2009/10 Week 20

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Spotlight On Elections

Monday March 8 2010 Week 20

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Exeposé

Page 27

Students’ Guild celebrate national record turnout of 36.4% in Sabb Elections, while elected AU President faced allegations of misconduct

Adam Walmesley News Editor

Allegations of misconduct have clouded the record-breaking Sabbatical Elections.

Exeter University Students’ Guild is the most represented national Student Union, following a 36.4% turn-out at the elections. The Students’ Guild Sabbatical Election 2010 recorded a total of 5,742 votes, a 966 vote increase on last year’s figures.

However, controversy has surrounded the election of the Athletic Union President, after it was revealed that accusations of rule breaches were made against the elected Josh Belsher.

Three separate allegations of election malpractice were made against Belsher, and an Appeal Tribunal was held to resolve dispute regarding one of the complaints. Belsher went on to win the AU Presidential candidacy by 376 votes, ahead of Sam Tang.

The first complaint against Belsher concerned campaigning in a night club on February 18, before the stipulated time period of canvassing. A shoutout was made in Rococos, although Belsher claims he was at home with all his registered canvassers, at the time of the incident.

Josh Belsher is the captain of the AU Men’s Tennis Club. Fellow members, who had apparently declined an offer to canvass for him, were apparently held responsible for the first incident.

Belsher was handed a penalty of losing an hour of prime time voting.

The most serious allegation involved unsubstantiated reports of a first-year tennis club member campaigning in Exeter Halls. A complaint was made by a female student on Thursday February 25. She alleged that a tennis club member was signing up students to a physical sheet.

For every 50 signatures the unofficial canvasser obtained, they would be

rewarded with a Timepiece Gold Card, according to the female student.

However, the Guild elections team claimed they could not prove that Belsher had any awareness or involvement in the incident, and it went unpunished.

Gary McLachlan, Senior Elections Officer, explained: “Since there was absolutely no link other than the club and friendship between Josh and the first-year allegedly canvassing for reward I considered that the allegation could not ever be investigated using Guild resources.

“The Guild is neither a detective agency nor a police force. It has neither the forensic ability nor the legal mechanisms to investigate a complaint of this nature to render a just verdict on innocence or guilt. As Senior Elections Officer I invoked privilege and refused to punish rumour and innuendo, imposing no penalty.”

McLachlan cited previous examples of first-year students campaigning for AU candidates without their knowledge. He added, “this is apparently quite common and is based entirely on team spirit rather than any devious motive of election fixing or deliberate will to cheat.”

Other AU candidates appealed the decision at the Candidates Question Time event on the evening of Thursday February 25. A tribunal was swiftly organised for 9am the following day, seven hours before voting closed.

The appeals panel heard from all the AU candidates, incumbent AU President, Tom Murray, and Gary McLachlan. The panel upheld the decision not to punish Belsher.

The AU candidates signed off the incident at the Friday morning election meeting. This procedure meant they accepted the decision-making process, and was before they knew the outcome of the appeals panel.

Continued on page 2...

Features discusses the lost children of Zimbabwe, interviews Major General Paul Newton

Lifestyle takes a trip to Los Angeles, reviews the latest Porsche and assesses your local Wagamama for some Oriental cuisine

arts looks at International Women’s Day, analyses Tim Key’s poetic career and quizzes Gilbert and Sullivan Society Jonnie Beddall was elected Guild President. Photo: Adam Walmesley

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march 8 2010 Exeposé

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Exeposé Reaction to record-breaking elections

Making the headlines for 20 years Issue 563 Week 20 2010 Editors Gemma Dye Rebecca Lewis James McMeekin editors@exepose.com News Editors Alex Moss Adam Walmesley news@exepose.com Features Editors Munya Hoto Dini Muana features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Thomas Downes Francesca Houslander lifestyle@exepose.com Music Editors Lalita Korzybska Joel Moktar music@exepose.com Books Editors Tristan Barclay Kate Rothera books@exepose.com Screen Editors Daniel Parker Hannah Smith screen@exepose.com Arts and Stage Editors Nicola Ranson Emma Waterson arts@exepose.com Videogames Editors Alex Bennett Dominic Small games@exepose.com Sports Editors Alex Sharp Vicky Wise sport@exepose.com Photography Editors Melinda Greenacre Lyn Haskell photography@exepose.com Advertising Joanna Bowery j.c.bowery@ex.ac.uk (01392) 263579 Martin Homer 08451300667 mh@bamuk.com Exeposé, Cornwall House, St German’s Road, Exeter, EX4 6TG (01392) 263513 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

Continued from front page...

The final accusation against Belsher was most heavily punished. On Friday February 26, the Guild were made aware that Belsher had two out of eight canvassers unregistered.

McLachlan imposed a penalty of the loss of a proportion of his firstpreference votes, based on the number of unregistered canvassers. 110 votes were subsequently removed from Josh Belsher’s count.

By the Friday afternoon, all candidates were aware of the tribunal results and of Belsher’s vote cap. They officially accepted these decisions by signing them off at the final candidates meeting. Despite having the opportunity to complain about any aspect of the election process and result, no official complaints were registered.

McLachlan commented, “All penalties applied during the entire elections process have come under the same consideration of ‘tough but fair’ - the vote penalty was proportionately higher than most given in previous elections, mainly due to the outstanding success of the election and the sheer number of voters.”

Richard Stearn, incumbent Guild President, commented, “It’s not my job to say what’s fair, it’s the job of the candidates and every one of them signed a piece of paper stating that the

elections were run and participated in a fair manner. Therefore the elections were fair and accurate.”

One anonymous AU club member was critical of the Sabbatical Election process. They said, “The whole system is flawed. There are rules on top of rules, but gaping black holes.”

According to the elections handbook, “Actions your canvassers take regarding the elections are treated as though you have taken them.”

However, candidates cannot be punished for rule breaking by a third party unless it can be proven the latter was a registered canvasser, and/or their behaviour was the responsibility of the election candidate.

The same AU club member reflected, “You’d be better off running an election campaign with no canvassers.

If you don’t have any canvassers, you can do what you want.”

“The whole system is flawed. There are rules on top of rules, but gaping black holes” AU Club Member The elected Sabbatical team 201011 were Jonnie Beddall, President; Chris Hardy, Vice President Welfare and Community; Bertie Archer, Vice

Campaigning took place all week across campus. Photo by David Rufus President Academic Affairs; Alex Bordoli, Vice President Participation and Campuses; and Josh Belsher, Athletic Union President.

Beddall, Guild President-was delighted, “Earning the support of the people whose opinion I respect the most, at the place where I’ve spent the best years of my life so far, could not possibly feel more awesome.”

Hardy reflected, “I had the best week ever, made loads of friends in the process and didn’t expect to win - so it’s an amazing feeling!”

Bordoli said “Making posters at three in the morning after going to Arena, seemed like a great idea at the time until having put up them up to realise that I was running for ‘partipation’ instead of ‘participation’.”

Archer, said “I feel very proud to have taken part in the election; that so many people voted gives us a great standing as a university and will help the Guild to grow in strength.”

Belsher, said the elections week “felt like the longest week of my time at university but definitely the most rewarding.”

Exeter’s 36.4% turn-out compares favourably with a 13% average turnout in student unions nationwide.

The FXU Elections at the University of Exeter in Cornwall had a 35% turn-out in total.

Richard Stearn, Guild President, reacted, “A high turnout gives the Guild legitimacy and a strong mandate when representing students to the University.

The result was brilliant.”

Academic staff hold emergency meeting Dominic Small Videogames Editor

The local branch of the University College Union called an Emergency Branch Meeting on Thursday March 4 to discuss ongoing concerns members have had over research output and performance management.

The disagreement centres around the University’s attempts to secure research grants through a controversial target system. With University funding threatened by significant cuts from the government, there is set to be an increased emphasis on academic staff obtaining research grants.

The local branch of the UCU currently represents roughly 30% of Exeter’s academic staff, including academic support staff.

Membership in 2010 is around 450. At a well-attended and vocal meeting, Exeposé learned the primary concern of the academic teaching staff was that these targets were unfair and they felt the University was using threats and intimidation in an attempt to improve funding.

The crux of the disagreement

centres on a now supposedly withdrawn target system that used the loaded metaphor of Traffic Lights. Academics are set targets, which the UCU has no problem with, however the targets being set are in danger of becoming increasingly unfair. This in turn could have a detrimental affect on student-staff interaction.

“We hope to be able to continue a constructive dialogue” Stuart Franklin, University Director of Communications Concerns voiced at the meeting included a worry that academic staff would have to sacrifice teaching time for research time and that the University was not taking into account excellent teaching or important contributions to administration work. A failure to reach assigned targets could see staff placed under capability procedure, the worst case scenario of which is being discussed.

A general staff survey, to be released soon, has confirmed lowered morale amongst

academic staff. When asked if they felt valued by the University, 55% of respondents disagreed. A further 55% felt that their current workload was not manageable.

While 59% of respondents did not feel their job was secure, 53% would consider leaving their current position.

However, Stuart Franklin, University Director of Communications, said, “We’ve always had a very positive relationship with the UCU on campus and we have an ongoing dialogue in which they can raise issues with us.”

The continued ratcheting up of targets under the current system could leave academic staff open to accusations of Breach of Contract for failing to secure certain funding.

The understanding of academic staff is that they are happy to pursue academic funding and that the University can be helpful in doing this but this current system is creating discord and disharmony.

The meeting has shown an underlying sense of volatility amongst UCU members with an encouragement from union

reps for members to bring any problems they have to the union so they can work for the best solution. The meeting finished on an upbeat note of moving forward with further negotiation with the University management with UCU regional staff providing support throughout the process to the local branch.

Franklin added, “There has been some negative feedback from the academic community with regard to Research Output Monitoring.” Speaking of the system, he noted, as did the union, that they “have made a change to the process.”

“53% [of staff] would consider leaving their current position. ” He concluded by saying “we hope to be able to continue a constructive dialogue and get this issue sorted out.”

Both sides in this disagreement have expressed a willingness to work towards a solution and students should benefit from their continued dialogue.

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Exeposé week twenty news@exepose.com

Northcott to exit stage left?

Alex Moss News Editor

EXETER’S Northcott Theatre has been put into administration after concerns were raised about the issue of its financial viability.

There are significant concerns about the financial and cultural implications for a number of student societies who regularly use the Theatre.

After closing for almost a year in 2007 for a £2.1m redevelopment, the Northcott was threatened with the loss of its Arts Council funding.

However, the threat was lifted and the venue was able to continue as one of the main venues in Exeter.

In spite of hosting a number of successful programs, the venue has been put into an unsustainable financial situation. A spokesperson for the Arts Council told The Guardian that “A legacy of financial problems [have] recently come to light.”

The venue’s Board of Trustees declared the Northcott, which has been open on the University’s Streatham Campus since 1967, insolvent on February 25.

