Volume 19, Issue 6 (Mar '18) by BathTime

March 2018

Vol 19 Issue no 6.

What the fUUK is going on? Photo Credit: Saskia Kovandzich

Editorial

From the Editors’ Desk.... The State of Our Union A new fervour has gripped our campus. Peaceful and tranquil as we calmly stroll past the lake and across the Parade, the past three years here have been a quiet time in what we fortunately, or unfortunately known as ‘the bubble.’ Political apathy has been high, opinions disinterested, uninformed at best, and strong action lacking. Over the past year, campus has experienced visible student activism like never before. Campus has been taken over by camera crew from national media organisations and the topic of University management and strike action has made it to discussions at Happy Hour and pres before Score. A true sign if any, of the scale of this problem. With protests, referendums, votes, occupations and social media rife with debate and arguments, this year marks a watershed moment for student activism at Bath. And it has been a long time coming. Much has changed since I began reporting on student issues back in 2014. I have seen the increase in political activity go from strength to strength. What began as discussions on national issues of the 2015 General Election and Brexit, quickly became issues closer to home, debating SU support for the BDS movement, Glexit, and the occupation in 4W. The accountability of senior management has been the loudest from a small corner on campus, a student group that is unaffiliated with the SU, Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts. What remains apparent is that the SU and the University have been unprepared and ill – equipped to deal with this, and at times, have come across completely caught off guard. Some may even argue that the response is reflective of the Higher Education sector in general. A clear sign that there is work that needs to be done to better support our students. Whilst the Politics and Activism Executive has been established it has not been the correct fit to deal with the external challenges the SU has faced in recent months. It has lacked in student engagement. Calls for change are coming from a vocal minority on campus, which are easy to ignore and even easier to ridicule, but their resolve if anything remains stronger than ever. Negotiations are always frustrating, back- breaking especially with bureaucracies such as the SU and the University. There always remains the continued possibility of cohesion and cooperation to make the message and the viability of reasonable demands stronger. It is important that there is moderation and the mitigation of extremes whilst simultaneously bringing more people into the fore who previously felt excluded and unheard. Change takes time and the real effect of this work will only be seen years from now, far beyond our time here as students. But it only takes a small group of committed people to create change, indeed looking back on history, it is the only thing that ever did. Alisha Lobo, Editor-In-Chief

March 2018

Meet the Team

Alisha Lobo, Editor-in-Chief

Alisha is a third culture kid who is always in need of coffee, wine, and Sainsbury’s cookies all roughly in equal quantities. She will always be found working in the SU and joyfully attending Happy Hour. Often described by her friends as someone with ‘no political chill’, she can also be found arguing about feminism, foreign policy and the Middle East. impact-editor@bath.ac.uk

Tasha Jokic, Deputy Editor- in- Chief & Online Editor

Tasha is a wannabe hipster who secretly wishes that emo was still a thing. When she’s not banging out articles before a deadline, she can be found banging drums. Her dedication to Moles is so strong she was once mistaken for a club Rep. In her spare time, she has been rumoured to be pursuing a degree. impact-deputy@bath.ac.uk

Siân Maria Morgan, Deputy Editor in Chief & Print Editor

Siân is a half Argentine, half Welsh girl who was born and raised in Cyprus. She is happiest when she has falafel and hummus in each hand. Studying a Masters in International Relations, don’t get her talking about Argentine politics - she’ll never shut up. She loves challenging people’s opinion on vegans through the power of hypnosis/good vegan food. impact-deputy@bath.ac.uk

Naomi Chhatwal, Lifestyle Editor

Naomi is an ‘American’ sounding European studying Sociology. Whilst she believes that she has adapted a British alter ego due to her constant use of words such as “banter” or “peak”, she remains loyal to her international roots. You will probably find her laughing at her own captions, reiterating great quotations or ordering a Starbucks grande soya latte (with an extra shot, of course). impact-lifestyle@bath.ac.uk

Olly Bailey, Design Editor

Olly is a Biochem student who can frequently been seen in Indie rock bands playing sweet, sweet guitar. He is happy to give training on InDesign and answer any and all questions about how the magazine is put together. impact-design@bath.ac.uk

Emilia Pilss, Features Editor

Emilia is a European studying Politics with Economics. A true European soul, she will forever strive to educate her British colleagues about her beloved culture, be it Viennese coffee, Baroque architecture or Beethoven. Despite this loyalty, she has come to truly appreciate English culture having taken particularly well to day drinking, grime music and G&T’s. impact-features@bath.ac.uk

Tito Mogaji-Williams, Publicity and Distribution

Tito is an aspiring dictator but is usually just unforgiving to those who defy him. Constantly wearing earphones, he has been spotted on more than one occasion screaming the lyrics to Get Away by The Internet. He actually dabbles in spoken word and poetry, some of which his Politics lecturers would probably disapprove. impact-publicity@bath.ac.uk

Victoria Duley, News and Comments Editor

Victoria is a French kid who talks a lot (including politics) and to anyone she ever encounters. She still rides the trolleys in the supermarket and tries to fit in the indie music scene. Her endless curiosity has taken her to quite a few places and she keeps a solid commitment to discoveries. She enjoys economics and politics on the side.

Michael Boniface, Sport Editor

impact-news@bath.ac.uk

Michael is a sports-mad, bargain-hungry guy who simply loves cloudy apple juice. Not one to watch a film three times or keep going back to the same cafe, he likes to explore the slightly odder sights of Bath. Big fan of groovy tunes. impact-sports@bath.ac.uk

March 2018 October 2017

What’s In this Issue? Cover Story - What the fUUK is going

Isobel Nash takes on a tour of

on?

what to do in and around Bath.

Bath Time’s Victoria Duley and Emilia Pilss’ coverage of negotiations.

Saskia Kovandzichzich

p39.

Bath Time’s lifestyle Editor Naomi Chatwal tells us why Taikhun should be the next place you go out for dinner. p.43

What else? Memes of the month - pg7 International Feature - Italian- pg 17 Arsene Wenger: the sad demise of a legend -p35

DEBATE

Are the student occupations of the management chambers an appropriate way to protest developments at the University of Bath? pgs. 21-22

October 2017 March 2018

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March 2018

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March 2018

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News & Comment

A Virtual British High Street? Genevieve Redgrave

Wikimedia commons, Wegmann May Taylo484

Picture this: you need an outfit for another Monday Night Bridge. Where do you turn to first? Prettylittlething? Missguided? Or if you need a cheap fancy dress item for that ridiculous Score theme, where do you go to? Amazon? I’m willing to bet that for none of these you would put on your trainers and brace the bitter winds of Bath to traipse the British high street. In fact, as more high street retailers like ToysRUs or Maplin close their doors for the final time, it is clear that scenarios where the public will actually go shopping are becoming far and few between, leaving a collapse of the Great British high street as we once knew it. Just this week it was announced the classic clothing store New Look is set to close 60 stores nationwide with nearly 1,000 staff members to face redundancy. With stagnating wages and financial uncertainty in the wake of Brexit negotiations, consumer confidence is falling swiftly, resulting in shops up and down the country unsure as to whether the public are going to come through their doors. Retail sales growth has fallen from 4.7% in 2016 to 1.9% in 2017 as inflation rose to 3% - much higher than the 2% target set, yet 20% of the industry is held by online markets. There is a general consensus that you can ‘find it cheaper online’, from clothing to electrical products, many leaving shopping centres empty handed with a list of items to buy online once they get home. As Instagram continues to become a breeding ground for marketing, online brands, especially that of women’s fashion are rising at a phenomenal rate. House of CB, an online company started up by a 17-year-old, has become one of the biggest names in figure-hugging fashion, the likes of Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian-West having become regular buyers in merely a few years since its beginning. In the meantime, in-store brands are struggling to move forward. Absolutely everything can be brought online, leaving small and large businesses alike to the waste side. Large department stores such as John Lewis or House of Fraser are now such a token reality in the current shopping atmosphere, the left-empty BHS stores up and down the country loom like an elephant in the room. Yet changing consumer consumption is merely one of a myriad of issues that stores on the high- street are facing. Increased rental costs and the new National Living Wage mean that owning a store is becoming more and more expensive as time goes on, Emma Simpson a business analyst explaining that many just bought too many stores when the going was good and now can’t afford to keep going. It is expected that the Living Wage costs the retail industry around £3 billion a year, shining a light on the fact that retail survived of the exploitation of low-waged staff, a reality that many students know. Yet as more restaurants from Byron to Prezzo and even to Jamie’s Italian face closures nationwide, this is an issue that no one is safe from and something that is expected to accelerate for the foreseeable future. People are changing, and so are their shopping habits. Companies are going to have to change if they want to survive in this new world of increased pressure with industry experts suggesting the way to go about this is with climbing walls or niche experiences.

17th September 2017

March 2018

Jan 23rd 2018: UUK announces changes to pensions scheme

July 2017: Public pensions deficit announced

Feb 7th: SU vote on student support

Jan 29th: Strike action called by UCU

Feb 22nd: ongoing: Strike on Teach out events

What the fUUK is going on? By Victoria Duley and Emilia Pilss

The UCU has called on lecturers participating in strike action to refrain from any activity related to their work as university staff, including teaching, administration, checking emails, research or conferences also before and after regular 9-5 working hours. In reality, the extent to which lecturers’ are following this varies at this University. While some lecturers are not checking emails or providing course materials on the missed content to cause maximum disruption, others have used the days off strike action to provide student support to make up for some of the missed content. As strikes more Saskia Kovandzich continue, and more lec-

The industrial action at 60 universities across the country, organised by the University College Union (UCU) is protesting changes to lecturers’ pensions scheme from a ‘defined benefit’ model, with a fixed retirement income to a flexible scheme, making payments dependent on stock market performance. The UCU estimates that this would leave lecturers £10,000 per year worse off during retirement. Following the announcement of a technical deficit of £7.5 billion, the USS issued a proposal of changes to the pensions scheme in November 2017. After UCU’s objections to the proposDemo on March 14th on campus al were overruled in several rounds of talks, the Union cast a ballot turers are joining the cause, with UCU memfor industrial action, which resulted in overbership, a requirement for strike action, inwhelming support among members. A press creasing by 15% since the start of the strikes. statement announcing plans for strike action Vice-Chancellors too, have changed was released on the 29th of January, 2018. their position on the issue, with VCs of Oxford Staff are also protesting the proposand Imperial proposing a freeze on changes to al to cut the weekend supplement. Grade 2 the pensions scheme until a financial assessstaff are currently paid the national living ment has been undertaken. Some Vice Chanwage but get a supplement for working on cellors have gone even further in their support, weekends. They are now being offered guarwith Loughborough’s VC joining lecturers at the anteed living wage for a year, taking away picket line. Other university leadership initialthe weekend supplement, with the possibilly took a hard line stance against staff but have ity of terminating the living wage commitquickly had to back down, coming under atment in a year’s time. Salaries at the Univertack from both, students and other leadership. sity are decided on an increasing grade scale. Leadership of the University of Bath has This also implies potential irregureleased a joint statement with the Student Unlar openings of university facilities on weekion. Other communication to students has been ends, and perhaps in the long run degrees via Pro-Vice-Chancellor Peter Lambert has being condensed into two years. Supporters been ambiguous about the leadership’s posiof this, argue that it would make the unition, declaring it a ‘national issue that can only versity more efficient, while those in oppobe resolved at a national level’. Bath Universition believe that it would threaten the alsity Vice-Chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell, ready limited and precious time that students who sits on the USS committee has kept quiet get to spend on campus doing their degree. about the dispute, deeming herself in a position 10

March 5th: 4W occupation begins on campus

March 12th: proposed deal from UUK

Useful Terms UCU: The University and College Union is a British trade union, and the largest further education union in the world with around 120,000 members. UNISON: Unison is a UK trade union which represent staff who provide public services in the public and private sector. It represents, amongst others, Grade 2 staff at university. UNITE: created in 2007, Unite is Britain’s biggest trade union with 1.42 million members. It represents staff at the university along with Unison. USS: The Universities Superannuation Scheme is one of the largest principal private pension schemes for universities in the UK with over £50 billion under management. Dame Glynis Breakwell is one of its directors. They are proposing the contested change. UUK: Universities UK represents higher education employers. On behalf of 350 USS employers, UUK negotiates with the UCU over changing the pension scheme since January 2017. Dame Breakwell also sits on the UUK board. of ‘conflict of interest’. Her main role being that of the employer, however, it is questionable whether a conflict of interest really exists. The Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow University, who is also part of the USS committee has issued a joint statement with UCU urging for talks to continue. This sentiment is further echoed by UCU committee president, Michael Carley, ‘The most important interest of the Vice Chancellor should be the interest of the University… even if you’re on the board of the USS, in your capacity as an employer you can take a view on whether or not to continue negotiations, because in the end this will be settled not by USS but between employers and staff ’. Lecturers have rejected the deal that was made between the UCU and the UUK after 6 days of talks, which took 5 days of industrial action to bring about. The final week of the first round of strike action will continue and staff are preparing for strikes during

March 13th: UUK deal is rejected by UCU

March 14th: protest on campus the assessment and examination period. Staff were particularly angered with the aspect of the deal that encouraged lecturers to prioritise rescheduling the missed teaching hours. At the University of Bath, staff gathered at the picket line on Tuesday, 13th to vote on the deal. The decision to reject the deal and continue strike action was almost unanimous, with only 5 out of 100 members of staff voting to accept the deal and 6 voting to suspend strike action.

