The Falmouth Anchor - January 2016

The

Falmouth JANUARY 2016

4th EDITION

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What’s the future of our campus?

FULL STORY, NEWS p3 News Students fight for an Ethical Exeter

Arts A Collective of Creatives: a night at the pop-up fair

Lifestyle Which Cornish pasty are you?

Columns

Politics

New Year, Old You?

The fight against the Tampon Tax

Meet the team

Editors Editor in Chief & Print: Cece Armstrong editor@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Sarah Redman- sarah.redman@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Co-Editor and Secretary Hermione Blomfield-Smith secretary@falmouth-anchor.co.uk News Editor Print: Louis Hunter news@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Nadja Kaukiainen Politics Editor Print: Louis Hunter politics@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Izzy Aruna Opinion Editor Print: Joe Parkinson opinion@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Joe Parkinson and Louisa Pennell Columns Editor Print: Daisy Roberts columns@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Jake Chapman Lifestyle Editor Print: James Stix & Rachel Haddy lifestyle@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Arts Editor Print: Lucy Goldsmith arts@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Online: Megan Fatharly Sport Editor Print & Online: Callum McKay sports@falmouth-anchor.co.uk Social Media/ Marketing Daniel Wilcox advmar@fallmouth-anchor.co.uk

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NEWS

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EDITOR Louis Hunter news@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

All the campus news you need, in 8 short stories

PENRYN CAMPUS

Still Number One Falmouth University has retained its position as the UK’s foremost university for the arts, according to the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016. After only being granted university status in 2012, it has held the top spot for the past two years. Falmouth also ranked among the five best universities in the South West, the seventh best modern university and 17th for teaching experience. Falmouth’s overall ranking was a healthy 56 out of 127 universities surveyed. The full list, including a breakdown of the scores and the methodology used can be found on the Sunday Times website.

Give it a Go! From the 18th of January onwards, FXU Sports Clubs, Societies, Volunteering and the Penryn Fitness Centre have organised a week of activities to inspire us all to do something new in 2016. This provides an opportunity for students to have a go at any of the activities provided by FXU’s Clubs and Societies. There will be something for everyone, with all events to be revealed on an upcoming calendar - available online in the upcoming weeks. Keep your eyes peeled on the FXU website for the Give it a Go Online Booklet and be sure to sign up for whatever catches your eye.

FXU in Amsterdam Penryn Campus staff take home FXU is offering the incred- awards ibly exciting prospect of a weekend away in Amsterdam for the bargain price of £149.

Travel by coach and ferry is included in the price, as is two nights in a local B&B and a dedicated rep to show you the delights of the Dutch capital. Not called the ‘Venice of the North’ without reason, this trip promises to highlight some of the finest places to eat, drink and be merry in all of Europe. Whether it’s a bike tour through the streets, a cruise down the canal, good food and even better company at one of the many fine eateries or dancing the night away in the city’s hottest club, you’ll be sure to find something you love. Places are limited and you’ll need to apply by early January, so head over to the FXU website to make sure you don’t miss out.

Staff at Penryn Campus took home three of eight Professional Services Recognition Awards (PSRA), after being nominated by both students and colleagues. From the Education and Student Experience Team, Josie Turner won the Learning From Experience Award for her work in the Penryn careers fair. Jasmine Sharma received the David Allen Hero/ine of the Year Award for managing The Compass and the FXUPLUS Timetabling team took home the Excellent Service Award – Best Support for Students. Many other Penryn Campus staff were shortlisted and invited to attend a gala dinner held at Streatham Campus’ Great Hall.

Art School Initia- Falmouth Student Darke Award opens for entries Falmouth Campus tives snaps up Award Expansion ApFalmouth student Louis proved The annual award, which The Falmouth School of Art FALMOUTH CAMPUS

Early last year, Falmouth University submitted plans to further develop its Woodlane campus, proposing the creation of a new roof to cover the internal courtyard of the Fox buildings and to add a new floor deck over the refectory.

The university has been keen to stress that all care will be taken to minimise the impact it would have on nearby residents. The new space provided by these changes promises to greatly increase the number of students the refectory is able to seat and serve at one time. The redesigned courtyard would also be restricted to maximise the available space. The plan was approved in May 2015 by Cornwall Council but it is currently unknown as to when the work will begin.

has announced a series of five day courses, or ‘Intensives’, designed to ‘focus and extend your practice’. Offering daily one-to-one input from expert tutors, which includes leading artists from around Cornwall, those who decide to take part can enjoy studio tutorials, group discussions and practical sessions. One student, who had previously attended an Intensive, commented that ‘I came away from this feeling like I had undertaken an MA in a week.’ The Intensives are running from the 4-8 July 2016 and more information can be found on the Falmouth University website.

Supple was awarded Student Photographer of the Year by the Guardian, as part of their Student Media Awards 2015.

Fellow student Jacob Harrell took runner up in the same category. The Student Media awards, which are judged by a panel of respected journalists from across the industry and the country, recognises the best up-and-coming writers, designers, broadcasters, editors and photographers. Louis was quoted saying, ‘it was an incredible feeling to win and also great to see that three out of the five finalists were from Falmouth University. My plan is to eventually break into the world of photojournalism when I finish in 2017.’

commemorates playwright Nick Darke, has opened for all national and international applicants aged 16 and above.

This year, the category has been set as stage play. For a chance at winning the £6,000 first place prize, entrants must submit their full script along with a single page synopsis and a short CV by Monday 30th May 2016. The judges for this year’s award include Molly Dineen, BAFTA winning director, cinematographer and producer, and Drama Commissioning Editor for Radio 4, Jeremy Howe, among many esteemed others.

NEWS

JANUARY 2016

FRONT PAGE: What’s the future of our campus?

Sarah Redman Front Page Editor and Online Editor

U

niversity - a home of learning, wisdom and skill. Or alternatively, parties, drinking and good music (although it depends on who’s DJing at the Stannary…). What you might not think of when you consider university is business. And, like all businesses, universities need profit to succeed.

They’re measured by ‘value for money’ and ‘best for your buck’, with student satisfaction becoming more and more important to their position on the league table.

So, as a small campus with the same running costs as one double the size, what can Falmouth and Exeter universities do to make Penryn pay its way, whilst keeping students happy? Each extra EU/English student is another £9,000 and each extra non-EU student is about double that. Getting in more students from outside Europe is the best earner since each foreign student is worth two EU students but attracting those students is expensive and Government anti-migrant policies do not encourage foreign students.

Squeezing in more students without increasing facilities or staffing is the ideal solution.

But FXPLUS already runs a tight ship and achieves a 96% occupancy rate of university student accommodation so there is probably very little room left in the Inn for now.

Policy could change of course and allow first year students to be placed in private sector accommodation. Historically many Universities have placed first year students in “digs” but this would be a major change of policy for Exeter and Falmouth Universities, and not one to expect soon.

Above: the newly finished Heart Reception, Left: conceptual image for the new Sports Centre, to be completed in 2017

How else to get more students in? Expansion has been occurring on the Penryn Campus since the 1990s.

The non-residential building projects at Penryn have pretty much been completed.

However, increased Residential provision is a crucial element of increased student numbers. New developments are endlessly being proposed in the area. The latest, with a pre-planning application submitted to the Cornwall Council in September, is a 125 bed purpose built student accom-

modation unit in Packsaddle.

Yet, perhaps luckily, the council concluded that the development will “result in potential harm to existing trees… adverse impact on the character of the area [and these] outweigh the benefits of providing student accommodation”.

So our small, friendly campus may be safe for the moment – but for how long?

The thing is, as most companies know, losing your unique selling point is a very bad idea.

And that’s what’ll happen to Penryn if this continues much

longer. Students flock to the Cornish coastline for a unique environment, unlike any other university in the UK. A friendly atmosphere, small campus and great teacher-student ratio along with brilliant accommodation. Student numbers have risen from 500 to 3,100 for Falmouth University at Penryn in fifteen years alone!

So how else can universities make money? One approach is to charge students more for accommodation.

However, students are limited by low incomes and restrictions on how much they can borrow -not everyone can resort to the bank of Mum and Dad. So FXPLUS faces rising costs without much room to raise prices.

It already makes profits on its catering, retail, day nursery and reprographic services.

It also makes a profit on the non-student letting of resi-

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dences – mainly in the summer holiday – and from non-academic conferences, and external events including corporate hospitality. However, as things tighten, there will be pressures to cut costs wherever possible, mainly through restructuring services and increasing staff productivity. The Universities will be keen to reduce their subsidies to FXPLUS, while also thinking about how to increase productivity of their staff, cut teaching costs and rationalise the use of buildings. Reducing the number of off-site buildings is one way to make savings.

An alternative could be research grants. Overall there was no increase in the amount of Government money for research grants this year. The amount of teaching grants to universities for post grad courses continues to go downhill as a result of the Government’s shifting the cost to students in the form of tuition fees. The recurrent research grant remains substantial. The Government changed the criteria for 2015-16 and Exeter University did well, gaining 20%, to £34 million, with £11 million of that for teaching funding. While this is a lot less funding than the big boys (eg Cambridge’s £141 million, Imperial’s £124 million and Oxford’s £139 million) Exeter is an important research university in the UK. However, it is not clear that this money/ research is relevant to Penryn and, unfortunately, Falmouth University found its research grant cut by almost 8% this year to under £4 million.

