The Founder, September 2016

The Founder

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Royal Holloway’s Independent Student Newspaper

VOLUME XI, ISSUE I • FRIDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 • Royal Holloway, University of London • Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX

Our Royal Holloway DANIEL BRADY CO-EDITOR

Welcome, and congratulations to those of you who are new to Royal Holloway! Not only have you successfully made your way here and survived your first week, but you have already equipped yourself with the most useful tool you could possibly need to survive the next period of your life – Royal Holloway’s Independent Student Newspaper!

As ‘Independent’ suggests, we have no formal affiliation with the Students’ Union or Royal Holloway itself, allowing us to have complete freedom in our opinions. If you want to make your voice heard, free of anything you may feel holding you back, this is your forum The Founder is run entirely by students, for students.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how the paper works: Our News section covers local news stories in Egham and campus-based news, with

occasional national and international stories. If you have information about something happening on campus, you can get in touch at news@thefounder.co.uk.

The new and improved Opinion & Debate section is home to discussions on a variety of important and often controversial topics, alongside two opposing debate style articles. Student involvement in debate is what makes this section so absorbing, so if feel strongly on a topic discussed you can get your voice heard by contacting opinion@ thefounder.co.uk.

We’re running our Features Spread differently this year, with each issue bringing a completely random, fresh idea. It encompasses topical affairs in a unique way each month, so it’s always an exciting section to check out!

The Arts section covers

Thomas Holloway and his wife Jane, located in the South Quad. Photo by Amanda Hudson.

everything from literature and theatre to exhibitions, installments and reviews, so if you’re involved in any of the latter we would love to hear from you at arts@thefounder. co.uk.

The Music section is known to host interviews and a number of album and live music reviews. With London home to arguably some of the best live music in the world right on our doorstep, there is no excuse for not getting involved.

Similarly, our Film section contains various reviews and discussions regarding new film and television. Be it the latest Netflix sensation or cult horror, our Film Editor is always keeping tabs on what is new and exciting, so get in touch at film@thefounder. co.uk.

Our Lifestyle section is a collection of articles centered around life on campus, varying from discussions on food and drink, health, fashion, sex and sexuality. If you need an

insider scoop of life on campus, this section should be your first stop.

Lastly, our Sports section is responsible for covering sporting events on campus, as well as those on a national and international level. However, with the sheer amount going on it’s a huge task. So, whether you’re a fan or a member of a team or committee, tell us what your club has been up to at sports@thefounder.co.uk.

Arboretum, p. 4

Whisper, p. 11

Jessica Eddie, p. 23

Continued on page three.

Index News..............................................................................1 Opinion And Debate......................................................6 Lifestyle...........................................................................8 Features........................................................................11 Arts...............................................................................14 Arts: Film......................................................................16 Arts: Music....................................................................19 Sports...........................................................................22

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2 NEWS

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Brexit: Royal Holloway

What does the referendum mean for international students?

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday, June 23rd, Britain made the biggest political decision of our time; to leave the European Union. After months of controversial and often confusing campaigns led by both sides, the UK’s fate was sealed when Leave won a close 51.9% of votes.

The result of the EU referendum came as a shock to many, with rumours and smear campaigns spreading rapidly. Some facts used by the Leave campaign to gain votes were divulged as false, with more rumours suggesting people who had voted to leave wished to change their votes – pointing perhaps to the misleading and somewhat convoluted campaigns by both sides.

In the midst of the political chaos that followed, which saw the resignation of Prime Minister and Remain supporter David Cameron and arrival of current PM Theresa May, rumours and predictions were rife, with no one certain of how the changes would affect them individually.

Reports have shown that there has been a record increase in the amount of students from European Union countries applying to British universities ahead of Britain’s official exit from the EU. However, as of yet, there has been no official confirmation that EU students starting their courses in academic year 2017/18 will still be eligible for the same fees and grant/loan as UK students, which is the current situation.

Royal Holloway, 30th in the world for its ‘International Outlook’ in 2016, issued a statement online the day after the referendum was held. College Principle, Professor Paul Layzell, said: ‘Following the outcome

Courtesy Photo

of the EU referendum in the UK our priority remains to support all of our students, from every nation, to successfully complete their studies.

If you are considering studying at Royal Holloway, whether from the UK, the EU or further afield, we continue to welcome

'Our

priority remains to support all of our students' - Paul Layzell

applications.

The implications of the vote will evolve over the coming weeks, months and possibly years. Leaving the EU will be a gradual process. We will work with our partners, collaborators and regulatory bodies to identify how the change will affect our students.’

Royal Holloway’s website also confirmed that all current EU students will continue

to pay the same fees as UK students for the duration of their degrees, and that it is expected, based on information currently available that EU students starting a three year or four year undergraduate programme or one year postgrad programme in 2016 will also continue to pay these fees.

The website announced that the university intends to charge EU students starting degrees in 2017 the same fee as UK students are charged that year, and UK legislation permitting, will also maintain this principle for the duration of their degree programmes.

The uncertainty which Brexit has evoked, particularly regarding the futures of many young people, is supported by the landslide 71% of 18-24- year -olds who voted to Remain. However, of this age category, it is estimated that only 36% of young people actually voted in the referendum.

As Britain prepares to trigger Article 50 leave the EU, one thing is worth bearing in mind. As the future generation, we will be involved in taking the mantle and implementing this decision, perhaps the most directly out of any of the age voting categories.

Student Satisfaction Ratings On The Rise ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

National Student Survey (NSS) feedback has revealed that Royal Holloway is London’s highest performing university for student satisfaction for the second year running, as well as rating higher than more than half of the Russell Group universities.

Royal Holloway received an 89% overall student satisfaction rating, placing it as the top university among the non-specialist University of London institutions, such as Queen Mary, as well as bigger Central London based universities, such as King’s College and UCL. Particularly highlighted in the survey was the quality of teaching at Royal Holloway, in addition to student recognition of the university’s dedication to

improving learning resources and facilities, with the building of the new library and Student Services Centre.

University Principal, Paul Layzell, said, ‘The NSS is extremely important to us as it gives students the opportunity to share their experience of their entire time studying with us. It lets us know what we are doing right and what we can do better.

We are delighted to retain our status as the University of London institution delivering the highest levels of satisfaction. It is testament to our close-knit community that students feel invested in as individuals, and that they receive the high quality teaching and support they need to succeed.’

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

Film Editor Ryan Nair

Opinon and Debate Editor Amanda Hudson

Lifestyle Editor Emily May Webber

Features Editor Thomas Hawkins

Sport Editor Chantelle Fuller

Arts Editor Gemma Tadman

Music Editor Sam Barker

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 September 30, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Continued From May Reveals Plans For Education Reform Front Page DANIEL BRADY CO-EDITOR

For those of you returning to Royal Holloway - the world is a different place to that from which we last spoke.

With newly appointed Theresa May leading the charge, we have found ourselves tumbling through a Brexitshaped rabbit hole towards the promise of a better Britain – how soon until that glorious epoch begins is still subject to debate. Our American friends are soon to find their political destiny for the next four years, tasked with choosing between either Trump or Clinton; one of which will be dumped into tackling the most imposing threat to face a government in recent years – the ceaseless expansion of global terrorism.

That being said I am no politician, just a mere spectator. But, what I have observed is that, regardless of the cur-

rent political climate, we as students wield an outstanding amount of influence which, for new and returning students alike, should be pushed to its limits – and why not now?

Be it through the expression of your political beliefs or sexual liberty, you have the perfect platform to stand on.

If you hold a burning fervour for environmental conservation, or religious consecration, then your time as a student is the perfect opportunity to put your devotion to the test.

Our time here is so precious we must not waste a moment, so as a final note I can only urge you, once finishing this paper, to pursue those thoughts that keep you up at night. Seize the abundance of opportunities you have at your fingertips, before enthusiasm wanes into apathy.

Man Survives Fall Under Train at Egham Station ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

A 64-year-old man had a lucky escape after surviving falling onto the tracks and under a train at Egham station in August.

The man was taken to hospital after sustaining a “significant” head injury, which was fortunately not life threatening.

At around 7pm on Saturday, August 20, the man fell onto the tracks, resulting in a large emergency services presence in the town, including British Transport Police (BTOP), South East Coast Ambulance Service and a Surrey Fire and Rescue crew from Egham.

Tom Barber, one of the passengers on the train and

first on scene with the casualty, told Get Surrey: ‘I was very impressed by the sheer number of people who turned out to help the guy. The first few minutes when it was just a retired firefighter and I were a little scary, but once they started coming they didn't stop.

Makes me incredibly grateful that there are all these amazing men and women out there who are willing to turn out on a rainy, cold Saturday night for the sake of one person.’

The incident was treated as non-suspicious.

Reminder to all students to take care on train platforms.

Theresa May speaks about her plan to make Britain the ‘world’s greatest meritocracy’.

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

With a set of reforms that have been described as the biggest shake up of the British education system in 50 years, new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has unveiled her plan to make Britain the ‘world’s greatest meritocracy’.

The plans for the new reforms involve universities supporting state schools, removing barriers in faith schools, independent schools helping state schools, and perhaps most controversially, the reintroduction of more grammar schools.

Theresa May said that she wants every child to have ‘the opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them’ by creating ‘more great schools.’

Many people, particularly the Labour Party and teachers, have condemned the PM’s plans, and was even accused by chief school’s in-

spector Sir Michael Wilshaw of ‘putting the clocks back’.

However, Theresa May has assured that the reintroduction of grammar schools will not mean a return to secondary-moderns, schools that existed before the introduction of comprehensives, although the concern lies with the idea that comprehensives may not receive the same academic attention.

Instead, she stated that her reforms aim for ‘a good schools place for every child and one that caters for their individual needs.’

The Prime Minister has insisted that her priority lies with closing the divide between wealth and geography in terms of what schooling is available to children. £50 million will be made available to current grammar schools, whilst private schools are will be urged to help comprehensives in terms of achieving better results.

For many, the idea of selec-

tive schooling is of particular concern due to the early age at which children take the test that decides their secondary schooling, 11. However Theresa May has announced that grammar schools will be encourages to take on students at the age of 14 and 16 as well as 11, to avoid children being decided as non-academic at such an early stage.

In terms of universities, Theresa May has announced that universities that wish to charge higher fees will be asked to establish new schools or sponsor an existing underperforming school, in an attempt to widen the breadth of people from underprivileged background attending university. This has caused questions to be raised in relation to the reintroduction of selective schooling, which many believe could narrow the opportunity of progressing into higher education.

4 NEWS

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

Royal Holloway Arboretum Reopens ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Royal Holloway’s Arboretum has officially reopened as a new community space for both the public and students to enjoy, after extensive work to restore the collection of trees to good health.

An official opening ceremony was held on Thursday, September 8th, with Royal Holloway Principal, Professor Paul Layzell, cutting the ribbon and declaring the space open for the public.

Of the opening, Layzell said, ‘We are thrilled to be able to reopen the Arboretum and once again allow staff, students and our local community to see this rare collection. This has been a relatively hidden gem which we are proud to welcome the community to come and enjoy.

