in the top 30 universities worldwide, and Russell Group graduates typically receive a 10% salary ‘top-up’ over others.” Therefore, it must be within the best interests of students that the institution they choose to go to provides them with the best opportunities during their academic careers, and the best chances of employment post-graduation, with a fair salary to match. As previously said, Russell Group universities do not hold the same importance they once did and education institutions in the United Kingdom are now seen as more nuanced. However, there is still an awareness of them, in that the names associated with the group do still hold an importance - especially in terms of what prospective students are offered prior making their university choice. It therefore has to be with in the interests of institutions like Royal Holloway to aspire to be a part of this group if they are to compete in what is continuing to be a competitive industry; it is far easier to entice prospective students with the Russell Group title as opposed to the university’s other academic accolades. •

Michele Theil argues that the name of the Russell Group is nothing more than a symbol of status and does nothing to address the real issues students face on campus today.

As recently as 2012, four UK universities were admitted into the supposedly prestigious and elite organisation that is the Russell Group. The Russell Group, as it stands now, comprises of 24 institutions. Sadly, Royal Holloway is not one of them. Many idolise the idea of going to a Russell Group university - it apparently offers you better teaching, better facilities and better graduate opportunities. Sure, there is certain ‘prestige’ that goes with attending a university that has the elusive ‘Russell Group’ attached to it. While some do want RHUL to become a part of the Russell Group in the near future, it really isn’t the be all end all of a university - particularly as it can just seem a symbol of status that doesn’t benefit the university or address the current issues that students face on a day-to-day basis. Most people do not care about the university gaining Russell Group status; they care about their fees going towards a good degree and their lives as students improving exponentially. RHUL has spent a grand total of £97m on the construction of the Emily Wilding Davison building and the George Eliot Halls as well as using £5m of HEFCE capital funding to build the new science building to house the Department of Electrical Engineering. These major projects were meant to be beneficial to the university as a whole and will definitely provide a positive outlook upon RHUL, particularly in comparison to other small research-intensive universities

that may not have the same facilities as us. While these investments in beautiful buildings may seem like a stepping stone towards a similar level of prestige to the Russell Group, efforts are largely hollow and ineffective. The buildings are barely functional as it is, with the Davison building only providing 1,140 study spaces for a student population of nearly 10,000. In addition, the George Eliot Halls are clearly not serving their purpose of helping to raise the profile of Royal Holloway. Latest estimates from maintenance suggest that the buildings are only 2/3 full. Meanwhile, RHUL has fallen in world rankings in recent years; the health centre has been lacking in its service to students and many students in on-campus accommodation have lobbied the college for better amenities such as heating, internet access and kitchen appliances. These issues with the university are being looked at on occasion, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting much change on behalf of students to ensure that they have a better university experience. So no, spending money to compete with or join the Russell Group isn’t really worth it, not when RHUL is doing so at the expense of many of its current students. Spending such exorbitant funds on buildings that may or may not put us in league with those bestowed with Russell Group status just does not seem justifiable in these circumstances. In the end, the label of a Russell Group university is just that; a label. •

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he short answer is no, not really. The long answer is much more complicated.

HOW IMPORTANT IS ‘MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS’? Beth Gooding asks why we are glorifying our beauty and ignoring our targets.

know I’m not the only one whose phone is often full of artistic snaps of Founder’s from various angles - nothing quite beats the iconic building of our campus. It looks amazing in all weather, with some people lucky enough to see it surrounded by snow at the end of last term. But are we taking our love of this building and our campus slightly too far? At the end of 2017 Royal Holloway was named the ‘Most Beautiful University in the UK’, beating both Oxford and Cambridge after an online poll by Holiday Lettings. At the beginning of January, Times Higher Education gifted the campus with the same title. I’m sure most of us would agree that campus is well deserving of this honour but why has it been so glorified by the university, with other falling rankings being disregarded and ignored? Last term saw the opening of the Emily Wilding Davison Building, our grand new library which truly adds to the attractiveness of our campus, but has it added much more than that? Facebook was full of complaints and petitions against the new library, with arguments that there was not enough space, a number of plugs didn’t work, there were no designated silent areas and that it was being used as a concert venue rather than as a study space. The focus of the new library appears to be more on how it looks than how practical it is for students. It seems the university is trying to emphasise the beauty of the campus to divert from its weaknesses in other areas and fall in other rankings. Royal Holloway ranks only 197 in the Times Higher Education World University

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Rankings and 31st in the UK. In 2011 it ranked 88 in the Times World Rankings and has been falling down the ranks ever since. To have fallen over 100 places in these tables is nothing to be celebrated. This great emphasis and glorifying of becoming the ‘Most Beautiful Campus’ appears to be a distraction from the fall of Royal Holloway through the university tables which judge it on more important matters such as teaching, research and international outlook. Our place in these rankings should be more important to the university than being the most aesthetically pleasing campus in the UK. Royal Holloway should be striving to become a wellknown university based upon more significant matters such as the success of the teaching rather than on a title they can hardly say they have earned. The building of Founder’s by Thomas Holloway in 1886 remains the main reason Royal Holloway has been titled the ‘Most Beautiful’ and is clearly no reflection on the success and work of the university today. So why do they continue to glorify this and parade the title as if they have worked hard to earn it? Instead they should be focusing upon rankings which hold more value. While we should enjoy being on one of the most beautiful campuses and taking one too many pictures of Founder’s, we should remember that this is not the most important ranking for our university to hold and we should be able to take pride in other aspects of the university as well. Royal Holloway needs to focus on not just aesthetics but the success of the university in more important areas. •

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: MATTHEW PHILLIPS

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: MATTHEW PHILLIPS

RESIDENTS VERSUS STUDENTS? Emma Halahan discusses the prominent Facebook group Englefield Greenies where student bashing is the norm.

or those that haven’t yet joined Englefield Greenies, the Facebook Group for all residents of Englefield Green, it is the battlefront on which the war between students and residents is being waged. Daily occurrences of noise complaints regarding student houses, upset about lack of parking due to commuting students, and general animosity are rife. But do the Greenies have a point? What once was a traditional Victorian village has been overrun by a good chunk of our 9000 students and according to our 2013-2020 strategy that number is only set to rise. Is their disdain the result of years of poor treatment and a convenient discourse we have spun dismissing them as an intolerant community? Do all Greenies hate students? We spoke to some to get the real story. Time and time again on Englefield Greenies, the main issue talked about is parking. Royal Holloway’s campus is set to grow to accommodate 10,500 students, many of whom have a car. On the issue, Englefield Green resident Dev Dhillon said that although the population of students “improves the commercial attractiveness for retail” it has been undermined by the university being “particularly poor at supporting local infrastructure” which is, according to him, particularly “evidenced by the lack of substantial parking in new student