Occupation At the University of Bath, students are showing solidarity with lecturers taking to occupation action to protest the dispute. The occupation of management facilities in the 4West building has triggered controversial responses, and there were initial attempts to shut them down for the disruption caused. Tensions surrounding the occupation reached a high wen occupants were initially prevented from re-joining the occupation within the management suite. Protesting students and management have now reached a settlement, which accommodates the occupation under certain conditions Access to toilets is granted and the occupants can remain for as long as they want, however the occupation will be declared as terminated if there are two people or less present. Along with Bath, and other southwest universities Exeter and Bristol are also staging student occupations. While Bath University leadership initially took a hard line stance, occupations at Exeter and Bristol were accommodated as legitimate protests from the start. The occupation were organised by Bath University Students Against Fees and Cuts, as part of a wider agenda against rising student rent (‘Cut the Rent’ campaign), university fees and Vice- Chancellor salaries as well as calling on the Bath Vice Chancellor to resign immediately. When contacted for a quote, they responded stating: “We here in support of our staff on strike, and to put pressure on the University to help end the strike. No one wants to be here occupying and standing on picket lines in the cold, but cutting staff pensions to this extent literally threatens the future of our education as a whole.”

Protests Following the rejection of the updated proposed plan from UUK, BSAFC organised joint protests with lecturers and students to urge the UCU and UUK to reach an agreement and for strike action to be terminated. Gathering an estimated 100 - 200 people, the meeting was friendly and peace11

Investigation

Resisting the commodification of Higher Education We spoke to Chris Knutsen, a final year student, member of Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts, on the overarching ideological outlook of the recent events. Can you outline the link between BSAFC and the strike? There is a practical affiliation in that a lot of people who were interested in Cut the Rent were ideologically linked with the strike. An example is underpaying staff pensions implies more savings during one’s career, and thus less money to pay sky-high rents. Broadly, I think what has been going on are all consequences of the marketisation of university, and the fact that universities are increasingly being run like businesses. Students are being seen as consumers of a product rather than individuals who come to a place that produces social value, which gives people the opportunity to expand their mind.

‘Bath has a reputation for political apathy. By engaging students, we are setting a precedent and showing that engaging practically in politics is also part of the learning process of university. It is enriching for the community, and it didn’t exist in the past.’ How far reaching would you estimate student support to be? I think it is widespread. I understand that many of them are in their final year, they have their dissertation to write so they might not have the time to do it even if i would urge them to, because you learn in a different way. I think it is important that students come together with academic staff and also staff like cleaners, porters and security, because they are fighting the same cause and problems, which is senior management making decisions without consulting them. I think this has made people realise that they’re on the same page. What was the timeline of your time in the VC suite? On Monday 5th March, 12 of us started waiting in the VC suite waiting room, wanting to make our 3 points heard. The first one is structural, and I recognise that it cannot be obtained overnight. It is calling for a more democratic, transparent and representative university management. The other two called for a public statement from the university in support of the negotiation process and for the money not going to staff pay to be put in a student hardship fund. We were told by security that the building would close at 5pm, and we made clear we would remain there. We tried to secure access to the toilets in order to have shifts of people, and that was denied.We therefore resorted to peeing in bottles, which I believe is outrageous because basic rights should not be used as a bargaining chip in student protesting. This gathered support on social media with the hashtag #freethewee, and the occupation continued on for 21 hours, until the SU came in the morning so that access to the toilet was granted. The occupation,at the time of going to print has not ceased.

ful. Although turnout from academics was notable, the magnitude of the rally did not match the momentum and tone that the anti-VC march prompted back in November. This was perhaps due to the lessened surprise effect of the strike now well in its third week. The protesters were voicing their demands surrounding the dispute.

SU Response In the week of the 5th, the SU voted on the motion: “Should the SU support the UCU strike?”, which was sent to all students via email and posted on all of the SU’s social media channels. The vote resulted in a vote against supporting the strikes. With around 700 responses, this was an above average response rate to what was seen nationally. A petition pledging support to lecturers and asking for an end to the strikes, has been signed by 432 people at the time of writing. A significantly higher number of students, 2,231 at the time of writing, signed a petition demanding a refund for days missed through the strike, citing the SU vote as reason to believe that the majority of students are suffering for a cause they do not believe in. Lecturers have also put out a petition asking that lost strike wages are put towards the mental health services and hardship fund.

Impact on courses In following from the concern relating to courses, it is not yet clear how the impact on students’ academics will be mitigated. University management will start to take action and carry out an audit of all courses individually to understand how they have been affected once strike action has ended. There is a possibility of individual mitigating circumstances being invoked for those, who will be assessed fairly, however when speaking to Chloe Page, the Education Officer stressed that the preferred solution would be to adjust the way students are being assessed to the content they have missed in the first place.

March 2018

Victoria Duley

Investigation

As changes to assessments are ultimately made by lecturers themselves it will be dependent on them whether exams and assignments are adjusted. When asked for a comment, Chloe Page said: “I have done my best to respond to emails with urgent queries about the strike, and I am taking all student feedback on board. I am taking all of your concerns and ideas to senior management to ensure that your assessment is fair. It has been difficult to give clear cut

Lecturers have also put out a petition asking that lost strike wages are put towards the mental health services and hardship fund. answers, as I have not been given these answers yet myself. My key message to students at the moment would be to start dialogue with the staff in their departments once they return to work on Monday. Deadlines for coursework and exam questions are set within departments and not by the University centrally, so I encourage students to go to their Academic Reps and find compromises with their Directors of Studies and Heads of Departments. As soon as I get more information, I will pass it on.”

Wider issue The reaction of students to the dispute shows that the strikes come at a time of widespread student discontent with the way universities are being managed. The upheaval at the University of Bath in recent months has served as a microcosm demonstrating national problems with the Higher Education system. Students have seen their university fees and living costs increase, amounting to debt levels that are troublesome, given that students are coming into an economy where housing is unaffordable and pensions systems are underfunded and a wider loss in University management. At the same time, fees are not used to increase the availability of optional units and degrees or creating more library spaces, nor have student to lecturer ratios decreased, in fact, they are much higher than in many other OECD countries. The exposure of the Vice Chancellor’s pay rise and her subsequent resignation further showed the lack of democracy and transparency in the university management system. Lecturers have been facing similar grievances for a long time. Having seen their real terms pay decline for a decade, and having to concede parts of their EU funding to university management, the pensions were their last attractive benefits. ‘A cut in pensions will undermine universities’ ability to attract staff in the future’ says a

The upheaval at the University of Bath in recent months has served as a microcosm demonstrating national problems with the Higher Education system. March 2018 17th September 2017

Saskia Kovandzich

protesting lecturer at the University of Bath. This will result in the decline of quality within the UK’s higher education sector as a whole, an outcome that is not favourable for anyone. When asked about the strikes a University of Bath spokesperson said: “Last week the University of Bath and its Students’ Union issued a joint call for UUK and UCU to find a fair solution to the dispute and a swift end to the ongoing industrial action. We fully respect the right of both students and staff to make their voices heard. “The University remains committed to proposals which will deliver a credible, affordable pension scheme for our staff. Our main aim in considering the proposed agreement has been to find a way to end the disruption to our students’ education.” When asked about Weekend pay/Voluntary Living Wage: Richard Brooks, Director of Human Resources at the University of Bath, said: “Grade 2 staff are currently paid above the National Living Wage. The proposed changes offer Grade 2 staff a long term commitment to the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, which is considerably higher than the National Living Wage. By moving to this, Grade 2 staff will have a higher consolidated wage, rather than relying on occasional supplements. Those staff who currently do occasional weekend work as part of their contractual duties are being offered transitionary payments. Weekend overtime is not affected. “Not only will Grade 2 staff on average receive a higher wage, these changes will make it easier for the University to provide a consistent and reliable weekend service. There is no question of terminating the Voluntary Living Wage commitment in a year’s time.”

Comment

Never ever... again? Tom Langer It’s been a few weeks now since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since that fateful day, the political struggle over the right to bear arms has once again dominated news cycle after news cycle with all the same arguments being repeated. The NRA and the gun control advocacy groups, the republicans and the democrats, the government and the teachers all making identical statements to those made last time and the time before that and the time before that ad nauseum. It seemed inevitable at first that these arguments would achieve the same result they have always achieved of soporific inaction, but a new voice has entered the fray and is determined to exact a more substantial response. I refer, of course, to the students who survived the shooting and who have formed the core of a motivated and highly efficient gun con-

Emma Gonzalez (Emma4Change) has more followers on Twitter than the NRA, at 1.22m trol advocacy group, Never Again MSD. Speakers such as Cameron Kasky, Emma González and David Hogg dominated the news coverage of the aftermath with stirring speeches at rallies attended by thousands. There was a mass boycott of schools as students engaged in spontaneous political activism, meeting with legislators, organising protest marches and sitting in on government votes related to gun control. It is worth noting that these actions have already had an impressive impact compared to all previous attempts at firearm regulation; in Florida the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act looks set to become state law (pending the governor’s approval). It would raise the minimum legal age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21 and impose a three-day waiting period on all gun sales. It also bans the sale of bump stocks and gives greater powers to the police to take guns away from people on the grounds of poor mental health. On the other hand, this bill could yet fail to pass and, for many, it does not go nearly far enough. The AR-15 assault rifle used in this massacre as in the infamous Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Las Vegas shooting of October last year looks set to remain unregulated. Interestingly, AR-15 rifle is an umbrella term for many subtly different weapons, manFebruary 2018

ufactured by several separate companies, which is one of the reasons attempts at their regulation have always met with failure. Banning all AR-15’s is one of the key aims of the Never Again MSD group and if they can accomplish this then they will have achieved what traditional gun control groups have spent decades fighting for in vain. Perhaps the greatest cause for hope in all of this, is the impact the shooting and resulting backlash appears to have had on businesses and corporations in America. First National Bank of Omaha, Enterprise Holdings, MetLife Insurance, the Avis Budget Group, Simplisafe, Chubb, Delta Air Lines and United have all stopped offering discounted products and services to members of the National Rifle Association in response to a call for a boycott of all the NRA’s corporate partners. Beyond the obvious financial impact this will have on the NRA and its members, it may also reflect, and provide further impetus for, a changing national conscience on firearms. Thanks to the courage, eloquence and motivation of the students, the continued dedication of political activists and the fear they have both induced in businesses, a genuine sense of hope now pervades the ongoing debate and this belief that change may now be within reach has revitalised the proponents of gun control. Maybe there is some hope to draw from even this tragedy.

Emma Gonzalez as portrayed by sheringsnippets, who declared the work to be public domain, urging media to “spread it like wildfire”.