So this is not an easy time for those planning for the future of the Penryn Campus. All we can hope is that they do not compromise it’s unique selling point of a friendly, small campus- the main reasons why students end up in Cornwall.

NEWS

JANUARY 2016

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Students fight for an Ethical Exeter

Cece Armstrong, Editor, speaks with Robin Ellis Cockroft about the campaign

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tudents from both Cornwall and Streatham Campuses have come together to create a campaign aimed at challenging The University of Exeter’s investment portfolio.

The campaign, founded by Renewable Energy student Robin Ellis Cockroft and Biosciences student Gara Trujillo, is calling for the University to divest its £30m endowment away from companies such as JP Morgan and to invest it all in more ethical companies.

Speaking to Robin, he explained that there are many students who are irritated by the fact that Exeter is investing in fossil fuels and, further, that the university currently has zero ethical considerations in their investments.

If the campaign were to suc-

Ethical Exeter logo

ceed in its aims, Exeter would become the first fully ethically invested University in the UK - another impressive title to add to its ever growing list of achievements, following its new status as a Global Top 100 University. “Hopefully [the success of the campaign] will have a lot of impact, especially in the UK”, Robin explained, articulating his hope

that other UK Universities, most probably Exeter’s competitors, would follow suit and invest their money in more ethical companies.

The campaign is not without significant challenges, however. As a university that is constantly expanding and developing, the prospect of giving up the substantial returns it makes on its investment in

JP Morgan might not seem that appealing.

As with any university campaign, engagement of the student body is integral to the campaign’s development. The team have released a survey for students to fill out that has already been completed by a number of students, and the team is planning to hold focus groups with students and so-

Parking chaos on campus Lauren Gille

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f you have missed the recent parking troubles at the Penryn campus, you have probably been spending too much time at Gylly. When the issues first began in November, many people came to University one day to find one of the main car parks closed with no warning. This meant that some people, including myself, couldn’t attend lectures and other university activities. Whilst we were told within days that building for the new sports centre had started (unexpectedly early), the student body had no warning and as such couldn’t plan other modes of transport. Others, like myself, have no option but to drive into University, which also means that I have paid for

photo:Lauren Gille

a year’s parking permit, which for weeks was of no use.

In the Penryn Campus Car Parking Policy 2015/2016 it is recognised that ‘some students do bring cars and park them for long periods in residential areas which has a negative impact on our neighbours in the wider community.’ Why then, has a major car park been closed?

There was already a known problem with students and staff parking in residential areas and these issues have now escalated to reports of abuse,

including one member of staff having their tyres slashed.

The University said this about the new facilities, ‘Over the coming year we will be constructing a new Sports Centre and Nursery at the Penryn Campus which will benefit students and staff from both the University of Exeter and Falmouth University.’ However many of the people affected by the parking issues will not still be at the University when the new facilities open in 2016.

Additionally, if these build-

ings are being built on existing car parks does this mean that parking will remain an issue when they open? The sports centre is also supposed to be finished by next September.

As The Heart was supposed to be finished in 2015 it begs the question, when will the work actually be finished and how many of the current students are realistically going to be able to use the new facilities?

Efforts have been made to rectify the parking issues, but they only appeared to be im-

cieties in the coming months as a way to explore the issues surrounding this campaign in more depth, helping students understand why this campaign is so important. With team members from many different disciplines within the University, the campaign is hopeful in engaging as many students as possible.

Robin outlined the campaign’s next steps as working towards getting backed by both FXU and Guild, releasing a short film explaining what the campaign is, who’s behind it, and its aims and finally, developing its social media presence. The team is currently working towards its report to Council in April in which they are due to present a paper alongside their recommendations of how the University should divest it’s money.

plemented as an afterthought.

‘Whilst efforts have been made to provide more parking after the recent closures, “In addition to the 130+ reinstated and temporary spaces mentioned in last week’s OpUp, an extra 50-70 temporary spaces have been identified on campus to be available from January. A further 30 spaces in a car park near the campus will also be available from January.’

Many of the student body, including myself, are grateful to be part of the union between these two Universities, and as a relatively new campus it is understandable that improvements will be made to facilities. However, I can’t be the only student who feels that sometimes the wellbeing of future students is put before that of current students.

POLITICS Year of Terror Louis Hunter, Politics Editor

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etween 1978 and 2013, there have been an average of four ‘mass-fatality terrorist events’ a year.

In 2014, there were 26. In 2015, according to a recent study by the University of Maryland, that number will be equal or higher, depending on how many massacres by ISIS and Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram are counted. In November alone there were the Paris attacks, the bombings in Beruit, a raid on a hotel in Mali, the downing of a Russian passenger jet over the Sinai in Egypt, attacks in Nigeria and Somalia, plus countless more in Iraq and Syria, a significant surge of violence in Afghanistan, and a wave of stabbings and shootings across Bangladesh. Then, two days into December, a young couple in California murdered 14 people at a clinic in San Bernadino.

As has long been the case,

Muslims living in the Middle East bore the brunt of the violence. However, 2015 also saw the proliferation of attacks targeted towards westerners. Two terrorist attacks in Tunisia in March and June left almost sixty tourists dead; among which thirty were British. Unfortunately, this pales in comparison to the devastation wrought in Syria and Iraq by the civil war and the emergence of ISIS as the pre-eminent terrorist organisation.

Perhaps what has most shaped the violence of 2015, and will no doubt have the same effect in 2016, is the evolution of the conflict in Syria. While recent diplomatic and military moves, such as Russian offensives and the UK’s bombing, may begin to have an impact in the coming months, few predict that they will lead to a sudden collapse of Isis in the near future. It looks as though 2016 will start as 2015 ended: shrouded in terror and convulsed by bursts of unimaginable violence.

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EDITOR

Louis Hunter politics@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

The fight against the Tampon Tax Hope de Rooy

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he ‘stop tampon tax’ campaign, a response to the 5% tax on sanitary products due to their apparent luxury status, has had a recent increase in media coverage and public support. This support has taken many forms, for example a petition to women free bleeding outside the houses of parliament. If nothing else I think this campaign has been successful in raising awareness of the tampon tax and showing just how ridiculous it is to call a normal and natural bodily function a luxury.

It is important to clarify that this is a uterus issue and not a solely female issue, and to remember within this campaign that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive as forgetting this excludes gender non-conforming and Trans people. That said, the majority of people who menstruate are female, and so it is a valid point that many ‘stop tampon

tax’ campaigners say this is essentially a tax on women.

Indeed, taxing normal bodily functions that mostly happen to women, says that to exist as a woman is a privilege and a luxury, one that, on average women pay £700 per year in sanitary products.

A policy put forward by students and unanimously voted on by student council means FXPLUS are obligated to subsidise the 5% tax on sanitary items in all the places they are sold on campus and support the ‘stop tampon tax’ in FXPLUS official capacities, like at NUS conferences. However, the FXU Feminist Society has met with less success in sending our local MP Sarah Newton and MEPs letters outlining what we perceive to be the issues with the ‘tampon tax’, as Sarah Newton did not vote to revoke tampon tax.

Therefore, while this tax shows a stigma still attached to menstruation exemplifying the implicit, but still present gender inequality women face,

comparatively we are in a relatively privileged position.

Although I don’t believe this justifies non-action, globally, some girls and women are not allowed to go to school, cook and are sometimes isolated while menstruating. These barriers are often practical as much as social, as participation is limited by things we take for granted such as access to safe toilets and sanitary products that also have adverse health implications.

Not only is this stigma damaging to the perceived value of women, but it has a direct impact on education, work, and societal gender equality and women’s health. So, while the ‘stop tampon tax’ campaign menstruation might seem like a niche issue, addressing the stigma attached to menstruation and using the momentum of recent attention to focus on parts of world where this stigma has such damaging impacts on the lives of girls and women is definitely worthwhile and a reason to keep discussing menstruation.

Osborne set to slash tax benefits: Universal credit and universal concern Nick Butcher

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eorge Osborne promises to reverse the tax credit cuts proposed in his July budget report – that is, until April of 2016.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer shocked voters and MPs alike in announcing substantial cuts to tax benefits by April of 2016. Unsurprisingly, the backlash was fierce with Labour and Conservative MPs alike claiming a significant betrayal of the voter’s trust. Mr

Osborne has since rescinded these tax cuts, but insists on following the introduction of a replacement to tax benefits: Universal credit.

Already piloted in some areas of the country, it is estimated that just over 140,000 families will be affected by the introduction of universal credit; those hardest hit being lone parents, disabled people and couples with children living in rented rather than owned or mortgaged properties.

It is the goal of the current government to remove tax

credits entirely by 2018, resulting in millions of low-paid families having to tighten belts that can’t stand to be tightened further.