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housing developments”. Dhillon’s point has been made especially clear by the opening of the new George Eliot Halls which have few dedicated parking spots and have instead pushed students to park on the already heavily congested Harvest Road. This in particular has been raised multiple times on the Englefield Greenies page with mothers reporting that they had to push their buggies in the road and wheelchair users who have had accessibility issues. But this isn’t necessarily the students’ fault, whilst all residents, including students, should be parking considerately - students do have a right to park near their home. Instead a failure to build proper infrastructure by the college has exacerbated tensions. Whilst the colleges estate plan does include increased parking spaces on campus it does not negate the issue that students in their second and third years are parking on heavily congested roads worsening relations in our local area in the meantime. Furthermore, the plan to increase our student population brings forth another heavily discussed topic on Englefield Greenies: housing. An increased number of students have in turn created increased demand for housing off campus when second and third year student’s move out of halls. Many residents were

Students seem to further exacerbate this tension through unruly behaviour, many of which were cited as the reason for why the back gate remained closed until this month. Resident Lynne Hunter commented that they had “students who are great as neighbours, but, we have also had the unfortunate really bad ones”. Her stories of endless noise from parties and drunk and disorderly behaviour from students is mirrored by many other experiences of villagers as told on the page. Of course, mindfulness and tolerance on both sides would be a solution, but the underlying infrastructural tensions seem to be such a source of disdain for the local community that it is difficult for many students to feel sympathetic towards local residents due to their constant vilification. To fight this issue many private investors have begun building new residences. A clear example is the building

of The Podium to accommodate the college’s growth. But with that, many residents feel like the huge construction projects are putting their village identity at risk. Dhillon again commented on the issue: “I think the student population adds a vibrancy that isn’t found in most villages. However, there does need to be a balance and I think many villagers fear an expansion that causes the village to lose its core identity.”. This issue proves poignant as the new housing development in Englefield Green is a modern expansive complex that doesn’t fit in with the Victorian Englefield Green feel. But how do we move forward to improve relations between students and residents? Dhillon commented that the university could be doing a “far better job of engaging the local community and taking a pro-active approach in being a good neighbour”. But with the college’s mass expansion plans, will we ever be able to satisfy the residents who rightly want to retain their identity and not be disturbed by a lack of infrastructure that they consequentially suffer from? Ultimately it is then the college’s job to ensure proper infrastructure is built with residential concerns factored in, preventing students from bearing the brunt of residential frustrations. •

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resentful that landlords were opting to create student properties instead of properties for families in need. Again whilst students can’t help but need somewhere to live, we must be mindful that we are rapidly shifting the dynamic of the local community and that our existence has pushed low income families out of Egham and Englefield Green.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: ALEX HORNE Mollie Carlyle picks the brain of Alex Horne, a stand-up comedian and co-host of the BAFTA nominated show, Taskmaster. 81

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FEATURES FEATURES things that they’ve never done before with no warning. I think it’s clear from the performance that these bits aren’t rehearsed, but if not, people must think it’s a very strange show.

You studied Classics at Cambridge University. Did you know straight away that comedy was what you wanted to do, or did you have an alternative career path in mind?

Do you prefer collaborating and touring with other people as opposed to on your own? Do you have a solo tour planned for the future?

I’m still not sure it’s what I want to do – I’m going on a wood carving course next year - in fact, I don’t think you ever really need to be sure. After Cambridge I did a postgraduate Broadcast Journalism course at Goldsmiths. At that point I was pretty sure I wanted to be a journalist… Comedy should happen by accident, I think, not a career decision. How did you get onto the comedy scene? I always liked comedy and thought there was a chance I might be funny when I made my family laugh on a car journey to Taunton in 1987. At school I made two guys laugh just before my A-levels. So whilst at university I did a couple of spots at the Footlights open mic nights then booked 5 minutes in a new acts club in London. When I got three laughs there, I was hooked. I booked more spots, eventually bagged an agent who made sure I got paid (often double figures) for future spots, and just 12 years later, I was a full time comedian. Have you ever suffered from stage fright and, if so, how did you overcome it? I did the semi-final of So You Think You’re Funny in 1999 and was so nervous I vomited twenty seconds before going on stage. It was such a bad way to start a gig, I never did it again. Gradually the fright subsides. Now I see the stage as my safe place. You’ve just got to keep on doing it. You obviously started out as a stand-up comic; did the formation of the Horne Section seem like a natural progression or was it the result of a sudden epiphany that this type of music and comedy would work well together on stage? It was, like most things, luck. Stand up was going ok. Their jazz careers were going ok. We booked a slot at the Fringe for a laugh and bang! It worked immediately and we’ve not looked back. So, no plan, but the willingness to do something different and potentially awful and embarrassing. How much of the show is scripted and how much is improvised? A very hefty chunk is improvised. It’s crucial to the show; if we are having a good time, the audience, we hope, will have a good time. So every night I make the band do

Good question – right now, I’m only performing with the band. It’s always fun; if it goes well we share the fun, if it goes badly, we share the pain. But one day I’m sure I’ll do something else by myself. It can be lonely though. But equally, getting five musicians to the same place at the same time can be a nightmare. So it’s that age-old choice, have a nightmare or be lonely? I have to ask about Taskmaster because, and I think I speak for everyone, it is the highlight of the televisual year. Why do you think Taskmaster has been such a hit and how long do you foresee the format lasting for? Ah, that’s very kind. Thank you. Personally, it’s just a lot of fun to make because we are asking great comedians to do silly things, without any prep or pressure (except for the pressure of the game, obviously). The tasks themselves come from a comedian’s brain so the contestants trust that they won’t be compromised, and then everything else comes from them; we get to see what these funny brains come up with, it’s all real, and the competitiveness is genuine. That, I realise, is a sprawling answer. The other thing is that Greg Davies is a very, very funny man and it’s an honour and a pleasure to sit next to him with my little iPad. Do you have a favourite task that you’ve set for the contestants? “Impress this Mayor. You have twenty minutes. Your time starts now.” I love that task and I love that mayor and I love that Joe Wilkinson brought him 42 Calippos and 8 cans of strong lager. There is going to be a US version of Taskmaster, so is there a noticeable difference between the ways that the British comics compared to the US comics approach the tasks? There really isn’t, which was a massive relief. It’s still the same principle; five funny people doing their best to do pointless but doable things. Sometimes they were brilliant, often they were idiotic, always, I hope, they were entertaining. • Taskmaster is currently available for catch-up on UKTV Play. The Horne Section is on tour from Dec 14 2017 to Oct 3 2018. For tickets and further info please visit: www.thehornesection.com

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ello Alex! First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us ahead of the Horne Section’s tour and the release of Taskmaster Champion of Champions.

