Flavour by RAZZ Magazine

RAZZ ISSUE 29.5: FLAVOUR

Editor’s Note

I first submitted myself to run for Co-President and Print Editor in a very different world to the one I ended up taking the role in. We all know what the last few months have been like, but for perspective, I didn’t know that sitting in The Ram deciding to run whilst eating cheesy chilli curly fries with the old committee (top tip for Freshers - EAT THESE!) was the last time I would be on campus for months. And yet, here we are, all back together again, and to anybody reading this I want to say I have nothing but respect for how you have made it through this year. I would like to thank all our fantastic writers and committee, past and present, for their work across lockdown, providing us with refreshing writing at a time where we needed it most. I’d especially like to thank our previous Presidents, Charlotte and Katrina, who have been so intrinsic to the running of RAZZ for so long that the thought of taking over their mantle is daunting, but it’s a pressure lessened by working alongside my fantastic Co-President and Online Editor Miriam Higgs. I’d also like to thank our amazing Print Team, Copy Editors Katya Green and Abi Smuts, my amazing new deputy Hannah Judge, and our talented new Creative Director Hollie Piff, for all their brilliant work and support in producing this edition of RAZZ. RAZZ issues are normally triple the length, and done in triple the time, so to say this Fresher’s issue was a labour of love is an understatement. Finally, I’d like to thank you. For those new to Exeter, I would love to see you joining RAZZ in the future, and for those returning, thank you all for your work across the last year, may RAZZ always be a home for your brilliant creations. Here’s to the next year! Emma Ingledew, Print Editor and Co-President.

Contributors Abi Smuts Bella Judd Bryony Gooch Caitlin Barr Eleanor Braham Emily Coleman Emma Blackmore Emma Ingledew Emma Vernon Erin Zammitt Esther Huntington-Whiteley Hannah Judge 02

Hollie Piff Holly Van Ryssen Imogen Phillips James Meredith Katie Dunbar Katya Green Leila Lockley Leoni Fretwell Michaella White Miriam Higgs Sylvie Lewis

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MEET THE COMMITTEE

FRESHERS’ EXPERIENCE

Meet our fresh faced committee and check out their top tips for freshers

During a socially distanced freshers’ week, RAZZ writers show you how to get the full freshers’ experience.

8-9

VEGAN PANCAKES

LOCAL FLAVOUR

No idea what to cook now that you’re all moved out? How about vegan pancakes and berry compote!

Independent shops have been the worst hit since lockdown, so here are some of our top Exeter indie stops.

MEATBALLS

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Need a recipe for a Zoom dinner date? Try these mozzarella stuffed meatballs.

Make sure to take some time for yourself this freshers’ week!

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14-15

WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT

CULTURE COMFORTS

Leila Lockley discusses how we need to be actively anti-racist against the backdrop of the BLM movement.

What did our RAZZ writers need to get them through their first week of uni? Have a peep!

RISOTTO

FILM FESTIVAL

Vegan? Vegetarian? Carnivore? Here’s a versatile risotto for every diet.

18-19

What did RAZZ get up to over lockdown? Why, a chick flick film fest of course.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA

What’s it like to start a relationship in the middle of a nationwide lockdown?

Contents.

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meet the

committee... Print Editor/Co-President -- Emma Ingledew Every single person, no matter how much fun they seem to be having, will at some point be sitting in their room feeling very alone. Remember that you’re not the only person who’s not feeling 100%, it’s comforting. Online Editor/Co-President -- Miriam Higgs Throw yourself into as much as you can. Be open to meeting new people and joining new societies. Even if you don’t think it will interest you - give it a go! Most of all though, when you need, take time for yourself! Outreach Officer -- Caitlin Barr Don’t worry if you’re not finding friends in your halls or on your course. There are so many ways to meet people at university, and you’ll find your crowd soon enough!

