The Founder November 2018

Millennials Are Less Content With Their Lives CASSANDRA LAU

Based on new research cocommissioned by the Martin Roberts Foundation and a 2018 iteration of Achieve - a two day event featuring prominent celebrities delivering talks on health, wealth and happiness -, “millennials are less content in their lives while also being more likely to feel envious towards celebs and social media stars.” Millennials, or Generation Y, are described

by Neil Howe, and William Strauss as the cohort consisting of individuals born between 1982 and 2004 (N. Howe, and W. Strauss.

Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, 1991).

A total of 2,000 adults aged between 18 and 34 were examined on their attitudes towards health, wealth and happiness, and only 60 percent described themselves as “happy and content in their life”. This is below the United Kingdom’s

Index

average of 67 percent, and far behind the number for those over-55s at 73 percent.

What is success?

Though the prior generation - Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 have had to witness and adapt to radical changes such as technological advancements, and changing social views, somehow millennials have been hit the hardest with dissatisfaction. There are a few theories developed: first, the definition and meaning of success has been blurred.

According to the survey, 28 percent of millennials said that they do not know what it means to be successful, this is 8 percent higher than the national average. In 2016. Liz Ryan, contributor of Forbes, noted how, “The working world [in the 21st Century has changed dramatically, and the old rules for business success don’t work anymore” and the statement still stands.

Continued On Page 3

News..................................................................................1 Opinion And Debate..........................................................6 Lifestyle.............................................................................8 Features............................................................................14 Arts: Arts And Culture.....................................................16 Arts: Literary Reviews.....................................................18 Arts: Film.........................................................................21 Arts: Music......................................................................24 Sports...............................................................................26

Facebook.com/HarbenLets Twitter.com/HarbenLets

Artist credit @brooklyncartoons

Egham Housing p. 10 Local Towns p. 12

Football Victory p. 27

2 NEWS

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Royal Holloway Academic’s Missed Call Wins Award

'Missed Call' image CASSANDRA LAU

Shot on an iPhone X, Royal Holloway’s Reader in Digital Arts, Victoria Mapplebeck explores her relationship with her 14 year-old son, Jim who hopes to reconnect with his father who has been absent since he was two.

Personally growing up with an absent father who has recently been attempting to reconnect with me through e-mail, text messages, and Facebook, I found Ms Mapplebeck’s film simple, yet plentiful in emotions.

Author of Digital Selves: How Digital communication tools are reshaping social interaction (2017), Ms Mapplebeck has dedicated the past four years

looking into smartphone film production, and how “The smartphone has transformed how we document the world we live in, both inside and outside the home. For my son, a smartphone was a lot less intimidating than a larger camera and I find the increased access and spontaneity of filming with the iPhone X completely liberating.”

Within the 20 minute film, the timeline is determined by technology, and the means of communication.

Ms Mapplebeck explains, “The Film begins with the last e-mail [my son’s’] father sent in 2006, and ends with the first phone call to him over a decade later. The photos, videos and texts archived in our phones, provide a road map of ur digital past. Missed

Call explores the ways in which we can collect, curate and share these digital memories.” However, it would have been interesting if the progression of their relationship mirrored the transformation of the Apple iOS to indicate the passing of time.

The film was undoubtedly “poignant, beautifully constructed and told”, says one of The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) judges, as Ms Mapplebeck, ‘had used old photos, video clips; reconstructed texting sequences and web searches, to tell the story and enhance the emotional journey.’

The multi-tiered relationship between Ms Mapplebeck, Jim and his father was effortlessly webbed out through the use of archived material, and text messages. The only glimpse of Jim’s father is through a text, signed “J”, depicting his presence as a strong but intangible force - always absent, but very much alive and lingering in both mother and son’s lives.

Alongside our esteemed Royal Holloway media publications such as The Founder, Orbital, and Jam Magazine, I would like to introduce a new creative magazine publication that will be available to you soon: Cardinal. As a magazine headed up by third year creative writing students, this publication will be focused on showcasing creative work produced by students at Royal Holloway, and that means the content will be determined by you. Your work submitted to us will be what we publish and display. The creative team of Cardinal are dedicated to providing a platform for writers and artists who want a platform for the fruit of their labour. Concerned with being all-inclusive and diverse, Cardinal intends to be a platform that is accessible to all who are creative. If you are interested in having your creative work published, please send it along to cardinalmagazine@gmail.com.

We look forward to working with you all!

The Founder Board 2018 - 2019 Editor in Chief Cassandra Lau Managing Editor Zahra Hussein Designer Helena Keeble Marketing Director Sally Gibbs Marketing Manager Isobel Frances Sanderson Online Content Editor Tom Conlon Cartoonist Jack Waters Arts & Culture News Editor Editor Iffah Ahmed Molly Williams Deputy Film Editor News Editor Graciela Mae Sindhooraa Chico Satheesh Opinon and Debate Editor Nicholas Ross Lifestyle Editor Kyrie Roxby Features Editor Rachel Farguson & Cassandra Lau Arts Editor Mimi Markham

Music Editor Charlie Catmull Literary Review Editor Rachel Farguson Sports Editor Frankie Christou Deputy Sports Editor Jack Wright

The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. This means we are not affiliated to the student union or the college. We pride ourselves on our investigative journalism and aim to keep our readers up to date with news on and off campus. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor, particularly of opinion and debate pieces. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of its stories.

To book ad space in The Founder, contact our managing editor at managingeditor@thefounder.co.uk.

THE FOUNDER is printed in Cambridge by Iliffe Print

NEWS 3

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Modern Slavery and Climate Change in Cambodia SINDHOORAA SATHEESH

A new report entitled ‘Blood Bricks: Examining the Modern Slavery – Climate Change Nexus in the Cambodian Construction Industry’ is shedding light on the relationship between modern slavery, climate change, and the boom in the construction sector in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. This project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Department for International Development (DFID), asserts that bricks being used in construction projects are made in kilns where modern slavery is still rampant. Some of the projects that these bricks are being used for are even fuelled by British investment.

Phnom Penh is experiencing a rapid expansion in the construction and infrastructure industries, which is largely being funded by the World Bank.

Several high-profile projects in the area have been or are being built with bricks made via modern slavery. There are several kilns where debt-bonded labourers are expected to work to pay off their debts, oftentimes this may include entire families, even the children.

The descent into indentured servitude is a rapid and irreversible process. Firstly, the effects of climate change cause agricultural distress and unseasonal rains that caused flood and drought.

Cambodia is one of the most climate-insecure countries in the world. These poor farmers then take loans from the unregulated microfinance sector, which they are then forced to sell to the brick kilns.

Once their debts are sold to the kilns, then they are forced to work in highly

unsafe conditions, such as restricted mobility, no safety procedures, and large amounts of exposure to toxic gases/brick dust. It is not uncommon to see amputated limbs and children using dangerous manual machinery. The workers are forced to slave in the kilns for extended periods of time, often decades on end.

The report collaborated by the researchers offers recommendations for the UK Modern Slavery Act, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Cambodian Government.

Professor Katherine Brickell, the lead author, highlights the complex factors that drive modern slavery in the Cambodian brick kilns – such as the impacts of climate change and the work that can be undertaken to solve this root problem. The report also aims to highlight how socioeconomic deprivation and indebtedness are linked to climate change. Urmila Bhoola, the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery wishes to emphasise why decent and safe work is an important preventative measure against modern slavery, where workers can unionize the and protect themselves against any potential human rights violations.

There is a photography exhibition which includes photos from the report, at the Building Centre in Store Street London, (WC1E 7BT) from the 17th to the 31st October. More information can be found at https:// www.projectbloodbricks. o rg / e v e n t s / 2 0 1 8 / 1 0 / 3 1 / blood-bricks-exhibitionuntold-stories-of-modernslavery-and-climatechange-from-cambodia, And the full report is downloadable form www. projectbloodbricks.org.

Continued From Front Page In previous generations, success was for the most part the ability to put food on the table, and clothes on your family’s backs; however, with increased quality of life and higher living standards, having enough food and clothing seem to be a given. As a result, individuals have had the freedom to create their own goals, and define their own successes. The problem created now is the excess samples of success: health, wealth, marriage, family, career, education, etc.

Moreover, the industrial standards of measurement and comparison seem to have seeped into how people perceive success: with standardised exams to determine our intellect, BMIs to determine our health, and internationally defined income brackets to determine our wealth, it is no wonder there is such confusion over what it means to be successful.

This rigid system, limits

what success is, and does not take into account of ‘the personal’ which eventually feeds into one’s own sense of happiness.

“Why do they have it all?”

Secondly, people are using this out-dated mode of comparison, to define whether they are successful or not. The survey saw two fifths of younger people envious of celebrities on TV and on social media. This is double the number for 35 to 54 year olds, and almost seven times that of the over-55s.

This major contributor to millennials’ sense of dissatisfaction is due to the rise in technology: through social media, one’s beauty, popularity, and personality can be numerically calculated by the amount of likes, or hearts.

This number also defines what the social standards of beauty, intellect, and success are: when compared to celebrities, young adults feel as if the gap to success is unachievable due to their appearance, race, family background, etc, and ultimately begin to grudge, “why do they have it all?”.

“Over half, 52 percent, of 18 to 34 year olds said they believe that money can buy you happiness - this is well above the UK average, 40 percent.”

The media portrays those with wealth to be significantly more well-off in life. Understandably, those who are able to hire makeup artists, photographers, and studios will have better quality photos, but the misunderstanding is that it does not necessarily mean that they have a better quality of life.

Success seems to be socially defined, making certain branches of success unattainable. This is why only 41 percent of millennials said they have achieved or feel on track to achieve what they want in life.

Overall, the survey helps pinpoint the issue the generation is experiencing, but it seems to lack definition in terms of class, gender, and race which could help narrow down the cause of such low satisfaction.

Plants Find Way to Survive, No Matter the Terrain SINDHOORAA SATHEESH

A joint team of researchers from Royal Holloway’s School of Biological Sciences and the University of Osnabrück in Germany have made an important discovery on seed biology; specifically, on the plant aethionema arabicum or stone cress.

It seems that the stone cress is unique in fruit and seed dispersal stages, and it in fact produces 2 types of fruits. Of these, the larger fruit opens via splitting, and

contains slime-coated seeds that allow for them to adhere to the soil and germinate.

The smaller fruit contains one non-coated seed that may be dispersed either by water or by wind. This discovery advances the knowledge of plant-climate interactions, and demonstrates that the stone cress is an excellent model for studying the role of bethedging to allow for plants to survive in inhospitable conditions Waheed Arshad, from Royal Holloway’s School of Biological Sciences, received

a travel grant to present this new and exciting knowledge at a major conference in Canada this past August.

This research was made possible via the EU-funded SeedAdapt project, which investigates fruit and seed related traits which have evolved as adaptations to harsh climates.

You can find out more at the Royal Holloway School of Biological Sciences about their research into seed biology.

4 NEWS

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Royal Holloway Psychologist Awarded Medical Research Foundation Emerging Leaders Prize

Photo of Dr Catherine Sebastian IFFAH AHMED

From the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, Dr Catherine Sebastian, for her research into adolescent mental

health has been nominated and named as one of the Emerging Leaders in her field, by the Medical Research Foundation.

The Medical Research Foundation is the charitable foundation of the Medical

Research Council.

Dr Catherine Sebastian’s Emerging Leaders Prize is part of an annual award which helps recognise excellent researches in the early stages of independent research. The researchers nominated tend

to have already made a large impact in their professional field and have portrayed, proven and validated their potential to be the research leaders of the future.

Dr Sebastian’s primary work discovers and investigates how mental health relates to the manner in which adolescents learn to control and manage their emotions, with primary and significant focus on aggression a young individual may express when they are feeling under threat. Dr Sebastian’s award of £5,000 will be utilised towards her research in adolescent mental health, especially towards leader development.

Dr Sebastian speaking of her award said; “It’s such a great achievement to

have been given this award, especially at a time when mental health and specifically the mental health of young people is a widely discussed topic.

“Mental health is not a visible thing, and so has often been overlooked and tabooed. However, it is important that we continue to learn and educate society on the importance of mental health, and to remove the stigma around certain conditions.

“I’m hopeful that my research will enable us to build a better understanding adolescent mental health, and help continue to drive the conversation on this topic.”

NEWS 5

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Physics Department Win Award for Equality IFFAH AHMED

The department of Physics at Royal Holloway has once again been awarded with he ATHENA Silver SWAN Award from the Equality Challenge Unit.

The unit acknowledge and recognise outstanding commitment and excellence in the advancement and progression of gender equality.

Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) was originally launched in 2005 and was principally aimed towards progressing women’s advancements in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

However, currently SWAN has expanded its criteria to cover all areas from professional staff to students and academic support.

In 2012, the department of Physics was awarded with its first Silver award. In the recent years the department has been working to ensure it maintains its diversity by hosting and holding multiple events including; ‘women in physics’ lunches for undergraduates, LGBTQ events, flexible working, various training practices and the visibility of female speakers in seminars.

Principal of Royal Holloway, Paul Layzell

spoke of the award and said; “I’m delighted the department of physics has been successful in renewing their Athena Swan Silver award for another four years.

“The department has worked hard to evidence their good practice with both everyday ways of working and specific initiatives that promote equality.

“I‘m particularly impressed with their enthusiasm for sharing their learning with other departments as we are committed to gender equality and promoting good practice across the university.”.

Furthermore, Professor Stewart Boogert, head of department of Physics said; “We have made some significant strides over the years, and our Silver SWAN Award renewal recognises that our core values are making a tangible impact in our department.

“This means our staff and students benefit from an inclusive environment where equality of opportunity is valued. We are committed to continuing our good practice and promoting good practice to all.”.

Physics also holds Juno Champion status from the Institute of Physics.

