Epigram Issue 384

Pages for readers, Opportunities for writers

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88

Est. 19

The University of Bristol's Award Winning Independent Student Newspaper

01.04.25

From left to right, photos courtesy of: Harriett Sanderson & JJ

Unwrapping the

‘kebab pizza – I’m a slut for that’- JJ Epigram gets an exclusive look behind the counter at Bristol’s favourite kebab shop shop Mihai Rosca Sport Subeditor

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t’s Sunday the 9th of March, just past 4 pm. I can’t believe my eyes. I’m sitting opposite 23-yearold JJ – son of Jason – who was chosen to represent the team, out-

side a cafe on Cotham Hill. He’s not dressed in his uniform but in everyday clothes. Students – my friends, his customers – are walking by staring in amazement. I don’t

recall ever seeing the Jason Donervan team in broad daylight – the situation feels strangely surreal.

many students have asked but never had answered: ‘So, JJ, what’s your real name?’

Turn to page 12 to see the continuation of our campaign and read:

Starting hot, I invite the question

Continue reading on Page 10

Mushroom mould horror story

NEWS

Opinion

Beyond Campus

SciTech

SPOrt

Greener pastures or lingering issues?

*Attempting* to manage anaphylaxis at university

Interview with David Nicholls

Dinosaurs' closest living descendants

In Conversation with Bristol Black Sox

& Support from Lucy Pears

Between the Sheets 2 Editorial 14 Arts 4 News 16 Film & TV 6 Opinion 18 Music 8 Features 20 Sci-Tech 11 BCampus 22 Sport 24 Epi-games 12 Mould

Website - https://epigram.org.uk

Instagram - @epigrampaper_

Twitter/ X - @EpigramPaper

TikTok - @EpigramPaper

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Editorial Co-Editor-in-Chief

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Women have long been at the forefront of storytelling, yet their contributions are often undervalued or overlooked. Despite making up nearly half of journalism and media students, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles across major media outlets. This imbalance not only limits career prospects but also restricts the stories that are told and the perspectives that are shared with the world.

Throughout the month-long Women in Media event, we have been hearing from female journalists and creators who are making waves in their fields and reshaping the industry from within. We have also examined the ways institutions must do better and how hiring policies, pay gaps, and ingrained biases still hinder progress. We even had the amazing opportunity to host our keynote

epigram.org.uk/get-involved/

Our Team

Amaan Ali

s we step into April, a month of renewal and transformation, it’s fitting to reflect on the evolving role of women in media and the persisting barriers they face. At Epigram this month, our Women in Media initiative took centre stage.

Want to write for us?

Editorial

speaker Susanna Reid who was editor-in-chief of Epigram in 1990, to share her unique experience as one of the UK's most recognisable news presenters.

But our focus this month doesn’t stop at media representation. We also have been highlighting an urgent student issue: poor housing conditions. Our Break the Mould campaign which has reached over 500 signatures on Change.org is dedicated to tackling the widespread mould problem in student accommodation. Mould isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a health hazard that can lead to respiratory issues, worsen asthma, and create unliveable conditions for students who are already facing greater financial and academic pressures than ever before. Too often, complaints go unheard and landlords or accommodation providers fail to take responsibility.

With Break the Mould, we are

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Annie McNamee & Amaan Ali Deputy Editors: Sofia Webster & Will Standring

Annie McNamee & Amaan Ali

Co-Editors-in- Chief

pushing for real accountability.

Students deserve safe, habitable housing, and it’s time landlords take decisive action. We encourage students to share their experiences, document the conditions, and demand change. By raising awareness and amplifying student voices, we can work towards tangible improvements in living conditions.

If you want to share your story, please reach out to us on social media – we want to hear from you.

At Epigram, we want to use our platform to elevate the voices that need to be heard, whether in media or student housing.

Change doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires a collective effort, from demanding more inclusive content to holding institutions accountable for their failures.

Chief Subeditor for this issue: James Lewis

News

Co-Editors: Josie Hodgson & Maud Humphries Co-Deputy Editors: Rhiannon Jenkins & Beatrice Learmouth Investigations Editor: Will White & Sofia Lambis Subeditors: Otto Proctor & Cerys Larsen

Opinion

Editor: Karen Mends Co-Deputy Editors: Alex Creighton & Hannah Moser Subeditors: Ellen Jones & Riana McConochie

Features

Editor: Nel Roden Co-Deputy Editors: Jessica Cohen & Daisy Yates Investigative Correspondent: Benedict Chester Subeditors: Reuben Kerbes & Ilona Hoffman

Arts

Editor: Bruno Bridger Co-Deputy Editors: Elizabeth Abbott & Ella Heathcote Culture Editors: Anushka Dongare & Natalia Dewhurst Correspondents: Patrick Chandler & Julia Anna Masluszczak Subeditors: Eve Davies & Bobbi Carsley

Film & TV

Editor: Max Bradley-Cole Co-Deputy Editors: Meadow Wattret & Chien Wen Sow Subeditors: Nadiya Jackson & Marianne Chatburn

Music

Editor: Benji Chapman Co-Deputy Editors: Aditi Hrisheekesh & Megan Foulk Subeditors: Amelie Peters & Sophie Scannell

Sci-Tech & Gaming

Editor: Corin Hadley Deputy Editors: Miles Gilroy & James Lewis Subeditor: Ellie Barnes Head Researcher: Harrison Phillips

Sport

Editor: Faniki Deche Deputy Editors: Sean Lawrenson & Adam Mountain Subeditor: Mihai Rosca

Design

Lead Designer: Julia Mullins Deputy Designer: Alexandra Hill Resident Designers: Will White, Miles Gilroy, Corin Hadley & James Lewis Head Photographer: Harriet Sanderson

Business

Managing Director (President): Livy Naylor Deputy Director (Vice-President): Angelica Singh Finance Director (Treasurer): Ella Mason Marketing Director (Social Secretary): Claudia Tipper Ads & Sales Director: Anika Sharma Media Ethics & EDI Officer: Lily Wheeler Head of Technology: Dhillon Thurairatnam

Social Media

Social Media Manager: Charlotte Kyle Deputy Social Media Manager: Eleni Paraskeva Social Media Creator: Daisy Yates Photo courtesy of: Dylan Gardner

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We've teamed up with Overhead at UoB to give you exclusive quotes across campus and beyond.

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Opinion

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FEATURES

We are looking for photographers to contribute on an ad-hoc basis. Your role would consist of taking high-quality photographs that we can use both in print and online.

In order to apply, please email design.epigram@gmail.com with

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We are also looking for illustrators to create drawings and designs to a given brief.

In order to apply, please email design.epigram@gmail.com with 1) Your name, course and year group

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NEWS Greener Pastures or Lingering Issues?

Carla Denyer Answers Students’ Questions From the housing crisis to carbon neutrality, find out what Bristol Central MP and co-leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer had to say during her recent visit to the University of Bristol.

Rachel Shortall Second Year English & Philosophy

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his month, Epigram participated in a Q&A session hosted by the Bristol Politics Society, where Carla Denyer addressed pressing student concerns about climate change and responded to a variety of questions related to her work and initiatives in this critical area.

Climate The University of Bristol declared a climate emergency in 2019, and a 2021 survey conducted by Epigram found that over 70 percent of Bristol University students suffer from ‘climate anxiety’. Since then, concerns have continued to mount, with 2024 seeing the publication of an eye-opening UOB-led report linking climate change to physical health implications from joint pain to dementia, as well as being cited by the UK Met Office as the fourth-warmest year since records began.

becoming the world's first national parliament to declare a climate and ecological emergency in May 2019.

When asked if she retained her belief in the achievability of this fast-approaching target for carbon neutrality, Denyer conceded that, ‘too much time was lost for 2030 to now be possible’.

Despite declaring that Bristol City Council as a body is ‘quite a long way through its decarbonisation journey’, it has become plainly unattainable for the city of Bristol as a whole – as is the objective specified in the motion – to reach this target.

Denyer, in explanation of this, maintains that the delivery of this policy was ‘reliant on Labour’, with Bristol City Council having had a Labour mayor from the motion's passing in 2018 until the election of the Green Party's Tony Dyer in the re-established post of ‘leader of the council’ in 2024. Whilst the Labour Party did make some positive movement on climate-related matters, this, she professes, fell far short of being of ‘the scale that was needed’.

On the topic of this Climate Emergency motion, Denyer seized an opportunity to comment on the need for individuals and political bodies alike to show a willingness to pioneer change, as opposed to excusing themselves from the need to do so on the grounds of similar stagnancy being displayed elsewhere.

The need for a representative who gives the ever-developing climate ‘Being a climate leader’, catastrophe the priority it warrants she announced, ‘will enhas never been greater, so what courage others to catch up’. has Bristol Central’s first ever Green having ‘Being a climate leader Despite Party MP been received copious will encourage others to praise for the modoing to address this issue since her catch up.’ tion, she views much July 2024 election? of its expansion as owing to it being In November 2018, Bristol City made ‘too politically embarrassing’ Council approved a motion, subfor other councils not to follow suit mitted by the then Councillor Carla in light of ‘a combination of people Denyer, to have the mayor declare inside the corridors of power and a climate emergency and pledge to outside pushing for change’. This make the city of Bristol carbon neucombined force, she notes, is how tral by 2030. This initiated a kind most major campaigns come to fruof domino effect by which many ition, and it is for this reason that councils including London and Edshe emphasises the Green Party’s inburgh, made similar declarations, recognition of the ‘importance of culminating in the UK Parliament the right to protest as being an es-

sential part of a healthy democracy’.

Denyer also touched briefly on carbon colonialism, reinforcing her stance that the UK's carbon consumption ought to be included in the calculation of its overall carbon emissions, as opposed to this number representing only carbon production. This would mean that the nation could no longer get away with creating demand for and importing products from other countries, only to have the carbon output of such products added to the country of production’s overall emissions tally and absent from the UK’s. It is hoped that amending this calculation could lead to greater ecological integrity, a better strategy in addressing a worldwide issue than passing blame around as the global situation continues to worsen.

Caesarean sections When questioned on the recent controversy surrounding the Green Party’s advocacy of fewer caesarean sections and call for an increase in natural births, Denyer was quick to clarify that this was ‘not in the manifesto’ of the party. Instead, she framed the incident as a ‘fairly manufactured controversy’ spearheaded by some individuals who ‘didn’t want the Greens to do well’ and were ‘quoting out of context’.

She contended that this ‘fairly out of date policy’ had been voted for in the early 2000s, and was the product of a time when the ‘overmedicalisation’ of the birthing process had seen a trend towards c-sections being offered whether they were needed or not.

Despite subsequent information revealing that the delivery of frequent caesarean sections can, as Denyer put it, ‘help with women’s health more than was previously understood’, the policy remained in the Greens’ policy book – as do all policies the party has voted for in the absence of a motion being put forward to have them removed.

Denyer then pressed that the ‘fundamental point is women’s right to choose the healthcare that suits them’, conceding that in light of the

controversy she believes that the policy ‘has been or is going to be’ removed from the ultimate record.

Reform UK When asked how she proposes to tackle the lack of media representation the Greens garner in comparison to Reform UK, a party who saw a similar number of MPs elected in the last election – five to the Green Party’s four – Denyer agreed that the amount of publicity attained by each is ‘disproportionate’. She remarked that Reform UK appear to be getting around the way that parliament ‘stifles smaller parties’ by essentially ‘abandoning the party political process’, noting that they are ‘rarely in the chamber’.

Despite noting wryly her frustration at Reform leader Nigel Farage’s party's priorities of ‘galivanting with Trump or doing social media videos’ instead of participating in parliamentary debate, she recognises that this is, at least in part, a way of responding to a structure in which their ability to make change by conventional means is limited. As such, she affirmed generally that she is ‘making an effort to do more outwards-facing stuff ’.

Recent Work In terms of what she is working on presently, Denyer spoke of the private members bill she has put forward, describing it as ‘non-party political’ and ‘surely a no-brainer’.

At present, when an individual passes away after an interaction with the state - for example, after being discharged from prison or a mental health facility - an inquiry must be carried out with a report on how these circumstances can be learned from in order to prevent future deaths of the same kind.

Currently, the implementation of these measures is entirely in the hands of the institutions themselves and is not chased up from an outside source. This, says Denyer,

Photo courtesy of: Rachel Shortall ‘is not working’. Her call is for an independent body – a National Oversight Mechanism – to be established for this purpose, ensuring that changes are monitored and demanded. This body could ensure also that trends can be analysed such that problems with the system may be rectified both for the specific institution in question and on a wider policy-related level.

The bill is currently in the form of an early day motion – EDM 867 – and Denyer encourages students who believe in this policy to get in touch with their home MPs and encourage them to sign in support of the motion, as it has an outside chance of gaining governmental attention if enough MPs do so.

Bristol's housing crisis Finally, addressing how she intends to ameliorate Bristol’s housing crisis, Denyer recognised that merely ‘building homes… isn’t going to tackle the housing crisis’. Alongside this, there must be a focus on keeping the cost of these new developments down, as the issue is in fact more aptly characterised as a ‘housing affordability crisis’. She calls for rent controls to be placed under the jurisdiction of local councils, giving them the power to keep rent increases from spiralling out of proportion in high-rent areas. This is something which she supported in her time as a councillor and has carried forward into her post as an MP. The talk was closed with a final reminder for students to register to vote not only at their home address but likewise in Bristol in advance of the election of the West of England Metro Mayor coming up on 1 May 2025.

Updates such as these are crucial in analysing the path to the greener future on which we depend, as well as the performance of those passing the legislation which shapes it.

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

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Co-Editors.......... Maud Humphries, Josie Hodgson, & Will White Deputy Editor .......................... Bea Learmouth & Rhiannon Jenkins News Investigations .................................................................... Sofia Lambis Subeditors ......................................... Otto Proctor & Cerys Larsen

Bristol University scores 78th in The Times Higher Education Rankings 2025 Bristol awarded an impressive global ranking, but teaching scores lag behind

Harry Mayes MA Neuroscience

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he University of Bristol has risen from the position of 91-100 held in 2023 to 78th place in The Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings of 2025.

The survey ranked a total of 300 institutions across 38 different countries. Now in its 14th year, the survey has been refined to include six performance metrics, making it more robust than ever, according to THE. It has been refined to consider reputation in a wider context, with THE claiming that university reputations are ‘gaining a wider audience among the academic community’.

This year the University of Bristol has scored 78th place. Each of the six metrics that comprise this ranking is scored out of 100. Here’s how Bristol scored in each category: Teaching Research Environment Research Quality Industry International Outlook Overall

49.8 56.9 96.8 71.1 92.6 70

The University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Judith Squires said:

‘It is wonderful to see Bristol making strides in THE’s highly regarded rankings.’ For context, Bristol scored 76th and 81st in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Regardless, it is a proud position to shine in by global standards.

