The Founder, November 2016

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Royal Holloway’s Independent Student Newspaper

VOLUME XI, ISSUE III • FRIDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2016 • Royal Holloway, University of London • Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX

World Recoils As U.S. Plays Their Trump Card SUZANNAH BALL DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

With Donald Trump announced as America’s President for the next four years after one of the most shocking electoral campaigns seen in recent times, outrage and unrest has swept through not only the US, but the world. As Trump supporters celebrate their leader’s success, Clinton’s supporters announce they will never see Trump as ‘their’ President.

Trump won after gaining 279 electoral votes, while Clinton claimed 228, with the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina voting Republican and backing Trump.

Reports suggest racial, gender-equality and LGBTQ groups are now increasingly concerned as they report a man who has proved himself to be a fascist, racist and sexist in the lead up to election, has taken control of a leading world power. American and world media has been rife with people who are consider-

ing fleeing the country, some in genuine fear of their lives and wellbeing.

During election night, Canada’s immigration website crashed as a result of a massive increase in activity when it became clear that Trump was going to win.

Many women across the globe have expressed heartbreak over Clinton’s loss as it symbolises a much wider issue, a system where a man with no political experience can take the White House over a politically qualified woman.

Clinton was Secretary of State and First Lady, making her significantly more politically qualified. However, experience appeared to hold no weight in this election, brute popularity being far more effective. (Summed up perfectly

by Oxford Dictionaries 2016 Word of the Year ‘post-truth’, an adjective ‘relating to circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than emotional appeals.’ – Ed, DB.) During her concession speech Clinton stated, ‘We must accept this result and

Trump won the presidency after gaining 279 electoral votes, while Clinton claimed 228.

then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.’

In his acceptance speech, Trump told the American people, ‘now it is time for America to bind the wounds

of division, we have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.’

Many celebrities are demonstrating their continued support for Clinton across

platforms such as Twitter, the hashtag ‘not my president’ being visible and trending frequently. Protests across the country surfaced after election night as many announced their outrage at the results.

Continued on p. 5

Index News..............................................................................1 Opinion And Debate......................................................6 Lifestyle...........................................................................9 Features........................................................................13 Arts...............................................................................18 Arts: Film......................................................................20 Arts: Music....................................................................23 Sports...........................................................................26

Rent A Puppy, p. 12 Happy Birthday, p. 13

HARBEN LETS Your oldest and largest private landlord www.harbenlets.co.uk 07973 224125

Nick Cooke, p. 26

10

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2 NEWS

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Rhul Secures Cyber Security Funding Physics Department Hosts launched at the beginning of is expected to graduate in 'Cool' Evening Lectures ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

The UK government has announced that they will be renewing funding for the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Cyber Security at Royal Holloway. The original grant of £3.8m given in 2013 has now been renewed, at the amount of £3.45m, to provide funding for three further groups of PhD students in Cyber Security.

This funding comes as part of one of the initiatives in the new National Cyber Security Strategy, which was

this month by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond. The five-year strategy will see an investment of £1.9 billion into defending UK cyber systems and infrastructure, deterring adversaries, and developing national cyber security capacity.

Royal Holloway’s CDT in Cyber Security currently has 37 students working on a wide range of cyber security topics. Students follow a four-year programme of training and research in cyber security, with strong business engagement.

The first group of students

2018.

Professor Keith Mayes, Head of the ISG and the School of Mathematics and Information Security at Royal Holloway, stated ‘The CDT is a fantastic example of how government, academia and industry can work together in the national interest. We have been able to attract first-class students to work on a wide range of information/cyber security research topics, knowing that they are suited for subsequent employment in critical national security roles.’

'Haunted Holloway'

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

The Physics Department of Royal Holloway has launched a new series of evening lectures, aiming to inspire and engage students and the general public with physics.

The autumn term lectures have so far looked at the fascinating research field of dark matter, with the next one focusing on extremely low temperatures.

‘The coldest place in the Universe’ hosted by Dr Andrew Casey will be held on Thursday, December 8th at 6.30pm in the Windsor Audi-

torium, and will include a live experimental demonstration.

The lecture will look at the questions: What is the coldest place in the Universe? Is it somewhere in deep space, in a Galaxy far away? Could it be in Neptune, 4.5 billion km away from the sun? Could it be in our own moon, in a crater so deep that light can never reach? Or is it in physics labs, right here, on planet Earth?

Find out about exotic phenomena like super conductivity and super fluidity, discuss Nobel Prize 2016 and participate in a lecture on the coolest topic ever… literally.

The Founder Board 2016/17 Co-Editors Daniel Brady & Lilia Vargas Costello News Editor Rosa Smith

Film Editor Ryan Nair

Deputy News Editor Suzannah Ball

Lifestyle Editor Emily May Webber

Opinon and Debate Sport Editor Editor Elizabeth Silverberg Amanda Hudson

Royal Holloway's cursed painting: Man Proposes, God Disposes (1864), Edwin Henry Landseer SUZANNAH BALL DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

The Telegraph recently announced the top ten haunted universities in Britain, including our very own Royal Holloway. The Halloween feature listed each university’s own hauntings, ranging from ghosts to headless horsemen. Other universities included The University of Cambridge, Exeter and Warwick, each

citing their very own spooky tale.

Royal Holloway’s Founders building holds one old curse.

During exams held in the picture gallery, Edwin Henry Landseer’s Man Proposes, God Disposes (1864) is covered with a union jack flag. The painting is said to bring bad luck to all those within the hall, rumours that a student once killed herself at her desk due to the horror of the painting fuel the superstition.

In his work, Sir Edwin Landseer depicts two polar bears mauling the remains of the Franklin expedition, a harrowing and foreboding sight.

Thomas Holloway, founder of Royal Holloway, is also said to haunt the University in the form of a black cat.

Red brick buildings understandably fuel dark tales due to their long history, Royal Holloway’s grand appearance carries fierce intrigue.

Features Editor Thomas Hawkins

Music Editor Sam Barker

Arts Editor Gemma Tadman

Designer Lilia Vargas Costello

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.

THE FOUNDER is printed in Cambridge by Iliffe Print

NEWS 3

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Students March Against Tuition Fee Increase Thousands protest with the National Demo along two hour walk from Park Lane to Westminster.

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Protestors marched through the streets of London under the banner of ‘United for Education’ at the end of this month, in an attempt to take a stand against the government’s latest FE and HE plans that have been described as ‘waging war’ on education.

On Saturday, November 19th, 15,000 students, staff and members of the public took part in a two-hour-long march from Park Lane to Westminster, where they then rallied for an hour.

The National Demo was organised by the National Union of Students (NUS) who teamed up with the University and College Union (UCU) in the wake of what has been an onslaught of education reforms that went through parliament this month.

In further education, many colleges have faced huge job losses as well as course closures, while in higher education the scraping of maintenance grants, NHS bursaries, and changes to loan terms has been followed by the news that tuition fees are set to rise.

It was announced over the summer that universities will be able to raise their tuition fees in line with inflation if they comply with the new ‘Teaching Excellence Framework’, linking the cost of fees to the quality of teaching. This framework ranks universities into three categories, gold, silver and bronze, depending on the standard of their teaching.

The teaching is assessed using the metrics from the National Student Survey, taking into account factors mainly such as graduate employment data

and the number of students who drop out.

On October 31st, The Higher Education Funding Council for England opened up applications for the framework, as well as offering guidance to institutions on how to apply. All universities have already received their metrics, giving them an idea of what award they will be in line to receive, and they have until January to decide whether to opt in.

For the vast majority of universities looking to increase their fees above the current limit of £9000, they have to only pass a ‘baseline’ standard during the first year. After that, Institutions rated gold or silver will be able to raise fees 100 per cent in line with inflation, while those ranked as bronze will be restricted to only half the rate of inflation.

Royal Holloway was one of the first universities to land in the eyes of the media over the summer, when they began advertising fees for academic year 2017/18 as £9,250. While the increase for 2017 is calculated as an extra £250, there are concerns that by 2026, tuition fees could reach £12,000.

Concern for the future affordability of education has resulted in the government being accused of forcing universities to run like businesses. The NUS’s policy asked of three key points during the protest: For the government to invest in FE colleges and sixth forms and stop college mergers, for student debt to be written off and stop private education companies profiting from student fees, and for the government to scrap the HE Bill, halt the rise in tuition fees and bring back mainte-

(ABOVE) In the distance, pink chalk is blasted into the air outside the houses of parliament. This protest took place among concerns that tuition fees could reach £12,000 by 2026. Photos by Daniel Brady. nance grants.

During the lead up to the National Demo, Royal Holloway held a banner making evening attended by Sorana Vieru, Vice President of Higher Education at NUS, who also spoke at the rally in Westminster. Sorana told The Founder on behalf of the NUS: ‘We will not stand for turning students into consumers who are only worth their voice if they can pay.’

‘We have a vision of higher and further education, and that is a vision of free education treated as a public good.’

4 NEWS

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Geography Dept.

Recieves Accolades SUZANNAH BALL DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

Royal Holloway’s Geography department has received two Philip Leverhulme Prizes. Dr Katherine Brickell and Dr Harriet Hawkins, the recipients of the prestigious awards, are being recognised for their achievements as exceptional researchers. Their work is becoming widely known as their future careers hold great promise within the academic community.

The Philip Leverhulme Prize recognises the outstanding research of academics whose careers have already achieved international recognition. Each year the programme offers up to

30 awards, each containing a cash prize of £100,000, to a range of subject areas. The prizes have been offered since 2001 as a contribution to the academic community in the name of the Trust made by Philip Leverhulme, the Third Viscount Leverhulme and grandson of William Hesketh Lever, the founder of the Trust.

In 2016 the subject areas up for consideration included archaeology, chemistry and languages. The Prizes are intentionally broad in order to consider nominations regardless of their departmental affiliations.

Head of Geography, Professor Katie Willis declared her delight at the recogni-

tion both academics have received. She said ‘The Philip Leverhulme Prize scheme is highly competitive, so having two recipients in one department is a real testament to the research environment that we have created at Royal Holloway Geography.’

Dr Harriet Hawkins will use her prize money to develop her work alongside Creative Earth Futures, whilst Dr Katherine Brickell, who has accomplished major contributions to scholarship in the social sciences on gender injustices in domestic life, believes the award will give her time to develop a new research frontier around feminist legal geographies.

Major Power Cut Hits Founders West Students forced to evacuate are relocated to Windsor hotel SUZANNAH BALL DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, November 2nd, Founder’s West had a major power cut, with Royal Holloway deeming it ultimately unsafe for students and staff to remain in the building due to a lack of heat, water and electricity.

Alternative accommodation was organised at the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor, transport to and from the hotel was also in-

cluded.

Academics in the building were also forced to evacuate their offices and complete work in cafes around campus.

This caused disruption for lectures and seminars taking place during reading week as a lack of organisation ensued.

The college immediately apologised for the disruption caused by the maintenance failure, stating ‘We are doing everything that we can to restore the power, but the fix will not be completed until

tomorrow at the earliest.’