To put these events in perspective, if Mr Osborne had followed through with his original plan of tax benefit cuts, a couple who are both working full time would have stood to lose £1,400 of a £20,000 salary. With the introduction of universal credit this same couple would be losing £1,030 per financial year. A small difference, but an important one.

To follow the worrying theme of spending cuts, Mr Osborne intends to push ahead with slashing £12bn out of the welfare budget. During the Conservative election campaign Mr Osborne gave vague descriptions of money saving proposals: Freeze working age benefits for two years, lowering the benefits-per-household cap from £26,000 to £23,000 and an end to housing benefit for 18-21 year olds on Jobseekers’ Allowance, among others.

While this seems all well and

not-so-good for those in or recently out of full-time education, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has projected that the above proposals amount to £1.5bn saved – roughly a seventh of the needed £12bn.

With these heavy-handed tactics, it can only be hoped that by cutting government spending the Conservatives don’t miss and decapitate the electorate instead.

OPINION Musical Tolerance Sam Bishop

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ost people have a preferred genre of music, even if they dabble in other things occasionally. For myself, that genre is hip-hop. Recently, I thought I would branch out and listen to things outside of my comfort zone, and proceeded to gather recommendations from other people about what to listen to. My journey into new music was truly into the unknown.

The point of this piece is to say that the unknown turned out to be not only interesting but really enjoyable. The recommendations included things like AC/DC, Frank Turner and Of Monsters and Men. Despite all these being bands, they are obviously all varied in their sound. Slipknot provided a totally new sound that I didn’t always like but found really intense in a good way. Frank Turner, on the other hand, provided a more mellow and relaxed sound that suited the

dark evening in which I listened to him.

I didn’t do this just to have a change of scenery, though, but also to accommodate or at least show an open mind to the things my friends liked listening to. The reason for this was that, being a fan of rap and hip-hop, I hear all the stupidity under the sun like “it’s all terrible” and “you must have a really bad taste in music” and I didn’t want to be a narrow-minded person like that. I know what it’s like to have a music taste that people ridicule and so I try not to devalue the musical preferences of others as a result. The first step, then, was to listen to it and form an opinion myself.

To conclude, I would advise people to try new things musically. It’s not like bungee-jumping where you need to really overcome a fear and jump off a bridge – all you have to do is open up YouTube and play a couple of songs.

You never know, you might find something brilliant you never thought you’d like.

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In the Opinions Section it is our aim to allow all manner of people to express all manner of views. If you have an idea for an article, please feel free to get in touch with me at opinion@falmouth-anchor.co.uk. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the range of articles on offer this month!

Joseph Parkinson – Opinions Editor

The Horrors of Being Stingy

Joe Parkinson, Opinions Editor, writes on the problems of being a naturally stingy person Christmas may be over, the memory of vast amounts of turkey still lingering in our minds, but as I write this it is the 9th of December, and I still am yet to buy any family members any Christmas presents. For many, Christmas shopping is a time for joy and gladness. For many, buying (or even making) presents for one’s nearest and dearest leaves one with a warm glow in the heart and a smile on the lips. For many, nothing is more fulfilling than selecting just the right gift for someone, and picturing their delight when they receive it.

Unfortunately (and to my eternal shame), I am not one of these people. You see I am, and always have been, very stingy – so stingy in fact that upon hearing that I had played the role of Scrooge in my year

13 play, a teacher was heard to remark “Joe would be a great Scrooge, because he is Scrooge”. A little harsh, but closer to the truth than I would like. photo: Louisa Pennell

“

You see I am, and always have been, very stingy The fact is I just don’t like choosing gifts for people. Perhaps it comes from a fear of selecting something wholly inappropriate. Perhaps it comes from constantly being beaten by the amazing presents that some people can muster.

Whatever the cause, I assure you, malice is not at the root of the affliction, and no more

is laziness. In the past I have trawled shops for hours, desperately seeking an appropriate present, only to leave empty handed. Because of this, I have been forced to adopt nefarious tactics to source cheap presents for people.

I recall a time when I was quite young when I – desperate to source a present for my father – stole a bottle of beer from the fridge, wrapped it, and gave it to him. I was probably rumbled, but he was kind enough to feign surprise and joy at the crummy gift. This is emblematic of my hatred for buying people gifts. So when next Christmas comes around, spare a thought for the legions of cheapskates like me. It really is decidedly tragic.

Have Universities Sold Out? Holly Blood

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love university. I like the campus and the lecturers, the classmates I’ve met and grown to adore – I’m even becoming fond of the recently installed (and slightly scary) vending machines which can now actually talk to you, demanding your money. And let’s be honest, where else realistically can you learn obscure facts about deviant sexuality in late nineteenth-century decadent literature?

Yes, university is one special place, and surely our academic work should be a reflection of this. So why is it that whenever I hand in a piece of research or a paper, I’m plagued with a sense of helplessness, worthlessness and fear?

Grades are necessary. However, I can’t help this niggling feeling in the back of my mind relentlessly whispering that, at university, learning has become somewhat of a product.

It persistently creeps down to the tips of my fingers whenever I begin to type up an essay, or attempt to write down an

idea. I’ve found that I’m not doing anything for the joy of learning – rather, I’m working more for the marks which could potentially push me into gaining a first.

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Learning should not be compromised. It should not be cheapened.

I’m thinking more about postgraduate entry standards, and

getting similar scores to my peers. Constantly I find myself wondering where my love of learning went and why I’m so fixated on a collection of numbers.

As universities have become more popular and, in turn, more competitive, it’s only natural that they have become businesses. But should university really be classified and sold as a brand? Should potential students feel as though they are buying into a product when considering arguably one of the most important and life-changing experiences

of their lives? Should current students be made to feel as though statistics and closing figures are the be all and end all of their academic careers?

Learning should not be compromised. It should not be cheapened. It is enriching and significant and good. It should be an experience. It’s just that sometimes, we need to be reminded of this, and I feel that universities, as institutions, should help us with that from time to time.

JANUARY 2016 9

OPINION

Decisions, Decisions Daisy Roberts Columns Editor

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s anyone who knows me will attest, ‘decisive’ is not a word often used to describe me. Uncertainty, it sometimes seems, has been my constant frame of mind. Am I prioritising the right things? Am I doing enough work? Am I taking enough time off from working? Should I even write this article? Should I be this honest with what is largely a group of strangers? Why am I being forced to make all these decisions?

Doubt and indecision are states of mind I am sure that everyone experiences, but it seems to me students, who as a group are at a stage where there is both so much expectation and also so much pressure, must surely be especially familiar with them. Before we even get to university we are faced with such a life-changing, path-altering decision, which university to go to?

Even once we arrive we are still in such a state of flux; we are both adults and children,

we have moved out of home and yet home is still where our parents live, where we grew up. We pay our own bills, we fend for ourselves, but with money mostly given to us, by generous parents or grudgingly by the government. Are we independent or reliant?

It’s simultaneously disconcerting and brilliant, indecision is such a huge part of our lives, or my life at least, because it seems we’re surrounded by such a deluge of amazing opportunities. Indecision is a privilege, we’re not forced by desperation or a lack of options into making decisions or choosing paths we don’t want, while we’re sitting here too uncertain to decide there are literally thousands of people who are willing to risk their lives, and the lives of their families, to be in our position.

We’re lucky enough to be in the supermarket of life, and not a tiny, overly expensive Tesco Metro, but a huge out of town superstore, with a café and dry cleaning service. We have time to browse, there’s a wealth of choices available, our only struggle is having to decide, to pick a flavour.

Sign of the times

Oliver Cuenca

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n every conflict, symbols tend to emerge from the cultures at war. Emblems of ideology that stand to create solidarity, and unify people to a single cause. One of the most potent re-emergences of a symbol like this has grown since the emergence of ISIS in the last year. I’m talking about the reappearance of the Peace Sign.

Across social media it has echoed as of late, as a response to the various ISIS attacks in recent times. There is the famous Paris one, with its Eiffel Tower standing defiantly, as well as a less popular (in NATO countries anyway)

airliner-shaped one; originating in Russia as a sign of remembrance to the attack on the Russian airliner Metrojet 9268, which was shot down by terrorists, according to authorities.

Once an emblem of the CND (The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), it was swiftly adopted across the world to represent the desire for peace in an era of nuclear power blocs.

“

A symbol which carries a message of peace should not remind viewers of specific events, since they do not speak well across borders.

with symbols of our modern, less binary world. Whereas the original sign, as used by nuclear campaigners was a rallying cry against governments who threatened our peace during the Cold War, its combined usage, with that of the Eiffel Tower and the bombed Russian airliner is that it tries, and possibly fails, to combine this with reminders of attacks that exist only in its long term effects now.

A symbol which carries a message of peace should not remind viewers of specific events, since they do not speak well across borders. Because they are not universal, mere personal tragedies on the scale of nations, they can only ever be useful as encouragement for revenge. These adaptations are also ethnocentric, and allow our enemies, and indeed our allies, to claim that we do not acknowledge or feel as greatly towards an attack in Nigeria or Libya, let’s say. So I say let’s leave the Sign as it is, or leave it in the past.