I’M A STUDENT, GET ME OUT OF HERE. Natasha Lam asks whether we have come to ask too little of our local public transport.

ublic transport is an integral part of life. Highprofile cosmopolitan cities like Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, Copenhagen and London all boast of the efficiency of their transport systems, particularly as, compared to many places, England has one of the best transport systems. However, that doesn’t mean it is without fault and, in recent years, more and more issues have arisen from the systems we rely on. Despite these issues and the subsequent increase in disgruntled commuters, nothing seems to be changing. In fact, it might be getting worse. Are we expecting enough from our transport systems? Most Royal Holloway students use South Western Rail as a vital means of getting to London, either for a fun day out or to connect with transport links to the rest of the country. Thus, the efficient running of the South Western Rail’s services are extremely important. Unfortunately, its efficiency has increasingly stalled in recent months, with trains being massively delayed and often cancelled at the last moment - at great inconvenience to the commuters South Western strives to serve. The company was recently taken over by the Hong Kong-based Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Cooperation in collaboration with the UK First Group PLC. This deal was meant to give the train service an overhaul and improve it for the customers. However, just eight months after the deal, there were large scale strikes among

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train staff for South Western trains, meaning several of their services were delayed by more than an hour or cancelled due to a lack of train drivers working. Following the privatisation of the railways in 1997, prices for rail journeys have increased greatly, out of line with the 66% inflation that the Retail Prices Index (RPI) reports. A single ticket from London to Manchester for instance has risen by 208%, “more than three times the rate of inflation”. Recently, on the 1 January, rail fares rose again by 3.4%. With prices rising and customers having to pay more and more for their daily commute, is it too much to ask for consistent services and accurate timetables? Buses are another prime example of this, as Abellio Bus Services and First UK Bus, which operate around Staines, Egham and Englefield Green, rarely adhere to their published timetable. When questioned about this, Abellio stated that they “always aim to run… services on time and constantly review timetables for this, but traffic delays do unfortunately affect us.” Understandably, traffic is a concern but bus schedules should consider such delays in order to accurately report their schedules to customers, who would use these timetables to plan their subsequent journeys. Perhaps we should, in fact, demand a bit more from our transport services so that we can all have a successful commute in exchange for the exorbitant costs we’re expected to pay. •

DEBRIEF: Orbital Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regular sit down with people inspiring change on issues that matter.

REBECCA WILSON Michele Theil talks to Royal Holloway alumni, Rebecca Wilson about her work as an activist and founder of homeless charity, Four Walls.

peaking to Rebecca Wilson, a Royal Holloway alumna who has taken the heartwarming decision to start her charity for homelessness, was a great pleasure of mine. We discussed her charitable pursuits, her personal motivations within charity work and the label of “activist”, which is a title she is “more than happy to take on”. At Holloway, Wilson studied English and Comparative Literature. She began wanting to get involved with charity work sometime during her second year when she felt that the tedium of writing an essay for her degree did not enable her to enact any sort of change in the real world. Her motivations were “initially quite political” as she is considered to be “quite socialist” in her views but they changed over time and, during her final year, “it seemed like the natural step to start [her own] enterprise”. As stated in a previous interview with Orbital Magazine, her charity then, was barely up and running. It was without a name, without charitable status and without trustees. Now, as an official charity having been registered in late July 2017, Four Walls has been able to help homeless people in London by offering hot food stalls and general support to homeless people along The Strand and near St Pancras. Alongside Wilson, there are two other trustees for the charity, both of whom Wilson consider to be “very important and close friends”. Trustees Elodie Blanchfield and Tressa Belesi are both currently undertaking their master’s degrees at Royal Holloway. I started by asking her about what had happened since the idea first came into fruition and the work Four Walls is doing now. In early 2017, Wilson worked with the Labour Campaign to End Homelessness to organise the ‘Big Sleepout’ on Founder’s Tennis Courts, which was designed to raise money both for the campaign as well as fundraise for Wilson’s extended charitable efforts. A large portion of the money has been used to keep up the weekly outreach that Wilson was already previously involved with, giving out hot food and drink to homeless people along particular stretches of London. Wilson

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Activism has become a dirty word in the current political climate but it is important in any form, particularly in the student movement. If it is considered a dirty word, it shouldn’t deter you from acting because if you’re passionate about it, why not?

“

and the Four Walls charity has expanded that operation into “helping people on a personal level”. They feed “a maximum of around fifty people a night” during their walking tour from “St Pancras station all the way to Oxford Circus”. Wilson stresses the importance of “talking face-to-face with people for more than thirty seconds… so that we can get to know them on a more personal level and find out what they actually need from us”. The needs of any particular homeless person are “varied, complicated and intricate” and can range from someone “needing help with their English GCSE or… someone’s asked us to help with an application form to get benefits because of a back injury”. Thus, Four Walls offers a bespoke service towards helping and eradicating homelessness and Wilson’s goal is to “maintain a personal touch towards their work”. Wilson finds that there are criticisms lobbied towards her work, such as that it is “too idealistic” and that she is “too young” to be starting a charity at 22. To those people, she would say that her work is about finding ways of “eradicating the need to sleep rough in smaller areas… and smaller constituencies” before then “progressing their work into larger areas” which she thinks, “absolutely doable”. She adds that she’s “never going to stray away from the idealistic side of it as it informs and maintains a positive outlook on the work [she] does”. With regards to her age, Wilson felt that with “three years of experience doing outreach” under her belt and the nature of her work being a “learning curve”, it was

the right time to start Four Walls. Wilson found that their “first day of outreach was quite daunting” as they were doing it by themselves but the feeling of actually helping the homeless was overwhelming. I asked Wilson about her thoughts regarding councillor Simon Dudley’s comments on the issue of homelessness in Windsor. Dudley stated that homeless people should be removed from the streets of Windsor in advance of the Royal Wedding at St George’s Palace.

Outside of working for Four Walls, Wilson works for a charity called Creative Support, a service to help people with learning disabilities. She balances her charitable commitments easily, seeing it as her job informing her passion. Wilson says that “they’re both just as important “ to her. Working part-time with Creative Support allows her to support herself while also giving out two days of her week to Four Walls’ outreach and admin. Her dream is to be able to work on Four Walls and with homeless

people full time but “it would all be down to funding from external organisations”. Wilson also admitted to sometimes feeling like she couldn’t do it. She states that “it is an emotional struggle” when she feels “helpless to help” the people she meets on the street. However, her “amazing support network” of trustees, friends, family and her partner help her everyday in pursuing her ambitions. Being an “activist”, Wilson told me how she thinks that activism has become a dirty word in the current political climate but it is “important in any form, particularly in the student movement”. Even if it is considered a “dirty word”, it shouldn’t deter you from acting because, she asks, “if you’re passionate about it, why not?” Orbital Magazine wishes Rebecca and Four Walls the best of luck in their inspiring future endeavours. •

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Wilson very much disagreed with it as she believes that it “hurts people emotionally and mentally when they are moved away from their family and community” particularly as “they are constituents of that area” and they should “find ways of helping them” there. Four Walls published an open letter to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in order to “call on two very philanthropic people to distance themselves at the very least from these comments” and, while there has not been a response from the royals themselves, “the response on social media has been encouraging”.

PUT YOUR HEALTH FIRST Deputy Lifestyle Editor Chloe Buck gives us some advice about keeping healthy in these cold Winter months.

hen the temperature decreases so can the state of your health. When you’re a student you are constantly around other people, making it a lot easier to pick up coughs and colds and other nasty bugs. On a positive note, it is possible to take control of your health and stay one step ahead to remain healthy. Having had an autumn term battling with health issues, here are some heartfelt tips...