The data seem to suggest that the rise in ranking from last year stems from the excellent international outlook and research quality, with the University of Bristol ranking first in the world for research quality in Medical and Health subjects, including medicine, dentistry and anatomy. Alluding to this, Prof Squires went on to say: ‘It is particularly pleasing that fellow academics are recognising our research and teaching as world-leading. We collaborate with universities across the globe and we are incredibly proud of those strong relationships.

Thank you to everyone in our community – staff, students alumni and partners in Bristol and around the world – for making this possible.’

For specific subjects, the university ranked highest in Education studies, scoring 43rd in the world.

Bristol scored lowest in Business and Economics, with a global ranking range of 151-175th. This category also saw the worst ranking for teaching in the university, with a score of 34.5/100. Conversely, the best school at the University of Bristol for teaching was Medical and Health, with a score of 70.3, placing 54th in the global ranking.

Other proud rankings include Law at 60th globally, Physical Sciences at 63rd and Psychology at 65th.

However, schools such as Life Sciences and Engineering ranked at 81st and 100th resp ectively, again with low metrics for teaching and research environment dragging them down.

The data indicate that perhaps the quality of output by senior academics is excellent, but the environment and care for teaching their students require improvement at Bristol.

Bristol has also excelled in other global rankings. Bristol was named 54th in the QS World University Rankings 2025, ranking as the 12th most sustainable university in the world.

Students' Union Election Results 2025 March was a busy month for student politics, with the 2025 SU elections breaking all previous records for voter turnout. With seven new full-time officers and a myriad of part time roles, who's represeting you?

Will White & Sofia Lambis

Oliver Poyser,

Second year, Philosophy and Politics

Union Affairs

Katie Poyner

Postgraduate Education

Sharan Khemlani (Yashika)

Undergraduate Education

Mia Stevens

News Co-Editor & News Investigation Editor

Equality, Liberation & Access

Linlu Ye

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International Students

Jessie Yeung

Student Living

Lucy Pears

Sports & Student Development

Ella Lovibond

fter a record-breaking month of preparation, campaigning, and voting, Bristol SU’s new team of full- and part-time officers were announced on Friday, 14 March.

With 9212 voters turning up to have their voice heard, the 2025 turnout has broken previous SU records and is a leader nationwide.

Part-time and Community Officers 2025-2026

According to Students’ Union CEO, Ben Pilling, this year's proceedings spoke to a ‘real vibrancy around student democracy’ at Bristol.

Chair of Student Council Disabled Students' CO

Sian Clarke

‘[This turnout] means that student democracy at Bristol is thriving and does matter to people,’ said Pilling.

Global Majority CO

Shreya Viswanathan

SU Officers are responsible for representing student voices within and beyond the university, and are afforded real power in their roles to fight for change across the institution.

But who now holds the reins in Senate House?

FLASH NEWS Four arrested after Palestine Action protest at weapons company Bristol

Full-time Officers 2025-2026

Louis Anscombe

LGBTQ+ CO

Linlu Ye

Women's CO

Jessie Yeung

Open Position CO

Wendy Sun

Open Position CO

Sandali Wickramasinghe

To read more go to epigram.org.uk

‘Ludicrously tight and rather stressful’: University Challenge team win quarter final match Leah Hoyle,

Second year, English

On Monday 17 March, four were arrested The University of Bristol Team secured a vicfor assault and damage caused during a tory in quarter final of national quiz compeprotest at a weapon company’s Bristol fa- tition, University Challenge, winning 135-95. cility on Sunday 16 March.

Photo courtesy of: @Palestine Action

Photo courtesy of: University of Bristol

06 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Opinion Better safe than sorry: *Attempting* to manage anaphylaxis at university

Julia Mullins

Second Year, Politics and Philsosophy

Editor's Choice:

For students with severe allergies, the transition to university isn’t just about independence, it’s about survival. In this gripping personal account, Julia Mullins reflects on a severe anaphylactic reaction and the challenges of managing the condition while navigating life at university.

From the reluctance to disclose allergies to flatmates to the devastating psychological toll of anaphylaxis, this piece sheds light on the hidden risks many young adults face. With raw honesty, Julia explores the consequences of complacency, the stigma surrounding allergies, and the urgent need for open conversations and better awareness.

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oving to university is daunting for anyone, but, as someone with a severe allergy, not being transparent with your flatmates could risk your life.

I went into anaphylactic shock in April of my first year of university. Somehow my closest friends at university had no idea I had an allergy, and the few who knew I carried an epi-pen didn’t know what I was allergic to. It was a pretty dire reality check for me.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that progresses very quickly, potentially resulting in anaphylactic shock or in rare cases death. The UK has seen a drastic increase in anaphylaxis hospital admissions over the last twenty years, despite a fall in mortality rate. At 21 years old, I am in a very highrisk age group for managing my allergies, according to the charity

Photos courtesy of: Julia Mullins

Anaphylaxis UK. I believe the reaallergy alone and educating the sons why fatalities are most prevpeople you live with. Restricting alent in the sixteen to twenty-four what is allowed in the kitchen, age group are exasking flatmates to acerbated by socheck ingredient la‘Being open about cial pressures, so bels, and vigilance health conditions isn't I want to share about possible always easy.' my experience cross - contaminamanaging, or at tion are essential to least attempting to manage, a sekeeping me safe. Despite this, I vere allergy whilst at university. was reluctant to impose on my flatmates and could never seem to Being open about health condifind the right time to bring it up. tions isn’t always easy. Especially not while navigating a new enviMonths later, I was having dinner ronment and desperately trying to on a summers evening with friends. make a good impression on your I knew immediately that something flatmates. As a child, your condiwas wrong. But without knowing tion is most likely monihow severe it would be I didn’t tored by parents and want to alarm anyone. your school. Moving to university Once I evenforces you to tually spoke, be responsimy friends ble for mansprinted into aging your the kitchen, scrambling to read ingredients.

Having spent years at school together they knew exactly what to look for.

The conviction and speed with which they acted was remarkable. They rang 111, 999, knocked on neighbours’ doors and contacted my parents – thankfully ignoring my protesting. Unfortunately, the Epi-pens I should have been carrying had been forgotten in the bottom of a bag somewhere at home. By the time I sincerely thought I could die (also a symptom of anaphylaxis), paramedics were at the door.

I don’t remember much of it, I know there was a lot of throwing up involved. When I couldn’t see or hold up my head any longer I curled myself up on the floor, thinking about dying and breathing. There was a moment in the ambulance where my whole body was shaking from multiple ad-

ministrations of adrenaline that it looked like my legs, stretched out on the bed, were trying to walk away without me. I was hooked up to all the things: needles, wires and masks, along with a constant murmuring of paramedics speaking in their acronyms. My friends stayed by my side for as long as they could and returned for visiting hours the next day. Much of the night spent alone was filled with phone calls from family trying to cheer me up and posting Lana del Ray’s ‘Born To Die’ on my Instagram story.

appointment and completely broke down. It was the first time I had been forced to confront the experience I had gone through, and my own reaction shocked me.

Six months after my stay in hospital, I was alone in a hospital waiting room for an unrelated routine

For any further information, I have listed some resources and charities on the Epigram webiste.

It was made resoundingly clear to me by everyone that I should’ve had my epi pens with me. Two. At all times. Though I had been prescribed epi pens, I had never used one before, and for a few years had been particularly lucky - so I got complacent. I truly didn’t think anything would happen to After having my hospital stay exme. Those between the ages of tended multiple sixteen and twentimes, someone ty-four are likely ‘The constant fear of pressed a prescripto resist carrying anaphylaxis makes me tion into my hands adrenaline auvigilant about noticing the and I was suddenly to-injectors (comdischarged. Having onset of symptoms, but this monly known by arrived by ambuthe brand name as paranoia can also feel like an lance, I got halfway Epi-Pens) and take overreaction’ down the corridor greater risks exbefore realising I perimenting with had no idea where I was. Exhausted foods they are allergic to. Add and in tears I left the hospital alone. to that the likelihood that any self-respecting uni student will be It’s no secret the impact anaphydoing their fair share of drinking, laxis has on the quality of life and so say goodbye to risk perception. mental health of patients. Patients with anaphylaxis are more likeBut this isn’t surprising, teenagly to have PTSD and associated ers and young adults commonpsychological distresses, like anxly present non-compliance to iety and depression. Conditions self-care behaviours, like carryinvolving strict dietary adherence ing vital medication. An epi-pen have also been associated with an isn’t the kind of drug you want increased risk of a broad range of to be sneaking into a night club. disordered eating behaviours. Over half of people living with allergies I felt deeply that I was to blame for in the UK regularly avoid social the whole ordeal, which in part I was. situations due to their allergies Shame and reluctance when manand also feel they should miniaging a severe allergy, is a real risk. mise the extent of their allergies For flatmates and friends, supportto the people around them, fearing someone with a severe allergy ing judgement. This psychological goes beyond dramatized emergenimpact is pressing because stress cy scenarios, make sure to leave can intensify the symptoms of alroom for honest dialogue too. lergies, and reactions are likely to be more severe after your first exAnd for those who are wonderperience of anaphylactic shock. ing, the culprit was buckwheat.

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Editor ....................Karen Mends Deputy Editor ..................Alex Creighton Deputy Editor .................Hannah Moser Subeditor ..........Riana McConochie Subeditor ........................Ellen Jones

Is my Mickey Mouse Degree worth it?

A Politics degree may not promise job security, but it does guarantee sharp debates, conversation starters, and enough mystery to keep life interesting.

Hannah Moser Opinion Deputy Editor

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or a long time, I was the favourite grandchild. Not because I was the sweetest or most adorable (though both those facts remain true), but because I wanted to be a vet (or a doctor), and my brother had brought shame on the family name for choosing to study something as useless as Politics. What you won’t know from my by-line

of the World Wars. Shoutout to my guments and, when in dire straits, second year ‘Understanding Genobullshit my way to success for the cide’ module for providing me with greater good of the company. The hours of material other practical benMy Opa’s dreams were shattered with which I can efit of course is poa week before the UCAS dead‘this degree does help occupy pensioners litical literacy, an line when I shared I had done a you develop a plethora of - that alone makes important quality last-minute U-turn to ‘follow my for any decent citi- transferable skills which are my degree worth it. passions’. During freshers I had the valued in any sector.’ zen. Worth it, I say! reoccurring thought that maybe I Certainly, most had made a mistake, perhaps I was importantly, studying Politics is I am yet to reap any of the emmeant to stay on the previously mysterious. Why does this make ployability benefits of my deprescribed (ha, doctor pun) path. my degree worth it you may ask? gree. Regardless, my Politics deNow, almost three years later, it is Well, it gives me a bit of chargree really does come in clutch abundantly clear to me that choosacter. Something unique which ing to study my ‘Mickey Mouse’ in a variety of other scenarios. inevitably becomes a qualifying degree was the best choice I could feature of my identity for anyone Firstly, family gatherings - never have made. With the clarity of hindI encounter. When learning what a lull in dinner time conversasight, I now endeavour to prove I study, people give me the classic tion when I’m seated next to my why my degree is, in fact, worth it. confused look, it is evident that uncle, who thinks I’m a freak of they have no idea what on earth female nature for I’ll keep it brief on that may entail. This fact does not my interest in footthese benefits as, ‘there is no greater time to bother me, I am quite content reball. Secondly, any though perhaps be studying Politics than in maining an intellectual enigma. To discussion of the most pertinent to most, I am a wannabe PM. Dearest the worth of my a time of geopolitical crisis!’ economy; let’s just reader, let me reassure you that say the finance bros hate to see me degree, they are comparatively boryou are at no threat of me becomcoming. Finally, any interaction ing. Studying Politics does, despite ing the future leader of Britain. with a man born before 1940, I’ve my Opa’s objections, look great learnt these golden oldies do love a on a CV. It tells an employer I can So maybe, I don’t have the most riveting conversation about either hold my own, make compelling aris that I’m actually now in my third year, also studying Politics.

Photo courtesy of: Ellen Jones

The token Feminism week: are our curriculums doing enough?

Feminism Week: a brief, box-ticking detour before academia gets back to business as usual.

Eleanor Turney Third Year, Politics and International Relations

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he token Feminism week, that special time in the academic calendar when lecturers suddenly pause for a quick, painfully surface level reflection on gender issues. You all know the drill – it hits weeks four to six in the teaching block and suddenly we make a pitstop at gendered issues and female authors of the topic at hand. We then swiftly get back on track to the scheduled weeks of learning, underpinned by masculine assumptions and scholars because God forbid Feminism becomes more

than a trendy tick-box exercise.

feminism and female scholars into all syllabuses (crazy idea, I know), our units continue to do this quick, shallow reflection before heading back to scheduled programming.

To be fair, some modules and lecturers do try - shout out to my Gender and Security unit. Yet, more often than not, it feels as if Feminism This issue became clearer to me is an add-on rather than a core iswhen I recently presented my dissue and framework of society. Not sertation topic which critiques only does it keep happening, but Women Peace and Security Agenda every time it’s the same story. No for not actually matter the sub‘You'd think as a politics girlie my being as project, we learn that women course would be better than others gressive as peoare underrep- at this, but I can confirm for the last ple think. As resented and three years that the token week has I stood there explaining my more vulneracome up in nearly all my modules’ research, I noble in almost ticed all the staff members were men. every walk of life. We talk about how terrible it is, how it’s so neNow, I’m not saying that this meant glected and we should really do they had less knowledge on genmore to combat it. Yet, universidered issues – but they did. While ties just reinforce the issue by not I genuinely appreciate their comincreasing their representation ments that my work is ‘really inand recognition of gender studies sightful’ or had ‘lots of original conthroughout modules. Instead of tribution to the field’, I was shocked doing something like integrating

that a fundamental feminist critique was some innovative idea to them. It showed that these topics are still so marginalised that even the most basic feminist analysis appears to be ground-breaking academia (although, I’m sure my dissertation is in fact ground-breaking).

So, what’s to be done? Feminism shouldn’t be a standalone topic, it should be woven into the curriculum, present in every discussion.

But until then, I’ll see you next time for another exciting and innovative showcase of ‘Oh look, women are oppressed in this module too!’

Photo courtesy of: Chloe s.

08 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Features In Conversation with Jason Donervan: Get to know the guys making your doner

By Mihai Rosca Sports Subeditor

Editor's Choice:

For April’s Editor’s Choice, I bring to you our Sports Subeditor’s interview with the guys from Bristol’s favourite kebab van: Jason Donervan! Mihai speaks with JJ about the inspiring journey of a migrant who lifted his family out of poverty through hard work and set a powerful example for his son. Mihai and JJ cover everything from the origin story of the business, to the importance of hard work, to JJ's go-to kebab van order. I’ve selected this piece not only because it offers a glimpse into the much-speculated-about world of Jason Donervan, but also because it tells a wonderful story of a family-run Bristol venture — you love to see it. ly.’ His father had eight siblings and, as JJ notes, ‘thought, the best thing for [him] to do is not to save [himself] but to save [his] family’s life.’