While John Holmes, Northcott Audience Development Officer (Communication), said he was “currently not permitted by the administrators to talk to the press about the details of the administration,” a press release issued the same day outlined the decision.

Geoff Myers, Northcott Chairman of Trustees, explained, “We took this decision with a heavy heart, but when presented with the latest financial information we had no

The Northcott Theatre was built on Exeter’s Streatham campus in 1967. Photo by Northcott Theatre. choice but to place the Theatre into administration.”

He added that, “It is to be hoped that a way can be found to effect a rescue of the Theatre.”

Ian Walker, Theatre Administrator, added to this sentiment, saying, “In the longer term I believe it is important to ensure a Theatre can be maintained in Exeter, and I intend to hold discussion with all existing and possibly new stakeholders at the earlier opportunity.”

A number of explanations have been put forward for the decline in ticket sales. The renewal of the Arts Council funding in 2007 carried the requirement of ‘cutting-edge’ productions for the £547,000 annual

endowment, which necessitated new productions. Other explanations include the harsh weather conditions earlier this year and the lack of parking available following construction work on Stocker Road.

“We may be the last student society to be able to perform” Gemma Claisse, G&S Society Three student societies have been directly affected by the announcement.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Footlights, and the Exeter University Theatre Company, have all produced

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society campaigned in the town centre to raise awareness. Photo by Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

shows at the Northcott. The ticket receipts collected by the Theatre box office prior to administration are unsecure credit, for which societies may not receive full payment.

Joanna Bowery, Guild Marketing and Communications Manager, said, “Our biggest priority at the moment is to support the three student guild societies affected by the Northcott going into administration.”

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production of Ruddigore is still set to run between March 9 and 13.

Tickets bought after this date are still refundable.

However, tickets purchased before Febuary 25 have been made unsecure, meaning refunds would not be available in the event of a cancellation.

The full spring schedule, including Ruddigore, is to continue. However, anyone who has bought tickets before February 25 is classified as an unsecured creditor.

A number of student-led Facebook groups have been set up calling for students to campaign to save the Northcott. The largest group currently has over 2,500 members.

A member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society organized demonstrations in the town centre on March 1 and 6 to raise awareness of the Theatre’s financial predicament.

The society used chorus numbers from past productions and banners to draw attention to their campaign.

Mark Gormley, Gilbert and Sullivan Society President, said, “We’re doing everything we can to keep it open.“ He added, “To lose such a great space on central campus would be

a terrible loss for Exeter University.

Not only do students get a chance to perform in a professional theatre, they also get the chance to see professional productions.”

The Society’s production of Ruddigore is definitely to go ahead this week, and Gormley urged students to support the production. “I urge everyone to not only support us, but buy tickets for all of the spring season, and prove that we want a theatre in Exeter, and that the students care about it.”

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society is the oldest running theatre company in the University, and has been performing at the Northcott since it opened.

Gemma Claisse, Secretary of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, said, “We may be the last student society - or of any company - to be able to perform in the theatre and for that reason it is imperative that we get as many people aware of our show as possible.”

Claisse fears that in the event of G&S losing the money invested in the production, “It will mean almost certain death for the theatre company.”

It has since been confirmed that ticket sales are currently lower than expected, though they are improving.

Exeter University Theatre Company, who stage an annual production at the Northcott, have also been affected by the decision.

“I urge everyone to buy tickets for all of the spring season” Mike Gormley, G&S Society Will Sawney, EUTCo President, said the Northcott “provides an invaluable opportunity for members to work in all areas of professional theatre production, from acting to set building to lighting.”

However, with the decision to put the Northcott into administration, future EUTCo productions there are uncertain.

Sawney added that EUTCo was “expecting to have to change our plans for next year, either in how we work with the re-structured Northcott, or in what we do instead of such a large project.”

The Northcott is one of the largest theatre venues in Exeter, and while its future remains uncertain, other venues will continue to operate in its stead. Students and local Exeter residents continue to campaign for its survival and hope to see its renewal and revival.

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News

Devonshire House entrance to close

THE University is set to close the steps to Devonshire House later this year to allow Forum Project construction work in the area to start.

While it has not been possible to confirm when the closure will take place, work will not start until a temporary entrance has been established.

Devonshire House, which houses popular cafés, the Guild Shop, and the Ram Bar, will undergo work as part of the £48m redevelopment of Exeter’s Streatham Campus.

Jo Cole, the University’s Communications Officer, said, “We have discussed with the Guild where this might be but until the contractors are appointed we do not know exactly when this will happen.”

Lafrowda work costs carparks BUILDING work is set to start in the Lafrowda area as part of the UPP scheme to build new student residencies.

Around 30 car parking spaces in the area are going to be lost at the end of this month, and a further 35 will not be available at the end of the summer term.

However, Jo Cole, University Communications Officer, pointed out that there were still approximately 100 spaces available in the area. A further 20 spaces will be lost at Rowe House over the Summer break.

The preliminary work will involve the contracted builders setting up their site compound.

Consequently, footpath diversions will take place in the area.

In a letter sent to students living around Lafrowda, students were informed, “During March, preparation and diversion work on the utilities in the area must take place in readiness for the summer work.

“This will involve digging a trench along the front of St Germans, Lafrowda and Rowe Flats, however, access to the buildings will be maintained at all times.“ The letter added that a consultation process would be set up, under which, “We shall shortly be setting up a monthly student liaison group which will exist throughout the project.”

The group aims to give “residents and contractors the opportunity to raise any concerns during the construction process.“

march 8 2010

Exeposé

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Term structure to be reviewed

Eleanor Busby Reporter

A REVIEW of the new term structure is set to take place amidst concerns that the new framework will negatively impact University life.

The system of three ten-week terms was replaced in October with a semester-related structure.

It consists of an 11-week first term, 12-week second term and a shorter 7-week summer term. This new structure has raised concerns amongst students about exam times.

Jonathan Barry, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, commented, “While there are certainly issues with the new arrangements, there were also problems with the previous system (or any system!) and we need to try to minimise the issues and see what works best.”

The University will carry out a formal review in autumn, as promised to the students, to assess the effectiveness of the system after one full cycle. These changes would not be instantly effected in the

Flora Busby Senior Reporter

The term structure is set for review in Autumn

following academic year.

Barry explained, “Until we have conducted the review, we are not planning any changes in the structure. Any major changes would require several years lead in, as they affect such a wide range of University activity.”

However, he did concede that minor changes would be possible. “If the autumn review identifies smaller changes which can be brought in earlier, we will implement those as soon as possible.”

Photo by Alex Moss.

Students have since expressed dissatisfaction with the current structure, under which January exams were held on the first week back after Christmas, instead of a few weeks into the term. They felt they were less prepared, due to the lack of revision lectures.

Llywelyn Morris, Guild Education Officer, recognises that the new term structure has received criticism from students. He said, “I hear anecdotally, especially from my subject chairs, negative comments.

However, this could just be because

those who have negative comments are more likely to be vocal.”

Barry conceded that exams were a concern under the new structure, saying “Until students see their exam timetables, they are concerned that they may find a lot of exams in the second week of that term, following directly after handing in a lot of coursework.”

He explained that it was unlikely any single student would sit all of their exams immediately after the holiday period.

“I pointed out that exams would be spread over four weeks, at least, of the Summer Term (weeks 2-5, some first-year exams might even be in week six).”

In the third term, there will be one week of revision lectures and the rest will be exams. Many students are anxious that this Summer Term will be too intense and socially dead.

The new term date system is unlikely to change any time soon, but the University are working hard to monitor its effects and recognise student concerns in order to make a fair judgement in the autumn review.

Fairtrade flashmob goes bananas

A SERIES of events have been hosted on campus during Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 as part of a nationwide initiative in aid of ‘The Big Swap.’

The fortnight fell between February 22 and March 7. Events and exhibitions happened in order to demonstrate how making small changes in your shopping basket can make a big difference.

By showing how swapping products like bananas, tea and cotton to a Fairtrade version, The Fairtrade Foundation hope to prove “that the people of the UK want producers in the developing world to get a fairer deal.”

To launch Fairtrade Fortnight, a Fairtrade Banana Flashmob spontaneously appeared on the steps of Devonshire House and performed a dance. The event was led by Mark Johnston, President of the University Amnesty Society. and Gemma Richens, Guild Finance and Trading Officer, who both donned banana suits for the occasion.

Johnston commented, “We wanted to surprise people, have a

bit of fun and get enough media attention to be able to talk to a wide audience about Fairtrade issues and the Guild’s other Fairtrade events.”

The Guild organized many other events including a Fairtrade wine tasting evening in the Long Lounge, Fairtrade chocolate tasting and a Fairtrade tea party at which Susan

Nash, NUS Vice President, was the guest speaker.

Johnston added, “To students wondering whether it is worth stumping up the extra ten or twenty pence to buy Fairtrade, I would ask, what else are you going to spend those pennies on? By buying Fairtrade you help someone who

needs those pennies far more than you or me.”

For more information on where to buy Fairtrade products in Exeter, the sixth edition of Exeter’s Fairtrade Directory is now available in Devonshire House, listing over 55 shops and 60 cafés and restaurants that sell or serve Fairtrade products.

Guild FATO Gemma Richens and Amnesty President Mark Johnston went bananas. Photo by Adam Walmesley

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Exeposé week twenty news@exepose.com

BUCS Meadow doesn’t smell Top Ten

disruption to student teams. We hope that Duckes Meadow in September 2010 will be very different to the Duckes Meadow of March 2010.”

Tom Murray, AU President, voiced concerns about the site. He said, “I am of the opinion that the facilities at Duckes Meadows are well below the standard that we as students could expect from a top -en university.”

He explained that the current plan was for the improvements to take place over three years. Murray pledged, “I will however be looking to lobby the University to see if this refurbishment can all be carried out this summer ensuring that all students have the appropriate facilities for playing their sport in a top ten institution starting next academic year.”

Adam Walmesley News Editor

UNACCEPTABLE University sports facilities should be closed unless significant improvements are made, according to a report by a local inspector.

The University owned Duckes Meadow sports park, Exeter, met the damning verdict after years of neglect and disrepairs. Heavily used

by Exeter students and local clubs reports have suggested the changing room, toilet facilities, and car park are inadequate for a top-ten institution.

Several complaints regarding hygiene at the site have been raised by students, local teams and referees.

A complaint was issued to the University last month by a local football club, who described the facility as being in “an appalling and revolting state.”

“Not only are they offensive to us, but they are an embarrassment to show our opposing teams” Earlier in February a local referee had expressed his desire that the facilities should be condemned, prompting an inquiry. The official inspection criticised the state of showers, wash basins, toilets caked in excrement, and the lighting. The report suggested that improvements were necessary if the site were to remain open. The University commissioned a feasibility study into the centre, following health and safety complaints. Significant investment is expected by the University at the venue over the next three years.