The issue is, whilst the Sign is still used as an emblem of hopes of future peace, and the maintenance of peace in the present, it has been overlaid

Is the FXU lacking an Asian Society?

Ashley Johnson

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n the FXU’s October 2015 Elections, the role of BME (Black Minority Ethnic) Officer was included as part of the Liberation Committee. As somebody of Asian descent, my initial reaction to this was decidedly mixed. While I am absolutely supportive of its inclusion and believe that it is a worthwhile pursuit, I couldn’t help but feel a degree of disconnect. Perhaps that was due to the use of the abbreviated BME, as opposed to BAME

(Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) – although that would be more an issue of semantics and categorisation, horrendously complex and multi-faceted in itself. Rather, it raised questions for me of the space for Asians within the FXU. I’d like to make it abundantly clear at this point that this is by no means a criticism of the FXU. Instead, I’d like to explore the potential for a possible Asian Society. ‘Asian’ is an incredibly broad church, and many societies already benefit this group. The Islamic Society, offers a space and

education for people of, and with an interest in, the Islamic faith. The Japanese Society serves an important purpose in celebrating Japanese culture, yet this remains a specific niche (although, I’ve personally never felt the Japanese Society was ‘for’ me). There isn’t, however, currently a Society for those who are Asian, but exist outside of these two groups’ remit. Other Asian cultures may be being celebrated (the International Society does amazing work in this realm), but they also deserve a body that would consistently

provide them with a voice. It would be optimistic to suggest that all cultures would be equally served, and there’s an argument to be made that specificity would be more effective, but an Asian Society would fulfil a role currently unfulfilled.

I suppose, at the core of this, I’m just a tad disappointed that no Asian people nominated themselves for the position. Not so that I could vote for whoever is closest to myself on that great Dulux colour chart of humanity, but because it feels like an opportunity

missed. The point remains, an Asian Society could provide the framework, or the experience, for Asian people to run for BME officer (or similar) in the future. Occupying a similar sort of space as the African Caribbean Society does now, an Asian Society could ideally act in tandem to fulfil a parallel purpose.

Of course, you might well ask: “Why didn’t you run yourself?”, or “Why don’t you actually start one?”. Well… I do have a lot on at the moment.

Maybe I’ve just answered my own question.

COLUMNS

10

EDITOR

Daisy Roberts columns@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

Need More Hedgehogs In Your Life? You’re In The Right Place Peter Cooper

W

hen did you last see a hedgehog?

A few months back? Last year? Three years ago? Or do you not even recall?

For many people across the UK, the latter will be true.

Okay, so you might not actively be heading out at night brandishing torches, in the hope of catching a glimpse of a ball of spines bumbling through the grass (I’m probably quite unique in that sense).

But these animals are – or

were – a familiar staple of the British wildlife ensemble.

Although there’s no concrete data on just how much hedgehogs have declined, it is estimated 30 million were snuffling around Britain in the 1950s. Today, it’s probably only about a million at best.

That’s a lot more well-intended bowls of dog food (not milk or bread, please) left out in gardens going uneaten.

In some places though, that doesn’t seem to be the case – and you’re lucky to be studying in one of these locations.

Although the hogs will all be

deep in hibernation at time of print, come their re-emergence in springtime, you’ll find Penryn Campus is a hedgehog hotspot. As a first year living in Glasney View, I could sometimes see as many as five hedgehogs in the short walk between the Stannary and my flat. One of my friends, with good intentions, even took one into his room for the night, where it proceeded to decorate the interior of his rucksack with faeces: just one reason among many to leave them be.

So why are hedgehogs doing so well here when they’re

New Year, Old You? Claire Hamilton

S

o you’ve failed your New Year’s resolution. You’ve returned to Cornwall with your tail between your legs, hoping maybe next year the ‘New Year, New me’ will become a reality. Or perhaps after many years of failed aims you’ve given up making resolutions altogether, I have been there and feel your pain! Or maybe this is just me, telling myself that eventually I’ll actually commit to going for some daily exercise, and even stick to it past mid-January.

Despite my frequently unfulfilled good intentions, I doubt I’m the only one prone to annual uncompleted resolutions. Forbes magazine statistics show only eight percent of people manage to keep their new goals for the year. As a culture we’re growing pessimistic about our ability to keep these resolutions or maybe tempted to give up making them altogether and with sta-

tistics like these maybe that seems like the best option.

Over the past few weeks I’ve heard a variety of New Year’s resolutions. Some are simple ‘practical’ tasks, such as dropping a jean size. Others are more complex and endeavour to increase daily happiness or health. For example, scheduling personal time or not making commitments that cannot be kept. Regardless of the depressing statistics, and what perhaps feels like year after year of ‘New Year, old me’, I suggest we shouldn’t give up on making them. The problem lies not with the resolutions themselves. I merely suggest that when we formulate them we go wrong in several areas.

We tend to believe our resolve at the beginning of the year is enough to sustain us for the next 364 days. When we feel inspired we make radical decisions, forgetting that we need discipline to keep the resolution everyday even when we don’t feel like it, perhaps beginning with a more realistic goal and gradually

building on that is the way forward. Also, much of the time our goals are purely individualistic so we try to keep them alone, perhaps we would be more encouraged if we looked for help from friends. Drag your housemate along on that morning run with you, I promise they’ll thank you some day (let’s hope).

Finally, our goals often prioritise external change rather than focussing on the internal issues they reflect. Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this, as long as we understand the root and nature of these resolutions, they can still help us change our external lifestyle. Therefore, failed New Year’s resolution or not, it isn’t too late to set realistic daily goals in order to begin making these changes.

This year I challenge you not to give up on making a New Year’s resolution, maybe with some daily determination we can gradually become the elusive “New Year, New Me”.

struggling nationwide? If we look at the reasons behind the decline, the most obvious factors are the removal of suitable habitat in farmland, such as hedgerows, and a tsunami of pesticides leading to less worms and bugs to eat. Both of these are by-products of an intensive agricultural system.

In Cornwall, the dominant use of dairy farming doesn’t require either of these. Subsequently, the pastures are a 24hour hedgehog café. Despite Cornwall also hosting one of the country’s highest-density badger populations – of

note, as badgers are the only successful predator of hedgehogs, and are likely to cause local declines in some places. Yet badgers are also more partial to worms, it’s possible that there may be enough to go round to the point where hedgehog predation becomes a rare occurrence.

That’s not a reason to be complacent. Hedgehogs still need all the help they can get.

But for now, make the most of the fact you live in such a good hog-spot, and get to know your spiky neighbour right outside your door.

Our License to Operate James Kaffenberger

W

e have to be careful. We can’t lose sight of our fear and become trapped in a daze of tapping and scrolling. I’m as serious as the House of Commons is about speeding up the Investigatory Powers Bill (the insultingly vague right for internet service providers, companies like Virgin and BT, to collect and store ones and yours browsing history for up to a year). I do not dispute the catching of criminals, rather the technicalities of this bill.

Its vagueness is a high alert reminder that we’re being left naked but only given vague excuses about national security, statistical understandings, economic well-being and providing a better service.

This has long been the way of this nation, we have accepted the many glass eyes attempting to keep us in check.

All for the sacred word of safety. Well, I don’t feel safe. I never have. Seeing them hang-

ing and salivating has sent me into turmoil on occasions, and now I see they’re in my pocket, sitting behind the screen. I can only put this down to the fact that it’s becoming more real.

It’s taken me a while to accept that this is not going away and only going to become overpowering. Deadly.

There is no possibility of boycotting or abandoning this technology, it has become a part of us. Instead, we must become aware. Consider this: do you know how your phone works? A simple question, yes, but do you? I don’t. Now before you shout hypocrite, think here. The majority are in the same boat, we’re continually titillated by something we don’t really have any understanding of. It’s only when we collectively understand that we can collectively take back the power.

As for now, I suggest putting some duct tape over your webcam.

ARTS

12

EDITOR

Lucy Goldsmith arts@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

A Collective of Creatives: a night at the pop-up fair

Photography: Hermione Blomfiield-Smith

Amos Jacob braved the cold winter weather and headed to Toast in Falmouth to find a welcoming community gathering offering art stalls, baked delights and much more As the nights drew in and the leaves fell in auburn drifts, as the rain had a midlife crisis and decided to try the quirky new direction of sideways, I shuffled, with collar upturned, into the Pop-Up Art Fair at Toast on a wintry Wednesday evening. Inside, I faced a room loud with the excited buzz of passionate people. All that was missing was an open fireplace, but you wouldn’t have noticed.

The visitor is instead greeted by a host of varied artworks, presented warmly in person by the artists themselves (most of them students). Prints and postcards, felts and fabrics, with natural themes displayed though many interpretations at every table. I got stuck in

straight away to find out more about what was on offer, and meet some of the contributors to see their motivations for their art.

First I spoke to Frances Barton. She uses stark contrast and intricate design to create striking prints inspired by space and tattoo styles.