March 2018

Investigation

February 2018

News & Comment

Hot Chocolate & Conversation By Nidhi Arun - Columnist

n my year out on placement, I met some incredible women. Twhe ones who are remarkable, with their humour, grace and sheer badassery. Coffee conversations with them opened up a whole new world for me as they spoke so candidly about their work. There was talk of glass ceilings and glass slippers. But, these conversations were relatively few and far between. And then there was the Golden Globes. Natalie Portman’s subtle dig at the all-male nominee list for Best Director generated considerable noise. I think it was a comment on society rather than the jury. It is entirely possible that no woman made a movie that was good enough in 2017. You may be falsely led on to think this dearth of successful women directors is a result of small numbers entering film school. However, fact is that while few female graduates dream up features, the majority settles on short films. Could this relate to women conventionally choosing mobile jobs? It’s not only about explicit barriers but also the subtleties in how we approach women. Perhaps they are brought up to negotiate in very different ways from men, which is problematic in a male-dominated environment. Low self-esteem is a generational issue and that, along with the lack of female role models may be responsible for the shrunken pool of talent at the onset. To all these problems, my solution is hot chocolate. Go over to that café at the end of the road and get yourself a hot drink. Have a hot chocolate because it releases those positive endorphins. Go along with a friend, someone you look up to, your mentee, an aunt or even someone you don’t completely understand. Sip and talk and debate and argue until you’re shushed by the jet-lagged couple on the next table. Listen to the other person’s story. Conversations are powerful. And the world isn’t going to change by dismissing our irritation. Get a hot chocolate because it’s like a warm hug in a cup. And while you’re at it, you might want to get a loyalty card. It’s going to take several hot chocolates to get a revolution going.

Voter ID Plans Smell of Oppression By Glen McAlpine

n last year’s elections, voter turnout was at a 17-year high, made possible by young people turning up in droves. Regardless of your political stance, this is a fact to be widely celebrated as higher turnout and engagement provides a more representative, better-functioning democracy. So why is the current Government set on adding barriers to voting? Plans by the Cabinet Office outline a requirement for photographic ID to be used when voting, their intellectual argument being that we need ID for lots of things, so why not make voting one of them? At first glance, these proposals seem reasonable, the objective being to deter and prevent voter fraud to reinforce the integrity of our democracy. Since 2003, photo ID has been required in Northern Ireland and the introduction of the scheme came alongside the issuing of free photo ID cards to ensure there was no cost barrier to voting. In 2017, not a single case of voter fraud lead to conviction in court, so this appears to have worked quite well. Why wouldn’t the rest of the UK follow suit and operate on the same basis? Bluntly put, there’s no need. Only one person was convicted out of the entire electorate for voting twice in last years’ election. Above all, a voter ID scheme in the UK seems like a complete waste of time. Frankly, given the still relatively apathetic attitude of the public, it would appear that people are not invested enough to cheat the system to a degree that influences the outcome of any election. These proposals do become more sinister when it is considered that there is no plan to roll out a free photo ID card, meaning a driving license or passport would be needed to March 2018

vote. Considering our whole University shut down because of a laughable amount of snow, it’s easy to understand how a simple hurdle could stop many from voting. It is not beyond reason to predict that this would have a larger effect on young voters, who were between two and three times more likely to vote Labour than Conservative last year. To add to that, a passport costs £72.50. It is doubtful that students who don’t have a passport are willing to pay this much money to be able to vote. However, by the looks of my Instagram feed, enough of us have been throwing back to gallivanting around Europe or Thailand last summer for this not to be an issue. For a working class family, living on the breadline (of which there are plenty in the UK), who cannot afford holidays and therefore are unlikely to have a passport, and are equally unlikely to have a driving license as only two in three people in the UK do, this price to access democracy will stop them from voting. With the country caught up in worries surrounding Brexit, Tories were able to quietly introduce the proposal for voter ID under the public radar in what could be interpreted as a move to retain votes in a time of political uncertainty. Max Pixel

News & Comment

Gender Pay Gap Inherited According to Study

By Astrid Vikström

arlier this month the Economist reported on a paper that reveals new findings from studying the gender pay gap, and the factors underlying it. The Economist headline reads “The roots of the gender pay gap lie in childhood - women follow in their mothers’ footsteps when choosing whether to scale back their careers after having children”. According to the Economist article, the study proves that women who grow up in families where the mother works tend to suffer smaller ‘child penalties’ (a term used to describe the adverse effects having children has on an individual’s career progression) compared to their peers who grew up in households where the mother stayed at home. Using Danish administrative data spanning over 33 years (1980-2013), the report demonstrates that the latter group of women were more likely to scale back their careers after having given birth; proving that a woman’s choice to focus on their careers after children is heavily influenced by the choice of their mothers. The main takeaway from the article seems to be that the lesson for mothers who want their daughters to bridge the gender pay gap is that this is more likely to come true if they “lead by example”. Interestingly, by focussing on this the Economist overlooks the main finding of the paper, which is that the income inequality that remains emerges as a result of the birth of the first child. The data clearly shows that having children is what creates a gender gap in earnings of around 20%, and it is only when they start unpacking the factors leading to it that they find that the choices of working women’s mothers with regards to her career and child rearing is significant. Looking at the wider context of these findings, in order to understand how the two trends are connected, it becomes apparent that, since gender inequality caused by child penalties is what has increased over time (from 40% in 1980 to 80% in 2013), surely this must mean -in a backwards waythat overall gender equality has improved. It is no

longer education or opportunity that hinders women from attaining equal pay for equal work, but the decision to have children, which is when the disparity seems to appear. This goes to show the significance of social conditioning, and the gender norms that persist in society - even in this ‘woke’ day and age. The question is: is the tide turning? The importance of female role models and their impact on young girls’ dreams and aspirations is not a new point of discussion. It is a common subject of debates about the importance and impact of representation (descriptive versus substantive), and affirmative action (gender quotas) among well-established feminist literature by academics such as Wägnerud, Dahlerup and Lovenduski to name a few. Their answer to why women are disproportionately affected by the child penalty relative their male partners is the need for the capitalist patriarchy to ensure that women take the role as carers when a family is established, and societal institutions, structured to maintain this status quo. In fact, a feminist criticism of the state and society as historically patriarchal, how it intersects with capitalism and the wider implications of this is a key tenant of feminist theory, featuring heavily in the works of Carole Pateman, Susan Moller Okin and Susan Bordo. Another argument would be that it is biology, pure and simple. The researchers claim to be agnostic about the policy implications of these findings. The paper seems to highlight that unequal pay is predominantly down to children, and this may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depending on the perspective one adopts. The policy implications of these findings are too significant to ignore but opinions will diverge on what those should materialise as. The previous literature focusing on the unexplained gender gap had a very straightforward normative benchmark: equal pay for equal work. It seems like this has been achieved (to an extent), so with this in mind, and with these findings at our disposal we can look towards the next steps.

17th September 2017 March 2018

News & Comment

In Italia il Populismo è in Aumento

Written by Darecy Stickley, edited by Anna D’Andrea

e recenti elezioni hanno sorpreso molta gente. Dopo le dimissioni di Renzi dopo il referendum, nessuno si aspettava una affluenza immensa per la sinistra, però nessuno era pronto a ciò che è successo. Cominciamo con il Movimento Cinque Stelle. Si tratta di un gruppo che si oppone al sistema e lotta in favore di un accesso maggiore a internet, per una politica ambientale progressista e, allo stesso tempo, è anche un gruppo euroscettico e contro l’immigrazione di massa. A livello ideologico è un po’ ‘moralmente ambiguo’, e, essendo stato fondato da un comico, Beppe Grillo, non ha mai goduto di piena credibilità negli ambienti politici tradizionali. In queste elezioni hanno ricevuto 32.2% dei voti , ovvero il risultato maggiore. Questa spinta verso il nazionalismo populista mostra quanto il paese seguisse le tendenze europee, ma anche simbolizza il sempre maggiore distacco dell’elettorato dall’élite politica italiana che ha continuato a proteggere personaggi come Berlusconi. I risultati di quest’anno rivelano anche una differenza molto distinta tra il nord e il sud, qualcosa che purtroppo non è una novità. Dall’Italia centrale in giù, la mappa elettorale fa vedere che la metà inferiore, con Sardegna e Sicilia, è gialla (il colore del M5S), mentre il nord sembra più convinto dai partiti di destra, in particolare la infame Lega Nord. Questo gruppo è caratterizzato da una retorica razzista, portata avanti dal suo frontman, Salvini. Quindi, anche se l’Italia centrale sembra avere più varietà, sembra che il resto del paese, anche se ha votato per gruppi diversi, ha finito per votare per idee populiste e qualche volta persino xenofobiche. Come sempre, non si sa mai come tutto va a finire. L’Italia è abituata alle coalizioni, però si deve notare che il paese ha avuto 65 governi negli ultimi 70 anni . A causa di questi cambiamenti constanti, non c’è mai una continuità governativa, solo un disincanto diffuso.

Populism on the Rise in Italy

he 2018 Italian elections proved to be a surprise for many. After Renzi’s referendum failure, people were not expecting a huge turnout for the leftwing parties, but no one was ready for this. To give a brief overview; the Five Star Movement is anti-establishment, in favour of wider internet access and strong environmental policy whilst being anti mass migration and eurosceptic. Ideologically, it does not accurately fit either right or left but it was founded by a comedian, Grillo, meaning it lacked credibility in the traditional political scene. In the 2018 election, the party got 32.2% of the vote, receiving the largest number of votes. This push towards populist nationalism shows how much the country has been alert to previous European trends, but it also shows a gradual disillusionment with a political elite that have managed to protect figures like Berlusconi. This year’s results also show a stark difference between the North and South, which far from being a novelty, is in fact an old, rooted problem. From Central Italy downwards, the electoral map shows the bottom half of the country, Sardinia and Sicily as yellow, indicating the majority of the Five Star Movement, while the North is swayed towards the more right-wing parties, particularly the infamous Lega Nord. This party has been known to have a racist rhetoric, freely dispensed by the outspoken Salvini. While Central Italy seems more varied, it looks like the majority of the country, while voting for different groups, actually ended up voting for populist parties with their borderline xenophobic ideals. The future, as ever, is uncertain. While coalitions are not unfamiliar to Italy, the country has seen 65 governments over the last 70 years. This constant change means there is never a truly settled government, only widespread disenchantment with this lacking continuity. Additionally, such a strong push towards new forms of politics also means that the other three main parties, the Democratic Party (centre-left), Lega (rightwing) and Forza Italia (semi-fringe rightwing) must look to adopt new ways of modernising their organisations in order to attract the kind of electoral attention the unique 5S unprecedentedly received. March 2018

Features

News & Comment

February 2018

Politics and News Society & Comment

Oxford Uni Admits More Women Than Men for the First Time — But How Much Difference has it Made? By Darecey Stickley - Contributor

he University of Oxford is a world-renowned university that consistently ranks very highly in both national and global leagues. Although it is recognised for its high quality teaching, it is also seen negatively as an archaic institution that has problems catching up, one of which being ‘updating’ student demographics. According to the latest UCAS figures, 1,070 18-year-old female UK students started their first terms compared with 1,025 of their male counterparts in Autumn 2017. The first admission of a female applicant to the male-only colleges of Oxford was in 1974 and the first female admission ever was in 1920, so this timeline could be seen as a relatively rapid step forward in terms of representation. In addition to this, among more female applicants from the UK were admitted to undergraduate study than men, despite fewer applying than their male counterparts. Well done, Oxford. A big hand to you. Unfortunately, however, the applause can only be short-lived. This statistic, while a long time coming, excludes EU and International applicants. Not only that, but the professors at Oxford are overwhelmingly male, as shown by the staffing figures of 2015/16. How much can we celebrate that one of the most respected and revered universities has only just made this breakthrough when their teaching staff is significantly imbalanced? Having a balanced gender distribution across the board, from students through to senior lecturers is so important for the quality of the education as well as the representative impact. While this article is not condoning the use of quotas, it looks like unfortunately, we are still in a place where they might have to be considered. Returning to students, the Chief Executive of UCAS, Clare Marchant commented on March 2018

this issue: “While progress continues to be made in widening participation, particularly at universities with a higher entry tariff, large disparities remain between the groups entering higher education generally, and at individual universities and colleges.” This could be a comment on class as well (another contentious issue for Oxbridge), but if the highest authority in university application decrees the current situation as unseemly, then surely something along the way has gone wrong. A potential improvement would be making the application process more transparent; aside from the entrance test and graded papers, the interview itself is quite abstract in how it whittles down prospective candidates. For many students, their place at one of the Oxbridge colleges rests in the control of very few professors, all of whom have had different experiences and require different traits. If the majority of professors are male, does that not majorly distort who gets awarded a place depending on whichever bias the (70:30) lecturers choose to exercise? Although the news of more British female candidates is promising on the surface, one only has to push a bit further to find that Oxford still has a long way to go to become truly equal. While it may provide excellent opportunities and environments for ambitious young people, it is clear that there remains a lot more change to be made before it can be considered a democratic presence in modern education. It is also worthy of noting that according to the Times Higher Education survey across the majority of UK universities, 45% of academics are women but only 23% are lecturers. Even if Oxford is the one to take the blame, it could also be the starting point in pioneering a movement of change to a more equal academic environment. october 2017

Features

Feature

December 2017

Debate

DEBATE

Are the student occupations of the chambers an appropriate way to protest developments at the University of Bath?