So, Mustafa saved his money and moved to the UK. When JJ’s dad arrived in the UK as an 18-year-old, he worked in a kebab shop in Tottenham. He then travelled to different cities, gained experience, saved money and opened up various businesses. All this while not knowing the system or the language.

Photo courtesy of: JJ

Continued from front page: 'All you guys need to know is that it’s just Jason Junior. You don’t need to know anymore’, choosing to keep his name private ‘so people can assume.’ It seems that JJ is aware of the mystique surrounding Jason Donervan’s image and is more than willing to keep playing along to keep up the fun.

Despite this, he admits that students could probably find out if they searched hard enough. ‘Two students actually found who I was’, he notes, ‘They found my Instagram and I was genuinely surprised – how the hell did they find me!’ Onto matters of the business, JJ tells me that it has been around for over 25 years, since Millenium Night, 1999.

He says that as soon as the council permitted him to use the space, Jason chose to open on the Millenium Night, finishing his first shift in the famous van in the year 2000.

Just getting the van there took an hour; JJ tells of the ‘thousands of people’ on the street celebrating.

In discussing why Mustafa Durdu – Jason’s real name – chose to name his van after Jason Donovan, JJ notes: ‘Imagine a UK Jamie Foxx: a singer, an actor, he does TV series, at that time he was massive.’ The name also made sense because Mustafa’s

nickname was, and still is, Jason.

Jason Donervan benefits from having one of the best locations in Bristol, located on Queens Road, just a few minutes away from the U1 bus stop. ‘If only you guys knew how much trouble it was [to get that spot] [...] It took a lot of pleading [to the council]’ JJ reminisced.

Back then, Bristol was still developing and Jason noticed that there were no late-night kebab shops or takeaways in the Park Street, Triangle or Whiteladies Road area.

So, when Jason came to Bristol he recognised what was soon-to-be their current spot as ‘special’, not only because it was conveniently situated in a student-heavy area, but because Jason saw that there was a growing market for latenight food which he’d soon be able to capitalise on. And he was right.

The whole team evidently work incredibly hard. JJ even says he ‘likes to work.’ Most weeks he works six days, starting at six pm and finishing at six am. His father only works 2-3 days a week, being 56 years old and now having a young son depending on him. His other colleagues work five or six days.

Discussing his family’s background, JJ remarks: ‘We're from a poor fami-

tomer first. JJ prides himself on the fact that he will advise customers on making the best decision – even if they pay less. He was once a student too, so he knows what it’s like for the budget to be tight.

supported people by calling an ambulance or returning their lost property: ‘He [Mustafa] sees all of you like children, he’s like a godfather, he always reminds us to be “very respectful.”’

Wanting to get back to his roots and ‘understand the culture’, he went to Turkey after finishing college in the UK. There, he laughingly says, he spent his time as a ‘stereotypical Turkish guy doing barbering and kebab.’

Discussing what it’s like to work at Jason Donervan, JJ excitedly remarks, ‘It’s fun!’ Though all jobs have their challenges, JJ enjoys the perks of working in the van, talking to new people and learning things from students.

Quite naturally, they all work hard because they’re ‘scared of going The business is 100 percent his faRounding off our conversation, it back into that state.’ JJ continued: ther’s. JJ says that people undereswas necessary to ask JJ the ques‘I don’t want him to work hard timate his old man because he sells tion on everyone’s mind: What’s anymore’, which tells me that JJ kebabs. ‘I think he’s a really smart your kebab shop go-to? Almost appreciates his faman. His mind immediately, he responds: ‘Oh ther’s efforts and ‘I think he’s a really smart works differently’, JJ personally, I got two! I love a kefeels he now must observes before usbab pizza – I’m a slut for that [...] man. His mind works step up and proing a common TurkAnd I like uhh.. small doner kebab.’ differently’ vide for his parents ish phrase to sugin their old age. gest that it’s as if his Showcasing the best of Bristol one Though he admits that even if he father ‘has two engines in his brain.’ kebab at a time, may this wholeworked 24/7, Jason would continue Mentioning that the kebab van has some family-run venture remain a work because ‘he’s a workaholic.’ also become famous for supporting staple for students and members the vulnerable on a night out, JJ of the Bristol community for ‘It’d be disrespectful to just be replies, ‘If it was my child I’d want years to come! complacent, I have to work hard’, someone to do that for Photo Courte sy of : Ha JJ notes, ‘He sacrificed his youth them.’ In the past, rri e for mine, so I’m gonna sacrifice the team tt S an mine for his.’ The business is their h a s de rs o pride and joy, it represents their n family: ‘I’m so against that [not wanting to work in the family business]. Who else is going to cater [for] you when times are tough, right? It’s all about family […]

I came from a loving family.’

I begin to wonder who the other team members are. ‘They’re all family’, JJ tells me. He speaks particularly warmly of Mr Kj and Mr Ramsey, whom he calls ‘the pride’ and ‘the joy’ of the van.

Their love for this business, with family at the centre, is undoubtedly the reason for their customer’s loyalty and satisfaction: ‘I think that’s why the students love us.’

They have the crucial philosophy of putting the cus-

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

09

Editor ................. Nel Roden Deputy Editor .............. Jess Cohen Deputy Editor .............. Daisy Yates Subeditor ....... Ilona Hoffmann Subeditor ......... Reuben Kerbes

Degree or digital fame: Why some students are betting on becoming influencers Ilona Hoffmann delves into why students are considering social media as a vocation

Ilona Hoffmann Features Subeditor

I

s social media influence becoming the new bachelor’s degree? University applicants among 18-year-olds dropped from 38.2 percent in 2021 to 36.4 percent in 2024, which coincided with the influencer industry reaching a height of £16.8 billion.

Over 50 million young people around the world consider themselves to be influencers or creators, with Gen Z embracing the internet economy as a more flexible path to financial success and personal fulfilment. With rising burnout, low wages, and overwhelming student debt, the traditional university path is losing its appeal.

A staggering 74 percent of students

feel so stressed that they have been too overwhelmed to cope with the university environment. Epigram spoke to fourth-year BioChemistry student, Jana, who stated that ‘stress is inevitable when you want to do well, however, this stress builds year on year and by fourth year the workload turnaround is very overwhelming.’ She expressed that these feelings were shared by her cohort and that there have been many times that the workload has felt ‘unmanageable.’

Universityhasalwaysbeenastressfulenvironment with long hours of studying and continuous assessments. However, pairing the stress with skyrocketing student debt is a relatively recent emergence. In 1998, student fees were introduced to the UK higher education system. Now, in 2025 only 5.8 pe cent of student loan balances have been paid off, making the idea of a debt-free life unimaginable for most students.

Interestingly, with the rise of entrepreneurship and education moving

online during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Z has become 17 percent more likely to apply for remote work than previous generations. Young people today enjoy the flexibility and comfort that comes with working from home and being your own boss.

Eve, a fourth-year Law student, told Epigram that students these days ‘appreciate the hybrid lifestyle where they can better manage home life, hobbies and lifestyle choices without compromising on their career opportunities.’

anywhere around the world at the tips of their fingers, which allows them to travel and prioritise hobbies and lifestyles they would be unable to do in a traditional nine to five job that university degrees encourage.

Gen Z prioritises gaining diverse experiences over climbing the traditional corporate ladder. They focus on developing transferable skills and seek roles that offer learning opportunities, adaptability, travel and

exploration across multiple fields.

Pia, a fourth-year Chemistry student, agreed with Eve, telling Epigram the key reason behind her generation's need for flexibility: ‘My school year was really impacted by COVID-19...

For the full article go to: epigram.org.uk Photo courtesy of: Ilona Hoffmann

With wide access to social media content, Gen Z is seeing young influencers achieve financial independence and fame without a degree, reinforcing the idea that success in the digital age doesn’t require traditional education.

In fact, 64 percent of Gen Z are prioritising working from any location they choose, with 62 percent wanting to pursue work they find meaningful and contributing to their life experience.

Influencers can make a living from

The Welsh student experience at the University of Bristol Bibi Toye sits down with the University of Bristol’s Welsh students

Bibi Toye First year, Economics and Philosophy

T

he shared patriotism uniting Bristol’s Welsh students is undeniably igniting important questions: How are students embracing traditional Welsh culture to supplement

Photo courtesy of: Alannah Grant

their experiences at an English university? How do Welsh students maintain pride in their identity and heritage whilst immersing themselves in a new city and cultural environment outside of Wales?

Epigram sat down with members of the Welsh student community and connected with Bristol’s Welsh society, CymGym, to gain a unique insight into what to expect as a Welsh student at Bristol.

Recent statistics reveal that of all full-time undergraduate students

from Wales, 41 percent study in England. Additionally, only 36 percent of full-time Welsh postgraduate students study in England.

This disproportion suggests that there are deterrents discouraging Welsh students from moving to England for higher education, with speculation that this is due to cultural differences, or a lack of awareness of course availability and financial support on offer to them.

Epigram spoke to the Welsh society’s Social Secretary, second-year Law and French student, Eluned Darwin Goss, to gain an insight into the Welsh student experience at Bristol. When asked what Welsh students can expect when coming to an English university, Eluned said: ‘I think Welsh students need to expect a much larger percentage of English high household income students due to the student finance system. I have felt that there are a lot of English people at university who are unaware of their privilege because they are lucky enough to have families who can afford to pay for their university fees.’

Eluned went on to tell Epigram: ‘As Social Sec of CymGym, keeping Welsh language and culture alive is incredibly important to me and

I’d say that all of the committee members share the same values.’

Bristol’s proud Welsh society is a key contributor in creating a sense of community for Welsh students.

The society organises an extensive programme of inclusive events and socials throughout the academic year to foster a sense of togetherness for Welsh students at Bristol.

Themes are set, and students are encouraged to come along and enjoy the company of fellow Welsh students who share similar patriotic feelings for their home nation at regularly held socials. ‘There’s nothing like singing Hen Wlad fy Nhadau in a rugby shirt with your Welsh mates’, Eluned proudly added.

Epigram also spoke with some of Bristol’s wider Welsh community.

When asked what aspects of Welsh culture they miss whilst studying in England, the students shared similar perspectives. Ben, a second-year Maths student, noted that ‘the culture in Wales has a sense of togetherness, England feels quite divided whereas Wales is very united as a whole.’ Cerys, a first-year History student, agreed, telling Epigram: ‘I miss the overall sense of shared patriotism and living in a country I love and feel proud of, and the

friendliness of the Welsh. Everyone always stops on the street to have a chat whether you have met them before or not. I find Wales far more of a friendly and positive place!’

However, Cerys also shed a more positive light on her experience as a Welsh student at Bristol. When asked about the similarities between living in Wales and moving to Bristol, she expressed her appreciation that ‘both Bristol and Wales have lovely green spaces, beautiful buildings, lovely people, and fun activities to do around every corner.’

CymGym encourages students to exercise the Welsh language wherever possible whilst at Bristol, with the society’s Welsh language coordinator, Owen, setting up a language workshop at the global lounge every couple of weeks.

This session is open to all, not just those who speak Welsh or students from Wales – anyone interested in learning Welsh is welcome.

Welsh culture is very much alive at the University of Bristol, with countless opportunities to embrace the heritage of Wales and celebrate the nation’s Celtic language available for those who wish to participate.

10 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Features

Editor ................. Nel Roden Deputy Editor .............. Jess Cohen Deputy Editor .............. Daisy Yates Subeditor ....... Ilona Hoffmann Subeditor ......... Reuben Kerbes

Boycotts, technical issues, and privacy concerns: Investigating the University of Bristol Check-In App The first of these issues was the ny that meets these two conditions.’ boycott.

In an Instagram post on Hannah Stainbank the 5th of March 2024, Student They focus on targeting ‘a relativeinvestigates the various Action Bristol called for a boycott ly smaller number of carefully seissues surrounding the of the Check-In App as it was ‘anlected companies’ that ‘play a clear University of Bristol's other example of uni complicity and direct role in Israel’s crimes Check-In App with apartheid and the genocide of against Palestinians.’ The BDS Palestinian people.’ The group cites movement does not list Ex-Libris the reason for their encouragement as one of their targeted compaHannah Stainbank of non-use as being due to the fact nies, but supports grassroots and Second-year, English that the app was ‘developed by an student-led campaigns generally.

Israeli company (Ex-Libris)’. They ollowing technical issues last also condemned it Aside from the term, the controversial Universias ‘an ableist form ‘the app has posed a BDS movement, ty of Bristol Check-In App is up and of surveillance’ and number of challenges.' some students feel running again. The app’s primary a ‘threat to our a sense of distrust aim is to monitor students’ attend[students’] privacy.’ for a third-party company havance and wellbeing, but how do stuing access to their live locations. dents and staff feel about this monSince this initial call to boycott, four itoring? And how has the app fared groups (Student Action Bristol, ExRobin Wrigley, an MA English stusince it was introduced? Between tinction Rebellion Youth Bristol, dent, received a phone call from the boycott, privacy concerns, Bristol Leftist Collective, and Bristol the University’s administrative threats to student visas, and day-toPalestine Solidarity Encampment) team as a result of not using the day issues with functionality, it has published an open letter clarifyapp – she was accused of not atbeen somewhat of a bumpy ride. ing their reasons for boycotting. tending her classes. She responded to this call that she had been The Check-In App began as a way In this letter, the groups state that attending, but that she was ‘not to standardise attendance moni‘every investment in, and partnerturning on [her] location services.’ toring across the university, where ship with, Israeli companies and previously it had varied across deinstitutions helps sustain the racist, Robin expressed distrust of the partments. This change occurred settler colonial paradigm that is the company: ‘I don’t see why my losoon after stricter regulations for occupation of Palestine’ and that Excation should be available to a visa sponsors – i.e. the universiLibris is ‘headquartered in the ethcompany that I don’t have a conty – came into full effect, specifinically cleansed village of al-Maliha.’ tract with. We’ve all heard quite cally for closer monitoring of innegative things about it in terms ternational student attendance.

Al-Maliha – now Malha – had an of where it’s based.’ Robin also almost entirely Arab population will not download the app as she Though these regulations changed before the 1948 Arab-Israeli war doesn’t have the storage on her in late 2020, the in(or the Nakba), phone. ‘I’m not deleting Snapitial testing of the ‘The repercussions for not when the popu- chat for this’, she jokingly added.