Yolande Ward-Streeter’s postcard prints embraced simple design to make a clear comment on body image: with the social pressure on women to conform she believes it is important for her art to have an open discourse about body image and sexuality. This point she illustrated with female forms, foliage and the suggestions ‘nurture your garden’

and ‘let it grow.’ Abi Maynard draws detailed and intricate animals using colour and extreme contrast to create depth.

Zoe Boltt uses colour, lots of colour. Lots of pastel, retro 80s patterns and plays with the textures of her hand printed cards, all unique. Ben Flanagan & Thomas Banks of Moor Print experiment with screen printing and Tshirts. Playing with natural shapes and forms, the prints seem abstract but on closer inspection recognizable nature appears. Leaves and petals are used in the printing process. Charlotte Humphries’ interest is in abstraction and expressionism, and how one might transpose these more traditionally ‘fine art’ styles

into the illustration industry.

Lucy Rivers showed a menagerie of felted animals and character all glowing with personality, from three peas in a pod, to my personal favourite – a cheeky looking sheep that had the identical expression to a lamb I once befriended.

There were many more artists that I just don’t have the space to include in this review.

But chatting to Vita Sleigh, I got a true sense of what the Fair and its contributors were representing: they were putting what they feel about the world into illustration – and not just this, but they wanted to share it with others on a personal, local level.

Besides the art were plen-

ty more activities to spark conversation and keep you engaged. Ben Pritchard and Thierry Porter hosted a “draw a super hero” competition, there were cakes from the Vegan & Vegetarian Society, a bookswap, henna tattoos and a commissioned spot the difference from Erin Mclean, a previous exhibitor.

All this contributed to creating atmosphere in which all ages, disciplines and backgrounds could socialise. Frank Pellow, the founder of the events, has seen them grow over the last two years into a regular happening, fulfilling his vision of creating opportunities for people to share, discuss and develop art.

JANUARY 2016

ARTS For many exhibitors it was their first time selling their work. The general feeling amongst those I chatted to was one of excitement and positivity, and really fulfilled Pellow’s aforementioned desire for ever-evolving creativity that sits at the heart of the collective’s ethos. For visitors to appreciate work by engaging with the artists is an integral part of the experience. There was a reoccurring expression from artists that it’s amazing when strangers who don’t just have to be polite genuinely like your work and respond encouragingly.

This event, to me, is a great testament to the arts as a unique place to redefine our arguably inherited system of values that relegate art to the upper-middle class. It is exciting to see young artists who value the sharing and acces-

13

sibility, experimentation and discourse stimulated by art above hard-sell profit-driven exclusivity, and a community who values the work of the artist enough to over-pay (especially as student artists sadly may feel the need to under-charge to make their art appealing and accepted).The fair had an unspoken openness for people to think about the value of art compared to the value of ‘money’; that the pleasure of sharing work and ideas for an affordable and accessible amount was important to all the artists. I know we are only talking about a few pence, but it felt like it reflected a larger ideology of community who respect sustainability (in its general sense), exploration and openness. I would strongly recommend checking out the next fair, for the art and the atmosphere.

FILM & MUSIC REVIEWS

Top 5 Films of 2015 Laith Alobaidi

The Super 16mm was a nice touch too.

1) Me, Earl and the Dying Girl This film about high school teens is in no way cheesy and doesn’t revolve around a clichéd unrequited lust. This is the pleasant surprise of the year, a film which will appeal to all audiences: halfformed adults dealing with fully-fledged issues. There’s not a dull moment here; you’ll be invested throughout.

3) Inside Out Pixar has done it again with this hugely ambitious tale.

What the film lacks in iconic characters it makes up for in its expansive plot and inherent meaning. This is a film for both kids and adults. Docter and Del Carmen have achieved the seemingly impossible, explaining the mind of a twelve year old, whilst also helping us to understand mental illness

2) Carol Director Todd Haynes takes filmmaking back to its most authentic form. Carol was not only written and set in 1950s America, but it cinematically feels authentically period.

We delve deep into the lives of the characters, discovering unchartered territory alien to most of today’s films, remaining in scenes long enough for real development, and placing the viewer as voyeur of a deeply complex relationship.

4) Ex Machina Alex Garland knows how to freak his audience out, that’s for sure. This is Garland at his best, a seemingly simple and predictable story which twists and turns and will ultimately leave you questioning your very existence. Garland’s direction, along with incredible performances from Isaac and Vikander will leave you scrutinising every scene. This is Man vs God vs Science. And there is only one winner.

Top 5 Artists of 2015 Sam Bishop 1) Justin Bieber Bieber has smashed records this year, achieving his first number one single in the UK. With a number one album that put eight tracks straight into the global singles chart, Bieber is back – and not just for pre-teen girls any more. Despite still being controversial, he is definitely running the show right now.

5) The Gift After watching this film we’ll all begin to look at Joel Edgerton in a new light. As a directorial debut this is a wondrous achievement, a thriller which Hitchcock himself would be proud to attach his name to.

Always intense and always dynamic, the original story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Let’s hope Mr. Edgerton decides to release his inner auteur more often.

2) Adele Although only re-emerging in the later months of 2015 after a 4-year hiatus, Adele swept us away, releasing the mighty ‘Hello’ before her album shot straight to number one in the charts across the globe. Look out for hot tickets in the New Year: she’ll tour for the first time since surgery on her vocal chords. Go her.

3) Drake The rapper’s most recent accomplishment was the iconic music video for ‘Hotline Bling’ bringing back cheesy

dancing and turtleneck sweaters - but his other feats this year include silencing Meek Mill as well as dropping two mixtapes. One of the biggest artists in hip-hop, Drake can only get bigger with the release of his fourth album.

4) Jess Glynne After ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself’ charted at number one, Jess Glynne equalled Cheryl’s record of five number one singles for a solo female artist, with an album of equal success. She’s gone from a featured artist to a star in her own right, achieving huge individual recognition throughout the year.

5) Dr Dre This was the year Dre came back into the spotlight after being absent after promising fans his third album. 2015’s massively underrated film Straight Outta Compton detailed his early life, and his album accompanying the film was received positively.

JANUARY 2016 16

ARTS

Inside the artistic world of Yoli Ward-Streeter

Photo: Hattie Ellis

Lucy Goldsmith, Arts Editor, and photographer Hattie Ellis were invited into the studio of Falmouth student Yoli Ward-Streeter to talk Quentin Blake, exposure, and the ethics of creating political art We started the interview looking at her most recent work (shown above), ‘Let Nature Take its Course’…

You’re in your second year now - how do you think your art has developed since the start of your degree?

I came up with a trio of illustrations quite quickly; I think because I had lots of different things in my mind going on, like the book The Beauty Myth and the feminist ideas it inspired. These thoughts seemed to link with nature for me. I didn’t do it intentionally; you know, ‘I want to do this really deep thing about women and their bodies and nature’… but it just happened organically. I want to represent female agency and the idea that women can just be allowed to feel at one with nature. One artist I met at the Pop-Up Fair asked if she could feature my pieces in a blog post exploring feminist influences and body politics.

It felt like her way of saying ‘yes, that’s what I’m thinking about, and you’ve conveyed it in an image.’

I’m a lot more free. Recently I did a big series of prints and translated them into 3D models – I never would’ve done that in first year, I would’ve been too scared.. Through the process 2D turned into 3D and back again. I like some of my first year work but process-wise it was very limited.

I would decide ‘I’ll do a series of prints here’ or ‘I’ll work in acrylic’. It was very much inside a boundary, whereas here, now, I feel comfortable that I can start with a medium and not have to finish with it. Just see where it takes me.

Tell us about your current sketchbook work.

I’m working in a way I haven’t done before, on a piece about the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s

one I’m really interested in, and I think it’ll push me to the edge because it’s a gritty subject that I can’t just do nice drawings for; I have to do it justice. It’s still early stages, but my main aim is that it will be interactive. So I’ll have a big wall with an illustrated piece, like a flow diagram. The viewer has to make a decision about the people represented in the drawing – what do they want to happen to them? Do they get to stay?

seen as individuals any more.

Reportage repeats that there’s thousands and thousands of them, that they are going to overrun us; the Daily Mail even did a comic strip likening them to rats. It’s harking back to the Jews and their portrayal in Nazi propaganda. I want people to empathise.

So kind of comic book-esque?

I hope so, because that’s what makes art important. It’s nice to make things that are aesthetically pleasing, but how about what’s morally right to represent? Artists are often torn between what’s commercially viable - what consumers like - and what’s important to do. You don’t want to tell your client that they’re wrong – they’re paying your bills! – but at the same time you want to keep your originality and

I don’t want the style to be comic: I want it to be serious. Although based on facts and current political events, I want to explore the blurred lines between fact and fiction.

The way news outlets convey these stories are so skewed: refugees are predominantly relegated to statistics, and it’s dehumanising, that they’re not

Do you think then that this project has encouraged your work to discuss a moral purpose?

integrity. You need to find the line between the two.

What would you hope to do with your degree?