The University’s Duckes Meadow sports park has been criticised by official inspections. Photo by Adam Walmesley.

Duckes Meadow receives high usage by University Athletic Union (AU) clubs, including Men’s and Women’s Rugby, Football, Rugby League, Lacrosse and intramural league fixtures. Opposing teams often share changing rooms, toilet and shower facilities, but men’s and women’s rooms are separate.

In 2006/07, AU President Rich Soddy carried out a survey on Duckes Meadow, concluding that the facilities should not be upgraded at that time. Concerns about the condition and sustainability of the changing rooms were highlighted at recent AU meetings. After initial assessment, the University’s Infrastructure Strategy Group carried out a feasibility study, for which results are expected in upcoming weeks. An industrial clean was expected last week as part of

other short term initiatives.

Calls have been made by a number of Exeter AU clubs urging the University to improve the facilities. Philip Legrand, Men’s Lacrosse 1st team captain, said, “Not only are they offensive to us when we have to change there, but they are also an embarrassment when we have to show our opposing teams to them.” He claimed that rival facilities at Loughborough and Bristol were of higher standard.

Legrand described it as “shocking [that] we are doing so much to improve things for students who may not even be able to represent the university (INTO) in BUCS sport on campus, but yet we leave our top athletes to endure the changing rooms at Duckes Meadows.”

Sam Tang, Football Club captain

hoped the facilities would be improved. He claimed, “Currently the facilities are not good enough for such high demand. I believe with so many students’ sporting experiences being affected more should be done with potentially further investment.”

Tang said the facilities were unworthy of a top-ten university: “If the University is serious about being a top-ten University, it must improve all of its sporting facilities as these for many students form an essential part of the University experience.”

Phil Attwell, Director of Sport and Student Activity at Exeter University, explained that the Duckes Meadow site had been scrutinised over the past few years.

He said, “Improvements to the site are expected once the playing season has finished, in order to minimise

“The facilities at Duckes Meadow are well below the standards that we expect from a top-ten uni” Tom Murray, AU President Recently the University promised to rebuild its old Boat House, used by the Rowing Club. Plans suggest it will take place over the summer thanks to a funding deal between the University and Exeter alumni.

Tom Murray explained, “The University is knocking down the old Boat House and replacing it with a brand new one, which will be able to store more boats in a safe and secure fashion. It will make the repair and maintenance of the boats easier and will allow easier storage of the boats, so they can be safely utilised by all members of the rowing club.”

University halves cost of Grad Ball tickets

Charlie Marchant Senior Reporter

THE University will heavily subsidise Graduation Ball tickets, it has told Exeposé.

Tickets will be reduced from £72 to £36 for the ball at Westpoint Arena on Saturday July 17. A theme will be chosen by students later in the month.

The decision is expected to cost the University thousands of pounds, and comes weeks after students took concerns to the Vice Chancellor about Graduations being held on campus.

Graduation ceremonies are still

scheduled to take place at the Exeter Northcott theatre despite the venue being placed into administration on Friday February 26.

The Great Hall which is normally used to host ceremonies will be closed due to the Forum Project building.

Steve Vinall, Communications and Marketing Manager, assures students that, “We have no reason to believe that the situation will have an effect on graduation.”

Despite the controversy over the venue of the graduation ceremonies, Exeter University students remain undeterred in their decision to donate a graduation gift to the University.

There are three potential graduation gifts in the pipeline, including a time capsule, a £2,000 grant for academic departments, or a re-vamp of the Ram. Students can vote in a survey for their choice.The Graduation Team will raise money by holding multiple events, including a pub quiz, Lemmy night and Raffle, with all the profits going towards the gift.

Natasha Sabo, Exeter student and organiser, said, “Hopefully students will be keen to leave their mark on a place that they have spent three years of life in and have had lots of happy memories in.”

Graduation ceremoies are set to take place in the Northcott. Photo by Alex Moss.

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march 8 2010

Exeposé

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Virgin internet customers still suffer

Camilla Kenney Senior Reporter

A NUMBER of Virgin Media Broadband customers are still dissatisfied with poor internet service despite promises that the service would have improved by the end of February.

Virgin Media released a statement in mid-January stating that they were “aware of a recent internet speed issue affecting some customers in the EX4 areas of Exeter,” which they explained as a result of “abnormally high network usage.”

It was expected that these issues would be resolved by the end of February, however, a significant number of customers have complained the service has not improved.

Emma Hanratty, who lives on Pennsylvania Road, states that the service is “still really bad, absolutely no improvement. [We] can’t ever download or stream and sometimes can’t even view normal pages”.

Recent statements from Virgin claim that upgrade work has been carried out successfully and that “a large number of customers have

already seen an improvement.”

They continue to suggest that ‘high utilisation’ is to blame for service problems. Further upgrade work began on March 3 until the weekend, after which time Virgin Media will “closely monitor usage patterns to minimize any excessive users or usage.”

“We can’t ever download or stream and sometimes we can’t even view normal pages.”

Emma Hanratty, Exeter student The greatest problem appears to be how Virgin has dealt with these problems. Virgin Media’s customer service has been voted the ‘best customer service’ by Mobile Choice for eight years running.

One student stated that Virgin’s customer service “had the nerve to tell me that the construction in Victoria Street will terminate my internet services temporarily meaning I will not have internet for two weeks. And Virgin Media didn’t even send an email or call to inform

us about this.”

Others have reported similar bad experiences. It appears customers have also been offered a variety of dates by which time the service should have improved, from late in March until early May. A Virgin analyst spoke to one customer indicating that the poor service “could be to do with Virgin not wanting to shell out the best part of £500,000 to increase capacity in the Exeter area.”

While this problem persists Virgin Media is still advertising its internet package over the radio and on Exeter High Street.

Chris Fullbrook, creator of the Facebook group “Because Samuel L Jackson Lied...” has organised a sit-in for Wednesday March 10, which will commence at midday. Dissatisfied customers will peacefully protest in front of the Virgin store on the High Street. Over 200 people have already committed to being there.

Fulbrook also suggested he will bring a motion to the next Guild General Meeting.

He hopes in turn the Guild will “strongly advise all future students against signing up to Virgin.”

The Virgin store in Exeter is to be the location of a sit in. Photo by Adam Walmesley.

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march 8 2010

Opinion Ch-ch-changes

James McMeekin, Editor, turns and faces the strange...

For this piece I’d like to discuss, if I may, a rather depressing issue (especially considering we are verging precariously close to the outbreak of Spring) in this piece; notably, the subject of university goodbyes.

However, I want to advance a slightly different spin on the issue.

Y’see, pieces such as this crop up routinely in this fine publication about this time every year when the then editor finally realises they have to finally face the real world and drones on about bidding farewell to their drinking buddies, employees at the local Co-Op and whoever else (at the risk of preserving what little professionalism I have left, I apologise in advance to those of you planning to submit any such articles for the next issue and look forward very much to reading them during proofing!). I instead, as a society president myself and editor of Exeposé, wish to focus on saying goodbye to this year’s current university activities and operations.

Indeed, it is over the next few weeks (in the case of Exeposé, the day this edition hits the shelves) that societies, sports clubs and medias will start selecting their new committees; for those not versed in Guild affairs, the senior management personnel who generally are tasked with running such groups. Over the past year they have slaved over malfunctioning copies of InDesign, toiled atop an overflowing cashbox and overseen athletic triumphs and torment all for your enjoyment.

These are the unspoken giants of the university experience, and campus won’t be the same without them.

Of course, it’s out with the old and in with the new. War-hardened third- and fourth-years are routinely

replaced with rosy-cheeked freshers or second-years, eyes filled with unbridled awe and innocence.

However, it’s awfully tough to let go. To paraphrase that great source of advice, Doctor Who, for those departing everything they are dies and a brand-new committee goes sauntering away. Though I may have changed the context there from cellular regeneration to the committee handover process, the message remains the same.

The experience is a strange mixture of euphoria and depression verging on the tear-inducing. It is the ultimate expression of the phrase ‘bittersweet’; though you know in your heart and mind that your successors are wonderful people who will undoubtedly continue and subsequently improve upon the work you’ve put into a certain sector of campus life, there’s something decidedly mortifying about it all.

You hear them discussing giddying plans for Welcome Week and think to yourself “Oh, goody - I can’t wait to be there for tha- oh, wait. I’ll be on the dole.” Suddenly the year(s) that you spent standing outside Natwest in the freezing cold for six hours flyering for Shampus sodding Shinema seem all the more meaningful, tinted in a mental sepia and backed by poignant violin strings.

As such, I’d like to applaud and thank absolutely everyone who’s sadly leaving their posts at the end of this year: you’ve all done terrific jobs and my – as well as everyone else’s – Exeter experience would not have been the same without you. May flights of FI1 Budget Application Forms sing thee to thy rest.

Exeposé

www.exepose.com

Gemma Dye, Rebecca Lewis and James McMeekin

editors@exepose.com

In response to the Angry Mob

Dear Exeposé, Irrational. Lacking foresight.

Deluded. Feeling the pain of rejection.

Even a phallogocentrist (nope, me neither). What a response. Ouch.

First, let me allay the heartfelt concerns of my fellow students writing to Exeposé last fortnight regarding my employment prospects.

Messrs Strachan and Lush, and Miss Doughty undoubtedly will be delighted to know that, despite the apparent unemployable nature of my degree, an investment bank has decided to take pity on me. My letter therefore was not the bitter ranting of a history student with a bleak future.

Rather, my aim was to raise awareness of inequalities in the graduate job market, provoking discussion. The

plethora of indignant responses suggests this was achieved.

Removing the hyperbole and sensationalist rhetoric of my initial letter (February 8th), the core point remains unanswered. The best candidates should get the best jobs regardless of their degree title.

University should be a time to study a subject you relish rather than one you feel obliged to undertake to progress on a career. There need be no correlation between your degree and your profession (obviously excepting Medicine and Engineering etc). Yet this is not the case.

The smug attitude of Miss Doughty and Mr Lush suggesting they have a preordained right to enter the financial world with their

degrees (Economics and Business respectively) ahead of students such as myself is offensive and naive, yet unfortunately, this permeates the upper echelons of graduate recruitment. This is a failure of the system. For graduate positions, training is done ‘on-the-job’, not in university lecture theatres. My sixweek training programme is jobspecific, rather than learning vague theories on marketing, leadership or management. Candidates should be picked on their potential and drive, nothing else.

I hope this letter touches a less raw nerve.

Sir, I enjoyed the responses to Dan Diamond’s article.