Check-In App be- using [the app] are indeed lation fled after a gan in September series of attacks She also shared frustrations about 2023 after in-per- more severe for internation- and counterattacks. how impersonal the call was. The als. ’ son teaching was representative didn’t know the back in full swing.

The letter also cites course she studied, and only gave On the 22nd of January 2024, the a document from Librarians & general information about how Check-In App was made a requireArchivists with Palestine, demonnot checking in could affect her ment for students university-wide. strating how University of Bristol progression, grades, and markstudents are part of a wider neting. She felt the Check-In App Since then, the app has posed a work boycotting Ex-Libris. This now takes away from the ‘personal and number of challenges. Several stuforms what is called the Boycott, Dipastoral help that can be availadent groups have called for a boyvestment, and Sanctions movement ble through the university’ and cott, technical issues ensued back in (BDS). The BDS campaign states devalues ‘rapport between perOctober, and many have struggled that they target ‘complicity, not sonal tutors and seminar tutors.’ with ensuring the app properly reidentity.’ They also state: ‘As far as cords their efforts to make it to class. we know, there is no Israeli compaThere is also a growing perception

F

Photo courtesy of: Miles Gilroy

Photos courtesy of: Milan Perera that the app unfairly targets international students. The repercussions for not using it are indeed more severe for internationals. While home students are threatened with ‘further escalation’, international students failing to check in could result in the cancellation of their visa and, ultimately, deportation.

this vile, racist demand to monitor the presence of international students in this way’, also pointing out that while the University has found money for this app, teaching staff since 2012 have suffered a ‘25 percent pay cut in real terms.’

Regarding budgeting for the app, The university is the staff member ‘Along with the ethical con- drew attention to required to monitor the attend- cerns about the app, many the budget cuts ance of internathat have been students have struggled tional students made to wellbeing who could lose fundamentally with how it services: ‘I have no their status as visa sympathy with a functions.’ sponsors for ‘failsystem that is hapure to monitor student attendpy to spend money on monitorance or academic engagement, ing you but not on caring for you.’ as applicable, effectively’, according to the Government Website.

They recognised the university has issues regarding student atEpigram spoke to a member of the tendance, though they did not see teaching staff – who wishes to rethe app as a solution for this. Unmain anonymous – about this issue. derstanding the reasons for low They described these regulations as attendance as a result of the inpart of a political aim to build ‘a creased cost of living, they crucially vote base of bigots by being seen noted how the ‘government does to be tough on immigration’, as ‘innot support [students] as it should. ternational students are a very easy You have to work harder than target.’ The staff member criticised my generation did at university.’ the ‘huge amount of university time, money, and resources’ spent Going forward, the member of staff on monitoring, and questioned why expressed how they would like to the university is not ‘standing up see the university ‘campaigning roand saying this is a waste of money.’ bustly for higher levels of student financial support’, believing that As detailed on the timeline, the ‘universities are being run like busiHome Office regulations around nesses and not as institutions built stricter monitoring of internaaround the provision of education.’ tional students came into effect on the 5th October 2020. HowAlong with the ethical conever, due to COVID, in-person cerns about the app, many stuattendance – and therefore, the dents have struggled fundamonitoring of this – was halted. mentally with how it functions.

The staff member called for ‘solidarity from university bosses against

For the full article, go to: epigram.org.uk

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

11

BeyondCampus In Conversation with David Nicholls Epigram sat down with David Nicholls talking about his time as a Bristol student and how this inspired his work and advice for aspiring students hoping to follow in his footsteps.

Sofia Webster Co-Deputy Editor David Nicholls is an award-winning author and screenwriter, the writer behind acclaimed novels such as Starter for Ten (2003) and One Day (2009). Nicholls studied Theatre and English at the University of Bristol which provided inspiration for his first novel Starter for Ten, and since then has established the Nicholls Art Bursary at the University of Bristol providing financial support to first-year undergraduate theatre students.

Nicholls is one of my favourite authors, so it was an enormous privilege to talk with him about his fondest memories as a student in Bristol and how this paved the way for an extraordinary career as an actor, author and screenwriter.

Having studied Theatre and English, Nicholls spoke greatly of how much performing as a student informed his career path and was a ‘fresh start’ for him as none of his family had previously been to u n i -

versity, his maintenance grants funded by the local council.

‘I cannot say how much I loved it. [Bristol] was a completely new start for me, definitely a turning point in my life.’

bursary came about.’

‘I'm aware that that there are kids who would perhaps want to study the arts and humanities subjects which aren't so obviously vocational and don't have a very clear obvious and predictable career path.

For some, that might be a bit of a disincentive, the idea of taking out all this debt and then not being able to instantly fall into a career in the arts or humanities. [The Bursary] is a drop in the ocean really, what is really needed is a change in government policy and university funding.’

With this in mind, the Nicholls Arts One of the first times the UniverBursary was set up in collaboration sity of Bristol was brought to my with the university to support stuattention was when I watched the dents pursuing film adaptation of an undergraduate ‘[Bristol] was a completely Starter for Ten as a single or joint honnew start for me, definitely a young girl, telling ours theatre coursthe story of a workturning point in my life’ es at the university. ing-class student arriving to study ‘I was aware that I’d certainly owed at the University of Bristol with the university a big debt in terms the ambition of performing on the of providing me an education, quiz team on University Challenge. the people I met and the experiThe 2006 film featuring James ences I had, and my first novel…

McAvoy, of which the screenplay it clearly took some inspiration was written by Nicholls, received from my own experience of arrivcritical acclaim for being a ‘charming from a family who didn't having and witty coming-of-age tale.’ ing any experience of university.’

We joke about how the idea for ‘I've always been very grateful for the story came about, whether those three years and because I've it was a personal ambition of his drawn on that experience so much to be on the show as a student. and benefited from it so much, it seemed appropriate ‘Unfortunately, that was all made to acknowledge up. It would have been a very, that, and very uncool thing to do, particuthat's larly in the Drama Department! h o w The only access I had to the the world of university was through that silly quiz programme, you have these brilliant smart people answering very obscure questions on philosophy and physics.’

Aside from being such a successful film and novel, the story was more recently adapted to a musical premiering at the Bristol Old Vic in February and March 2024, featuring Mel Giedroyc.

Nicholls spoke of how the idea for a musical came about, with Emma Hall (sister of Rebecca Hall, who played Rebecca in the original film) growing up watching the film and eventually becoming a theatre producer and proposing the idea of a musical.

‘I actually didn’t really have any involvement creatively; I just gave them my blessing and so I didn’t Photo courtesy of: Sophia Spring

take part in the writing or anything. I just went along to see it and I loved it. It was really interesting to see it played as a period piece by people who weren’t born in some cases until the 21st century so it was very strange to see it treated nostalgically because it’s my youth. I found it very moving. I was very touched that there was still something to be found in that story.’

Despite selling the rights, Nicholls was still very involved creatively in the production of both One Day as a film and series: ‘They were very kind to have me involved and I made it with a number of old friends and so creatively and artistically I was very involved, and that made me incredibly happy. It was definitely one of the happiest and craziest experiences I've had. It was just bliss to work with such amazing young talents.’

Nicholls’ career has spanned a range of successTalking about his ful novels, such as y fondest memories in the bestseller One Pho o t ilr Day which has become a o cour tesy of: Miles G Bristol, Nicholls spoke warmly of his university exworldwide phenomenon in its perience, performing regularly in own right, with over six million copplays, from Shakespeare to devised ies being sold and being translated work to comedy. ‘I'm not exaggerinto 40 languages. Last summer notating when I say I was I was really ed the release of You Are Here – a bad! But I worked with some brilbook reciting a more nuanced love liant people, many of whom have story between two unlikely, midgone on to have brilliant careers as dle-aged protagonists, uniquely set actors, directors and writers. I was along a scenic route of the North directed by my friend Matthew of England as opposed to previousWarches [now Artistic Director ly used more metropolitan settings of London’s Old Vic] and worked like London, Bristol and Edinburgh, with people like David Greig - reas in One Day and Starter for Ten. ally fantastic and talented people.’

Speaking on how the idea for You Despite becoming such a successAre Here came about, Nicholls ful writer in his own right, Nicholls spoke of developing ‘this complete never ventured much into writing obsession with walking specificalas a university student (Epigram ly in the north of England,’ addhad not been founded until just ing that, ‘I wanted to find a way after, in 1988!). Instead, performto write about that and to write ing in plays became an incredibly something that was both very close formative part of his time at Bristol, up on the characters, almost like a later lending him to establishing close up camera of their relationhimself as an actor before later beship and reactions and at the same coming an author and screenwriter. time, something that took place within this big, epic Despite wishing he’d beautiful landscape.’

‘I did a lot of acting done more writing but no writing at all. I as a student, Nicholls ‘[Writing You Are think I regret that’ offered advice to any Here] also involved students hoping to a sense of immersion follow in his footsteps: ‘Find the as I did the walk and took a lot time to watch movies and read of inspiration from the landscape, books outside your familiar genwhich was incredibly helpful.’ res, you will find other people’s work will provide fuel, I think. You One of his other novels One Day must really just take everything was phenomenally successful, folin, and it will find its way to your lowing the story of two characown work. The books, films, TV ters Emma and Dexter across the shows and plays that you read, same day (July 15) for twenty years watch and get involved in at this watching how their relationship time of life will find their way evolves. Nicholls initially adapted into your bones and be useful the story in 2011 into a feature film in completely unexpected ways.’ starring Anne Hathaway and more recently, the story was reimagined If Starter for Ten is anything as a Netflix series starring This is to go by, this advice definitely Going to Hurt’s Ambika Mod and rings an element of truth to it!

The White Lotus’ Leo Woodall.

EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Editor’s Note: Doing some digging through our archives this month, I discovered an Epigram article titled ‘The House of the Rising Damp’ dated October 16, 2002. That article is six months older than me – students have literally been struggling with unacceptable housing conditions for longer than I have been alive, and it’s only now the issue is being taken seriously.

This month, we reported on the government finally taking action against mould in social properties – but not in private rentals. This must go further. Everyone deserves the dignity of a dry home without, as you can also see below, literal mushrooms growing on the ceiling.

We will continue telling students’ stories as long as there are still stories to tell. We’re making progress, but we must go the entire way. If you agree, please sign our petition to tell our leaders from the Wills Memorial to Westminster that we want, once and for all, to Break the Mould.

‘A harvestable mushroom began growing’: Bristol’s mould horror stories

Annie McNamee, Editor in Chief

From mushrooms to manky pillows, Bristol students have had their fair share of mould horror stories. Leah Hoyle speaks to four University of Bristol students to gather their worst experiences with mould.

By Leah Hoyle, Second Year English

T

he general standard for student housing in Bristol is low, mould feeling shamefully normal when the obligatory ‘so where abouts are you living’ question

crops up. In reality, the mould is not just relatable but has serious health hazards and leads to some pretty horrendous horror stories.

Epigram has interviewed University of Bristol students, revealing a disturbing pattern of negligent landlords, hidden mould problems and unsafe living conditions.

room began growing on his ceiling, emerging through the mould.

In a conversation with a second-year law student, he spoke about a leak in his upstairs bathroom which caused black mould to encase the ceiling of the kitchen. This leak created a knock-on effect throughout the rest of the house, the mould spreading to his bedroom and at one point getting so bad that a harvestable mush-

However, some students aren’t so fortunate. One second-year chemistry student, having not repositioned her room since she moved into her house, discovered a ‘massive patch of mould’ behind her bed – the decaying wall carefully hidden behind her pillows. After three months of living completely unaware of the issue, the student moved her bed away from the mould patch and reported the matter to her landlord. The landlord has, however, not only failed to address the issue but has also failed to respond. Similar to other mould-related testimony gathered

by Epigram, this is a cautionary tale to always check behind your beds.

Luckily for this house, the landlord acted quickly, coming in the next day to fix the leak. The mould was cleaned and the house was provided with mould spray to ensure the spores were kept at bay.

In the 2015 Bristol SU survey, one student response offered a perspective on the mould epidemic as a result of oversubscription at the University of Bristol: ‘The supply doesn’t meet the demand [...] Most accommodation in the private sector has problems and should not be let legally but are.’ The survey also revealed that 75 percent of students report dealing with mould or damp in their student house in some capacity – suggesting nearly 22,000 students are being exposed to mould in Bristol. One second-year Maths student living near Cheltenham Road is one – with a severe case of mould exacerbating his asthma.

The bathroom attached to the student’s bedroom in the seven-person house was littered with growing patches of mould, eventually framing the once-white bathroom light with what looks like something out of Stranger Things. This left the Photos courtesy from top to bottom: Lucca Mestres, Noé de Cominges Arce, Leah Hoyle

bathroom unusable, with the smell of dampness soon emerging into the student’s bedroom.

While the issue was quickly resolved within a week following an email to the student’s landlord, further issues such as mould in the upstairs bedrooms of the house as well as a slew of never-ending plumbing issues continue to persist.

failed to address the issue, leading the situation to worsen: ‘We had a rug under the leaking area which was soaking wet and had gone mouldy essentially because of how much water must have come out of the ceiling.’

Living above the infamous triangle club, La Rocca, another second-year Law student had significant qualms regarding the condition of her flat.

Moving in last June with a ‘very good condition’ claim from her ‘Ultimately’, she noted, ‘it’s just landlord, she couldn’t have enviissue after issue that we persioned what was to come. After cresonally have to constantly deal ating a list of issues throughout the with and chase up which we do year, the landlord promised to have not have the time for, obviously.’ all faults resolved over the sumDespite the widespread mould mer period. When they returned problems plaguat the beginning of ing Bristol’s rental ‘We were told to just keep second year, nothstucleaning the ceiling which properties, ing had been fixed. dents continue to ‘We were told to is so dumb - the issue is face exorbitant just keep cleaning that there just isn’t proper rents for these the ceiling which is substandard living ventilation.’ so dumb’, the stuconditions. Despite dent told Epigram, the consistent leaks and mould, the ‘the issue is that there just second-year law student divulged isn’t proper ventilation.’ that her flat was – somewhat ironically – advertised as a ‘luxury Among the many maintenance isstudent apartment.’ Each of the sues in the student’s flat, including tenants pays around 183 pounds a mouldy mattresses, ceilings and week. This already high price exwindow sills, the situation reached a cludes bills, with energy prices rapcrisis point when the bedroom ceilidly increasing. The tenants have reing began leaking one night. Subpeatedly asked for a rent reduction stantial amounts of water dripped – requests that have been repeatdown her walls over her mirror edly disregarded by their landlord. and decorations. The issue was resolved only for it to happen again.

These four horror stories are just the tip of the iceberg of the Further leaks began to emerge mould problems Bristol students throughout the property – a noare facing, reiterating the necestable one appearing in the living sity for action to be taken against room during the winter break. negligent landlords who refuse Once again, the student’s landlord to address the growing issue.