WATER, WATER & MORE WATER Stay hydrated - your body needs water to flush out toxins and function properly. Be aware of your alcohol, caffeine, sugar and salt intake.

WRAP UP WARM Dig out that scarf, hat, mittens, coat and keep warm, especially when you’re on your way to the SU! When you’re inside it’s easy to assume that the weather isn’t as cold as you think and not bother. The body loses most of its heat through the head and feet so keeping them warm is very important and could keep a cold away.

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EAT A RAINBOW Eat colourful fruit & vegetables. Obvious but often ignored. Eating fresh fruit & vegetables (especially raw) provides vitamins & minerals that your body needs to fight infection and pep up your immune system. In the colder months, fruit and veg might not be enough so I would definitely recommend buying a good vitamin & mineral supplement from a health shop. It’s worth the investment, even on a student budget.

SPEND SOME TIME IN NATURE When you’re working on an essay, remember to take regular breaks and try not to spend whole days indoors. Take a walk around the garden, run an errand or go for a walk whatever the weather. As long as you wear warm, waterproof clothes, you will feel the benefit of nature - trees, exercise, water, good company always lifts the mood.

DON’T FILL EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY Plan to have some time to yourself to

recharge your batteries when you have a jam packed schedule. It is important to have space to relax away from other people and also have enough sleep. Staying up to the early hours is not recommended every night of the week - if you’re busy in the evenings, set your alarm and have a nap earlier in the day to keep up energy and help your immune system to re-charge.

PLAN TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD Within your busy schedule plan ahead and drop a friend a text to arrange to meet between lectures for a coffee and chat or a bite to eat at lunch or invite friends or housemates to eat with you in the evening. It is always great to share and be sociable - it can shed light on an issue or problem that is niggling away and can make you feel a lot better.

HAVE FUN & GRAB NEW OPPORTUNITIES It’s great to take yourself out of your comfort zone and try new experiences. Join a society, go to that event at the SU. Talk, smile, share, dance, let your hair down, keep healthy and have fun! •

LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

ROHOROSCOPES: THE SEX EDITION

Looking for a new position to try? The stars have got you covered.

Pisces

Aries

20 January - 18 February

19 February - 20 March

21 March - 19 April

Sidesaddle: Save a horse, ride a cowboy. Aquariuses are original and not above breaking a rule or two. So, break the common rule of sitting sex by riding sidesaddle instead. Use this position to get easy access to their front and their back, with a great view to keep you going too.

Spooning Sex: A Pisces is usually tired, both physically and emotionally. Having sex while spooning is more intimate than usual and can give the gentle Pisces good but loving stimulation. Plus, it’s a good chance to stimulate other more neglected areas - see breasts.

Reverse Cowgirl: An Aries would be a good army general: they like calling the shots. Sitting on top and having your partner at your mercy is a perfect way to take control and letting them join you for the extremely pleasurable ride. Just make sure they have a go too eh?

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

20 April - 20 May

21 May - 20 June

21 June - 22 July

The Liftoff: Tauruses have a natural ‘roughness’ about them. Take a tiny step in this direction by having your partner lift you up against a wall or onto a moving appliance - a washing machine or a dryer will do nicely. The strength of your partner and the natural vibrations of this ‘love machine’ will fuel your passion even more.

Sitting Sex: A Gemini is always up for a chat, be it naughty or nice. Their conversations are always interesting and will get them going faster than you can say ‘foreplay’. By facing each other in a sitting position, the two of you can discuss politics or give a play-by-play of your actions. Either way, it’ll be worth it.

Bathtub Sex: For the usually ‘active’ Cancer, a warm, sensual bath is needed. Grab some candles, a good speaker for some sexy music and a glass of wine (or a non-alcoholic equivalent) and you’re good to go. Just make sure you lock the door - you don’t want a housemate bursting in!

Leo

Virgo

Libra

23 July - 22 August

23 August - 22 September

23 September - 22 October

Curtains Open: Leos like to make a spectacle and ‘put on a show’ so-to-speak. Having sex while you conveniently ‘forgot’ to draw the curtains or having a door slightly ajar in a house full of people will up the ante and get you there even faster - higher risk, higher reward.

Shower Sex: With a million and one things to do at all times, Virgos enjoy precision and efficiency. Shower sex is killing two birds with one stone. Having sex while in the shower is not only a interesting spin on a daily activity but can appeal to the more adventurous Virgo out there.

69: A Libra usually enjoys the drama, but is always well intentioned. 69-ing is a dramatic change from a Libra’s normal sexual routine but will definitely appeal to their nature. The mutual desire to pleasure the other whilst you are being treated to their action speaks to their good natured soul.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

23 October - 21 November

22nd November – 21st December

22 December - 19 January

Assisted Missionary: Scorpios like to keep to tradition but tweak it to better suit their needs. Take a pillow and place it underneath the person laying down for more comfortable and more accessible sex (of all kinds).

Table Sex: Sagis are adventurous and always have a deadline to stick to. Fooling around in what is usually a stressful work environment can relieve stress and spark creativity. Have one person lay back on the table while the other goes wild.

Standing Doggy: Capricorns like a challenge and perfecting their ‘craft’. Give them to chance to have both and they’ll be over the moon. Place one person in front of the other, with both facing the same direction, and give their rear some attention.

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e y . ?

Aquarius

THREE GIRLS. TWO BOTTLES OF WINE. ONE CANDID CONVERSATION. Three girls spend an evening asking and answering questions about sex, valentines day and handling that morning after awkwardness.

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‘MISS EXPERIENCED’

‘MISS TUMBLEWEED’

‘MISS BABYFACE’

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Has a lot of sex and scandalous stories. Knows her way around a shaft. Condensed sexual gap year into a month.

Hasn’t had sex in over a year. Wonders whether her vagina will ever be able to accommodate anything again. Compares nudes to that of the Savannah.

Has had sex a grand total of four times. Thinks about reclaiming her virginity. Experienced in ‘just the tip’.

TOP OF THE SEX BUCKET LIST:

The Mile High Club

A tropical island

A Maldivian hut

SEXUAL CATCHPHRASE:

“Nightcaps always lead to great things.”

“Concise sex is the best sex.”

“Just get naked.”

Ever wondered what three drunk girls have to say about sex, love and relationships? No, us neither. But we did it anyway for your amusement.

PART 2: THE ACTION

Presenting: The Orbital Guide to Looser Sex and February Frolicking.

T - Sperm and hair are the new oil and water.

E - Foreplay you want plus the foreplay you need multiplied by three.

B - ORAL

ON ONE NIGHT STANDS E - I enjoy a good one night stand but nothing beats familiar sex. T - I have never had one but with my dry spell I will take a one stop shop anytime. B - I’ve only ever had one and I ended up kicking him out because it was boring.

PART 3: MORNING AFTER POLITICS E– Cater for all vegetarian, vegan and carnivore options in the kitchen as well as between the sheets T - Don’t stay for too long, get out by mid day or risk catching feels. B - Take the stride of pride, you got laid.

ON SEX WITH PARENTS AROUND E - For the love of god lock the door.