However, some I found silly and slightly perismatic. Steph De Souza, the only published fresher to respond (clap-clap) accuses Dan of ‘phallogocentrism’. The only thing Ms De Souza does effectively is to use complatious words in their wrong context and force me to framble through a dictionary. The word left me

foggled and in all honesty, a little brafen. Because of this I cannot remember anything else about the article she concrumpled. This word ‘phallogocentrism’ I can only find attributed to Jacques Derida which Wikipedia defines as ‘privileging of the masculine (phallus) in the construction of meaning’. As far as I am aware, Dan was not privileging his or anyone else’s penis in his article.

Debate is healthy, but not when it

metericates into inconsequential flummery. It is like me calling Ms. De Souza’s letter a pettifogging fannygocentric monologue; it is not necessary and is contraxious to her argument. Showing a command of the English language is plactic, but there is a limit.

It’s that time of year again when you get bombarded with Facebook group invitations begging you to vote and people holding banners accosting you on your walk to lectures and the library. But after a recent house discussion, how much does your vote in the Students Guild elections matter?

As a group of 3rd years it was argued that because we are graduating this summer our vote will have no effect on our

Why vote?

university experience. Therefore what is the point?

Although I can understand this, after 3 years of having the most amazing university experience I feel that voting is a way of giving something back just like being involved in the societies. Without the Guild the students would have no voice and electing the right officers for you is part of the university experience. But again, we are 3rd years so what’s the

Dan Diamond 3rd Year History Student

Yours, Nax Morman 2nd Year Counting

Leadership

and

point?

I can in no way give a good explanation to why 3rd years should vote. But maybe the Guild should think about it if they want a 100% election turnout. All I know is that I voted because I want Exeter to continue providing students with the same fantastic experience of student life that I have had.

Rachel Norman, Geography Student

3rd

Year

Corrections: Exeposé would like to apologise for the placement of a quote box in an article in issue 559, p1 and 3. The quote referred to comments referring to XEng that were inadvertently linked to Bracton Law Society through their placement. We apologise for any misunderstanding this may have caused.

Exeposé would like to apologise to Emma Green. Her website www.rosalindjames.co.uk was incorrectly printed in issue 562, on page 14 as rosalindjames.com.

Exeposé would like to apologise to Henry White whose photograph in issue 562, page 5 to accompany the “Chinese NY meets Big Challenge” article was wrongly credited to the University of Exeter.

Cathedral Campaign is exclusive

Dear Exepose,

I wonder if those campaigning for next year’s graduation ceremonies to be held in Exeter Cathedral have paused for a moment to think of Exeter’s many Muslim, Jewish and atheist students, students of other faiths

and those Christian students who are aware of the sensibilities of others before settling on the Cathedral as the ‘ideal venue’for the graduation ceremonies?

I am pleased that the University has resisted this campaign, but am not a little concerned that the objections should have all been

practical ones, when the proposal is, first and foremost, exclusory.

Yours faithfully Gábor Gergely PhD Candidate, School of Arts, Languages and Literatures

9

Exeposé week twenty news@exepose.com

E-mail your views to letters@exepose.com Opinions and perspectives expressed on this page are those of the authors of the letters printed and not necessarily those of Exeposé or the editors. All letters are printed as received, in full, unedited, and uncorrected by Exeposé

In response to: Price of a Life Line

Dear Exepose, In the Gender Equality Society, we encourage debate and dissension.

There is no party line. However, our committee objected so strongly to Anna-Marie Linnell’s insensitive and inaccurate article Price of a Life Line that we have decided to issue a rebuttal.

We respect women enough to believe that they should be able to make their own choice about whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. Judith Jarvis Thomson has conceptualised this in the ‘Violinist argument’ and we quote from Wikipedia: ‘we are asked to imagine a famous violinist falling into a coma. The society of music lovers determines from medical records that you and you alone can save the violinist’s life by being hooked up to him for nine months’. ‘It would be generous to oblige but you cannot argue that a person is obligated to do so, as they have ultimate control over their own body. This is comparable to 9 months of pregnancy, which alters the body, life and treatment of a woman (and which doesn’t cease after the child is born).In her article Linnell states that ‘personally [she] could never have an abortion’. We are pleased that she is able to make that choice for herself, taking into account her own beliefs and values. Unfortunately, earlier in the article she casts aspersions on other women’s choices- deriding them for choosing to terminate an ‘inconvenient’ pregnancy for ‘social reasons’. We can imagine circumstances under which we would choose abortion. According to Time magazine, in 2004, 60% of women obtaining abortions ‘have already given birth to at least one child’.

Going through with a pregnancy may mean that existing children have to suffer financially or otherwise. Putting aside medical complications and sexual abuse, which Linnell classes as ‘extreme circumstances’: women may be unable to take time away from education or work; they may be financially unstable or in an abusive or difficult relationship. It is patronising, unfair and lacking in empathy to suggest that women cannot evaluate their individual circumstances. In her article, Linnell goes on to argue that ‘the route of adoption should be stressed more readily to those considering abortion’. Adoption can be a wonderful way to create a family but it is far from a simple alternative to abortion. For all the reasons we have already outlined

‘nine months of inconvenience’ is not something women can necessarily spare. Some women have also described the experience of being a birth mother as incredibly traumatic.

There are already many children awaiting adoption and children with disabilities find it especially difficult to get placed. If every person who currently has an abortion chose adoption then social services would be stretched to breaking point and many more children would grow up in care.

Does Linnell really want this?

Whilst maintaining a false air of neutrality, Linnell frequently tries to drum up sympathy for the foetusit has ‘eyelashes’ at 24 weeks and a beating heart and ‘growing hair’ at 14.

Yet she seems to have little empathy with children who have actually been born. Through the article she makes references to ‘unwanted pregnancies’.

We would like to suggest that there is a difference between an unwanted and an unplanned pregnancy. According to an online survey supported by the Family Planning Association, around 40% of British mothers did not plan their pregnancy. In many cases, this simply means a child is a ‘happy accident’. However, the word ‘unwanted’ suggests something darker and far sadder. We believe that every child should be eagerly anticipated by its family and every arrival should create joy. It is not in any way ethical or compassionate to force people to become parents as a punishment because they ‘forgot to use a condom, or couldn’t be bothered to source contraception’.

We would like to point out that making abortion illegal past 14 weeks will not stop women wanting to terminate their pregnancies and finding ways in which they can. A classic symbol of the pro-choice movement is a wire coat hanger. The implication is simple: women will find a means to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

If abortion is illegal they will resort to dangerous and life threatening measures. When something is illegal it goes underground. Whilst abortion is legal it can be monitored and made safe. No woman should have to be ‘treated’ by an under qualified doctor using dirty instruments. Yet this is what happens. Women die when abortion is illegal. What’s more, it will only be the poorest and most vulnerable women who will suffer. In the Republic of Ireland abortion is illegal unless the

pregnant woman’s life is in danger. Yet according to the Department of Health, in 2008 at least 4600 Irish women had abortions in the UK. The wealthy will always be able to get around the law.

What is Linnell’s plan exactly? How would she deal with the women who will inevitably want to get abortions after 14 weeks has past?

On reading the article, we were most disgusted that Linnell ‘empathised’ with Scott Roeder’s belief that Dr. George Tiller ‘needed to be stopped’. Tiller was one of the only doctors in the USA who performed late-term abortions. As a result of this, he suffered harassment and multiple assassination attempts before being murdered by Roeder whilst taking part in a church service. According to the OED, Roeder is a terrorist: ‘any one who attempts to further his views by a system of coercive intimidation’.

Tiller’s practise was challenged several times by pro-life activists in the court of law. On every occasion it was found to be safe and legal. In fact, Tiller is remembered by patients as a compassionate man who, in his own words, acted out of a conviction that his ‘patients are emotionally, mentally, morally, spiritually and physically competent to struggle with complex health issues and come to decisions that are appropriate for them’.

According to the NHS, in 2005 89% of abortions were carried out before 13 weeks. Tiller’s patients were a minority and most chose to terminate their pregnancies because of severe medical complications. Following Tiller’s death one former patient wrote that she decided to terminate her much wanted pregnancy after being informed that the foetus ‘could die in utero, die shortly after birth, or be a vegetable’.

This woman made an impossible and courageous decision. How dare Linnell condemn the doctor who respected this and chose to help her?

This article is shockingly hurtful towards all women choosing abortion and we especially wonder if Exepose considered the feelings of the students at this university who have undoubtedly made that choice. Frankly, we are astounded that Exepose thought it was appropriate to publish such an ignorant, hateful article. To endorse the actions of a terrorist, especially in such a misleading way, is not acceptable.

Exeter University Gender Equality Society Committee

Dear Exepose,

This is the third time this year I have started to write this letter, but this time I feel I must send it. I feel that, as a lover of the paper over my time at Exeter, I must point out my dismay at the low level of journalistic professionalism in the Features section. Three times now Features has published an article which, whilst paying lip service to impartiality, pushes a distinct message associated with an evangelical christian ideology.

“Where is the Garden of Eden?” in week 4, needs little further discussion beyond the excellent response letter the following issue. “An Immovable Institution,” in week eight, appears on its face to be a simple discussion of a social issue. But when the author begins by quoting Genesis as his prime example of matrimonial happiness, his impartiality is automatically suspect.

Not surprisingly, his conclusion is that marriage must be preserved at all costs, simply because it comes from God. No discussion is made of the alternatives, I have rarely been so disgusted by anything than I was after reading Anna-Marie Linnell’s article on abortion in the Week 18 issue. She states that England is one of the only countries to legalise abortions at the late stage of 24 weeks.

This is true. However, if Miss Linnell had bothered to check her facts, she would have realised that abortions at this late stage are only justified when the life of the mother is at risk or if the foetus would have severe disabilities. It is not acceptable to simply walk into a doctor’s surgery at 24 weeks pregnancy and demand a termination. In actual fact, the vast majority of abortions are conducted in the early stages of pregnancy, between four and twelve weeks, when any number of studies have proven that foetuses cannot even feel pain.

Secondly, in response to Miss Linnell’s casual statement that an unwanted pregnancy is a mere nine months of ‘inconvenience’, and nothing more, I would like to ask how anyone could have the sheer arrogance to ask a woman to go through the trauma of pregnancy, childbirth and giving up a baby.

Furthermore, many unwanted babies will not be adopted by a kind, loving family, but will instead be

and it is a reasonable inference from his choice Old Testament sources that his definition of marriage does not include same-sex partnerships.

Finally, Features goes too far and sub-textually sympathises with an unremorseful terrorist murderer in the last issue (“Price of a Life Line”), because his victim engaged in a legal practice that conflicts with the authors’ evident ideology. I’m not saying that the paper must ignore religious issues, or that authors shouldn’t allow their religion to show in their articles. But I do think that a balance is required both in each article, and in the overall editorial policy of the section. Exepose is a Guild-supported student paper for a secular student body. It is entirely inappropriate for a section to so consistently push such a one-sided message.

Yours, Alfred Perkins 3rd Year Law sent through the care system, where they will be passed from pillar to post throughout their young lives.

The third point I would make here is that there are several circumstances where unwanted pregnancies are not, as Miss Linnell appears to suggest, as a result of carelessness by over-sexed youths.

Contraceptives fail, quite regularly.

Rape.

Incest.

I feel that this article was illinformed, ill-written and merely went over the same tired and outdated arguments against abortion that we have heard a million times before.

Having been through an abortion myself, I would like to point out to Miss Linnell that it is not a decision made lightly after a moment of illadvised stupidity. It is an extremely painful thing, both physically and emotionally, and she has no right to comment on something that she has never experienced. If Miss Linnell ever has to come to terms with an unwanted pregnancy, I think we may all find that the self-righteous and judgemental views she airs in this article may be very different.

Anon 2nd year English student

10

march 8 2010

Exeposé

www.exepose.com

E-mail your views to letters@exepose.com Opinions and perspectives expressed on this page are those of the authors of the letters printed and not necessarily those of Exeposé or the editors. All letters are printed as received, in full, unedited, and uncorrected by Exeposé

Red-tape and bureaucracy Chilcot the Point

Dear Exeposé,

A recent debacle involving the marking down of a significant number of 2nd year politics essays by a second marker has confirmed, in my mind, the ridiculous bureaucracy involved in the marking of essays at this university.

Nearly every department denies they have a quota of 1st class marks that they are permitted to give out, and yet every module I have ever done miraculously produces a 2:1 majority mark with perhaps 3 or 4 firsts. That may seem uncontroversial considering the majority of students across the UK achieve a 2:1 and a first is still considered an exceptional achievement by the brightest students, but the recent events in the politics department are suspicious to say the least, and highlights an issue which often goes unaddressed.

Call me cynical but if the marking scheme at Exeter is as standardised and impartial as we are constantly led to believe, then why were a remarkably high number of recent politics essays marked down, in some cases considerably so from solid firsts to low 2:1’s? Whilst rummaging through the pile of returned work, several essays caught my eye due to such wild discrepancies between the two markers. One had been marked down from a very respectable 75 to a 68, which makes a considerable difference to one’s overall average if you are striving for a first. Another had dropped 9 marks to settle on a 64, whilst one essay had been given an initial mark of 87 and had been inexplicably marked down to a 75.

No doubt an excellent piece of work in any case, but where did those 12 marks evaporate to? Come to think of it, why does the Huss mark scheme even bother entertaining the pretence of the percentages 80 to 100? These are clearly ‘leprechaun’ numbers that everyone would love to believe exists but know deep down that they are fictional.

In fact a significant number of the essays that had been given highly favourable comments and solid first class marks had mysteriously turned into mid 2:1’s. Now if that isn’t evidence of a strict quota-based marking policy, I don’t know what is. This kind of blatant bureaucratic nonsense is not only extremely irritating and unfair but also totally patronising. ‘Moderation’ is often used here as a synonym for ‘down grading’, and implies that if an ‘unusually’ high number of firsts are awarded then those students cannot possibly have earned that grade and someone must have cocked up the marking (usually blamed on a Phd student). Upon receiving your GCSE or A level results, how many of you were told (by people born in the 1950s), that your success was undeserved or shallow due to the fact that exams have been made easier over the last 30 years?

The same patronising rationale is inflicted upon the many hard working students at Exeter who do well because they deserve to and not because the marking was ‘soft’. What the hell happened to meritocracy?!

If 30 out of 50 people were ultramotivated and proactive with their research and consequently wrote an outstandingly good essay worthy of a first, then we are justified in

giving them all a first! In certain departments at this university, however, a surplus of intelligent students producing work of a 1st class standard means one thing and one thing only: ‘moderation time, people!’

Maintaining a high average of 2:1’s simply maintains the credibility of the department by casting its teaching methods in a favourable light, whilst ensuring that only a small number of firsts are awarded denies people the opportunity to label the course a ‘soft module’. The recent incident has actually provoked so much student outrage that the moderator in question has been forced to offer academic clinics to discuss the rationale behind the down marking.

Spurious explanations such as ‘lack of critical analysis’ or ‘needs more engagement with the literature’ are bound to crop up as justifications for this fiasco which has in all probability denied many students the excellent grade they deserve.

Oh, but don’t worry if you’ve been academically battered by the second marker by an entire grade boundary, because the enigmatic external examiner has yet to assess your work and no grades are final until this omniscient wraith judges you. So that’ll be a guy with over a hundred essays to ‘moderate’ in a couple of minutes using a copy of the unquestionably ‘standardised, universal and impartial’ Exeter University mark scheme. Good luck getting that 75 back, sunshine.

Steve Richardson Disgruntled 3rd year student

Harvey review unsatisfactory

I am disappointed with your review of Harvey. Contrary to the review, all the actors were outstanding, and originally cast.

My favourite was Myrtle Mae,

who gave an emotional, but funny performance, which was fully enjoyed by the audience. It was one of the best plays I have ever seen. Well done to all the

cast and crew!! THIS HAS TO BE PUBLISHED IN EXPOSE IN THE NEXT ISSUE! Paul Clarkson

Thanks to everyone who helped proof this issue: Matthew Allen, Anna-Marie Linnell, Jennifer Seymour, Jessica Reynolds, Dominic McInerney, Cyan Turan, Rachel Bayne, Natalie Audley, David Brake, Calum Baker, Alice Scoble-Rees, Ellen Baker, Ellie Bothwell, Eleanor Busby, Ellie Steafel, Oli Carey, Rosie Scudder, Laura Le Brocq, Katherine Hyland, Jamie Walters and members of the Exeposé editorial team.

If you’d like to help us proof the next issue, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the editors on editors@exepose.com

A response to The Iraq Inquiry – Too little too late?

There seems to be some confusion of why we are having an inquiry, especially since it seems rather useless, embarrassing and a little late.

But there’s actually a reason.

It’s called democracy. And in a liberal society, which as a claim in Britain may often seem a stretch of the imagination, we nevertheless have to the right to question our politicians.

Personally I think we should be questioning more, but let’s start with Blair and this Chilcot Inquiry.

What appears to be the biggest counter argument to putting this inquiry on; is the potential for damaging foreign policy. Ok I can buy that. But wait, wouldn’t most accept the definition of a tyrant, as a leader who kills, tortures and most importantly doesn’t listen to his people. How exactly does Blair not fit this bill? We would be the height of hypocrisy if we did have this inquiry, frankly there should be a trail.

You would like a credible foreign policy, ok then. How about not invading a country without a next step? How about not invading a country when the possibility of ‘winning’ isn’t even achievable?

Or even better yet, how about just supplying our men with enough armour, weapons and protection, so that we don’t have to keep bringing their corpses home?

You talk of Churchill taking the right steps. And yes against Hitler, going to war was probably the only option. But what has history shown us? That England and the US sticking its noses in, and getting involved without a proper plan for further down the road, really does not work.

Germany after the war, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq to name a few (sadly I really could continue…)

This is foreign policy at its worse. It refuses to learn from its past mistakes. Insists that, with postcolonial grandeur, the West knows best, before it marches in, gets thousands killed and then doesn’t know what to do next.

I don’t deny that we, as supposedly liberal, anti-despots peoples, should be standing up for the disenfranchised. So anyone up for invading China? No one going to go and suggest that we send some

soldiers over to Mugabe any time soon? You, want to know why? China holds over half of the US economy is its hand, and the good old US of A knows how to pick a despot. And sadly we in Britain have fallen hook, line and sinker. (I’m sorry Mr Waller, not every leader thought Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, that’s why they didn’t join the war.

That and it was illegal.)

Some say this means that we won’t be able to take Britain to war again. I really don’t believe this. I wish I did. But sadly men the world over have found reasons to fight since the year dot, and probably they will be doing when the world ends.

Frankly the more obstacles in the way of declaring war, with an emphasis on finding peaceful solutions seems to me a rather utopian hope. A John Lennon like dream, wouldn’t it be nice if this were a real possibility, rather than a scoffed at joke?

There is also a suggestion of standing up for a citizen’s rights, a cause I utterly support, but where to start?

Who has all their rights, and how many of these liberties must be sacrificed for another’s wellbeing?

Somehow I doubt a great many can tell the difference between how bad it was ten years ago and now. After all, where was 9/11 celebrated? And guess what, a great many in Afghanistan and Iraq, still don’t like the US. This may sound as if I condone violence against Afghanistan and or Iraq, or support Saddam, which I don’t.

I ask a simple question, when in the last forty years, has a war been successful? If we look at the countries that the USA and Britain keep stepping into and ‘helping’, how many can claim their rights, or simply a better standard of living?

Many will say that we need to provide a strong united front against the future risks from Iran and/or North Korea. But how can we separate ourselves from them if we are not liberal? If we do not try our criminals, test our politicians and root out those that have maliciously lied to the public, how can we say to anyone, ‘this is how a country should be run, this is a democracy?’

Natalie Audley

11

Exeposé week twenty features@exepose.com

Features

More Bill Gates and Fewer Foundations

Hannah Bignold discusses the shortcomings of our global aid system.

OUR global village allows three billion people to live on less than $2.50 a day. You’ve heard that, or something similar, before. But what I find more worrying than this tremendous blunder is that this figure has remained nearly constant since 1981, despite the billions that have been pumped into so-called ‘developing countries.’

The question as to how and why this has happened is complex and interesting, but with little pressing relevance when you consider that a person dies every three seconds.

The fact of the matter is that there are severe failures in the current aid system. Therefore it’s clear, at least to me, that we need a new focus and a new solution to end the poverty that can be so easily ignored.

As refreshing as it would be to scrap the whole traditional aid system, it’s neither realistic nor feasible. However, there are a few among the minority who advocate a new way to actually ‘develop’ the developing world, without the corruption, misdirection and ignorance that inhibits so much

of traditional charity. They call it Patient Capitalism.

Clearly traditional charity doesn’t have the driving power to overcome the barriers to development, but due to the lack of infrastructure in the third world neither does the marketplace by itself. Patient Capital is, according to its founders “a third way that seeks to bridge the gap between the efficiency and scale of marketbased approaches and the social impact of pure philanthropy.” In

essence, it focuses on bringing an adapted business model to third world markets, bringing affordable and life-changing products and services to those who previously had no access to anything of such sorts. By investing in those entrepreneurs who know their community, you invest in a businessman who knows his customers and if that can then be brought to scale not only will much needed goods and services be accessible to those in poverty

but jobs and growth will follow in a positive multiplier effect. Think along the lines of Dragon’s Den for developing countries. Patient Capitalism is a stepping stone in this, providing the finance that the third world banking system doesn’t affordably offer.

Even in the poorest parts of Africa Capitalism exists; it’s just in a wild, informal and unregulated form. If this can be channelled into positive businesses, political corruption (a main barrier to traditional development techniques) becomes immaterial because funds go to those who need it on the ground, without being filtered through the political elites, and when focused on profit these funds gain accountability. Patient Capital has all the discipline and rigor of venture capital.

Yes, the idea takes higher risks, accepts lower rates of returns and must accept longer payback periods than venture capital but all this is outweighed by the social returns it brings.

Poor people seek dignity more than they do wealth, even if money is a medium of that. To

the onlookers who merely want the warm fuzzy feeling of lending a helping hand, traditional charity appears to meet the needs of those in poverty, but in looking deeper it is rarely self-sustainable. It only meets immediate needs and dependency is created, and there’s little dignity in any of that. For evidence, just look at the World Bank’s contributions.

Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, an organisation that advocates Patient Capital says “There are no more market orientated individuals on the planet than low income people.” So if the demand and want to supply exists what’s to stop us from truly helping the poverished to haul themselves out of their poverty, as opposed to just dropping a pound in a random donations box. As far as I can see, there is no other way than businesses that employs at least their neighbours to bring about a lasting end to poverty.

For more information or to donate to this cause please visit http://www. acumenfund.org/get-involved.html

LikeMinds: Another First For Exeter

Features Editor, Munya Hoto reports on his experience at Exeter’s Social Media Conference

Friday February 26 saw one of the largest conferences for like-minded people in the field of social media congregate in Exeter, Devon. After much planning and organising, the conference commenced at 10.30am.

LikeMinds is the brain child of two Devon-based thought leaders in the field of social media consultancy, Scott Gould and Andrew Ellis. With full knowledgethatthephrase‘socialmedia’ is not one that is naturally received or gets immediate understanding, one thinks it appropriate to define this growing phenomenon in digital industry. Social media is, according to Kaplan and Haelein, a group of internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow

the creation and exchange of usergenerated content. Loosely defined in a language that most of us will understand, and I do not exclude myself from that populous, is the use of media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to convey messages. So why hold a conference just to talk about Facebook?

The theme of this year’s LikeMinds conference was ‘People to People.’ It was formed on the basis that because social media is such a new channel to communicate to customers, brands have got on the bandwagon but got it all wrong.

They have created Facebook pages that no one visits and Twitter feeds that churn out tonnes of content that no one is interested in. The crisis for

“In a crisis [social media] can be the difference between life and death.”

brand is therefore how to transform the approach of brand and those that spend money on advertising, so that their efforts are not just another annoying inbox message on my Facebook or an unwanted advert that keeps popping up while I’m watching clips of the latest episode of Glee on Youtube. In order to unbundle this fairly complex proposition, Scott and Andrew invited some of the most respected names in social media. Among those that graced our humble city were the likes of New York Times best-selling author of Trust Agents, Chris Brogan, Managing Director of Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence, John Bell, Yann Gourvennec who heads up internet and digital media at Orange Business Services, to name but a few. Their chief executives from various companies includes Reuters, BSkyB and Kodak. Needless to say

there was not a lack of expertise in the room. Experts came from as far as Australia to come break down the mystery behind social media.

One of my favourite speakers at the event, was John Akwue, the head of Digital Thinking at Digital Public.

Through his presentation he was able to capture the fact that social media can be used to save lives. Having won the prize for the best use of Information and Communications Technology in citizen and patient involvement in healthcare in 2009, Digital Public saw reduction in teenage pregnancies and recovery of people from desperate situation through the use of social media. His presentation captured the essence of the theme People to People. The fact social media is not a one-way platform where you simply push out brand messages, but in a crisis it can be the difference between life

and death.

The speakers all arrived on the Thursday evening and were welcomed to a Lord Mayor’s reception in the Exeter Cathedral then treated to a welcome dinner courtesy of the Exeter City Council.

The actual conference itself was a very tightly scheduled affair, with speakers even having to work through lunch. Most of the panellists and keynote speakers held lunchtime discussions in 20 restaurants across the city, and this allowed not only many of the other delegates to meet and interact with these thought leaders but it also generated revenue for the city of Exeter. The event put Exeter on the map as a centre for emergent thinking and exposed the wealth and beauty of this small city in Devon County.

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march 8 2010

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Interview with Paul Newton

Dini Muana, Features Editor, speaks with the Major General of the British Army. is that it’s strange that in every level. When I was a 2nd lieutenant, when I was 19, I’d used to look at what my Company Commander did, he would’ve been about 30, and I thought, what satisfaction does he get? As I’ve gone through my military career, getting older and more senior, I’ve found the challenges have been different at every change, at every stage.

And I’m as enthusiastic about it now as I was when I was 18 when I joined. So I wouldn’t single out one individual episode, it’s just been a fantastic mosaic of experiences.

“I’m as enthusiastic about it now as I was when I was 18 when I joined.”

Major General Paul Newton has served the British Army since the age of 18. Educated at Cambridge University, he has led eight operational tours in Northern Ireland, and one in Iraq. He revised the UK’s doctrine of counter-insurgency operations, on which he led a talk at the University of Exeter on February 19. In addition, he has also worked with operation and campaign plans in Kuwait, Kosovo and Sierra Leone. In 2005 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff J2 (Intelligence) at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters; during which Iraq and Afghanistan were the most important items on the agenda.

He was promoted to Major General in 2006, and appointed to the Senior Directing Staff at the RCDS. In 2008 he was became Director of the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC), a think-tank that informs decisions in Defence policy, capability development and operations. Features got a few minutes to ask a some questions.

Q: In your vast military experience, what would you say has been the most gratifying so far. Is there anything that particularly stands out?

A: What’s been most satisfying

Q: What would you say to students now who are planning on or would like to consider a career in the military? What steps do you think they could take after uni? Should they carry on with further study first, or do you think the sooner they get right into it, the better?

A: I think it’s a balance to be struck; essentially, being in the military is a young person’s game.

I nearly said a young man’s game, but increasingly it’s a young woman’s game as well. There’s no point in having a whole cohort of highly-educated 53-year olds.

That doesn’t work. What we’re trying to do in the British army is to recruit really bright people; people who don’t just want to follow orders, they don’t just fit some stereotypical mould of what part of society they came from.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you went to a public school, what ethnic background you come from. We’re looking for talent, because the kind of operations that I’m depicting here are hugely complicated. And you need people at every level, [because] the decision threshold is being pushed further and further down.

Things that 20 years ago, in my career, I would have had to ask for permission four or five levels up, are now being done by people aged 20, 21. We’re looking for people with education, certainly, and maturity, but also that balance of youth and willingness to give it a go.

“What we’re trying to do in the British army is to recruit really bright people, people who don’t just want to follow orders.”

The British Army consists of the General Staff and the deployable Field Army and the Regional Forces that support them, as well as Joint elements that work with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Q: From your experiences, what moment can you recall that was very challenging, to the point that you questioned your position and what you were doing, for example, during Iraq?

A: [Pauses for a moment]... when I questioned what I was doing...there’s no profound example that springs to mind but let me give you one little example, one little vignette. I was working in Northern Ireland, as a young major, so I was commanding about 100 soldiers.

We were in a place called South Armagh. We were conducting surveillance operations against the provisional IRA, and we had some cameras positioned to watch the road. And a farmer came out to me on our patrol with a huge rock in his hand, which he was waving in my face, and I thought any second now he’s going to smash this rock into me. And my sergeant who was beside me had loaded his riot gun with a plastic bullet, and was getting ready to shoot him to protect me at very close range, it could’ve been lethal. And something in me just kind of made me listen to what the guy was saying, beyond the frothing and the rage. And what he was actually telling us was that our camera was pointing in the direction of his daughter’s bedroom window. And it was just pausing for that second that allowed me to kind of see it through the eyes of a father rather than through the eyes of a man with a huge bloody great rock that he was waving in front of my head. That is not a direct answer to your question but it was one of those judgement moments that it could’ve been wrong, it could’ve been right.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: [Without hesitation] Ski. I walk my old dog who’s 15 in the New Forest, I try and stay fit.

And my wife and I like to go out with our civilian friends. We have military friends as well, but one of the dangers of working in the military is that it takes over your entire life, you know, you become this sort of military creature at home and at work, so we try and

cultivate outside interests and outside friends. People who don’t know what I do, have no idea what the rank means.

Q: Following up on what you said, you mentioned secrecy, and how important secrecy is on the job. How do you manage that aspect of your life? How does that affect your relations with your family and the information that you deliver?

A: It’s just a matter of discipline and integrity. If you want to gossip about any aspect of your life, you know, your financial situation, or what you know about someone else’s situation, you might know something about your personal

life, or your financial situation or your political views. Now, you have just got to make that decision for yourself. Is the short term gratification of sharing what you know that boosts your ego worth the long term damage not just to that other person, but to your own integrity? So I find no difficulty in compartmentalizing it in that way. I’m not arguing for secrecy as a cult, but if someone shares something, and they trust you with that knowledge, particularly if it might endanger others, if you break that circle of knowledge, it just goes for the job.

“I find no difficulty in compartmentalizing [work life from home life].”

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Zimbabwe’s forgotten children

Ruvimbo Kaseke exposes the tragedy unfolding on the streets of Harare.

Tears stream down my face uncontrollably.

Helplessness, guilt, sadness, pity and many other emotions take over my heart. Even as I write this article I keep asking myself one question: Why? It is a normal Monday evening and I am getting ready to go to sleep. I am in my pyjamas, playing music on my laptop and about to complain to my mum about being broke as all students do. I receive a text from one of my friends asking me to watch a show on BBC Four. The name of the show alone makes me want to cry: Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children.

The narrator, who is also Zimbabwean, introduces us to three children in different parts of the country. Esther is a young girl who lives with her mother, a younger brother and an older sister. It is apparent from the moment you set eyes on them that their health is frail. Esther’s health seems to be deteriorating each second and so does her mother. Her friends have already started attending school but her mother cannot afford it. She lives in a house built with cardboard boxes and plastics. Later in the show the mother dies and the sister runs away to the city to look for money. Esther, an infant herself, is left alone looking after her baby brother.

We also meet Obert, an orphan who lives with his grandmother.

His grandmother used to be employed as a forewoman on a farm which was owned by a

British farmer prior to the “clean up” movement by ZANU PF war veterans which saw the farm forcefully taken away from the British farmer. War veterans took over the land. Obert’s health seems better than Esther’s but it is still weak. He pans for gold, an illegal activity as all minerals in Zimbabwe are state property. He explains how his family became destitute and how unwarranted it all seems to him. Panning for gold is complex, and most of all it is unsanitary. The water they use is untreated and with the outbreak of cholera in nearby

camps it is dangerous. His only source of meat is birds, which he catches using a sticky natural substance taken from trees known to Zimbabweans as “urimbo.” He cannot afford school because gold is now scarce in the area he lives.

There is a clip of him being sent home from school because he did not pay $2 for school fees or at least a 50 cent deposit.

The final child shown, Grace, lives in the suburbs and is still subject to these horrible conditions. Grace lives with her father who takes care of her, but he is unemployed and therefore

cannot meet the expense of her education. There are often water cuts and they have to deal with open sewers. They dig bones in a field of waste to earn money.

These bones are sold to sugar refinery companies to help in the process of refining. They do not

Features for brings tears to my eyes. One thought enters my mind; it could have easily been me. My mum always told me that life was unfair and I should be grateful for what little I have. Even now she gets angry whenever I throw away food when I am full because there is someone out there who needs it. I used to think all this was cliché but I now know different and believe that this should not be allowed to continue to happen to innocent people. These three children might never know it but they have inspired me, my friends and hopefully more people to be better, and to cherish all that we have and always be thankful.

I wrote this article not for political reasons but to make you think twice the next time you take whatever you have for granted.

The next time you are not satisfied with whatever you have, think of these three precious little children.

Throughout this whole experience I learnt something. Hope is important. These children live by hope alone. Hope for tomorrow to be better than today. I remember Esther was too tired at one point to even speak but she was still hopeful. Food Aid came to Esther and helped her and her family. It

“I witnessed the political structure crumble, then more famously the economy.” amount to much but at least it is something. Even after all that hard work at times they collect the bones but the buyers do not buy them and they end up where they started: starving and unable to afford school. In this clip the father expresses his regret at the situation they are in as it seems unjust to waste the little energy they have.

I am originally from Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe and I am aware of the political unrest that is there and all the suffering that comes with it. I witnessed some of it when I was there and I thought the situation was unbearable. I never thought the situation could get any worse. Even at a young age I witnessed the political structure crumble, then more famously the economy. From then on I watched the country I love disintegrate into pieces in front of my eyes. The once bread basket of Africa is now begging for food.

Seeing evidence like this to prove the opposite of what I hoped

was clear it was not enough but they were still grateful. I am an Economics student and we learn about equity and aid. I have seen for myself that these concepts are theoretical and in practice are not always true. I remember once writing an essay arguing against food aid as it has a propensity to override local farmers but the smile I saw on Esther’s face when she knew food was coming made me revisit the concept and change my view.

Guilt, distress, pity, helplessness and other sad emotions I am going to have to deal with but I wanted to write this article to let them know that someone out there cares for them.

To let them know they are not as alone as they feel. I know they cannot read this but if anyone who can changes their attitude of taking things for granted or helps them in any way they can then I will be happy. I will continue to do my part and I am sure it will not be enough but it is a start.

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march 8 2010

Lifestyle

Blazers brought back by Britain

Stephanie Marston takes a look at London Fashion Week 2010 trends.

LONDON Fashion Week 2010 ran from Febuary 19-22 and the show, run by fashion glossy magazine LOOK, explicitly showcased affordable high-street fashion.

My status as a competition fanatic finally paid off when I won tickets to the event. I hopped on a ridiculously early London train and was greeted in the Saatchi Gallery in Sloane Square with champagne and canapés. But these weren’t just any canapés, they were Marks and Spencers’ canapés. We spent an hour trying to spot celebrities in the various rooms, drinking the free alcohol and watching model castings, before it was time to venture upstairs for the show.

The layout was not completely ideal: neither catwalk nor seats were raised, making it difficult

to see the outfits in their entirety.

We were in the row behind, though our pain was eased when we discovered that there were two spare goodie bags next to us.

Our inner chav came out as we raided the bags for the best items, which included Benefit makeup, jewellery, and a River Island panda beanie, amongst others.

When we had ceased rummaging, we watched a show of collections from Reiss, ASOS, Warehouse, Oasis, Next, Miss Selfridge, H&M, FCUK, New Look, M&S, Mango, Dorothy Perkins, Zara, and River Island. The show lasted for just over an hour with a very impressive performance of ‘Cry Me Out’ by Pixie Lott during the middle. After examining the collections, there appear to be about four key trends this spring/summer.

Florals: This trend never fails to

Blazers: This trend seems to

return and many collections featured a floral print in some way or another.

There was an especially vibrant one-shouldered dress from ASOS, a cute ditzy playsuit from Dorothy Perkins, and a smart floral dress from Mango.

remain on the fashion radar for summer 2010, though they are becoming longer with an influx of lighter colours. A light grey blazer from New Look managed to look summery when paired with a white dress, whilst a long white blazer from H&M was particularly striking.

Nude or pastel colours: This

Denim: Mixing denims is going to be

colour pallete includes many dusky pinks, nudes, sky blues, lemons, and light mint green. There were some lovely items that fit into this trend, such as the pale pink shorts, cream top, and marl shawl in ASOS collection, and an elegant FCUK nude dress with a romantic ruffle down one side.

big for this coming summer, especially the denim shirt, though the focus is on light denim to ensure it does not appear overly wintry. Next teamed a denim shirt over a polka-dot bikini foraneffortlessswimwearlook,whilst Warehouse mixed a light denim shirt with denim harem trousers.

Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

Kathryn Wills climbs a 4,095 metre mountain on her gap year.

Some use gap years to find themselves, make friends and make memories. My gap year would be a challenge, testing myself to the limit. This ridiculous idea brought me to my first conquest: to climb a mountain.

Mount Kinabalu is located in Borneo and stands at 4,095 metres (13,435ft). I have no previous climbing experience but supposedly a person in good physical condition should be able to combat the mountain. It seemed like a hard but achievable task, however when stood face to face with the rocky giant I did wonder whether walking a mile a day counted as training! It was going to be challenging; we were expecting blood, sweat and tears over the next two days as we climbed, and needless to say we were certainly right about

the sweat part!

At 6am I struggled against mud steps of varying sizes from 15cm to a foot and a half, and getting momentum seemed impossible. It was going to be a few days like no other, well unless you have been to Glastonbury. There would be no toilets, no washing, limited food and many mosquitoes and blisters. The climb up was hot and uncomfortable in the Malaysian humidity. One friend had prepared well, covering himself in suncream, which kept our group of six and our Bornean guide amused, but sadly the amusement was short-lived as we trekked up even more steps.

Our guide was amazing; he had to carry a large amount of Malaysian rice, noodles and chicken up to the half way point called ‘Laban Rata’ where we would spend the evening until we

began climbing again at 1am. ‘Laban Rata’ was incredible. We lunched above the clouds which was literally out of this world, a very surreal feeling. This was especially so when some people started playing volleyball - thankfully no one dropped the ball though. I don’t think the rule of ‘shotgun not’ would be appreciated on the side of a mountain.

We then headed to bed for a few short hours before the morning climb. Our hut was freezing as we had stupidly opted for no heating and so I ended up sleeping in all my clothes and in my rucksack for added warmth. I had anticipated beachholiday Malaysian weather without considering the altitude. We started the climb and I was relieved that it was pitch black as the vertical assent was horrendous. To make matters

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worse my friend and I didn’t have head-lamps and fumbled around in the dark trying to find our way up the mountain. The climb soon progressed to virtually vertical granite where I had to hoist myself up with ropes, praying they didn’t break. After four hours, many ropes, and intense pain we reached the summit at 5.30am, just before sunrise. Our hardy British blood did not help in the slightest as we stood there shivering. Out of nowhere we were struck by a huge flash in the sky and a meteorite swept across the landscape. None of the guides had ever seen one before.

The sunrise was astounding - the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

The sun rose over the clouds and the colours were unbelievable. Overall one of the hardest but most incredible experiences.

LOOK! Fashion Show

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Exeposé week twenty lifestyle@exepose.com

Riesling at the poolside? Now where’s the fun in that?

Lifestyle

Tom Richards wonders why Baghdad and Chemnitz don’t stack up as tourist destinations.

WHERE would you like to go on holiday this year? Tuscany?

Madrid? Perhaps the Bahamas?

If you made a list of these places, though, I can guarantee it would be nowhere near as long as the list of destinations you hadn’t even thought of. Baghdad, perhaps, or Zimbabwe. I bet you hadn’t considered Tehran either.

But topping your list of no-go areas, I’d imagine, is Germany.

And don’t you find that a little odd? On paper, Germany has everything you’d expect from France, Spain or Italy: pretty islands, beaches, mountains, lakes and the promise of many cloudless days spent at the poolside, sipping Riesling. And yet, inexplicably, you just wouldn’t.

I was initially going to suggest this was down to the love of lederhosen, but I’ve decided it’s because of the appalling sense of humour. And the penchant for maths and engineering. For instance, one joke I heard recently is a German ordering at a bar, saying, “Two martinis, bitte.” The barman says, “Dry?” to which the German replies, “Nein, I said

TWO!” To us, this is no funnier than mud. Or Russell Brand. But tell it to a German and you’d better have an oxygen tank to hand.

Which brings me to the Porsche Panamera, marketed by Hitler’s favourite car manufacturer as a luxury sportscar with room for four, and their luggage. In the sales bumpf, I think Porsche actually wrote something along the lines of “four, uncompromised.”

And they’re right. Step into any one of the four doors on offer, and you’re met with a beautifully crafted cabin, legroom that you’ll only ever have experienced if you’ve jumped out of a

plane and hundreds of toys. Among the 50-something buttons on the dashboard, there’s even one to make the exhaust louder. Which I liked.

The only downside I could see was the ruched leather on the seats; something I thought had died with flares, glam rock and Gordon Brown’s left eye.

Then you fire up the 4.8-litre turbocharged V8, tickle the throttle and you and your passengers are propelled from 0-60mph in just four

seconds, onto a healthy 188mph. The four-wheel-drive system, combined with tyres wider than Del Boy, gives you massive grip around bends.

And you can feel exactly what’s happening beneath you, every crack and bump in the road telegraphed straight to your fingertips. But hit a pothole, and the suspension just soaks it up. It really will take four passengers in absolute comfort, and it’s so controllable that you’ll never put a foot wrong in it. Ever.

But in the engineers’ determination to create an unrivalled luxury sports car, they seem to have overlooked one critical element.

It is retinasearingly ugly.

The sloping hatchback reminds me of a dog doing twos, while that enormous, bulbous face merely makes it look like the Elephant Man. Porsche clearly put its entire budget

into getting the engineering just so, then realised they’d left nothing for the design department.

And because it’s so ugly, yet so well engineered, it leaves me feeling a little detached, a little cold – like the driver is the weakest component in the whole package.

There really is no passion, nothing to fire you up while you’re driving.

So you won’t be buying a Panamera for the same reason that you won’t be going on holiday to Chemnitz this year. On paper, the Panamera has everything – speed, comfort, the lot. It’s perfect. But in reality, there’s no passion, no soul. No fun. And it’s also utterly, violently repugnant.