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

UK government stepping up measures to fix mouldy rental properties, but is it enough?

By Nathan Flanders Policy Lead

A

lmost 50 percent of tenants having problems with damp in their house, and the UK government is finally taking action against it.

On February 6, the government announced that from October 2025 landlords of social properties will be forced to repair all emergency problems within 24 hours, and instances of damp and mould ‘in set time periods,' with intent to extend measures to ‘excess cold and excess heat; falls; structural collapse; fire, electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards’ over the next couple of years. This is part of the next stage of Awaab’s Law, named after two year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 due to mould exposure in his rented home.

Ishak’s death is a particularly severe consequence of unchecked mould in homes, but there are many other negative effects of living in a mouldy house, such as respiratory problems and worsening allergies and mental health - you can learn more about how to treat and prevent mould, as well as its effects on the body, here.

As well as harming the tenant, mouldy properties cost the NHS an estimated £1.4 billion, so creating drier homes could save the government money in the long term.

While the new regulations are a step in the right direction, there has been pushback to the speed of their rollout. Housing charity Shelter criticised delays to the law’s introduction.

‘Social housing tenants will have to wait years longer for this vi-

Photo courtesy of: Anonymous

tal protection,’ said Shelter CEO, Polly Neate. ‘These delays to implementation represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants, and puts lives at risk.’

Those renting from the private sector will have to wait even longer, with plans to apply Awaab’s Law coming in future as part of the Renters’ Rights Bill. This includes a majority of the 75 percent of University of Bristol students who have problems with damp.

If you are a student, and you want to see action sooner, sign the petition to support Epigram’s 'Break the Mould' campaign and hold bad landlords to account. If your house or flat has problems with mould, check out our dedicated ‘Break the Mould’ page on the Epigram website for advice from fellow students on how best to fix it yourself.

Our Proposal Nathan Flanders, Policy Lead Epigram is launching ‘Break the Mould’ to improve the conditions of student housing in Bristol and beyond, with a particular focus on tackling mould. We are lobbying the Bristol SU to extend their ‘My Rent, My Rights’ campaign by introducing ‘Rent Review’, a student property review system where renters can review their house or flat, for example its condition, any issues that arise, and the speed and effectiveness of the landlord’s responses. This would work together with an SU-run accreditation system, where good landlords are approved by the SU. Both the rating and the accreditation would be visible to all students.

This would incentivise landlords to focus on the quality of service they are providing to tenants, and help students to avoid poor housing.

As Epigram, we will also create a dedicated page on our website containing information about mould, its consequences, and best practices to prevent and fix it.

This, we propose, would be linked to on the ‘My Rent, My Rights’ campaign page to give students an accessible bank of information that they can use.

Housing Officer Lucy Pears endorses Break the Mould The Break the Mould campaign has received the backing of Lucy Pears, Bristol SU student living officer, putting us one step forward to making our ‘Rent Review’ system happen.

lord or letting agent communicated with them. They are calling on Bristol SU to help create this and to establish a landlord accreditation system based partly on these reviews.

By Sofia Lambis,

Currently the SU provides information on Bristol’s student rental market through the ‘My Rent, My Rights’ campaign and housing-related legal advice via Bristol SU Lettings and The Law Clinic. Epigram’s goal is to improve these existing measures with an increased focus on the condition of Bristol’s student properties.

News Investigations Editor Bristol SU’s Housing Officer has expressed her support for Epigram’s ‘Break the Mould’ campaign.

Epigram’s campaign aims to empower tenants and raise awareness about the growing mould crisis in Bristol’s student homes.

Lucy Pears is the elected Student Living Officer for the 24/25 academic year and is involved with housing, sustainability and student welfare. Working with the SU, the University, and the wider community. She advocates for students and ensures their voices are heard.

Launched earlier this month,

Aiming to increase transparency and incentivise landlords to be more responsive Epigram is proposing a ‘Rent Review’ system. This TripAdvisor-style platform would let students review the condition of their accommodation, share any issues they faced and rate how well their land-

In a statement Pears said: ‘I'm very happy to support the work that Epigram is doing with the ‘Break the Mould’ campaign and I'm looking forward to working with them moving forwards.

‘In my role as Student Living Officer I hear about the persistent mould issues that our students face - but it doesn’t take being in this job to know how damaging and widespread the issues with mould are.’ A Bristol SU survey found that 75 percent of students have problems with mould and this finding is from 10 years ago!

‘The situation is terrible, and it hasn't been getting any better, so I'm pleased to see the ‘Break the Mould’ campaign tackling this head on. I'm eager to point students in your direction and to see some change!’

Sign the Petition!

Photo courtesy of: UBTV

14 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Arts And if you don't know, get to know: the Bristol Ballroom community Ziggy Himsworth gives an insight into the Bristol Ballroom scene, a space for transgender and queer people to perform, experiment and, most importantly, have a good time

Ziggy Himsworth Second Year English

W

hen I started at UoB last year, I had not told anyone I was trans. It is a lonely situation to find yourself in, and in all honesty, it stays lonely a long time after you give up the closet. It is my opinion that the Bristol Ballroom Community is the only space in the city where shame cannot get through the door, the excellence you are to witness is far too hypnotising for that. When the MC says, ‘The category is....’, and the house music begins, and the death-dropping starts, you can feel nothing but love.

This is an account of the characters I have witnessed in the scene over the last year, and an introduction to Ballroom culture—I hope it encourages some of you to bring

Photos courtesy of: Darren Shepherd

it at the next function. The names of performers may have been remembered, they may have been imagined. I apologise for that, some details got lost in raspberry vodka.

calls the names, and one by one they vogue down the runway.

The MC oversees the ball and narrates the event. They might tell you to walk in the style of a legend, ‘Bring it like Ma Rainey. And if you In the Trinity Centre, folding chairs don’t know, then get to know.’ They are lined up in rows either side of the hall to make a runway. There might repeat what they hear for the audience’s reaction. ‘You know are more people than seats, so what I just heard down we crowd the bar, ‘A House is a family here, “I bought these stage and judge’s boots with my OWN table. It is imposformed in kinship, not money!” The Budget, sible to know who biology.’ darling!’ And they will you are standing next to, whether they are an obmake certain that first-timers don’t use the runway as a dancefloor, or server or the greatest dancer in walk without knowing their history. the room. Some come in drag or executive realness, in Studio 54 The category is Old Way and Erica sequined mini dresses or KitKat club latex, but the best performers moves like hieroglyphs, geometric.

Influenced by fashion magazines are often in a tank top and shorts. and martial arts, Old Way focuses Miss Major said of the New on symmetrical lines, precise posing, fluid movement. Erica wears York Ballroom scene, ‘Whether a red ‘90s windbreaker and thick you participated, whether you rimmed black glasses. Her House watched, whether you just wore chant, ‘Ollllldd...Olldd Naavvyy!’ a little cocktail dress and a small fur coat—it was just a nice time.’ and shout when she hits the floor.

Our nice time starts with the roll call. We are told by Gomez, the MC, that the energy must not dip, the performers are here to showcase their talent and we must show our appreciation. He

A House is a family formed in kinship, not biology. The first Houses were formed by Black and Latinx TLGB people, rooted in the necessity for an alternative community that could provide safety and

knowledge to children who had violence often, Bristol is the safest no one else. In my experience, the place I have ever lived. No, Realness knowledge that older trans people is the understanding that no matgive you is the only ter how difficult the ‘I'll tell you now, trans way through. You government makes youth of Bristol, if you need someone to medical transition, tell you how to get feel that no one is telling there is work to be on DIY hormones, done. If you can you how to survive, you you need someone carry yourself with are not looking in the who has endured conviction, speak the psychological with confidence, right places.’ body-horror of tranand dress with desition to believe that you can do it liberation people will believe you. too. I'll tell you now, trans youth And so, you can become yourself. of Bristol, if you feel that no one is telling you how to survive, you A few minutes into European Runare not looking in the right places. way, Amani Cosmo stops the walkers, gets up from her table and says, One of the most memorable mo‘Can I give you all some advice? ments is a lip-sync to Charli XCX’s Pick a lane, and STICK TO IT!’ ‘Apple’. The Doctor 007 mimes Clicks in agreement from the other driving a car, duck walking up and judges, and the runways get better. down the runway for 3 minutes.

Amani is stunning, a true super(‘I’m gonna drive gonna drive all model. Her hair flips are breakneck. night.’) It is completely insane.

Sex siren comes last. It was the sex Femme Queen and Pretty Boy worker’s category, the gurls workRealness are my favourite cating the street would come and egories. Realness was put this claim their trophies at the end of way in Paris Is Burning (2007): the night. This is the first time I ever saw a trans man lusted after.

‘If you can pass the untrained eye He’s called Daddy; he was drawn by or even the trained eye, and not Tom of Finland—cowboy hat and give away the fact that you’re gay, harness, square beard. He kisses the that’s when it’s Realness. [...] It’s Mother of Bristol, Aysha Old Navy’s really a case of going back into the hand, everyone goes mad, and I cry. closet. [...] You erase all the flaws, all the giveaways, all the mistakes, There are open community sesto make your illusion perfect.’ sions at the Island every Monday from seven pm if you want The significance of this idea, to me, to train, and Kiki Balls every is not that I feel at risk of physical few months. I’ll see you there.

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

15

Editor ..............Bruno Bridger Co-Deputy Editor ..............Ella Heathcote Co-Deputy Editor ............Elizabeth Abbot Subeditor ..............Bobbi Carsley Arts Commisoner ...........Patrik Chandler Arts Correspondent .........Julia Masluszczak

What is adaptable fashion and why don’t we know about it?

Photo courtesy of: Ange Harper

Daisy Dennison argues the need for inclusivity in fashion, using the example of brand Unhidden

Daisy Dennison Second Year English

L

ast week Fashion Week once again returned to London, and those who couldn’t walk the runway took to the streets to showcase their best looks. Amongst the big brands and celebrity lined runways, Bullock Inclusion’s ‘Future of Fashion’ show offered something more than carefully curated outfits and A-list front rows. Centred around both sustainability and social inclusion, this show’s catwalk was both walked and wheeled by disabled models in sustainable designs from Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art students, as well as up-and-coming brands like Arcas Bear (@arcasbear_sneakers).

With almost 150 charity shops across our city, the fashionistas and charity shop warriors of Bristol may consider themselves well-versed in the art of shopping sustainable fashion. However, what is lesser known to us, and the wider fashion sphere, is the term ‘adaptable fashion’, a central part of the show’s efforts towards inclusion. The show

opened with a panel discussion in es your reach. Jenkins explains that which Victoria Jenkins (@Victo- this is not just experienced by adapriaannofficial), CEO and founder tive brands and that when bigger of Unhidden, outlined why digital brands do campaigns on ethnicity or ableism and marketing are to blame disability, engagement plummets. for this lack of awareness. Unhidden is an ‘adaptable’ fashion brand, Inclusive brands like Unhidden also and what this means is that they face digital challenges by Meta’s produce garments that can be worn 2022 decision to make the disabled by everyone, but they have ‘adap- community a protected characteristive’ features such as magnetic clo- tic, meaning you can’t target them sures and adjustable fits to allow for for adverts on Meta platforms. This stoma or catheter access. They are means that if Jenkins tries to sell an clothes that are functional for those item of her clothing by using an imwith disabilities, without compro- age of a person in a wheelchair, the mising style and post is flagged identity. Unhidand if there are ‘Digital media plays an esden now have multiple posts sential role in how work from a partnership like this from with Primark, creators like Jenkins is seen, but an account digital ableism means there is bringing adaptthey are susable fashion to pended and/or an algorithm actively working the high street. banned from against engagement with her advertising. So platform.’

Unfortunateinformation ly, despite this about incredicollaboration, and the undoubt- ble brands like these simply aren’t able need for brands like this, it reaching the people who need them. is still relatively unknown to the Most people will agree that fashaverage shopper. This is because ion is a means for us to express of something we all constantly in- our identities and our creativiteract with: our digital algorithms. ty. Those with disabilities should Nowadays digital media plays an have just as much opportunity to essential role in how work from do so. This is why shows like ‘Fucreators like Jenkins is seen, but ture of Fashion’ and brands like digital ableism means there is an Unhidden are so important in algorithm actively working against growing awareness, and therefore engagement with her platform. For inclusion, in the fashion industry. example, if you use camel casing in your hashtags, or alt text, it reduc- Louise McOvens is incredibly a fivetime sepsis survivor and amputee

following a car accident when she was 18. Her outfit is made entirely out of recycled materials, and she described how the students designed her skirt ‘with a panel to allow me to access [her] leg and show it off if [she] wanted’ or release a button which covers it.

Creative and adaptable designs

Arts Recommends

like those featured in this project are so important in helping people take their disabilities in their stride and this is why shows like ‘Future of Fashion’ and brands like Unhidden are so important in growing awareness, and therefore inclusion, in the fashion industry.

To read more go to epigram.org.uk

Review: MTB's production of Alice

by Heart @ Loco Klub

The Shared Experience: Women

by Women.2

Review: Cherish the Orange's 'Fruitcake'

James Lewis, Sci-Tech, Deputy Editor

Mia Jansa, Second Year, History of Art

Erina Mannan, Third Year, English

James Lewis reviews MTB's ‘Alice by Heart’, the reimagined play of Alice in Wonderland, performed at Loco Klub.

Mia Jansa reviews the re-exhibition of Women by Women.2 held at Centrespace for International Women's Week.

Erina Mannan reviews Cherish the Orange's ‘Fruitcake’, a play which tells the story of five flatmates living through the lockdown while in university.

Review: Paper Works at RWA Eden Chamber, First Year, French and Film Eden Chamber reviews the RWA's latest exhibition, open now until 27th April.

16 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Film & TV

Editor’s Choice:

Under the Radar:

Last month, I had a conversation with a friend about film recommendations and we discussed the difference between genuine niche interest and pretentious drivel. I came away with this sentiment that I love an esoteric suggestion as long as its sincere. So, this month we tasked our writers with recommending their deepest of deep cuts. Here is Max Graham writing about the transgressive, controversial films of Harmony Korine.

Harmony Korine’s Filthy Films Max Graham Second Year, Philosophy

U

nderstanding Harmony Korine is no easy feat. He embodies a complete blurring of fiction and reality, done so in prolific fashion.

An artist who dips into filmmaking, painting, short films, music videos for the likes of Sonic Youth, a novel, and even his own installations.

Harmony's work is absolutely singular and within its own realm of absurdity. He represents a perfect, unique symbiosis of insanity both in the director and the resulting films. I want to give a perspective on Korine's elusive character, which ultimately mystifies the already-blurred meanings of his films but hopefully entices a leap-offaith into the rabbit-hole of his bizarre deep cuts ready for discovery.