ON OUR FAVOURITE KIND OF SEX

T - Minimal movement positions are key here, think lazy morning sex.

E – Being woken up to sex is an ideal kind of morning.

B - Just don’t do it.

T – Missionary has seen the biggest rebrand since royal Holloway chose grey and orange- classy and simple

E – On top is a great space saver so don’t skip leg day. T – Spooning is a great space saver but make sure not to make fun of his fragile masculinity when he is offended by your big spoon. B – My lucky number is 69.

ON GETTING LAID ON VALENTINE’S DAY PART 1: THE PRE SEX PREP E – Do some key networking at the next SU and Toast to warm them up before the big day which happens to fall on a beloved Wednesday. If it fails, accept the booty call. T – Plug in the air freshener before you go, personal favourite is vanilla like my sex. B – Head home for reading week and hit up that old flame for some ill-timed nostalgia.

B – In control and on top form.

ON SPICING THINGS UP E - Sex Dice Evolved is an app that introduces new movements on body parts that you might not have thought of. T - Edible underwear. B - Do a Claire and Phil Humphrey and meet in a hotel somewhere as two strangers seeing where the night takes you.

And there it is, The Orbital Guide to Looser Sex and February Frolicking. If you’re interested in recreating a more sexually diverse version of this article, get in touch at your own risk - we can supply the equipment. Happy Valentine’s Day from all at Orbital Magazine! •

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ON SEX IN A SINGLE BED

SILENT UNTIL NOW Michele Theil reviews BBC Three’s new documentary, entitled ‘Male Rape: Breaking The Silence’. Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

ape is despicable. That is a statement that can’t ever be disputed. In the wake of allegations against such high-profile people like Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K and Kevin Spacey and the widely-popular #metoo campaign, there are more people than ever who are able to speak up about what has happened to them. Unfortunately, despite the progressive and welcoming atmosphere we find ourselves in, men who have been sexually assaulted continue to be silenced and are treated poorly by charities and police. With a new documentary from BBC Three, men are openly speaking up about their sexual assault experiences in order to help lift the stigma from such a prominent issue in society.

There is definitely a taboo on the idea of a man getting raped, as it is seen as something that simply can’t happen ‘because they’re men’. This is unsurprising considering the way many police officers treat male victims of sexual assault, as many are either rude, cynical or dismissive of the case. Survivor Sam Thompson wrote about his experience of being sexually assaulted by a man for BBC5 Live. He stated that when he went to the police, he was asked if he had ever cheated on his girlfriend or if he had ever had any gay experiences in the past. Not only are these questions rude, they perpetuate the stereotype that if you are gay or have had previous sexual experiences with men, a man sexually assaulting you isn’t considered a valid incident.

The documentary is called Male Rape: Breaking the Silence, a homage to those that broke the silence on Weinstein and many others and calls to Time Magazine’s person(s) of the year cover. It is an insightful look at what has happened in specific, but differing, incidences of sexual assault and how it is dealt with afterwards, both by the survivor and the public. There is definitely a taboo on the idea of a man getting raped, as it is seen as something that simply can’t happen ‘because they’re men’. There is an idea that men are the domineering, violent predators of society while women are the passive, demure victims. This kind of stereotype is extremely harmful to everyone, particularly in cases where a woman has sexually assaulted a man.

In this enlightening documentary, one man spoke about how he had decided to call a survivors’ helpline and was told, in no uncertain terms, that the helpline was only for women because men don’t get raped. How can we expect to live in a fair and equal society when that is the treatment men receive should they decide to report and seek help for their horrific experiences?

According to government statistics from 2012/13, it is estimated that 75,000 men are victims of sexual assault or attempted assault “while 9000 men are victims of rape or attempted rape” each year. Police figures show that there were only 3000 reports of assault or rape in the following year.

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With this new documentary, BBC Three are making great strides in helping people to come forward, seek help and break the silence. It will, hopefully, lead to a larger conversation about such issues and the instigation of real and drastic change. • If you, or someone you know, has been affected by any of these issues, contact the following: Survivors UK 0203 598 3898 survivorsuk.org Rape Crisis England & Wales 0808 802 9999 rapecrisis.org.uk

ARTS ARTS

OUT IN THE WILDE Arts Editor Josip Martincic goes wild about the ongoing Oscar Wilde season at The Vaudeville Theatre.

Watching any performance as part of the season in the stunning and intimate Vaudeville Theatre feels like watching a Shakespeare play in the Globe. A feeling of being transported through time, which is aided by incredible Victorian costumes, overwhelms an audience member. The plays feel perfectly positioned within the staging of the proscenium arch, referred to as ‘the gold arch’ at the time of writing, as it was an emerging force in Victorian theatre. Judging by the make-up of the shows and their staging in the last two centuries, it clearly retained its power and importance. If I were to summarise my experience, I’d say I felt seeped

in context and was in awe of how glamorously the plays are staged. For example, the entertainment between the acts in A Woman of No Importance was a cast of four actors and musicians who stepped in front of the curtain and performed a song linked with the story and characters. This breaking of the fourth wall and honouring the traditions of panto and music hall made the audience delightfully giggly and cheerful. No flashy special effects, clever scene transitions or changes needed. The text is already full to the brim with wit, humour and wonderfully sassy stabs at the society of the time, which, not surprisingly, still ring true today. The well-made comedies speak to an individual within a society, allow for a catharsis and reflection delivered with side-splitting satire. Seeing a twist to a traditional and expected narrative, especially the feminist perspective he writes so well, are inspirational and remind us that change is not only possible, but accepted as necessary. One thing that won’t change, though, is my love for Wilde. That will only grow in time, and I hope some of you now understand why I’m so wild about Wilde. The show currently running is Lady Windemere’s Fan, with a stellar cast including Jennifer Saunders, which is on at the Vaudeville Theatre on London’s Strand until the 7th April. •

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ominic Dromgoole, having previously been artistic director of The Globe, founded the Classic Spring Theatre Company and decided for its inaugural season to pay respect and honour to the great playwright and public figure Oscar Wilde. For a whole year, the public is treated to performances of four of his plays, A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windemere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. Several shorter runs of a dramatized versions of his children’s fairy-tales, including The Selfish Giant, as well as several talks by, amongst others, Stephen Fry are also running. Truly something for everyone, for all ages and all levels of knowing and loving Wilde.

ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF MUSIC? Georgia Beith ponders the murky world of music copyright and asks if original content is a thing of a past.

ecently, Lana Del Rey announced that she was being sued for breach of copyright by Radiohead. The English band are claiming that her 2017 song “Get Free” bares significant resemblance to their iconic 1992 hit “Creep”. This is not the first copyright dispute that “Creep” has been caught up in. Upon its release, Radiohead were sued by the Hollies for having similarities to their song “The Air That I Breathe” released in 1972. Music copyright claims are, clearly, nothing new. Ed Sheeran was sued in 2017 for his platinum single “Photograph”, Mark Ronson was forced to add a number of additional song writing credits to his number 1 hit “Uptown Funk”, and even the Ghostbusters theme song was involved in a copyright dispute that was eventually settled out of court. Are these just all cases of lazy songwriters? Or is it possible that these cases of similarities between songs are inevitable? Should we accept the excuse that you can only make so many songs before they start to sound the same? Mathematically speaking, it is possible that at one point we will run out of melodies to write and perform. The human ears are only capable of picking up a limited number of tones. Meaning, there is technically a limit to the number of different combinations you can place these sounds in to create songs. And bearing in mind that not all of these combinations will sound very good, or even tuneful, the number shrinks further. However, this number is still larger than any amount we could dream

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of comprehending. So, while there will come a point when all possible melodies will be created, we don’t have to worry because that won’t happen for quite literally millions of years. But, there is a case for the argument that all songs sound the same nowadays. It is true that musicians and songwriters, particularly in pop music, will often return to the same patterns and melodies again and again. But only for the simple and quite obvious reason that they sound good and people like them.

Popular music often sounds the same by virtue of the fact that songwriters know what sells and what people like.

“

One example of this is what is known as “The Millennial Whoop”, as it was named by musician Patrick Metzger. This is a common pattern where the melody shifts from the fifth note in a scale, to the third note, and back to the fifth. Since the turn of the century this motif crops up constantly in popular music. Once you notice it, it’s near impossible to not pick up on it in about eighty per cent of your favourite songs. It’s catchy, and it’s everywhere. So can accused songwriters be forgiven for these copyright disputes they get tangled up in? In some cases, yes. Popular music often sounds the same by virtue of the fact that songwriters know what sells and what people like. But in others, not really. We’re not in danger of running out of original music anytime soon. •

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REWRITING PHYSICS Simon Williams explains why finding nothing can be more interesting than finding something.

ne of the most commonly used phrases in the news about physics is: “the discovery that could rewrite physics”, or at least words to that effect and this got me wondering; does it take a discovery to rewrite physics? Can we only think again if we find what we were looking for? Or do we truly have to think of something new if we don’t make this discovery? What happens if what we were looking for wasn’t there, does this mean that the Universe is more boring than we thought, or is it just vastly more complex than we could even imagine? In this article I shall endeavour to convince you that the fun really starts when we get everything wrong. Our Universe is governed by some unique set of laws that are more wacky and more ridiculous than you could ever intuitively think of. The fact is, not a single human has come anywhere close to understanding these laws, or even refining them at all. The great physicist Max Tegmark suggests that this might be evolutionary; if a caveman was thinking too deeply into the true reality of the Universe, they might not notice the huge sabre tooth tiger behind them. However physicists, with their somewhat meagre human minds when compared to Mother Nature, attempt to describe these laws of nature, and understand them using mathematics. Given the intricacies of the laws, it would be an awfully arrogant idea to suggest that we got it

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right first time. History is littered with new discoveries that change how we think. But what happens if there are no discoveries? If we look for something and it isn’t there, can we really learn from this? This is when theoretical physicists have a ball. If the thing that we had predicted to be somewhere isn’t there, then that means our theory is wrong. So theorists venture into the realms of unknown physics and mathematics. Often having to create new mathematics to try and understand the true nature of physical law. The possibilities are endless, and where within this playground of a mathematical world will the answers lie? This is when we can truly rewrite physics, the old theory can be discarded; replaced with new theories of the unknown. Humans are known to be the most creative when they don’t understand what is happening in the world around them. At night, we hear a knock that is perfectly explainable in the daylight, but seems to carry some ominous meaning in the dark. Imagine the true character of physical law as walking out into the dark, and the beauty of mathematics, and it’s simplicity are the stars. It is reaching for these stars with their minds that allows theoretical physicists to see deep into the depths of nature. Perhaps one day, the dark will become light, and we can have a true understanding of the Universe and our place within it. Perhaps we will only do this by learning from our mistakes; not from some big discovery. •

SCIENCE AND GAMING SCIENCE AND GAMING

HEAVENS ABOVE Jessica Copeland takes a look ahead at some of the exciting things visible in the night sky in the first part of the New Year.

Just before dawn is an excellent time to see some visible planets in January. On 6 January, Mars and Jupiter are visible together just above the Southern horizon; perfect for if you’re just leaving the pub! On 17 January, there will be a new moon meaning no moon in the sky, making it perfect conditions for observing the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest galaxy to our own Milky Way and the largest in our galactic neighbourhood. The first recorded sighting was in 964AD, but you can find it by following Schedar, the brightest star in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The dwarf planet, Ceres, will be in a good location for observation on the 1 February, but you’ll definitely need a telescope! This lump of rock and ice makes its home in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but interestingly

may hide inside a residual ocean of liquid water. On the night of 11 March, the periodic solar comet 74P/SmirnovaChernykh is predicted to reach its brightest. From 8:15 in the evening, it will be visible, until around 4:50 in the morning. While the future positions of comets can be calculated to a high degree of accuracy, their future brightnesses are more unpredictable. As they move closer to the Sun, increased temperature and the Solar wind will affect their brightness, as they melt or are blown away. The Vernal Equinox will take place on 20 March, the point at which the length of night and day is equal, and marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. From that point onward, astronomers will start losing the darkness. Rounding off the period, April sees the Lyrids meteor shower, peaking in frequency and brightness on the night of 22 April and the morning of 23 April. Once a year, the path of the Earth takes it through a patch of dust particles shed by a comet with a very long return period. This dust burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere causing shooting stars that centre on the constellation of Lyra. Usually, you can observe six to 20 meteors in an hour and perhaps even a ‘fireball’; these are much brighter and leave smoky trails. Unfortunately, this year’s shower coincides with a full moon obscuring much of the show in the early evening. •

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lready this year the Moon has been at its closest point to the Earth. Known as the perigee, the Moon’s closest approach to the Earth occurred on 2 January. This is fairly common, but was made more exciting by coinciding with the full moon, making the moon appear a bit brighter and larger. Two full moons will occur in January, and in March as well. When this happens it is known as a ‘blue moon’.

A YEAR OF GAMING IN 2017: Deputy Science & Gaming Editor, Ryan Gulliford, takes a look back at the gaming industry throughout 2017 and highlights some fan favourite releases.

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hat better way to wade into the new year than by taking a seat atop the imaginary mountain and looking back on the gaming world of the last year. In terms of an overall outlook, 2017 was one great year for the industry, but not without its low points. Let’s take a look at both the upsets and the glorious moments.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Destiny 2 are ones which, are fearful of the future. Going into 2018, let’s hope the combined voice of the players and aggressive subreddit pages, is enough to save the game franchises we love.

SOME UNEXPECTED VENTURES

The Nintendo Switch has to be the official golden child of 2017, selling more than 10 million consoles since its launch in March. While Nintendo’s saving grace wasn’t initially accepted very well, there is no denying its huge success in its first year, supported by some of the best-reviewed games of 2017. The Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey are two industry giants which, have

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first, shall we? Sadly, certain titles of 2017 failed to live up to their hype, falling victim to the infamous loot box and micro-transaction plague. While the situations are being revised, the community’s thoughts surrounding the monetisation depth of titles like 34 34

THE YEAR OF THE SWITCH

Whilst we’re on the topic of hardware, with the longawaited launch of the Xbox One X, this generation’s

DRO PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: RYAN GULLIFORD

consoles are now at their peak performance and we’ve seen some great games in 2017 as a result. Honourable mentions go to Cuphead, Horizon Zero Dawn, Assassin’s Creed: Origins and the uprising of Player Unknown Battlegrounds. Bearing these huge success stories in mind, 2017 was a fantastic year all round for the games industry, with games and hardware alike helping to usher in a new paradigm, in the form of 4K media.