Angela Merkel to Step Down as German Chancellor and Will Not Seek Re-election in 2021 IFFAH AHMED

For over a decade, Angela Merkel has dominated European politics. Germany’s Angela Merkel has stated her fourth term as Germany’s Chancellor will be her final

and she will step down as Germany’s chancellor in 2021.

In a news conference in Berlin she stated, “I will not be seeking any political post after my term ends,”. Merkel also stated she would not be

Royal Holloway’s Geography Department Recognised for Gender Equality

IFFAH AHMED

The Athena Silver SWAN Award from the Equality Challenge Unit has been awarded to The Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. The award recognises and appraises outstanding commitment and excellence in the progression and development of gender equality.

Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) was originally launched in 2005 and was principally aimed towards progressing women’s advancements in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

However, currently SWAN has expanded its criteria to cover all areas from professional staff to students and academic support.

The Geography department has had rapid improvements on its proportion of female academic staff and this is what the award follows on from. In 2012/2013 the taking position or standing as the party leader at the Christian Democrats Union conference in December. If snap elections were to be called before 2021, Merkel stated she would run for chancellor.

Merkel is without a doubt one of the world’s most powerful female political figures and has won support from the German masses over the years where she has guaranteed Germans

percentage for female staff was 22% and has increased to 41% in 2018. This increase, across all three of the department’s research groups has contributed to the appointment of more female leads.

Professor José Fiadeiro, Dean of Science at Royal Holloway commented the following; “I’d like to congratulate Geography on their achievements in promoting equality and diversity which have earned them the Athena SWAN silver award.

“I am delighted that there are now three silver awards as well as several bronze awards within the Sciences at Royal Holloway, including a recently renewed bronze award for Biological Sciences, demonstrating our commitment in this important area.”

recognition of our commitment to embed concerns for equality and diversity in all that we do.

“I particularly want to thank our equality and diversity committee, led by Dr Vandana Desai and Professor Harriet Hawkins, and my predecessor as Head of Department, Professor Katie Willis, for their leadership on these issues.

“As a community of students and staff, we all benefit tremendously from an environment of equality and is enriched by diverse experiences and voices.”

The Geography department along with the Psychology and Physics department all hold a silver award at Royal Holloway.

Head of Geography, Professor Philip Crang added: “I am delighted at this prosperity, growth and stability.

In recent years, Merkel’s power can be argued to have weakened due to her thoughts and policies on immigration; more specifically her reasons in keeping the borders to Germany open during the significant migrant crisis which took place in 2015.

More than a million asylum seekers have sought refuge in Germany and since this,

the nation has seen societal divisions as well as the acceleration and catalysation of the far right.

Merkel stated that it is time to “start a new chapter” after saying her time as chancellor for 13 years had been “a daily challenge and an honour.”.

Please read https://www. theguardian.com/world/2018/ oct/29/angela-merkel-wontseek-re-election-as-cdu-partyleader for more information on the matter.

6 OPINION AND DEBATE

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Opportunity Knocked to The Taboo of Mental Knock the Saudi Kingdom.

Health in Asian Cultures Britain Didn’t Walk to the Door.

Photo credit Nguyen Nguyen ALEXA TESCON

We’ve all heard the jokes, we’ve all witnessed the stereotypes and complaints: ‘As an Asian, our career choices are doctor, lawyer, engineer or disgrace to family.’ ‘Only 90% in exam? I have no son.’ And my personal favourite, ‘Why did you get B? You’re A-sian, not B-sian.’

Unfortunately, the humour of such jokes come from a place of truth.

High expectations in most Asian cultures cause stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues for many Asian students.

Given the stereotype of an Asian parent as strict and overbearing, expecting too much too soon, why isn’t more attention brought to the children that suffer as a consequence?

Royal Holloway’s students have much to say. Phoebe, a PIR student from Japan who studied in the Philippines, links this question to the cultural significance attached to image and results. Phoebe believes the Japanese work ethic is admirable but rejects there is acknowledgement of any issues that may deter

it. Signs of being depressed, anxious or suicidal are ignored for the sake of good results.

Unfortunately, because the success rates end up high, no one bothers to question anyone’s health or happiness.

Sayoko, a half-Indian, half-Japanese Law student, suggests that even if cultural stigmas did not exist, the cultural significance of family is emphasised, and the fear of disappointing one’s family is prevalent, a situation that becomes worse when no support is offered. Choices made against your family’s wishes may lead to tension and toxic relationships, which in turn exacerbate the anxiety and stress one may feel. Moreover, forgiveness and understanding that some people will make mistakes is sorely lacking in Japanese culture, leaving familial tension and no opportunity for closure.

Wade, a Chinese student of economics, believes the ignoring of these issues is a symptom of financial background. Wealthier parents are more likely to help with their children’s problems, but for the parents who view their child’s education and success as an important investment, illness, mental or physical,

might be considered an excuse to be ‘lazy’ and not work. He also attributes this to a lack of understanding HARLEY CARLIN in psychological issues, as education levels can vary in The gruesome murder of Jamal different locations. Certain Khashoggi was the chance for parents may see depression Britain to act as the world’s as mere sadness rather than police when America would not. Alas... taking it seriously.

When Jamal Khashoggi Arthur, a Chinese walked into the Saudi Arabian economics student who grew up in Singapore, also consulate in Istanbul to pick suggested that it might not be up the documents required to a matter of cultural thinking, allow him to marry his fiancé, but a question of who can he was nervous. His fiancé afford help. When Arthur has revealed that Khashoggi sought an appointment for had begun to worry for his his depression, the only safety recently, though he did one he could get required a not think the Saudi Arabians wait of five to six months. would get to him in a foreign The waiting period alone country. He was wrong. One may prevent someone from of the largest political threats seeking help. The alternative to Mohammed bin Salman is to pay for private help, was murdered. He was then which may not be an option dissolved in acid within a for those who cannot afford matter of minutes according to Yasin Aktay, an advisor the high cost.

All in all, most students to Turkish President, Recep agreed that lack of Erdogan.

Khashoggi’s murder was understanding and cultural one of the most shocking stigmas caused mental health of state-sponsored issues in Asian culture to be acts international crime in recent ignored. Suggestions for memory.

The lack of any solutions included adding international response is even lessons about the subject in schools to create more more shocking. While nobody awareness and normalise expected Donald Trump’s the existence of these issues, administration to take any rather than ignoring them. meaningful action, the task Other suggestions included might have been expected putting more resources of one of the more liberal and funding into the European nations; to defend psychological sector, which the rights of journalists not suffers from a lack of staff. to be murdered for criticising But in terms of personal a dictator. Alas, this did not effort, the only option is transpire. Only Germany for people to deviate from demonstrated any effort to social norms and attempt punish the Kingdom of Saudi to be more considerate and Arabia. Angela Merkel said forgiving than they are used that the already approved new to, listening rather than arms exports would not be judging, and creating a more signed off until further notice. understanding environment. In reality this means she wants some time until the dust settles on this story before “talking”.

The lack of a global response is sickening. This was a chance for someone to defend the liberal values we are constantly

told exist, of which there are no longer many signs.

However, it was an even bigger chance for Britain.

As Britain hurtles faster and faster towards increased post-Brexit global irrelevance, this was a real chance to lead the world in condemnation of Saudi Arabia. Sadly, arguments of national interest won the day and there was no serious effort to take a stand on such a key issue. The idea that Britain cannot punish the Saudis because they need to trade with them is a myth peddled by psychopaths obsessed with the purchasing of small amounts of Saudi oil by Britain; beyond that nothing else matters.

3% of UK oil imports come from Saudi Arabia, most of the rest of the consumption from national reserves. Indeed, the sellers in Riyadh are more reliant on oil income than Britain is on the oil it purchases. The idea that arms sales with Saudi Arabia are so huge that without them the army would run out of guns Friday week is another myth. And from 2015 to 2016 exports of all goods and services to Saudi Arabia made up only 1.3% of UK exports worldwide.

The fact that misconceptions were able to prevent Britain from standing up for a fundamental freedom is a modern tragedy. History will not look fondly on the global inaction surrounding Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, and rightly so.

THE FOUNDER November 2018

OPINION AND DEBATE 7

The World of the Self NICHOLAS ROSS

Journalists have been writing about the fashion mogul Sir Philip Green for the last couple of weeks.

Green is the chairman of Arcadia, a company which owns Dorothy Perkins, Topman and Topshop. He has been accused by several anonymous staff of sexual harassment and of abusing employees. The scandal has attracted interest because it raised questions about the misuse of non-disclosure agreements. Though there has been no substantial evidence indicated yet in the media, I found myself in casual discussion assuming with a nonchalant nod that he did it, all of it… A friend of mine jumped to a different conclusion: that in the fashion industry many women are willing to do a lot to succeed, so perhaps some antics in hotel rooms and elsewhere were not considered abuse at the time, Green perhaps even encouraged.

However, we are both wrong to make our respective claims. After the Jimmy Saville scandal surfaced, people felt foolish not to have called out the paedophile when his weird behaviour around children made him resemble Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s child-catcher. So, it feels obvious that Green, who looks like the boss of a New York mafia family, having plundered the company BHS in a former case involving his abuse of power, must be guilty of all accusations, regardless of the absence of details.

But this sense of plausibility proves nothing.

It seems that there is a ubiquitous propensity for projecting one’s own psychology, as a sum of ungeneralisable experiences, onto the world one is in the process of comprehending.

If we are to consider the psychologies of hypothetical personalities, the overprotective boyfriend

is bound to lampoon Green instantly. The person who notices many cases of women making false rape allegations is to approach Green’s case more cautiously, jumping to a personal tenet of innocent until proven guilty. Judgements may vary in accordance with an individual’s life experiences, their familial and cultural influences. How utterly solipsistic it is to cast off our indiscriminate presuppositions in every direction.

When I judge Green or some other person accused of predatory behaviours based on how they look, I become a descendent of physiognomy with its racist implications. The antiquated practice had Victorians walking the streets with guidebooks stating the personalities indicated by shapes and sizes of people’s faces and features. The Jimmy Savile case is not a precedent; it does not mean that all similarly odd people must be guilty of disgusting actions.

Without having read Freud, but having heard some reductionist precis of his work, people often call him an idiot, for their conscious experience placates themselves that they could not possibly have experienced such bizarre psychosexual development.

To call Freud a highly rational writer and genius would be to become a raiser or judgemental eyebrows.

We must become more open-minded in making sense of the world in order to learn its complexities. This article is itself composed around its writers experiences. Of course, many people do not make the mistakes outlined here. But we sometimes fashion the world around us as a mirror of the self, recycling the fragments we have processed before, making assumptions and non sequiturs.

Against Capital Punishment

EXECUTION BY ELECTRICITY SHORTLY TO BE INTRODUCED IN N Y STATE" from the JUNE 30, 1888 Scientific American depicting the newly approved form of capital punishment in New York State, the "electric chair" based on Alfred P. Southwick's design.

NICHOLAS ROSS

A family member of mine once claimed that she was against the death penalty.

She also admitted that if someone close to her were raped or murdered, she would want the perpetrator killed, which seemed inconsistent. It is important to notice that there are many ambiguities pervading the debate over this deadly important issue.

When considering capital punishment, people who have been affected by severe crime may hold a different position to those detached emotionally from the debate.

The latter may opt for chances for rehabilitation astride a moral high horse or advocate brutal revenge while sipping coolly and ruthlessly from their teacup.

Cuba is a country in which capital punishment has existed for some time.

In 1989, the execution of General Arnaldo Ochoa Sánchez by firing squad was announced. Sánchez had contributed to overthrowing Fulgencio Batista with the national heroes Che

Guevara, Fidel Castro and the other Sierra Maestra guerrillas. But the country does not mess around with criminals. Sánchez was disposed of quickly, having been accused of corruption and narcotics smuggling.

Cuba boasts some of the lowest crime rates in Central and South America.

However, the existence of the death penalty does not always correlate with a low crime rate. Lethal injection and electric chairs have been killing many criminals in the United States for some time, testimony of the punishment’s failure as a deterrent. Criminals commit crimes because they think they will get away with them; they are not deterred by punishment type.

The capital punishment debate is often approached with glossy rhetoric and carefully-selected statistics.

In reality, there is too much context and too many variables to be able to provide conclusive evidence of the true impact of capital punishment. Unlike Cuba, Iceland abolished capital punishment in 1928 and

has globally impressive crime rates. Unfortunately, practical analysis is futile.

In terms of cost, there are things more important than whether lethal injections cost more than cellular accommodation.

Less economically developed countries have problems to do with money horded by corrupt benefactors at centres of power, hence staggering wealth schisms.

In the developed world, “magic money trees” are discovered when convenient for winning elections, as in the DUP case. Evidently, economic considerations belong to other debates.

It must ultimately be determined whether murder as punishment is morally justifiable. Witnessing a partner or friend being patronised or manipulated can send one into a rage, so when heinous crimes like rape or murder are inflicted, the urge for a proportionately heinous response is natural enough.

But the fact innocent people may be murdered by error or corruption in legal systems (Cubans questioned the trial of General Sánchez mentioned above) must outweigh eye for eye sentiments. Even in the age of forensic evidence, mistakes are made, false evidence can be planted, and the insane may be barbarically slaughtered. It is a case of hedging your ethical bets.

If capital punishment is legalised but absolutely wrong in hindsight, it will be a greater tragedy than the alternative. The murderous option must be abandoned because the debate is so ethically difficult. Instead, focus should be on policies that improve things like employment and police funding to prevent crime in the first place.

8 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Deciding on Student Accommodation CASSANDRA LAU

The idea of living with your friends can be thrilling but there is a thin line between thriller and horror when it comes to living under the same roof. I was personally fortunate enough in my first year to find the perfect flatmate and best friend who

was the yin to my yang, but as you skim through this article, you will find many a tale gone awry.

Through a simple survey, I was able to gather some bittersweet stories from Royal Holloway students, and you might want to read this and think twice before signing those papers.