This haven on campus gives people a chance to venture into the great outdoors while enjoying rare species all

explained through the installation of new, informative fact panels.’

The Arboretum, like much of Royal Holloway’s beautiful campus, is steeped in history.

Formed in the 1960s and 1970s by Professor F. W. Jane, former Chair of Botany at Royal Holloway College, it was intended for educational and recreational use.

However, over the years many trees succumbed to disease and the arboretum fell into a state of disrepair. Royal Holloway acquired the arboretum from the University of London in 2009 and with the help of a generous donation from an alumnus and his wife, a dedicated team of gardeners have been working to restore the garden to its original state.

The garden is open to visitors from dawn until dusk and is situated on the north side of the A30, adjacent to the Katherine Worth building.

A group of volunteers gathers at the newly reopened arboretum, located adjacent to the Katherine Worth building. Photo courtesy of Sarah Honeycombe.

Tuition Fee Increase Looms ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Royal Holloway was thrown into the media spotlight over the summer as one of the universities announcing a £250 annual rise in tuition fees, subject to government confirmation.

RHUL was one of the first three universities, along with Durham and Kent, to advertise the rise in fees for academic year 2017/18 on their respective websites, ahead of a definite decision by the government.

While the government has announced that if universities can meet a threshold of good-quality teaching, they will be able to increase fees in line with inflation, MPs are yet to vote on this decision.

The process in which universities quality of teaching will be assessed is called the ‘Teaching Excellence Framework’. The vast majority of universities looking to increase their fees have above the current limit of £9000 have passed a ‘baseline’ standard, linking fee rises to quality of teaching in the future. Institutions rated ‘excellent’ or ‘outstanding’ will be able to raise fees in line with

inflation, while those ranked as having met ‘expectations’ will be restricted to only half the rate of inflation.

When the plans were first announced, the framework did not exist, leading to criticism by Labour's shadow education minister Gordon Marsden, who said it was a ‘back-door attempt to raise fees, without a proper and open debate in Parliament, by linking it to a teaching excellence framework which hasn't yet been defined.’

At the moment, the increase for 2017 is calculated as an extra £250, bringing the advertised tuition fee to £9,250. However, there are concerns that this rate of augmentation could mean fees over £10,000 within the next four years, and no guaranteed limit.

Royal Holloway reacted to the reports on Thursday, July 21 by issuing a response on their website: ‘The increase is linked to a wider review of Higher Education, one outcome of which would allow universities to make inflationary increases to fees if they achieve a set

standard in teaching excellence. Royal Holloway has been advised by regulatory bodies that we have achieved the required standard.

The change would set fees at £9,250 and would be applicable from 2017-18. It is likely that all universities who achieve the required standard will charge this fee.

As with the fee increase, we await formal confirmation from the government that loans will increase in line with the new tuition fees. This confirmation will mean that students will not be asked to pay any additional costs prior to completing their studies.’

The response also stated that while the proposed fee increases would affect students starting their studies in 2017, it is yet to be confirmed as to whether the increase would also affect current students. Petitions have been started by Royal Holloway students against the rise, notably the Labour and CoOperative Society, which has around 650 signatures at the date of print.

MPs are set to vote on the reforms this autumn.

Drama And Theatre Recieves New Name ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

The Department of Drama & Theatre saw the adoption of a new name, the Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance from the beginning of August, marking the arrival of a new degree, BA Dance.

The brand new degree will accept its first students from September 2017, building on the success of the existing BA Drama & Dance, launched in 2014.

The change in the department comes after Royal Holloway was recently rated 14th in the world for the study of performing arts.

Its influence and status as a department is recognised

both nationally and internationally, and the expansion is based on the existing strength of physical theatre within the degrees already available.

Dr Elaine McGirr, Head of the Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance, said: “Given the increasing prominence of Dance to the department’s research and teaching culture, it seemed right to reflect this in the title of our department. The strengthening of dance expertise in the department and the addition of our new BA Dance helps us to emphasise the fluid interplay between, across and in Dance and Drama.”

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at news@thefounder.co.uk

NEWS 5

Kilimanjaro Trek Ends In Success The Great Fire Of Egham ISAAC KENYON

Since completing my BSc in Petroleum Geology, I am now currently studying an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience under a Royal Holloway scholarship. To really make this year special I decided to pursue an original thesis project which involved an analogue study in addition to my dataset interpretation provided offshore New Zealand.

I therefore had the pleasure to visit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. My report reflects with analysis how I have benefited from the funding.

Having fundraised in combination with this scholarship, £1500 was raised to fund this project. The travel award took me to Tanzania for 10 days to undertake 6 days of field work for a small comparative field study of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s relationship with the East African Rift system to my MSc thesis dataset which is a similar area and setting which extends over the Mt. Taranaki volcanic region of New Zealand to the Taranaki Basin (offshore rift system).

I collected over 30 hand samples of rocks from a variety of different localities throughout the Machame Route during the Kilimanjaro Trek for analysis in the UK. Further, I undertook many structural analyses to understand the modern influence of the east African Rift system spreading on the Kilimanjaro region and vice versa. Outcrop and larger scale viewpoint sketches were carried out in the field and recorded as data. When not trekking, I stayed in a town called Moshi for the duration of the trip. I spoke to a range of amateur geologists of the region to gather additional information and make useful contacts.

I was the leader of a group of students who completed the gruelling challenges on the scale of summiting Mt.Kilimanjaro. This was the trip of a lifetime and it definitely improved my geological knowledge, from first hand valuable research of the modern volcanic centre analogue

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Photos courtesy of Isaac Kenyon.

Mt.Kilimanjaro as well as the East African Rift System to be applied directly to my thesis project of the summer. It’s also fundamentally changed my views of the implications of volcanic centres and rifts to improve my interpretations of the thesis dataset in certain areas. The trip also provided me with excellent exposure in a recent petroleum exploration frontier area (East African Rift System), thus the travel award provided the option to study directly what other students will only observe on workstations with subsurface data. Whilst on the ground performing field work in the developing world it gave me unparalleled insight into to the human aspects of petroleum exploration which is often ignored. These consisted of transportation through pipelines of hydrocarbons.

The study was imperative in creating a better understanding of how volcanic arcs evolve with rift systems over a large regional scale. Particularly during the last 30 million years of ongoing divergence between the Nubian and So-

malian sectors of the African Plate, similar to rifting within the Australian Plate offshore New Zealand.

In addition, I was lucky enough to summit the highest freestanding mountain in the world and, from conversing with an amateur mining geologist, given Tanzanite, an extremely rare mineral which is native to Tanzania. This was given for providing him with more general geological knowledge of the rocks present in the Kilimanjaro region from a petroleum industry point of view. The travel award has allowed results of development of models showing the evolution of the Taranaki Basin volcanic arc during back-arc spreading, to the present day. It may also aid my first scientific publication with the potential to be widely cited, allowing me to enter the petroleum industry as a petroleum geologist who appreciates the physical geology behind the geophysics.

There were 10 other individuals who participated in the climb including: Calum Holmes - Graduate

BSc Geography and Geology, Nicholas Day - Graduate BSc Geography, Benjamin Ajayi-Obe - Graduate MSci Artificial Intelligence, Elle Kershaw-Jervis - Classical Studies and Comparative Literature and Culture BA, Luke Dunlea - BSc Geology, Jessica McKenna - BA Geography, Zak Derler - BA Film, Television and Digital Production, Clare Mack - BA Media Arts, Sophia Monrose - BA History, Isaac Kenyon MSc Petroleum Geoscience and BSc Petroleum Geology.

All of these people named were part of Royal Holloway Swimming Club.

Fire fighters attended a serious blaze on Egham High Street in August, managing to contain the fire before it spread into surrounding buildings – including popular student haunt Runnymede Chicken & Ribs.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service were called at 11:43am on Wednesday, August 24, after a member of the public alerted unaware workers in the building that smoke was coming from the roof.

The blaze ripped through the roof of Dewgard Windows Company, which is part of the terraced row of shops on the high street, neighboured by Bar 163 and L’Scissors hair and beauty salon, and two shops along from Runnymede Chicken & Ribs.

Fortunately, fire fighters were able to contain the blaze to the original building, and bring it under control by around 1pm with no casualties.

The shop, which was undergoing building work at the time, sustained damage to the first and ground floor, whilst the roof was destroyed completely.

James Cornwell, an eye witness of the beginning of the fire, said ‘I can’t believe how quickly the fire went through the roof. The fire was through that roof and through the joists which caused the roof to collapse within five minutes of us being there.’

The high street remained closed for two days after the incident whilst debris was cleared. No cause has yet been identified.

6 OPINION AND DEBATE

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at comment@thefounder.co.uk

The Art of Gaming Not Another Should video games be considered art?

MATTHEW BURROWS

Watching the recent Hannibal TV series, I remarked to a friend ‘now that is art’ something I don't often get to say about TV. I mention this because anyone whose definition of 'art' cannot stretch to television programmes is not going to agree with my suggestion of an under-appreciated art form: games.

And no, I'm not talking about Call of Duty. Even more than other forms, there seems to be a very clear consensus on which games don't count as art: The Hollywood blockbusters of the computer scene, I suppose. There are plenty of artistic endeavours arising from the Indie scene, however. Atmospheric narratives (or ‘walking simulators’, to those who disapprove) like Gone Home or Firewatch focus on telling a story - or rather, letting the player discover it from clues scattered about the environment. Games like The Banner Saga or Life Is Strange intersperse gameplay with decisions, allowing the player to write their story to some degree. It’s very fun to watch your friends play, to see if they make decisions based on what they think their character should be feeling or just what they would do (in which case you can judge them eternally for letting a homicidal maniac join your caravan).

Oh, and there's The Binding of Isaac - I have an essay plan lying around about what that game says about mental health, religion, capitalism and gender, but if that essay ever gets written it will be far too large to fit in a column of a newspaper.

The game I'd really like to focus on if I hadn't run out of space is Dark Souls. Dark Souls is a series about cycles and repetitions, always throwing you in at the last breaths of a dying world, and posing the question: do you imagine the former glory, and reset the age of fire to recapture it? Or do you see the hor-

Student Sentiment "The cinematic capabilities of recent video game generations have undoubtedly positioned the medium as a place of artistic expression. Strong narratives, visuals, and designs allow the format to be enjoyed and analysed just as much as cinema, theatre, or literature."

- Alex Hobbs, Third Year Film Student ror the world has become and refuse to perpetuate it, letting the fire fade to an age of dark?

Narratives are told through fragments of dialogue and descriptions on items, the story broken and fragmented like the world itself. Some characters pose you as a hero: "chosen undead" they call you, or "ashen one". They treat you like the protagonist of some fantasy romance, fated to link the fire and save the world.

But then there's a fantastic moment in Dark Souls 3 when you find a hidden area called ‘Untended Graves’. This is a replica of the area you started in. The Cemetery of Ash, only dark, underground, and unlit.