YES

By Gemma Barnett

By Harry Bride

Let’s talk, if you will, about the motivations of the altruistic students who awkwardly sit on various floors across campus: are they doing it out of goodwill for their considerate staff, or are they after the thrill of a great social battle? The truth is, doing a sit-in is considered cool, dangerous, edgy. It brings our generation, which in the West has yet to feel social injustice, back to all these stories about glorious resistance against unfair leaderships. It is very hard for our little Katniss Everdeens to realise that things are pretty good as they are: there are few battles left to fight. These students of privilege, I tell you, sit in the sweet illusion of being the Bath Gandhis, and are motivated more by the image they reflect of themselves than by the fate of their lecturers.

As members of a student body who only 700 out of a possible 13,000 voted in the SU pol regarding the strikes, and furthermore who overall came out against them, imaginably there are very few who would regard the occupation as ‘cool, dangerous, or edgy’. With little to no encouragement from their student body, it thus cannot be said that occupiers are engaging in an occupation in order to impress, or garner positive support from their fellow course-mates. Additionally, it is evident that your assertion that no-one in the West has never felt social injustice comes from a position of privilege which has not sought to look beyond individual experience, and consequently it is extremely flawed. One such example is one of the reasons why students at our university are currently occupying, because our staff are currently being subjected to a gross form of social injustice, one where a guaranteed pension is denied whilst senior management pay continues to rise. I too, share your viewpoint that for the majority of students at the University of Bath, which is a notoriously middle-class university, things are ‘pretty good as they are’. But to use this as a justification for why privileged students do not have the right to fight for social justice that extends beyond their own personal circumstances because it doesn’t directly affect them (which it does regarding strikes and senior management reforms anyway) is extremely narrow-minded, and only helps propel the fallacious narrative that we should only look after ourselves. I think we can establish that poor communication was behind the low turnout at the SU poll, for no one around me was aware of it. It is, at the end, about our support as students: but what about the 12,999 students not sitting on the floor in 4W? And of those, how many must think ‘of course it’s unfair, but I’m paying for this’? How many, if asked whether they’d give up a thousand pounds for social justice would say no, but then support a four-week strike? What about the ones who believes not receiving an education in the name of social justice is a contradiction in itself? I am one of them: a cold hearted, self-interested, ‘extremely narrow minded’ élite who laughs down at the campus from his luxurious Westwood accommodation. I know life has been kind to me because I have enough discounted food on my one fridge shelf, and I have the brilliant opportunity to study; I also know I will have to make a private pension, because this is a national issue across all sectors, which will affect us much more than it will our staff. I unfortunately don’t support my education being turned into a very expensive library membership.

March 2018

News & Comment Features

Debate

16 20

From this, it is clear you are not in support of striking, and thus I am assuming occupying chambers, as an ‘appropriate way to protest developments at the University of Bath’. Consequently I must ask, what do you propose? Because it must be noted that the occupation is indeed set up to support the ongoing strike, but is also protesting against the inaction of senior management to alter the structure of university governance despite an SU referendum and University court vote opting in favour of concrete changes to be made. As aforementioned, conventional routes have been tried and exhausted, and evidently to no avail, therefore is direct action such as an occupation not a justifiable route for students to feel the need to go down, in order to get their voices heard? To re-quote the platitude that consistently has been circulated throughout the strikes, ‘our teaching conditions are your learning conditions’ reveals an integral element of the occupation that at its core aims to shorten, not lengthen the strikes. The presentation of students’ and staffs’ interests as polarised is a false dichotomy that masks the fact that our struggles are two sides of the same coin, is extremely problematic, and facilitates the tendency of students to direct their frustration of missing lectures at the lecturers themselves rather than those who have created this environment where staff are left with no other option but to strike, namely UUK and senior management who are behind these harmful reforms. From the lecturers’ point of view, striking is a necessity. From the students’ point of view, going into lectures is a necessity. The compromise is a short and effective strike, which is what those who are occupying are attempting to achieve. Well, what I propose is simple: leave me out of it. I have, in my previous two points, explained I both disagree with the occupations and the belief in the right to hurt the student body by prolonged and significant striking. There is a real and critical issue, which is pension cuts, but I disagree with a few students sitting in a hallway as an effective way to resolve the £6.1 billion deficit of the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Of course, it is your right to think that is the case, that money is going to appear as soon as their buttocks touch the 4W floor, but I don’t. I believe in diplomacy over war. In numbers, this strike is a million students affected and 575,000 teaching hours lost. None of us as students are explicitly critical of the stance taken by lecturers. We want our fees compensated and staff to get back to the negotiating table. While many of us sympathise with our lecturers’ predicament, there is growing frustration among those who are likely to be most severely affected, especially towards the end of their degrees (God knows what I would do if I was a third year). The volume of students that have signed petitions demanding compensation over these strikes has got to send a signal about the general dissatisfaction with the situation. So I conclude with this: I don’t think student occupations are productively addressing the problem. I think attention is hijacked away from the fact this is not an injustice targeting lecturers, but a general issue on pension cuts which will affect most of us anyway. Last, and crudely, it is not a right to make anyone’s degree a joke, and although most of the staff has years ahead at university, we have less than three.

Whilst it is optimistic to believe in ‘diplomacy over war’, as I have already outlined, all attempts at diplomacy (SU referendum, UCU and UUK meetings, University court hearing) have come to no avail, with senior management choosing to ignore the overwhelming consensus of students and staff regarding the Vice Chancellors resignation, restructuring of senior management and the current pensions dispute. This was perhaps epitomised yesterday when several members of the Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts group were able to secure a meeting with key members of senior management, and it was asserted almost instantly that ‘we’re hear to listen, not to debate’. I hope you can see now why diplomacy, as ideal as it sounds often acts merely as a facade to allow universities such as ours to claim that university is democratised and that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to make their voices heard and to incite action where they feel it is needed. I can only agree with your presentation of the occupation as a ‘war’ due to the enormity of the battle that is attempting to be fought by students and staff alike. The conviction that those occupying and striking have in wanting to change the structure of higher education for the better is a powerful one, and with three conversations with senior management under the belt after only 11 days of striking speaks volumes about how seriously university governance are taking the occupiers presence in the 4W corridors. Far from bringing the university into disrepute, the strength, passion, and concrete progress this occupation is making in trying to break down the rigid structure of our higher education system makes the university of Bath one I am proud to be a student of. March 2018

Features

October 2017

17th December September 2017 2017

Photo credits: stephan

Science &Technology

Drugs, Policy and Opinion: A New Perspective By Harry Bride - Contributor

nfortunately, in the world of science, attitudes and opinions can still affect decision-making and research. An area where this disregard of scientific method has been extremely prevalent is within the world of drugs, specifically, drugs that can be used recreationally. However, there appears to be a slow yet steady general shift in opinion surrounding this topic, exemplified by changing laws in many liberalised Western nations as well as increased funding for studies internationally. The result of this is that yet another study has been released, showing the non-negative effects on mental health of a drug you most likely would have been led to believe is incredibly dangerous. T h e drug in the spotlight is Ketamine, which can be used to treat depression. In comparison to traditional antidepressants that can take weeks to influence a patient’s condition, it has been shown to work extremely quickly. Scientists believe this discovery to be an incredibly important step towards understanding the brain chemistry surrounding depression. It appears to work by switching off erratic bursts of electrical impulses in the area of the brain known as the lateral habenula, dubbed ‘the anti-reward’ centre of the brain. This study was part of a series of studies, showing various medical and social benefits of recreational drugs such as MDMA, marijuana, LSD and Psilocybin mushrooms, all of which are classed in the UK as having no medical benefit while causing significant harm. Not only are all these substances shown to improve mental health, increase creativity and sociability while also triggering life changing experiences, there is also little evidence proving that they are as harmful as they are made out to be. They should still be avoided by the uneducated consumer as a large issue with partaking in recreational drug use is the risk that comes with an illegal market. Oftentimes substances that can be cheaply produced, such as fentanyl, which can be fatal at doses as low as

2mg, are sold as more common drugs. Not to mention the substances do still have negative side effects when used regularly or at very high doses. For example, LSD and Psilocybin can leave tracers in users’ vision for extended periods of time. Furthermore, excessive use of Ketamine has been shown to severely damage the urinary tract system. Studies have also shown that large doses and continued use of MDMA may result in damaged serotonin receptors. Using high doses of these substances regularly can also result in serotonin syndrome, which can be fatal. On the other hand, possible negative side effects of alcohol for example include permanent brain damage, cancer of the mouth, liver disease and nerve damage just to name a few, which are also recorded at far higher rates. The Previous chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, was forced into resignation by Theresa May after his council found that the UK’s policies surrounding drugs are not ev idence-based. This is a scary precedence to set. Forcing a scientist to resign for conducting scientific studies that do not support current policy. Our current government allows the UK to be the world’s largest producer and exporter of medical cannabis, all the while not allowing a child in the UK to get the cannabis-based treatment he needs to prevent his multiple, debilitating, seizures a day. This kind of hypocrisy shows the world why opinion and science should not be intertwined. With the current legislation in place the UK is still number 1 for drug consumption. Instead of preventing studies from taking place, silencing scientists and creating old-fashioned legislation on this topic, the government should help educate the public to prevent further drug-related deaths (because telling people not to do them obviously doesn’t work), fund studies and then take the necessary steps to ensure that public policy reflects popular opinion whilst, most importantly, respecting evidence-based science.

March 2018

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Cyprus - A Summer By The Sea

February 2018

March 2018

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March 2018

Science & Technology

Trump Tariffs: Gone Too Far?

UK Trade: Cherrypicking at its Finest By Genevieve Redgrave

t seems that as the countdown ticks lower to the UK making its departure from the European Union, everything gets slightly more confusing as important questions are yet unanswered: what’s going to happen to EU students? What’s going to happen to the thousands of British businesses that trade within the customs union? What’s going to happen to the soft Irish border that carefully holds the peace agreement together? But fret no more, because one thing in this whole array of disaster is clear, we’re all getting those wonderful blue passports back. Yet sadly, even after May’s long-awaited speech, setting out her plans for our future, clarity is something that we all have to anxiously wait for. With costs to trade expectations rising daily for both, the EU and the UK, one would think that a trade deal should nearly be reached by now. And yet it seems as though tit-for-tat playground speeches are derailing any plans that may be formed behind the scenes. One day the Chancellor sets out his idea for a financial services section in a free trade agreement, the next day Donald Tusk completely shuts it down. It’s easy to see why Hammond, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, would want to protect financial services. Being the UK’s main export and the wheel that keeps London thriving, projections of it taking the biggest hit inflicted by Brexit give a somewhat bleak expectation of the future. This is the case with much of the government’s priorities, which

are aimed at protecting our greatest industries and keeping the UK thriving; they are, whilst vital to our success, not significant to the EU anymore. We chose to leave and so leave we shall and if it’s without a good trade deal, then so be it. It has been reiterated again and again that the UK can’t cherry-pick. That it can’t expect to keep the benefits whilst removing the costs seems realistic even to those who know nothing of politics. May’s plans for either a customs partnership that mirrors EU tariffs for EU products but sets out own requirements for domestic consumption or a streamlined customs agreement including ‘trusted traders’ that get their own rules, are becoming significantly more unrealistic as the deadline looms closer. An entire divorce bill within two years looks ever more unlikely when hearing that it took seven years to create a free trade agreement with Canada. It’s really no wonder back-up plans continue to creep from the woodwork. Whether this be Northern Ireland retaining the same rules as the Republic or falling back on World Trade Organisation rules, the future doesn’t look too clear. It’s time the British people know exactly what’s going to happen to their lives, their jobs or even the food they buy from the shops. Yet as we are presented with the news in dimmed, confused lighting, it seems that for those actually shaping our future, the lights are completely turned off.