While it hasn’t been a flawless year, nothing is without its imperfections and 2017 certainly paves the way forward for the industry going into the next twelve months. 2018, you have a tough act to follow. •

THE HEROES OF 2017

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Nintendo’s flagship console has an extremely diverse games library and sets out a foundation which, provides a substantial library for gamers and grants developers and content creators, substantial creative freedom. Going into 2018, we can only expect great things from the utilitarian yet lovable, Nintendo master class.

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helped catapult the Switch to its current standing in the hearts of gamers worldwide, with Breath of the Wild claiming the game of the year crown.

MICHELE THEIL WRITES ABOUT ONE TEAM’S AMBITION TO ROW ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

oyal Holloway Alumni Isaac Kenyon, Benjamin Ajayi-Obe and Jack Hopkins achieved their goal to set the world record for continuous rowing on an indoor rowing machine, also called an ergo. This took place in Founders Square from Friday 12 Jan until Sunday 14 Jan, where they beat the previous record of 30 hours and rowed continuously for 33 hours. This world record attempt was dedicated to raise as much money as possible for the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Mind Charity. These charities were chosen by the team members both for personal reasons as well as for the great work these charities do. They created a JustGiving page for donations and, as of writing, they have raised over £2000, half of their goal of £4000. Each and “every person who donates via [their] JustGiving page will be entered into free prize draw to be held” afterwards, Kenyon told us. In December of this year, the team will continue their rowing adventures to row across the Atlantic from “San Sebastian in La Gomera on a trajectory for English Harbour, Antigua”. This would be a 3000 mile row across a tumultuous ocean, filled with “30 foot waves, hostile weather, giant shipping containers [and] unpredictable wildlife”. Kenyon was originally a swimmer but wanted “to learn a different sport” and so he chose rowing. He also wanted to learn sea navigation and decided to do it all at once. It started when Ajayi-Obe messaged Kenyon on Facebook asking if he wanted to row the Atlantic. Kenyon tells us that he said yes immediately and didn’t really “research anything” as the whole thing was “very impulsive”. He said, “my heart told me to say yes and the logic soon followed”. The record for rowing the Atlantic was broken recently and stands at 29 days. Kenyon implied his hope to beat it but was very pragmatic about it and stated that it was “all down to weather conditions”. They are hoping to cross the Atlantic in around 40 days. The team, aptly named Atlantic Discovery, has been planning and training for this for three years but it has been officially in progress for the past six months. For the sponsorship of the race, they must raise £100,000, which has been going well throughout the year, they say. The team sets targets throughout the year in order to raise the requisite amount of money before the race. Kenyon, Ajavi-Obe and Hopkins are hoping to utilise their contacts to raise the money necessary. It is a very adventurous and interesting challenge and will definitely be a great accomplishment for the team. Orbital Magazine wish them luck in their endeavours. • Interview conducted by Abbie Cheeseman.

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SPORTS AND SOCS SPORTS AND SOCS

THE ATLANTIC DISCOVERY

ll Martial Arts tend to be grouped together as tough, even manly sports however, this is not the case. There are so many diverse styles and they will all teach you to defend yourself. Whilst this may seem daunting, in reality, all clubs will be friendly and willing to teach a complete beginner. One of the secrets of martial arts is that no one cares how good you are, you will always be welcome at any club so long as you want to learn. Not only are they great physical exercise but they also benefit your mental health and wellbeing:

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Increased Mobility & Co-ordination

Physically, through a combination of slow, controlled movements and fast reaction based sparring you can increase mobility and bodily co-ordination. Both traditional and modern martial arts require stretching in class, allowing you to greatly improve your flexibility and joint mobility regardless of what level you start at.

Greater Confidence & Improved Mood

Building confidence is central to martial arts and this confidence carries through into your daily life. You may feel safer walking home or more confident in group situations. However martial arts also improve your general mood. A study in 2014 by McCafferty examined the effects of grappling on mood and general wellbeing. It shows that those who trained regularly in Brazilian Jujitsu were shown to have higher energy levels and were more confident and clearminded than non-martial artists that trained regularly in the gym.

Better Concentration

All styles of martial arts involve pattern repetition to some extent as well as some form of sparring, whether that is light or heavy. Through a combination of learning new techniques and light technical sparring martial arts improve your

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cognitive ability as you are able to focus on the way in which you use your body and your mind as situations unfold around you. This increased concentration impacts every sphere of your life not just your training sessions.

Decreases Stress

As students we all suffer from some stress, martial arts provide a healthy way to physically express stress in a safe, controlled environment. Modern disciplines are good for those who need a fast paced outlet whereas traditional styles can provide a more settled atmosphere. By doing a martial art regularly you provide your body with a consistent outlet for stress thus improving your overall stress response by stabilising your serotonin levels. A study by Konzak and Boudreau shows the social benefits of this type of stress relief, especially the relationship between regular martial arts practice and reduced aggression.

Improves Body Image

Body image is a difficult issue to tackle, after all we all see ourselves in very different ways however martial arts have been shown to improve self-esteem as they are focused on becoming stronger, faster or more flexible rather than being thin or losing weight. Having a more health related focus, as opposed to an aesthetic one, helps participants to develop a more positive body image over time as well as becoming healthier and stronger. â&#x20AC;˘ Here at Royal Holloway we are really lucky that we have five diverse clubs on campus; Ninjitsu, Karate, Judo, Thai Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. If you want to find out more about joining a martial arts club or you want to see us all in action, then come along to A Night At The Dojo on 1st February in the SU Main Hall where you will get the chance to learn a little more about the styles we practice.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: FAB PIOLINI-CASTLE

Martial Arts SOC rep Jess Porritt looks at the impact martial arts has on your wellbeing.

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KICKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; THE BLUES

Sports & Socs Editor Louisa Wicks looks at some of the events coming up this term.

hilst 2017 was an exciting year for RHUL’s sports clubs and societies, 2018 could prove to be even more thrilling. As the spring term usually ends with elections and final events, the next three months will be the busiest time for many clubs. Also, the new year brings new opportunities, as students start trying out new sports. The ‘Give It a Go’ sessions took place at the start of term, ranging from swimming sessions to feminist society meetings. Also taking place in January was the 11th annual Alumni Sports Day, which involved ex-students coming back to compete against current students in a huge variety of sports. As well as the massive range of GIAG sessions at the start of term, many taster sessions will be taking place throughout February and March. For example, Chess are hosting taster sessions every Monday until the end of term – giving students the chance to try out the club whenever they want. Obviously the new year brings a fresh start; Christmas has passed, and people want to get back into life at uni. These taster sessions and courses give students the opportunity to get back on track, and to tick off some of their new year’s resolutions.