Deputy Online Editor -- Emily Coleman My advice to any fresher would be to throw yourself out there, be open to all these new experiences, societies, and people, and don’t regret trying anything!

Publicity Officer -- Esther Huntington-Whiteley Remember that not everything rests on this one week - it’s only the beginning of a much longer experience that you have ahead of you! Deputy Online Editor -- Emma Vernon Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to feel ‘the right way’. Freshers can be quite overwhelming and it is normal to not be at your best when you’re experiencing a lot of change. Take care of your mental health first and let yourself feel whatever you need to. Also, join RAZZ! 04

FLAVOUR / RAZZ Deputy Print Editor -- Hannah Judge If you are struggling to make friends in your accommodation then focus on meeting people through your course and the societies. It’s easier to make friends when you have hobbies and interests in common! Also, don’t be scared of going to events alone, everyone else is trying to make friends too. Print Copy Editor -- Abi Smuts My advice to freshers would be to throw yourself into as much stuff as you can. Join every society you want to, go to every event that interests you. First year is your time to explore what you like and want to get involved in, make the most of it! Photo Editor -- Bella Judd Don’t worry if you need a few hours to yourself during the week! It’s an extremely overwhelming time so it’s perfectly normal to want to shut your door for an hour or two one morning and then join others again later! Social Secretary -- Katie Dunbar A piece of advice I wish I had in freshers week would be to go to every taster session and social - even if you don’t know anyone going. Try new things - everything is new for everyone. Treasurer -- James Meredith Uni experience is new for everyone, so make sure you chat to the introverted person on your corridor, and go on that night out or social you were dreading, because that’s often where you’ll make great friends.

Print Copy Editor -- Katya Green Make sure you take time to look after yourself - try not to let things pile up!

Creative Director -- Hollie Piff Head straight to Fore Street in town and explore all of the independent shops it has to offer! With vintage clothes, zero waste shops, vegan and vegetarian options galore--it’s truly a goldmine! 05

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How To: The Full Freshers’ Experience We are aware that the social distancing rules may put a bit of a damper on the full freshers’ experience, and therefore RAZZ writers Emma Ingledew and Hannah Judge have provided a way for you to get the full experience whilst being COVID compliant.

Pay an Apple Taxi driver to drop you anywhere in Exeter, whilst wearing a blindfold (and a mask of course), and try to make it home when your phone is on ten percent. Perfect to recreate the Fresher’s week stagger home from the clubs.

Give yourself food poisoning the night before your first lecture to get the authentic feeling of queasiness that Freshers usually have to spend their first chunk of student loan in Move to achieve.

Invest in a smoke machine and turn the heating in your house up as high as it goes whilst wearing your heaviest jumpers to recreate the feeling of being in Fever Thursdays, without the risk of an actual fever.

Charge your housemates a fiver to enter your room and then play the playlist to a Primary School disco, whilst improvising a rap at random points, and you’ll feel like you’re in Cheesy Tuesdays in no time at all.

Strawpedo a bottle of Shy Pig, spin around in circles twenty times and then sprint down your accommodation stairs, to replicate the feeling of leaving TP at lights up.

Throw your toilet roll across the bathroom, hose it down with water from your shower head, and make your housemates bang on the door so that you feel like you’re in a club bathroom again.

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Taste of RAZZ

VEGAN PANCAKES

Ingredients:

For the compote • 200g raspberries (fresh or frozen) • 2 tbsp sugar • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 2 tbsp water For the pancakes • 125g self-raising flour • 2 tbsp caster sugar • 1 tsp baking powder • 150ml plant milk • 4 tsp sunflower oil for frying

Compote Method: •

the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and 1 Add water to a pot, stir and bring to the boil. Allow

• •

it to boil for about 5 minutes, stirring to stop it from burning. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. It will thicken as it cools down. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool—this is when you can cook your pancakes!

Pancake Method: •

the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in 1 Put a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the milk and

• • •

mix with a whisk until smooth. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and wipe around the pan using a thick wad of kitchen paper. Once the pan is hot, pour a small ladleful (around a cup) of the batter into the pan. Cook for about a minute, or until bubbles are popping on the surface. Flip over and cook on the other side for a further minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest of the pancakes.

•

by Hollie Piff 07

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Local Flavour. We know that COVID-19 has hit independent businesses hard over the last six months, so here’s a selection of our favourite independent shops and bars right here in Exeter for you to explore.

THE ODDFELLOWS Indulge in Exeter’s oldest speakeasy, Oddfellows. Fiery and sharp, citrusy with a pop of fizz or sweet and delicate – what libations will you dare to drink at Oddfellows? Located a stone’s throw away from the high street and opposite The Old Firehouse, Oddfellows offers a quaint and eclectic Speakeasy upstairs and a relaxed gastropub downstairs. With freshly squeezed citrus, premium spirits, and roasted coffee beans lining the bar, their drinks range will satisfy anyone’s taste buds! In response to COVID-19, Oddfellows are offering an outstanding six-course foodie taster menu for £35 with ingredients that are seasonal, free range, slow reared, responsibly fished, and locally produced and grown. Oddfellows is perfect for a night out with your friends, your partner, or your parents. Indulge in the flavour of West Country produce and the tantalising taste of Exeter’s most scrumptious cocktails. by Emma Blackmore illustration by Leoni Fretwell 08

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THE LIN DEN The Lin Den on North Street is a must visit for everyone in Exeter. With cakes, bakes, sandwiches, and coffee, The Lin Den is completely vegan! But don’t let this deter anyone, their cakes are so delicious (and affordable) that you won’t even be able to tell that they’re made without animal products. Owned and run by Paula, a Claridge’s trained patisserie chef, The Lin Den’s specialities are cinnamon rolls and their carrot cake—I’ve yet to try either, but I’ll be back soon for “research” purposes. The Lin Den is bright and welcoming, even during COVID, and I very much enjoyed devouring their delicious cakes whilst sat on the Cathedral Green in the sunshine. 10/10 would recommend for vegans and non-vegans alike. by Hollie Piff

SANCHO’S Located on Fore Street, Sancho’s is a breath of fresh air among fast-fashion chain stores. Home to ethically made, beautiful clothing, this independent shop attracted praise for their use of handmade, naturally dyed materials, their inclusion of customers of all sizes, and their social consciousness regarding the fashion industry. Inspired after seeing first hand the devastating effects of the fast fashion industry in developing countries such as Ethiopia, Sancho’s Founders Kalkidan and Vidmantas are bringing positive change to the fashion industry. Providing ethical clothing options for conscious consumers, both online, and in-store, Sancho’s is Exeter’s ethical fashion hub. If you’re looking to brighten up your wardrobe, and buy from people who care about the planet and social change at the same time, Sancho’s is worth discovering. by Sylvie Lewis 09

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Taste of RAZZ

KRISZTI’S STUFFED Method • Finely chop the onions, and however garlic you desire. Then leave them to sizzle in a saucepan driz1 much MEATBALLS Ingredients

zled with oil for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. This is usually the point where flatmates will say “ooh smells amazing!”. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, and leave to simmer on a low heat as you cook the meatballs. Mix the mince, oil, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and herb mix all in a bowl together, using your hands. Grab a chunk of mince, roughly around an ice cream scoop in size, and roll around between your palms until it forms a ball. Do this for as many balls as you can, depending on size I find this recipe cooks between 15-20. Cut up the mozzarella into 5cm chunks, one for each meatball. Press a mozzarella chunk into the ball, and reform the meatball around it. Ideally, you shouldn’t be able to tell which ones have mozzarella in, and which don’t. Place, on a baking tray, into an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until they go light brown. Check on them every ten minutes, they shouldn’t burn the tray. Once the meatballs are cooked, stir into the sauce, and serve over spaghetti.

For the sauce: • 2 tins of tomatoes • Chilli flakes, salt, and pepper, according • to taste. (I like spice, many don’t.) • 2 tbsp herb seasoning (At uni, I tend • to buy the pre-mixed herb mixes to save money. However, if I’m cooking this at home, where I can “borrow” my • parents’ things, I use oregano, thyme, and fennel) • 1 onion. • 3-6 cloves of garlic.

For the meatballs: • Mozzarella • 500g mince (I prefer beef, but I’m sure lamb will work.) • Salt and pepper, to taste. • 2 tbsp herb mix. • 2 tbsp vegetable oil.

•

This meal is fiddly when it comes to inserting the mozzarella, but ultimately it’s very simple. Serve to your friends/family/enemies, and pretend that the recipe is more difficult than it is for compliments (and attention). by Emma Ingledew 10

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Quit the comparisons

Esther Huntington-Whiteley Freshers’ week is never perfect for anyone, especially with the changed circumstances. The worst thing that you could do is worry about what everyone else is doing. Whether it’s your school friends, your older siblings, or even representations that you’ve seen in TV shows and films, comparing your experience with other people is the quickest way to ensure that you don’t get the most out of it for yourself. Stop the comparisons, and just focus on yourself. Future you will thank you for it.

Taking time to be alone

Caitlin Barr It’s easy to get into the mindset that your freshers’ week should be jam-packed with nonstop activities and all the new best mates you’ll DEFINITELY have made by Monday morning, but in reality, if you spend every waking moment with the people in your halls, you’ll burn out. Explore the town, go to the pub, find fun society activities to get involved in… but, make sure you have at least a couple of hours every day to relax alone. Take a walk, phone a friend, or just drink a mug of hot chocolate in your room. Your new friends aren’t going to abandon you just because you value your downtime.

Meditation and Yoga Eleanor Braham Whilst an important part of Fresher’s Week is throwing yourself into new events, this can be difficult when you’re feeling nervous or stressed, so it is important to look after your mental health. For me, the best way to do this is through yoga, meditation and relaxation. This will centre you and give you the confidence and strength to let your true personality shine through! There are yoga classes available at the gym, but it is also great to have your own yoga workout from your accommodation.

Get to know Exeter

Michaella White Moving to Exeter as a fresher, I had never seen beyond the campus and I wondered what was out there but, most importantly, whether I would like it. So much of feeling settled in a new place is getting to know your environment - walk around the city and become accustomed to Exeter’s rich history! Go to the Quay and watch the water glisten in the September sun! Take short (and cheap!) train journeys to the coast or the Moors! Discover Exeter and beyond with friends or solo, and it might start to feel like home!

Taking Care of Yourself Illustration by Leoni Fretwell

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We Cannot Be Complacent RAZZ writer Leila Lockley reflects upon our role in being actively anti-racist amongst the backdrop of the BLM movement.

I am writing as a mixed-race woman, half white Slovakian and half black Nigerian, and with the knowledge that I am privileged because I have never had to navigate life with the extremity of discrimination that targets those whose skin is darker than my own. This is not a story formed of crushing experiences of racial abuse. I write only with the intention of adding to the education that so many are undertaking right now. During primary school, I moved from multicultural London to various predominantly white, middle-class countryside areas where I was usually the only non-white person at school. At such a young age, I didn’t notice skin colour. What I did notice was hair, and that mine was nothing like those around me who wore neat ponytails or tidy plaits. I no longer allowed my mum to style my hair showcasing my afro-style tight curls. Instead, I plaited it, adorned it with flower clips or colourful headbands from Claire’s, or combed it into a bun, as tight and neat as I possibly could so as not to stand out. I never wore my hair down. The fascination progressed at secondary school to sticking stationary in my hair, ‘bopping’ it and calling it a weasel’s nest.

“I write only with the intention of adding to the education that so many are undertaking right now.”

While I don’t hold a grudge or feel anger towards those who treated my hair that way years ago, it did make me feel uncomfortable and Other, like I was something to be stared at and played with for the enjoyment of others. I also realise that I am relatively thickskinned, and the issue here is that another mixed-race or black girl in my place may not have been able to shrug away unwanted attention so easily. These types of experiences, so mild in manner when compared to the acts of violence against black people we see frequently in the media, are still damaging to someone’s self-esteem. What’s the big deal, it’s just hair, right? But, this hair is a feature of our race that we have no control over, just the same as our skin colour, and to be made to feel other for something so natural is a small cruelty, worsened by the fact it is also an easily avoidable cruelty. My hair is just my hair, the same way we’re not ‘exotic’ because our skin is darker or because our lips are fuller; this is just the way we are. It may have taken a few years, but I’m proud of my unruly curls and I won’t bat an eyelid before wearing them down anymore.

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I also don’t mind discussion about my skin colour. In fact, it’s great when someone really takes an interest in where I’m from, because my brown skin is part of who I am and to pretend to not see it, is to not see my race and my culture. What I do mind is obsessive touching and squeezing and an unhealthy fixation which comes close to racial fetishizing.

“Now, more than ever, is the time to question, read, and listen so that we don’t make the same mistakes as those before us.”

I’ve been told before that I’m like a white girl trapped inside a black girl’s body. Not being a rapper, hip-hop dancer, sassy, or a twerker apparently gives me white girl features. My reaction was so muted at the time that I even remember laughing. The person who said this meant no harm and it was a joke, so what’s not to like? What I see reflected in that comment now is racial stereotyping rather than a joke. When did one group possess exactly the same physical attributes and personal qualities across the board? A love of contemporary dance and a lack of sassy attitude doesn’t make me any less black. Even though this is one of the mildest examples I’ve come across, it worries me that people’s prejudices manifest in such categorisations.

I often wonder if racism hasn’t been squashed out because of the fact that people are so afraid of change that they would rather fight tooth and nail against basic human rights. I still think people are scared of what’s perceived as ‘different’, but I’m finding this fear of change goes much deeper. It’s as if, by acknowledging that things must change to wipe out systemic racism within the structure of our society, white people will be acknowledging that there was indeed something to change in the first place, and that they have lived their lives complacent with the treatment of black people and people of colour. Now, more than ever, is the time to question, read, and listen so that we don’t make the same mistakes as those before us. It is not enough to be a passive supporter; we cannot be complacent.

“I’ve been told before that I’m like a white girl trapped inside a black girl’s body. Not being a rapper, hiphop dancer, sassy, or a twerker apparently gives me white girl features.”

To all the black and mixed-race people who have spoken out or shared their stories- you are so brave. You have never been voiceless, it’s just that we haven’t listened hard enough to what you have to say. Your voices are amplified now. We hear you, every single one of you, and we stand by your side. The full version of this article is available online at RAZZMAG.com illustration by Bella Judd

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Freshers’ Culture Comforts

RAZZ writers Erin Zammitt and Katya Green bring you their “culture comforts”-- the media that got them through their own Freshers’ Weeks. Illustration by Leoni Fretwell.

Stath Lets Flats Erin Zammitt

Television is comforting. And when I started university last September, I needed that comfort more than ever. Don’t get me wrong, Fresher’s Week was great; I found amazing friends and societies that I would go on to spend the year with. But it was also overwhelming, and that’s okay. It just so happened that I started university whilst the second series of one of my favourite shows, Channel 4’s criminally underrated Stath Lets Flats, was airing. The BAFTA nominated comedy was created by Jamie Demetriou, who plays the title role of Stath, a Greek-Cypriot lettings agent who works at his father’s agency. The series follows Stath’s attempts to let properties despite being rather inept at the viewing process, whilst trying to ensure that he will be the one to take over the family business when his father retires. Stath’s endearing lack of self-awareness is observed just as much in his sister Sophie (played by Jamie’s real-life sister Natasia), who has naïve dreams of being famous, whilst perhaps lacking the talent to do so. The Demetrious are joined by an eclectic cast of characters, such as sweet and awkward Al, Sophie’s moody best friend Katia, and Stath’s nemesis Carol, who is a much more successful lettings agent than he is. 14

Stath Lets Flats is so much fun to watch; the show has very little cynicism and the characters have a lot of affection for each other. The sibling dynamic between Stath and Sophie is particularly heart-warming, and the absence of malice between the pair is refreshing to watch. Above all, Stath Lets Flats is very funny, and its blend of wit, slapstick and character comedy made me laugh a lot during my first days and weeks of university. Warmth and kindness radiate from the characters and the show itself, brightening the quieter moments of a mostly hectic Freshers’ Week. I remember watching episodes of Stath the night before my very first lecture, before I properly started my degree; it calmed me down and managed to turn a daunting prospect into something I was looking forward to. Stath Lets Flats was something that felt familiar, whilst I was in the most unfamiliar situation I’d ever experienced. Whether it’s this show or something completely different, TV can provide much needed continuity – and comfort – whilst you’re embarking on an adventure as exciting and scary as university.

“Warmth and kindness radiate from the characters and the show itself, brightening the quieter moments of a mostly hectic Freshers’ Week.”

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The 1975

Katya Green Whether building up your pre-drinks playlist to impress potential new friends, choosing what to blare out in the kitchen to bond with your housemates, or – especially during those first few days – comforting you through your headphones when you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by everything, Freshers’ is defined by sound. Somehow, for me, The 1975 became that sound (especially The Sound, in fact). It became the intersection of the music tastes of my six-person first-year house. I had felt excited to come to uni until I watched my parents drive off back to the depths of Wiltshire and then, suddenly, I was terrified to be there by myself. But, in some strange way, hearing my new housemate playing a familiar song from his speakers made it a little less scary to be living with complete strangers.

One of the biggest worries I had when arriving in Exeter was about my house, especially since I didn’t get any of my accommodation choices and ended up off-campus (apparently I wasn’t good enough for Birks, I’m so not bitter). I was scared about being lonely and isolated, struggling to make friends if I didn’t get on with my housemates. What’s ironic is that I didn’t become that close with my housemates in the end, but, in the time where it counted and partially thanks to our shared love of music, we managed to support each other through that first part of term while we formed other friendships. What started as the beginning of a conversation about music and a gateway to friendship with my housemates, ended with me yelling the same lyrics at an Indie Music Society Freshers’ social in Cavern with what are now some of my closest friends. The 1975 are, by no means, my favourite band, nor have I really listened to their new album.

“...hearing my new housemate playing a familiar song from his speakers made it a little less scary to be living with complete strangers.” I’d like to say that I’ll always be fond of their music thanks to those experiences in Freshers’, but it was never really about the music. It was about finding something in common with the people around me. The music of The 1975 followed me around Exeter as the soundtrack to my first days at university, almost like a comfort blanket I now have no need for. They were a fallback for starting a conversation, for feeling more in tune with the people around me and, ultimately, something to play when you don’t know what people like, because, as much as everyone tears them down, we all know that, come Saturday, you’re screaming the lyrics on a dingy, underground dance floor just like everyone else. 15

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Taste of RAZZ

RISOTTO

•

Ingredients • • • • • •

•

1 white onion 1 clove of garlic 1 tbsp of oil (olive or vegetable) • Arborio rice White wine (if you have any to spare – if not, no worries) 1 stock cube (vegetable for vegan/ vegetarian, chicken for chicken, fish for fish.) Make the stock at the beginning, adding boiling water to a stock cube and waiting for it to dissolve. For vegetarian or vegan risotto, bulk out your risotto with a handful of chopped mushrooms and whatever frozen vegetables you have. For a meat-based risotto, chicken or prawns • work well with this dish. Grated cheese, to finish. (I recommend Parmesan, but any hard cheese will • do.)

Method •

Once your onion and garlic look pale and translucent, add your risotto rice to mix, allowing the oil to soak into the rice and soften it. I recommend adding enough to only just cover the bottom of your pan – half a mug full usually works. After a minute, add a splash of stock to the mix, covering the rice. You want the mix to simmer, with the rice absorbing the liquid. Gently add in splashes of stock or wine so you don’t drown your rice. Interchange between the two, adding more stock than wine (save yourself some wine for pre’s, you animal). Arborio is an absorbent grain so don’t panic if you feel you may have put too much liquid in – it can take it. Stir it regularly, but not continuously. You don’t need to coddle your risotto. As the rice softens, add in your frozen vegetables and a bit more stock to the mixture. After a while, the rice should get to a stage where its texture becomes a little sticky, treat yourself to a small spoonful of rice to make sure that the rice is softening and not too grainy. The stock should be absorbed into the rice, so the dish isn’t too soup-y. If you find it is, that’s okay – be patient with yourself, it’s probably a really tasty rice broth. Grate any hard cheese you have in the fridge on top and season well. My personal tip is to add a bit of lemon zest on top if you have a spare lemon. Dish up in a bowl, and make sure any leftovers are cool before boxed up and put in the fridge, to be reheated (thoroughly – I mean it) on another day.

Chop your onion and clove of garlic (add more garlic if you are a person of taste/anti-vampire), and add it to a saucepan drizzled with oil. You want the onion and garlic to begin sizzling and give off that amazing smell that gives the illusion that you can cook. This is where you add your meat/ mushrooms.

This recipe may seem intimidating at first, just be patient and take it slow. If you’re feeling fancy, you can cook the chicken in a lemony butter, but I don’t want to blow your mind too much, young chef. Now, go make yourself some risotto – seize the bowl! by Bryony Gooch

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What we did in lockdown... Co-President, and Print Editor, Emma Ingledew explains RAZZ’s lockdown project. Trying to explain what RAZZ is has always been a complicated process. On one hand, we’re a society that produces Student Publication Association nominated writing exploring complex subjects, alongside sold out Spoken Word nights and Guest Speaker Events. On the other hand, we’re also the society known for doing condom cards and ForePlay-Doh workshops for SHAG week this Valentine’s. Therefore, I feel nothing best epitomises RAZZ, a society that careens between the silly and the serious, than our Lockdown project, the inaugural RAZZ Film Festival. RAZZ Film Fest took place over two weeks during lockdown. Each day, we spotlighted a different film, which we made sure were available for free to watch online, accompanied by articles online where our writers discussed the themes and issues of the film. The Film Fest was very RAZZ: fun, accessible, but also opening a critical dialogue on an often stigmatised topic, in this case, Chick Flicks. Chick Flicks are easily dismissed, often due to their highly feminine perception, which is, to use the words of our former Print Editor Charlotte ‘Fozz’ Forrester, “misogynistic, elitist bullshit,” and something RAZZ has always fought against.

“Chick Flicks are easily dismissed, often due to their highly feminine perception...”

Chick Flicks are often a comfort for us to fall back on, especially at times when the world is changing so radically, and the Film Fest was our way of combining this need for comfort, with RAZZ’s drive to constantly be producing diverse and interesting content. From Katrina Bennet’s exploration of the neo-imperialist themes of Bride and Prejudice to Bridie Adam’s breakdown of the Rom-Com Cool Girl, the Film Fest was both comforting and stimulating, and I have nothing but thanks for all our writers who contributed. Special thanks must go out to our previous Presidents, Fozz and Katrina, who organised and brought us all together for this event, as well as our 2019/20 committee who worked so hard and tirelessly throughout the year, and used the film festival as a handover to our new 20/21 committee. All our Film Fest articles, plus all the other amazing content that our writers have produced across this past year, are still available online, and I look forward to seeing how our new members will add to this canon of creativity we have built up, and how they will treat the silly seriously, and destigmatise the serious. Illustration by Megan Shepherd

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Love In The Time Of Corona RAZZ writer Emily Coleman explores the complexities of starting a new relationship during a national lockdown. They say the first few months of a new relationship is the getting to know one another phase, the honeymoon phase, the we’re going to stay together forever stage. It is a blissful beginning decorated in dates and coloured in clichés. What is not expected, advisable or even preferable is to start a relationship when a national pandemic is declared. I finally thought I was at a stage in life where I had learnt from all my experiences and embraced all my flaws. I had nearly finished university, had the first break up and the first breakdown which shortly followed, could make two meals from scratch, and could confidently talk on the phone to the GP and arrange my own appointments. I had preached the line ‘I don’t need a man to define me’ to friends (drunk and sober) and even written about it. But then, as if Nora Ephron had written about my life, I had begun a relationship with my friend.

“I had preached the line ‘I don’t need a man to define me’ to friends (drunk and sober) and even written about it.” 18

“To abide by government guidelines, I had to socially distance from the very person I did not want to distance myself from.” The beginning of this relationship is already unconventional because it is with someone I know fairly well. To abide by government guidelines, I had to socially distance myself from the very person I did not want to distance myself from. I’ve gone from ‘When Harry Met Sally’ to ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘You’ve got Mail’ (I like Nora Ephron, ok) where my phone and messenger have become the only evidence I have of a relationship. There are many out there who say that distance does not need to be a problem and that there are countless ways to contact one another and keep the fire burning (I cannot think of a different way to say it but I’m cringing with you). While that is great advice and appears to work for many people, I am just not one of them. It is not only the problem of thin walls and rural Wi-Fi, it is the confidence to do it and everyone is different. I spend more time checking if I’ve got double chins in the camera rather than looking at him.

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Instead, we revert to the discussion of hypotheticals, watch ‘Killing Eve’ and have conversations about the current political situation and it is great. But with time limits and poor Wi-Fi, most video call apps freeze or end abruptly. Texted words become as sacred as sonnets, and the very act becomes ritualistic whereby if the other person has not replied in enough time or did not wish you goodnight, they must not like you anymore. You want to appear spontaneous and outgoing at the start of a relationship (so you can let them down gently later when all you want to do on a Friday is paint your nails red rather than the town), but this becomes difficult when you exhaust all possible answers to the inevitable question: “What are you doing today?”

“Texted words become as sacred as sonnets, and the very act becomes ritualistic whereby if the other person has not replied in enough time or did not wish you goodnight, they must not like you anymore.” I’ve gone through all the possible responses of “might go on a run”, “might bake something”, “might read a book” (as you can see I like to paint myself as a well-read amateur baker with a healthy lifestyle), to simply and mundanely “nothing much.” I know that this response instantly stalls any conversational thread. But sometimes, and I think maybe because we were friends before, the mundane can be miraculous: “I just ate the best sandwich” is a message I do not mind receiving.

Image by Cdd20 from Pixabay

Many nosey female relatives past the age of forty have told me “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, and “when it was the war I couldn’t see him for months on end” (that last one does painfully put things into perspective but I’m dramatic and will continue). Truth is, distance is a test and a worthwhile one no matter what stage you are at in a relationship. Missing someone is a good sign. If anything, our ability to chat about absolute nonsense for hours with the casual “I miss you” thrown in now and then is all we need. It is not exactly how I thought things would pan out and at times it is frustrating when you miss a person that much. Yet why should the best parts of a relationship come right at the start? If anything, you only have the best to look forward to. Luckily, it also means ruining a friendship was not a mistake.

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