What I hope to do is use art to make a difference, challenging the way people think. Illustration is a means of communicating where words can’t always suffice. It crosses countries and languages; an image can mean so much more. I’d like to explore areas such as teaching: to stop drawing being a punishable thing as it so often is with doodling in class, and instead show kids that if their minds work creatively, it’s not a bad thing that they’re less academic. Besides, doodling is a great way of expressing yourself. Everyone’s minds work in a different way.

Is that something you saw lacking in your education growing up?

I did feel that the two spheres

ARTS of academia and creativity were very separate. I remember at school we did an online quiz to discover what type of learner you were, say a kinsthetic learner, or an audio learner, which was great… and then we went back to class and nothing changed; we carried on doing tests. What’s the point in identifying that we’re all different and then not catering to it?

Who inspired you in your childhood? Was it art teachers, or specific artists?

When I was younger, I was first inspired by the books I read that were illustrated. Particularly Quentin Blake: I was obsessed. [Roald Dahl] found exactly the right person to compliment his writing, and communicate it in a different medium. I love that he can draw so effortlessly, which is such a talent. And he’s proof

JANUARY 2016

that although anyone can be good at drawing – once you break it down into grids, and practice, and take lessons – not everyone can understand character intuitively. Blake captures the essence of people; you just can’t learn that.

How do you find the boundary between money and art?

Have you had people requesting you to do work for them, and then expecting it for free because it’s art?

This is such a big problem… for example, the magazine Oh! Comely don’t pay their illustrators, as I found out from a former 3rd year student. I mean, it’s obviously great exposure to have in your portfolio. But it’s more about the principle of you as a professional. You wouldn’t ask a plumber to do a free job with the excuse that ‘it’s free exposure, mate!’ We’re a profes-

Top left to right: current sketchbook work on the refugee crisis; Yoli’s studio space on Woodlane. Bottom left and right: two multimedia pieces taken from illustrated book ‘The Red Tree’

sion, and we should get paid.

I’ve learnt the skills, I’ve done a degree. If I were to say that I’ll just work for free for Oh! Comely, but then someone else asks me, where do I draw the line? It’s hard.

Do you feel like you still have challenges to overcome? Before a degree, your art is often done for pleasure, but now you have to be creative even when you don’t feel 100% creative.

Sometimes you just have to push through even when you’re not ‘on it’. Normally when I feel like that I draw anyway, do bad drawings, and get frustrated… but something within the bad drawing always has potential.

To read a longer version of this interview and view the full photoset by Hattie Ellis, head to the Falmouth Anchor website.

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LIFESTYLE

EDITORS

18

James Stix & Rachel Haddy lifestyle@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

Making the most of the last few months in Fal

James Stix, Lifestyle Editor, compiles a to-do list for those soon to leave Cornwall

T

he longer you spend in Falmouth, the better it gets, really. I have yet to meet someone here who has had a more negative than positive experience here (although I’m sure there are - nowhere is the right place for everyone) and that with time hasn’t made the most of what Falmouth has to offer.

Coming out of these holidays and into 2016, the thought looms over those of in our last year: Six. Months.

Left.

It settles into the system.

Eyes fill up with tears as cold and harsh as the Cornish sea.

You start desperately calling up everyone you can think

of to wish them a happy new year but also to confirm that they will at least meet up for coffee once this term. Memories start swarming your brain as you try to go to sleep; thoughts of first year, of all the friends you made and the unforgettable moments you had with them, of that first bite into your first pasty (glorious) and knowing it would become an at-least-weekly treat. That first nerve-wracking Stannary event where you pre-drank too much and worried about getting separated from the preliminary friends you had made only to be lost in an ocean of probably fellow freshers probably wearing awesome costumes. And as you lay awake,

reminiscing and having a growing craving for really crappy Tesco wine, an even more distressing realisation kicks in: how will I have time to binge-watch Netflix with a full-time job?

So, for those of us suffering through this hardship, we have compiled the top motivational points to keep going during these last few months and let the momentum grow. For those who’ve still got longer to go, you might be thankful in the future that you read these now.

So, here goes: 1) Opportunity only knocks once: if there’s an event, a plan, a person wanting to see you… go for it! Overcome the seemingly impossible task of getting out of bed

after a long uni day and get there. You never know, you might miss out on an epic time by staying in, and these are the days of our lives where we will probably have the most free time. 2) Explore: this one requires a bit more planning, but after a year at Falmouth it can easily feel small, or like you’ve hit all the major places and sights, but Falmouth has some seriously great hidden wonders! From restaurants to charity shops (Penryn Treasures - worth a visit) to nearby towns and beaches. Get a ride, jump out, have fun! 3) Love campus; going to visit other campuses might have made you realise, our campuses are truly amazing! From the natu-

ral surroundings to the general vibe and the ability to become involved through things like Flexsi and FXU, it’s never too late to try something new, take advantage of the student prices and make new connections!

Now lastly, 4) Embrace the future positively. It’s coming up, we can’t help it we shouldn’t avoid it. You might have plans already for after graduation, you might just be starting to think about it, but while intimidating it’s indeed an opportunity, don’t miss it!

Hope these help, but ultimately it boils down to making the most of things, and accepting the ever-changing process of life. Studying in Falmouth and Penryn is truly a privilege.

LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2016

19

Which Cornish Pasty are you?

The U2 is running late.

Do you...

Nag a friend to drive you?

Walk 5 miles to Falmouth?

Grab a coffee in Koofi and wait for another?

Brainstorming essay topics

Your idea of a relaxing afternoon is…

A jog along the sea front

You’ve booked out a silent study room but there’s someone using it! How do you respond?

Store the rage for your next lacrosse match…

You’ve travelled to London to see The Bottle Match but have lost your group in Oxford Street. Do you…

Hop on a Boris Bike and cycle to the pitch?

Asleep in the cloakroom of Club I

You’ve lost your garden party wristband!

Do you…

Friday morning finds you…

A Netflix marathon

Protest your honesty to the FXU Presidents?

Great value

Grin and bear it?

You describe Stannary jacket potatoes as…

Chase the blighter out with a hefty tome from the archives

Wait for your friends and watch Les Mis in the meantime?

Dull Divine fruit of the land

It’s the third day of your gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition and your sleeping bag has torn in two. Do you…

Furnish another from dry leaves and nature valley wrappers?

Cry bitter tears?

For the third time this year, your best friend wants you both to dress as Minions for a costume party. Do you…

For a beach day at Gylly you take…

The newest edition of Hello

Wear it as a two piece swimsuit?

Campus cat

VEGETABLE

MEDIUM STEAK

CHICKEN BALTI

CHEESE AND ONION

A fitness fiend, you are determined and committed.

Sometimes your colourful side is ignored by others but you harbour hidden depths…

A natural leader, you’re reliable, sensible and get the job done. However, your strength can lead to stubbornness , and your firm opinions can be hard to swallow.

You like to be noticed and woe betide anyone who doesn’t! A hot head has got you into trouble in the past but your extrovert nature usually gets people back on your side.

Despite being notorious for your fun side, you hide a soft centre which makes you more sensitive than others may think. You are enthusiastic but take on too many projects which can make you seem flaky.

JANUARY 2016 20

LIFESTYLE

Exploring New York City - trying to find the nature Louisa Pennell

I

suppose the idea of nature and New York City don’t always go hand in hand, but on my Geography field trip to the ‘Big Apple’ a couple of months ago, I certainly made it my aim to hunt down some natural spaces. I mean, I’m coming from Cornwall, the land of beautiful scenery, so nature is a must in any new location!

My first stop was Central Park, a must see, on my first evening in NYC, where I and a crowd of Geographers congregated, enjoying the afternoon sun and playing an incredibly competitive game of Ultimate Frisbee. This was shaping up to be a good candidate for my search for a “green” New York. Yet, as we walked back towards the main gates of the

Photo: Louisa Pennell

park to try and hunt down some food, I was almost completely trampled to death by a herd of joggers. If it hadn’t have been for my quick-thinking friends, I may not have made it here to write this article. The image of Central Park as a completely chilled out retreat from the buzz of the city was, if not shattered, at least slightly shaken.

Over the next few days, I

travelled around what felt like the entirety of New York if the state of my crumbling shoes and aching feet were anything to go by. I saw amazing sites, namely the dramatic Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 War Memorial and Museum; as well as ones that changed my entire perspective of New York as a material and consumerist capital Yet what about my search for

nature? Sure, there were a few parks dotted about, and the garden at the Irish Hunger Memorial abundant with English plants (especially gorse, reminding me of fond memories walking all over Dartmoor) really made me feel at home.

But only when I tracked down the Highline did I feel that I’d found my paradise. It’s essentially a raised walkway travelling above the roads and pave-

ments of New York, weaving in and out of countless buildings, providing a panoramic and distant view of the enormity of New York. Yet, here’s one thing you may not be able to find on any website. While I was there, I went on an illuminating garden tour, which gave me a greater understanding of the place as a whole. One thing which stuck out was the fact that the plant beds had been designed strategically so that different plants would bloom at different seasons, so that the Highline would always be full of colour. It’s this colourful world of nature, at a distance from the city, which gave me the greatest appreciation of the city as a whole, and is why I’ll certainly be making a return journey someday.