But it also contains fragments of previous existence: a coal on a blacksmith's anvil, a broken sword, the eyes of some other fire-keeper. There's no description for the area, the

game relying on the player's memory to make its point as you re-tread your steps: perhaps you're not that special.

You weren't the first to walk that path - and the presence of identical areas implies they were constructed, not willed into being. Someone planned this; suddenly all that destiny talk sounds more like manipulation than cheesy writing. Who is really behind this quest to link the fire? Have you ever even asked yourself why you are doing what the game has told you to? Perhaps you might find other endings to the game, and then you must ask yourself - which should I pick, and why? The developers can change your view just through careful creation, trusting you to draw your own conclusions from what is presented. And that, to me, is art.

Dodgy Dave

Why I'll never date a meninist ELISE KANBER

At the beginning of September, a man named Dave Hon wrote an article titled ‘Why I’ll Never Date a Feminist,’ which, quite rightly, received a lot of criticism. In this article, Hon makes some very bold claims, seemingly without much evidence to back them up. In the opening lines, Dave states that he ‘disagrees’ with the wage gap, rape culture, and the general oppression of women; as if he is disagreeing with someone’s choice of breakfast cereal. Ironically, he seems quite bitter that men have to get consent before engaging in ‘raunchy post-party one night stands.’ Hon then cites a few YouTube videos as ‘proof ’ of the mythical status of the aforementioned issues (citing YouTube videos is almost as bad as citing Wikipedia, amirite?). But don’t fret ladies and gentlemen, Dave doesn’t blame women! Because we’ve been tricked! Into hating men! Luckily, some of us aren’t so easily persuaded by things we get from unreliable sources.

Further on in the article, Hon talks of ‘Men’s Rights Activism.’ He states that it’s unfair that women are more likely to graduate from University, live longer (really, Dave, really?), and are less likely to die in the armed forces. Essentially, Dave is arguing that men’s rights are important too. And I agree.

So does Feminism. However, these three ‘issues’ Hon proposes do not systematically oppress men in any way. In fact, despite women perhaps being more likely to graduate, men are still more likely to be awarded higher paid positions in the workplacethough this is improving rapidly (yes, that mythical wage gap again). The reason women are less likely to die on the front line? Women

only make up 15.1% of Active Duty members, and there is still great controversy over whether women should be allowed to fight for their country. To get a taste of this, all you have to do is google ‘women on the front line,’ and be bombarded with furious articles stating that women are a danger to the armed forces. So if Dave really cared about men’s rights, he could have talked about the higher rates of suicide amongst men – especially in those aged 4549 caused by toxic masculinity – or how stay-at-home dads are viewed as ‘weak’ for not assuming the role of ‘provider.’ Furthermore, if Hon did his research, he would know these are inclusive in Feminism.

In my opinion, this article reveals a response commonly given when talking about women’s rights. A person (usually male) will say, ‘but what about the men?’

Yes, Feminism does benefit men, but why should a movement only matter if it benefits you personally? This notion is similar to the retaliation of #AllLivesMatter to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Yes, we understand that all lives matter. But this movement focuses on black lives because it is that group of people that are on the receiving end of prejudice and oppression. Similarly, we understand that both men and women’s rights both matter – I believe there does need to be more discussion surrounding how the patriarchy affects men negatively – but one should respect when women’s rights are being discussed.

Overall, Dave believes Feminism is a ‘battle of the sexes’, which demonstrates the warped view that many have of the movement. If you feel threatened by equality, you are part of the problem.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

OPINION AND DEBATE 7

Email the editor at comment@thefounder.co.uk

Student Housing: Halls Versus Homes

Deal With Your Flatmates, Live With Your Friends AMANDA HUDSON OPINION AND DEBATE EDITOR

University was my first real taste of freedom. I had shared a room with my little sister pretty much my whole life, so walking into my room on the first day of fresher’s week was a bit of a shock. It was the first space that was just mine, a feeling that I'm sure is shared by many people. It's a feeling of pride, and of shock. For the first time in my life, I was alone without the support of my parents, and it wasn't until my family left that day that I properly realised it. Living on campus, however, made the whole process of settling in seem less lonely. Not only was everyone in my hall in the same position, which was something we could bond over, but living on campus felt like being part of a community. The issue with living in a student home in a residential area is the feeling of being separate from your neighbours, not quite included in the happenings of the street. On campus, settling into university life (or becoming re-accustomed to it) is easier because everyone is going through it together. And as everyone has been in the situation of not being able to work the microwave, or getting lost on the way to Tesco, helping each other through the hard times doesn't seem like such a hardship.

Early morning lectures are

the worst. When everyone on my course found out that one of our lectures was being moved to a nine am spot last year, a collective groan went around the lecture theatre. As second years, most of us weren't living on campus, so this meant either forfeiting an extra half an hour of sleep, or looking like a dishevelled mess upon arrival. Early morning lectures on campus were much easier in halls. It was possible to wake up twenty minutes before a lecture, pull on whatever clothes were hanging around, and rock up to a lecture right before it started, coffee in hand. After the lecture, if you were so inclined, it would take less than ten minutes to be back in the safety of your room to take a quick nap to recover from the horror of waking up so early.

There's no denying that living in halls has its fault. The fire alarm that happened the midnight before my first exam springs to mind as one of the lows of living on campus. But, overall, they're a place where anyone can learn to use a washing machine, somewhere where housemates spend an entire night bonding over crumpets and discussions about everything from family to alcohol. Which is why living on campus is better than living off of it.

Campus Living Is Community Living BETHANIE SHORT

Maybe it’s the unsavoury memory of the offensive smelling shared showers in Kingswood I. Maybe it’s because when I was in halls two years ago, we didn’t have heating or hot water for the three coldest months of the year. Perhaps it was the stone my friend Charlotte found in her scrambled eggs one morning in the KW. Perhaps it was just Kingswood, and all other on campus halls are fine (if we were playing M.A.S.H. I definitely got the shack). All I know is, living on campus was not my cup of tea.

If you play your cards right, living in off campus housing is like having a sleepover every night with your best friends. In my first house off campus, we would regularly host and cook dinners for our friends. You can’t easily do this in a dorm unless you want to lug your groceries a mile uphill and (for catered halls) buy some form of portable cooktop. Not to mention my kitchen in Kingswood I could barely fit two people and the mini fridge that was meant to hold the refrigerated items of all twenty people on our floor was always rancid.

In a house, you never have to worry about that kind of stuff. The kitchen is almost always big enough for multiple people, and if you’re worried about the cleanliness and spaciousness of your fridge--or

F

any other area of the house, for that matter—you can politely take it up with your housemates instead of trying to rally your whole floor to do a cleaning session.

Not only this, you feel so much more independent in a house. You get to make the rules, you get to decide what you eat, and you get to decide when things are cleaned.

There’s a certain sense of grown up-ness that comes with paying the bills and remembering to take the bins out to the street on Monday nights that you just don’t get when you’re in student halls.

You get a taste of what it’s like to remember to do all of these things without actually having to bring home the bacon.

You get to have fun while still being (semi) responsible.

Houses are life savers if you don’t want regular early morning sessions of “which flat was drunk and left the toast in the toaster to burn this time?” out on the lawn of your student halls when the fire alarm wakes you up.

Everyone has a horror story or two about the one awful flat mate. And houses can save you from this horrible fate. Flat mates, you’re stuck with. House mates, you get to choose. And if that isn’t enough reason to be excited about moving off campus, I don’t know what else would convince you.

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

Point And

Counter-Point

8 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

Life After Graduation

Is Post-Graduate education right for you?

TEGAN BAKER

For most students, the beginning of your final year as an undergraduate is like waking up from a good dream.

You’ve just spent the past two years working hard at a subject you enjoy, and have adjusted to living without Mum and Dad’s constant watch over your shoulder. But now third year is setting in with the threats of dissertation, finals and the unknown abyss of life after graduation.

The words internship, job prospects and postgraduate options are making you want to revert to the fresher you once were, when the only worry was making sure you got by without dipping into your overdraft. However, set aside that deep feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach. The key to avoiding the panic of post-graduation blues is to start thinking about it now.

Planning the next step for the summer after graduation is paramount for a third year student, even if it just means finding a part time summer job. You will thank yourself this time next year if you take some time now to do some preparation.

For many, the question of postgraduate education pops up as soon as they start thinking about the terrifying reality of university ending. Another year in the safe bosom of university life sounds idyllic and the mantra of ‘I just need one more year to know what I want to do’ will be ringing in their ears. In all seriousness, there are many different reasons for continued study – not just procrastination from getting a job. The pursuit of academia is one of the most common reasons for pursuing postgraduate education.

A decision not to be in what some consider, ‘the real world’ for another year is a choice that many find both appealing and daunting, but should be considered before you are in your cap and gown rather

than after.

Many third years see taking a Masters as simply a stepping-stone to gaining a PhD. However, what if that is not your long-term ambition? Is a Masters course still a good option for furthering your ca-

'M y main motivation

for taking an MA was that it would be the next stepping stone in a subject that I am totally in love with.' reer? For students just starting to think about postgraduate education as a possibility, a PhD sounds like the distant future with a lot of uncertainty surrounding it.

Those starting an MA in September are likely to fall into two categories - those who wish to pursue a PhD and those who simply want to stretch their academic capability. Jennifer Weeks, 21, will be starting her MA in Medieval Studies. She said, ‘my main motivation for taking an MA was that it would be the next stepping stone in a subject that I am totally in love with’, adding that in her case, her MA will be ‘a prerequisite to a PhD.’ However, before you assign postgraduate study the stereotype of solely acting as a precursor to academia and nothing else, there are other motivations for continuing study. Sam Baker, 22, will also

be starting his MA in Creative Writing. He said, ‘I did not originally anticipate doing anything more than an undergraduate degree, but decided shortly before I graduated to carry on with a postgraduate.

I wanted to push myself to do the thing that I struggled with the most as part of my drama and creative writing undergraduate programme.’

However, to show a PhD can be an achievable goal, Verity Burke, 28, from the University of Reading, completed an MA in English Literature: Victorian Literature and Culture. Verity said, ‘the primary motivation for a Masters was to further my career, as I really wanted to work in a role that would involve my undergraduate subject.’ However, postgraduate study does not always mean that you are stuck in the education bubble.

Verity said of her own experience, ‘after completing my MA I took a year or two away from university and worked in a variety of fascinating

'The primary motivation for a Masters was to further my career,'

roles. Receiving my Master’s opened up a number of interesting roles for me directly after completing it.’ As Verity’s example shows, completing that extra step in academic study was enough to further her career without PhD study.

Although she said, ‘I still loved my subject and decided that I did indeed want to pursue a career in either academ-

ia or in heritage and culture, for which I decided to take my PhD.’ After graduating, the fear of increased debt after completing your undergraduate degree is a primary consideration for deciding where to study and how long for. The government provides a loan of up to £10,000 for Masters degrees. This is both for tuition fees and living costs. Depending on the degree type, some people may find they have only a few thousand pounds to live on for the year.

'Around

90% of all job postings for graduate engineers require a minimum of a 2:1 Master’s degree.'

In regards to financing her degree and living situation, Verity said, ‘money was absolutely a factor in undertaking postgraduate study. I was fortunate to be successful in my application for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding for my Masters, without which I would have struggled to live away from home while studying.’

In Jennifer’s case she said, ‘I quickly discovered that there was a dramatic decrease in scholarships available for MA students. I have a postgraduate loan to cover my tuition fees, and I have been extremely lucky to get a residential job in a University of London hall, which has given me free accommodation for the year.

However, I will still need to work regularly over term time

to boost my income so it's going to be busy, and I imagine this is what is happening to an ever growing number of students all over.’

In some cases, the prospect of completing a Masters is almost a requirement for following your desired career path. Cerys Thornton, 23, who graduated from Heriot Watt University in May 2016 with a MEng in Chemical Engineering with Energy Engineering, found that her career choice called for a Masters almost as a necessity. She said, ‘Around 90% of all job postings for graduate engineers require a minimum of a 2:1 Master’s degree, therefore the choice of a Master’s degree is pretty much dictated to you by the companies that will hire this discipline. I believe that in such a technical discipline as engineering the choice between a Master’s and Bachelor’s is very weighted towards the masters.’

Whether postgraduate education is a viable step for you, or if you are unsure on your career path after University, it is clear that planning your future before graduation is important. Don’t leave it until after your Bachelor’s to look into postgraduate study, or graduate jobs.

For more information on postgraduate loans see Stu-

'I did not

originally anticipate doing anything more than an undergraduate degree,' dent Finance (https://www. gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study) or for information about postgraduate funding see jobs.ac.uk.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

LIFESTYLE 9

The Dirty Truth Behind Clean Eating EMILY MAY WEBBER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

'Clean’

is a word, which in relation to food, cannot be confined to one meaning.

Photos courtesy of Emily May Webber.

Take a look at your Instagram feed, local bookstore, or supermarket shelves. The opportunity and inspiration to eat well has become readily available at the touch of our fingertips, from your keyboard to the kitchen.

Five years ago, the words ‘courgetti’, ‘quinoa’ and ‘chia’ were barely in my vocabulary, let alone cupboard shelves. Now, they have become the latest trend in fitness and nutrition. While these foods are undoubtedly beneficial, why are we latching onto a trend that is dividing food into dirty and clean?

‘Clean’ is a word, which in relation to food, cannot be confined to one meaning.

Many would say it is something that hasn’t been artificially manufactured, while some would argue that it is must be raw from the ground. Ella Mills, known to many as Deliciously Ella, is an advocate for a plantbased diet, and from the perfectly arranged avocado on her glossy blog page, it is no wonder that those of us attempting to improve our health are in awe of what seems a perfect style of living. However, despite appearing to promote this style of eating, she warns about this concept of ‘clean’. Mills writes that ‘it’s a real shame that the concept of clean has becoming synonymous with healthy for some people: for me the two have nothing to do with each other.’

It is clear that this trend has evolved from our desire to portray a sleek online food diary. But attempting to recreate these polished pictures often makes you bored of the meal that you have taken a slice out of the time you would be eating to apply a filter to. You could have had a pizza the night before, but to the outsider, you appear to be the figure of wellness. And, for a follower that is attempting to eliminate all foods that have

bypassed some kind of factory, it’s a pretty dull week when you feel guilty about reaching for the chocolate because it contains refined sugar.

It seems we are constantly judged on what we eat. If we eat what we want, we are told all of this will catch up with us, and if we monitor our meals, we are told to stop worrying about our appearance. So what exactly can you eat on a clean eating diet?

Let's begin with what can be called the satan of the clean eating world: sugar. The truth is, sugar can never be eliminated, from a packet of sweets to that green juice you envy on your Instagram, fruit contains naturally occurring sugar which is unavoidable. However, clean eating advises reducing ‘free sugar’ intake. Maybe try to cut it down, but don’t throw away your fruit bowl just yet.

Fat. Good fat, saturated fat, trans fat? In order to combat this, the Internet has been smothered in the benefits of coconut oil. Despite bloggers such as Clean Eating Alice, promoting the many benefits, it actually contains more saturated fat than butter and olive oil. However, the saturated fat in coconut oil is easier to digest than the hot dog you picked up after the SU. So don’t eliminate, just choose wisely and read the label.

In reality, we can never expect to live our lives with a diet full of vegetables and wholemeal. For some, clean eating is a good place to start in terms of reducing the amount of processed food we have in our diet. However, even the clean eaters know that sweeping our whole diet of gluten, dairy and sugar is next to impossible and is actually not going to provide you with the glow you are after. Instead, we should all revert to the moderation rule.

A chocolate bar will not make you gain weight, as a portion of broccoli is not going to make you healthy. But before you start arranging your food to fit into the Instagram border, take some time to actually enjoy it.

10 LIFESTYLE

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at lifestyle@thefounder.co.uk

The Rise Of The Internet Blogger JESSIE HAYES

Blog. The modern

diary, the trendy page that pops up on your Instagram, and something that many aspiring writers have. In the past ten years it has become an Internet sensation, and a space to share your thoughts with the world through a keyboard. However, the question I want to ask is this: In 2016, does having a blog make you stand out from the crowd anymore? With the rise of the term ‘blog’ in mainstream vocabulary, and household names like ‘Zoella’ known even by the Internet illiterate, will your page simply get lost amongst the waves of pretty white backgrounds and longtime sailors of the blogging ocean?

Starting a blog is the easiest and quickest way to get original content ‘published’ and out into the big bad world. It is practically free, there are no deadlines to meet, and you are your own boss with complete reign of your content. However, the ease with which you can create and maintain a blog means that everyone aspiring writer will have one. Therefore raking in anything close to the millions of followers that the likes of top bloggers have, poses the first hurdle for a new blog on the block. It is the Internet equivalent of timidly saying ‘Hello...’ in a room full of screaming people crashing cymbals.

It is equally as easy to get lost in the avalanche of similar content now often produced by people with professional teams working on their blogs. No one wants to feel as if their blog is being dismissed as ‘more of the same’ copycat material, however when the only guidance is to look upon top bloggers, many get lost in a voice that isn’t there own, with their own opinions only shadowed by what is already out there.

When starting a blog it is easy to find yourself cringing when telling people, not

out of embarrassment of your own content, but from the predictable writing style they expect you to have. Although, the key thing to remember is that even if you have started a blog for the purpose of making yourself more employable, it shouldn’t be used as something you need to secure you a career in writing, or really to be read by anyone but yourself.

Keeping this in mind will make your first one hundred views feel like a huge achievement, rather than comparing yourself against those who can financially support themselves upon their following.

Blogging is most useful as a tool for you to hone your skills and showcase whatever it is you like writing, photographing, or commenting on the most. So forget the expectations and the restrictions, just write and produce things that you want to read.

Here is a little more spe-

'H ere is a little more

specific advice on making sure that your blog can effectively improve your skills and showcase content that is uniquely you! cific advice on making sure that your blog can effectively improve your skills and showcase content that is uniquely you!

Do not give yourself a strict

schedule.

This is the opposite of the advice you will find if you Google “how to gain blog popularity” but I have my reasons for standing by it. A schedule will help with gaining readership at a faster rate, but pushing yourself to get content up with clockwork precision will only make for pretty standard, formatted and uninspired work. Give yourself the time to flesh out ideas. If it has not taken a sufficient amount of work, and isn’t going to spark an interest with you, your readers will feel the same way.

Keep reviewing and noting old and new ideas.

Even if you only have one sentence in your mind and no idea where to go from there, put that sentence into a notebook. You might see it again later on and the rest will come pouring out of the pencil, or you might see it again and be prompted into a totally new idea. Working from prompts is a skill in itself, and this is one of the easiest ways to do it naturally.

Be authentic.

Although hard to define, the best way to describe would be to remember that whatever you publish would have your name on it. Imagine that a stranger has been given your blog, and after they’ve read it, they are not asked “would you hire this person?” but “do you want to meet this person?”

Make your blog the most polished, interesting and vibrant version of yourself in a screen format, and you really can’t go wrong.

Courtesy photos.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

FEATURES 11

Wsr: y lw [Your University, Your Paper, Your Secrets.]

12 FEATURES

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at features@thefounder.co.uk

“My housemate bakes all the time and it’s always disgusting but none of us have the heart to tell her.”

“One time I got really drunk and decided to pee as I walked through one of the corridors in Founders.”

“The night I thought I was going to lose my virginity I ended up wetting myself in front of him.”

“I tried going down on a girl and I was sick.”

“I added money onto my ex-housemate’s electricity bill because they didn’t clean the house properly before they moved out.”

“I slept with my ex for 6 months after we ended things.”

“Kingswood is the best accommodation off campus. Yes, I understand it’s got a grim aesthetic. This only makes friendship bonds stronger in the face of the poor living conditions and sub-par canteen food.”

“I once read a Tab article and I liked it…”

“I wish I was living with the same housemate I had last year, I hate my house this year.”

“I once said I’d been stabbed at the SU when I hadn’t.”

“I’m lactose intolerant but I always have dairy and end up having an accident every day - I nearly made a mess in the middle of Berlin.”

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

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FEATURES 13

“I have very strong opinions about garishly loud coloured shorts.”

“I tried to break up with my ex-girlfriend for about 5 months before I actually managed to do it.”

“My friends are arranging a holiday for us all and I don’t know when to tell them I’m not going…”

“I walked in on my housemate having sex on purpose.”

"I stole jewelry from my ex-boyfriend and I'm not ashamed of it."

"I secretly think I'm better than everyone I know, and I've thought so for a really long time. Doesn't everyone think that way though? Just me?"

"Hiding things from my housemates makes me feel better when they don't clean up their mess in the living room."

"I haven't washed my sheets in two years, since I moved into rented accomodation."

"I have literally never finished any of the reading I've been assigned for my course. I'm in third year."

"I've kidnapped the cat that's been hanging around my back garden. He likes me so he's mine now."

* These secrets were submitted anonymously by the students of Royal Holloway through Survey Monkey over the course of a month.

14 ARTS Short Stories See Rise In Popularity

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at arts@thefounder.co.uk

1984: A Review

TEGAN BAKER

Your deadlines are looming, you have essays to write, and exams to revise for, but a killer idea for a story pops into your head. So much possible procrastination. The compromise seemed obvious to me in my second year of my undergraduate degree: if you don’t have the time to work on a long project, work on a smaller project. Before university, I was convinced that to be a ‘proper’ writer, I needed to pen an epic to rival Malory or Milton.

It was when I decided to write something for the University of Reading’s Creative Arts Anthology, that I fell in love with the short story. For the first time I had a strict word limit for a piece of creative writing – and I found it thrilling! With short story competitions such as The Guardian’s Stephen King short fiction competition, the HG Wells Short Story Competition and 1000 word challenge, more attention has been drawn to short stories. These competitions tantalise entrants with the chance to win money and publication; two dreams for the average student writer.