A damaged distribution board was found to be the cause of the major disturbance.

Various updates were broadcast over the Campus Life Twitter and the University’s Student News page.

Founder’s is a grade 1 listed building and is often cited as the most flammable building in Britain - any faults to do with the building are therefore taken very seriously.

Zaki Wins Major Documentary Prize

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Talented Royal Holloway PhD student Iris Zaki has won an award that recognises her as one of the best up-andcoming documentary makers in the UK. The student from the department of Media Arts won the Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary category at The Grierson Trust’s 2016 Awards in London.

Her prize-winning film, Women in Sink, uses an innovative and unique technique of her own devising named ‘the abandoned camera’, which allows her to film open conversations within closed communities.

Iris’s work in a hair salon owned by a Christian Arab in Haifa, Israel, enabled her to install a camera over a basin and chat to clients about topics including Israeli history, politics, life and love – all as

she was shampooing their hair.

The Grierson trust describes her film as painting ‘an unexpected choral portrait of this space that provides temporary freedom, where Arab and Jewish women share their differences and a community of views on politics, history and love.’

Iris was recognised alongside winners including the BBC, Channel 4 and Louis Theroux, who picked up the BBC Grierson Trustees' Award.

Talking about Iris’s win, her PhD supervisor, Professor John Ellis said, ‘For Women in Sink to win the Grierson is a double honour for Iris. Not only is it the most prestigious of the 12 awards won by her film, but John Grierson’s writing on documentary has also been a key source for her creative practice-based PhD research here at Royal Holloway.’

NEWS 5

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Brexit: The Next Chapter

On November 3rd, three senior judges ruled that MPs will be given a vote on when Britain can begin to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

At the beginning of this month, the biggest British political decision of recent times took another U-turn when the high court ruled that the British government does not have the authority to begin the process of Britain’s exit from the EU without the approval of parliament.

On Thursday, November 3rd, three senior judges ruled that MPs will be given a vote on when Britain can begin to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning formal discussions with the EU. This legal challenge of Theresa May’s powers as PM has caused the government to appeal against the decision, which will go straight to the supreme court, the hearing set for Wednesday, December 7th.

Although the government stated that the decision for Britain to leave the EU was taken by the public in the referendum on Thursday, June 23, and that its executive powers were sufficient to give notice to the EU on behalf of the cabinet, claimants challenged this, suggesting that the referendum was advisory, and that the decisive power rests with parliament.

Despite the disruption the high court’s decision has caused for Theresa May, who planned to begin withdrawal talks by the end of March 2017, it is extremely unlikely that it will cause any serious changes in terms of Britain actually leaving the EU. Gina Miller, a business woman and philanthropist, who was one of the main claimants that led the challenge, claimed that the case was never an attempt to overturn the referendum decision.

However, the result of this latest decision in a topic riddled with controversies has done little to soothe any concerns. The news was received with scepticism by many leave voters, who viewed the challenge as a desperate attempt by the metropolitan elite to disregard the will of the public, with Gina Miller receiving death threats within minutes of the ruling.

In order to reverse the high court’s decision, Theresa May’s lawyers must draw on Britain’s ‘dualist’ legal system, which marks a distinction between the UK’s obligation to international and domestic law. The 11 judges that will sit (the biggest court ever assembled) must be convinced that the triggering of article 50 is a purely international affair that has no direct impact on British citizen’s rights, and therefore does not require an Act of Parliament.

Cont. From Front Page Students have walked out of class in protest as well as massive groups of people congregating to block off traffic in cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle.

The hashtag appeared on signs all over the country.

Students, some not even old enough to vote, announced their need to take a stand as they now see their futures in danger.

In England many universities, including Royal Holloway, got involved in the election by holding a themed event within their union.

Royal Holloway hosted the event in Medicine, lasting from 9pm to 5am, offering American-style food and drink alongside commentary and explanation from the university’s Politics and International Relations Society and Department. Stalls were also set up throughout as students needed to be kept awake throughout the long night. Breakfast was also made available to those who were still there at 7am.

In Manchester, the Union’s Election Night resulted in violence rather than political education. The event had to be closed early due

to a fight breaking out between prominent Trump and Clinton supporters.

As live coverage of the event was played tension began to arise within the area. One student was warned they would have to leave the event if they shouted ‘build the wall’ one more time.

Sam Griffiths, a Politics, Philosophy and Economics student at Manchester University involved in the incident, exclusively told The Founder: ‘As it became more apparent Trump was going to win, the small group of Trump supporters started getting rowdier and taunted a few Clinton supporters.’

‘This resulted in a girl being grabbed round the throat, I then jumped in to push the guy away before I was punched in the face.’

Sam now has a nasal fracture alongside bad concussion.

Manchester’s SU announced closure but has made no further comments.

Although, after being elected, Trump erased his plan to ban all Muslims from the United States, at the moment it remains unclear the type of action Trump may choose or be able to enact as President.

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

jured during this incident but there could have been a much more serious outcome to this dangerous act.

‘Help us bring those responsible to justice. Surrey Police takes incidents of arson extremely seriously and I would urge anyone with any information, however small it may seem, to come forward.’

Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting reference 45160093719, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Arson In Egham A house in Egham was the subject of a terrifying arson attack when a lit item was pushed through a letterbox.

Surrey Police said it is currently investigating the fire in Corby Close that occurred at around 2.30am on Monday, October 24th.

DI Dee Fielding, leading the investigation, said: ‘Thankfully no-one was in-

6 OPINION AND DEBATE

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at opinion@thefounder.co.uk

[Debate]

Male Abortion Grounded in Equality, But Cemented in Theory IMOGEN TRINDER STUDENT WRITER

A controversial law has been proposed by the youth wing of Sweden’s Liberal Party that would allow the paternal party to ‘opt out’ of parenthood until 18 weeks into the pregnancy. This proposition is called ‘Male Abortion’. By being able to void themselves of all parental rights, some might argue that the male counterpart would be given the same level of choice that the female is given in terms of abortion. However, this policy is very flawed.

Firstly, the female would still be able to manipulate Male Abortion, as it’s her responsibility to inform the paternal party of her pregnancy. She may bypass the 18week limit the male has to make his decision on whether or not he chooses to exercise this proposed Male Abortion right. The female party could conceal her pregnancy from the father and therefore denounce him of any democratic abortion right, under the suggested terms of the Liberal Party.

Secondly, the law only works in theory. Although the male may initially choose to exercise his right of Male Abortion, if the father and the mother live within close proximity to one another and are on good terms, a relationship between the father and child could form regardless of the Male Abortion law acknowledged at 18 weeks of pregnancy. Circumstances are subject to change. In reality, both the mother and father are free to change their minds. Thus, male abortion becomes completely redundant.

In addition to the complications that could arise surrounding the parents’ relationship, the potential child’s wellbeing also has to be considered. What this

law suggests is that a child is born into the world legally free of a father. Male abortion denies a human a basic biological requirement. With the passing of this law, the child—who has no say in the matter beforehand—is denied the right to access their paternal heritage. This could have detrimental effects in terms of emotional stability and genealogy. For example, medical records could be denied to the child when they are needed. The logistics of what the child can and cannot access in terms of their paternal parent would have to be made very clear before the law passes, in order to avoid any unfair limitations on the child’s future.

Lastly, the financial implications of male abortions are huge and differ from country to country. The economic and social situations in various countries are so diverse that it’s impossible that one universal Male Abortion law could be passed. For example, the social system is fundamentally different in Sweden compared to the social systems of America or China. Not only this, the financial burden of the child could then fall to the state, the taxpayer, or be the sole responsibility of the mother.

The Male Abortion law, although grounded in equality, fails to achieve any of its aims and its only probable result is to further complicate matters. Situations are subject to change and there is no doubt that in some cases the fathers will attempt to repeal their Male Abortion right. Should the law effectively work for the male, then the questions of financial responsibility, legal access to records, and the emotional strain this is likely to put on all parties are raised. Therefore, the Male Abortion law is simply theoretical, and could never work in real life.

A Call for Equality MICHELE THEIL STUDENT WRITER

Feminism is a movement that calls for equality of the sexes.

From feminism, we expect to gain equal pay, equal opportunities, and equal rights for women. That being said, if feminism’s ultimate goal is to strive for equality of the sexes, shouldn’t this include men as well? Abortion rights for women have been implemented into systems of government for years.

Yet, it wasn’t until 1998, when a South Carolinian attorney wrote an article on the subject, that there was even a discussion about the parental rights of the father.

Finally, in March of 2016, the subject of ‘Male Abortion’ began to gain traction again. This idea procured the attention of an entire nation—and subsequently the entire world—when the Swedish Liberal Party proposed male abortion as a legal amendment.

Though the law was reportedly proposed by a group of females, some people view it as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘insulting’.

Male abortion specifically refers to the father of the child having the ability to choose whether or not to relinquish all paternal rights. If he decides to do so, he must make this decision before the 18th week of pregnancy. Not so coincidentally, the 18th week happens to be the final week a woman can legally terminate her pregnancy. What male abortion would mean for the father is that he would have no right to see the child after its birth, but also that he wouldn’t be legally obligated to pay child support.

While I may not be completely ‘for’ this idea of male abortion, I see some of the merits behind it.

The Liberal Party, and those who support male abortion, herald this as a feminist policy. The concept calls for equality of the sexes in regards to pregnancy, abortion, and children. This would allow expectant mothers to know whether the baby’s father is prepared to support the child in question and make alternative arrangements should he wish to ‘legally abort’ the child.

In theory, it should be simple. Men should be able to choose whether or not they want to be a parent, just as women do when they have the option of abortion or carrying to term. Many argue that ‘it takes two to make a baby’ when attempting to convince the paternal party to take responsibility for the child in question. If we expect men to be responsible, isn’t it right to give them a legal choice in the matter, too?

The father, if known, will always be held accountable for paying child support. The argument is that because men are forced to pay child support, there is a greater incentive for the man to pressure women into ending unwanted pregnancies due to financial issues. In addition, there is concern over increasing violence towards pregnant women due to avoidance of financial liability.

Male abortion is great in theory but it needs to be examined closely to see how it can work in real life situations. Whether it be the Male Abortion law proposed by the Swedish Liberal Party or an entirely new proposal, it is clear that some form of legislation should be implemented that would give men and women some resemblance of equality when it comes to childbearing and abortion.

Point And Counter-Point F

Weigh in on Twitter with the hashtag #maleabortion. Find us at @rhulfounder

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

OPINION AND DEBATE 7

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A Reaction To The U.S. Election

Photo by Amanda Hudson AMANDA HUDSON OPINION AND DEBATE EDITOR

18 months of exhaustion, 12 straight hours of visceral anxiety and 30 minutes of silence: these things are what this election season has brought me.

Early on a Wednesday morning, I sat alone in my living room and none of it felt real. It didn’t feel real that I had pulled an all-nighter, watching the election results roll in. It didn’t feel real that Hillary Clinton, our only beacon of hope, had lost. It didn’t feel real that he had won.

Maybe if I hadn’t painted my nails blue or made a frozen pizza for dinner that night or stayed up staring blankly at a screen while my optimism took blow after blow of bad news, everything would've turned out the way I had hoped. The fact of the matter remains that there is nothing that I could've

done to prevent the outcome of the election. The electoral college system, the distribution of voting stations, and the odds were always stacked against us.

It’s hard not to blame myself for the transgressions my country has made in electing Donald Trump. At what point am I able to separate myself from them? With them, I am part of a collective who chose to relinquish the highest seat in our nation to a man who has been likened to Adolf Hitler, Lord Voldemort, and the Great Pumpkin. Without them, I don’t have a home or a people to affiliate myself with.

My first reaction—as per usual when faced with considerable commitment—was to run. It would be easy; I’d find a willing participant, marry them for the coveted green card citizenship and never have to speak of

the country that betrayed me again.

Going on Facebook the next day was like pushing my hopes through a paper shredder. As you can imagine, my feed was an amalgam of emotions ranging from hate to indifference. One of the things that stood out to me the most was the number of people telling others how to feel. There was a lot of talk of ‘sour grapes’ going around, and attempts at invalidating the feelings of the losing side when they took to Facebook to grieve pervaded.

In my mind, we are not bitter because our candidate lost. The high strung emotions exhibited online and on the streets of America are not because we didn’t get our way. This is about so much more than points on a scoreboard. It’s about how nearly half of America could look at a candidate whose campaign has targeted so many marginalised groups, and either think, ‘This is who we want as the leader of our nation’ or be able to look past the racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia in order to serve themselves.

If you are the former, I want nothing to do with you.

If you are the latter, perhaps you should check your privilege. And if you are easily able to move on with your life and are telling others to do the same, you might want to consider that because of Trump’s America and the hatred that it has already incited these past two weeks, not everyone can.

Despite how difficult it was to immerse myself back into internet culture after the election, it helped me realise that running away from the problem is not the solution.

Renouncing my American citizenship and cutting all ties is not what a country that is bleeding out needs. It needs people to stay and fight for what we believe is right, which is exactly what I intend to do.

Why E-Voting Is A No Go BRYCE TIDWELL STUDENT WRITER

It’s impossible to talk about E-voting without covering the threat of cyber attackers influencing elections. When a voting system is moved online, the fear of electoral fraud becomes even more of an issue. It is far more likely that someone would tamper with a database than go from polling station to polling station to tamper with the votes. Security threats and the costs involved are the major reasons that keep governments from investing in online voting systems, and rightly so.

There haven’t been any breakthroughs that make it acceptably trustworthy, so why risk it?

E-voting already exists worldwide, and has for a few years now. In America, at least 31 states as well as D.C. let military and expatriate voters use the internet to submit marked ballots via email. Jeremy Epstein, a senior computer scientist at SRI international, says, ‘The motivation to offer internet voting is a good one to make it easier for geographically dispersed people’. In 2012 Alaska became the first state to allow internet voting to all of its residents, though this was largely due to its sheer size and relatively small population. At around 1.7 million square kilometres, Alaska’s population sits at 740,000 people. In this scenario, you can see why an online voting system might be necessary.

For context, the UK has a population of around 63.1 million and is only 243,610 square kilometres. It is very easy for the vast majority of

people to reach a polling station, and people who can’t reach polling stations because of other reasons—a physical disability or illness, for example—can always rely on a proxy vote. The process of setting up such a system here would be costly and timeconsuming. It can’t be worth all that money and work to marginally increase the ease of voting.

Pro E-voters often put forward the case that a computer-based voting system would allow people to vote with greater ease and, in turn, would increase voter turnout.

However, I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing. People who go out and vote do so because they feel they know what they want from an election. They have informed themselves on the options available to them in any given election and have aligned themselves with their chosen candidate. Introducing an online voting system may pull in these previously apathetic voters who chose to avoid voting based purely upon the physical effort required. But who wants a vote given with little thought? It stops being what the people want and becomes more about what people can be bothered to click.

Or worse, what people have been told to click on by family or friends.

I remain unconvinced that online voting systems propose any kind of solution. The ones that go out and vote were always going to do so. People need to believe that elections are important and that they can make a difference. They don’t need the voting process to be made any easier than it already is.

8 OPINION AND DEBATE

Our PostBrexit World

Email the editor at comment@thefounder.co.uk

Academia, immigration, and perception PETER LATHAM STUDENT WRITER

Rivers of blood are one of the many links that have bound Indian and British politicians. Yet, they are also symbolic of everything which divides their two nations.

Enoch Powell spoke of them with reference to the destruction of the British people, Gandhi of the liberation of the Indian people. Decades later, the issues remain identical, now that Theresa May is taking a hard-line against Indian wishes for more lenient student visas. Her stance may project the image of a strong confrontation of immigration, but it is an image which continues to reaffirm the detached nature of the government.

Indeed, Universities UK found that 88 percent of Britons do not believe international students should be considered immigrants. This lack of understanding promotes discontent and anger at the lack of government comprehension and continues fuelling the alienation which contributed to Brexit.

This discontent is also international. Keith Bennett spoke of Indian indignation: ‘We want [Indian] money and business but are not willing to teach their children’. Such perceptions are dangerous, especially in the post-expert world of Michael Gove. The irrationality of human emotions necessitates that Brit-

ain must project a careful image rather than rely on the economic numbers. Too business-like and states will perceive greed and aloofness.

Too much nostalgic obsequiousness and Britain will be disregarded.

Following the Brexit vote, it is crucial to promote a welcome atmosphere to avoid a brain drain. The benefits of retaining academic expertise certainly outweigh the costs.

Studies in Britain form a personal bond–approximately 60 percent of these ‘informal ambassadors’ stated their views of Britain changed, contributing towards a more sympathetic perception of Britain, with a better comprehension of British values. This enhances British soft power–the ‘ability to attract and co-opt as a means of persuasion’. Economic benefits are also evident. International students contribute 14 billion dollars to the British economy, alongside worldwide business links graduates establish. Other returns are innumerable and provide Britain with significant advantages.

Higher education also offers a potential negotiating chip with foreign nations.

Theresa May must be prepared to be hard-nosed, yet willing to make a compromise when needed. The potentially increased international student numbers is a justifiable concession, particularly if international students are removed from net migration figures. The victory of Donald

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Trump was ‘Brexit plus-plusplus’. If academics are uneasy about remaining in Britain, the USA faces bleaker prospects. Britain must take advantage of these opportunities in a post-Brexit world.

Integration is key–immigration deeply affected the referendum, but it would be wrong to cry xenophobia.

The British are a welcoming people, yet reservedly proud of their culture and heritage.

Thus, more must be done to address the ghettoisation and division of British communities affected by immigration.

Should integration succeed, tension and the ‘us-versusthem’ narrative will be reduced.

Theresa May noted Britain and India ‘share so much history’. What does she mean by this? Undoubtedly, she looks to the positive aspects.

There may be much to appreciate here, but it is vital she recognises the lessons. India in 1947 was in the midst of a disentanglement from a sub-continental union under remote rule for centuries.

Britain in 2016 is readying to enter the maelstrom of withdrawal from a continental union directed from Brussels with which it has been entwined for decades. The Indian experience was one of communal destruction, violence and 70 years of animosity with neighbours. The British experience must be different. For if it is not, the red tide will turn and rivers of blood will flow.

Unpaid, and Unfair DANNY ANGOVE STUDENT WRITER

Unpaid internships are great, aren’t they? What’s not to love? They’re a fantastic way to be initiated into a tricky industry, introduced to useful contacts, and gain lots of valuable experience in a field you want to work in. The unpaid internship scheme is virtually flawless if you can afford to live for a year without having to pay for a place to sleep in London. It’s the perfect opportunity for the hopeful graduate if they’re able to survive twelve months without eating, drinking or using electricity.

I suppose things could be worse. After all, unpaid work shifts are illegal. As it stands, businesses don’t have to pay their interns if the intern isn’t made to work set hours, or if the work being performed by the intern wouldn’t normally be performed by a paid member of staff. In short, unpaid internships are a legal grey area. There’s no fixed legislation surrounding unpaid internships, and nobody’s really sure where to draw the line between a paid worker and an unpaid intern.

A few weeks ago, the government had a chance to finally put an end to unpaid internships. A draft bill put forward by Conservative MP, Alec Shelbrooke, was debated in Parliament. This bill would’ve ensured that anyone working as an intern would be paid the minimum wage.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as it got. MPs discussed Shelbrooke’s propositions for four hours before voting against them and blocking the legislation.

On the surface, this seems like bad news for young people. Still, the government’s verdict makes sense, doesn’t it? As Business Minister, Margot James argued the proposals might ‘undermine existing employment laws’ and could even put financial pressure on firms. When you think of it like that, the government’s decision holds water. Can you imagine the strain that would come from businesses actually having to give interns some basic employment rights?

Can you imagine the uproar in the office when the bosses find out that they –dare I say it– actually have to pay the people that are working for them?

This country’s normalisation of unpaid internships isn’t right, and something needs to be done about it. If you’re spending a year working for a company –any company– then you deserve to be paid for the work you’re doing. It’s as simple as that.

As a working-class guy from Plymouth, I think I can safely say that I won’t be able to afford to do an unpaid internship anytime soon. Does this mean that I’m less worthy of a career in the media than somebody who can afford to?

Of course not. Does it mean that I shouldn’t have the same opportunities as somebody who happens to live in London, or somebody whose parents have more money than mine? No, it doesn’t.

What it does mean is that my post-graduate options are more limited than those of somebody who can afford to live for a year without earning any money from their day job.

I don’t think that’s fair, and you shouldn’t either.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

LIFESTYLE 9

Autumn Fashion Guide

LUCY MAY MCCRACKEN & HOPE PURCELL STUDENT WRITERS

The leaves are changing colour, the days are getting darker and it’s hard to leave the house without grabbing a scarf, or two. However, you don't quite have to grab your hat and gloves just yet, but you can wrestle out that new coat you ordered from ASOS back in September. It’s time to stop wearing your skirt without tights and trade in your summer flats for cosy boots. But all is not lost - autumn fashion this year brings more stylish trends to brighten up those dark afternoons!

METALLIC

Love it or hate it, metallic is big this season. This runway trend has slowly worked its way through the high street and crept into our wardrobe. After the MetBall earlier this year, and subtle shades of silver weaving their way through Louis Vuitton and Alexander Wang, there is no wonder fashion-savvy stars are making the most of a change from boring brown. Like magpies, we’ve had plenty of silver hidden in our closets ready and waiting after too many late night ASOS orders and Topshop sale bargains. This is great news for any of you who’ve always wanted to wear that silver metallic skirt to your lecture when you could only wear it to the SU before. Be bold and go for it! Here are our own favourites for this month - Lucy’s Metallic Shopper Tote and Hope’s Silver Boots.

COATS & JACKETS

As always these are your ready-to-wear autumn staple.

Thin enough for the odd double-figure day and cosy enough to wrap around you when the wind chills. Everyone needs a timeless fall coat. This year anything goes - with pastel colours & animal print at the fore. With Alexa Chung bringing out the most gorgeous collection with M&S, Archive by Alexa, we see the fur coat make a grand return. The Crown Jacket is a beautiful re-imagination of vintage styling with modern tailoring - the hood being such a twist!

STATEMENT BOOTS

In the most likely case of slipping down Egham hill in your ballet flats, we suggest investing in some statement boots.

A difficult time for all, so we’re trying to cushion the blow by making our boots the talking point of an outfit. They can be the perfect way to brighten up a cosy lecture outfit as well as combining some of our favourite autumn trends.

We are all for pretending to ourselves that they are a more stylish, yet equally practical version of the Clark’s boots our Mum’s wanted us to buy. Take a look at these Topshop embroidered beauties. They are right at the top of our Christmas list and guaranteed to put a spring in our step for a 9am.

THE LIST: The Crown Jacket £99, Archive by Alexa @ M&S Leopard Coat £85, Topshop ASOS Edith Embroidered Boots £55, ASOS New Look Metallic Heeled Ankle Boot £29.99, New Look Metallic Cross-body Bag, £12.99, Zara

10 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

Forget Online Dating: Why You Should Borrow A Dog Instead EMILY MAY WEBBER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

There is nothing quite like the self-satisfaction of your essays being completed and, instead of Bedford, your Sunday afternoon is spent strolling through Virginia Water whilst attempting to post an (I have my life together) Instagram photo. There comes a time, however, where clutching

'I felt

like I was going on a blind date,' your iPhone whilst admiring the dogs of TW20 just doesn’t cut it anymore. Especially when you have a whole kennel club of canines tottering around your feet. It wasn’t until late night scrolling through Google that I discovered a website where I could fill that empty gap of being with my dog. I could have all the benefits of an owner, without actually having to own one.

The site ‘Borrow My Doggy’ is the creation of 39-yearold Rikke Rosenlund. After walking a neighbour’s Labrador, the brain wave for the business was born. Why

The site ‘Borrow My Doggy’ is the creation of 39-year-old Rikke Rosenlund. Photos by Emily May Webber. should owners have to spend money for people to take care of their dogs, when so many would happily do this for free?

As a student, having a dog at University is something that would be quite tricky.

For many students who have grown up with a pet, moving away to University can sometimes appear a little lonely without a canine companion chewing your slipper.

Over half a million of us in the UK are borrowing dogs, so I wanted to try myself. After all, I couldn’t bear walking without a four-legged friend again. As soon as I logged on, I was presented with a whole

series of dogs in my area that needed someone to take care of them. Think Tinder, yet without the creepy pictures, and awkward ‘about me’ sections. Not long after sending some messages to dogs that were close to my location, I received a message from the owner of Nacho, a Miniature Pincher who needed some extra walks and attention. After a few messages, we decided to meet at the visitor centre in the park. I felt like I was on a blind date, was he going to like me, would I recognise him from his profile picture?

After meeting Nacho’s owner, we took him for a walk along

the lake, his little legs leading the way whilst we got to know each other. Within the next few weeks, Nacho and I have been on walks with each other, and are quite content with each other’s company. It’s nice to know whilst his owner is out, I can enjoy some time with him.

It’s surprising how such a simple concept has never been thought of before.

So if you are stuck in the library, missing your dog, or just want to help someone in the area, why not borrow a dog? Just a break in the outdoors from the cycle of essays and reading can be the

best therapy.

Here are my tips for becoming a borrower: 1. On your first meeting, arrange to meet in a social area, and maybe take a friend.

Virginia Water visitor centre is a great way to get to know the owner and see how the pup is on the lead whilst surrounded by other dogs.

2. Only message dogs on the website if they are verified.

This means that they have paid the membership fee, so are ready for their doggy to be borrowed. Also, check out the activity bar to see how often they log on.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

LIFESTYLE 11

Yoga, Your Way JESS PORRETT STUDENT WRITER

To the uninitiated, yoga can seem like a terrifying world of ridiculously bendy girls and wise flowery gurus spouting wisdom and meditating. This is not true. Yoga is whatever you want it to be, from a quick stretch to a full two hours of poses, meditation and chanting. It can be done by anyone, and should be done by everyone. Yoga builds muscle strength, improves posture, and releases endorphins, creating happiness and relaxation. When you put it like that, why wouldn’t you try it?

I came to yoga four years ago after I tripped and severely injured my knee to the point where I could barely walk. I had to stop normal exercise leading to weight gain and

depression. However, after a conversation with my physiotherapist, he recommended that I try some very gentle yoga to reduce the swelling in my joint. With this advice, I bought myself a £5 mat from Amazon and I got started on a 30-day yoga challenge. I am proud to say that I have done yoga almost every day since.

I became stronger, fitter and much happier. I went from barely being able to touch my ankles to comfortably touching the floor in a month, something I had struggled to do for my entire childhood.

My yogic journey has gone from strength to strength.

Most recently it saw me qualifying as yoga instructor at the beginning of October, with my level 3 diploma approaching in the New Year.

After deciding to qualify as

a teacher, I decided to build a yoga brand and with the help of my boyfriend we created ‘Yourga’. Yourga is all about doing your own practice, your way, rather than confining yourself to one branch of teaching. I wanted to create an inclusive programme that anyone could join, safe in the knowledge that they would never be shamed for not being able to achieve a pose. As I came to yoga injured and inflexible I welcome anyone who believes they are limited by something, because I love showing them that there is a way forward no matter how small. Yoga is fantastic for mental and physical health, which is why I think it is so important for students to try it. Taking an hour out of your day, once a week, to forget about university life is in-

Follow @_yourga on Instagram or on Twitter. credibly beneficial, you never know you might build yourself a good habit for life.

I currently teach twice a week in Englefield Green and hope to expand to offer more

classes next term so that I really can cater for every level of experience. To find out more, visit www.yourga.co.uk or follow @_yourga on Instagram or Twitter.

Experienced in web design?

Looking to get involved in student media?

The Founder is looking for

Check our Facebook page to find out more!

Applications are due by 2nd December.

12 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

Cycling Coasts Into Fashion on Campus LYDIA CASTELLANO STUDENT WRITER

There are over 600 spaces to store a bike on campus. Photo by Lydia Castellano.

Student Sentiment "You're moving so quickly...you can feel like you're flying on descents. When you get home from a long ride you get an endorphin-rush, contrasting the adrenaline rush you had whilst riding. It's easy to see why people invest so much and dress up like weirdos then get addicted to the sport."

- Christian Preston Rubio, Third Year Biology Student

Within the last few years the swap to cycling has become the latest trend. With people wanting to do their bit for the environment and following the success of British cyclists at the Olympics and the Tour de France, there is no wonder getting on two wheels has taken the UK by storm.

From watching the success of Team GB over the summer I was inspired and, with this in mind, I bought a bike with a basket to carry my books and decided to start cycling to university for my second year. I did this mainly as I live a little further away from campus than I did while in halls, and with the time constraints of deadlines I felt that cycling would be an easy way to fit in exercise to help me de-stress - and to help my waistline.

Cycling on campus can be difficult at times, with over 9000 students attending Royal Holloway it is understandable that paths and roads can get congested.

However, I have found it to be a far faster way of getting around, aided by the space available in the shelters to lock the bikes. There are over 600 spaces to store your bike on campus, and the two sets of shelters outside the Windsor building are a useful base for your day.

The predominantly covered bike stores are also in other

key places such as outside the Students’ Union, the Hub and in Founder’s. In all, I have found that cycling and storing a bike on campus is far easier and faster than driving in and finding a parking space (not to mention the dreaded fines for forgetting to register your car!).

Ease of access is not only found through bike shelters on campus, but also through the cycle paths that link Egham and Englefield Green. These make tackling Egham Hill just that little bit easier. With the heavy and intimidating flow of traffic being off-putting for some students, the knowledge that the wide pavements are for pedestrians and cyclists alike is a comforting one. If the uphill climb proves to be a sweaty challenge, there are showers available for the more fragrant of us in the Sports Centre and at Founder’s East 127, which should offset any concerns about sitting in close proximity to others in seminars and lecture halls.

The decision to ditch my car for a bike in my daily commute is one that I have been happy to make as my petrol consumption has lowered significantly, for which my bank balance is grateful. My walking time has been cut from a 15-minute walk to only a (google-maps-calculated) 7 minutes. With all of this taken into account, I highly recommend students of all ages and abilities to give cycling to university a go. Who knows what opportunities lie within this?

You may just end up being the next Bradley Wiggins.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

FEATURES 13

Ten Years

Nine Editors

Thousands of stories, on and off the page.

THOMAS HAWKINS FEATURES EDITOR

IN DECEMBER 2006, Royal Holloway’s first issue of The Founder made it to print. To mark the success of The Founder on its 10th birthday, we caught up with some of the previous editors. All of them have found their way into different aspects of journalism. Here are their stories, their successes, and some of their advice for current students at Royal Holloway.

14 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

Founding The Founder I vividly remember the moment on the morning of Friday 8 December 2006 when I got the call from the then-President of the Students’ Union, Rob Coveney.

“Erm, Jack? Your newspapers are here...”

Excitedly, I walk-jogged up to the SU, and there they were. A pallet of newspapers – our newspapers. A small crowd had already built up around the pallet, leafing through the pages. Among them was Rob, who on seeing me had a slightly quizzical expression. “Well done Jack, this is great. Just one thing, there’s a quite significant error in this front page story.”

Alas, I had written the story, which was a report on the last general meeting of the SU. Apparently I hadn’t understood the difference between a budgetary deficit, and a straight-up deficit; and had accidentally implied that the Students’ Union was losing thousands of pounds a week. And so the second issue of The Founder included our first ever correction.

The days, weeks and months leading up to that fateful day had seen me and a small clutch of my fellow freshers – mostly residing in Block B of Wedderburn – devising and carrying out the work necessary to create The Founder. For me, the concept had arisen from a dissatisfaction with The Orbital. It was alright, but it was a glossy magazine. I had noticed that friends of mine at

other universities had student newspapers, and something about the tactile nature of newsprint resonated with me.

And so the process began, and a matter of weeks after term had started, we had an editorial board. The idea of the newspaper was originally proposed as something we could set up via the Students’ Union, but on encountering a fair amount of bureaucracy and resistance, we decided to go it alone. Co-founder Simon Hepher, another Wedderburn resident, had spent some of his gap year gaining work experience at the global creative agency BBH, and was well placed to lead the business side of things. Together, we traipsed around Egham, Staines and Windsor trying to drum up interest from potential advertisers.

Fortunately for us, there were enough businesses willing to take a punt, and to get us going, and for the first five weeks of spring term in 2007, we produced a weekly newspaper. By reading week, this had almost killed us, and we dropped to fortnightly. To be honest, fortnightly was still pretty intense, and as I understand it, The Founder now has a much saner production schedule!

I’m immensely proud of The Founder, and of the fact that ten years on it’s still going strong. The newspaper had an enormous impact on me.

For one, I partly blame it for causing me to take six years to complete my degree! Yes dear reader, I only actually gradu-

ated in 2012. This wasn’t all down to incompetence: I took a year out to help set up Royal Holloway Entrepreneurs, and did my third year part-time over two years.

But in a much grander sense, The Founder has helped me at every stage of my life so far. How I make my living today is partly a result of the experience I gained working on the newspaper. Since 2013 I have worked at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. The stated goal of WordPress is to democratise publishing, and it’s such a pleasure to be part of an organisation working towards this aim.

I hope you enjoy reading this 10th anniversary issue of The Founder. Or at least if you don’t enjoy it, that the irritation it causes you motivates you to write something yourself. The Founder belongs to all of the students at Royal Holloway. It is the product of you and your peers. And if you have the slightest inclination to contribute, I would highly encourage you to do so. Perhaps what has brought me more pride than anything else when it comes to The Founder, is the way that it has enabled so many students of Royal Holloway to gain jobs as journalists and creatives in the news and media industries. Thank you for reading this far, and good luck with everything that you do.

Jack Lenox, Founder and

Editor-in-Chief 2006-2011

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

Ashley Coates,

Editor-in-Chief 2011-2012 ““Editing The Founder won’t take up much of your time”, so said Founder Founder, Jack Lenox in May of 2011. Clearly Jack and I have very different ideas of “much of my time” as I became the foremost activity in my life as the year progressed. Entirely by choice, I should stress.

To the cost of the individuals concerned, this is where I first began experimenting with a range of intriguing management techniques. Some of the board may remember my weekly Donald Rumsfield-style memos that, I now realise, no-one read.

My years since The Founder have included brief

periods on journalism, or journalism-related activities.

I went to journo school, spent 18 months working for an MP in the House of Commons , 6 months at the PR agency Weber Shandwick, and I am now splitting my time between the Evening Standard and independent outlets, editing and writing feature content.

In terms of advice for students at Royal Holloway, you must make the most of the Surrey/Berkshire countryside setting before you are inevitable sucked into a city of some sort. Spend time at the lake, Wentworth, Guards, Datchet, and Windsor Great Park. It won’t be long before the closest you can get to a green space is Hampstead Heath”

Rose Walker,

Editor-in-Chief 2014-2015 “I was editor of The Founder during the 2014-15 academic year and my final year at Royal Holloway. I joined The Founder because I already knew people on the team and I liked its independent nature.

I was originally Deputy Arts Editor and then Features Editor before becoming Editor.

It was tremendously stressful, but also hugely rewarding - and it paid off. I was lucky enough to get a job straight after graduating last year. I’m a reporter at Legal Week, a magazine based in central London and I took cuttings of my articles from The Founder to my interviews for the job.

It was a clear sign I'd been committed to journalism for a while.

If you’re interested in a career in journalism then you must get involved with student media; whether that's The Founder, the Orbital, Rhubarb TV or Insanity Radio. The more people you talk to, you might find they have contacts at national newspapers or other publications you can then get work experience at, which is also what I did.

I’ll always be hugely grateful to The Founder, the team I worked with, and the people who influenced me to get involved in the first place.”

Not Featured: Rich Cunningham, Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014 Sami Roberts, Co-Editor-in-Cheif 2015-2016

FEATURES 15 "

The idea of the newspaper was originally proposed as something we could set up via the Students’ Union, but on encountering a fair amount of bureaucracy and resistance, we decided to go it alone. "

Thomas Seal,

Editor-in-Chief 2012-2013 “I'm a reporter at Bloomberg News, where I mainly write about money.

Before that, I worked at my hometown's local newspaper on the Isle of Wight, which involved fewer billionaires.

I loved working on the Founder, and have fond memories of Very Important SU quarrels, staying up through the night designing the pages, and working with some wonderful people.

I don't usually give advice—but seeing as you asked, I would recommend

the following, which worked for me. Whittle down: in first year, take a chance on any activity which even remotely interests you (the masochist in me chose debating and rowing); in second year, keep the ones you learned you like; and in third year, work hard. Also read good books, try to meet all the amazing people who have converged in the unlikely locale that is Egham, and sleep as much as you can… while you still have the chance.

(And write for the Founder.)”

Jasper Watkins

Co-Editor-in-Chief 2015-2016 I was co-editor of The Founder for 2015-2016, a great experience which I could not have done without the help of so many people, including some members of the brave few that continue to run this wonderful paper.

Leaving Royal Holloway is something that everyone has to do, but in its finiteness, there is something as important about finishing university as there is starting it. To those freshers that have most of first term under their belt I

would say keep on keeping on and there is no excuse not to do or achieve, beyond studying, while as an undergraduate. The books will always be there, the opportunity to meet such a wide range of people similar to you may not. Unless you do an MA like me where it’s basically more of the same.

For those who will be leaving next summer: embrace the end, and your friends, and go boldly into the uncertain future.

16 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

SPECIAL THANKS to you, the reader, for continuing to support the independent newspaper. To get involved, email us at editor@ thefounder.co.uk, or check out our page on Facebook - THE FOUNDER STAFF

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

17

18 ARTS

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

Thick Time At The White Chapel

William Kentridge holds first solo presentation in fifteen years.

GEMMA TADMAN ARTS EDITOR

Legendary South African artist William Kentridge is back for his first solo presentation in the UK for the first time in fifteen years, and he certainly has not returned quietly. He brings his quirky but insightful artistic prowess to Whitechapel Gallery in London, between the 21st of September 2016 and the 15th of January 2017. Known for his short films and animations, drawings and lecture performances, the artist uses his expanded skill set to explore notions of colonialism, apartheid, the industrial revolution, and time and relativity, in a spell-binding showcase made up of six immersive works, titled Thick Time.

When one first enters the exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery in London, they are greeted by a towering sculpture built from a brass megaphone and bicycle parts atop an old-school photographic tripod. The piece immediately sets the scene for what is to come and what Kentridge is all about. Past this, one enters a darkened room exploding with elephantine sounds.

The Refusal of Time (completed 2003), which is the shows central installation, arranges six screens unfolding half-an-hours’ worth of collaged images, short films, and brush-and-ink moving pictures. In the middle of the room sits an overwhelming wooden mechanical device that pumps infernally, which sits in line with the exhibition’s focus on the industrial revolution and scientific progress, as the screens relay content surrounding colonial expansion and capitalist production.

It is hard to concentrate on

any one aspect at one time, be that a particular screen, the bellowing music, or the thrusting of the machine in the rooms centre. This stands in line with the way that life, and time, works. One cannot concentrate on any one thing at once because life is a mishmash of comings and goings, crises, conflicting emotions, and progressions and backslides. There will always be something pumping away in the background of your own life; out of your control.

In this way, the piece is dramatically relevant. Kentridge himself features in many of his animations, himself helping to explore the wacky world of his art.

The central piece was inspired by conversations that took place between Kentridge and American scientist Peter Galison discussing theories of time. The Refusal of Time was accomplished with help from Galison, along with composer Philip Miller, and projection designer and editor Catherine Meyburgh.

The final piece of the exhibition, a five-channel video installation, is titled O Sentimental Machine (originally commissioned for SALTWATER, 14th Istanbul Biennial, 2015). The work stands in critique of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, contesting his belief that people are ‘sentimental but programmable machines.’ Five retro chairs stand in a line in the middle of the installation, whilst subtitled videos of speeches

by Trotsky, as well as videos of his exile in Istanbul, are projected onto the closed glass of doors either side of the installation. In this way the viewer is invited to take a seat and enabled to observe what happens behind the closed doors of revolutionary politics, as well as the closed

(BOTTOM LEFT, BOTTOM RIGHT) A mechanical device that pumps infernally, in line with the exhibition's focus on the industrial revolution and scientific progress. Photos by Gemma Tadman. doors of Trotsky’s mind.

Thick Time is curated by Iwona Blazwick, the director of Whitechapel Gallery, and Sabine Breitwieser, the Director of Museum der Moderne Salzburg. The thought provoking and, quite frankly,

at times, boggling exhibition is organised to be shown at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek in Denmark (16 February – 18 June 2017), Museum der Modern Kunst Salzburg (22 July – 5 November 2017), and

the Whitworth, University of Manchester (2018). Thick Time will be showing at the Whitechapel Galley until the 15th January 2017, so be sure to catch it in London before time, quite literally, moves away.

ARTS 19

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at arts@thefounder.co.uk

Stoner: A Review Back To The Peasant Pits

CONNOR DEITH STUDENT WRITER

For most people, John Williams is the name of the musical genius behind the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter soundtracks. In fact, there’s an entire Wikipedia page called ‘John Williams (disambiguation)’ dedicated to the less famous men of history who share the same name. How very apt, when considering John Williams’s (disambiguation) Stoner, the story of an English professor in the American Midwest who, despite his distinguished title, fails in virtually every other aspect of his life. His marriage is a failure, his spontaneous affair with a promising student is destroyed by his many resentful colleagues, and he is not held in any great esteem by those who knew him: ‘His name is merely a sound which evokes no sense of the past and no identity with which they can associate themselves’. With this in

mind, upon finishing Stoner, I couldn’t help but feel awestruck at what seemed to be a magnificent study of the mundane and the hopeless.

Williams demonstrates how even those with the most uninspiring lives imaginable can still have a meaningful story to impart in wonderfully concise prose that contrasts with the solemnity of the narrative. It was almost as if I’d read a ‘how to’ guide on how not to live your life. That is to say that the life of William Stoner is one where nearly everything goes horribly wrong precisely because he consciously lets these things happen. Stoner starts out as being passive to the extreme in most regards.

It is only when he discovers the illusive world of English literature and the wealth it has to offer that he takes the opportunity to immerse himself in his new-found obsession in order to become a more rounded character. His academic pursuits are noble,

up until the point where he reaches the pinnacle of his profession by becoming a professor; this is when we observe his regression into stasis once again. He becomes infatuated with a woman called Edith upon meeting her at a formal dinner party, who later becomes his wife. However, their marriage descends into years of rivalry that spawns from the fact that they never loved each other on a meaningful level. His professional life is undermined by colleagues and students alike who refuse to fully appreciate his intellect due to his unimpressionable demeanour and humble background as a deadbeat farmer’s son. These particular strands of unbearable hopelessness continue throughout the novel, epitomised by the following phrase when we find Stoner in a state of bitter nostalgia: ‘He was forty-two years old, and he could see nothing before him that he wished to enjoy and little behind him that he cared to remember’.

All this makes me question why I found the book so enjoyable, and why I would recommend it to any ardent reader. It has been said that Stoner is very much a ‘reader’s novel’, in that it evokes within oneself a memory of what first got them invested in literature. It emphasises the importance of reading and the beauty that can be found in a meaningful novel. I certainly felt the same, yet I still found another message. It conveyed to me a sense of purpose, that there truly is a meaning to life.

Your duty is simply to find it for yourself, and once you do, you must run with it and let it consume you until you achieve something, anything, in order to avoid ending up like our poor protagonist.

That, in my opinion, is the beauty of Stoner.

Emma Rice to be replaced at the Globe HARRIET MCKINLEY SMITH STUDENT WRITER

So far, 2016 has been a year to truly shake the world.

Brexit actually happened.

Donald Trump became President of the United States.

And, in the world of theatre, Emma Rice is to be replaced as artistic director at the Globe in London. You may be thinking that Rice’s sacking is hardly to be compared to two of the utmost western political manoeuvres of the 21st Century. But all three do, however, collectively involve taking a step back into the past, or potentially, even further: The Dark Ages of Shakespeare.

It is possible to understand the Globe’s perspective. The building was, after all, designed as somewhere people could go to experience Elizabethan theatre. However, the building itself is a replica.

When you go and see the latest adaptation of Hamlet, you are sitting in a building that was built in 1997, not 1599.

The original burned down countless years ago. One of the reasons for Rice’s unfair departure, amongst other things, is her decision to use modern lighting. Surely, the Globe’s concerned debate over authenticity is flawed, considering that the audience isn't sat in an authentic Elizabethan theatre. They are not covered in mud and lice, and they are not watching an all-male cast. The people who claim that Rice’s dynamic

approach is sacrilegious are hypocritical. It is impossible to see a play the way it was performed originally, and if it were, they would be the first to complain about the smell.

In his time, Shakespeare was popular amongst the masses. His plays were designed to entertain both the peasants and the monarchy.

Today, Emma Rice actually came close to achieving this.

CEO Neil Constable said her productions bring in, ‘exceptionally strong box office returns.’ It is easy to see how she is making Shakespeare more accessible to the public, be it through her reworked version of Cymbeline- Innogen, or her radical use of fantastical lighting in Macbeth. The way she reinvents Shakespeare in order to cater to her audience is exactly something that Shakespeare did. Those who accuse her of not being authentic could not be more wrong. Would Shakespeare have ignored the ability to include extravagant lighting, if he could? Let us not forget that the reason the original Globe burnt down, was the result of when a stunt with a cannon went drastically wrong. Shakespeare and Rice share a unique artistic vision that helps to reinvigorate theatre, and to sell tickets. Rice’s reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s plays made huge steps in developing an innovative season. But now, it would seem that her attempts were all in vain. The Globe Theatre is back to square one.

20 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

Tarantino Retires

An analysis of the decision and his ultimate purpose.

JACK SALVADORI STUDENT WRITER

It began as a rumour last year and petrified us all: a thunder that destroyed the peace of a clear night, an inconceivable idea beyond any cinephile’s imagination and a nightmare that quickly spread among film lovers. Now, the rumour has turned into truth.

Quentin Tarantino, the most influential film director of the past 20 years, has announced his retirement.

Arguably, he has not retired yet, but as confirmed in his latest interview he has planned to stop after only two more films. But why does the greatest and most fanatic film buff want to quit his career?

Firstly, he has achieved all the success he could possibly dream of: Palme d’Or, Academy Awards, and what he cares about most, the sincere devotion of all his fans. Tarantino began his career with nothing besides raw talent and a genuine worship for motion pictures. Originally working in a video rental shop for years, he had the chance to see (and study) ‘every’ possible film, and when he was not watching, he was writing his scripts.

He craved to join that faraway world that he admired with so much desire and ended up changing it forever, crafting it in his own unique way and ultimately becoming the icon of our generation’s cinema. Thus, why does this man want to abandon such an inspirational presence that he achieved after such tireless effort?

Tarantino is not tired of making cinema, but he wants to become cinema forever.

Just like the great authors that we associate with the concept of cinema itself, such as Kubrick, Hitchcock, Chaplin, Scorsese and Welles, he wants to be remembered as one of the supreme cinematic artists throughout history. As a matter of fact, he is and has been the key figure in the industry for the past two decades, but for him this is still not enough. Possessing a perfect filmography, Tarantino wants to remain the beacon of light for future generations to come, and in his opinion the only way to achieve this is by quitting his stellar career, without running the risk of jeopardising it. Overall he would have 10 movies to his name (an easy number to remember), not excessively long like most directors, but, considering the quality, significant enough to be near impossible to match. If we consider the ‘greats’ of the past, each director has at least one movie that was perceived as lesser compared to their major works. However, Tarantino has not experienced this yet and certainly does not want it to happen. Once establishing the unchallenged status of his 8 controversial, radical, ground-breaking and, ultimately, untouchable pictures, it is important to understand the significance of retiring at the ideal moment; whilst still at the top.

Tarantino chooses quality rather than profits. If he were to continue to make films forever, he would inevitably end

up producing a movie that would somehow be inferior.

Of course, his fans would excuse him and wait for a new project, but he would never forgive such a downfall in his own career.

Tarantino likes to define himself not as a writer or a director, but as an artist - and wants to be remembered as such. Furthermore, he is not completely retiring - he only wishes to complete his career in cinema to explore new artistic fields. In fact, he has already comforted his fans by assuring them that he will not disappear, but rather work on different platforms, i.e. books, critiques, essays and novels. He may also work on the small screen via a TV series and could even switch to theatre, directing plays and touring across the world.

Could you imagine a Tarantino-esque theatre production?

I certainly cannot, but in any case, I would sit in the front row.

In the end, a big question still remains: will Tarantino actually be able to retire from cinema - to detoxify from his drug, that has us addicted too? Can his platonic love be inhibited by his historical ambition? The thought that ‘Written and directed

by Quentin Tarantino’ will appear on the screen only 2 more times makes me shudder. For the moment, we can only wait with trepidation for his final films, and, if possible, appreciate them even more, bearing in mind that the ecstasy spread by watching a new Tarantino film is a feeling that will not last forever.

In his latest interview, director Quentin Tarantino confirmed his plans to retire after the completion of only two more films.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

ARTS: FILM 21

[Review] The Young Pope: Pseudo-Film Series Questions Catholicism ANNA LUCCHINETTI STUDENT WRITER

After the success of The Great Beauty and Youth, Paolo Sorrentino ends this year with another innovative creation: The Young Pope. The show premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September and tickets for the premiere sold out within an hour. Jude Law is the star with the role of Lanny Belardo, the first American Pope in history.

Other well-known actors are Diane Keaton portraying Sister Mary, Italian actor Stefano Accorsi as the Prime Minister and Spanish actor Javier Camara as Bernardo Monsignor Gutierrez.

Paolo Sorrentino defines his creation as, ‘The clear signs of God’s existence. The

clear signs of God’s absence.

How faith can be searched for and lost. The greatness of holiness, so great as to be unbearable when you are fighting temptations and when all you can do is to yield to them. The inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the head of the Catholic Church and the miseries of the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose as Pontiff. Finally, how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one’s neighbour.’

The story begins with Lanny Belardo’s nomination as the new Pontiff. The name he chooses, Pius XIII, is symbolic of how he is going to act in the course of his

pontificate. In fact, all the previous Popes of that name had strongly shaken the basement on which the Catholic Church is built.

Sorrentino pictures the young Pope as the revolutionary figure the Catholic system craves. With his latest creation, Sorrentino aims to question the structure of Catholicism and the function of religion itself. What would happen if the next Pope would be someone who secretly supports gay marriages, abortions, divorce and actually calls into doubt the existence of God? How relevant should religion be when discussing political issues? The Young Pope explores all these themes by presenting an innovative and groundbreaking method of studying the Vatican State. The use of Lanny Belardo’s perspective allows Sorren-

tino to picture typical life in the Pontifical state with an extremely critical and judgmental lens. He is pictured as the Pope who is going to change the Catholic System as God tells him, by starting from the very core.

All the episodes are mainly about Belardo’s aim to spotlight every defect and form of corruption that affects the Catholic Church. In the chapters released so far, Belardo demonstrates his disapproval of the whole prestige that is gifted to the figure of the Pope, who would normally punish all those who disobey God’s law, such as homosexuals, paedophiles and alcoholic priests. However, it is possible to say that Belardo’s battle against the system is exceedingly contradictory. In effect, even though he defines him-

self as the spokesman of God’s will and the man who will persecute all the sinners, it is possible to say that Pius XIII is a sinner himself – i.e. he does not only have moments of deep insecurity about God’s existence, but is also such a narcissist he sometimes he feels superior to Him, and further relies more on his abilities as a political strategist rather than as a religious guide.

The ten-episode series debuted in the UK on the 27th of October and is now showing on Sky Atlantic.

Anna's Rating:

It's A Wonderful Time To Die Hard JACOB JEWITT-JALLAND STUDENT WRITER

‘Now I have a machine gun, ho ho ho’.

It is Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza. At the office party, the lights twinkle off the tinsel hung around the trees and the champagne is flowing.

John McClane has just flown in from New York to reconcile with his estranged wife and visit his young daughter. You can almost smell the mince pies and mulled wine wafting out of the screen. It truly is a tableau fit for a Christmas card, until, of course, machine-gun wielding terrorists burst into the building, start taking hostages and begin executing anyone who stands in the way of their six-hundredmillion-dollar heist. This is certainly not how any Christmas parties I have ever been

to have ended.

Action maestro John McTiernan unashamedly uses the magic of Christmas, and its traditional value of bringing families together, to heighten the emotional engagement of the film.

Heart-wrenching backstories, a folding marriage, even cute kids exploited by media jackals, are just some of the ways we are encouraged to think of Die Hard as more than a bog-standard action flick. Not that this clever technique is immediately noticeable, so deafening are the gunshots and so blinding are the explosions in this surprisingly compact two-hour thrill ride, that it is not until we hear the calming vocals of Vaughn Monroe singing Let It Snow that we sit back, clutching our hearts in our heaving chests and realise to

ourselves, ‘that was actually a Christmas film all along!’

Released as a summer blockbuster in the States, Die Hard is the perfect Christmas film because it does not purport to be exactly that; nobody sits down to watch John McClane mow terrorists down with a sub-machine gun with the same emotional expectation as they do gathering around to see James Stewart's overtly heart-warming redemption in It's a Wonderful Life (and yet that is exactly what we receive).

Amazingly, Die Hard is perhaps the most moving Christmas film of them all because we do not look at it with the hope of such a happy ending.

Of course, with most modern action pieces, the handsome actor (so wooden they had to wax his hair with a J-cloth) and the beautiful actress have their bland and passionless kiss, and

Die Hard does not exactly shy away from that stereotype; however, the family dynamic established within the narrative and the relatable everyman Bruce Willis brings to the film, makes its emotive finale definitively encapsulate the ‘most wonderful time of the year’. Combined with some of the greatest set pieces of any action film (who else throws a bullet-riddled corpse from a skyscraper directly onto a police car just to make a point, other than John McClane?) and the most sinister and hilarious villain in any film, you have yourself a fantastic Christmas experience. Also, for anyone wondering, ‘is Die Hard not too violent to be a Christmas movie?’ Well, have you watched Home Alone?

I only allow myself the pleasure of watching Die Hard at Christmas, other-

wise I would watch it every day. But this year will be a sadder affair, as I say a heartfelt goodbye to one of my favourite actors, Alan Rickman. With Hans Gruber he provided possibly the greatest on-screen villain of our time, combining his unending skills for performance, dry wit, and sinister eyebrow raising to add the most delicious spice to the rich mulled wine that is Die Hard.

Whilst hardly being the most relatable festival fable of our time, instead rather a superb amalgamation of pulse-raising action worthy of Bourne, one-liners straight out of Bond, and a mushy conclusion typical of any of the Santa Clause films, Die Hard cements itself as the greatest Christmas film ever made.

Yippee-kay-ye Mother...err...

Mary...

22 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

[Review]

Aliens Live: This Time It's War

HARRISON MAJITHIA STUDENT WRITER

Ellen Ripley: quintessential 80’s action heroine, last survivor of the Nostromo, and for the first time since 1986, back on the big screen. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aliens, James Cameron's action-packed sequel to the fantastic Alien returned for one weekend only at the Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki.

Admittedly, I did think this event was a little strange; Aliens certainly is not known for its musical score often it is the pregnant pauses that build the tension to an all-time high, but I must say, I was proven wrong.

The presence of the orchestra contributed so much to the overall feel of the film: the harsh, fast-paced strings and overwhelming brass escalated the action to an outrageous level of urgency and provided some of the most effective jump scares since the film industry decided that every horror film required a minimum of ten to qualify. By the intermission (yes, there was indeed an intermission, coinciding with Newt's iconic: 'They mostly come out at night, mostly...')

I was fully sold on the orchestra. It was like I was watching the film again for the first time, and getting to watch it on a huge screen in a darkened hall was just the icing on top of the cake.

The performance was dedicated to James Horner, who scored Aliens and sadly passed away last year.

Horner was one of the most prolific composers in the in-

dustry, with over one hundred and fifty credits, including Braveheart, Titanic and Avatar, to name but a few. Known for his stylistic diversity, Horner no doubt will be remembered as one of the greatest composers of all time.

As for the film itself, my opinion remains the same as it always has - Aliens is absolutely, by far, the best science fiction film I have ever seen.

'Aliens

LIVE is one of the best cinematic experiences I have ever attended,' It is fantastically well-paced, directed and acted, managing to maintain a key balance between hectic action and slow, excruciatingly tense horror.

Sigourney Weaver's stellar (Oscar-nominated) performance as Ripley carries the film throughout (her identity now far more pronounced than it was in Alien, where she was essentially the final girl of a slasher flick in space).

Now fifty-seven years into the future and with a serious case of PTSD, Ripley is forced by circumstance to return to LV-426 - the planet on which she and her crew discovered the alien - to find colonists who have mysteriously disappeared. Accompanied by a team of colonial marines, Ripley at first insists on staying

aboard the ship to advise, but soon has no choice to join the fight when things very quickly go wrong and she is left with only a few marines - Hicks, Bishop, Vasquez, Hudson (known for his adlibbed, oft-quoted: " Game over, man. Game over!"), as well as a young girl, Newt – the survivor of the colony. Ripley's interactions with Newt serve to develop the protagonist further, and her clear need to protect Newt drives the latter part of the film.

The film's climax, made even more dramatic by the intensity of the live strings and drums in the auditorium, still puts me on the edge of my seat. If you have not seen the film, and want to avoid spoilers, skip this section, but also, if you have not seen the film, come on, it has literally been thirty years. Seeing Ripley's confrontation with the Alien Queen remains as tense and harrowing as ever.

Furthermore, I could have sworn that the shrieks of the Queen as Ripley torched her eggs were enhanced by the violinists in the orchestra, and the power loader scene still wildly excites the inner child in me.

Aliens LIVE is one of the best cinematic events I have ever attended, but then again, combining an utterly brilliant film with one of the most talented orchestras in the world was always going to be a winning formula. The next film to be shown with a live orchestra accompaniment is Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on the 28th of December, and for me, the opportunity to hear a John Williams score live is a very tempting one indeed, and one I will certainly not shy away from missing.

Harrison's Rating:

ARTS: MUSIC 23

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

[Column]

NEIKED

Excerpts From

An Interview with

VANT

THAT ONE DEAF MUSIC CRITIC

I’ve got a song stuck in my head. It’s a good song, thankfully, but I’m starting to hate it. Not the song itself, just how stuck it is. It’s catchy (obviously), and it’s unendingly fun to sing along to – but therein lies the problem. The song is ‘Sexual’.

Now, that’s not a problem.

I’m not embarrassed to have that song stuck in my head because I think everyone should hear it anyway. What is a problem, is the pitch of the vocals. The vocals are high. Very high. Out of my vocal range high. Very out of my vocal range high. And I try to sing along anyway. It’s not a happy noise.

That is not, however, the extent of the issue. There is also the problem of the lyrics. Now in the context of the song, the lyrics are brilliant and do exactly what they have to do and make complete sense. What is not brilliant, and does not make sense, is when I try to sing them, unprompted, due to them being stuck in my head. The sight, and sound, of a twenty-two-year-oldman shaking his hips and attempting to belt, in a failing, cracking, completely out-oftune voice, ‘I’m feeling sexual, so we should be sexual’ is not fun for anyone.

But, so what? I get some looks from strangers, and I lose some friends who grow to hate my constant sexual refrains – is that all? No. It gets worse. I’m visiting my family soon. When this issue of The Founder, and in turn this column, is published I will be in Chicago with my

Matty: The Netherlands in particular has been amazing for us and we are going back out there in December.

But the real exciting one for us this year was Japan. Getting to go to the other side of the world and 10,000 people turning up to watch you play was pretty mind-blowing.

kind of went through this weird phase in western society feeling like we'd reached levels of equality in the 60's and 70’s but we're still nowhere near the level of equality that we should be at. We had this weird lull in the 80's and 90's where people were in this happy state of pointless existence. There were things happening around us, maybe it wasn't as obvious [and] things weren't being publicised. Now we have the internet that infiltrates everyone's lives and we spend just as much time in the fake digital world as we do in the real world.

Henry: Not having any idea either, like, literally I had no expectations of it really. I thought no one knew who we were, it's amazing.

Q: I guess the people that follow you are the people that like you and your message so that's why they like you in the first place?

Q: Your songs are pretty political, against the grain, and why is that? Is it trying to get the message out, we have had a pretty crap year in terms of global affairs this year.

M: Yes and no. We do have people sometimes that'll go ‘I disagree with you on this’ and it's like, ‘well, great, at least we've challenged your opinion –‘

CHARLIE CATMULL STUDENT WRITER

An avid fan of music, climbing, and editing Wikipedia articles about soy bean varieties, That One Deaf Music Critic, Sam to those who know him, can be reached for bookings at Samuel.Barker.2013@live. rhul.ac.uk dog, my younger brother, my father, and my mother. And I know it’s going to happen.

I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to be talking to my mother and hear the beat in my head, bob my head, and intrude upon the conversation with the inescapable refrain of ‘I’m feeling sexual, so we should be sexual.’ My mother might not know how to react to that. So, consider this a plea. Please help. Tell me how to get the song out of my head, or better yet give me another song to get stuck in my head. Maybe something with a refrain along the lines of ‘I love you in a normal way for a son to love his mother, so we should play board-games as a family.’ I’m sure there’s a song out there somewhere like that.

Q: You’ve played festivals abroad; would you say you've been growing a fanbase overseas?

M: I think we've had a pretty crap existence really as a species. As soon as we learnt we could control and manipulate people, it's never really been the same again, and we live in a very poignant moment in history I feel. We

Q: It's good to create some sort of discussion…

M: You can still like the music and maybe not necessarily agree with our principles but it means you're a racist, bigoted *laughs* a**hole that wants to destroy the planet and doesn't give a

f**k about global warming or equality or a better education for our children. I think we just want to bring things back in to the real world and start discussions there, whether it's in interviews or at shows, encouraging people to talk with their friends and family outside of the digital atmosphere.

Q: Would you say music is the best format for this, in terms of getting a wide message across?

H: No not really M: I mean it's always been there. We've had artists like Dylan and Neil Young and the Clash and, more recently, artists like P.J Harvey and Bjork where they are challenging people’s ideals. But the things we take inspiration from are things like documentaries, comedians, art and actually reading the f***ing news. That is enough, as I said before, because of how transparent everything is now. You're sat there watching a news channel or reading a newspaper and you’re going 'I can't believe they're actually admitting this sh*t'. But that's the way it is now, so we're just basically trying to encourage that thought.

24 ARTS: MUSIC

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

Study Soundtracks:

Albums For Concentration HELEN WALPOLE STUDENT WRITER

It’s late November, which means dreaded deadline week is looming around the corner, and uni is starting to step up a gear.

The phrase ‘all-nighter’ suddenly evolves from the sesh that spills over into your 9am lecture, into the panicked small-hours typing frenzies we all know and hate, fuelled by an equal mixture of Red Bull and shame. But we’ve got you covered. Here’s a handy selection of albums to keep you focused and productive during the mad writing stints, no matter your music taste.

Jazz: “Black Focus” - Yussef Kamaal (2016) Complex yet accessible, experimental yet funky, Yussef Kamaal’s debut is astonishing by any standards. It’s also perfect for studying: the record doesn’t demand too much attention from the listener, and energy levels are steady throughout, whether during the virtuosic, neo-bebop trumpet solo in ‘Strings of Light,’ or the meandering organ melody found in 9 minutes of sheer indulgence entitled ‘Remembrance.’ And with the word ‘focus’ right there in the title, you can’t go wrong here when it comes to studying.

Acoustic: “Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016” - Jack White (2016) With a grand total of 26 tracks, Jack White’s most recent album is a blessing to anyone who knows how it feels to sit down at their desk, laptop open, staring at a blank Word document with hours looming ahead. The record is packed full of treats from the past two decades, including intimate B-sides and a lot of previously unreleased material, all of it acoustic. If you’re looking for something easy on the ear to see you through a marathon writing session, this is it.

Classical: “Debussy Préludes” - Francesco Piemontesi Instrumental classical music always proves a popular choice amongst students when writing assignments, since it offers no lyrical distractions. Francesco Piemontesi’s stunning performance of Debussy’s 24 piano preludes provides an intimate and contemplative atmosphere. Combining this with Debussy’s ethereal compositional style, the result is 80 minutes of rejuvenating bliss, to smoothly guide you through those final few hundred words.

Electronic: “Black Sands” - Bonobo This offering by Essex-based producer Simon Green (a.k.a. Bonobo) is guaranteed to clear your mind and keep you focused. Combining an atmospheric, orchestral soundscape with laid-back drums and minimal samples, it’s got enough momentum to keep you productive, and is light enough on vocals to stop you getting distracted by what you’re listening to. The vibe is chilled and cool, and will soothe the nerves of anyone who tends to panic about their work. As a plus, if you play this one to death, Green’s also got a handy remixed version of the record.

Hip-Hop: “Views” - Drake (2016) Chances are, Drake’s triple-platinum album ‘Views’ will take you back to exam season of last year, having been released in late April.

Triggering the study mind-set by association is a definite bonus, but the record has perks of its own when it comes to burning the midnight oil. The sleek production will keep you chilled out enough to cope with deadline stress, and you can rely on summer throwbacks ‘Hotline Bling,’ ‘One Dance,’ and ‘Controlla’ to keep your study breaks refreshing.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

ARTS: MUSIC 25

Q&A With Beans On Toast

Joe Purdy: Live At The Borderline SAM BARKER MUSIC EDITOR

HELEN WALPOLE STUDENT WRITER

Helen: You just finished touring some towns in the UK that are a bit off the beaten track.

What particularly did you like about playing smaller venues in smaller towns?

BOT: Travelling is one of the many benefits of being a songwriter, I have a love of exploring new places and that was the thinking behind that tour. I come from a small town and no bands ever really came by to play and I couldn’t understand why. There’s a lot of magic out there.

H: How do you find your songs translate to, say, larger venues, or venues in the US do you do things very differently, or does your approach stay the same?

BOT: My approach stays exactly the same. I enjoy all gigs and give them all the same energy. Big or small, at home or abroad, as long as I’m enjoying myself I feel I can put on a good show. How the songs translate is up to the crowd, I

guess, but I feel the reaction and to be nice to each other. is pretty similar across the board.

H: You're a regular act at Boomtown Fair every sumH: Neo-folk seems to be hav- mer - what is it about this fesing a bit of a moment right tival that keeps you coming now - artists who grew out of back? venues like Nambucca - Frank Turner, Laura Marling and BOT: It’s an incredible event, yourself are all enjoying suc- a brilliant display of humancess. Did you ever expect neo- ity that welcomes some of the folk to take off in this way? greatest art and music from around the world. What’s not BOT: Neo-Folk! I’ve never to like? I’m honoured to be heard that term before, I like invited back every year. I feel it, but I think folk music is a like part of the family / furnigood enough pigeon hole if ture. we’re gonna have one. I used to Live at Nambucca, before H: Do you have any unexthe fire. Laura played a few pected influences, whose mutimes and it’s there that Frank sic sounds totally different to and I became good friends. I your own at face value? was pretty hammered around that time BOT: For sure, I think the and probably not making fu- days of people listening to one ture musical predictions, but genre of music are long gone. it was clear that musicians like I enjoy country and western, Laura and Frank were des- hip hop, New Orleans Jazz tined for greater things, for and old time rock n roll all in sure. equal measure. I also enjoy some reggae in the morning H: What's the main thing you and some late night drum and hope people will take home bass. It’s incredible, having an with them after they come to endless supply of all recorded see you play? music for a tenner a month.

I, for one, get my money’s BOT: To enjoy themselves worth.

There’s an oft-mentioned idea amongst comedians that to be funny you have to suffer; you have to be sad or have sadness. The suggestion is that the funniest person is the one most trying to smile or laugh in the face of something upsetting. Perhaps it comes from wanting others to be happy and laugh, having seen how upsetting things can get. Joe Purdy showed in his first London gig since the late 2000’s that it is an idea not only restricted to comedians.

Whilst Joe Purdy may have songs with titles that run from ‘Ode to Sad to Clown’ to ‘I’m Not What You Need,’ and while he may sing lyrics such as ‘I used to hear the children play/ I used to hear the birds sing/ One day they just stopped/ I don’t hear them anymore,’ the man is funny. Sad though his songs may be, and sad is definitely the first word I use to describe his songs to people who have never heard him before, the gigs are lighthearted and humorous affairs.

Presented, as Purdy’s songs are, with a weary vocal delivery, lyrics about relationships breaking up and ending don’t seem too funny. But when the lines are delivered with a wry smile and glint in the eye, we see the implied humour in Purdy telling us not to bother with potentially heart-breaking relationships when we could just get a dog.

It is Purdy’s talent as a lyri-

cist and story-teller that first draws a lot of his fans in, and it’s his easy way with words that pervaded the gig and made it so satisfying an event.

In between songs Purdy would stand on the stage strumming and picking at random chords as he tuned up his guitar, and crack jokes with the audience or tell them the stories behind certain songs. He told us about the impact his mother – ‘the most beautiful human being in the world’ – had on his last album, and described a recent break-in at his house in which the thieves packed up his guitar in its case and then left it by the back door.

He then wondered why he was going to play his next song, ‘Outlaws’ which ‘glorified thieves – the assholes,’ following that story. During a particularly lengthy tuning break he may have described the gig as ‘the least professional gig ever’ but instead his easy way with the crowd belied how professional and experienced he was as someone who has toured plenty in his native country of America, and written some fourteen albums in the past fifteen years.

Purdy’s songs are beautiful, and were wonderfully presented.

Instrumentally they are simple, with only two instruments ever played at a time: a lapsteel or mandolin accompanying Purdy’s acoustic guitar. It was not a raucous affair that I look back on and wonder how it all went down the way it did. It was not exceptional, but, damn, it was f***ing good.

26 SPORTS Meet The Captain: Royal Holloway MMA [Spotlight]

ELIZABETH SILVERBERG SPORTS EDITOR

Name and Year: Nick Cooke, 3rd year Sport: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) How was last year for your sport at Royal Holloway?

Last year was my first year doing MMA, it was a lot to take in with 8 hours of training per week in boxing, Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing), Ju-Jitsu and wrestling. However, with so much training I found myself picking up the techniques quite well, boxing was my personal favourite although all are equally important.

What are you aiming for this year?

I am aiming to improve my JuJitsu and wrestling techniques this year, being very different from boxing and Muay Thai, which is what I focused more on last year.

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at sports@thefounder.co.uk

Meet The Captain: RHUL Men's Lacrosse [Spotlight]

What would you say is the best thing about sport at Royal Holloway? ELIZABETH SILVERBERG I think the best thing about sport at Royal Holloway is the variety of sports clubs offered, ensuring to find something for everyone.

What do any new members have to look forward to when they join?

Multiple training sessions with 2 championship winning couches who will push you to your limits in every session to become the best mixed martial artist you can be. This is a great way to get fit and learn new skills.

What is the best/funniest thing at that has happened to you while playing at university?

The best time in MMA for me was end of 2nd term last year when our couches were really pushing up hard to get ready for upcoming end of year competitions. Ouss!

SPORTS EDITOR

Name and Year: Will MacGillivray, 2nd Year Sport: Men’s Lacrosse How was last year for your sport at Royal Holloway?

Last year was a great year. We had just been promoted, so we knew we were in for a fight to stay up, as the club had lost few key players. We started out very strong, winning our first two matches with ease.

Then it got a little tougher, and the challenge with that was to get our mind-set correct so we could forget about the past and focus on playing the way we usually do. We signed off with a couple of wins and played well enough to stay up, which was our original goal.

What are you aiming for this year?

Seeing as we lost a lot of our team from last year, I would say the goal is for everyone to take their game to the next level, and develop. Returners from last year should be focusing on taking a bigger role and being leaders in the team, while newcomers should be focusing on their stick skills, such as throwing and catching. It’s a big transition period.

that love to go out. While it does take a week or two to get to know all the people who have been in the club for a while already, when you do get to know them it makes you realise how fun they are.

What would you say is the best thing about sport at Royal Holloway?

A couple of weeks ago we were in a tightly contested match, and we were down by a few.

We scored enough to tie it up and then my friend Alex, who had joined last year and had never picked up a stick before, went and scored the winning goal in the dying seconds. I was incredibly proud because I knew how hard he had been working to achieve something like that. He took extra time to do one-on-one sessions with me just so he could improve.

Seeing players like that with the drive and desire to always improve makes me happy.

The people you meet, without question. It’s great to be a part of something, and to make friends playing a sport you love. The people I’ve met here certainly know how to have a great time, regardless whether we win or lose.

What do any new members have to look forward to when they join?

Being part of a fun, social club

What is the best/funniest thing that has happened to you while playing at Royal Holloway?

SPORTS 27

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

Email the editor at sports@thefounder.co.uk

Royal Holloway BUCS Scores American Football RHUL Mixed 1st 8 – 35

Badminton RHUL Men’s 1st 8–0 LUSL Mixed 1st 7–2

University of Cambridge Mixed 1st St Mary’s Men’s 1st RHUL Mixed 1st

Basketball RHUL Men’s 1st 87 – 47 Uni of Chichester

Men’s 1st Queen Mary Uni Women’s 1st 22 – 51 RHUL Women’s 1st Fencing RHUL Men’s 1st 134 – 127

Brunel Uni Men’s 1st 124 – 134 King’s College Women’s 1st 112 – 110 Football RHUL Men’s 1st

RHUL Men’s 4th

RHUL Men’s 6th

RHUL Women’s 1st

RHUL Women’s 3rd

Golf Reading Uni Mixed 2nd

4–1 4–0 6–0 5–3 8–2

2 – 4

Hockey RHUL Men’s 1st 0–3 Reading Uni Women’s 2nd 1–5 RHUL Women’s 2nd 12 – 0

Lacrosse RHUL Men’s 1st RHUL Women’s 1st

(LUSL) Imperial Mixed 1st

10 – 9 8–9 7 – 10

Imperial College Men’s 1st RHUL Men’s 2nd RHUL Women’s 1st

Imperial College Men’s 2nd King’s College Men’s 3rd St George’s Uni Men’s 4th Uni of Essex Women’s 1st Royal Free & Uni College Medical School Women’s 2nd RHUL Mixed 1st Reading Uni Men’s 3rd RHUL Women’s 1st Imperial College Women’s 5th (Medics) King’s College Men’s 1st University of Surrey Women’s 1st RHUL Mixed 1st

Royal Holloway has so far secured 89 wins, with 99 defeats and 10 draws this season.

Netball RHUL Women’s 1st 45 – 42 Portsmouth University Women’s 1st RHUL Women’s 2nd 46 – 21 University of Westminster 1st RHUL Women’s 4th 29 – 25 Roehampton University Women 3rd Rugby Union RHUL Men’s 1st 34 – 0 Portsmouth University Men’s 2nd Uni of Brighton Men’s 3rd 10 – 15 RHUL Men’s 2nd RHUL Women’s 1st 37 – 0 King’s College Women’s 1st Squash RHUL Men’s 1st 0 – 3 University of Surrey Men’s 3rd RHUL Women’s 1st 0 – 4 Portsmouth University Women’s 1st Table Tennis Brunel University Men’s 2nd 3 – 14 RHUL Men’s 1st RHUL Women’s 1st 5 – 0 King’s College Women’s 1st Tennis RHUL Men’s 1st Brunel University Men’s 2nd LSE Women’s 1st RHUL Mixed 1st

8–4

LSE Men’s 2nd

2 – 10 RHUL Men’s 2nd 12 – 0 RHUL Women’s 1st 10 – 0 Imperial Mixed 1st

Volleyball Roehampton Uni Men’s 1st 0 – 3 RHUL Men’s 1st RHUL Women’s 1st 3 – 0 Roehampton Uni Women’s 1st

28

THE FOUNDER November 25, 2016

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