17th September 2017

By Thomas Knight - Columnist

rump’s recent announcement that imports of steel and aluminium would tariffs was, even by his standards, a chaotic yet largely emblematic display of contemporary US policy making. Ever since his nomination in 2016, Trump has talked tough on trade, particularly with regards to China, but not followed up with actions, leaving the international community and his pro-business allies comfortable with his occasional tirades. This may be the moment that this fragile understanding falls apart. In international terms, the announcement has been nothing short of the starting gun for a global trade war, something Trump has previously claimed would be ‘easy to win’. Whilst the biggest losers from the tariffs, China and the EU, rapidly denounced the measures and prepared damaging counter-measures other nations were left to consider more strategic and creative responses to gain an exception. Theresa May, who has effectively bet the house on an advantageous free trade deal with the US, was left to issue a humiliating and nondescript statement hoping that the UK would be excluded from tariffs. The greatest damage from this policy to Trump personally may come in the domestic arena. The announcement triggered the resignation of his chief economic advisor, the latest in a string of high-profile departures. Most tellingly, Republican leaders outright rejected the policy, noting the detrimental impact it would have on business. For Trump, whose political power rests on the understanding that he passes Republican policy in exchange for support for his populist promises and tolerance of his outbursts, this latest deviation could be the first cracks in the edifice. October 2017 March 2018

Features

Economics of...University: The Neoliberal Model By Tito Mogaji-Williams -Publicty and Distribution Officer

Critical Political Eduction

n the popular imagination, the university remains an institution dedicated to the aims to academic liberty, the pursuit of knowledge, and the provision of fair education to those able to enjoy their facilities. This naïve vision of higher education may have died in 2012 when the government decided to treble tuition fees from an already steep £3000 per annum to £9000 and David Willets, the Conservative universities and science minister, at the time, stated “unleashing the forces of consumerism is the best single way we’ve got of restoring high academic standards”. The current reality is a bit more muddled with scandals such as the exorbitant pay scales enjoyed by Vice-Chancellors and senior management of universities around the country, including Bath’s Dame Glynis Breakwell whose annual salary of £460,000 equates to 18 times the minimum wage in the United Kingdom. This is alongside the deepening tensions as staff and lecturers grow increasingly defiant against moves by employers notably Universities UK to allegedly devalue their pensions. The result has been strikes and major disruption at many universities around the country. Marketisation and the prominent position of money at the heart of higher education has also meant the casualisation of staff contracts, reduced pay and staff numbers, millions of pounds invested in adjusting to frequently updated frameworks such as the Teaching Excellence Framework and ever-increasing fees and rents for students. The neoliberal university is a very different institution. For the management, lecturers and students, the dynamics of the market-focused university have changed the rules of play (or rather, ‘pay’) substantially from any past incarnations. Students are no longer citizens ostensibly entitled to an education by their merit and ambition but now fee-paying consumers, worried about how to gain as much value for money in their choice of March 2018

academic institution and aggressively making use of league tables and rankings used by both government and businesses to place a monetary on what was once outside of one. League tables can only do so much to quantify and attach a value to the vast and often invisible benefits of the university experience, and frameworks such as the Teaching Excellence Framework which are likely to form a greater hierarchy amongst universities with the already high-performing institutions likely to get richer and the others not so much. Under the neoliberal university, the position of staff is constantly changed and forced in the direction of profit. The proposal of ideas that may sound wacky or ambitious has always been the staple of academia. But this is different where funding comes from corporate backers who are far more dedicated to the bottom line of profitability. Add to this the casualisation of staff via the greater use of zero hour and temporary employment contracts which increase the numbers of staff in precarious work, and the use of competitive mechanisms to cap pay provide a difficult working environment to staff to raise their voices within conventional means and complain about poor conditions. Having to be as high as possible in the league tables and to attract as many students as possible are more pressing because recent government policies have removed the central block grant that was once taxpayer-funded and now made universities highly dependent on volatile student intake numbers. This forces an almost corporate managerial style and large expenses paid on PR and shiny buildings and the ridiculous salaries paid to senior management/ vice chancellors to match private sector rates. The marketisation of higher education is the latest guinea pig for the neoliberal ideology. Will students and staff be its only test subjects though?

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Find the BUSTian in You! By Owen

monologues about their experiences in life, or our three show coming to Bath Fringe just after exams.

You might have heard about BUST from our recent shows, like Wonderland or The Comedy of Errors, but we’re so much more than your average theatre company! BUST is one great big family of talented people, interested in theatre, from playwrights and directors, to musicians and of course actors.

With so much going on, we like to break up our time together with weekly socials. At the end of the day, we’re one big group of friends, and as far as we’re concerned; the more the merrier. So if you feel like you’ve got a bit of a BUSTian in you, feel welcome to come to our events and say hi.

If we had to choose a main purpose for our group it would be providing members with all the opportunities they need to express their creative talent and learn about theatre as an art form and industry. We’re here for everyone, including those with no background in theatre and those who live and breathe it. We run themed workshops on a Wednesday in the Weston studio of the Edge, usually starting at 7 pm, where members can teach each other something new. Our main focus, however, is producing shows. Members can suggest ideas for shows at the start of the year and we like to take on a good range of styles, including student written work! Keep an eye out for Clit Chat where our female and non-binary members have prepared

Battle of the Bands By Tom Dolton

fter a hugely successful year of live music events, it’s almost time for MusicSoc’s biggest live music event of the year: Battle of the Bands 2018. Ten of the University of Bath’s best student bands will perform across three nights of live music, competing to be crowned Battle of the Bands Champions for 2018. The heats take place at the historic Moles club on Wednesday 21st March and Wednesday 11th April, with the final at the Nest on Saturday 28th April. All the events are free entrya! Previous winners have included prog rockers Serpent Tax, funk-soul fusion Between the Keys and blues rock outfit Blues Hawk, and this year’s field once again features a wide range of genres including rock, pop and punk. This year’s winners will be decided by an elite judging panel, featuring music industry professionals as well as SU Activities Officer Kimberley Pickett. The winners will be crowned Battle of the Bands Champions for 2018, earning the opportunity to perform a headline gig at the Nest promoted by MusicSoc. This will form part of MusicSoc’s end of exams finale event, featuring MusicSoc’s finest bands and acoustic acts and an open mic after-party in the Nest Piano Lounge until the early hours. Make sure you’re following our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MusicSocUoB) to keep up with all the announcements! October March 20182017

Full Line Up:

Heat 1, Moles, Wednesday 21st March, 7pm-10pm: > Bouquet: emo rock from the quiet corners of Bath > Blackout: electrifying hybrid of rock n’ roll, punk and alternative rock > Cottonmouth: rock covers and originals > Malpractice: keeping the spirit of rock alive. Better rehearsed than their name suggests > Neon Neighborhood: indie-alternative 3-piece performing originals and covers Heat 2, Moles, Wednesday 11th April, 7pm-10pm: > Anarchists’ Bookfair: rock vibes and a full arena sound > Butter the Pavement: alternative rock with prog, psychedelic and grunge influences > Decades: post-punk inspired 3-piece > EQVINOX: indie synth-pop originals and pop covers > Synthetic Mutations: dissecting industrial metal and punk to form a beast of originals and covers Final, Nest, Saturday 28th April, 7pm-10pm: > Line-up TBA

Sport

The Sky is the limit Adam King

Anygator

Cycling is going through yet another crisis. Two of the sport’s biggest stars of recent times – Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins – are both embroiled in separate doping cases. Both competed for Team Sky, whose reputation for racing clean and finding legal marginal gains has been severely tarnished. Could this be the beginning of the end for a team that may have lost sight of right and wrong in pursuit of success? During the 1990’s and early 2000’s doping culture was so endemic in cycling that it was almost considered the norm. In a dark era of the sport’s history, races were almost exclusively won by doped athletes, perhaps most notably Lance Armstrong. Team Sky were created in 2009 as an antithesis to this, built upon their zero tolerance for doping policy. Dave Brailsford, the team’s chief, hailed it as a new era for cycling – the dark days were over. Brailsford curated a team of superstars on a big budget with a distinctive British core. The aim was to win the prestigious Tour de France with a British athlete within five years. A teething period followed, a combination of bad luck and tactical naivety meant victories were few and far between. In late 2011 they seemed to find their groove, both Wiggins and Froome finishing on the podium at the Vuelta a Espana. The team’s form was carried into 2012 which culminated in Wiggins making history as the first Briton to win the Tour de France, Froome just behind him in second place. A period of near total domination for Team Sky of grand tour racing followed, Froome winning four out of the next five Tour de France’s. The icing on the cake was Froome completing a Tour and Vuelta double in the 2017 season, a feat not achieved since 1978. The clean image of Team Sky was first challenged in September 2016. The Russian hacking group known as the ‘Fancy Bears’ accessed the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) database releasing health care records for both Wiggins and Froome. These revealed their application history for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs). A TUE is a medical exemption given to an athlete to allow them to be treated for an existing medical condition with a medicine that would usually be banned by WADA. These records revealed October 2017

Team Sky had a system whereby they would apply for a TUE days before each of Wiggins’ key races. Allowing him to take the substance Triamcinolone before each race, in theory, to treat asthma. This rang serious alarm bells in the cycling world. Triamcinolone is an anti-inflammatory drug with a performance enhancing effect, used by dopers for years – Lance Armstrong admitted to taking it in the 90’s. An intravenous injection of this powerful agent on the eve of the biggest races of the season was viewed very suspiciously in certain circles. This set the wheels in motion for several inquiries. Both UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee began investigations into Team Sky’s medical practices. Ultimately, both parties found inconclusive evidence and couldn’t find any incidences of anti-doping rule violations. However, the DCMS concluded they ‘had crossed an ethical line’ by using the TUE system and medical drugs to ‘enhance the performance of riders’. This was damning for Wiggins and national media was quick to denounce previous performances, leaving his reputation in tatters. Wiggins was voracious in his defence, rebuking the investigations and maintaining that medications were strictly for a medical need and not performance enhancing. Meanwhile, Chris Froome has his own problems. During the 2017 Vuelta, which he won, it was leaked that he had returned an adverse analytical finding for the asthma drug salbutamol. Froome denies any wrongdoing and an investigation is ongoing. If found guilty he could be retrospectively suspended meaning he could lose his Vuelta title and World Championship bronze medal. In a sport that seems to be cleaning up its act, the ongoing theme with these doping cases of such huge magnitude seems to be Team Sky. These cases point towards an attitude that they will do anything to get an advantage over their fellow competitors. Sometimes they violate what is ethical. The counter-argument here being that they are staying within the lawful rules and are fully entitled to push the envelope. Certainly, these matters are not as black and white as needed and Team Sky appear to be masters of operating within grey areas. March 2018

Sport

Arsene Wenger: the sad demise of a legend Gabriel Naylor-Leyland

Ronnie Macdonald Ronnie Macdonald

With Arsenal FC in disarray after a torrid run of eight defeats in 14 league games in 2018, it is time to look into the reasons behind their recent struggles. How much blame should be attributed to the man in charge, Arsene Wenger? Is it time for him to call time on his glittering career at the club? Is there any guarantee of immediate success if he does step down? It is fair to say that Wenger and his team have enjoyed better times than these: their defeat away at Brighton on March 4th marked the earliest that they have been ruled out of the Premier League title race since its inception in 1992. This, coupled with their premature exit from the FA Cup, has led to fans expressing their desire for the season to end. It is becoming clearer year by year that Arsenal are simply not the force they once were. Yet, there is still absolutely no indication that Wenger will step down any time soon. If this situation continues to persist, it will without doubt taint the legacy of an incredibly successful manager, who presided over the club’s most fruitful period during the late 90’s and early 2000’s: winning three league titles, and famously achieving an unbeaten season in 2003-04. However, he still has the chance to bow out now with his head held high in the pride that he has done an incredible job at Arsenal for over two decades. An early announcement of a plan for Wenger to step down at the end of the season seems to be the favoured option among fans at the moment. This would give the board plenty of time to line up a successor before the season draws to a close, as well as providing a boost to all involved at the club for the remainder of the season. But it is worth noting that this will not guarantee October March 20182017

any level of success – just look at how Manchester United have struggled to replace their long serving manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, since 2013. A recent outburst by one fan ‘Troopz’ on Arsenal Fan TV, calling for Wenger to “retire now blud, Ancelotti’s available”, perfectly encapsulates the general feeling among fans – that there are plenty of higher quality alternatives for the position of manager. Indeed, Carlo Ancelotti, a three-time Champions League winner, is still a free-agent after leaving Bayern Munich last year. Other ambitious managers such as Brendan Rodgers, or German national team manager, Joachim Löw, could also restore the confidence which has been so desperately lacking for Arsenal in recent times, but they won’t be available forever. In their current predicament, you would be hard-pressed to find an Arsenal fan on any part of the globe who isn’t (at least secretly) dreaming of an Arsene-free future. Even club legend Ian Wright has recently expressed his wish for the club to move on and appoint a new manager. The #WengerOut brigade have dominated the Emirates Stadium over the last couple of seasons, but their endless campaigning seems to be going unheard by decision-makers at the club. There must come a time when the board of directors begin to look to the future of the club, rather than revelling in the nostalgia of past success. In this notorious era of cutthroat management of football clubs, it is admirable that Wenger has kept his job until now, but if Arsenal are to reclaim their status as one of Europe’s leading clubs, it looks increasingly likely that they will have to move on without the Frenchman – a pioneer of the modern game.