But do other students share my love for the short story? To gain a better perspective on what Creative Writing students think, I questioned Dr Douglas Cowie, lecturer in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway.

He answered, ‘The short story form offers students the chance to practice various writing techniques in an achievable, complete form [...] by writing something with a beginning, middle, and end, that is also possible to complete within the structures of a taught undergraduate course. Short story writing is essentially a very useful tool for student writers.’

Alice Straker, who read English Literature and Creative Writing at Royal Holloway and is now returning as an MA student, expressed her interest: ‘Whilst writing for university I found it a useful form as it was

often a struggle for me to come up with a fully formed narrative.’ Her opinion is shared by Harriet MckinleySmith, who will be starting her BA in English Literature this September. She said, ‘The simplicity and directness of a short story has always enticed me as a writer.

It eliminates the possibility for waffle which I think is a problem for most novel writers.’ Second Year Hannah Burdekin, also studying English Literature at Royal Holloway, comments on the explorative nature of short fiction: ‘A compilation of short stories allows for a wider exploration into a topic than, say, a single novel covering themes in more depth.’

Whilst most of the students that I spoke to praised the short story, it seems that not everyone shares this opinion. Nicholas Ross, who is also starting his BA in English Literature this September, explains his belief that the short story, ‘limits a writer’s potential to construct their own worlds.

I struggle [...] imagining Tolkien’s fictional universe being depicted in only a few hundred words.’ He adds that this can limit ‘short stories to [...] take place in recognizable contexts.’ Burdekin expressed similar resignations: ‘For new authors, the short story may provide difficulties, such as limited character development and the danger of overcomplicating the plot.’

Whichever side of the fence you fall, it seems clear that short fiction offers student writers the opportunity for explorative writing if nothing else. The pithy format offers those new to creative writing the chance to compact their ideas into a controlled piece, where inexperienced writers may include unnecessary wordage.

GEMMA TADMAN ARTS EDITOR

Surveillance.Identity. Control. Sixty-seven years after the publication of George Orwell's 1984, the concerns of the novel are still relevant,, in our own society of CCTV and oppressive organisations.

Under the direction of Olivier Award-winning Robert Icke, and Olivier Award-nominee Duncan Macmillan, the theatre adaptation of 1984 has returned to England after enjoying international success.

Orwell’s 1984, which follows the journey of Winston Smith (Andrew Gower), is revamped, diverting the play from the original frame of the novel. Events are framed within the meeting of a book club in 2050, who meet to discuss Winston’s personal diary of the year 1984. The audience watch on as Winston attempts to rebel against the tyrannical organization ‘Big Brother’, whilst dodging the ‘Thought Police’ and attempting to avoid the dreaded ‘Room 101’. It is at work in the Ministry of Truth that Winston meets and falls in love with fellow rebel Julia, thereafter the pair quickly find themselves having more independent thoughts and joining the inscrutable Brotherhood, a secret organisation designed to overthrow Big Brother. But

Photo courtesy of Gemma Tadman.

Big Brother is always watching. He knows every thought you have ever had and ever will have, and the lovers soon discover that they will never be alone.

Under Icke and Macmillan’s meticulous direction, the audience are frequently unsettled by scene shifts between the book club’s analysis, and Winston’s own present. The distance offered by the book club plants the seed of doubt regarding Winston’s sanity: does he imagine the book club? Does his diary hold any truth whatsoever?

What events are actually true in the play?

Such subversions of temporalities and character positions confuses the audience of what is real, and reveals Winston’s own confusion of reality and truth. Natasha Chivers’ clever use of lighting, Tom Gibbons’ sound, and Tim Reid’s use of video, help to blur these transitions between past, present and future. In line with Orwell’s prose style, these devices are used in ways that do not make for an easy viewing experience. Instantaneously lights will transform the stage from absolute darkness to eye-ball-burning white. Room 101 is made to feel stark, immediate, and un-

nerving by bright white lights.

Ominous silences are broken by loud and sudden blasts, making the audience jump out of their seats. But at times these theatrical techniques become too much.

If you have ever read 1984 you will know that the story is all about disorientation, with strong emphasis on lack of clarity or sense, but sometimes, especially for audience members’ not familiar with the novel, the play feels a bit ‘overkill’, and the production falters as a result. The interruptions of light and sound are not always needed for effect, and consequently break concentration, reducing total immersion in the viewing experience.

For those theatregoers whom enjoy less passive viewing, the show allows one to test the mind and, as quoted

by The Guardian, “raises serious questions,” that will leave you deep in thought.

1984 will be shown at The Playhouse Theatre London until 29th October, playing a limited season. Show running time is one hour and forty minutes with no interval. ✮✮✮✮— I give the show a 3.5 star rating out of five

ARTS 15

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at arts@thefounder.co.uk

Life In Theatre, Off Stage: My Experience JADE PRINCE

Photos courtesy of Jade Prince. This summer, Prince was given the oppurtunity to work in a West End theatre for a week. She was allocated to Piccadilly Theatre, the home of Jersey Boys, where her experience not only backstage, but front of house.

During August I was given the incredible opportunity to work in a West End theatre for a week. I was lucky enough to be allocated Piccadilly Theatre, the home of Jersey Boys, which included experience not only backstage, but front of house. Although the backstage aspect was something I was very interested in, working front of house has given me a whole new respect for theatre ushers, bar staff and the theatre managers. I was given a real insight into what happens before, during and after a show, but I did not anticipate how much waiting around ushers actually do.

When it is time to receive the audience into the auditorium, things of course, become a little manic, but once everyone is seated, the show has started, and late comers are admitted, the ushers can return to the offices on the top floor (unless they are monitoring the auditorium).

In the offices, the ushers are allowed “chill time” (a fancy name for waiting around) whilst keeping an eye on the monitor playing the show live from the stage. The end of ‘Big Girls Don't Cry’ signalled them to get ready for the interval. The interval I experienced was pretty relaxed with no real problems occurring; everyone was too busy enjoying the show.

During the second act, the front of house staff complete stock takes and total up the takings for that day. Then it’s more waiting until the end of the show!

The rest of my time was spent with various backstage teams, ranging from stage management to helping move props during a full rehearsal run through, to then working with the sound department during an actual show. The first thing I noticed was how relaxed everything was backstage. Everyone was so calm, which is amazing considering Jersey Boys is such a big running

West End show. It was the complete opposite to what I was expecting. I think the main contribution to this is the fact that Jersey Boys has been in Piccadilly Theatre for many years, so by now everyone knows what they are doing. Magic happens on stage, but I found the crew’s ability to work in such a small environment just as incredible to watch. It was as if the sets were carefully played Tetris blocks moving between the two acts, with fine artistry used to control rotating props out in the interval. The crew do not get the chance to breathe during the interval; because

W orking front of house

has given me a whole new respect for theatre ushers, bar staff and the theatre managers.

the show is too big for the theatre, the crew must lower down a lift storage bin to remove all act two props and then reload it with the act one props. If they are lucky, the crew will then get a fiveminute tea break before the second act starts. This process is repeated straight after the show so it's set for the next run.

So, next time you go and see a show, I urge you to take a moment to appreciate both the front of house staff as well as the backstage crew, who are all key elements in bringing a show to life.

16 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

The 73rd International Venice Film Festival: Highlights JACK SALVADORI

Summer: the least favourite time of the year for a cinema lover - a season brimming with insignificant blockbusters, flavourless comedies, predictable horrors, pointless remakes and even more unnecessary sequels. However, a beacon of hope still shines: a headlight set in Venice, which has illuminated the cinematic panorama for over the last 73 years.

As usual, the 73rd International Venice Film Festival presented an interesting selection of movies, potentially one of the best spreads over the past years, with more than 80 titles. Nostalgically, the festival looked towards the past, with musicals and western revivals, the return to black and white and creatures from outer space, the kermesse did not lack movie stars. From gleaming actors in vogue such as Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander, Chris Pratt and James Franco, to the established Michael Fassbender, Mel Gibson, Jude Law and Natalie Portman, many celebrities landed on the lido to present their latest works, including living legends such as Wim Wenders, Jeremy Irons, Jerzy Skolimowski and Dario Argento.

Venice has been the greatest launching pad to success for films in the past years: some of the most substantial Oscar-winner movies, such as Gravity (Cuarón, 2013), Birdman (Iñárritu, 2014), and Spotlight (McCarthy, 2015), to name a few, were presented there. Is it going to be the case for this year’s opening movie, La La Land? Probably not. The standard 50s-style musical directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, 2014) and played by the noteworthy Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, was not very elaborate whatsoever. By all means enjoyable for the eyes, the movie’s colourful cinematography and its dynamic editing are not enough to fill the gap left by the complete absence of story. The excessively simple film, however, hides a stimu-

lating ending, that manages to touch the audience’s feelings at the very end of a dull script.

There is not much to say about the not-risky melodramas of Frantz and The Light Between Oceans, both facing, in different ways, the struggles of a love story after the Great War. They do not disappoint the audience, but at the same time they do not dare to try something new. Nevertheless, the quest for originality is achieved by Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, an innovative sci-fi that keeps the audience in constant suspense as it determines its genre only after more than half of the film. Is it going to be an apocalyptic thriller or an intimate drama?

It’s up to you to find out. On the other hand, The Untamed,

by Amat Escalante, plays with the extra-terrestrial theme, yet resulting in a complete failure and, personally, one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

There was also space for two successful films inspired by true political events: the brilliant Jackie and The Journey. The latter is a fascinating film entirely revolving around a conversation between two politicians, played by the great Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney, which led to reconciliation between UK and Norther Ireland. I would like to digress a little about Jackie,

by Pablo Larraín, as the biopic diverges from other biographical movies inasmuch as it depicts only the few days after the killing of JFK seen through the eyes of his wife, Jacqueline. Here, the film does not show the birth and death of the protagonist, but only a glimpse into her life, leading to a much deeper and original film, in which Natalie Portman gives us one of her best performances to date.

In spite of that, the festival managed to reach two great, opposite peaks: Wim Wender’s Les beaux jours d'Aranjuez and Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals. If Wim Wenders profoundly disappointed the critics and the public, pre-

senting a tedious, staged film adapted from a theatre play (even with the most useless, unnecessary and irritating use of 3D!), Tom Ford was an unbelievable surprise. Nocturnal Animals is, in my opinion, one of the best movies of the past decades. Played masterfully by Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, the script combines two distinct stories that are subtly and smartly connected. The audience follows the life of the protagonist, Adams, while she reads a mysterious novel written by her ex-husband. The spectators become incredibly involved with the plot of the novel, but they are forced to take some necessary breaks from it, returning to the ‘real life’ of the protagonist as she interrupts her reading. In these breaks the viewers have the chance to explore and understand the elusive past of the couple that may have led to their present situation, and to the spinechilling events dealt with in the novel itself. The suspense created by Hitchcock and the visual-impacting style of Kubrick come back to life in this incredible psychological masterpiece that is open to several interpretations.

An entire section of the festival was dedicated to a new cinematic area that deserves to be explored and has the potential to change the notion of cinema as we know it: virtual reality. By the means of special glasses fitted to the screen of a phone and headphones, the viewer plunges into a film recorded at 360° degrees, shot from every angle. When I tried this new experience, I felt the same shiver French viewers experienced when they ran away from a train during the first cinematic screening 125 years ago, as it looked too realistic.

The freedom to ‘look around’ eliminates the figure of the editor, and it is up to the director’s ability to drive the spectator’s attention wherever he or she wants.

In conclusion, the Venice Film Festival might not

Photo courtesy of Jack Salvadori.

present all alluring movies, but it is definitely a fascinating event offering the visitors the chance to learn and judge about the future of our beloved cinema. I could not recommend visiting the festival more, especially for a cinephile, as the key to fully

enjoy cinema is not to watch a good movie rather than a bad one, but rather to watch as many films as possible and reflect equally over their qualities and faults. Venice is definitely the right place to achieve this.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

ARTS: FILM 17

Was Hollywood Ready For Another Joker?

Photo courtesy of Ryan Nair.

RYAN NAIR FILM EDITOR

In September 2014 Warner Bros. announced the release of supervillain blockbuster Suicide Squad, due for release in August 2016. Alongside the casting of A-listers Will Smith and Margot Robbie, the announcement that had all the world talking who would be playing everyone’s favourite anti-hero, The Joker. The last portrayal of the role was by the late Heath Ledger, who won a posthu-mous Oscar award for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 The Dark Knight. Ledger’s adaptation is arguably hailed as the most impressive interpretation of the character and one of the best performances given by an actor this side of the millennium. Delving into the role, Ledger seemed to lose himself amongst the psychotic personality he was creating, the final words in the diary he kept during the making of the film simply read ‘bye bye’.

Given this sensitive stigma, a new Joker seemed off the cards for the foreseeable future. Fast forward six years from Ledger’s portrayal, and in November 2014, Jared Leto was cast in the iconic role, the 44 year-old actor-turned rock

star, who has starred in films such as Requiem for a Dream and Mr. Nobody. Notably, Leto most recently starred in Dallas Buyers Club in 2014 opposite Matthew McConaughey, as a transgender woman suffering from AIDS. The role earned him a Golden Globe, an Academy award and a Screen Actors Guild award.

The announcement Leto would be playing The Joker was met with a polarised reception, with obvious mutterings circling around showbiz that no one could live up to Ledger’s devotion to the role. Conversely, several fans, especially those of DC comics specifically were looking ahead to a new wave of Batman villainy, and who best to reboot the series than the best villain of them all?

Backtracking to 2006, Ledger was announced for the role

by Nolan’s team and similarly to Le-to, fans firmly believed the actor was far from capable when it came to handling such a twisted and tortured character. I for one, coupled with unwavering optimism, was ecstatic about Leto’s upcom-ing interpretation.

During the promo-

tional campaign for Suicide Squad, little information was disclosed re-garding Leto’s precise plans for the role.

Despite this, there was news emerging from the Suicide Squad camp that Leto himself was an extremely enigmatic presence both on and off set.

From the get-go, he fully invested himself in the mind of the character, posting special ‘gifts’ to his co-stars before initially meeting them. Smith reportedly received bullets and Robbie was sent a live rat at-tached to a love letter. Even after seeing the man face-toface on set, Smith went so far to say that he never met Jared Leto himself until shooting had wrapped up. Leto apparently never broke char-acter during production, committing himself one hundred percent to a method acting approach. Leto himself did tease a couple of minor details though in the run up to the film’s release, mentioning that he practised perfecting the famous Joker laugh whilst wandering the streets of New York and Toronto. He also visited and spoke to patients in a mental institute, listening to their stories in order

to fully immerse himself in the mentality of a madman.

Impressive research undoubtedly, but do these efforts not remind you scarily of another actor’s commitment to the role? Heath Ledger re-portedly locked himself away alone in a hotel for four weeks, refusing to talk to anyone and delib-erately forcing himself to sleep for only two hours a night. Leto’s efforts do seem stellar, but could he really create a Joker as memorable as Ledger’s masterpiece?

On August 5th the film was finally released in cinemas to less than satisfactory reviews. Critics drew specifically on the lack of Leto’s screen time, which was arguably the biggest selling point of the film. The Joker’s screen time factually clocks in at around roughly a mere fifteen minutes. To put this in perspective, this is about the length of three 30 Seconds to Mars tracks on average (seriously). Leto has recently commented on this criticism in an interview with Metro, stat-ing ‘I don’t know exactly what’s been cut out or not, but I do understand it’s a bit of an introduc-tion to the Joker, it’s a bit more of a supporting part than maybe it could have been if they had used everything,’. After viewing the film, I left the cinema completely disheartened by The Joker’s lack of scenes. The character’s appearance is more of a cameo than anything, as the film has much more to do with characters such as Deadshot and Harley Quinn than the clown himself. In hindsight, The Joker is quite an irrelevant character in regards to the concrete plot line, excluding the final scene in which he breaks Harley Quinn out of prison after the squad’s reincarceration. Arguably, it would have made much more sense to keep the reveal of a new Joker under wraps from the pub-lic until the end of the film, and throw Leto in as an actual cameo in an epilogue scene, paving the groundwork for a potential sequel or spinoff. I personally feel cheated

by Suicide Squad.

The question on my mind is, was Hollywood really ready for another Joker?

Maybe it was too soon after Ledger’s interpretation for someone to come along and truly breathe new life into this demanding role. Perhaps this notion is exactly what Ayer was afraid of and why he shied away from letting all of Leto’s scenes see the light of day. Alternately, maybe originality was the real problem afoot and this is why what we are given is an amalgamation of ideas: Ledger’s Joker, Die Antwoord’s rambunctious image and to top it all off, a modern-age gangster persona. Regardless of The Joker’s true genesis in Suicide Squad, Leto has recently de-scribed his role, in light of the film’s negative reviews, as a mere ‘glorified walk on’. He further commented in an interview to IGN, ‘I think that I brought so much to the table in every scene that it was probably more about filtering all of the insanity, because I wanted to give a lot of options… I always wished this film was rated R (the equivalent of an 18 rating in the UK) ... It felt like if a film was ever going to be rated R it should be the one about the villains.’

Say what you want about Leto taking on the role, but you cannot argue with his opinion here. After everything, perhaps the real reason The Joker did not come to life in Suicide Squad is not because of previous interpretations or lack of originality, but rather censorship in the film industry itself. Just like any actor who agrees to take on the role of The Joker, an extreme and bold approach is a necessity and this is exactly what Ayer has missed. Conclusively what was absent from Suicide Squad was not the character or the actor playing The Joker, but the headstrong attitude to dare greatly and take the character where no one has ever taken it before.

To read Ryan’s full and unabridged review, check out ryanlewisnair.wordpress.com.

18 ARTS: FILM

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at film@thefounder.co.uk

The Sequel's Role In Cinema Are sequels all we have left in cinema production?

ANNA LUCCHINETTI

In the last fifty years, sequels have played an important part in the cinema industry. In fact, some of the most well know sequels were born during the 60s and the 70s, such as, James Bond, Star Wars and Star Trek. In the modern age, it seems that the love for sequels has not only survived, but it has increased to unbelievable levels. It could be probable that the reason why film series are so popular is because the audience become affectionate to the characters of the saga.

In addition to this affection, viewers are lured in by their curiosity to discover how the characters’ lives evolve, so they see it only fit to go and watch the following episodes.

However, it is not for satisfying audience’s curiosity that Hollywood employs most of its time and money in creating film series. In fact, it is for economic reasons that production companies keep producing sequels. Firstly, sequels permit the production companies to draw on the same characters of the previous film, knowing that they will be loved as much as they were in the first episode. Secondly, it is easier for producers to create a continuance because they do not need to think about a new story, genre and if it is going to be appreciated by the audience, but simply they have to decide new adventures for the old characters, whilst still touching on the same topics. For example, Fast and Furious has been extremely loved by the audience as it follows the lives and stories of the same characters whilst always proposing the same themes: criminality, car races and love. The first episode of the franchise was released in 2001 and it cashed more than

$207 million worldwide. As the following seven episodes were as successful as the first one, the Fast and Furious franchise has recently agreed with the Universal Pictures to produce three more episodes that will be out in cinemas in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Furthermore, it could be said that the 21st Century has so far been the ‘Golden Age’ for film franchises. Indeed, in the last fifteen years Hollywood released some of the most appreciated and fruitful sequels in all of the history of cinema. For example, the Harry Potter series that occupied a place in the cinema calendars every year from 2001 to 2011 has profited $7.7 billion worldwide. Other examples that can prove the increase of the popularity of sequels in recent years are Twilight (2008 – 2012) which made $3.3 billion, Divergent (20142016) that earned over $265 billion and Hunger Games (2012-2015) that made more than $2.9 billion worldwide.

These are only a few examples of the large amount of sequels produced in these recent years, but what is worth thinking about is why in Hollywood are sequels always so popular? The reason, as aforementioned, is money. In an article published in 2014 in The Financial, Matthew Garrahan commented that Hollywood box offices regained the amount of money lost in 2014 by increasing the production of sequels that were to be released in 2015. So it is plausible in arguing that for Hollywood, a film series is somewhat a ‘guarantee’ to make money. However, what scares me the most is that now every movie released seems to be the sequel of a previous movie. For example, most of the films that were released

in 2016 are continuances of older films that were an initial success upon released. For example, The Huntsman: Winter’s War (April 2016), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (March 2016) and Alice Through the Glass (May 2016) have all been created and advertised as the continuances of older films Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

This is a short list of some of the sequels produced this year, but the list goes on.

The trend of creating sequels is also affecting children’s films alongside the wider areas of cinema. For example, when Shrek was released in 2001, it was so wellloved by the audience that it became a franchise and now there are six films that belong to the overarching series. Another example is Toy Story’s franchise that counts five films including the one due to be released in 2018. Furthermore, one should consider all the fairy tales that have been reinterpreted and revived for the public, such as Cinderella, Maleficent, The Jungle Book, Oz the Great and Powerful, Hansel and Gretel – Witch Hunters, The Legend of Tarzan… The list also goes on in this case.

Conclusively, it seems that films proposed by the cinema industry are typically revamped versions of old and well known stories. The real question on my mind is where is the creativity in this recyclable process? Why do producers not take the risk to try something new and something innovative that may change cinema history?

Finally, one must wonder if money and profit will always impede the evolution and variety of film.

Courtesy Photos.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

ARTS: MUSIC 19

[Column]

Songs Of The Summer: To Slate Or To Royal Holloway Music Praise, That Is The Question

As a new year at Royal Holloway dawns, there are certain songs that will no doubt be cropping up at every pre-drink session/hangout/party as we all valiantly attempt to hold on to the last remaining threads of summer by constantly playing the songs that we couldn’t get enough of over the summer. These songs may have been the ones that we heard everywhere on the radio and in shops, or they may be the songs that we fell in love with over the summer: little gems that we told all our friends about. When pressed for a response, some of the writers for The Founder’s Music section named the following songs as their ‘Song of the Summer.’ In the interest of preserving their self-respect and dignity, the identities of the writers have been concealed.

SAM BARKER MUSIC EDITOR

There is a lot of music. We all know that. Singles and albums and music videos and mash-ups and preview tracks are released every day by the hundreds, if not thousands.

These days it seems like everyone, and their goldfish, and their pet cactus has a budding music career, be they a budding singer/songwriter or a bedroom DJ composing electronica tracks and hoping to hit it big one day and headline [insert prestigious, genre-specific, music venue here]. There is also, as a result, a lot of shit music. This doesn’t just come from your friends and aunts, established recording artists and bedroom producers alike are releasing dreadful music into the world. There is, of course, plenty of lousy music journalism being released everyday on blogs and in homemade zines (which I assume are still a thing) as well, but let’s pretend I have the cultural and moral high ground for now.

As a writer, and as someone passionate about music, the question arises about what to do with the terrible music that exists. Ignore it? Review it? Slate it from my high and mighty perch with a stroke of my pen or a tap at my laptop keyboard? Is it my duty to warn the world about the shit? Or should I focus on the great music?

Cliché ideals about ‘spreading positivity’ aside, the attack of someone’s artistic output feels unnecessary.

Were it a workshop, where constructive criticism could be delivered, maybe then the terribleness of Alfred Spunkell’s 36-minute long recording of traffic noises set to the sound of steel-drums, with three separate accordion so-

Drake Ft Kyla & Wiz- DNCE – Cake By kid – One Dance The Ocean

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

los, could be touched upon.

But in a music review? It feels more important to present the great things, to present the things that one is passionate about. Music journalism often has a completely different feel to it based upon how the writer felt about what they were reviewing, and it’s when the writer is passionate that the power of the writing often comes across. A review from someone who is trying to explain to you why they love Susan Shofenhauser’s latest xylophone-centric punk album will often make for better reading than a review whose verdict could be summed up with one word: “meh”.

Having said all that, sometimes it’s just great fun to rip something apart. Assuming, of course, that you passionately hate it.

‘Ostensibly the simplest thing to have been produced this year with Drake's vocals being layered over 2 samples, the song has crept into every nook and cranny, becoming a resident club anthem.

Chart cynics, don't be fooled by its omnipresence- the song is definitely infectious and by god does it know how to get you on the dancefloor.’

‘I may not like the song, I may not have ever listened to the song by choice, I may be wondering the frizzy-haired Jonas brother is, and I may still only know three lines of the lyrics, but it was still easily my mostheard song this summer.’

Viola Beach – Swings George Gerswhin – and Waterslides Rhapsody in Blue

‘Swings and Waterslides is a great indie track and summarises summer in both its lyrics and melodies. It also goes to show the tragic potential of the band!’

‘I think it's probably one of the best contenders for the most stylish song ever written.

There's so much complexity to it that you can listen almost infinitely and never get bored.’

20 ARTS: MUSIC

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

Jamie T - Trick : A Review CHARLIE CATMULL

Jamie T’s latest album, ‘Trick’, arrives to wake up the masses who have settled into the hazy comfort of the summer wind-down.

‘Trick’, which reveals a culmination of the broad spectrum of the troubadour’s styles Jamie T has experimented with over the course of his rollercoaster past releases, rattles into a heavier, grungier era immediately with the album’s lead single, and opener, ‘Tinfoil Boy’. Bouncing between spit-shout rap and hard-hitting riffs, the track may reveal a new direction for Jamie T, but is by no means definitive of the rest of 'Trick'. Songs range from the blistering and quick witted lyrical rap of grime imprinted tracks such as 'Police Tapes' and 'Drone Strike', to the foot-stomping indie rock identifiable in tracks such as 'Joan of Arc' with its soaring chorus and building guitar

squeals.

Although ‘Trick’s principal focus may be to unsettle or unnerve with its new heaviness, the middle of the track listing reveals a large amount of depth, supporting the “mixed bag” feel that Jamie T was aiming for according to interviews. The more personal insights into Jamie T’s own life, which became the root of comeback album ‘Carry On the Grudge’, are still to be found on ‘Trick’. It becomes not only a worthy successor of all his past work, but also an introspective on Jamie’s experiences and influences so far. The largest identifiable influence on ‘Trick’ is The Clash, a band Jamie often cites as an inspiration.

Their musical touches are embraced in songs such as ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Tescoland’, with the former’s Strummer-esque hooks, and the latter reaching the infec-

tious heights of The Clash’s ‘Train in Vain’.

It is this splicing of the old and the new that sets 'Trick' apart from other indie albums released in 2016, with the moodier production and more politically conscious lyrics also allowing the album to gain a rebellious tone in its exploration of the current state of society – echoing The Clash yet again with the strong links to their album, ‘Combat Rock’. 'Trick' challenges compliance and the impending doom found in the signs of the current time (Trump, Brexit, police injustice - the list goes on) by at least making the disintegration of worldwide moral reason groove-filled and catchy for the most part.

In Jamie T’s view, if the ship is going down, we may as well be dancing on it.

Personal highlight: 'Dragon Bones'

Courtesy Photo.

Fat White Family Live At The O2 Acadamy Brixton SAM BARKER MUSIC EDITOR

I leave the O2 Academy Brixton, on Saturday, 17 September, drenched and dripping with sweat. I have sweated through every item of clothing in my possession, including that which I am not necessarily wearing. I stink of cigarettes, weed, beer, and the body odour of myself and every other sweaty body in the venue.

I leave having managed to go the entire gig without having any beer spilled on me, only to have half a pint poured down my back in the mad rush to get through the narrow doors of the venue exit.

I leave the O2 Academy Brixton slowly, each step a chore made all the more difficult by every muscle in my body aching from the combined energy and

strength of hundreds of people smashing into me over and over. My legs and feet don’t want to cooperate, adjusted as they are now to the methodical up and

'My chest

and stomach feel bruised and sore from the barrier...' down movement they’ve been subjected to for the past four hours. My chest and stomach feel bruised and sore from the barrier I

was repeatedly pushed into and pulled away from.

I leave having watched Lias, front-man and lead singer for the Fat White Family, exert a masterful control over the audience.

Before the band took to the stage, while the second of two opening bands, Black Lips, had played, the chaos had mostly been contained to a small area in front of the stage. When Fat White Family stepped on stage, though, the entire venue erupted with energy. Lias stood on stage with his hands out at his sides, head thrown back, bare chest thrust towards us, and with a simple lift of his hands was able to cause the place to reach an even greater crescendo as the band kicked in and the people crowd threw themselves at

Courtesy Photo.

each other. At one point, waiting for a lengthy intro to play through, Lias had clambered upon the speaker stack at the edge of the stage and perched there, surveying his handiwork

with glee and two raised fingers.

I leave tired but elated and with deeply apologetic feelings towards anyone who now has to sit next to me on the train home.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at music@thefounder.co.uk

ARTS: MUSIC 21

A Study In Longevity: Carol King Live At BST Hyde Park

FRANCESCA MUDANNAYAKA

1971 proved to be a landmark year in music which saw the release of albums such as David Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’, Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’, and Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’. Keeping these releases good company was Carole King’s magnum opus ‘Tapes-

try’, which, 45 years later, still managed to draw a crowd of 60,000 people to Hyde Park.

Hailed as the definitive record for women exploring independence, friendship, love, and loss, by 1971 King was already established as a popular songwriter for oth-

live in its entirety in the UK, ‘timeless’ seemed to be the word on everyone’s lips. Judging by the crowd demographic, which mostly consisted of mothers and daughters, this wouldn’t be an unfair assumption. Striding onstage following a video message (from President Obama and Tom Hanks no less), King launched into ‘I Feel the Earth Move’ backed by her incredible band and a choir of 60,000 audience members singing along. What struck me the most was the sheer musicianship displayed by King whose skills as a pianist never once faltered. Judging her by the original 1971 recording, her voice remains as raw and mellifluous as ever, perhaps best exemplified by when she sang ‘It’s Too Late’ Courtesy Photo. and ‘Way Over Yonder’. er artists including Aretha Up tempo tunes includFranklin and The Shirelles’. ing ‘Beautiful’ elicited huge Her divorce from husband crowd singalongs and it was and song writing partner hard not to be won over by Gerry Goffin sparked a crea- her vivacity and optimism. tive period which culminated There was a lovely moin Tapestry. ment when her daughter Billed as the first time she Louise Goffin (also a musihas ever played the album cian) joined her onstage for

Frank Ocean - Blonde: A Review HELEN WALPOLE

Courtesy Photo.

an emotional rendition of ‘Where You Lead’ and ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow?’

She remarked in between songs, ‘So this is what 74 feels like’, and it was indeed an awe-inspiring thing to watch King dance onstage with her guitar (in 4 inch heels!). Although a huge medley of her tunes made popular by other artists like ‘The Loco-Motion’ got crammed into a 10-minute slot, she more than made up for it by bringing the West End cast of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ onstage. After an upbeat reprise of ‘I Feel the Earth Move’ the show ended with King’s James Taylor collaboration ‘You’ve Got a Friend’, which made for an emotional ending.

While longevity is just a dream for some musicians, Carole King has formulated the blueprint which everyone aspires to and it is remarkable to see a woman who has been so successful be so humble onstage. If this is indeed what 74 looks like, we can definitely expect more from Carole King in the years to come.

At once intimate and expansive: Frank Ocean’s new LP is food for the soul.

How are Frank Ocean albums like a bus? Well, you wait four years for a followup to debut ‘Channel Orange’, and then two come at once. August 2016 saw Ocean foray into the medium of the visual album with ‘Endless’, followed a few days later by a 17-track LP called ‘Blonde’.

Under a previous working title of ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, the LP had been eagerly anticipated by fans who will no doubt be delighted by its depth and quality as well as the impressive list of collaborators: Beyoncé, Kanye West, Pharrell, Andre 3000, Tyler The Creator, James Blake, Jamie xx, and Rick Rubin among them.

Ocean went even further, and treated fans to a 360-page magazine which sold in limited quantities in pop-up shops

in New York, London, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The magazine, named ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ after the LP’s working title, was something of a portal into Ocean’s mind. It featured his own photography, a screenplay he wrote, horoscopes, interviews with persons close to him, and a section for ‘hopes and dreams’.

The music of ‘Blonde’ itself proves equally introspective.

Laid-back and cool, the production favours lush vocals and a minimalist approach.

Lead single ‘Nikes’ features a winding melody and touches on the current police brutality towards black people in the US with the lyric ‘RIP Trayvon, that n***a look just like me’. Later, on Beyoncé collab ‘Pink + White’, Ocean offers up a slow, grooving beat and a simple, yet gorgeous, chord sequence in a slow burner of a song that builds as it pro-

gresses. On occasion the record sounds overly self-indulgent, with Ocean’s extended vocal improvisation on ‘Solo’ and ‘White Ferrari’ making the listener want to say ‘we get it, you can sing’. If there is one thing the album is lacking in, it would be energy. The minimalist production style is not always enough to sustain Ocean’s winding melodies.

Lack of energy aside, it is clear that the record offers fans a glimpse into Ocean’s head and his world, and is definitely not intended to sound ‘commercial’. It has already proven a massive hit, and true Frank Ocean fans will appreciate ‘Blonde’ for what it is: a deep, exploratory artwork which is best enjoyed at home in the small hours.

Here’s hoping that the wait for Ocean’s next effort won’t be quite so long this time around.

22 SPORTS

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at sports@thefounder.co.uk

A Fresher's Journey To Lacrosse ALEX SKONE

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, my eager fresher self was planning to join every sport club going, from Table Tennis to Trampolining, my name was on the email list.

There was however one sport that was not on my original list and yet, despite this, proved to be the most memorable and essential element in helping me forge an enjoyable 1st year of university life.

As with most first timers visiting the fresher’s sports fair, I calculated that I had committed to about 30 hours of sport per day, seven days a week and feeling rather productive, I left the hall with rather confident “job done” spring in my step. On my way back to my room in Hogwarts (or more commonly referred to as the Founders building), I was walking past the Astro pitch and saw a bunch

of chaps passing and shooting with what seemed to be a large wooden stick with bits of badly woven string stuck on the end of it; as I had a bit of time to kill I thought why not give it a go. I can safely say this was the best decision I made so far within my first three days of university life.

As I approached the large green enclosure with my Domino’s pizza box in one hand and a bag of societal paraphernalia in the other, I was greeted by very enthusiastic and friendly Lacrosse players. I must say they were very empathetic to my lack of co-ordination but soon had me passing and shooting in a roughly straight line. Very quickly I forgot about my now cold pizza and knew I wanted to focus on this high octane and full on sport, after attending the taster session I

caught the proverbial ‘bug’ for Lacrosse and couldn’t get enough of it.

Lacrosse for me is more than just a sport that I play; I consider it far more an integral part of my University life and wish I started playing the sport sooner. The mix between training and playing competitive matches combined with the variety of Social events truly has made for some of my fondest 1st year memories. Lacrosse emphasises a culture of comradery and sportsmanship throughout, whilst as cliché as it sounds, it has also given me the opportunity to meet amazing people with a likeminded, driven attitude to be successful. I implore as many people to join the Lacrosse club as I can whole heartedly say it was the best decision I made at University.

train three times a day – this includes two runs and a gym session with the Royal Holloway STARS Strength and Conditioning coach Louis Howe – so it’s safe to say my days can be pretty hectic!

Once I know my university schedule, I usually try and plan my training in so that I have a weekly routine during term time. It is also important for me to plan in time to rest and hang out with friends and family, so it really is all about balance and organisation.’

‘Studying is very important to me too as my athletics career will not last forever, so I want to get a good degree to set me up for a life after athletics.’

In every year at Royal Holloway there are always ‘big names on campus’, whether it be ‘that girl’ with a multitude of Instagram followers or the guy who drives the Porsche.

Despite this, one of the real campus celebrities is Emelia Gorecka, who is one of Britain’s most promising athletes.

Having divided her final

year in two to cope with the pressures of training and finishing a degree she admitted she doesn’t spend much time on campus, but comes only for lectures and leaves again to head to training, illustrating what an intense program she follows. It hasn’t always been plain sailing on her rise to the top of her field however, having fractured a bone in her foot last year, but has this dampened her competitive spirit? ‘It’s a long term plan, this year was mean to be a practice year for Rio, but unfortunately it hasn’t quite worked out. But I’ve ran the time I need to qualify before, the injury will only make me want it more, make me stronger.’

She trains three times a day, every single day, with sessions entailing a ten mile run in the morning, a gym session in the middle of the day and four miles again in the evening, all of which lectures and university work squeezed in between and done to a high standard.

Gorecka's Pathway To Rio

CHANTELLE FULLER SPORTS EDITOR

Emelia Gorecka, who studied Psychology at Royal Holloway, has made a national name for herself.

Emilia specialises in Middle and long-distance running and an impressive and notable achievement was when she secured first place in the women’s 5,000m at the British Championships in June 2014.

Emelia has had a great start to her summer as she came first in the women’s 5,000m at the British Championships in Birmingham on the 29th June and ran for Team England at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow. She is also the current European Junior 3,000m champion and is hoping to continue pursuing her career in the sporting industry. Emilia’s coach is long-distance running veteran Mick Woods, and is sponsored by Nike.

Speaking about how she combined her training with her studies at Royal Holloway, the Psychology student said to the BBC ‘At most I

Paralympic Glory in Rio 2016

CHANTELLE FULLER SPORTS EDITOR

When the Olympics came this year, people who had no knowledge that shotput was an actual sport and not a drinking game, gathered in their masses to watch the games. There was constant and complete coverage. Shockingly, the Paralympics has never had the same effect, despite arguably being more inspiring.

‘Paralympics 2016: four 1500m runners finish faster than Olympic Gold Medal winning time. Gold medallist Abdellatif Baka finished 1.7 seconds faster than Olympic champion Mathew Centrowitz along with three other Paralympic athletes’.

Where did I hear about this incredible achievement? Not the BBC, but a Facebook post. Considering not only new world records were made, but history itself, it seems ludicrous that this wasn’t being plastered on every front page of every newspaper all over the world.

Abdellatif Baka of Algeria won the T13 1500m final in an outstanding performance that not only set a new Paralympic world record, but stands as the fastest 1500m time ever recorded by an able – bodied or disabled athlete. The T13 class in the Paralympics is a class designed for athletes who suffer from visual impairment. There are two other classes for visually impaired athletes in the form of T11 and T12, the lower the number correlates to a more severe impairment.

Baka crossed the line in a time of three minutes and 48.29 seconds to win gold, with American Olympic champion Centrowicz

crossing the line with a time of three minutes and 50.0 seconds. The feat was made even more impressive due to the fact that the second, third and fourth place finishers in the same race all recorded times faster than Centrowicz, subsequently meaning that four Paralympic athletes had run times fast enough to win gold had they competed in the Olympic games despite their disabilities.

Ethiopias Tamiru Demisse claimed silver with a time of three minutes and 18.49 seconds, with Kenyas Henry Kirwa taking bronze in three minutes 49.59 seconds. Baka reported to the BBC after he had completed his race ‘it wasn’t easy to get this gold medal; I’ve been working one or two years non-stop.’

Great Britain also repeated their Olympic success by finishing second in the medal tables and excelling in the pool, with Ellie Simmonds leading a triple gold haul. At the games Simmonds defended her title in the SM6 200m medley and achieved a world record in the process. If this wasn’t impressive enough, this happens to be the 21 year olds fifth Paralympic gold medal.

Veteran Sascha Kindred and Susie Rodgers also won gold medals in the pool for Britain, with Kindred winning his 13th gold medal in what he said was his final Paralympics. The 38-year-old, who has competed in every major final of his favoured events, won the men’s 200m individual medley in 2:38:47. Susie Rodgers achieved similar success, coming first in the S7 50m butterfly. ‘It proves at the age of 33, you can pull it out of the bag when you have to.’ she told Channel 4.

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

Email the editor at sports@thefounder.co.uk

SPORTS 23

A Conversation With Jessica Eddie

ROSA SMITH NEWS EDITOR

This year’s Olympic Games saw Great Britain finish second overall, with a total of 67 medals, making it the country’s most successful Olympic Games to date, something that was not predicted after the unprecedented success on home turf at London 2012.

Brazil became the first South American city to host the summer Olympics, as well as the first games to be held entirely in the host country’s winter season. Among these firsts was the entry of the Refugee Olympic Team as independent participants, chosen by the International Olympic Committee in the context of the ‘worldwide refugee crisis’. The team of ten participated in athletics, judo and swimming, and despite not winning any medals, made history through their presence.

Among the Olympic competitors this year was a success story closer to home for Royal Holloway students. Jessica Eddie studied psychology at Royal Holloway, graduating in 2008 and this year won a silver medal in the women’s rowing eight. In an exclusive interview with The Founder, Jessica talks about her time at Rio, Royal Holloway and advice on how to achieve your goals.

Q: Hi Jessica! How long have you been involved in rowing?

A: I have been in the senior team for 13 years now, during which time I've been involved in three Olympic Games (Beijing/London/Rio) and 10 senior World Championships. We train full time supported by the National Lottery, we train two/three times a day so there isn't much scope to do anything else apart from eat, row and sleep!

Q: What did you study at Royal Holloway and where did you live during your time there?

A: I studied Psychology at Royal Holloway and graduated in 2006.

I lived in Founders Halls whilst I was there and then near the University of London boat club in Chiswick to be closer to training.

get a day off all that often but we are so lucky to be able to do this day in-day out. Sitting out in the middle of a beautiful lake has its upsides, and it is made all the better being surrounded by inspiring and driven women.

Q: How would you describe the experience of Rio 2016?

A: It was incredible. To row bang in the middle of a bustling lively city like Rio was like nothing I've ever experienced.

We raced our heat and won it from behind knowing we should be one of the fastest in the event.

It was then a long week of training and holding our heads waiting for that final. It was something we talked about a lot – but then nothing can ever prepare you for that melting pot of nerves and expectation.

A: The lead up to rowing at Rio was like a roller coaster, we trial most of the war pitted against one another to even make the boat so that has a whole heap of pressure and stress.

Once we were in our crew by about April, we then found we were pretty speedy, and went on to become European Champions in early May. From there we won a strong Silver at the Lucerne World Cup and a silver at the last Poznan World Cup, all brining strength and confidence to us. At the same time heaping on the pressure as our little crew started to get a lot more air time and hype.

Photo courtesy of Emily May-Webber.

incredible and even though we were behind we stuck to our race plan and pushed through to an amazing silver medal at the finish line. It was everything I have ever wanted and to share it with my crew made it all the better. It was a mixture of relief, pain and joy all rolled together in a surreal 30 minutes of my life.

are just about still in touch with me after me living a hermit life style being an Olympic rower!

Q: Do you have any words of advice to RHUL students reading this on how to achieve their goals?

A: Some of the strongest advice I would give is to never limit yourself. Lots of people like to tell others something cannot be done or it’s impossible, but that isn't true. We are capable of so much; it's up to you to go out and prove it.

Q: What are your best memories of Royal HolQ: How did you feel loway? during the race and then when knowing A: Uni taught me how you had won silver? to balance my life. My friends used to joke A: By the time we got to about me having a strict our final we were ready. six minutes for a cup of This was my third Olym- tea before I had to run Q: How would you pic final and I knew I to Egham train station describe training?

Q: What was the lead was looking at our best to get to training. I loved Keep up to date with A: Training is pretty up to the Olympics ever chance of winning my time there and made Jessica on her Twitter a medal. My crew was some great friends, who on @jesseddie. hardcore, we don't really like?

24

THE FOUNDER September 30, 2016

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