After three months of training, the spring term signals the arrival of competitions for many clubs. One of RHUL’s newest societies, Pole Fitness, has their first competition in February. As well as this, many other clubs and societies will be going to competitions around the country. Dance Society will be hoping to continue the success of last term with new and exciting dance numbers, whilst Cheerleading will be fighting to hang on to their national titles from last year. Also taking place throughout the term are weekly sports matches, with both home and away matches scheduled across the next few months. It is also an exciting term for the performing arts societies. MTS, Savoy Opera Society and Drama Society all have their Spring shows coming up this term, which are guaranteed to attract a huge audience as they are so highly anticipated. Make sure you look out for show updates on social media! Although the year traditionally ends with Socs Ball and Colours Ball, there is one more event at the end of March. The final event of the term is Varsity, and this year will be hosted by Royal Holloway. On March 21, Surrey’s sports teams will join our own for a day filled with matches. But, will RHUL finally walk away victorious? •

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: FAB PIOLINI-CASTLE

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AN OUTLINE OF THE SPRING TERM

THE HOCKEY CLUB: AN INSIGHT

izzy Blackett is the President of the highly esteemed mixed sports club here at Royal Holloway, Hockey. She agreed to speak to Orbital Magazine about her role as President and the intricacies surrounding running a mixed sports club rather than a single-sex one, as so many others are. When asked what her favourite thing about Hockey is, she tells us that “it’s just so fun” while laughing. She worries that her answer is “ridiculous” or too “obvious” but hearing her talk about the sport and how much she “loves” it, it doesn’t seem ridiculous at all. Her love for the sport itself fuels her passion towards the club, its members and her presidency as a whole. Blackett started playing Hockey when she was just six years old, and both her parents are Hockey players as well. The club “prides itself on” being a mixed club as it is “one of the few clubs that actually have boys and girls playing”. It is also an incredibly “inclusive” club, Blackett affirms, as they “take anyone, from a complete beginner to a more advanced person”. On the social side of things, sports clubs are usually infamous for their crazy socials and wild nights and, apparently, Hockey is no different. Being a part of the club, with 130 members of both boys and girls, “forms a massive part of your social life”. Outside of socials and events, there is something fundamental to “forming a bond with your teammates” while actually playing.

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Running a mixed sports club means that Blackett must deal with double the people and double the admin, leading her to lead a very busy life as a result. However, she praises her committee, as they “have been amazing” and “really reliable”. The workload is huge, particularly as she is going through her third year of university, but having learnt to delegate a little bit and rely more and more on her committee, Blackett has found the experience wholly positive. Blackett has thrown herself entirely into the Hockey club over the course of her time at university. She isn’t a part of other clubs and solely focuses on her English Literature degree and her duties as President. “Some people ask when they join if they can do two,” she says but gives an “honest answer” in advising people that “if you want to do either club properly, then it’s difficult to do both”. From my perspective, her time management skills are unparalleled as she organises her time well to complete all of her university work and her work with Hockey. Being a mixed club is extremely beneficial to them when it comes to socialisation. Blackett believes that “the social side would suffer greatly” if they weren’t a mixed club. If they were a single-sex club, she would seek an “allegiance” with another club in order to grow their numbers during socials and events. The club elects a “male and female social secretary” to the committee each year, who work together to implement mixed socials every Wednesday. Their socials have been wide-ranging, from a classic toga party to a “Beer-lympics” event”. Blackett stresses that,

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: EMMA HALAHAN AND MICHELE THEIL

Michele Theil interviews Lizzy Blackett, the President of the Hockey club, a mixed club that offers its share of benefits and challenges.

by being an “inclusive” club, they also have “non-drinking socials” as well as “formal events” that aren’t based in a pub. With the number of members growing every year, Blackett sees that in the future “someone will have to look at how it is managed” but she does “hope that it will have the chance to stay mixed” as she believes it to be integral to the club’s spirit and the members that love it so much. Outside of term time, Blackett returns home to South Africa. She tells us about a school nearby called St. Francis, which the club is currently raising money for. The school is “managed by a charity” but the club itself has been able to “decide what exactly the money will go toward”, such as “classroom refurbishment and playing equipment for the children”. This charitable endeavour is more “tangible” for their members, Blackett says, as it shows them exactly who and what they’re fundraising for. They are also involved with “Sports Volunteering”, which “the sports centre are great at setting up”. Hockey members will volunteer to teach local children how to play hockey, which Blackett finds to be effective for the members to be reminded of “where they started out” and enable them to learn from each other too.

Being a mixed club is extremely beneficial to them when it comes to socialisation.

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The members train and play in their single-sex teams, of which there are five - three ladies’ teams and two mens’ teams. However, they do implement some mixed fixtures within the club just for fun and to keep up the “bonding” and socialisation between members of the club. The club is unique in that they have a ‘house system’ within it, where each member is sorted into a house, as in Harry Potter, and they then have fixtures between those houses. In each house, “there is a mixture of all abilities and teams” so that they can “make the houses as balanced and fair as possible”. Cleverly, the houses are “all named after famous Royal Holloway alumni”, such as “Davison”. Blackett is extremely proud of her club members and seeks to engage with every member and team, as she finds it to be “extremely important”. Her proudest moment this year has been playing “centre-mid or for the 1st team in an unbeaten season but she adds that “seeing progress in the members of the club” also induces pride in her. If someone wanted to join Hockey, Blackett would advise them to “give it a go”, particularly as they are such a “welcoming and inclusive club”, plus everyone started somewhere right? To find out more about the Hockey club, visit their Facebook page or their page on the SU website. •

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THE PUZZLES 4

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ACROSS: 4 Replacing Prince Harry as the fifth in line 5 Previous Editor at Breitbart and Donald Trump’s friend 6 Major football organisation and event 7 Trump tweeted this to Kim Jong Un 8 Netflix added this iconic show to their database 10 Significant event taking place in Windsor Castle DOWN: 1 Major cold-themed sporting event 2 Women’s right to vote 3 Hulu show by Margaret Atwood that’s getting a season two release 9 Centenary of an important historical event

Sudoku is easy to play and the rules are simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9. Easy

Difficult

BEEF STEW

A beef stew is great to make for yourself or a large group of people. Prepare it and store it afterwards so your next few meals are all ready to go!

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 2 stalks celery, cut into small chunks 3 large potatoes, cut into small chunks

To make the beef: 1. On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a pot 2. When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do so in batches if necessary. Add salt and pepper as the beef browns. 3. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon set aside. 4. Add the onions and sautĂŠ until softened 5. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. To make the stew: 1. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 2. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer. 3. Simmer wine for 5 minutes and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and the beef. 4. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour. 5. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. 6. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the fresh parsley if desired.

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3 lbs. boneless beef chunks 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 2 white onions cut as thin as possible 1/4 cup flour 3 cloves garlic minced 1 cup red wine 3 cups beef broth

STUDENT RECIPES

INGREDIENTS: