Backbench • 5th December 2020

Will a Biden-Harris Administration see the rise of a Religious Left?

While on the campaign trail in August, Donald Trump appealed to churchgoers by claiming his rival, President-elect Joe Biden, would be harmful to faith if elected. “No religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God,” was how Trump described Biden’s plan. Religious faith is often seen as the preserve of the right in America. As far as voters are concerned, the statistics seem to agree. In 2016, 81% of white evangelical Christians voted for Trump; in 2020, that figure barely fell to 75%. Among

The Indiependent • 29th November 2020

Album Review: Night Network // The Cribs

Night Network, the eighth album from Yorkshire alt-rockers The Cribs, looked at one point as if it might not be made at all. After the release of 2017’s 24/7 Rock Star S**t, the band left their long-time management only to learn that the rights to their back catalogue had been bought by other parties without them knowing. The legal battles that followed set their career back by 18 months and came very close to ending it altogether, before Dave Grohl (whom The Cribs had supported in 2018) heard a

The Indiependent • 18th November 2020

Theatre Review: Five Encounters on a Site Called Craigslist // YesYesNoNo

These days, finding love online is easier and more common than ever before. According to one poll, 32.2 million people in the United States alone are active on online dating sites in 2020, up from 26.1 million in 2017. But some matches, it would seem, are more memorable than others. One of the smash hits of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, Five Encounters on a Site Called Craigslist sees Sam Ward sharing his experiences of posting to Craigslist in search not for employment opportunities, b

The Indiependent • 8th November 2020

Blast from the Past: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites // Skrillex

Now that dubstep has faded from popular consciousness, it’s perhaps easy to forget just what an impact Skrillex’s Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites had upon release ten years ago and the legacy it’s left since. With his second EP, Sonny Moore took dubstep from south London nightclubs to daytime radio and introduced a whole new generation of fans to dance music, many of whom have since become successful producers themselves. Within a week of its release, eight of the EP’s nine tracks had made the B

Mercury Magazine • 16th October 2020

We still don't know how to treat grief on social media

When my grandmother died in February 2019, I posted to Facebook about it ‒ with a combined total of 100 reactions and comments, it was until recently the most engaged-with post I’d ever made to the site. By contrast, when my grandfather – her husband – died a year later, I only told three of my friends, and each of them in person. I think there are a few reasons why I went public with one of those bereavements but not the other. For one thing, I felt I had a closer relationship with my gran; he

The Indiependent • 3rd October 2020

Album Review: Ohms // Deftones

There are only so many rock and metal acts that have managed to keep their sound fresh and engaging over the course of 25 years, but Deftones are certainly one of them. The Sacramento quintet’s career has been full of ups and downs, most notably the death of original bassist Chi Cheng in 2013, but they have consistently channelled these into their work and produced great art as a result. Their last album Gore came out in 2016, and while it did have its critics (one infamous review compared it t

The Indiependent • 28th August 2020

Theatre Review: The Group Chat // Veritas Theatre Arts

“We felt safe here,” says Lauren, one of the girls whose story is retold in The Group Chat, in the play’s opening scene. “Well, we thought we did.” The 2018 Warwick University group chat scandal, which saw eleven male students temporarily suspended after making rape threats to female students in their group chat, is surely one of the most shocking university-related news stories of the last five years. Declan Kelly’s harrowing dramatization of the events, rather than dressing them up in poetic

The Indiependent • 26th August 2020

Don’t Let COVID-19 Make Our Society Any Less Compassionate

On February 15 this year, Caroline Flack of Love Island fame was reported to have committed suicide. Just under a month later, on March 11, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. In the wake of both events, we were given a simple message: be kind. Don’t say anything to others online that you wouldn’t feel comfortable telling them in person, and don’t put lives at risk by going out more than you need to. But six months on, and despite

UniVersal News • 8th April 2020

The Starving Student: low-budget recipes for the days of panic-buying

A recent graduate is showing students how to cook healthy, tasty meals at a time when many foods are in short supply. Lauren Leyva runs The Starving Student, a blog aimed at inspiring and encouraging students to cook “easy, healthy and low-cost” food. Her Instagram page, @the.starving.student, offers a mix of meat, vegetarian and vegan recipes that are all affordable on a student budget, posting almost every day. As well as recipes, she has also shared tips on avoiding food waste and reducing

UniVersal News • 3rd April 2020

Coronavirus: university introduces no-detriment policy to protect students' grades

The university has introduced a new policy for grade calculation in light of the current coronavirus situation. The policy, known as a no-detriment policy, was implemented this week and means that as long as students meet the required pass mark for assessments, their overall grade will be no lower than it was before the university closed. In an internal memo given via MyGlos, the university said this: “In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we have introduced a No Detriment Policy t