Tales of harmony are given almost mythic status. It is almost impossible to decipher which are true, but I believe the spirit of the director and the way in which this informs his films is epitomised by the legendary, fabled tales of 'Fight harm'.

The unreleased short film consists of Harmony himself provoking strangers on the streets of New York and in turn being beaten up.

Repeatedly. This rather uncomfortable, I would say brutal, image for us is retorted by Harmony to be ‘the great American comedy.’

Korine’s films have enjoyed much

precedence in recent years as the fountainhead for a grotesque aesthetic of cultural malaise, especially within youth culture. He established himself as the enfant terrible of cinema with the notorious emergence of ‘Kids’, a gritty portrait of street-kid culture in 90’s New York.

Written for director Larry Clark, Harmony himself was 19 at the time of writing the script, a precocious, yet erratic, usually high and ultimately degenerate youth. We can see the film as a dramatised reflection of Harmony’s environment at the time, as the characters used are mostly those found within the skate-culture surrounding Washington Square Park. The film ensued moral panic regarding the nihilistic portrayal of American youth alongside a well-received critical reception, even an appearance at Cannes.

Gummo is Harmony's directorial debut, a riotous launch into cinema featuring the tornado-torn town of Xenia, Ohio. The citizens themselves make up most of the cast, resulting in a naturalistic portrait of middle-America that filmmaker Gus van Sant describes as ‘both bracingly realistic and hauntingly dreamlike.’ You are thrown into a flurry of scenes and impressions without any string of logic to their arrangement or their content. Bacon taped on the wall, Mark Gonzales wrestling a chair, the character ‘Solomon’ eating spaghetti and chocolate in the bathtub,

Photo courtesy of: IMDb Chloe Sevigny’s character dancing to Madonna’s ‘Like a prayer.’

Much like ‘Kids’, Gummo garnered widespread controversy. Janet Maslin of the New York Times nominated Gummo as ‘the worst film of the year.’ This could be a fair valuation. However, the hallucinatory logic of Gummo is intended to enact Korine's insistence on throwing traditional notions of filmmaking in the air. In his infamous series of Letterman interviews, Korine declares that ‘films should have a beginning, middle, and end. Just not in that order.’

Despite their oddities and controversies, both Gummo and Kids still have enjoyed credence as culturally significant films. More obscure is the 1999 ‘Julien donkey boy’. Julien has schizophrenia, and the film follows his grappling with a disjointed mental state and a surrounding family, which is admittedly dysfunctional. His family includes the wonderful Chloe Sevigny, and quite surprisingly Werner Herzog as the dad, delivering an unforgettable scene drinking out of a house slipper. Korine states that ‘directing him (Herzog) is like ice cream- it just tastes good.’

Korine has some deep-cuts that

Photo courtesy of: Harmony Korine

seem to betray any significant interpretation as found in Gummo and Kids but reaffirm the necessity of a deep-dive. In ‘Mister lonely’ you get skydiving nuns doing tricks on a BMX bike in the backdrop of a glimpse into the life of a Michael Jackson impersonator.

If this sounds beyond the pale of any sane imagination to you, you are completely right. But that’s the beauty of Korine, who you need to take on his own terms.

film, I'm not sure what else will.

Now 52, Harmony is far from the transgressive teen who wrote Kids.

Despite this, he remains singularly faithful to his intent to subvert cinema. Works like the 2023 ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ carry the experimental nerve of his past work with a visual intensity and luminosity to sear your retinas. Shot using thermal imaging, it follows an assassin, played by Jordi Molla, in a fractured assortment of encounters in a crime-ridden urtesy of: I o In the same spirit, ‘Trash c MD Miami. You are bombardoto humpers’ is an anb ed with bright and Ph ti-film. It follows attention-grabbing the same docuneon hues that mentar y-like, Harmony intends low-resolution to invoke the aesthetic of Jusame over-stimlien donkey boy. ulated passivity Just definiteof social media ly without its consumption and poignancy and aesthetic novelty. melancholy theme.

Just beware of the Instead, you have a resulting headache. group of elderly people with a hilarious predilection I hope this sketch of an endlessto vandalism and sleeping under ly interesting artist has sold you bridges- all while leaving low-stake an interest into his work. There destruction and anarchy in their exist equally unorthodox deep wake. Korine describes the film as cuts of his that space did not per‘something you would find burmit to show, which are perhaps ied in a ditch somewhere in Albueven more deranged. Take him querque.’ If that isn't selling the with a grain of salt and enjoy.

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

17

Editor .............Max Bradley-Cole Deputy Editor ...............Meadow Wattret Deputy Editor .................Chien Wen Siow Subeditor .........Marianne Chatburn Subeditor .................Nadiya Jackson

Mickey 17: A Wacky and Captivating Sci-Fi Experience The Korean Auter Bong Joon-Ho is back with his first movie since the Oscar winner Parasite six years ago!

Sofia Webster Co-Deputy Editor

M

ickey 17 marks the release of Bong Joon Ho’s eighth feature film – the sci-fi/dark comedic project directed and envisioned through the eyes of a filmmaker well-known for taking an idea and spinning it completely on its head. As expected, (if Joon Ho’s previous film Parasite was anything to go by) the film was packed with twists and turns that could almost be perceived as too crazy to be real – very much

marking a role which solidifies Robert Pattinson as an actor that should not be messed with, straying very far from his vampire roots.

Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as the titular role of Mickey Barnes – a bankrupt American man racked up to the eyeballs in debt from taking out a loan for his failed macaron business. After being extensively warned, both him and his friendstroke-business-partner Timo are threatened with being ‘chased to the ends of the Earth’ by a loan shark should they fail to pay back their debt imminently. From this, the duo decided to take that threat quite literally and leave on a oneway expedition to colonise the planet Niflheim, with Mickey as the spaceship’s only ‘expendable’. The film opens to the audience meeting Mickey having already been expended 16 times prior… hence the title.

Based off Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7, the film was adapted and brought to life for the screen by Bong Joon Ho who wrote, directed and produced this film – and with that, put his signature spin on the original concept depicting an ambitious sci-fi backdrop rooted in critical existential questions on what it means to be human and where technology is taking humanity moving forward.

I personally found the film to be a very insightful and gripping watch and thought Robert Pattinson did

Flick Picks: Historical Throwbacks

a fantastic job as Barnes, who (I am sure those who watched the film will agree) is not an easy role to play, especially since throughout the film Pattinson impeccably plays the dual roles of Mickey 17 and Mickey 18. This role quite frankly could not be further from his Twilight roots, with each Mickey having rather nuanced qualities – the underlying insecurities of 17 complements (or rather balances out) the feistiness of 18, making for a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat and impressively justifies its 137-minute running time.

With supporting roles from Naomi Ackie as Barnes’ love interest Nasha, Steven Yeun as frenemy Timo and the ever-brilliant Mark Ruffalo as a Donald Trump-esque leader of this astronomical mis-

Photos courtesy of: IMDb sion, and Kenneth Marshall alongside Toni Collette as his wife Ylfa, there really is a star-studded cast taking part in a film quite unlike anything I have seen before (in a good way!) – there is sci-fi, and dark comedy, with some adventure also chucked in for good measure.

Mickey 17 is a great choice to watch in cinema, the twists and turns keep you guessing what will happen next and is a captivating sci-fi experience.

Saying this, the undeniably wacky concept will naturally mean the film is not for everyone and compared to Joon Ho’s previous film Parasite I don’t think this will have as long lasting an impact. That being said, if you are enticed by any of the ideas mentioned above, I would still not hesitate to give this film a watch!

Felix Glanville Second Year, History

To read more go to epigram.org.uk

Network (1976)

12 Angry Men (1957)

The Sound of Music (1965)

Edgar Wright

Sidney Lumet

Robert Wise

Sidney Lumet

Look, I know a traditional Christmas film on this list might be slightly jarring, especially as we are deep into the light spring of April, but It's a Wonderful Life is an absolute timeless classic that should be watched any time of the year. Frank Capra's movie follows the life of George Bailey (James Stewart), an aggrieved businessman who is shown by a budding angel what life would be like if he had never been born.

To a much more serious film, 12 Angry Men follows twelve men deciding whether an 18-year-old Hispanic boy is guilty of murdering his father, with Juror eight, our protagonist (Henry Fonda) believes he is not guilty and demands a re-examination, for what he believes to be a rigged trial. This highly political film reminds us of how the justice system can be corrupt and malicious.

Now we have quite a different thematic transition, to The Sound of Music. Despite the film's innocence and musical warmth, there are some darker social messages that we must be reminded of. I always associate this ’60s classic with nostalgia and family film nights, yet the story of the Von Trapp's escape to freedom is an uncomfortably foreboding one, as long as you two keep your eyes on the screen and not on each other.

Finally, we have reached the 1970s and a discovery of how media is causing us to lose our sense of self. Network shows us how immoral network executives can be, just to get higher ratings and viewership. This film has been critically praised as a satire of the entertainment and media industry, rather ironically picking up four Academy Awards.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

18 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

music Bristol Beats:

Cerys Gadsden archives Bristol's music legacy in new documentary wants a Ben's cookies? Not me.’

The trailer teases snapshots of a selected class of Bristol’s finest up-and-coming artists

Sophie Scannell Co-Deputy Music Editor

F

rom its hidden gems to its soaring stars, capturing the vibrancy of Bristol’s music scene into a film's worth of footage is not an easy task by any means. Thankfully, UoB Film and TV graduate, Cerys Gadsden, is taking it head on.

Sitting down with Epigram, Cerys talks DIY filmmaking, an infuriating country-wide lack of funding for the arts, and how a web of interconnected artists in the city scene sparked the creation of ‘Bristol Beats’, the graduate’s upcoming documentary project.

Getting into the guts of the film’s genesis, I’m delighted at how utterly Bristolian it is. Hearing Getdown Services’ ‘Cream Of The Crop’ for the first time thanks to her housemate Rosie, Cerys’ ears were immediately pricked at the band’s spoton capturing of a gentrified city with their hilarious and quip lyricism: ‘Cabot Circus. Sh!thouse. Who

One spontaneous message to the band later, and it wasn’t long before an interview was arranged, laying the groundwork for ‘Bristol Beats’.

From here, Cerys’ friend and collaborator, Bethan Cox (AKA Meatgrinder), recommended the likes of singer-songwriter Zoe Carr-Smith, and pop-folk collective The Freakshow to interview for the project, off the back of her own photography work in and around the city’s live music scene.

Community lies at the heart of all artistic endeavours, for musicians and filmmakers alike. Cerys admits that this web of connections that has made her film possible is still not lost on her, telling me that she is yet to listen to Getdown Services now without thinking ‘they’ve been in my living room!’

Despite an undeniable bustle within the city, our attention turns to the lack of coverage about scenes exactly like Bristol’s. ‘Portishead and Massive Attack are some of the biggest in the country’, Cerys de‘the band’s spot-on capfends, which begs the question of why turing of a gentrified city Bristol’s musical with their hilarious and magic isn’t being quip lyricism: ‘Cabot Circus. publicised in the Sh!thouse. Who wants a masses it should be.

Through Zoe came connections with Ok Ewan, an artist who moved to the city purely for its sonic legacy, and Nat Oaks (another UoB alumni!)

Ben's cookies? Not me.’ who would make U n f o r t u n a t e l y, up the last of the there is an answer, interviewees, after Cerys discovand it’s a bleak one at that. ‘There is ered her during a gig at Fuse and not enough funding going into the instantly fell for her vibrant sound.

Arts’, Cerys tells me matter-of-factly, before extending this lament Taking me through this gorgeousto the state of renters’ rights, and ly interconnected game of telethe general cost of living crisis phone, it’s clear how big a role that is increasingly turning artists word-of-mouth, live performance, away from doing what they love, and connection between artists purely because they cannot afplays in the process of getting a ford to sustain a comfortable life creative project off the ground. alongside their creative pursuits.

There is less and less interest in keeping the physical reminiscence of music alive in cities like Bristol, where such an eclectic and rich tapestry of sound and culture is held.

‘My Dad tells me about when he went to see Madness perform in the 80s, and the ticket was a fiver’, Cerys recalls, to which follows a lengthy groan from both of us at the increasingly astronomical prices that concertgoers are having to battle with in order to see their favourites perform live.

With her own creative pursuits, Cerys is encouraging a refusal to be defeated by financial hardships: ‘Money should not be the reason people cannot make art’.

Photos courtesy of: @Meatgrinder years, the city’s scene will once again look vastly different.

The closure of live music venues is not a new crisis, yet it remains a heartbreaking reality for music lovers and creatives alike. As we discuss the rapid disappearance of beloved venues across the city, Cerys recalls that much of Josh Law of Getdown Services’ interview in the film was dedicated to his love for Crofter’s Rights—a cherished Bristol venue that then shut its doors just months after their conversation.

Drawing parallels to her own hometown, Cerys reflects on the fate of the Kursaal in Southend—a venue that had the likes of David Bowie and Queen gracing its floors, now reduced to a bowling alley.

In a feat to put this into practice, Cerys’ latest project, ‘Bristol Beat’, embraces a lack The displacement of equipment or ‘There is not enough fund- of live music is befunding in light of this revelation that ing going into the Arts’, Cerys coming increasingly severe it seems, but art should not be tells me matter-of-factly [...] films like 'Bristol halted at the sight ‘Money should not be the Beats' may hold the of an empty pocket, or equally, a re- reason people cannot make power to rekindle a lost sense of comlentless struggle to art.’ munity and remind break into the film us of the spaces that industry workspace, once defined its cultural identity. as she asked her post-graduation self, ‘If I can’t get my foot in the Cerys’ first year of studying film door, why don’t I do it myself?’. at Bristol was steered in an unexpected direction thanks to the Much of the documentary is filmed Covid pandemic that meant that on phone cameras, where artthe grad ‘only got [her] hands on ist interviews were conducted at a camera once’ within the year, an the filmmaker’s very own home. infuriating set of circumstances The documentary is completed for such a tactile, artistic medium. with performance visuals shot

by Cerys herself, as well as her For better or for worse, Cerys’ inown performed narrative pieces. troduction to the film world became one of endless limitations.

The edit is again completed by Yet, her resilience knew no bounds Cerys, to much of the filmmaker’s as in this year of restriction and dismay, as she regales the mental perpetual views of the same four struggles of editing day-in day-out. walls for months on end, an un‘It’s like doing a dissertation all wavering love of DIY film and over again’, she says with a chuckle. homemade art had realised itself.