Do students recommend living with friends?

No Living with friends can strain the friendship. It’s better to keep your living situation and friendship separate. When living with strangers, you’re roommates first and friends second. This ensures that all the bills, rent and living is kept considerate.

You’re still friends with them but they can’t take advantage of that friendship like friends that are friends first can.

Often you’ll end up falling out over cleanliness, etc.

Knowing too much about someone can definitely draw you away from them.

I live with a couple and the boyfriend’s friend - even though there is another person, it gets awkward for

us both when they argue, shout, flirt aloud and watch stuff. We are paying for the same space, but it is only used by half of us since the pair are always all over each other in the house.

Yes I met my closest friends in first year halls and have lived with them ever since.

We’ve never had any issues living together.

It’s amazing when you get along with them. Having a nice living area where you can watch TV or socialise and have dinner and movie

out and share clothes.

It’s more social and you can split costs.

It’s good to have a strong social group together. It will make any issues easier to discuss and your housemates easier to engage with.

It creates a good atmosphere being away from home.

Nicer environment to come home to after a day of uni.

Helps you settle in more comfortable than living with strangers because you know and trust them.

Easier to get ready on a night

What are your priorities when picking a housemate?

Overall Ranking Priority

Total Score

1

Hygiene & Cleanliness

91

2

Friendships

85

3

Communication & Candidness

71

4

Sociability

60

5

Minimal Noise

50

6

Work Ethic

43

7

Financial Background

20

Why do some students find these important?

They’re what make for a good housemate. Hygiene and cleanliness creates a nicer place and atmosphere to live in so you don’t have to worry about it. Communication and candidness are so important when you’re talking about bills, rent and annoying living habits everyone can develop.

It’s better to live with people who air their issues and have no problem being honest than passive aggressive people It’s always the small things that let their anger build up that accumulate… the bins, unnecessarily. (1) (2) the dishes, the toilet, the noise, etc.

It’s nice to live with others that are considerate and you We got on well in halls, we partied and all, but this year I actually need to study but he seems to not [care] about his, or my studies.

I’ve fallen out with a close friend who studies the same course, and now it is really awkward when we see each other in the department. We were so tight and so certain nothing would go wrong.

nights will honestly make your university experience so much better.

get along with but are also relatively clean because it’s not fun constantly cleaning up after others. (1) Cleanliness is more important because you’ll be living within that environment 24/7.

(1) To avoid disputes. (1)

unnecessary

It makes it easy to share a house and cause less arguments. (2) I love living with my friends.

We keep each other busy but

also motivate each other to do our uni work. (2) (6) Being about to get along with them is 100% the most important. That is all that really matters and everything else is a bonus. (2) (3) (4) While having a nice and sociable housemate is nice, it is not a deal-breaker if they are not. However if they become a barrier to you living happily there it becomes a major issue, because that actively detracts from your experience. (5) (1) (3)

THE FOUNDER November 2018

How did you choose your housemate?

LIFESTYLE 9 Now for the stories of rainbows and horror, what have been students’ worst and best experiences living in student accommodation so far?

Worst The fire alarm beeped for TWO MONTHS.

I chose my housemates from responding to an ad online.

As bad as that sounds [...] it was the best decision I could have ever made.

We’ve become really good friends and its the best living situation I could’ve chosen.

I’ve remained friends with everyone [...] Living with the friends I originally intended would’ve massively strained the friendship.

Retrospectively I can see how they wouldn’t have been the best people for me to live with.

I always live with my closest friends. It’s a good idea if there’s no drama between you but it gets really bad if there is.

I was living with them in first year, different flats but same halls. We all decided we would live together quite quickly but it was the best

Artwork by Jack Waters

decision.

Rushed decision with a friend and their friends and friends of their friends - so it wasn’t a good idea.

Photo credit Matthias Zomer

I chose my friends the first time round, bad decision, we argued over mess all the time and we’re less close for it. Second time, I met and rented a place with three girls I met on Facebook advertising. Much better decision as they interviewed me and we got to know each other’s expectations before moving in.

Friends on course, same priorities, so we get on great!

[Anon] was a cool friend, Photo credit Maurício Mascaro but [Anon] started getting weird anger and jealousy fits of unnecessary suspicion.

Idk, so I just hide away and try to interact less.

Angry neighbours threatening to “beat the shit out of you” while a housemate was crying in the garden from a panic attack because it woke him up.

My worst experience would definitely be the stress of paying the extremely high fees. Some estate agents don’t take loans into

consideration and demand over a thousand pounds during the summer months - meaning you have to find money on your own.

Dealing with Alpha - our property repeatedly had mould, when we moved in plug sockets were hanging off the wall and the stream of water from the tap gave you an electric shock! The property was in poor state. Alpha only fixed half the issued by the time we moved out, and poorly.

Poo. Blood. Vom. In. The. Toilet.

Best Pres at my house with my housemates and everyone was doing their makeup whilst drinking together.

Getting to know my housemates and build friendships with them.

Celebrating birthdays house parties!

and

Learning to be independent!

10 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER November 2018

How Do Egham’s Estate Agencies Compare?

CASSANDRA LAU

The thought of renting a student accommodation can be terrifying to many, especially if you have had no prior experience or guidance on what the procedures are and what you should be

keeping an eye out for. Many said that they wish they had advice from students in years above, so I created a survey that gathers responses anonymously so that students can feel free and safe to share their personal experiences in dealing with estate agencies.

Which estate agency has the best service?

Aspens Estate Agents 10 St Jude's Rd, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0BY | 01784 433696 Based on students’ responses, However, there was one Aspens appears to provide mixed response stating, the best service. Upon asking “They were pretty solid last why, students explained, year [but] they did take stuff “they explained everything off [of] my security deposit and made the whole process [which] they shouldn’t clear,” “responsive”, have.” The agency is also “always really nice and based in Englefield Green helpful.” They helped with which is a footbridge away “getting new beds and fixed from campus, making it easy things” that were wrong for viewings to be arranged with the house, and did not between classes. charge the students for it.

Baron Residential

Milton House, 27 Station Rd, Egham TW20 9LB | 01784 473844 Based in Egham, near the station, Baron Residential is the students’ second favourite estate agency. The reasons why range from their “professional office space” and “good service” to the

way in which they “did not pressure us and gave us the time and patience needed.”

They have student property available both in Englefield and Egham.

Others

Others mentioned were predominantly because, “It’s the only one I’ve dealt with” (Student in favour of Browns), and “The only one I’ve used … don’t know about the others” (Student in favour of Alpha). One that did come to my attention was

Egham Lettings, which is owned by a landlord named Colin Brooke, the student comments, “He doesn’t add on any extra fees and is the most caring landlord I’ve ever come across at university!” Another student adds, “Definitely would advise to seek out Colin

Brooke at Egham Lettings.

He is a private landlord and under high demand, but he is so attentive. He assures rent will only be charged when the loan drops, doesn’t ask for any extra money and takes extra care to make sure his tenants are as happy as can be.”

Which estate agency has the worst service?

Alpha

190 High St, Egham TW20 9ED | 01784 477772 “I’ve just heard horror stories” Many students raised their distaste for the agency’s “pressure selling to current tenants”, whilst others pointed out their “poor maintenance services, terrible throughout tenancy [and] fix things up as cheaply as possible”.

One example provided was “screwing windows shut with broken clasps.” One of the most horrific stories were: “They tried to take a deposit from us before even seeing the house, then after seeing the (awful) house and deciding to look elsewhere they didn’t want to refund

us the deposit. Only after we called our parents did they give some of the money back.”

Another with students being forced to find accommodation elsewhere due to discovering, upon moving in, an illegal electricity meter installed by the landlord which the agency should have check-up with.

Hodders Estate Agents 86 High St, Egham TW20 9HF | 01784 770461 Coming in second, on a positive note, there are not signs of pressuring techniques, but “terrible attitude from some staff she acted petty, and passive aggressive.” There seems to be a major issue with their management as many noted

their lack of organisation: I had them last year and they never helped us and they didn’t give us the deposit back.

Unorganised, and they forgot to pay my landlord for 6 months!

They didn’t return any

of my e-mails for months last year, and when I got fed up and went down to their Egham office, their office was completely torn down I thought they had run off or something.

LIFESTYLE 11

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Browns 18 St Jude's Rd, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0BY | 01784 439242 Displeased with staffs’ general lack of enthusiasm, students said, “They do not help you with anything,

and lie about the state of the house after tenancy to keep deposits”. They also “apparently overcharge

and are not very helpful when students have problems in their accommodation” mentioned another student.

How Do You Handle A Bev?

A Guide To Not Completely Destroying Your Liver!

What advice would you give to other students looking for student accommodation for 2019/20?

Communication and understanding is key: Look through your contracts carefully. Live with people you trust, but also make sure that in the contract they’re responsible for their own bills and rent each month and that it doesn’t fall on all of you if someone doesn’t pay in time.

Go with a trusted landlord so you can have direct

communication with them and build a relationship easily.

Be patient: Don’t rush in picking a house or housemates - it might seem that the houses will run out or you have to live with the first friends you make, but neither of those are true!

Don’t just go with the first agent you find.

Question everything: Start early and ask as many questions as possible. Do your research, ask older students, get help. Start looking as early as possible, it will save a lot of stress later. Ask other students about the quality of service beforehand. Ask the previous tenants for any information about the company, contract, house and/or landlord before moving in.

What should students look out for?

Other things to look out for, and comments: Cleaning costs after the tenancy ends Many landlords require a mandatory ‘professional clean’ after you move out which will be taken out of

your security deposit. This can cost up to £500 so do remember to ask before you sign.

Initial inefficiency of estate agents is a bad sign so

get out early Look further out, a 20 to 30 minute walk to campus really isn’t bad and you can find some lovely properties.

Photo credit Chris F PIPPA ROTH-BIESTER

Everyone does it, a classic night out at the Students Union on a Wednesday or Friday. Maybe Flawless is on? Or maybe it’s Come in Your Kit? Either way, it’s important to try and look after yourself as much as possible when you do go out.

This is a guide to staying safe on a night out.

1. When you pre-drink, make sure that you don’t go too overboard, especially if you’re drinking again at the SU bar. Or to save money, drink what you need at pre’s, before going to the SU, so to avoid spending frivolously at the SU bar.

2. A key point (and one I often fall prone to) is to not mix your drinks.

If you remember the oldtimey rhyme ‘beer before wine is fine’, you’ll be okay.

Begin with beer (if that’s what you like), and don’t have any more beer after drinking wine/harder drinks, otherwise you will wake up with a horrendous hangover, and feel the effects of alcohol significantly faster.

3. Only go out with people you feel safe with.

Often people are left in a bad state without people to look after them, possibly throwing up, or just wobbling around outside the SU building.

This is an extremely dangerous situation for them.

Please make sure you are comfortable with and trust the people you decide to go out with, in case you take it too far, you want to know that they can look after you.

4. Make sure you eat during the day, and especially before you drink. You need something to soak up the alcohol, a sort of ‘nest’ for your stomach. Not doing this results in quicker effects of alcohol, and (another) horrible hangover.

5. Drink plenty of water throughout the night. It’s easy to just drink alcohol through the evening, but even just a small glass of water can make a world of difference. Plus, you’ll last longer during the night!

6. Know how you’re getting home. Especially if you live off campus, it’s important to know what method you’re using to get home. It’s better to go back with other people, but if you can’t that’s okay, just have a game plan for the end of the night.

It’s important to have a great night, but it’s even more important to not completely break your insides. Otherwise you’re just asking for a ghastly hangover. Please stay safe when you go out!

12 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Windsor vs. Staines vs. Egham What to do in our local area

KYRIE ROXBY

By this point, you will have familiarised yourself with everything available on campus. However, small campus that it is, it doesn’t cover everything. Windsor, Staines and Egham are

the closest places outside of London and off-campus for going out and doing or getting everything else you need that campus can’t supply. Here are what the closest off-campus locations have to offer.

Elmsleigh Shopping Centre. / Photography of Elmsleigh Shopping Centre

Staines

taking the No. 8 bus towards Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, or the no. 441 bus towards If Tesco’s and Waitrose Staines. Though slower are too small for your big than the train, it takes you monthly shop or just aren’t a lot closer to Sainsbury’s. your preferred supermarkets, At the centre of Staines, the other closest supermarket Elmsleigh Shopping Centre is Sainsbury’s which is in houses a number of retail Staines. You can get there by

Egham High Street. / Photography of Egham High Street

Egham As the most easily accessible, Egham is probably your go-to for convenient quickbuys, with Tesco, Waitrose, Egham Essentials, the Post Office, Boots pharmacy, our 24/7 Budgens and the Card Factory for stocking up your kitchen and getting all those other bits and bobs you always seem to forget about until you actually need them.

Living on a student budget, you might be pleased to hear that Egham is home to five charity shops along the town’s high street. This includes Sam Beare Hospice Bookshop which is located right at the end of the high street - it is a useful second-hand book shop with plenty of used texts from past students.

Egham also hosts a variety of cuisines making it a great place for eating out. There are a few Italian restaurants including, Café Gondola, Villa Rosa, Acquolina in Bocco and Prezzo, as well as a number of Asian restaurants: Eat Thai, the Korean restaurant AZIMI, and the Magic Wok Chinese restaurant.

For a more relaxed, and laid-back atmosphere, Bar 163, though a tad pricier, has a beautiful back garden, and a cosy interior design. There is also Runnymede Chicken and Ribs which opens till 12a.m. hence the perfect place for sobering up, and a few local pubs, notably The Crown, and The Red Lion.

If you’re interested in the history of the town, check out Molly William’s review on the Egham Museum on page 17.

Shopping and sight-seeing in Windsor. / Photography of Castle View Windsor.