Sport

Football begins to rid itself of racist shackles Thanushan Varatharajan

This is Anfield

Mohamed Salah is enjoying an incredible season.Scoring 32 goals in 38 games in his first year with Liverpool, the Egyptian forward has become the second-fastest player to reach 30 goals for the club and has already racked up the most left-footed goals scored in a single Premier League season. He’s showing no sign of stopping there, as he competes with Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. The regularity of his goals is matched only by the consistency of his celebrations. After scoring, Salah is always seen hugging his teammates before performing sujood – the Islamic act of prostration. He joins a growing list of Muslim players currently in the Premier League, which includes his teammates Sadio Mané and Emre Can, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Arsenal’s Mesut Özil. His faith has not gone unnoticed, with some fans using it as an unlikely source of inspiration for his latest chant. Rewriting the lyrics from the 1996 hit ‘Good Enough’ by British rock trio, Dodgy, it contains the lines: “If he’s good enough for you/He’s good enough for me/If he scores another few/Then I’ll be Muslim too,” and ends with the words: “He’s sitting in the mosque/That’s where I want to be.” The chant has been lauded as a demonstration of inclusivity and for adhering to the distinctly British values of tolerance and respect. It is a stark contrast to the racist slurs of the 1970s and 1980s, with xenophobic groups such as the National Front bellowing from the stands: “There ain’t no black in the Union Jack/Send the b******* back”. Racism has long been a thorn in the English game, and still exists in certain quarters today. It took the emergence of great players such as the late Cyrille Regis, the former West Bromwich Albion and England forward, to change the attitudes towards non-white players across the country. October 2017

Regis, who passed away in January, never rose to the appalling abuse. An explosive goalscorer, he chose instead to let his actions on the pitch ensure that prejudice based on skin colour was rendered evil and all together embarrassing. In today’s culture, hate-mongering is focused towards religion, with Islam at the forefront of the barrage. Politicians, news commentators and authors are all too quick to link any crime conceivable to the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. This hatred has inevitably found its way into football stadiums. In 2015, images of two Muslim fans praying in a stairwell at Anfield emerged on Twitter, leading one disgruntled Liverpool supporter to tweet “Muslims praying at half-time at the match yesterday. #Disgrace.” The club, along with other fans, were quick to distance themselves from the comment. Recognising the diversity of its fan-base, the club ensured that the new main stand at Anfield was completed with a multi-faith prayer room. This is one just one example of how the influx of Muslims players has changed the Premier League. For Muslims alcohol is strictly forbidden, so when Manchester City’s Yaya Toure was awarded a bottle of champagne for his man of the match performance in 2012, he politely declined his award. Today, players now receive a small trophy in recognition of their performance. Clubs up and down the country now also serve Halal food to accommodate the dietary requirements of their religious players. Akin to Regis, Salah, along with the likes of Pogba, Özil and Toure, are part of a generation of great Muslim players breaking down barriers. With clubs, and now fans, becoming more understanding of their religious needs, there exists a real impetus behind a more positive, progressive attitude towards Muslims stretching into wider society. March 2018

Sport

White ball contracts take swing away from Test cricket

Daniel Wiseman

City AM

Since the emergence of T20 cricket back in 2003, we have seen a change in the way cricket is played at the top level. With a more dynamic audience emerging around the world, the focus has shifted from the longer formats of the game, to matches that are quicker, more innovative and powerful. From this we have seen the development of worldwide T20 competitions such as the IPL and the Big Bash. These competitions attract the best players from around the world and give them the opportunity to earn a large wage for a fraction of the time. Originally these competitions attracted players who were approaching the end of their careers and looking for one final pay cheque. However, in recent years we have seen some of the best young cricketers around the world pick-up million-dollar contracts and turn their back on the longer format of the game. In recent weeks England cricketers Adil Rashid, Alex Hales and Reece Topley have all signed ‘white ball’ only contracts for their respective counties. Whilst many understand their reasons for doing so it does cast a doubt whether or not fellow cricketers will follow the same path and turn their backs on the longer format of the game. One major star who has been linked with a move away from the red ball scene for a number of years is South African star AB de Villiers. De Villiers is arguably the most talented batsman in the world, who possesses all the characteristics to play every format of the game. Even though he is currently representing his country in a major Test series against Australia, rumours are emerging that he is about to quit Test cricket and sign a multi-million-dollar contract that requires him to only play the shorter formats of the game. For a batsman of his quality and profile to end his association with Test cricket would be a tragedy and likely encourage more to follow suit. With the cricketing purists worrying about the future of the longer format of the game, it is the responsibility of the ICC to makes Test crickMarch 2018

et attractive for young players. For years now, Test cricket has seen fewer and fewer crowds around the world and a number of current Test match players have voiced their concern about its future. Former England captain and current opening batman Alastair Cook stated that, “Nobody is watching test cricket and soon it won’t become viable. There is no money in it anymore because all the money is thrown into the T20 competitions and we have to be worried about that”. Athletes are going to want these big pay cheques in order to secure a future for their family, that is understandable, so why not give it to them but in the longer format of the game? For a number of years there has been talk of introducing a ‘Test Championship’ and I believe this is the time to do just that. Show the players they can be rewarded by playing the longer format of the game by offering big rewards, not only for the winning teams but also for standout individual performances. Test cricket can also learn from the shorter formats of the game and become more innovative. The introduction of day/night Test matches seems to have gone down well with the viewing public, so why not see more of these? The main aspect that needs to be tackled though is slow over rates. Even a cricket nut like myself can find Test matches boring in certain stages. Punishments need to be brought in for teams who don’t match the required over rates, and not just fines. Instead, points deductions and penalty runs would make teams more efficient and fan-friendly during a day’s play. These ideas are not groundbreaking nor are they perfect, but they are steps the ICC needs to take in order to preserve the future of Test cricket. No matter what they decide to do it is clear to see that something needs to be done to stop young cricketers turning their backs on the longer, traditional staple of the game.

Lifestyle

A Royal Engagement: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to tie the knot By Sharla Zhang

oth countries across the Atlantic had something to celebrate when it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged. The pair are set to wed next Spring at Windsor Castle after a year and a half of dating. Following the news, the couple did their first official interview during which they shared how Harry proposed over a very British roast chicken dinner and their first (blind) date in London set up by a mutual friend. We also got a glimpse at the engagement ring, which Harry designed himself, comprising of two diamonds from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection either side of a larger diamond from Botswana where the

couple spent quality time together. The entire interview was adorably sweet as they held hands throughout and Harry revealed that “all the stars were aligned” for their relationship. Meghan is just next on a long list of American women who have captivated the hearts of royalty, most notably Hollywood actress Grace Kelly who married the Prince of Monaco in 1956. For those unfamiliar with Meghan Markle, she is most famous for her role as an ambitious, intelligent and feisty paralegal in the hit US drama series ‘Suits’. Not only does she play a strong woman on screen, Meghan also embodies these characteristics off screen. At only 11 years old, after seeing a sexist television advert, she wrote letters to Hilary Clinton and the company who created the advert – and got the advert changed. Meghan’s humanitarian work towards gender equality, better education and accessible healthcare will no doubt mean she will be a natural at her new royal role. Prince Harry and Meghan’s first public appearance last week in Nottingham was warmly welcomed by crowds presenting cards, gifts and well wishes to the couple. Pieces of Meghan’s outfit including her handbag sold out within hours.

Glam for the Gram(mys): The 60th Annual Grammy Awards

By Chloe Granger

he 60th annual Grammy Awards took place on the 28th January 2018, where all of the celebrity A-Listers flocked in to receive awards and celebrate the talent of their colleagues. Bruno Mars cleared the roster and took home awards for album, record and song of the year, an utterly historic moment as winning this trio of awards is extremely rare. Performances from Kendrick Lamar, Kesha and Rihanna wowed audiences with their powerful messages and fantastic delivery. All round, the Grammys were a great success. One potent moment of the Grammys, however, was the performance that Kesha gave alongside a team of other powerful, talented ladies. Donned all in white to mark their solidarity for the the #MeToo movement, they sung their hearts out in Kesha’s song ‘Praying’, an empowering and beautifully emotional song about forgiving her abuser, a topic which is extremely prevalent in Hollywood and therefore all the more compelling to witness at the Grammys. There was also some controversy that was sparked surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Grammy win for Best Solo Performance.

The nominees were Pink, Lady Gaga, Kesha and Kelly Clarkson. What was noticed about these nominees was that they are all female and naturally, there was much backlash and anger that Ed Sheeran won the category for a song that was about a woman’s body, as opposed to the powerful anthems sung by the other nominees. Fuelling situation further, Sheeran failed to show up to collect his prestigious prize, leaving people to question his no-show. Amid this backlash, people took to social media to share their disappointment. One wrote: “Still confused as to how @edsheeran won best pop song over @KeshaRose. She literally made a song about overcoming sexual abuse. #GRAMMYs.” CC

While another tweeted: “Naturally, Ed Sheeran wins with a Sia/TLC ripoff over four deserving women who all sang their faces off. #Grammys.”

Although there was much anger and confusion surrounding Sheeran’s Grammy 2018 win, nobody can deny that Shape of You is a great, catchy tune and although his fellow nominees may have been more worthy of the prize, as my mother once told me “It’s not about the winning. It’s the taking part that counts.”

Colby Sharp

March 2018

Lifestyle

Autumn/Winter 2018 Ready-To-Wear Chloe Granger

his year for the AW Ready-to-Wear Collection 2018, Chanel transformed the renowned Grand Palais into a woody wonderland to showcase the plethora of outfits created by the mastermind himself, Karl Lagerfeld.

Each outfit was paired with golden, metallic boots, some thigh high and some ankle length. The accessories took centre stage in this bedazzling show of jewellery, showcasing long necklaces adorned with gems and large, statement earrings proudly displaying the illustrious interlocking C’s. 21 oak trees proudly lined the centre of Each model had their hair swept up into bun upthe runway – much to some environmentalists’ do’s, giving the essence of an effortless yet stylish dismay – and were surrounded by a multitude of appearance. Make-up was minimal, so that the atcrimson, golden and chestnut coloured leaves; it tention was immediately drawn to the exquisitetruly was an authentic autumnal atmosphere. The ness and elegance of the clothes and accessories. runway décor provided a seasonal yet subtle backdrop as each outfit contained colours and textures The spectacle ended with a parade of that were complimented nicely by the fall scenery. black dresses, accessorized with statement gloves and bags in an assortment of brilliant col The show began with dark, neutral out- ours. A vast array of materials was experimentfits, comprising mainly shades of black, brown ed with to create these dresses, from layers of and dark greens. The signature tweed was seen tulle fit for a princess to thin veils of chic lace for throughout the show, both in the forms of strik- a more suggestive guise. Karl Lagerfeld made his ing outwear and subtle adornments on jackets brief appearance once the show drew to a close, and dresses. Head-to-toe black outfits appeared sporting his new (Jeremy Corbyn-esque?) beard next, accessorized with bold colours in the forms and graciously accepting the roaring applause. of scarves, fingerless gloves and collar detailing. The use of colour way playfully approached, Yet another beautiful world created by the keeping the essence of elegance and the all ever so brilliant Lagerfeld has got us black allure, whilst adding a fun splash of colour. wishing we were back in the crisp autumn. Chanel’s shows could never get boring for us, Beautiful, leafy patterns emerged soon af- the shows and clothes never fail to disappoint. ter; a verdant mixture of greens and burnt reds.