The film serves as ‘an archive For the full article, go to: of Bristol’s history’, Cerys tells epigram.org.uk me, noting that in just a few

01.04.25 EPIGRAM Editor Co-Deputy Editor Co-Deputy Editor Subeditor Subeditor

19

..............Benji Chapman .............. Aditi Hrisheekesh .............. Megan Foulk .............. Amelie Peters ...............Sophie Scannell

‘Friendly Festival’ lineup announced

Photo courtesy of: Benji Chapman

The all-day festival including music, a raffle, and food stands will be hosted on Saturday the 10th of May

Benji Chapman Music Editor

F

ollowing a slew of collaborations with War Child that saw the Friendly Records team host charity gigs, record pressings, and instore signings, one of Bristol’s most cherished record shops and musical institutions will be hosting celebrations for their money-raising efforts with a festival of all things friendly.

With the announcement on the 10th of February that the Bedminster-based record shop and record label would be hosting a live music festival, fans and local crate diggers based south of the river were quick to speculate which artists would be gracing the lineup given their closeness to a number of standout local musical projects.

Having officially revealed the lineup to include Sleatford Mods, Katy J Pearson, The 45s, and Zazlio, acts on offer are expectedly Bristolian while containing a spread of genres only as varied as the experience of rifling through the record store’s

very own extensive collections.

IDLES,

Following the recent release of her album Someday, Now, Pearson is one such local artist who will be returning to play the festival after her show at SWX in December 2024. The festival takes a more aggressive-sounding turn towards post-punk with the presence of Nottingham's dystopian dance-punk duo Sleatford Mods.

Two of the singles from the series have also featured artists from further afield with PJ Harvey, Sleatford Mods, Hot Chip, and even Detroit's very own dearly missed hip-hop champion J Dilla getting a rerelease of their greatest hits.

War Child is a charity with one goal: ‘ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war.’ In a world presently rife with conflicts, their work stands as a reassuring, if bleak, reminder of humanitarian efforts against the horrors of war and its devestating effects on the innocent.

Having worked extensively in the areas affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict, their focus has recently been on sourcing emergency aid, education, and mental health support for children in the region.

The first collaboration between the charity and Bedminster's very own Friendly Records came with the release of the first of their ‘secret 7-inch’ pressings that have so far featured local artists like

Portishead,

and

Beak>

Friend even admits that the store began from a somewhat out-ofcontrol record collection, which was in dire need of being shared.

With the first Friendly Festival being planned for September 2020 before lockdown restrictions came into place, Tom said in conversation with Epigram that, ‘we're really pleased to be announcing the lineup this year’ and gave thanks to the Lost and Grounded taproom for hosting the festival.

The first charity concert with IDLES raised over £50,000, with pressings like these and more live performances ‘Friendly Records states helping Friendly Record's efforts con- that it's sought to remain a He also added that siderably in further‘War Child are an ‘“proper” record shop’ and ing their charity amazing chari'more than just a place to ty to be working work against atrocities across borders. with’, and that they buy records.’

With the records had been entirethemselves being created by the ly supportive of the project from independent pressing plant Viits inception to announcement. nyl Press, and sleeve designs om stated also that there will be from the Cardiff-based artist Pete ‘more announcements to come’ Fowler, they have additionaland to keep an eye on their Inly continued to be a grassroots stagram for further updates. and largely local endeavour.

It seems that more excitement Officially opened in 2016, Friendis on the horizon then for the ly Records states that it's sought south of Bristol's musical landto remain a ‘“proper” record mark, and indeed for the independent music in Bristol that shop’ and ‘more than just a place to buy records.’ Its founder Tom continues to transcend borders.

Pizzarova x Epigram Music

To read more go to epigram.org.uk

Marinara

Double Chorizo Hot Honey

Anchocies, Kamalata Olives and Capers

Spiced Vegan 'Lamb'

Marinara is a margarita pizza with extra sauce and without the cheese, which is the best bit, in my opinion. If this is your go-to your music taste is supremely basic, but somehow also a bit off-kilter.

This is Pizzarova’s most popular pizza, so it must be doing something very right. Hot honey has shot up in popularity in the last few years, just as pop princess Chappell Roan has achieved meteoric success since her debut album in 2023.

This one’s for the salty girls. It’s quite a particular taste, but you know what you like. This saline bouquet calls for the queen of art rock – Kate Bush. The vinegary flavours are intense, just like Bush’s full-throttle, wide-eyed theatricality.

But those jaunty melodies are addictive – in the same way it’s impossible to eat just one olive, you can’t listen to just one track from The Kick Inside.

Despite its popularity (and objective goodness), some people don’t get along with this pizza, making excuses like the flavour is too intense: ‘she’s a bit much, she’s just shrieking!’ I suppose we didn’t all understand The Dreaming on our first listen.

If you’re a self-proclaimed Morrissey fan, this is the only thing you’re allowed to order, sorry! You’d be compromising your morals otherwise – ‘Meat Is Murder’, after all.

You love all the TikTok hits (which is fair), but you only listen to the 15-second sped-up version in-app (which is baffling).

Unless you’re vegan or lactose intollerant, this choice screams faux-alternative. Its not hard: just get a margarita like everyone else and stream the whole song on Spotify. You don’t have to be weird about it.

Chappell’s cheesy ‘80s synths and drippingly sweet vocals are the honey on her musical pizza. But she’s spicy too – refusing to be pushed around by paparazzi on the red carpet: she’s rightfully bringing some zing to Hollywood culture.

And the poet-master of lyrics like, ‘I heard you like magic, I’ve got a wand and a rabbit!’, her spiciness is palpable – I’ll take one hot to go!

The spice in Chappell Roan’s hot honey constituted flirty sex appeal, but I’m not sure the same can be said for an aged, topless Morrissey with a rose in his mouth.

The tickle in the back of the throat from the spiced ‘lamb’ is the stifled cough you choke on when you see the ex-The Smiths singer clad in fascist iconography or spewing racist hate speech. Ah. Photos courtesy of: @Pizzarova

20 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

SciTech Robogals: the difference a role model makes Sena and Malcom share an unwavering commitment to dismantling the old ways of thinking and prove Founded in Melbourne in 2008, the to their students that they, just as organisation is now global, with much as anyone, have a right to over 30 chapters in 10 countries. consider a career in STEM. Sena After a period of inactivity, the makes the point that girls ‘are really University of Bristol’s chapter was excited about the idea of STEM’, but revived last year by the hard work when ‘they see the field and they see of their committee who, Malcom it’s 99 percent boys’ explained, ‘achieved ‘While it's sometimes they ‘lose that moso much with limited resources’ and easy, perhaps comforting, mentum’ and end up feeling ‘discouraged.’ managed to get to think that growing themselves into schools and achieve gender equity is a natural Above all, Robogals re-affiliation with progression for humans , wants to be that proof-of-concept – the SU. This year, it's not.’ evidence to anyone Robogals have takinterested in STEM that nothing en it ‘to the next level’ now that can hold you back, especially your they’re off the ground once again. break the lock on this boy’s club.

The STEM sector maintains a predominantly male workforce. Sit down with Robogals to find out how they’re breaking social barriers for a better tomorrow.

By James Lewis, SciTech Deputy Editor

and Miles Gilroy, SciTech Deputy Editor

I

t’s so often the case that we pat ourselves on the back and applaud the growth of female participation in STEM. Growing yes, but the fact remains that men are Robogals’ sessions involve dramatically over‘coding, prorepresented in the gramming, and ‘Greater girls' participaSTEM workforce. crash courses’ tion in STEM [...] is a need Sena More than two explains. not a want.’ times overrepreThey’ve run a sented; in 2024, series of workwomen made up only 30 percent of shops in primary schools for the UK’s workforce and of today’s the last year and a half since STEM graduates, only 35 percent the group’s re-affiliation, hopare women. Epigram sat down ing to impress the importance, with Sena Polat, Technical Officer, but also the rewards, of ‘a creand Malcom Kazimil, President, ative engineering mindset’ on of the student-led group Robogals young students across Bristol. to find out what they’re doing to

in an advancing and increasingly technological era, their participation is a need not a want. If the government is serious about their intended goal of a net-zero future by 2050, then hundreds of thousands of new jobs will be created. Estimates vary between 135,000 to 725,000 new jobs, in the green sector alone.

gender. Malcom told Epigram that ‘we’re trying to provide them people to look up to’. They want to be a role model – to prove if we can do it, you can too.

Photos courtesy of: Robogals

expect them to be like “oh, cool, let’s just invite some random uni students in.”’ Sena calls this ‘the main bottle neck’ of their mission.

We need Robogals. We need people out there inspiring, teaching, challenging the antiquated dons. While ‘it’s easy to complain: “oh, there's not enough girls in STEM,’’’ Sena says ‘the best way to change that is to get into a position of power and create a community and make changes within that community.’

‘Malcom and Sena are Malcom and Sena ‘It’s a good time to be alive right In fact, research sugare confident they confident they have now in the sense that there is so gests that if girls have enough volunmuch to do right now’ Malcom enough volunteers’ ‘know or see a womteers for an expandsays. It’s true, the future is bright; an’ in STEM, they are ed programme, Sena believes, knows rather, that 33 percent more likely to pursue but they still must deal with their ‘in [her] lifetime we’ll a career in the field. Sena recalls ‘really old’ gear. Sena how she ‘had to find [her] own pulled out one of the ‘men are dramatically see an equal split.’ way and find [her] own role mod- laptops that they bor- overrepresented in the While it’s sometimes els.’ She hopes that Robogals can row from another outSTEM workforce.’ easy, perhaps comreassure their students; ‘just know- reach organisation at forting, to think that ing that they have any kind of role the university. Almost a relic, it’s growing gender equity is a natural model, even if it’s just a friend or about two inches thick and, while progression for humans to make, just us’ pays extraordinary divi- it would still confuse your grandit's not. It requires salt of the earth dends to that girl’s outcome in life. mother, the children of today are hard work to disrupt ingrained culas tech-savvy as any BA student. tural, social, and linguistic phenomAnd some role models they are; Malcom believes that new computena that keep certain fields of work they educated 150 students last ers would not only enable Robogals dominated by one group. Robogals year and intend to reach 250 this to do more, but they would also be are those change makers, without term alone. With plans for a work- more ‘exciting’ for a generation who whom things wouldn’t change. shop in Cardiff, the group have no have only seen a DVD in a museum. intention of slowing down. They This is the second in SciTech's IWD appreciate, though, that this can Greater girls’ participation in STEM 2025 series. Read the other installbe an uphill struggle because they careers dismantles what has been ments online at Epigram.org.uk ‘can’t just email every school and accepted in the field for years, but,

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

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Editor ............ Corin Hadley Deputy Editor .............. Miles Gilroy Deputy Editor .............. James Lewis Subeditor .............. Ellie Barnes Researcher .......Harrison Phillips

The closest living descendants of the dinosaurs aren’t as bird-brained as we think Hannah Stainbank sits down with a researcher from the Universtiy of Bristol to dicuss the intelligence of the planet's largest birds

By Hannah Stainbank Second Year, English

N

ew research released in February by the University of Bristol reveals that emus and rheas are more intelligent than we once thought.

Palaeognath birds, the family that includes emus, ostriches, and rheas, are the most direct living descendants of dinosaurs. A recent study, carried out by Fay Clark, Jasmine Burdass, Annalise Kavanagh, and Annabel King, revealed that these birds have the capacity for technical innovation.

Previously thought to be, as stated in the study, ‘bird brained’ who lacked in ‘intelligence’, this new research implies that they can problem solve. The birds were tasked with lining up a hole with a food chamber. They

found that the birds moved the hole in the most efficient direction 90 percent of the time, indicating that turning the hole was deliberate - a deliberate action to access the food.

name as the most confident of the three, with the other two appearing ‘a bit more shy.’ Though, I’m not quite sure that Rosie and Tanya would appreciate being called shy.

Three of the emus and one of the With the rheas, the differencrheas were able to innovate by mov- es between the two was stark. ing the hole and the same rhea was One ‘did not engage at all’, also able to dismantle the task by while the other was ‘cheeky.’ taking off the central bolt. None of the ostriches were Unsurprisingly, it 'feelings of worthlessness was the cheekier able to innovate within this task, one that completely or thoughts of death are but that’s not to impossible to see in rodents,' dismantled the task say they lack the by taking the bolt off. same capabilities as the emus and Jasmine thought that ‘it got to rheas. The study points out that the point where he was actually the ostriches were much taller just trying to impress us’ and that and therefore the study may have ‘if you stopped watching him, he placed ‘postural or beak would back away a little bit.’ There’s limitations on ostriches.’ ‘a bit of personification’ to be had, Donna and the Dynamos | Photo courtesy of: Jasmine Jasmine said, as she’s unable to Epigram spoke to Jas- draw any concrete conclusions study challenges that assumption. capacity to innovate. Jasmine, mine Burdass, one of about his showing-off. Even so, and I’m sure many more of us, the researchers, to bet- it seemed he liked the attention. Jasmine said ‘it just feels like they’ve would be interested to see more ter understand the imbeen overlooked completely as research into the intelligence of pact of this research. One of the key aspects of the a category’ and that ‘they could ‘these strange, massive, flightless be a bit of an birds’ that happen to be our research is the fact 'feelings of worthlessness underdog in the closest link to the dinosaurs.

Jasmine noticed that the that the intelligence birds all had their own of bird kingdom.’ palaeognath or thoughts of death are distinct personalities. They birds For now, though, it’s exciting to is under impossible to see in rodents,' named the three emus af- researched. People The study was see that we can always challenge ter Donna and the Dy- have widely assumed their lack fairly small and only provided an our assumptions about animal namos, from Mamma of intelligence, because they have introduction to the possibility of intelligence. Who knows what other Mia! Donna earned her relatively small brains, but this large, flightless birds having the creatures are innovators?

From the desk of: Teresa Matamoro-Zatarain et al.

University of Bristol

New satellite starts an era of space discoveries

By Miles Gilroy SciTech Deputy Editor

2

023 saw the launch of the Euclid satellite, the most precise universe-mapping tool to date.

Data from Euclid is already having profound impacts on our ability to explore the universe. One application of the satellite is the study of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), supermassive black holes gradually accumulating gas in the centres of galaxies. Recent work, led by PhD student Teresa Matamoro-Zatarain at the University of Bristol, has seen the discovery of a number of new AGN, enhancing our ability to study them.

The study of AGN is vital to understanding the evolution of galPhoto courtesy of: NASA

axies, since they play a huge role in the formation of stars in young galaxies. This will help further our understanding of our own galaxy, potentially leading to a myriad of discoveries, including how Earth came to house water and life, or how the Milky Way will continue to change

as we work our way around it.

‘The exploration of the big-data delivered by Euclid is only starting’, said Dr Sotiria Fotopoulou, Lecturer in the School of Physics at UoB. ‘We expect many more discoveries from a true multi-disciplinary partnership.’