Windsor Windsor, as expensive and touristy as it is, is the nicest of the three. With Windsor castle close to the high street, the area remains aesthetically pleasing and extremely diverse with what it offers. However, as a tourist destination it can be more expensive for shopping and eating out.

Windsor’s has typical

high streets with shops, restaurants, pubs and coffee shops all at your disposal.

It’s the best place for niche shops selling unique tiny things to fill you with joy and serve absolutely no purpose. Definitely the place for Christmas shopping and markets.

From high tea boutique café, Madame Posh (with furry woollen covers on the chairs outside and

shops, to name a few there is an Accessorize, Claire’s, Card Factory, Clintons, H&M, Topshop, River Island, Primark, Bodyshop, and New Look. Surrounding the mall, there is a TK maxx, Next, JD Sports, HMV, PureGym, and a Debenhams.

Whilst Egham hosts a lot of local restaurants, you will find many familiar restaurant names such as Wagamama’s, GBK, Turtle Bay, TGIF, Pizza Hut, and Nando’s at Staines. Spacious and bustling, all restaurants are great for celebrations or idea places to eat before, or after watching a movie at Vue. Without having to spend too much on transportation, Staines gives you the same occasional atmosphere as going to London. everything pink and flowery on the inside, including a tailor dummy wrapped in an intricate white cake dress) to piercing and tattoo parlours, there’s a definite range of things to do if you know what you’re looking for.

Along Thames street just opposite Windsor castle, there are competing (with less than five other buildings between them) all-you-can-eat Thai and Chinese restaurants with very reasonable prices and excellent food.

The tragic downside of Windsor is the complete juxtaposition of its castle serving as a background to the numerous homeless people you’re likely to see throughout the streets. There are more than those you’ll find in Egham.

In a nutshell, Egham’s the corner shop location you run to for supplies, Staines is for light shopping and nights out, and Windsor is for events and more expensive days or nights out.

LIFESTYLE 13

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Managing Stress at University appear.

Photo credit energepic.com HELENA KEEBLE

University can be an extremely stressful time for many students. You are expected to juggle your academic work, fit in exercise, perhaps have a paid job, or two, or three to keep your finances stable, as well as maintain a social life in an already busy term. Finding this balance can be one of the hardest things students have to do during their degree. It is often a detrimental cause to our mental health. People either end up giving up, just turning up to lectures here and there because they cannot cope with managing their time and the increasing stress as deadlines increase and money runs out, or people go into hyper drive, surviving on the minimal sleep possible in order to simply keep their mind and body working so they can get their work in on time, turn up to all their shifts at work and go on those nights out with their friends. While fitting all of these aspects into your university life can seem to be impossible, it is the planning and taking time for yourself that will help you get through the tough times. It can be so tempting to just curl up in bed with a good Netflix series and

a takeaway, trying to ignore everything that is piling up.

But at the end of the day, the deadlines and everything else will still be there. So here are my top tips to dealing with these obstacles in order to cope with and manage your stress levels so that you can be your calmest self during the craziness of university life.

Plan.

This may sound cliché, but write down all your deadlines in your calendar as soon as you know them so that you don’t get any nasty surprises in the middle on term. Try to write out a rough schedule for your week so that you can see what free time you have between lectures and your job etc. You will then be able to see where you can fit in a session in the library or going and seeing a movie with your friends in the evening. By planning you are eliminating as many possibilities for stressful surprises as you can. You will then be more prepared and able to cope with these surprises that university and people throw at you in life, with less stress and will therefore have a much more reasonable and rational approach to difficulties that

Separate your university work with your job work in your mind.

It can be so easy to think you’re doing all your work when you’re working your 20 hours a week at a job, but you need to make sure that you remember your academic work as well. By planning your time, you will see the free time that you can go to the library or go study with a friend. It can be easy to think that, because you’ve worked a six hour shift in the office or the shop, that you’ve done all your work, because after all, you have been working hard and do need to rest. However, you also need to ensure that your job doesn’t become your priority. At the end of the day, you’re at university to get a degree.

Budget.

Again, cliché, but it is crucial to reducing stress at university. In this age it is way too easy to order that £15 takeaway or to order clothes and computer games online.

Everyone who comes to university will be in a different position with money. Some won’t have to work as hard as others, but this is why it is so important for everyone to budget. Your friend may be asking you to go out all the time, or to go get dinner out, but you may be in a worse financial situation than them. And that’s ok! It can be hard to say, “sorry, I can’t afford that”, or “can we wait until pay day”, but if that is what your budget says, then you should do it. It is way too easy to just go along with your friends, spending money in the same way as them, but afterwards it is you who is panicking that you’re in your overdraft or that you owe someone money. It may be hard, but

fight your gut instinct and simply tell someone that you can’t afford to do that activity today. They won’t un-friend you because of it. If you still want to hang out together, try suggesting a cheaper alternative like a movie night at home with popcorn and pizza from the supermarket. At the end of the day you will still have been able to see your friends and have not negatively affected your bank balance in the process. Everyone at university is from different backgrounds, and that is one of the greatest things about university since you meet so many different people, but it is important to respect that everyone can only afford different things and you don’t have to spend money all the time in order to see each other.

Reduce your financial stress and simply just invite them over to yours or another activity that is either cheaper or free to do – there’s plenty if you research them.

Analyse your friendships.

It is important at university to make sure that you’re not in a toxic friendship.

No one should ever make you feel down about yourself or make you do something you don’t want to or make you doubt your own thoughts and morals.

We meet so many people over the course of our degree and sometimes it is someone who negatively impacts us. It happens too easily, but if you take the time to analyse your relationships with those you’re close to, it could save you a lot of stress and time if you can spot the negative influencer. It is hard, but cutting them out of your life will be one of the best things you can do. When you’re in the middle of it, it can be hard

to see how much it affects you, but if you get out early, it is surprising how quickly it can affect your positivity and stress levels.

Get up and get out.

This applies both to going to your lectures and simply getting out of bed before midday, as well as getting in your daily exercise. It can be too easy to gain a lot of weight at university, particularly if you’re someone who eats your stress. So set your alarm each day, even if you think you don’t have a reason to be up early that day. You may not have work or a lecture scheduled, but you could go for a run or get some of your reading done in the time that you over-sleep at the weekends. Get to bed earlier and utilize your time effectively in the morning, it may be hard, but you will automatically notice your stress levels reducing, even on the first day.

Finally, give yourself time to relax and sleep.

This is the most imperative one. Without rest and sleep your body cannot operate and you will automatically be putting stress on your body, physically and mentally.

Work out how your body works. Sometimes people want to stay up later to work as that’s when they are the most efficient, but more often than not, if you change your routine so that you get enough sleep at night by going to bed earlier you will be able to complete more of your to-do list and feel much better about it. You can then use that time before your sleep to reflect on the day, see your friends and work out what you want to achieve the next day. This will mean your more relaxed and able to sleep easier, allowing your body to physically and mentally recover from all your hard work that day.

14 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER November 2018

My Life in My Art – Knausgaard and Misty

Top image Karl Ove Knausgaard. Bottom image Josh Tillman.

JACK WRIGHT

Every writer will, at some point in their lives, have heard this classic piece of advice: ‘write what you know’.

I cannot say whether this is good advice. If that is a question that you would like answers to, I would recommend reading some of the insightful opinions shared by published authors.

I’m also going to be careful not to cross into the realm of debate regarding whether we should separate the art from the artist. This is a topic that has seen a surge in discussion in recent years, particularly at the height of the #MeToo movement and with the murder of rapper XXXTentacion, for example.

There are two individuals I

would like to examine, one literary and one musical.

Namely, they are Karl Ove Knausgaard, the bestselling Norwegian author, and Josh Tillman, the singersongwriter who performs under the name Father John Misty.

In their respective work, both artists have revealed a great deal of potent personal information about their past and about others, including family members and partners. They differ, though, in several ways.

My Struggle (deliberately ‘Min Kamp’ in Norwegian) is Knausgaard’s six-book semi-autobiographical series, published between 2009 and 2011.

He is unflinching in his presentation of his family members and of himself.

Excluding little-to-none of the detail surrounding puberty, his father’s death and his grandmother’s decline into senility, not to mention his troubled relationship with his wife and children, Knausgaard’s series can be tough reading.

D e s c r i b i n g Knausgaard’s style as anything but mesmerising is a challenge. The everyday and the banal are granted an invigorating new perspective. The writer may spend a page or two describing the act of making a cup of tea, or rolling a cigarette, or listing cleaning products; and yet you read on.

I think that the elements of “real life” that shine through in Knausgaard’s work are responsible for the

sheer addictive quality of his writing. I strongly recommend reading Knausgaard’s A Death in the Family, the first book in the series. The followup, A Man In Love, was my choice for the alternative summer reading list back in September.

While Knausgaard writes with seriousness and with a fairly cathartic tone, Tillman (or Misty, as I’ll now refer to him) maintains a feeling of parody and aloofness. He, too, writes about his upbringing and present life. Having rejected a strictly religious upbringing, Misty has turned preacher, encouraging the listener to rethink their perspective of humanity.

His critique of religion is most noteworthy throughout his first album, Fear Fun, and his orchestral 2017 release, Pure Comedy. On the latter’s titular track, Misty sings: ‘Comedy, now that’s what I call pure comedy / … / They’re at the centre of everything / And some allpowerful being endowed this horror show with meaning’.

His critique of religion reaches ever further, at times bordering on the offensive.

His chosen name, too, is parodic. On Fear Fun’s ‘Everyman Needs A Companion’, Misty laments the name his parents chose for him: ‘I never liked the name Joshua / I got tired of J.’.

Joshua is a traditional religious name, featuring greatly within the Old Testament. Before adopting the Misty moniker, Josh Tillman released a number of albums under the name J. Tillman, eclipsing his full name.

Misty’s religious critique is one indication of the personal revealing itself through the artist’s work. Another major feature of Misty’s lyrics is his long-term relationship with his wife, Emma Tillman.

Two of Misty’s albums,

‘I Love you Honeybear’ and ‘God’s Favourite Customer’ make extensive reference to Emma, and not always positively. This lyric from ‘The Songwriter’ demonstrates Misty’s respect for his wife while simultaneously occupying a more critical perspective: ‘What would it sound like if you were the songwriter And you made your living off of me?

Would you detail your near-constant consternation, Or the way my very presence makes your muses up and flee?’

Misty writes about his wife in a similar manner to Knausgaard: unapologetic; occasionally scathing; honest.

I hope that I have been able to indicate similarities between the two individuals, both of whom I greatly respect, and cannot recommend enough.

Knausgaard’s series is truly captivating, from a literary standpoint as well as a creative one. Knausgaard details the most intimate processes of life in a manner that is powerful beyond comprehension, including falling in love, childbirth, and writing his own bestselling novel.

Misty is a fantastic and multi-talented artist, whose music demonstrates a multitude of styles, a real blending of genres. His lyrics, too, are hilariously witty. At times, they are crushing. He has much to say on the current outlook of humankind, religion, love and ayahuasca.

THE FOUNDER November 2018

FEATURES 15

Who Picked My Tea?

Photograph of Traidcraft Exchange Statistics CASSANDRA LAU

When I first landed in London in 2012, I recall walking into a souvenir store with dim white lights, and overstocked shelves of snowglobes, stationary, cups, plates, clothing and you name it. Amongst all the clutter of miniature London attractions, the one thing that stood out to me was the slogan, Keep Calm & Drink Tea. Back when the 1939 Keep Calm slogan resurfaced into popularity, countries would use it for marketing purposes: ‘Keep Calm & Move to Canada’, ‘Keep Calm & Love Hong Kong’, ‘Keep Calm &

Aussie On’, etc. Whilst most countries took the opportunity to sow their names on, the English chose to promote tea, and considering how patriotism runs in the veins of this country, it honestly says a lot about the country’s love for tea.

Tea remains the UK’s most popular beverages with 165 million cups consumed each day - it is infused into the British identity. Tea to most of us is a cuppa reward for getting out of bed, for going to work, for completing that one task, and so forth, so it may come as quite a shock when I tell you to many, tea is poverty and death.

Since the Opium Wars, the origin of tea has been carefully concealed in murky waters; the Traidcraft Exchange’s ‘Who Picked My Tea?’ Campaign aims to hold UK tea industries accountable for poor, if not unethical, working environment and conditions. The charity’s campaign has been on tour around the UK to “inspire the great British publish to stand in solidarity with tea workers in Assam, India”,

explains Tom Sharman.

Tea grown and harvested in Assam is a vital ingredient in many blends sold by British tea companies, including The ‘Big 6 UK brands - PG Tips, Twinings, Tetley, Yorkshire, Typhoo, and Clipper, for its unique malty flavour. In Assam, owners of tea estates are required to provide such benefits to their workforce as “housing, schools and health facilities under

Indian law, as well as a cash wage.” However, evidence shows that on estates believed to supply UK tea companies: wages which are previously agreed across the Assam tea sector are below the minimum wage levels; housing is often in poor conditions; sanitation is, if existent, minimal “with open defaecation the norm” during work; health facilities are built but lack medicines and staff, and “food rations are insufficient and of poor quality”.

“They don’t repair the houses. We register complaints to the management, they not it down, but that remains in the register, they give no importance.”

“When auditors come for inspection...we’re nervous and can’t tell them the truth… Out of fear, we say that we get all the facilities and that everything is ok.” - Maloti, Assam Tea Worker

Researchers from Traidcraft Exchange have discovered that these companies know about the conditions for women working on these tea estates but aren’t doing enough to change them.

As a result, the ‘Who Picked My Tea?’ campaign aims to push majoy British tea companies to disclose which estates they buy their tea from. By publishing their list of suppliers, there will be greater transparency

in the “secretive world of teabuying”. 9, 925 people have signed up to contact tea brand, so add your voice to the ‘Who picked my tea?’ campaign at https://action.traidcraft.org. uk/who-picked-my-tea.