Tapas Review-lution Zara Coombs

apas Revolution: a bubble of atmosphere, good food and Barcelona vibes right here in Bath. The bar glows a warm sunshine yellow, lush greenery droops from walls and ceilings, buzz and chatter fills the room. It’s only a Tuesday and yet there’s enough atmosphere for us to be able to discuss this weekend’s antics without being overheard by the surrounding tables. We’re students, therefore we’re lazy, therefore we opted for the ‘Clasico’ set menu. Anyways, how can you go wrong with the most ‘popular dishes from across the country’? Here’s the run down: 1. Mini breadsticks & iberico ham – simple but delicious appetiser, the ham was thick and smoky (aka peng) 2. Pan con aioli – It’s not a proper Spanish meal unless it starts with bread. Anyone that’s been to spain knows bread & butter (or in this case aioli - even better) is an essential ritual in Spanish dining. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked the question of ‘would you like bread?’ it’s simply chucked on your table (and bill), like it or not. 3. Croquetas de jamon – Little golden nugOctober 2017 February 2018 March 2018

gets of cheesy-hammy heaven, highly recommend 4. Tortilla de patatas – Description says ‘omelette’, but beware, a Spanish one is very different to our English version. It’s in fact more like a savoury, cheesy, potato cake (not as odd IRL as I’ve just made it sound) 5. Chorizo a la sidra – The best dish, hands down. Cooked chorizo is a god send no lie. (PS even saucier when dipped in aioli) 6. Paella de pollo – Good meat to rice ratio (this is rare fyi) 7. Pastel de chocolate y turron – THE gooiest brownie, embellished with hazelnuts and topped with a very different (but delicious) nougat cream. 8. VINO – The cheapest white on the menu but I couldn’t fault it. My best friend basically necked it. The staff were so friendly and the service was impeccable. If you’re looking to branch out, love meat, cheese and wine – then this is the place for you. “Alongside the creation of the new dishes, Tapas Revolution are also offering 25% off the whole bill for students, for up to 4 people at Tapas Revolution with a valid NUS card.”

Lifestyle

Get Bugg’d: A Live Review of Jake Bugg at Colston Hall

here are some voices that are so distinct they are hard to misplace. Jack Bugg’s voice is one of them. It sometimes felt like the only constant thread that ran through his set, as he jumped through three albums and six years of music. Ironically warm-up acts often have the opposite effect, leaving the crowd churlish and impatient. Refreshingly, Bugg’s support act who goes simply by the name of Georgie did a fantastic job of winning the crowd over. Her raspy, soulful voice filled the hall with songs about out-drinking her ex and the very relatable ‘Too Much TV’. Just when the crowd’s interest was waning, Georgie performed a cover of the Dirty Dancing classic ‘Be My Baby’. Georgie is touted as one to watch for good reason. Stefan Brending An eclectic crowd of embarrassing middle-aged couples, Bristol’s edgiest students, young professionals and most surprisingly of all, families, gathered at Colston Hall, Bristol to hear from Bugg. The opening track ‘How Soon The Dawn’, sets the tone (pardon the pun) for much of Bugg’s new material, which is unquestionably less upbeat than his earlier material. After a run of numbers, Bugg picked up the pace with a flawless rendition of ‘Simple As This’. It’s

easy to forget the singer is only 23 as he masterfully plucks and strums at the guitar with such skill and ease. Bugg starts to relax as he takes swigs from a plastic cup of what looks like water, but turns out to be gin and tonic. He finally rewards the crowd with classic ‘Taste It’, which many happily sing along to, closely followed by a personal favourite ‘Southern Rain’ from Bugg’s 2017 album ‘Hearts That Strain’. Much to the delight of his heckling from the darkness, Bugg starts to take requests from the crowd, lining them up in his head and promising he will fit in a seemingly endless number of requests. Although Wonderwall was refused with a gesture towards the fire exit, Bugg dutifully performed a Neil Young cover and appeased the heckling mob with a series of crowd-pleasers including the instantly recognisable ‘Slumville Sunrise’ and ‘Broken’. Some punters take advantage of the musician’s impressionable nature, getting him to down two pints of gin and tonic on stage. Now seemingly relaxed, Bugg holds his own as he finishes the set (and his fifth gin and tonic) ending on a memorable rendition of ‘Lightening Bolt’.

Beanie Catriona Watson

Graze-ing Away: A Review of Bath Ales’ Flagship Restaurant

Emilia Pilss

raze Bar and Chophouse, part of the Bath Ales family, has the welcoming feel of a pub, mixed with a casual dining atmosphere, perfect for any occasion from a nice pint with friends to a special dinner outing with family. The restaurant, located on the first floor of the food quarter next to the Bath Spa station, has a beautiful view, which can also be enjoyed from two outside-areas (once spring finally reaches us). While grills and steaks seem to be the main attraction of the menu, it included a wide range of vegetarian and fish options, French-inspired dishes and pub classics. We opted for the Monkfish in Parma ham and a Pumpkin and Ricotta crumble, intrigued by the innovative combinations of ingredients. The saying goes ‘fortune favours the bold’ and indeed; our curiosity for new flavour combinations did not go unrewarded. The monkfish wrapped in parma ham came swimming in a delicious crab bisque – a crab-based soup with cream for those non-connoisseurs – with crisp cube-shaped potato puffs. Cress on top of the dish added levels of bitter-

ness to the otherwise creamy and umami flavours. This dish, inspired by French cuisine was a perfect in-between of hearty pub-food and sophisticated tastes. The quality of the ingredients, specifically the monkfish, and the unique mix of flavours made it a truly enjoyable experience. As for the crumble; this was not your usual apple crumble but a savoury take, including artichokes, chestnut and pumpkin. This dish was full of contrasts that we loved. It had wonderfully warm flavours contrasted by a zesty ricotta cheese and the creamy texture of the vegetables and cheese was contrasted with a crispy crumble. Light yet hearty, traditional yet innovative it is a successful new take on an old favourite. Being the flagship restaurant Bath Ales, Graze has its own microbrewery, part of which is visible from the restaurant providing it with a unique interior design. The full range of Bath Ales as well as the produce of the in-house brewery called Platform 3 is available on the menu to enjoy in this setting. March 2018

Lifestyle

A Day In-AND Out in Bath Isobel Nash Part 1

Need a break from work or looking to make plans for this weekend? Look no further – there’s plenty to do in Bath! As students of the city, we are incredibly lucky to have a beautiful, historic place to live, with lots to do so close by, so here are some of my suggestions for the perfect, student-friendly day out.

breakfast one of my favourite places to go Fwithoris the Boston Tea Party on Kingsmead Square, a variety of scrumptious breakfast choices.

It has everything from a good old English breakfast to my favourite choice: smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and avocado on toast. It also has a brunch menu to complement a student lie in.

Rwendland

After breakfast why not take a trip back in time to the Roman Baths? Did you know it’s free entry for students? Or instead you could be active and visit the new trampoline park and eight-lane bowling alley at the Bath Sports and Leisure Centre, locat-

David A. Russo

he Courtyard Café situated in the historic Lilliput Court is the perfect place for lunch, offering homemade soup and a range of paninis and jacket potatoes. It also has delicious homemade cakes and a range of loose-leaf teas and coffees, making it perfect for afternoon tea too. In the afternoon why not check out one of Bath’s many museums: choose from fine art at the Holbourne Museum in the Sydney Pleasure Gardens, 400 years of fashion at the Bath Fashion Museum on Bennett Street or discover

the life of author Jane Austen at the Jane Austen Centre on Gay Street. If you are more interested in film and theatre, you should check out the listings at the independent Little Theatre Cinema or the historic Theatre Royal Bath. For dinner you should visit The Raven on Queen Street, a perfect, traditional cosy British pub serving good hearty pies and pints. With six different fillings of pie, including vegetarian options and a selection of ever changing guest pies, if you’re a pie lover it’s the perfect place to visit.

With so many places to visit, eat and drink, Bath really is the perfect place to explore and spend the day out and about! So what are you waiting for? Get out and explore what this beautiful city has to offer. October 2017 March 2018

Lifestyle

An Enthusiast’s Guide to activities, restaurants and venues in Candice Broad B reakfast – What better way to start the day than to enjoy the cosy setting of Café au Lait, conveniently located right opposite Bath Spa station? Everyone should find something to their taste on the extensive, affordable brunch menu involving avocado, eggs, heavenly tasting buttermilk pancakes, fresh fruit or porridge. First up: Alexandra park and its stunning views of the city, starting right behind the station. The walk is uphill and can be challenging but fear not; it is most definitely worth it. Once you have taken hundreds of pictures in panorama mode, you will be able to walk down and find the canal pathway starting opposite the Travelodge. Keep following the riverside, where you will be able to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere until reaching Sydney Gardens. This is one of Bath’s most beautiful parks. Don’t forget to stop for coffee or cake at their cute little cafe! Lunch: All this walking will hopefully have whetted your appetite, and your taste buds will thank you once you have been to the Thoughtful Bread Company, a small artisan-producer based bakery where you will be able to choose from delicious salads, sandwiches, wraps, and delightful cakes, all made with organic, fresh ingredients. My personal favourite is the polenta cake, but do not hesitate to ask the friendly staff for their recommendations!

A f t e r , head to the Circus, followed by the Royal Crescent, which are the highlights of our beautiful city. Instead of walking back down after this, as most people usually do, try walking up all the way to the Approach Golf Course, which you can go through by staying on Weston Road. At the end of the golf course, head towards Royal Victoria Park which is just on your left, and make sure you visit the botanical gardens, especially in the summer. Once you have explored all the different areas, leave the park and join the riverside to walk all the way back to City Centre and the station. This is a very nice pedestrian path, which is shared with bikers traveling all the way to Bristol, a close by city offering different type of architecture than our very own Bath. Dinner – After having discovered so many sights, who would not enjoy a nice evening of great food at the Graze Bar & Chophouse? This restaurant is on the same level as the train platforms and offers a lovely view of the city centre. They are also a micro-brewery; so if you are a beer amateur, why not try their unique brew? Their food menu has a strong focus on British meat, but you can also get fish or vegetarian options, which are all delicious. There is always a great atmosphere, courtesy of their music choice so let me warn you: it will make you want to dance in the middle of your meal.

The Grandpa Friend Our monthly columnist Mallory Fanton

If like me, you are constantly tired, and have a bad back, and your bones creak and groan, chances are you are the Grandpa Friend. If your hearing is subpar, if you are confused most of the time, if you get suspicious when you see young people loiter on your street. If you wander off in malls, and get lost, if you watch game shows and communicate mostly in grunts of various pitches and intonations. If 10pm is way past your bed time. If you find yourself saying “I’m too old for this shit’ more than any 20-something year-old should. If you still cannot take a half decent selfie. If you find pre-drinks and Happy Hour are just too loud (you’re trying to have a conversation!) If the Snow-White dwarf you identify with the most is Grumpy (there is a literal stranger in his home, I always believed he was entirely justified in his response). If you’re very gassy. If you already open apps the way old men open the Sunday Times on their porch while drinking their morning tea: disgruntled, judgemental, shaking your head at the state of the world and reminiscing about the price of milk in your youth (the 90s was a simpler time, the world wasn’t in such a hurry back then). If your idea of a great evening is a steaming bowl of homemade soup, a warm shower and a BBC Three documentary about Scottish National Parks, while you do some word puzzles in bed. If you’ve watched the Brit Awards and didn’t recognize half the celebrities. If you listen to music on YouTube. If you’re constantly too cold. If you’re bad at showing affection despite loving your friends with all your heart (although they make such reckless and foolish decisions sometimes!). If you always have sage advice, and the best dance moves. You are the Grandpa Friend, and you’re the best (just like me).