UniVersal News • 23rd March 2020

Film and TV students play football in aid of mental health charity

Students from the media department recently went head to head in a charity football match. Two teams drawn from the Film Production and TV Production courses travelled to Oxstalls Sports Park at Plock Court, Gloucester, on Friday February 7, before kicking off at 3pm. The final score was 5-3 to TV Production. The event was co-ordinated by TV Production student Luca Williams and Film Production student Rahul Dewan, both in their final year. They had originally had the idea for the match in thei

UniVersal News • 7th March 2020

“It’s very competitive to recruit students”: UniVersal meets vice chancellor Stephen Marston

If you’ve been at the university for a while, you’ll probably have heard the name Stephen Marston, but you might not be aware of just who he is or what he does here. Marston has been the university’s vice chancellor since 2011, having previously worked as a Director General in the civil service. We spoke to him recently to learn more about his role here, what he likes about it and whether he’s hopeful about the university’s future… Stephen, how would you describe your role here? My role here i

UniVersal News • 27th February 2020

SU elections 2020-21: who should I vote for?

There’s now only 18 hours left before polls close for this year’s SU elections, but if you’re still not sure who to vote for, fear not. We cornered each of the nine candidates to find out why they’re standing, what makes them ideal for the role and what they’d bring if elected… Why are you standing in these elections? I’d like to get the uni to commit to a carbon-neutral action plan. We’re the number one most sustainable uni in the UK, which makes us a beacon to others as to how to navigate th

UniVersal News • 15th February 2020

Block rockin' beets: Vegan fair to be held at Park campus

Local herbivores will converge on the university next weekend for a special vegan-themed event. Billed as an ‘epic celebration of all things plant-based’, Cheltenham Vegan Fair will host a wide line-up of traders and businesses selling vegan food, products and clothing. There will also be several talks on veganism and its ethical and environmental benefits, as well as a Vegan Human Book Library. The event will be held on Park campus on Saturday February 22 from 10am till 3pm. Students at the u

UniVersal News • 5th February 2020

Counsellors to offer support to students dealing with grief

Students struggling with bereavement are invited to a new support group at the university. The university’s counselling service will be holding three sessions this term, to help students process their loss in a safe and confidential space. The group will be meeting for an hour each week, for three weeks. The first meeting will be on Tuesday February 25 at 2:30pm, in room CL119 on Francis Close Hall campus. The first session will look at what bereavement is and how it feels, as well as differe

UniVersal News • 12th December 2019

LIVE: General election 2019 - Gloucestershire results

06:40 After a very long wait, we can confirm that Alex Chalk has kept Cheltenham for the Conservatives, with a majority of 981. That concludes our coverage; whether you’ve been with us all night or simply checked the live blog periodically, thank you. 04:58 Laurence Robertson has kept Tewkesbury for the Conservatives, with a majority of 22,410. 04:41 There’s been another recount at Cheltenham, meaning another delay to the declaration. 04:32 Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has kept the Cotswolds f

Bristol 24/7 • 25th November 2019

Migrant chefs to run cookery classes in Easton

Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants are sharing their culinary skills with people across Bristol. Migrateful, a charity that gets migrant chefs leading cookery classes to help them assimilate into English culutre, will be running classes in Easton from early December. Bristol24/7 relies on your support to fund our independent journalism and social impact projects. Become a member and enjoy exclusive perks from just £5 per month. The weekly workshops will be run in partnership with Coexist C

UniVersal News • 24th November 2019

Recreating Paradise? Curry and climate discussions at interfaith event

People of all faiths and none gathered recently at Park campus to discuss the climate crisis and their responses to it. The university’s annual interfaith event was held on Wednesday, November 13 in the lecture theatre and saw a wide range of spiritual and secular perspectives on the issue being shared. The event, titled ‘Recreating Paradise?’, featured contributions from chaplains Simon Witcombe, Jo Parkin, Sarah Rogaly and Atique Miah, alongside the UoG Green Team and Gloucestershire Youth C

Bristol 24/7 • 22nd November 2019

New Luke Jerram artwork opens at Bristol Zoo

Local artist Luke Jerram has unveiled his latest work, a recognition of species extinction, at Bristol Zoo. The Extinction Bell aims to raise awareness of mass extinction by ringing every time a species becomes extinct and will stay at the zoo until the New Year, when it will tour zoos, museums and botanical gardens across the world. Jerram has become one of the world’s most respected installation artists over the last 20 years. Other recent exhibits of his include the Moon and Gaia, both of w

Bristol 24/7 • 22nd November 2019

Shadow defence secretary supports Threlfall in Staple Hill

Labour’s shadow defence secretary has visited one the party’s key target seats in the Bristol area to help with campaigning. On the same day that Jeremy Corbyn launched Labour’s manifesto ahead of the General Election, Nia Griffith helped canvass in Staple Hill with prospective MP Mhairi Threlfall. Griffith and Threlfall met with local Labour Party members at Fountain Square before speaking to Filton & Bradley Stoke constituents. Asked how confident she is that Labour can win in the constitue