16 ARTS & CULTURE Off White: The Brand Redefining Fashion And Impacting Change Globally TIA HUDSON

For the past five years, Off White’s dominance within the fashion industry has been felt by young adults on a global scale. Starting off in Milan as an artistic expression, the brand has grown and expanded into numerous department

stores worldwide including Harrods and Selfridges.

From their Bernini Portrait Hoodies to their Industrial Logo Belts, Virgil Abloh’s ability to combine streetwear with high fashion is something that leaves consumers wanting more each time. It’s listed

Photo credit Vicky Grout

connections with the Italian fashion house Fendi, that solidified his interest with fashion and gave him the direct vision of the clothes he desired to make. Abloh states: “[Koolhaas] changed my life when he put graphics on a building. It’s his fault Off White exists.”

Off White’s ‘Fall and Winter 2018’ collection is already doing exceptionally well in sales. The Men’s collection this year consists of mostly dark colours which stand out boldly with the graphics that go

Strange Days: Memories of the Future Exhibition

Number 2 on Lynx Index’s ‘Top 10 Hottest Brands of 2018’ and continues to sell out almost every collection that is released. With a new line on the way for Spring, and an exceptionally good Autumn line, it is clear that Off White’s influence in fashion is here to stay.

“High-fashion people are dressing and designing in a streetwear way, which is why I got into it”.

Off White was established and founded in 2013 by American designer, Virgil Abloh.

Before entering the world of design, Abloh developed an appreciation for architecture, and gained his Master in the subject from the Illinois Institute of Technology. His passion for prints and graphics (which we see frequently on most of his pieces) was inspired by Rem Koolhaas, a Dutch architect regarded as one of the most important architectural thinkers of our time. It’s the work of Koolhaas, and his

THE FOUNDER November 2018

with it. There is a lack of leather and denim within the men’s collection which isn’t unusual for Abloh, who specializes in selling hoodies, coats and jackets.

The Women’s collection differs greatly from the men’s. It consists of more colour and prints this year, along with a greater focus on two-piece denim suits with a variety of colours such as blue and pink. All stylish, but couldn’t compete with the men’s collection which has sold out of many of the pieces with the collection.

Photo via thevinylfactory.com BIANCA SHIRK

‘Strange days: Memories of the Future’ is a complex gallery full of exciting things to see. The exhibition, close to Covent Garden, is an immersive gallery full of multiple screenings in which you can pick and choose what you fancy as you walk through.

The gallery consists of multiple video art pieces such as animation, music and natural imagery.

Pipilotti Rist’s piece allows for a mesmerising experience bringing you back to your childhood.

The room full of beds and pillows allows for people to lie down in the dimly lit room. The room includes

“One of the true concepts of streetwear is using whatever means you have to make clothing”.

Photo credit Vicky Grout

The collection shows a lot of individuality as well as being a clear expression

of Abloh’s creativity, and I’m beyond excited to see the outcome of his SS18

collection in Spring.

Photo via thevinylfactory.com

projections onto the ceiling, allowing participants to look up and to be transported back to their childhood and to be more in touch with nature. The imagery of being underwater alongside close-ups of plants creates a hypnotic experience. Other well-known artists, such as John Akomfrah, can be found within the exhibition.

Akomfrah’s piece uses three screens flickering between different images, allowing it to tell a story when put together. If you are interested in artistic digital immersive pieces, don’t miss out on this mesmerising exhibition.

The exhibition is on 180 The Strand and it ends on the 9th December. Check it out, it's not to be missed!

THE FOUNDER November 2018

ARTS & CULTURE 17

What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? Egham Museum: A History of Pride

Charles Wille, arrested 1918 for breaking Oleomargerine laws. National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Prisons.

NOËLLE SPILLMANN

Perhaps the most overlooked form of government intervention is its involvement in the food industry.

Despite coming into contact with or worrying about food on a daily basis - meal plans, diets and counting macros or calories dictating when what is being eaten and where few people question how the government may have been involved in what is landing on our plates. From economic involvement in the shape of subsidies to regulations that ensure what we consume is safe, and even attempting to influence eating habits, the involvement of government

in the food industry is multifaceted and takes place at all levels of production and consumption.

The 2011 exhibition What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? attempted to capture this involvement and traced the U.S. government’s contribution and effects on what Americans eat throughout history, in the shape of a collection of letters, photographs, postcards, pamphlets, posters, films, and radio programs. The exhibition has now become available in a free interactive catalogue that can be downloaded from the national archives.

Featuring the mugshots of black market margarine

vendors that were captured to appease disgruntled dairy farmers or telling the story of plant explorers sent out to find new food plants and returning with mangos and Meyer lemons as well as covering political milestones in the history of food regulation such as Pure Food and Drugs Act, the catalogue is not only an entertaining read but also provides an account of U.S. food history that is as varied as the role played by the government in it. In light of current moves in U.K. nutritional politics (the increase in sugar tax being an example) it is most certainly worth a read.

Egham Museum / Photography of The Egham Museum Twitter MOLLY WILLIAMS

Purple, white and green: The ‘Come in your Kit’ colours that cascade throughout the Students’ Union every term were once the tricolour emblem of the women’s suffrage movement. 2018 marks one hundred years since women were first given the vote, and Egham Museum’s ‘Suffrage in Egham’ exhibition is a tribute to the efforts of the local community to propel the political freedoms of women in England, to what they are today.

Since opening its doors in 1968, Egham Museum has served the town as a reminder of its heritage, through its eclectic collection of personal artefacts and vast catalogue of local newspapers. The initial collection strategy of the museum was to ask residents for items that may be of interest or historical value, as either a loan or donation. This resulted in a unique assortment of artefacts that encapsulate Potatriots, ca. 1917-18. This shop display compares the potato to a soldier and recommends the vegeta- the community, that can still be seen today on the ble's inclusion in the daily diet. National Archives, Records of the United States Food Administration

first floor of the Literary Institute on the High Street.

Egham Museum showcases its pride in proximity to the Magna Carta and Suffragette movement, although it is undeniably a museum of the public. It is a record of life as it was, before it became as it is. It is a display of Egham’s past as a thriving High Street, filled with distinguished service shops and family businesses.

For many of us, Egham is new. Not only new, it is temporary. Perhaps we’ll only live here for three years. We will study here, we will work here and we will graduate from here. Then, we will leave. To leave, however, without walking up the stairs into Egham Museum, would be a denial as to where we have been.

Egham Museum is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 16:30, and Saturdays from 10:30 - 12:30. It is FREE ENTRY, so there’s no reason not to make your way down the High Street – you’ll find yourself immersed in a history you knew nothing about.

18 LITERARY REVIEW The Hate U Give,

by Angie Thomas

How one book is changing the publishing industry

Photo credit Mimi Markham MIMI MARKHAM

Every so often, a new publication shakes the waters of the usually quiet internet book community. In February 2017, Angie Thomas’ ‘The Hate U Give’ did just this and its ripples have resonated across the publishing industry, inspiring a recent film adaption.

The story follows Starr Caster’s journey towards activism after she witnesses the police shooting of her childhood friend, Khalil. It is an important book that balances full and vibrant characters with heavy themes. The result is a reading experience that alternates tears and smiles with every page turn.

Although this October’s film adaptation met modest box-office success, its critical reception has ranged from an example of a solid book-to-film adaptation to claims it deserves an Oscar. Although it is early days, the film is likely to leave a lasting mark in an industry criticised for whitewashing

and failing to proportionally address stories reflecting our diverse world.

It is already apparent ‘The Hate U Give’ has affected the publishing world.

While writing her debut novel, Angie Thomas was unsure publishers would be interested in a book inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. A few months later, thirteen publishing houses participated in an auction to acquire the rights to the novel. Prominent publishing house Harper Collins ultimately won and the film rights were swiftly scooped up by 20th Century Fox. Angie Thomas entered the book world at precisely the right moment. The ‘We Need Diverse Books’ organisation has been growing since 2014. It argues that all readers should find similar characters to themselves in the books they read, focussing particularly on children’s and young

adult fiction. With a greater self-awareness of how many of their favourite characters come from largely similar backgrounds, the online book community embraced the campaign. ‘The Hate U Give’ sat at the top of the New York Times Young Adult best sellers list for over fifty weeks, before winning two categories of the Goodreads Annual Awards. It is not uncommon for book bloggers to review the merit of their latest reads, in part, by a consideration of the diversity of its characters and settings.

The publishing industry has jumped at this movement, treating it as one of YA’s ever moving trends. Some Waterstones branches feature displays showcasing the recent releases of BAME writers and books taking place in diverse settings. Prominent titles include: ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi, a Nigerian-American writer, whose fantasy world draws heavily on her heritage; and ‘Orangeboy’, by Patrice Lawrence, who was raised in an Italian-Trinidadian family before winning multiple awards for her writing.

Unlike the genre’s previous trends of supernatural romances and dystopian worlds, this one is more than the fleeting passions of this decade’s teenagers. It is a movement that is here to say and its ripples are sure to spread across other forms of media. It is a movement that publishes stories and experiences that have rarely been seen in novel format.

It is a movement that seeks to include all young people by providing them with characters they can relate to and who can expand their understanding of the world.

THE FOUNDER November 2018

The Appeal of Short and Sweet Poetry JACK WRIGHT

One of the greatest consistencies within literature is variety.

The same rings true in the world of poetry. Genres and themes fade in and out of fashion as cultures evolve and public interest shifts.

Homer’s epic poetry, passed on through oral tradition, differs in tone and content from Emily Dickinson’s quatrains.

While spotting the differences between one “big” literary name and another, the differences in form and structure are unavoidable.

Homer’s Odyssey spans twenty four books (or chapters) while Dickinson’s ‘An Hour is a Sea’ is three lines in length.

Dickinson’s poem is so short that I can include the whole thing here without incurring the wrath of the editor: An Hour is a Sea Between a few, and me – With them would Harbor be – And that’s the whole poem. The trademark dashes and capitalised nouns are present, typical of Dickinson, yet the most striking feature of the poem is the brevity. I think that the poem highlights isolation and longing. The expanse of the sea, the contrast with time and the potency of the ‘me’ captured within that gorgeously fleeting two-line image are mesmerising.

That final dash may seem to indicate that the poem lacks a true conclusion, though the rhyming ties up everything together beautifully.

Unsurprisingly, I love this poem. And the reference to the ‘Sea’ within the first line ties things together nicely with that previous mention of

the Odyssey. Not bad, eh?

Any lover of poetry could go on and on. The amount of substance contained within the poem is not strictly dependent upon the number of lines, or the amount of books or chapters. I believe that, sometimes, an artist should be praised for self-control; for saying just enough without overstaying their welcome.

Not that Homer or Dante or Milton overstay their welcome, or are unworthy of praise. They certainly warrant the title “Classics”.

For modern audiences, particularly younger individuals, brevity is digestible.

Poets such as Rupi Kaur are bestsellers, and I wonder how much of that is to do with their form and structuring.

Milk and Honey features a variety of shorter verse pieces divided into four distinct chapters. Her work is not stylistically difficult to read, though her messages can be challenging in their starkness and unflinching portrayal of violence, loss and so on.

I found Dickinson’s poem within a Faber and Faber publication entitled Short and Sweet: 101 Very Short Poems edited by Simon Armitage.

It’s a great little read and features a variety of different poets across a number of different periods. Not a single poem within the collection extends beyond thirteen lines.

Now that’s digestible.

I’d like to share one final thought. The last poem of the collection is by Don Paterson, entitled ‘On Going to Meet a Zen Master in the Kyushu Mountains and Not Finding Him’. The poem is blank. When we condense completely, absolutely; when brevity is the crux of the poem itself, is it still poetry?

THE FOUNDER November 2018

LITERARY REVIEW 19

Happy Birthday, The Song of Achilles, Harold

by Madeline Miller Advertisment of Charity Gala RACHEL FARGUSON

Since the 6th of September, The Jamie Lloyd Company has been hosting an incredible season of theatre titled Pinter at The Pinter: Harold Pinter’s work, performed at the Harold Pinter Theatre. The season so far has included a one-off event, Happy Birthday, Harold, to celebrate what would have been the playwright’s 88th birthday, which took place on the 10th of October this year.

Star-studded cast and captivating performances aside for the moment, this show was definitive proof that the relevance of literature is not restricted to the time at which it is created: decades later and these socio-political pieces appear very much present-tense. Writing for The Guardian in 2017, Antonia Fraser, Pinter’s wife, describes how she stumbled across The Pres and an Officer last year in “one of Harold’s yellow legal pads”, 9 years after his death.

The play depicts a presidential parody, and one that is startlingly similar to Trump.

Fraser stated that “this was on a morning when nuclear war, or something like it, appeared to be threatened by Trump on the 8am news.” The sequencing of the plays, sketches, and poems created an overall sense of seamlessness in terms of the progression of ideas.

However, this particular play broke through the elegantly understated style of the rest of the show, replacing it with deliberately overpowering red and blue lighting and featuring the only two characters to appear in costume, with Jon

Culshaw as The Pres, and Jonjo O’Neill as The Officer.

While indeed the staging was beautiful, it was clear that the show was not preoccupied with spectacle, in the best way possible. It was actors, acting: delivering honest performances that made every character feel real, no matter how short the piece. One of the longer segments was a scene from The Betrayal, performed

by Zawe Ashton and Tom Hiddleston, respectively portraying Emma and Robert.

When Robert asked, “how long, exactly” Ashton’s character had been having an affair, the collective gasp of the audience was audible even from the balcony when Emma responded: “five years.” Each and every actor brought the audience on a journey in this way.

Pinter at the Pinter is running until the 23rd of February 2019, with Pinter Three (Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue & other sketches, cast including Lee Evans, Tamsin Greig, and Meera Syal) and Pinter Four (Moonlight / Night School, cast including Jessica Barden and Bríd Brennan) showing now until the 8th of December. The cast for the remaining shows includes Martin Freeman, Danny Dyer, and Rupert Graves.

According to the Pinter at the Pinter website, “at every performance, a selection of our best seats are available at £15, exclusively for people aged under 30”. Don’t miss out!

Madeline Miller Book Cover CHARLIE MILLS

Madeline Miller’s novel The Song of Achilles was in fact her first, but the vividness and emotion in her writing suggests writing skill far beyond that of any ordinary debut. From the very first page I was hooked, and immediately read the first seventeen chapters over the course of a two-hour train journey. I could barely put the thing down, so desperate was I to read the retelling of the tragedy of Achilles and Patroclus. Academics have, throughout the years, debated the nature of the love between the two and Miller certainly puts her own spin on the tale, positioning herself firmly on the ‘romantic’ side. But, no matter which side you are on, you absolutely must read The Song of Achilles.

I have already called her writing vivid; allow me

to show you what I mean.

The story is told not by the traditional hero, Achilles, but rather Patroclus, an exiled prince who was raised by Achilles’ family. Perhaps the most famous quotation from the book is this: “I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.” While it certainly invokes a strong image, as does the final sentence of the story - which I shall come back to, for it deserves its own point - the way that Miller writes emotions that are so tangible and real, particularly emotions that are difficult to put into the right words, is absolutely beautiful.

“I feel like I could eat the world raw” is a particular favourite of mine. “It was almost like fear, in the way it

filled me, rising in my chest.

It was almost like tears, in how swiftly it came. But it was neither of those, buoyant where they were heavy, bright where they were dull” is another.

This is me speaking from the heart, now: the way she writes love restores my faith in it. Even though this story ends in tragedy, as it must, the love it encapsulates is real, and the characters do find peace.

Hence the ending: “At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made on the stone. A C H I L L E S, it reads. And beside it, P A T R O C L U S. "Go," she says. "He waits for you."

In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.”

20 LITERARY REVIEW The London Literature Festival

THE FOUNDER November 2018

The Adventures of Sue Perkins (not Mel)

Photo credit BaldBoris

TAMSIN FATODU

For the twelfth year running, the London Literature Festival returned this autumn to the London Southbank Centre with more riveting and diverse Hollywood speakers, poets, authors and artists. The festival was full of lively discussions and talks, with live readings and workshops for all literature interests. Over twenty days, events ranged from a whole weekend of Young Adult fiction to Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry readings from her final collection as Poet Laureate.

The theme of this year’s festival was Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’. This epic was explored in talks, workshops and live readings. Thanks to Mary Beard and Madeline Miller, discussion surrounded Emily Wilson’s English translation, the first by a woman.

Highlights include Salman Rushdie’s discussion of empire and race, led by rapper Akala and historian David Olusoga. They explored class, culture and the origins of modern British society.

Additionally, Tom Hanks costar Sally Field appeared to share her new memoir, ‘In Pieces’. The platform given to the discussion of diverse backgrounds, from ‘Visions of Latin America’ to a performance by Heaux Noire, was astonishing. The room for diverse writers and stories appears to grow each year.

The panel ‘Women Rewriting Homer: Madeline

Miller and Sharlene Teo’, hosted by broadcaster Natalie Haynes, was a must-see.

Miller and Teo explored their early memories of the beloved mythical texts that inspired them, while emphasising the need for a platform for these female characters to come to life and have their stories told.

They highlighted the power of stories like the ‘Odyssey’ and their endless interpretations.

They discussed the negative and incorrect portrayal of women in these epics and why modern society has found comfort in retelling these old stories. All three women were delightful and inspiring to hear as they displayed their love for the myths and the need for their retellings.

Poetry readings from Carol Ann Duffy, Keith Hutson and Imtiaz Dharker were unique, witty and memorising. Duffy’s new work was personal and gripping as she commented on the current political climate of Brexit.

Ted Hodgkinson, Senior Programmer for Literature and Spoken Word at Southbank Centre, stated the aim 2018’s festival was to ‘invite audiences on a journey across centuries and borders to explore the timeless power of literature to question and reflect on the burning issues of our times’. Indeed, these festivals are a marvellous space for readers and writers to devour their love for literature with other enthusiasts and discover the power of words in history and our society.

Photo via southbankcentre.co.uk

HELENA KEEBLE

On 28 October, comedian, broadcaster, actress and writer, Sue Perkins appeared at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the 2018 London Literature Festival. Leading the conversation on Perkins’s new book, East of Croydon, was her friend and partner Anna Richardson. Perkins is particularly known in Britain for her comic duo with Mel Giedroyc in the BBC production of The Great British Bake Off. In addition to this Perkins is best known as a radio broadcaster and television presenter, particularly for the BBC which inspired her second book. East of Croydon is a reflection on Perkins’s projects over the past five years with the BBC, filming multiple documentaries overseas.

Perkins humorously opened up the evening, introducing herself and overtly affirming to the audience that we were there to seeing herself, not her Bake Off ‘partner in crime’, Mel. Perkins then read a fabulously witty except from the beginning of East of Croydon, bouncing around the stage, before animatedly welcoming to the stage Richardson to discuss the book in question.

Richardson opened

the conversation by asking Perkins’s motivation to leave the country for the BBC documentaries, to which Perkins revealed she had to ‘push’ herself to do it. As a child Perkins went rarely went further than a few hours of her home in Croydon, a particular favourite of her father being Brighton. Perkins explained that before her father, none of his side of the family had ever travelled beyond the British Isles. Her father and mother have both only ever left the U.K. once, and hated it, her father apparently saw a crab and ‘screamed’. It is therefore surprising Perkins took up this challenge and travelled the world for multiple documentaries. She believed that if she didn’t go she’d end up like her parents and decided to be ballsy and go on these incredible adventures, even with the issue of language barriers, admitting that she thought there was something ‘unassailably erotic’ about languages but she’s ‘terrible’ at them.

East of Croydon is dedicated to Perkins’s father who sadly passed away from Cancer while Perkins was on her travels. Richardson highlighted the fact that the book is filled with touching elements, as well as her usual comedy, as it is filled with

‘love, family and a yearning to come home.’ Perkins developed this, claiming that ‘there’s a lot in the book about love and how hard it can be to say’ since it reflects upon the months leading up to her fathers death where Perkins strove ‘to get [her shy] dad to say – “I love you” – which she did.’

As the evening began to close, Perkins opened up questions to the audience where she got a rather strange mixture of responses. Perkins was particularly astounded by the blatant question of partaking in a threesome with herself, Richardson and the member of the audience.

Most importantly to the British hearts though was the question of Perkins missing The Great British Bake Off. Perkins responded, ‘I’m glad that it has a life after us.’, then joked, ‘it’s a bit **** it’s been so successful’. […] It deserves to carry on!’

Perkins reminisced with the audience on her incredible time on the show, the endless effort to freestyle funny puns, based on the theme of bakes that week and particularly her heartfelt sense of pity for the cameramen who were forced to listen to their ‘shit puns’. Perkins revealed that if their jokes were particularly bad, one specific cameraman would often shake the camera in disdain, making herself and Mel crack up. On the question of deciding to leave Bake Off, Perkins deliberated that at the end of the day, 'it’s not about money is it, it’s about working relationships, it’s about respect, so we made a decision… we didn’t one to mess anyone about. We just wanted to say it really quickly and do it! It really hurt – I love those people.'

‘My god!

What an extraordinary thing to be part of.’

THE FOUNDER November 2018

ARTS: FILM 21

Revisiting Forks - Twilight’s The Power Behind the 10 Year Anniversary

Photo via aroundmovies.com CHARLIE HARRINGTON

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Twilight’s release, all 5 films are now available on UK Netflix and, to satisfy the 9 year old girl who sent her dad running out to the shops while halfway through reading Eclipse to buy Breaking Dawn as a matter of life or death, I neglected my impending pile of reading to sit down and immerse myself in the blockbuster saga again.

Twilight has been a source of controversy within fan circles for as long as I can remember. Thousands upon thousands of memes circulated the internet, primarily focusing on the ‘Harry Potter versus Twilight’ debate. As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I suddenly found myself faced with a crisis – to be accepted into the deepest circles of Potter fan culture, I would have to renounce my love of Twilight. So I hid my Twilight novels at the back of my bookshelf and joined the vitriolic stream of hate towards the series – Kristen Stewart was a particularly common target, criticised for her ‘bad’ acting as Bella Swan, the series’ moody female protagonist who, upon moving to the gloomy town of Forks, Washington, finds herself caught between the worlds of vampires

and werewolves, as well as hormonal teenage boys who won’t stop asking her to the prom. Looking back, this outpouring of hate directed towards an actress who was only 17 at the time of her casting is appalling - especially considering that her male co-stars, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, escaped the fullforce of both fan and critic indignation.

So, why did the Twilight series come under so much fire? Every Twilight hater was suddenly a literary expert, criticising Stephenie Meyer’s vampires for breaking from common vampire lore – for example, Meyer’s vampires don’t burn in the sun, they sparkle.

Admittedly, this does sound slightly ridiculous, but as I finish reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula in my second year of a Literature degree, I must conclude that I prefer Meyer’s interpretation of the vampire myth. Twilight is deliberate in breaking from tradition to create vampires – the traditional literary ‘monster’ – which we feel sympathy for.

I would argue that Twilight only receives the hate it does because it is unapologetically a ‘girly’ series. Romance takes centre stage of the five films, with Bella torn between the mysterious,

attractive vampire Edward and mostly shirtless, equally attractive werewolf Jacob.

This resulted in the infamous Team Edward vs Team Jacob debate, primarily dominated by teenage girls who warred over Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, respectively.

But why should this matter?

The box office has been dominated by superhero films for years - with a stereotypically ‘male’ demographic - yet these have never been subjected to the same vitriol as Twilight.

Twilight was, inarguably, a box office smash - it grossed £2.65 billion over the five films, with a narrative that is fiercely female-led and founded, in the case of the first installation, on a $37 million budget.

It’s time we accept Twilight in all its hormonal teens, sparkling vampires and shirtless werewolf glory.

Critics may have panned the series but its cultural impact is undeniable - Twilight proved that a femalecentred, romance-driven narrative could be a boxoffice sensation, paving the way for similar female-led hit series like The Hunger Games. Even if the overlydramatic romance of Edward and Bella is too much for you, the series is pretty much a clandestine advertisement for the American National Parks, and is worth watching just for its gorgeous landscape shots which frequently have me looking up the cost of plane tickets to Seattle. It doesn’t need to be a revolutionary notion that you can enjoy Twilight simply because it’s fun - now, forget about that essay you have due on Friday, open up Netflix and watch the series which put a ‘girly’, femaledriven story at the top of the box office.

Screen: LFF Presents 38% Female-Led Productions

ERIN LEONARD

The British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival this year served as a stage to a whole host of up and coming creators.

A rise in female directors have drawn everybody’s attention, with a raw figure of 38 percent of female directed productions.

The precedent set by Alice Guy-Blache over a hundred years ago is thriving within the industry and it is remarkable to consider the change that has been - and is yet to be - made.

Among those that have made an impact are Tinge Krishnan (‘Been So Long’) and Laura Bispuri (‘Daughter of Mine’), whose films are promising to put their respective hats in the ring for awards. The question is why are all these female directors stirring up such a storm all of a sudden? And the answer is that they have been for years, the industry has simply just begun to pay attention.

Women such as Kathryn Bigelow and Sofia Coppola have been establishing themselves as great successes within the industry for years and it is only now that female directors as a whole have been regarded as worthy of acclaim.

Only five women have been nominated for best director at the Academy Awards - with Greta Gerwig’s nomination for ‘Lady Bird’ being the latest. Out of the five only one, Bigelow with ‘The Hurt Locker, has won.

One of the most defining pictures to grace LFF was Eva Husson’s ‘Girls of the Sun’.

It allowed women to work together and harness their own power both on and off screen

- with an almost entirely female cast and crew. The film explores the impact of Kurdish freedom fighters, with a central theme of resistance and rebellion that rather appropriately reflects the effect of female directors on the male tradition of filmmaking.

The London Film Festival represents a change in the film industry both on and off screen; acting as a stage for new storytellers.

The BFI’s initiative of representing stories from different perspectives around the world, led by this year’s artistic director Tricia Tuttle, must be noted for helping increase the visibility of female-led films. It was at Cannes Film Festival, earlier this year, that a demonstration to protest the industry’s gender inequity was held - led by this year’s Jury President, Cate Blanchett, and legendary French filmmaker, Agnès Varda. The 82 women in the demonstration represent the number of female-directed films that have been shown in the prestigious festival’s 71-year history. A stark contrast to this year’s London Film Festival wherein approximately a hundred female directors are present including Sudabeh Mortezai’s Competition winning feature, ‘Joy’. Women are getting the opportunity to make a name for themselves and they are making up for lost time. Gone are the days of the token female in film crews and of ‘the all-male nominees’. A new age of cinema has been established.

22 ARTS: FILM

The BFI London Film Festival 2018

Mandy - Cage’s Grief-Filled Hell

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Suspiria - A Bold The Man Who Killed Don Quixote Argento Update - The Decades Long Journey Finally Reaches a Halt Photo via https://www.comingsoon.net/

Photo via image:www.flickeringmyth.com

LUKE HETHERINGTON

LUKE HETHERINGTON

Film festival season spread throughout London once again with the 62nd BFI London Film Festival. After other major festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Toronto, it was London’s turn to screen already favoured awards season contenders - such as ‘Widows’ and ‘The Favourite’ —as well as premiering highlyanticipated features including Ben Wheatley’s Happy New Year, Colin Burstead. Another key feature of this year’s festival is the percentage of female-directed films, the BFI continues its initiative of serving as a platform for diverse voices in filmmaking (as explored by Erin Leonard). On screen, there's also no drought in femalecentric stories - from Wanuri Kahiu's lesbian coming-ofage 'Rafiki' to a biopic about iconic French Novelist, Colette. As always, the festival also brings to light new and emerging talent,

highlighting them in short film selections and 'strands'.