Editor's N te: Here we are entering the final chapter of the year.

Whether it feels like it’s been a good one or not, I hope you can take a moment to give yourself some credit for all you done (and possibly put up with).

Perhaps it’s the general exam season blues, but the news has not been making me feel particularly optimistic about technology this last month. So, it’s been delightfully enthusing this month to read about some people doing really great things with technology.

We tried to make this month’s edition is fairly cheery I hope you enjoyed!

Good luck with anything you need luck for! - Corin Illustrations by Corin Hadley

22 EPIGRAM 01.04.25

Sport In conversation with Bristol Black Sox Felix Glanville

Editor's Choice:

Second Year, History Photos courtesy of: UOB Baseball

‘The University of Bristol Baseball society has developed profoundly since its creation in 2022, Epigram spoke to its members detailing their 'Black Sox' experience.’ This article represents Epigram Sport's motto this year of covering as many unheard of sports as possible. We wish more success to the Black Soxs!!!

T

he university baseball society, ‘The Bristol Black Sox’, is just another exciting and passionate example of the growing variety of sports here at Bristol. Epigram interviewed Joe Walshe, one of the latest members of the team and Jordan Gaudette, the captain and head coach. They expressed the growing excitement and opportunity in a society that many assume would only work on the sports fields of American colleges.

Since their creation as a society in 2022, the team has had a fresh rebrand, array of give-it-a-go's for curious catchers, and fitting collaborations with UoB Rounders for socials and competitive matches.

Joe expressed his overwhelmingly positive experience of the baseball society since joining, sharing those initial qualms that baseball would not work out as well as it does across the pond:

‘With baseball being a rather niche sport over here, I was a bit worried about how it would all go when starting out, but the support from everyone involved has been incredible, and has really helped me progress quickly and gain more confidence every week.’

'There is something about that

uniqueness in baseball being a slight niche in the UK,’ Joe goes on to express. He brings to light the diverse and opportunistic approach the Black Sox have had since their inception: ‘As with all other societies, there is a strong sense of camaraderie. It's also a mixed society, and we have a number of women who join us, widening the community.’

er. Members can meet new faces beyond the confines of the field.

It is also important to note that the society is not solely catered to the most elite and hardiest of baseball player: Joe described how for many people joining this is their first time playing Baseball, with some using cricket as a familiar starting point.

He is very keen to assert that ‘this is not a bad thing in the slightest, as it gives everyone in the group opportunities to teach and learn from each other as they progress.’ Joe rightfully believes that the society is not centred on ability nor skill, but a genuine enjoyment of the game and desire to foster a team lifestyle.

‘We are in the process of applying for BUCS entrance for the 2025/26 academic year. We will post updates on the SU webpage once we know more. We currently have no scheduled matches aside from a friendly match we hope to set up with UWE again toward the end of this academic year. We’ve got some big plans for next year... stay tuned!’

Epigram then spoke to Joe about the actual day-to-day running of the society, explaining: ‘There are often two sessions a week, one on Wednesday afternoon on The Downs, and the main one on a Friday evening. Socials tend to be relatively frequent, and there are often collaborations with other societies in the same lane.’

Signs of the Black Sox's collaborative efforts continue further as they work closely with the American football society– a fitting one due to their shared US roots. Joe exampled the 2025 Superbowl social at the White Harte that brought both societies togeth-

The society has ambitious plans as they move beyond their initial founding years and into full swing, captain and head coach, Jordan Gaudette headlined upcoming projects that aim to make their mark next academic year:

Jordan, in the continued spirit of improving and building the society into a fully fleshed operation,

‘As with all other societies, there is a strong sense of camaraderie.’ made a call out to readers to reach out to UoB Baseball ahead of their AGM in late March to put their name in for 2025/26 Social Sec. The commitment to evolve the baseball society is clear and will certainly facilitate a welcoming and successful environment. Joe makes a fitting note to how so many sports societies will optimistically push people who are uncertain about a new/inexperienced sport, but he really is confident in baseball’s unique beneficial experience for fresh faces: ‘I truly believe it can be incredibly enriching learning what is a

completely new sport most people have never watched a minute of.

Everyone is so supportive, equipment is provided as buying that stuff can be a big commitment, and overall it's just good fun.’

Talking to the members of Bristol Black Sox it is evident that they are driven with an ambition to provide a deeply inclusive and high-octane sports society. Epigram asked Jordan to offer some concluding remarks for those who seem ambivalent about a Bristol baseball society: ‘While it’s a difficult sport to master, it’s an easy one to quickly become proficient at and is a good fit for anyone looking to get more active. We have players at all development levels with varied knowledge of how the game works. The first few sessions of every year are structured around newcomers learning the basics of the game before we move into skills development, so don’t be afraid to give it a go.’

The Bristol Baseball Society is showing no signs of a new society struggling, their plans for the upcoming year will certainly continue to build the welcoming and community that Joe and Jordan described. Best of all, Jordan noted how ‘we can provide all necessary equipment for our training sessions so no worries if you’ve never played before or don’t have any kit!’ Accessibility for this batting crew is paramount, and frankly, refreshing to see.

Epigram is hugely grateful to Joe, Jordan, and the Bristol Black Sox for such informative and engaging words.

01.04.25 EPIGRAM

23

Editor .............Faniki Deche Co-Deputy Editor ...... Adam Mountain Co-Deputy Editor ....... Sean Lawrenson Subeditor .............. Mihai Rosca

Bouldering for BUCS - a report A report on the annual BUCS bouldering competition in Sheffield.

Joanna Stopford

Second Year, History and English

O

nce a year, climbers from around the country flock to the mighty Steel City of Sheffield to hurl themselves up a wall as many times as possible. What is this ritual of masochism? An initiation? A religious practice? Almost. It is the annual bouldering BUCS competition.

There is an array of competitors; some with a thousand-yard stare

religiously lunging and stretching for an hour and a half. Some who do a few shakes, climb up an easy one and declare themselves ready (me). Despite more than a few injuries on the team, we trundled into our cars and powered up the M5 nervously anticipating the array of techy slab1, dynos2, and gnarly slopers3. (Glossary for normal people: 1 vertical routes focused on balance and technical skill, 2ones where you have to leap up the wall and catch a hold, 3holds with little to no edge, making them strenuous and reliant on forearm strength) The location of the competition, ‘The Climbing Works’, is seen as a kind of Mecca for climbing due to its proud status as the first bouldering-only gym in the UK, and the fact that the head route setter, Percy Bishton, was also the head route setter for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is within a thirty-minute drive from the Peak District, known for grit and limestone boulders and edges adorned with routes aptly named ‘Don't Slip Now’, ‘Master’s edge’ and ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’ climbed by many celebrities of the ’90s climbing world.

After a panic, trying to log into the BUCS website at the same time as about a hundred others, the internet just about held up and we

were raring to go. The setup of bouldering competitions is slightly counter-intuitive, as the emphasis is on being able to do the climbs in as few goes as possible, something that is not hugely emphasized when climbing day-to-day.

Nevertheless, the Bristol team was packed with seasoned pros, fueled

by Greggs and Lidl, and were ready to be unleashed onto the routes.

For three and a half hours, we balanced, hurled, and pulled ourselves up as many routes as physically possible until the time was up and we settled our aching joints to watch the finals. Whilst the rest of the competition is fairly individual, with a lack of spectators (apart from the people queueing to give that problem a go), the final is a showcase of some of the best climbers in the country, intently watched by some 450 competitors. The competitors are kept in isolation to prevent any cheating by being able to ‘read’ the route and plan the moves, so they are hidden behind a tarpaulin with only the commentators rambling and the cheers of the crowd to give them clues. They come out in pairs of men and women and are given four minutes to do as well as they can on a problem. This set-up demonstrates the variety of climbing as it displays how people climb according to their strength, mean-

ing that competitors can complete a climb in completely different ways.

There were some familiar faces in the final, especially an individual known for his unique beta, which this year included using his head as an extra limb to get himself up the wall. Leeds achieved first places for men and women, followed by competitors from Birmingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam, Leeds Becket, Cambridge, Nottingham, and Edinburgh. Institutionally Sheffield won out overall. Bristol had a brilliant run coming in at 8th, 95th, 137th, and 153rd, from Harry Clarke, Tate Evans, Oliver Schiffmann, and Toby Nathan respectively out of 244 participants for the male results and the women at 68th, 109th, 126th, 132nd, 136th from Erin Nann, Tia Shah, Joanna Stopford, Beth Seymour, and Gabriella Giancola out of 214 female participants.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip and a great show from Bristol. The team atmosphere was encouraging and kind, and I encourage anyone interested in competing to try out and give it a go.

Follow @uobclimbing, or search UBMC on the SU website, to stay updated on upcoming competitions and events.

Scarlet 7s: The Newest addition to UBWRFC UBWRFC's new rugby sevens team, Scarlet 7s, increasing opportunities for women at UOB.

Alice James Second Year, History and French

I

n January of this year, UBWRFC announced their new sevens team: Scarlet 7s. Comprised of current students and alumni, this is the first time women at UoB have had their own, dedicated rugby sevens team.

Over the past few years, women’s rugby has been going from strength to strength, and the creation of Scarlet 7s is yet another key step in expanding the opportunities available to women wanting to play rugby.

UBWRFC are not new to rugby sevens. In the past, they have sent squads to compete in the BUCS sevens tournament and to Ovalyonne sevens in Lyon. However,

to UWBRFC Vice Club Captain Skye Ayling, this was not enough.

When speaking about her motivations behind setting up Scarlet 7s, she made it clear that the main aim was to massively expand players’ opportunities to get involved: The season that the Scarlets have ahead of them certainly lives up to this wish. Beginning with the Oddballs Foundation Festival in May, they are hoping to go on to compete, both at home and abroad, at tournaments in Lyon,

‘I wanted to create a bigger provision which allowed players to play all through the summer.’

Hartpury, Prague and London. The team’s creation has also been met with fierce enthusiasm; according to Skye, over 60 current students and alumni have expressed interest in playing for the team.

The creation of Scarlet 7s is also another step in filling the vast gap

between the opportunities that are available to men and women rugby players. Scarlet 7s, created in part due to inspiration from the pre-existing men’s sevens team, ‘Maroon 7s’, provides a matching opportunity for women at UoB. Having seen the Maroons’ recent success, Skye hopes that ‘borrowing a similar structure can help the Scarlets become as successful too, really improving the calibre of sevens at Bristol.’ Scarlet 7s is a testament to how women’s rugby players are determined to fight for opportunities to show what they can do, and it will be exciting to see them bring their potential onto the pitch.

Alongside the desire to play and compete, there is another driving force behind the creation of Scarlet 7s: a love of UBWRFC and the community that players have found through it. ‘As a bunch of our time at UBWRFC is coming to a close, I thought it would be a great way to stay involved with the club and give players an excuse to see each other after grad-

uation,’ said Skye, adding that the club ‘has been a family’ for players during their time at university.

The introduction of Scarlet 7s is not the only recent change to the face of rugby at UoB. This year

has seen many changes within the university rugby clubs.

For the full article, go to: epigram.org.uk

Photo courtesy of: Alex Ortega

win Free beer and a brewery tour!

OXY'S CRYPTIC FOR MORONS by Darcy Wood HOW TO CRYPTIC Designed to look like normal sentences, cryptics have a secret meaning hidden inside.

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1. Skiing has no one or face for chess piece (4) 2. Some rode over for the Western showcase (5) 3. Gothic emotion with no tail (3) 4. Drunk choristers fright without one in shut down club (8,6) 5. Fire department hugs toilet in disaster! (5) 7. Toga mix up with LeBron James? (4) 8. Sounds like Santa's transport is serving (4) 11. For starters, can Russians actually boil a crustacean? (4) 13. Post triangle meal on

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Short, witty piece about pig in flipping disaster

DOWN capital of Peru (4) 20. Sounds like an apology for Indian dress (4) 21. Identical pair of a thousand gay men (6) 22. Initially I only tasted apples for a bit (4) 25. Sense a gentle rugby game (5) 26. Slippy and oiled, no exponent in spot for a dip (4) 27. Nation's leader is mixed up with piousness for Bristol Bridge (10) 28. Material faceless fine about heartless loan (5)

by Alexandra Hill

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Here, the wordplay tells us to "flip" or reverse a word for disaster and put "pig" in it.

Another word for disaster is "mare", so putting pig inside mare reversed, "eram", gives us Epigram!

1. Director Erin got drunk and started with a knockout! Found on pg. 16 (6) 6. Washing up with gloves and bloomers (9) 9. Deirdre's opening followed a naked anus, how bare! (4) 10. Ban on pg. 9 resting place for small male (4) 12. Bear with unmentionnables! (5) 15. Spherical space for a boogie on pg. 14 (8) 17. End of an inker and cacao snack (3) 19. Lob expletive with no start, replaced with the

MINI CROSSWORD

The definition of the word will either be at the start or end of the clue. The rest is about wordplay. Take this example:

Definition: short, witty piece Wordplay: about pig in flipping disaster

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CLUES

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ACROSS 1. Great Bristolian slang precedes 4 down (4) 4. Jim Morrison's "woman" (2) 5. It's in the game (2) 6. Dark brown when burnt (5) 8. Turned ore into ingot (5) 9. Many berets in France (4)

DOWN 1. Radioactive Greek letter (5) 2. Zuckerberg's film rolls (5) 3. Sharp dessert (4) 4. Luxuriant vegan bombs succeed 1 across (4) 7. Flirty slang signalling affirmation (3)

REGULAR SUDOKU by Alice Guskov

pg. 10 for a giver with no oxygen but lots of energy!

(5) 14. On that note, put it straight on your skin (7) 16. Ms. hugs a handy fold out map model (4) 18. Openly unhindered mutilated without emergency room. As seen on pg. 15 (8) 21. Acid portion for Bristol mag (3) 23. The Italian follows the heart of the squad with a small bird (5) 24. Sounds like a drink to cry (5) 25. Singular grabber is Pete Wrong... that doesn't sound right! (4)

CAPTION CONTEST by Isla Downie

How it works: Every month we commission an original cartoon in need of a caption!

Anyone can submit a caption for each month's contest - the wittier the better. Do you have what it takes?

Please submit your entries to design.epigram@gmail.com before the 20th of the month.

The lucky winner of this month’s Caption Contest will receive a 6-pack of beer and 2 Brewery Tour vouchers from Left Handed Giant!

Left Handed Giant are a Bristolbased brewing company, with six premises across the city. We make a variety of styles from our two brewery sites based in Bristol, one at our taproom in St Philips, and one at our brewpub in the heart of the city.

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EPI-GAMES

ACROSS

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01.04.25 EPIGRAM

Curated by James Lewis & Alexandra Hill

KILLER SUDOKU by Alice Guskov