March 2018

Lifestyle

The Happiness Planner can’t plan your happiness Greg Chapman

t’s Sunday evening - the thought of MonItence. day hangs in the air like a death-senNo matter how you spent it, the en-

tire weekend feels wasted. What’s the solution? I spend every Sunday afternoon sat at my shiny new planner with my highlighters in hand, scheduling the upcoming week. The enormous new set of highlighters I own is an unexpected side-effect of living with 5 girls for the last 6 months. Colour coding my pretty new planner is almost my most effeminate passtime, second only to wearing my housemates dresses and makeup when they’re at work (shh, don’t tell them). The selling point of the Passion Planner is that it encourages you to structure your time around achieving your dreams. You map out your goals as a sub-series of achievable goals, then you work towards them; blood, sweat, tears and highlighter pens. A lot of highlighter pens. By the time I’ve planned the week, the page looks more like a remembered LSD trip rather than a time-efficient schedule. I was so excited to turn into a ‘Planner Person’, I awaited my transformation from a mere mortal, hitting the snooze button every morning, to the kind of person who arrives at work early, drinks decaf and does 30 sit-ups before breakfast.What’s the catch? What could possibly be the problem with chasing your dreams? The problem is that it feeds the voice. The voice that reminds you

that you’re single, that reminds you never did that online Spanish course or that you didn’t get a summer internship so now you’ll be unemployed forever. This is where the Passion Planner comes in. Feed the voice with highlighters. 6AM jog, highlighted in green. 7PM Spanish lesson in orange. 9PM date on Friday in pink. I’m being productive. I’m chasing my dreams. It feels good. Feeding the voice with good intentions silences it. Temporarily. For the whole month, you stick to your plans; yourSpanish is bueno and you’ve been texting the pretty girl from Tinder. What happens now? The voice starts up again. And no, I don’t mean the one on TV with Tom Jones in the big red chair. It felt so good to silence the voice for a month - and because of that, the voice is back. And with bigger demands. Like babysitting a spoilt child, giving in to their whining just encourages more whining. More goals to set. More dreams to chase. By indulging its demands, the voice has found a method to make you listen to its demands, and that method is the Passion Planner. There’s nothing wrong with self-improvement. If you want to learn the guitar, go for it. If you want to train for a marathon, good luck and enjoy the blisters. However, if you bought a 12-pack of highlighters and a new planner and find yourself scheduling early morning jogs to prove a point to yourself, the voice isn’t going to get any quieter.

You Don’t Want To Misch Tom Misch at Bristol’s 02 Academy Emilia Pilss

t was a true pilgrimage: Bath students on their way to Bristol’s O2 to see Tom Misch, the vocalist, DJ and producer, on his much-anticipated tour introducing his new album ‘Geography’. The 22-year old artist, who has come a long way from making beats in his bedroom at 16, has a unique sound, a mix of jazz, hip-hop, funky guitar and bass lines. Misch opened the show with an instrumental song ‘The Journey’, which set the mood perfectly with its smooth and glossy beats. It was followed by some of his more low-key, mellow songs, including ‘I Wish’, an iconic track from his first album. Starting with ‘Everybody Get Down’, a jazzy instrumental, the audience became energized.. His well-known track ‘South of the River’ catapulted the crowd into a warm sense of euphoria. Misch’s cover version of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ was timed perfectly. His interpretation of the classic tune was simple yet powerful. Leaving out the vocals, Misch and band were able to showcase their guitar skills.. The audience provided the vocals, with everyone singing along, which created an incredible atmosphere.. The catchy R&B-style ‘Movie’, a track from Misch’s new album MarchOctober 2018 2017

and featured Polly Misch, was performed to the backdrop of the stage-lights cleverly imitating the flicker of a film roll. And so the show slowly faded out to the silky piano and bass lines. Or did it? Few expected what happened next. None other than Loyle Carner himself, the Mercury Award-nominated rapper appeared on stage. Croydon-born Carner, who features on several of Misch’s song’s and vice versa, performed new songs alongside Misch, ending in an electrifying instrumental jam. Keeping the best for last, the musical dream-team performed their collaboration ‘Crazy Dream’, which had the entire room hopping, bopping and singing along. Misch’s unique mix of J Dilla-vinyl-style beats and feel for melody is an inevitable recipe for success and he proved this with a performance that swept the audience off their feet. While you didn’t have to be a fan of the artist, who maintained an incredibly relaxed air about him throughout the performance, to enjoy his show, you probably are now. The snippets of his new album ‘Geography’ playing during the gig suggest that this artist has evolved and there is more to look forward to.

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Lifestyle

Thai-Khun We Have Some More, Please? A Review of Thaikhun, Bath Naomi Chhatwal

f you are an individual that enjoys varied, tasty Ishould dishes, spicy flavours and funky interiors, you venture out to Southgate and head to

Thaikhun. In the hustle and bustle of Bath’s busy high street corner, step into a miniature version of Thailand. Charmingly decorated, with witty details decorating the tables, walls or even the ceiling, Thaikhun attempts to offer you an authentic taste of the Thai experience. Many of the employees have Thai roots, greeting you with a friendly courtesy and ‘Sawadee Ka’, before taking you to your table. Every table holds the essential sweet-chili or red chilli sauces, covered with colourful mosquito protectors (don’t worry, no mosquitos were in sight). Whether you are having a small dinner à deux, or you are looking to gather a group of friends for a fun evening out, Thaikhun accommodates for you by having small, medium and large group seating options as well as little booths for more privacy or just a different and fun lunch or dinner setting. Come a bit earlier during happy hour to enjoy a delicious five-pound cocktail; the specialist barman is trained to deliver you sweet and sour treats, or if undecided between the two just simply order a mix of both. The menu is varied and fairly extensive: you are sure to find a few dishes that will appeal to you. To start off, you have to try the prawn crackers with the chilli sauce. I have been to Thaikhun three times now, and upon every visit I have asked for a second serving (and trust me, they are more than generous with their portion sizes). The chilli sauce is fantastic; let me ad-

MarchOctober 2018 2017

vise you to keep the sauce or ask for more to use as a dip for your main. Scrumptious. Whether you enjoy sharing dishes or you want to indulge on your own, Thaikhun offers a medley of small, medium and large plates. To start, we decided to try the Fresh Rolls- Por Pia Sod (Rice paper rolled with strips of carrot, mint, coriander and basil served with a cucumber relish) and Tempura King Prawns- Goong Choop Pang Tord (Sea water prawns tempura with sweet chilli sauce and onion ring). Although the taste was delicious and the portion sizes generous, the beautiful presentation and flamboyant colours of the fresh rolls stood out. Thaikhun accommodates for all dietary needs, meaning you can substitute meat for vegetarian or vegan options, providing a selection of choices. For mains we decided to share two different dishes; Sukiyaki Noodles (Glass noodles stir-fried in a spicy sukiyaki sauce made with red bean curd, pickled garlic, sesame oil and Sriracha chilli sauce) and Spicy Seafood Noodles- Phad Kee Mao (Stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, mussels & squid tossed with chilli, garlic, oyster and soy sauce). Do ensure to come hungry, as you want to have sufficient space to devour the mountain of food in front of you. Overall, Thaikhun offered truly delightful and delectable experience. The atmosphere is relaxing and entertaining, it is the ideal spot to catch up with friends or to start/end the weekend on a cheerful note. 10/10- we recommend!

Getting Wavy with Pale Waves Luke Ballance IY is ostensibly ahead of the curve when D it comes to alternative music. In keeping with an annual tradition dating back to

2014, the magazine has embarked on tour alongside a series of spellbinding bands. Each act involved is in its infancy, with less than ten songs to its name, yet all appear poised to take the industry by storm at a moment’s notice. I attended the Bristol leg of the tour on International Women’s Day, and was lucky enough to witness three incredible female-fronted bands work their magic on an attuned Thekla audience. First up were BLOXX, a West London quartet who deservingly commanded the attention of the masses despite their criminally early time slot. The group appear to specialise in addictive lyrics and searing riffs, a combination which lends itself well to the live environment. By their final iterations, even unreleased songs “Second Opinion” and “Sea Blue” were firmly planted in the heads of listeners. Eager to learn more about their future plans, I caught up with lead singer and guitarist Ophelia Booth after their set. She assured me that fans can expect to hear their debut EP by the winter, and was brimming with enthusiasm for their upcoming Live at Leeds appearance. The group will also return to Bristol

in May for an appearance at the Louisiana. Second to grace the stage were Our Girl, a Brighton-based trio fronted by the multitalented Soph Nathan. It’s refreshing to hear her vocal talents take pride of place in the band; she previously appeared at DIY’s Sound of 2015 tour alongside another of her bands, The Big Moon, for whom she primarily plays guitar. Throughout their set, Our Girl struck a masterful balance between delicate lyrics and grungy crescendos, with highlights including their early B-side “Level” and closing track “Boring”. Speaking to Soph, I was pleased to learn that the group’s album is nearing completion, and is slated for an imminent release. Closing the night were DIY cover stars Pale Waves. The Manchester four-piece have amassed an impressive following off the back of six songs, racking up millions of streams on each: a position which sets them up conveniently for the release of their forthcoming debut album. “There’s a Honey” and “New Year’s Eve” were undeniably the biggest singalong hits of the night, although the strippedback arrangement of unreleased song “She” made for an equally captivating experience. All in all, the night was well-rounded, intimate, and a perfect showcase of three talented bands with promising careers ahead of them.

Luke Marrai March 2018

HOROSCOPES

By Naomi Chhatwal

Aries Mar 20 – Apr 20 A dark mysterious stranger awaits. People say that a lot, and its a common phrase. However, this one will be different. He will hit you out nowhere (stay clear of football pitches, cricket fields and rugby matchces...), with the sole intention of winning you over. April 2nd- that’s the day!

Taurus Apr 20 – May 21 Tauraus, what has become of us? Your ex will be singing in front of your door, either drunkenly or just out of pure passion (I am not that psychic, I’m afraid). Either shut the f*** DOOR, or open your heart. Whatever you choose, follow your heart and try, Tauraus!

Gemini May 21 – Jun 21 Don’t say goodbye, dear Gemini. There’s a lesson to be learned here. When the going gets rough, you got to keep going. You are a Gem(ini) after all, a sparkling, shiny, beautiful diamond, rare and one of a kind: polish yourself back up again and parade along the parade. Go get em, tiger!

Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 23 It’s been a dark, stormy, winter cancer. Similar to those dark n’ stormy drinks you’ve been having, the light didn’t quite shine on you last month did it? The gas bill was high, your self-esteem low? Enough with the self-pity and get some of that feisty cancer attitude. March into Spring, it might be worth it.

Leo Jul 23 – Aug 23 Leo, you absolute hero. Downing those pints like there ain’t no mountain high enough that you can’t climb. The right amount of sass, and the right amount of class, you are doing everything right. So buy that extra mirror and spend those extra five minutes grooming yourself- you deserve it.

Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 23 Vir-going, going, gone. You sure are quick on your feet, decisions are made in seconds, assignments are handed in early... keep up the good work, dont let that attitude Vir-GO away, you are doing it right, but you are also doing it left. March 27th is your reward, a sweet surprise will make all your dreams come true.

Libra Sep 23 – Oct 23 Liberate yourself from any stress you are feeling. Tension, my dear, leads to retention of the feelings. Let them lose. As Nelly Furtado once sang “I’m like a bird”. You are like a bird, dear Libra, free and high you must fly in the bright blue sky. You will be rewarded, sweet, mesmerizing and exciting adventures are near.

Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 22 Scoripio, just let it go. Is it really worth fighting over that last jar of Lidl’s essentials olives with the 75 year old woman living alone with her pet ferret, when you could be having an Olive-me-loves-oliveyou moment in a bar across the street that very same moment? You are missing the dream, so wake up and go get her/him!

Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 22 Sagittarius, don’t forget to ask the question. All of the questions. Take control, demand what is yours. There are no stupid questions (except, of course, if you SHOULD order another drink... order two, duh). Life is one big question mark anyways, so you have nothing to lose and only to gain.

Capricorn Dec 23 – Jan 20 Capricorn or Popcorn? Netflix sure is a good way to spend your time, but next time you try to Netflix and chill, remember that there is a life outside of those four walls you enjoy so much. The last semester is here, and you are one little Capri-corny joke maker, that is waiting to be unleashed and discovered. Nike. Just do it.

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18 Don’t make a fuss, Aquarius. It wasn’t his or her fault, it was faith. Because now, dear Aquarius, a whole new world of opportunity awaits. Keep your eyes on the prize, or should I say any potential lovers out there because you are in for a treat. Date night is imminent, so stand up straight and smile. You never know who is watching.

Pisces Feb 18 – Mar 20 It’s not falling to pisces; in fact, you are the one to put the pisces together. One by one, you are climbing mountains, dear Pisces! Look around you, the view is great. Sit down, take a deep breath of that mountain air and make it happen. Life is a climb, but the view is great (at least, that is what Miley Cyrus tells me).

MarchOctober 2018 2017

Want to write for us? We’re looking for reporters, writers, photographers and designers, so if you’re interested please contact us! Facebook: unibathtime Website: www.unibathtime.co.uk Email: impact-editor@bath.ac.uk Office: 1E 3.12