Royal Holloway's own Alumni, Iris Zaki, screening her documentary Unsettling under the Debate strand.

The festival lasting 12 days - with 225 feature films can be quite overwhelming, but the talent curated is undeniable. It must also be credited for its annual goal of making sure the festival is as accessible as it possibly can. Aside from its various educational events, this year also saw LFF's first venture into screening films outside of the capital — Mike Leigh's Peterloo also screening in Manchester.

While it may not possess the same superfluous glamour as seen in the French Riviera or the canals of Venice, London once again proves itself as a city beaming with talent, and unprecedented openness to diverse and game-changing storytelling.

5/5 The latter-day career of Nicolas Cage has resulted in cementing his status as a living meme. To some, Mandy can be watched as an unchained study of grief, a black comedy or a horrific descent into madness. However you view it, Cage is fabulously bombastic as a lumberjack out for revenge against the cult who kidnapped his titular partner (played thoughtfully by a mannered Andrea Riseborough).

Writerdirector Panos Cosmatos plays with film’s structure whilst wisely developing the relationship, so when the extra-sensory violence kicks in, the film isn’t just a garden-variety revenge thriller. Complementing all this is a Rick Wakemaninflected Jóhann Jóhannsson score and brazenly vibrant colour pallets; adding up to a piece of cinema so potent you couldn’t even remove its psychedelic images off your retinas with a belt sander and a bottle of Domestos. Mandy is now playing in select cinemas in the UK.

Widows - McQueen’s Trademarks Impress in new Heist Thriller GEORGE SIMMOND

Widows is as an entirely different animal from any of Steve McQueen’s previous directorial efforts.

It features a hefty ensemble of characters, themes, and ideas — with it being a film

about underdogs, female empowerment, high-octane heists, political conflicts and, ultimately, dealing with loss. The film also features a decent amount of political commentary, addressing gun control,

seedy backdoor politics and police ineptitude among other topics. None of these issues, however, are given an in-depth focus. Even though McQueen juggles all of these elements fairly well, it does not connect with the viewer

Photo via Amazon Studios LUKE HETHERINGTON

4/5 After almost three decades, and with enough Quixotes cast to fill a regulation hockey team, Terry Gilliam’s passion project finally arrives as a scrappy miracle. Adam Driver plays an egotistical director confronting the effects of his career with a deluded local (Jonathan Pryce) who believes he is Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Although trying to juggle a 21st-century film set and 17th century Spain - and often dropping that ball - Quixote is never dull, largely thanks to Pryce’s magnetic madman complimenting Driver’s bewildered straight man as they navigate an admittedly scattershot adventure. The third act will lose many people and possibly be too unsatisfying to find its audience. Though at this point, a wide UK release is unlikely so whether or not it can find an audience at all remains to be seen. Regardless, it is unquestionably a singular, uncompromised vision.

as strongly as any of his past films. Despite this change in thematic and narrative approach, McQueen’s directorial trademarks remain. Once again he manages to tease fantastic performances out of each and every actor in his cast, Viola Davis and Elizabeth Debicki in particular. His ability to

4/5 The original Suspiria is essentially a garishly stylish slasher film; Luca Guadagnino's remake seemingly brings themes of collective guilt, sexual repression and/or the cost of art into the bargain. It’s difficult to unpack, but sweeping aside any notion of subtext, we’re left with a more aesthetically restrained - but nevertheless arresting - film which, when it tries to earn its horror credentials, is brilliantly unnerving as bones crack and people are relieved of their haemoglobin.

Dakota Johnson continues to shower off the Fifty Shades shame with another strong performance as a dancer joining a suspicious academy, but it’s Tilda Swinton who dominates with a surprising turn. The central mystery itself, however, chooses to surprise in the same way as the original, playing its cards within half an hour. The intent may be different to Argento’s Suspiria, but whatever it is, it is Guadagnino keeping up his current form post A Bigger Splash and Call Me By Your Name. Suspiria comes out in the UK on November 16.

plan and execute a number of complex and impressive long takes also translates from his older films, although none stand out as triumphantly.

Still, ‘Widows’ establishes itself amongst the majority of disposable popcorn thrillers that lack any kind of ambition and finesse. The film is out now!

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Colette - An Exhilirating yet Painfully Relevant CenturyOld Tale

Beautiful BoyCarell and Chalamet save an Unremarkable Addiction Drama

ARTS: FILM 23 Can You Ever Forgive Me? Heller’s Criminally Good Second Feature

Roma - A Monochrome Masterpiece that Captures all of Life’s Colours

The Favourite - Lanthimos' Absurdity Finds Home in the Madness of Royalty

Photo via Netflix

Photo via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Photo via www.variety.com GRACIELA MAE CHICO

4/5 Despite being set in the in the 20th Century, this biopic about French novelist Colette is as relevant as ever —especially in our culture’s current climate.

Wash Westmoreland’s film, produced by the team behind Carol (2015), explores the life of Gabrielle Colette; from her life as a young woman in Saint-Sauveur to her unconventional life in Paris. It is in the city where her husband Willy (Dominic West) - a famed writer and publisher - discovers Colette’s talent for writing, using her as a ghostwriter and harvesting every bit of her success. Riddled with this familiar tale of female oppression, is a beguiling window into a woman discovering, and accepting, her sexuality and androgyny.

Keira Knightley once again proves herself as the queen of period dramas with her intoxicating portrayal of the titular role. Like its protagonist, Colette is charming, witty, and brave.

As Colette paved the way for female empowerment, the film will hopefully pave the way for more female-led narratives, particularly those about women in history whose mark has continually been erased from the books.

Colette comes out in the UK on January 25, 2019.

Photo via https://www.comingsoon.net/ GRACIELA MAE CHICO

2.5/5 Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet’s performances in Felix Van Groeningen’s first English language film has already been subject to awards season buzz - and rightly so. Based on the memoirs of real-life father and son, David (portrayed

by Carell) and Nic Sheff (Chalamet), the heartbreaking story examines the strains put upon a once strong bond by the complexities of addiction, recovery, and relapse. While the film allows the two leads to provide some of the best performances of their careers, it does not cover up for lacklustre storytelling.

The film is, at times, difficult to watch. Not due to its delicate subject matter, but editing that makes it difficult to truly form an emotional bond with its characters. The writing also lacks a deeper exploration of relationships outside the father and son.

While it is understandable to focus on the two, attempts at presenting the relationship between Nic and his stepmom, for example, falls amiss. The vast efforts the film makes to accurately portray life with addiction is truly admirable and noteworthy, however, the crafting of the film itself lacked; leaving the narrative to make all the necessary emotional pulls.

The film is set for a 2019 release.

Photo via Fox Searchlight Pictures GRACIELA MAE CHICO

4.5/5 Following the success of The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Marielle Heller returns with another triumph. This time, focusing on the life of Lee Israel — a once New York Times bestselling author who faces bankruptcy in her later life. In an attempt to make ends meet, the lone writer starts forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights. The drama dabbles into the realms of comedy and thriller, creating a ferocious, witty role seemingly created for Melissa McCarthy. Finally, McCarthy is provided with the platform she needs to truly showcase her capabilities as an actor — Richard E. Grant (portraying Jack Hock) providing the perfect on-screen partner in crime. Despite the seemingly untamable figure the film’s protagonist is based on, Heller presents her as an oddly charming woman; allowing the complexities of her criminal actions to blur into a relatable tale of longing, loneliness, and sadness. The film is set for a February 2019 release.

GRACIELA MAE CHICO

5/5 Cuarón’s semiautobiographical black and white drama captures life in 1970s Mexico City in all of its specificity and colours.

The film, following the life of live-in housekeeper Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), sees the ‘Gravity’ director take us back to the realities of life on earth; creating a film so delicate and personal, yet so universal in its focus on realism and the mundane.

The film’s breathtaking cinematography features seamless panning shots, intricately crafted to immerse us within the world surrounding its protagonist.

As admirable as it is for Netflix to distribute such noteworthy filmmaking, the film begs for the cinematic experience; its exquisite cinematography, and astounding sound design and score is worth much more than a laptop screen.

Despite being pulled out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival Competition, amidst the festival’s battle with Netflix, it will undeniably be a reoccurring title in the upcoming awards season. It has already secured being Mexico’s bid for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language film — and rightly so. Roma is set for a December Netflix release, as well as a limited theatrical run.

GRACIELA MAE CHICO

4.5/5 Describing an absurd dark comedy about back-stabbing, royal lesbians as a filmmaker’s ‘most accessible’ film in itself feels absurd. But with Lanthimos’ filmography, it is just about right. Back with his third English language film, after the cult success of The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Lanthimos finds harmony in his obscure cinematic voice and the insanity and extravagance of 18th-century royalty. As always, Lanthimos finds a way of embedding the human experience within the dark, tilted humour. Within the craziness is a familiar tale of love and jealousy; a classic love triangle - between Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) and her ‘favourites’, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) - with twists of hidden intentions and vengeance.

The film is unreservedly entertaining. The world created by Lanthimos’ vision, Sandy Powell’s spectacular costumes, and the three lead’s powerhouse performances assure a wholly joyous cinematic experience. The Favourite comes out in the UK on January 1, 2019.

24 ARTS: MUSIC

The Rise of K-Pop IGGY IWERSEN

Though with regional variation, the Western musical canon has reached a point of global ubiquity.

While folk and classical traditions across the globe might vary immensely, the pop music charts of the world are characterised by the same musical fabric – one that evolved through Mozart and Chuck Berry and the same one that unites genres as superficially disparate as Jazz, HipHop and, indeed, ‘K-Pop’.

Despite hailing from a culture that existed far removed from that of Europe and the Americas for hundreds of years, the South Korean pop music industry rarely produces anything that doesn’t possess the skeleton of the Western musical tradition. As such, without deviation from those dopamine dispensing Western time signatures and familiar scales, how can K-Pop forge its own musical identity?

Outside of Korea, many made their first acquaintance with what we might call K-Pop in 2012, with the spectacular popularity of Psy’s ‘Gangam Style’, cementing into the Western mindset a picture of absurdity and excess that dominated popular perceptions of Korean pop music from

outside of Korea. But Psy never repeated his success outside of the Republic of Korea and, outside of East Asia, K-Pop remained the indulgence only of those willing to search outside of prescribed pop orthodoxy.

Enter stage: BTS. Formed in 2013, the record-breaking Septet have enjoyed multiple awards and, in 2018 alone, two US No. 1 spots on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Much can be attributed to this success, above all a level of authenticity that gels well with Western audiences. Unlike many of their fellow singing and dancing contemporaries, known as ‘Idol groups’, BTS’ catalogue benefits from a high volume of input from the band’s members, most of whom have accrued a growing number of writing credits on their material.

The subject matter of this material ranges from intergenerational angst in the face of economic inequality, to explorations of the meaning of love for others, and, importantly, for oneself.

Their recent release, ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ comes at the conclusion of the group’s ‘Love Yourself’ project and features tracks from previous releases bearing this tagline as well as seven previously unreleased tracks. Musically, the album is a solid pop artefact but

does little to escape from the global pop paradigm. For instance, the solo track of member J-Hope ‘Just Dance’ features allusions to the UK Garage sound and title track ‘IDOL’ benefits from the influence of South African Dance. Said title track carries with it a lyrical sophistication that is conveyed, crucially, in Korean and a music video that both embraces and subverts the idiom of spectacle, introducing their evergrowing western audiences to traditional Korean fashion and iconography.

The American pop music machine is surely watching very closely and to avoid association with whatever attempt it makes to replicate the particularly Korean gesamkuntzwerk of K-Pop, BTS and their contemporaries would do well to embrace what sets them apart.

Suggestions of a Korean cadence are audible in the group’s Spring dis-track ‘Ddaeng’. From its decidedly Korean instrumentation, can we expect a trans-pacific cultural exchange as potent as the current Western musical hegemony? Perhaps not.

However, recent advances have been made in elevating the prevalence of charting non-English language pop music; can this extend to those long-ingrained Western musical underpinnings?

We’re all ears.

ROSALÍA – ‘El Mal Querer’ Album Review BEN JACQUIN

Spanish music has begun to show how much more it can offer, with Rosalía leading the armada. Rosalía’s first offering was the flamenco album, Los Angeles, sticking to her Catalan roots and exhibiting her perfect vocal riffs, combined with flamenco guitar reminiscent of the late, great Paco De

Lucia. With her newest album, released 2nd November, ‘El Mal Querer’, Rosalía has taken a route into a genre that many young female artists have taken; art pop.

Rosalía manages to create accessible art pop songs, while still sticking to her roots by including subtle flamenco guitar, and, claps and percussion that

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Track Review: Crewel Intentions – ‘Youth in Overload’

Photo via nme.com CHARLIE CATMULL

‘Youth in Overload’ marks the debut track from South London-based five-piece Crewel Intentions, the brainchild of ex-Palma Violets bassist Chilli Jesson, offering a dazzling slice of what the rocker has been cooking up since his widely adored, Rough Trade signed, indie band broke up over two years ago. The single packs a punch for an initial release with sweeping guitars, driving synths and a distinct vocal-style not too far from a British version of Brandon Flowers, the crooning frontman of The Killers. But my biggest taking away from the song is how Jesson has held on

with riffs and runs that are soft and vulnerable, however are reminiscent of classical sometimes powerful and Spanish flamenco. Rosalía haunting. The Barcelona also gives a nod to some of artist experiments with the early 2000s pop music vocal harmonizing using that may have inspired her, technology that is close including the song ‘Bagdad’ to that of Francis and the which interpolates the vocal Lights’ ‘Prysmizer’. riff to Justin Timberlake’s Conceptually, the ‘Cry Me a River’, making the album follows the theme track instantly recognisable of a broken relationship, to anyone over a certain exploring themes of jealousy, age. Rosalía’s vocals exhibit pain, and longing. This use flamenco vocal phrasing, of the ‘concept album’ is

to just what made Palma Violets so popular; their pubrock chants that would form the core of their hit songs such as ‘Best of Friends’ and ‘We Found Love’, which have been translated to this new melodic arrangement, telling a tale of a young man pushing himself to the limits, as Chilli desperately chants ‘you’re done son’. But if this first track is anything to go by, I am very excited to see what the band comes out with next, the thought of having a gritty U.K. version of The Killers is definitely no bad thing, so give them a listen, and, if you’re inclined catch them before they get bigger at London Electrowerkz 21st November. one that is becoming more prominent with artists in recent years. Lorde’s 2017 album Melodrama followed a similar route in exploring the events of one night of partying and hedonism at a house party.

This offering from Rosalía is one that only means good things for Spain, and her performance at the EMAs on the 4th November showed what a fantastic performer she is too.

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Live Review: Tom Odell at Eventim Apollo

ARTS: MUSIC 25

Personal Story: Ray BLK

Photo via getwestlondon.co.uk JORDAN THORNE

There was definitely a special atmosphere at the London date of Odell’s tour promoting his new album Jubilee Road, an album inspired by the lifelong friends he made whilst living in East London. Well and truly a showman, Odell was energetic throughout the entire performance, whether playing his piano or dancing around the stage, and, eventually on top of the piano itself. It was clear that he loved every moment of the performance.

In the art-deco style venue, the show encapsulated the beauty of live music. This was not least due to the sloped floor, which meant a clear view unblocked by both A) tall people and B) phone screens. There were enthusiastic sing-alongs and even heartfelt tears in the audience, as Odell commanded the crowd’s emotions from his simple chair and piano setup.

Along with well-known songs such as Another Love and Wrong Crowd, the concert featured many jam-like instrumentals that highlighted Odell’s skill on piano as well as the rest of the band. One

such instrumental interlude included a brief rendition of Für Elise followed by Billy Joel’s Piano Man and an extended series of erratic arm movements

by Odell, conducting the other instruments with wild ferocity.

All the stops were pulled out, including the appearance of saxophonist Ed Mitchell, joining the tour for only a handful of dates, enhancing the then unreleased song You’re Gonna Break My Heart Tonight. An encore was later demanded by the crowd and was evidently anticipated by Odell, with another 5 songs added to the setlist! These included Half As Good As You, with special guest Rae Morris, and ended with crowd-favourite 2016’s Magnetised.

After Odell left the stage insisting he would remember the show for a very long time, everyone headed out, having been thoroughly entertained, and, with at least half of the punters thinking about taking up the piano themselves. Jubilee Road is out now, with Tom Odell heading off on a European tour followed by a US tour, until mid-May 2019.

Photo via hamadamania.com FAITH MCCROW

If I was put on the spot and asked what concert experience I would relive, there would be no doubt in my mind. I would go back to the O2 Shepard’s Bush Empire on 4th December 2017. This night was a reckless last-minute decision, one to join my mates to head into London on a night that I should have been writing an essay.

This night, and, concert, even though it was not really my cup of tea for music taste was still one of the most memorable concerts of my life. Ray BLK a singer and songwriter born in Nigeria and brought up in Catford, London, performed her songs with such ease she is probably one of the most natural performers I have ever witnessed live.

It amazed me how she was just feet away from me in a small theatre setting, when she should be in an arena, that night I felt lucky to be witness to her before most; I knew she was going to blow up in no time.

Contemporary R&B and Soul music is not normally the genre of music I tend to catch myself listening to, nonetheless every song she performed I knew I would be playing on repeat after the concert till I was sick of them. Her whole set awoke so many emotions, with songs from My Hood, which got everyone singing and screaming especially when Stormzy joined her on stage.

To her last song Empress which was said to be a song that was coming out on her next album. This particular song having a lasting impact as Ray sang it straight to

her mother seated above us on the balcony, with her mothing mouthing the lyrics back. This whole night felt almost dreamlike and though I have attended many music events since none have made me feel as euphoric as that one. I left the concert that night chanting the lyrics to her whole setlist with my friends over the moon and yet knowing I still had an essay to do when I arrived back to campus.

I write about this now, as looking back on how far she has come, I know many of the students here and all over the country will now be jamming to Ray BLK, she was last week on the digital cover of NME magazine and her star shows no sign in fading.

26 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER November 2018

Interview: Elliott Grover, Commonwealth Championship Fencer

Sport Event Of The Month: Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury

JACK WRIGHT

Photo via Instagram @ellsgrover FRANKIE CHRISTOU

While many of you will be putting shifts in the library in a couple of weeks, one Royal Holloway student will be jetting off to Australia’s Commonwealth Championship amid the stress of end of term deadlines.

The Founder sat with Elliott Grover, a MSC Geopolitics and Security student from Bromley, South East London about his fencing journey and other plans.

What inspired you to start Fencing?

What 10-year-old doesn’t want to hold a sword? Also, if I’m brutally honest I wasn’t particularly great at football.

Tell us about your journey in the world of Fencing?

I started at school when I was about ten and begun competing regionally and nationally at Kent championships/South East events. Slowly I ended up going through to better clubs one step at a time, increasing my training and starting an S&C programme when I was 16. At 18 I took a Gap Year and spent 2 months in Hungary training. Representing Kent and Team England at the Student 5 nations in 2014 and Senior 5 Nations in 2015 I qualified for my first Senior

World Cup in Paris in 2016, my opening group included a European champion and the future Olympic champion so it was a trial by fire. Now I’m back at Holloway working on an Masters Part-time whilst training, currently ranked in the top 5 in the UK and have every intention of doing a full international season this year travelling to competitions ranging from Qatar to Buenos Aires.

What is your best memory of competing for Royal Holloway’s fencing team?

Winning my first national title at BUCs individual championships in 2016.

How did it feel to be called up to compete at this year’s Commonwealth Fencing Championship?

Although it caused my bank balance to have a great deal of fear, absolutely amazing. My goal was always to qualify and it felt good to have achieved what I set out to do.

What are you doing to prepare for the Championship?

I’m training every week with the S&C coach at RHUL (Shout out to Tom Forster) as well as training every day at my club. Just

taking a final week break after a long opening run of competitions before the final month preparation going into Australia.

What are your goals ahead of traveling to Australia?

A good start to the domestic season, but largely just to have a successful pre-season before my first world cup in the new year. Just aiming to up the intensity a little bit more. Oh and also start a Master’s degree I guess.

In addition to any physical achievements, what has fencing as a sport given to you?

I am lucky enough to get to travel the world doing something I love. Sadly, it’s mainly sports halls I’m visiting but can’t be helped.

The teammates are amazing too, both my GB and my Bear ones.

Finally, what are your plans after the Commonwealth Fencing Championship?

In terms of fencing an entire international season starting in Germany. I just want to see where I end up quite frankly.

Looking forward to smashing the SU for my birthday and achieving Instagram fame and getting that 2.1. I hope.

On December 1, two giants of the heavyweight division will clash at Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

Deontay Wilder, the current WBC heavyweight champion, will be looking to defend his title against the ‘Gypsy King’, who is returning to the sport after vacating multiple titles in 2016, having only fought twice since.

Tyson Fury won the heavyweight titles against Vladimir Klitschko in November 2015, yet was forced to take a hiatus from the sport following a number of personal issues.

Fury’s road to recovery outside of the ring has been staggering to witness.

After losing the titles in the aftermath of the Klitschko fight, Fury gained a large amount of weight. Following his decision to return to the sport, he has lost around 135lbs, or just upwards of nine and a half stone.

Against Sefer Seferi in June and Francesco Pianeta in August, Fury secured a pair of comfortable wins that will no doubt have inspired great confidence within him. His training camp for the upcoming fight is well underway and, as ever, despite his huge six foot nine inch frame, Fury still moves like a much nimbler man.

Wilder is undefeated in forty professional bouts, boasting an incredible thirty nine knockouts. ‘The

Bronze Bomber’ has been more active than Fury in recent years (aside from this year), with victories over Luis Ortiz, Bermane Stiverne and Gerald Washington in his last three.

An Alabama native, Wilder has far more experience in the States than Fury, though Fury often rises to the occasion with ease. With fights in Ireland, Canada and Germany under his belt, as well as one New York bout against Steve Cunningham in 2013, Fury will not be concerned with his position as challenger and nonnative.

‘I am no challenger for no man’, said Fury, in their first press conference meeting; ‘This is equal rights champion versus champion’. When asked if Fury was savouring the buildup to the fight, Fury responded with hostility: ‘I’m savouring nothing. The only thing I’m savouring is smashing Deontay Wilder’s teeth in’.

Wilder’s greatest weapon is his punching power, thirtynine knockouts do not just earn themselves. ‘I say I hit the hardest’, said Wilder, continuing with typical brashness: ‘I say I’m the baddest man on the planet’.

No doubt that lineal champion Fury, and the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, will dispute Wilder’s grandiose claim.

The two will be fighting at around 5am GMT on December 2. The fight is available to purchase on BT Sport Box Office and will feature several currently unannounced undercard bouts.

SPORTS 27

THE FOUNDER November 2018

REPORT: Mens REPORT: Mens Football: Basketball vs. Surrey

RHUL I 5-4 BRIGHTON IV Mens Football Claw Their Way back to Victory Against Brighton

Photo via RHUL Sport IEUAN GREAVES

Men’s Basketball secured their first win of the season against local rivals Surrey in intense fashion after scoring in the dying seconds of the match to win 75-74.

The game started off fast with Surrey getting the best of the opening exchanges, which meant that they went into the break with the lead.

However, a run at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter punctuated by stern team defence and strong inside play ensured spectators were in for thrilling climax.

Holloway fought back to find themselves just inches away from securing the win with two minutes left on the clock.

Alex Fuhr then stepped up to take the winning shot. It ricocheted in to put Holloway ahead by one point.

With now only 16 seconds

Photo via RHUL Sport

left with Surrey in possession of the ball. A great defensive play meant that Surrey couldn’t get a shot up, and the clock expired, with Royal Holloway winning by 1.

Captain and match winner Alex Fuhr, who’s clutch steal ensured victory, said after the game: “It was a hard-fought win, we were trailing for most of the game but never lost control. It was only our second game of the season so we are still working on improving our Photo credit Rahul Parmar team chemistry.

“In the second half and especially the 4th quarter the FRANKIE CHRISTOU whole team stepped up and we came up clutch in the last Mens Football’s 1st team 2 minutes of the game to win battled back from 2-0 down against Brighton to win a it by 1” The team’s next fixtures thrilling encounter 5-4 to are away to bottom placed ensure their unbeaten start Imperial on the November to the season continues.

Brighton raced out of 7th and then Hertfordshire the following week before the traps in the opening returning home to play Bath minutes, pressing high up the field and forced on the 21st.

Holloway into making two defensive errors which saw them go 2-0 up in the first ten minutes.

Royal Holloway responded immediately when Martin Ivanov took it round the keeper to slot home on 20 minutes.

Then three minutes later, Holloway’s relentless pressure resulted in a corner. The cross hit a number of players before it made its way to

Harry Taylor who kept his composure and smashed it home to bring the hosts level.

Now on the front foot, the bears were in search of a third and they got it immediately.

Goalkeeper, Michael Mosesov launched a long ball forward which caught the Brighton defence off guard. Peter Udida latched on the end of it and audaciously lobbed the keeper from 35 yards.

Holloway’s momentum was halted by the half-time whistle and similar to the first, they started the second half slow. Brighton again, pushed the Holloway defence back with the high press and forced another error which resulted in a goal.

The Bears however, clawed themselves back in front when striker, Arman Aymond scored a brace inside six minutes. The first coming when Ivanov’s

good footwork meant he stroked into an open net and the second finding the bottom corner.

Brighton scored a consolation goal just before the final whistle, but the damage had already been done.

“I think we made it harder for ourselves, but it shows great character from the boys that we can play poorly and come out with a win at the end of it.” Said captain Dan O’Connor after the game.

“The comeback came from the realisation that this league will not just be gifted to us. The two goals we conceded early on were a wakeup call that shifted us into gear.

“This game taught us the league isn’t going to be gifted to us on a plate, we need to work hard for it.

“Getting the win was always the plan, as we set out at the start of the season to challenge for the title.

“Hopefully we can use this momentum now to keep putting pressure on other teams and win the cup games we have coming up next week.”

The hard-earned victory means that Holloway are sitting firmly at the top of their BUCS league by gaining maximum points after three games.

Their next league fixture see them travel to Kingston University, who sit third in the table. If Holloway can make it four wins in four, Football could well and truly be coming ‘home’.

Part of the Community.

As a local business building accommodation for students at the university, we have a responsibility to the communities in which our developments are located. We make it our priority to consult with the local community, listening to their needs and wherever possible, addressing their issues.

We also take great pride in supporting local initiatives and we're always delighted to get involved where we can. A recent highlight is the Village Centre Englefield Green. They are an important hub for the local community and rely on volunteers. So show your support by popping into their CafĂŠ on Victoria Street for an authentic barista style cappuccino and one of their delicious homemade brownies.

The brownies are on us* : ) We’d also like to say well done to the Egham Hollowegians 1st XV. After an amazing start to the season, our favourite rugby team are currently unbeaten and sitting top the league. COYEH‌ keep up the great start!

We hope that you're having a great first semester, enjoy the festive break and good luck for the new year.

www.danehurst.com

*Maximum of one brownie, per person, per day. One cup of barista coffee must be purchased to qualify. Offer valid while stocks last, no substitutions or rain checks issued. Not valid toward previous purchases. Other restrictions may apply. Offer ends December 15th 2018.