Christoph Predicts...

January is a time for quiet introspection and self-improvement (sometimes) so eminent fake astrologer the Amazing Christoph has searched the stars for unhelpful, sarcastic advice for the Anchor’s readers.

Aquarius: This month those born under this sign may find themselves questioning the legitimacy of the advice they receive. Except from these horoscopes. They are definitely correct.

Pisces: As I stared up at the stars I was seized by a chill feeling.

The very blood seemed to freeze in my veins. I suspect this means that Capricorns may be in danger of being cold and aloof this month.

In an unrelated note I am considering moving my telescope inside. It’s freezing at this time of year! .

Aries: You know that thing you really want to happen? It totally is going to happen! Lucky you.

Oh wait, sorry, my mistake. It isn’t.

Taurus: Unfortunately this prediction has been withdrawn from the publication as the author was insultingly informed that “the Taurus prediction was bull”.

Gemini: Good news! A totally inconsequential but mildly positive event like

finding a 10 pence piece in your pocket or seeing a really happy dog will DEFINITELY happen to you sometime this month.

Cancer: Unfortunately for those born under this sign there is this month an increased risk of being subjecte d to atrocious star sign themed puns. Just make sure that this doesn’t make you crabby.

Leo: The stars report that your latest endeavour will be a roaring success.

You might think that I’m being deceitful, but I assure you, I’m not lion.

Virgo: The stars have aligned in a rare and incredible way. This leads me to predict that this month all those born under this sign will be motivated to go stargazing. How uncanny.

Libra: I was all set to consult the stars about what lies in store for those born under this sign, but unfortunately it was quite cloudy so I couldn’t. Sorry about that.

Scorpio: This month you will be given exceptionally vague and unhelp-

ful advice and be unsure about what to do. In other news, beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Sagittarius: The stars state that if you are born under this sign and are guilty of b e traying your friends and stealing things meant for others, then you will find yourself relentlessly pursued by those sworn to the cause of revenge.

So that’s cheerful.

Capricorn: You may find yourself struggling to think of ludicrous fake predictions t o put in your horoscope column.

Oh wait, that’s just me.

JANUARY 2016 21

LIFESTYLE

The ‘My Body My Rights Campaign’ and why we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about abortion

Charlotte Weatherill and Fern Kenyon- Hamp Photo: Caitlin Warren

Charlotte Weatherill President of Fem Soc

I

n November, the FXU Feminist Society and Amnesty International Society teamed up to publicise Amnesty’s ‘My Body My Rights’ campaign. I’ve been involved with the Feminist Society for three years and have held committee positions for the

last two so I’m no stranger to discussing supposedly controversial topics, but I’ve never been so nervous about hosting a society event.

The campaign addresses the human rights violations where individuals have their sexual and reproductive rights removed. Here on campus, we decided to focus on the criminalisation of abortion in North-

ern Ireland by offering people the opportunity to 1) sign a petition asking for the ban to be lifted, 2) to design a t-shirt showing their support for the campaign and 3) to attend an informative evening outlining the biological and medical processes involved in abortion and providing information on how these services can be accessed in this country.

In a time when twelve women a day travel from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK to have an abortion, when a brain-dead woman’s body was kept on life-support against her family’s wishes for the sole purpose of carrying her pregnancy to full-term, it is evident to me that a frank and open discussion on the necessity of access to abortion needs to be had. So with that in mind, why did this campaign make me so uneasy and why am I writing this article with such trepida-

Agony Aunt

The answers to all of life’s questions “My housemates are driving me crazy. We’re all stressed due to third year work but there is so much negative energy in the house! I just want to enjoy my final year at uni.

What do I do?”

That’s a really difficult situation for you to be in, so I’m really sorry. My advice would be to try and find out what exactly is annoying you, sometimes situations are made worse when you have other stresses such as uni work. Then I would suggest perhaps talking to your housemates about how you feel, chances are they may feel the same. If things get too much sometimes I find getting out of my house and getting some fresh air helps me get perspective

“I’m halfway through my first year and I think I’ve chosen the wrong course. I don’t want to leave uni because I love my friends but I can’t see myself studying this subject for the next two years!”

I’m sorry you’re not enjoying your course! Bear in mind that first year courses aren’t always the most enjoyable as a lot of modules are compulsory- you’ll find your course may be more varied in your 2nd and 3rd years. However, if you really can’t see yourself doing this course, perhaps try looking at other options. While it’s important to have friends, they shouldn’t be your only reason for staying on a course you don’t like. Perhaps talk to your personal tutor about this.

tion?

We should be able to talk freely about an experience that is so commonly shared, yet when women go to do just that they are demonised, met with death threats, and their personal information is released online – Amelia Bonow, the founder of the online #ShoutYourAbortion movement, was reportedly forced to leave her home in Seattle after her address was published on Twitter. With the probability of public backlash, plus the threat of judgement and ostracism from family, friends, and partners, it is perfectly understandable why women stay silent. But this cycle of speech, threats, silence and shame overshadows the reality: that to live in a country where abortion is considered a legal right and is available on the NHS is a privilege that should be cherished.

In the UK, it is estimated that between 1923 and 1933 15% of all maternal deaths were caused by unsafe and illegal abortions, but since 1967 this number has dropped to negligible levels. It is clear to see that the UK’s current abortion legislation is working – lives are being saved and women are able to take control of their bodies and their futures. And while this should be a right that’s afforded to everyone, 70,000 women lose their lives each year because it is not.

The most important thing that the ‘My Body My Rights’ campaign taught me is not to be scared into staying silent about a procedure we are privileged to access. I will talk about abortion, and I will continue to talk until our privilege becomes a right for every woman on this planet, and until we all feel safe talking about it too.

ACROSS

DOWN

4. Creature from Greek mythology (7) 6. Circus apparatus (7) 8. Shakespeare play, Titus _ (10) 9. Chinese game (7) 10. Michael Caine’s birth name (7,11) 11. 1984 video game (6) 12. Hat maker (8) 13. James Bond actor, George _ (7) 14. Asian River (6)

1. Fashion designer, Gianni _ (7) 2. Medieval chemistry (7) 3. Early British Bicycle (5,8) 5. Home of WW2 cypher school (9,4) 7. Italian folk dance (10) 14. Group of crows (6)

Submit your questions! email: lifestyle@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

“I recently met my girlfriend’s parents. They were quite abrupt, unfriendly and seemed to always shut down my attempts to make conversation. How can I get them to like me?”

I’m sorry that you don’t feel like it went well. I’m sure that you were very polite and your attempts to make conversation didn’t go unnoticed. They were probably very protective of their daughter and apprehensive about meeting you for the first time too. I think it’s a question of gaining their trust and respect over time. I wouldn’t take it personally!

Just keep making their daughter happy and they will feel more comfortable around you soon enough!

SPORT

PRE BOTTLE MATCH SPECIAL

JANUARY 2016

22

Toil, Sacrifice and Emotion: The Players’ Bottle Match

photo: Taliesin Coombes

Matthew Helfet, CSM Rugby Vice Captain, writes on what the Bottle Match means to the team and why winning would mean so much

W

hen I was asked to write about the Bottle Match, I first asked how many words I would be allowed to convey what it actually means to me.

For those who are not familiar with the Bottle Match or its significance, it is first and foremost the second oldest varsity match in the world, dating to at least 1902 and is played between Camborne School of Mines (CSM) of Exeter University and the Royal School of Mines (RSM) of Imperial College London. This year, it will be played over the 19th20th February and, as always,

it encompasses several sports including rugby, football, hockey and netball. Whilst many sports will be featured, the winner of the Bottle hinges entirely on the result of the rugby match. CSM have not won since 2010, something I am desperate to correct as this year’s Vice-Captain of the rugby team.

Personally, the Bottle Match has always been the peak of my year. Nothing has come close to filling me with the same level of nerves and excitement, or drives me to prepare as this does. It’s the ultimate motivation. I’ll nev-

er forget my first training session with the university here, where our coaches brought all the freshers together in a circle to talk about what was in store for the club that year.

“

Nothing has come close to filling me with the same level of nerves and excitement, or drives me to prepare as this does.

They stated, “If we lost every game 100-0 and won Bottle, we’d consider this season to be a success”. It’s not often that you play for a sports team that places so much emphasis on one particular match over the course of an entire season.

From then onwards, for that season, the team grew more and more restless as the match drew closer and, by the time the Christmas holiday arrived, I was already overcome with anticipation. I’m not embarrassed to confess that I genuinely lost sleep that Christmas whenever I thought about the

possibility of playing for the team in the Bottle Match.

In the build up to the match that year, I only drank alcohol on two occasions after January 1st and had some form of training nearly every day. I lost a staggering amount of weight between the two dates and my nerves were almost wrecked by the time the day actually arrived. I still remember the night before when our captain had announced that he would post the squad for Bottle, I was on the phone to another rugby fresher, for well over 3 hours until the early hours of the morning, fretting over wheth-

SPORT

JANUARY 2016

PRE BOTTLE MATCH SPECIAL

er I would make the cut. As soon as the squad was posted and I (thankfully) was included, all of the freshers promptly went for a celebratory steak in town. This was the kick-start to our compulsory 2-week period of no drinking. One further surprise was in store for us that year with *ahem* self-elective haircuts for the first-years. Mine, in particular, was awful. That said, I can think of no other occasion that would have induced us to go to the barbers and destroy our appearances so thoroughly.

The actual day of the Bottle Match in Cornwall is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Thousands of people attend the matches and scream their support for CSM teams and it’s especially difficult for

the rugby players (who play last on the Saturday) not to get too involved with the earlier events. Then, as the rugby draws nearer, it starts to dawn that your term’s work is about to come to a head. SO much effort, dedication and commitment poured into the preparation for this single match and every player is emotionally invested in the outcome, both for himself and his teammates.

In my first year, we drew 6-6 in the rugby, which meant that RSM retained the trophy by virtue of winning the previous year. It was an absolute sledgehammer blow to us all. I hope never to feel the desolation nor experience again the atmosphere in the changing room after the match. To this day, I’ve never seen 25 fully-grown

men so broken or disconsolate. I happened to be next to our captain that year on the pitch as the final whistle blew and saw him collapse in tears when it dawned that we hadn’t won. Last year was equally as painful when our vice-captain, Rhun Davies, started to break down even before the end of the match when he realized the game was out of reach.

Winning this year would not just be for the current club members. It’s also for those that I know who have gone before and have not experienced what it’s like to win.

23

In the Spotlight

In the Spotlight is a collaboration between The Anchor and FXU aimed to celebrate the successes of FXU Clubs and Socs

Success for Squash Soc FXU SQUASH SOCIETY have gained a place in the Cornish League, allowing the society opportunities to play competitively and meet other players. Since being accepted, the society have been motivated to train harder in order to test their skill and training and learn how they can improve as players and as a team.

They aim to make good links within the Squash community while continuing to play good squash!

FXU Green Living FXU Green Living Project were nominated for Two Cornwall Sustainability Awards! Stephen Murphey, who ran the project for the 2 years NUS funded it, was nominated and won the ‘Best Individual’ award.

The FXU Farmstall were nominated for ‘Best Contribution To A Sustainable Food Economy’. Whilst they were unsuccessful in winning, even being nominated for this award is a massive achievement!

CSM Rugby players talk Bottle Match 2016 Matthew Helfet sat down with the Players’ Player of the Season Alastair Biggar and Captain Jack Paffett to discuss their thoughts in the run up to the game of the year.

You’ve had a great personal season so far, being named Players player, but what’s been the biggest difference for you between this year and last year?

again.

AB: As a team I feel like we have bonded more, we play a more attacking style of rugby and are going to be more successful. Personally I feel like a senior member of the team now. I feel far more involved than last year. With that I feel more responsible both on and off the pitch.

AB: I’m trying to cut back on several habits that might hold me back. I’m training harder than last year without a doubt and making the extra effort to get to strength and conditioning sessions.

So, last year you missed a large proportion of games through injury, including the Bottle Match, how did it feel when you knew you would have to stay behind in Cornwall whilst everyone else went up to play?

AB: Having not played before I’m not sure how it might feel.

But last year I could see how devastated the guys were and that stuck with me. We are putting in so much effort and it will be the peak of a huge year for us, so I can only imagine I would be over the moon.

AB: I don’t like missing any games, but missing out on bottle stung more than the rest, especially as the year went on and the hype grew and grew.

It made me even more keen to feature in the game this year.

Touch wood I won’t miss out

Are you making any special preparations for the Bottle Match that you haven’t done so far?

What would it mean to you to win Bottle?

How do you rate our chances this year compared to last?

AB: I think we are faster, stronger and better prepared than last year. Our attitude is more intense and we are com-

petitive in our league and if we carry that form into the game I can’t find a reason for us not to win this year.

You’ve been pretty much an ever-present player in your 3 years here, what’s been the biggest changes you’ve felt since you started and now

JP: Every year I feel that the club has learnt from how it’s been run previously, causing the club to continuously improve. This has led to constant adaptations to our game play as well as how our club is run off the field. However, personally I feel that the biggest change to the club has been the strength and conditioning sessions that we have introduced this year. This has had the impact of creating a greater structure and professionalism that we haven’t had prior to this year.

So this year you were elected as captain, what were your thoughts when you found out you were elected?

JP: Obviously a proud mo-

ment, to be recognized by your fellow players and people who I look up to means a lot. There was also the excitement that came from the challenge of bringing the bottle back after all these years!

That leads us quite nicely onto the Bottle Match. Our record isn’t the best in recent years, but how do you fancy our chances this time?

JP: The initial signs are good!

Finishing at the top of the league at Christmas, something that we haven’t done during my two previous seasons. I feel that this is a result of the squad being highly competitive, probably the toughest it has been in all three years.

As long as we keep improving, and remain focused on the task in front of us, I truly believe this could be our year.

What would it mean to you to win the bottle?

JP: It’s become a personal quest. I feel a responsibility to win it for the current players, as well as all of the play-

ers who have never lifted the bottle. To be the captain who brings the bottle back after 6 years would be incredible, one of my highest achievements. I can’t think of a better way to finish my 3rd year than winning in front of a home crowd with a bunch of mates around me.

How important do you think the bottle being in Cornwall this year will be?

JP: Having played both in London and Cornwall, I can say playing away doesn’t come anywhere near playing at home. The home crowd is a huge advantage, having 2-3000 supporters around the pitch really does push you on to play that bit harder and make you feel the significance of the occasion. I can remember in first year coming out front under the stand hearing the banging and voices of the crowd above us, its one of those moments you never forget. That year we only drew, I can’t imagine what the crowd would be like if we were to win.

SPORT

24

EDITOR

Callum McKay sports@falmouth-anchor.co.uk

The History of the Bottle Match

Big Ambitions for FXU Ladies Football Callum McKay

2 Callum McKay

T

he new term brings with it the anticipation and excitement of another historic playing of the annual Bottle Match. The Bottle Match sees the Camborne School of Mines take on their old rivals from the Royal School of Mines of Imperial College London. With the competition’s venue alternating between institutions each year, 2016 marks a return to Cornwall for the 114th playing of the second oldest varsity match in the world, with only the Oxford vs. Cambridge boat race being older.

Back in 1902 the two sides met for the first rugby match, ending in what was described as an ‘honourable draw’.

Since then the competition has

grown in intensity as the rivalry between the two institutions has become increasingly fierce year on year, and rightly so as CSM aims to end a drought of five years without a win. In fact the last twenty years have been somewhat disappointing for CSM, with only two wins and one draw since 1997.

The varsity match has come a long way in its 114 year history and has expanded beyond a simple game of rugby. Football was introduced in 1955 and from 2006 the contest has grown to include men and women’s hockey, squash and golf, and since 2010 netball has also featured in the competition.

The symbol of the competition is of course the Bottle trophy, standing three feet tall and displaying the RSM crest, it has been awarded to

the winning rugby team every year since 1926 when a group of students from the Royal School of Mines ‘acquired’ it from a beer lorry. This sense of abandon and occasion has been part of the Bottle Match ever since, and recent meetings have been no different.

The Bottle Match always serves up great action, and summing it up is probably done best by the RSM Association, Bottle Match: A formidable display of rugby played on a muddy pitch. And on that note good luck to the CSM Rugby team and all the other squads representing Cornwall to put on a formidable display of your own and bring the bottle back.

016 sees the European Championships return to our radar for another few weeks of watching pundits gasp as England stumble through group matches after such spectacular displays in the qualifiers against those leviathans of the game like Lithuania and San Marino.

And amidst the furore of this Euro 2016 hype it is easy to forget that last year saw England’s most successful World Cup campaign since 1966, and for that we must doff our caps to the likes of Stephanie Houghton and Lucy Bronze than Rooney and co.

Women’s football is becoming more and more recognised in Britain, with achievements ranging from Lionesses’ third place finish at the World Cup in Canada to Lucy Bronze being nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year alongside giants in British sport such as heptathlon World Champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, tennis ace Andy Murray and Triple F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton. The effect of this success in the women’s game is clear to see as it is filtering down from the best

Inside Pre Bottle Match January Special 2016 Sport p22-23

in the country to grass roots football and providing young women everywhere with their own ambitions of success in the beautiful game. The university is no different as the FXU Ladies Football Club has been set up in recent months. Society Treasurer Amelia Mills said of the club, “we were surprised that the FXU didn’t already have a club and we feel it is a great opportunity to provide a friendly club for those with the same interests and enthusiasm in playing football.”

At the moment with the club still in its infancy competitive matches and playing in leagues is some way off. But all big things start small which is why the club is starting out with training sessions to build a competitive squad. If such a team can be put together, the club’s target of being competitive at local, regional and university competition levels is certainly achievable. Given the rise of women’s football both as a hobby and as a respected, professional sport, it is surely only a matter of time before the FXU Ladies match the success of the men’s teams.