Porsche Panamera 4.8 V8 Turbo Price: £97,818 as tested Power: 494bhp 0-60mph in: 4.2secs Top speed: 188mph Economy: 23.2mpg, 286g CO2/km

6/10

“Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting” - Christopher Morley

Nicola Ranson, Arts Editor explores overcoming the Fear of Failure.

I HAVE to make a confession. So far in my final year, with mere weeks left before I finish my degree and have to flee the University nest, I have failed to apply for a single job.

Not because I don’t have a career path in mind. Not because I haven’t found anything suitable – I have so far spotted plenty of viable options.

I have simply delayed applying because of a nagging worry that I won’t be successful. If this sounds familiar to you, then you might want to read on.

Since arriving at University, I am sure I am not the only one to have been struck by this fear of failure,

allowing job opportunities and involvement in societies and classes to pass by. A vast sea of opportunity when arriving at University soon narrowed down to a trickle once I had eliminated all those options that I felt I wouldn’t be good at. This inherent fear of failure that lies within many of us can sometimes be a positive force motivating us to work hard at our studies and relationships. However, often our fear of failure and our perfectionism drags us down further as we succumb to procrastination, and avoidance. This is something we should try to overcome for a number of reasons.

Firstly a fear of failure is often self-reinforcing. Studies by psychologists have shown that a healthy mindset is required in order to succeed – so an all-consuming fear of failure can write its own future.

Secondly, we can achieve much more than we think we can: there is no evidence to suggest you will fail if you give it a go.

Psychologist Martin Howe goes so far as to argue that even the

supposed miracle of ‘genius’ can be explained rationally by simply considering the amount of dedication to the area of genius. Howe explored individuals whose achievements he had admired, such as Mozart, and found that even he had spent ten years practising and honing his composing skills before producing any of the symphonies that we today consider to be masterpieces. It appears that the commonly held misconception that one can only achieve as a result of innate talent is something of a myth.

Finally, what’s to fear about failure? Studies have suggested that failure itself is something that we shouldn’t be fearing; but embracing. Failure can often be a good thing - if we deal with it in the appropriate way that is.

Resilience in the face of failure can help us to build self esteem and learn innovative ways to do things. As children we fell hundreds of times during the process of learning to walk, and each fall became a part of the learning process.

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So, how to overcome your fear?

Re-adjust your goals. Nobody is perfect – and acknowledging that is a crucial first step. Rather than aim for perfection – allow yourself to make mistakes without being disappointed. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try hard – you should. But rather than avoiding play auditions, sports team try-outs, or putting off your essay because you’re worried about the ridiculous goals that you have set yourself – take note that often setting the goalposts too high is counterproductive.

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Treat things as a learning experience as opposed to striving for a perfect performance first time round. Remember that failure isn’t half as bad as you think it is; things going wrong are often the best way to learn.

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Remember that life is short- I’m not suggesting that you develop a morbid interest in the Grim Reaper, but consider occasionally that you only get one life and it’s not that long. In a bizarre kind of way, when something embarrassing or terrible happens I find it comforting to put things into perspective and remember – we’re not here forever – at least I gave it a go.

At the very least, fast forward a year – will you care then?

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Think positively: not only do positive emotions undo the negative ones but they also fuel resilience, broaden thinking and build resources, making us better prepared for positive thinking in the future. When you feel yourself having negative thoughts try to reassess the situation logically and replace them with positive ones.

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Failing that embrace your pessimism! Psychologist Dr. Julie Norem argues that by acknowledging the worst case scenario we can develop a strategy in which to prepare for the worst.

So get out there, lower your goals, work hard – but don’t expect success right away, and prepare to fail. If you fail – be prepared to pick yourself up and try again.

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The City of Angels

Samuel Lambert visits the city of sun, sea and celebrities.

AS a result of our obsession with all things ‘celebrity,’ there’s a fascination with Los Angeles across the world, particularly in the UK. It is viewed as the holyland of the movies; the glitz, the glamour and the promise of a true artistic American Dream. A friend and I hired a convertible, the best way to enjoy the beautifully sunny day that greeted us, so common to this part of the world. The weather was stunningly clear, if a little fresh being as it was merely March, and with the wind in our hair we zoomed down to Venice Beach. It was a fair distance Los Angeles is in fact the second largest city in the United States and spans a huge 498 square miles.

It is split into neighbourhoods, many of which one would assume are independent towns.

We found a relaxed and creative charm to Venice Beach.

The bric-a-brac stalls lining the beach-front led you to impressive outdoor gyms at Muscle Beach where bulked men and women worked out as if they had popped down to their local health club; the difference being the Pacific Ocean was their backdrop and not a plasma screen displaying “CNN” or “MTV.” I’ve seen these beach-gyms in Tel Aviv, the up

and coming LA, atmosphere-wise in my opinion, but it was different here, people had intensity. Add to this the ambiguous people wandering around shouting at you and the place had a bizarre environment. The houses here were perched atop the sands and oozed contemporary glamour; glass walled with beautifully clean architecture. It was endearing and trendy, something you can follow back in its history to the 1950s and ‘60s when poetry and art exploded in this area.

Our car eased onto Sunset Boulevard and we continued up into Beverley Hills in search of the infamous “Hollywood” sign. We climbed past houses of the superrich and into a rugged landscape affording impressive views onto land afar dotted with the aqua blue of swimming pools. You could picture Simon Cowell or Angelina Jolie taking a quick dip in any one of these. Here lay the excitement of LA: a constant wondering of who and where celebrities could be.

Failing our

original mission of sign-spotting but nonetheless having enjoyed beautiful scenery we dropped down onto Hollywood Boulevard.

The stars of the Walk of Fame are a must, though essentially disappointing. It is not well-kept like you imagine, some areas looked neglected. Perhaps this was the true symbolism of a land where you could be forgotten as quickly as you had arrived. A fundamental problem with visiting Los Angeles is that people see it through a camera lens so much that the atmosphere and reality of real life tints it somewhat; we have unfair expectations that we do not place upon other cities. Some may argue that there is nothing wrong with

this, but I felt let down by a city of supposed fantasy and dreams.

The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre courtyard offers more, placing your hands onto the concrete imprint of an A-Lister is good, clean fun.

We finally stumbled upon a view of the “Hollywood” sign, another sight crossed off the list. Cruising along Rodeo Drive, yet another famous road, we came to a stop at a set of lights. Jon Bon Jovi pulled up alongside. Just another day in LA. We visited the Beverley Hills Hotel, pretending we were staying there to “borrow” pens. The place itself had a relaxing elegance to it, a bit like I could imagine a Ritz beach resort to be: flat-screen TVs in gazebos by the beautiful poolside and landscaped bungalows housing who-knows from the VIP lists of the night to come.

With the air cooling we headed for Redondo Beach to eat, stopping off at El Segundo Beach along the way. Here the sun was setting and I switched to the drivers seat to catch the last rays of the day, my drive into the sunset was only interrupted by

Fast Fusion Food for Positive Living Rosanna Oram takes a fresh look at your usual Eastern escape.

FUNNY - there are restaurants I’ve been to, where I’ve felt very ill after eating, but Wagamama is unique in that I consistently feel close to death even before I sit down to order. In short - I always end up going there after a late night and an injudicious intake of dry sherry. It offers a comforting embrace of familiar customs and sensations ; the food is cheap (ish) and is as delicious as it is (by now) familiar. Once in the door you embark on a series of familiar rituals that return you to an optimistic state of mind. Your liver forgives you. You love the world. The world loves you.

It’s a Japanese ramen (noodle) bar if you didn’t know- the company motto being “Positive Eating and Positive Living.” I don’t know what they’re getting at either but you get the idea that it’s almost like going to the gym and that you’re doing yourself a favour after a lot of very ‘Negative Living.’ You’ll soon be chomping through noodles at a long pine communal refectory-

type table, seated next to a group of possibly very weird strangers.

In surprising contrast to the modern Anglican service you are not required to exchange a sign of peace with your neighbour you’ll be pleased to hear. A succession of cosily invariable and inviolate events unfold. Firstly, the people next to you will have an intimate conversation that you cannot de-tune from. Details of love lives, intimate health facts and scandals come pouring out. You will listen with rapt attention.

This is brilliant. Soon an arty looking person speaking quite good English loiters behind you... it’s the waiter who takes your order (more later) on a palm-held electric thing which sends your order (number 72) to the kitchen.

Simultaneously he scribbles all over the piece of paper in front of you that’s your own personal mat/ tablecloth. Say nothing.

Ordering? Fraught in the extreme. In your fragile mental and physical state you’re in no place to make decisions. There are

rice-based dishes and the choice of big noodles or thin noodles and loads of vegetables and meat or seafood to shove in to make it look like proper food. “Look I’m sorry I can’t be more specific than that - I’m not feeling particularly brilliant at the moment since you ask.” I usually go for number 72 (I told you) or perhaps 40 containing coconut, chicken, beansprouts, chilli, ginger, garlic, spring onions, eggs, bok choi, peppers, coriander, lime, curry sauce, rice, noodles… amazing really that they manage to get it all on one plate. In addition there are smaller side dishes at about £5 each. Main dishes are between £7£10. Never order the ramen- it’s a huge bowl of noodles in soup.

A large wooden spoon (really a smallish spade) is provided as an authentic Eastern touch. You’ll be eating for hours and 90% of the soup will be on your lap and down your front. It’s delicious but don’t go there. This is my free advice to you.

Invariable happening number

two: the whole world seems to have brought its screaming infant along to show it off to everybody.

The infant doesn’t want to eat this stuff- it wants to be at home tipping its Heinz spaghetti on its head and watching CBeebies and intermittently. So will you: but soldier on.

Unchanging thing number three: the food always arrives in a random order. One side dish will arrive, then five minutes later someone else’s main course perhaps. The service isn’t slow, just staccato. The worse you feel then the longer your food takes to arrive and the quicker will come everybody else’s noodles, rice etc.

I absolutely love the food, which is a blend of every foreign food you ever liked – so no wonder.

You will too - an average bill for four with judicious ordering and soft drinks (do I know of any other?) would be about £60.

Average dining time – walking in to walking out – is under an hour.

You’ll have completely revamped your liver, your body parts will

the few jolts as my foot kept going for a clutch that wasn’t there!

The next morning I took a walk down to the port at Long Beach, where we were staying. Like many of the Los Angeles neighbourhoods it was akin to walking around a fairground: music playing over speakers, colourful signs and highly painted or polished wood.

No rust. How can you be so close to the sea and not see a speck of corrosion?! If I had sneezed I was pretty sure the whole scene would just collapse. I can understand the appeal but I prefer a bit more nittygritty on my travels.

There is much to be enjoyed here. The stunning beaches and wonderfully comfortable yearround climate for starters. Venice Beach offers an interesting hub where you could spend many hours relaxing and appreciating the simplicity of its outdoorsy culture. However we covered a fair few neighbourhoods, more so than mentioned and despite the occasional glitz, Los Angeles as a whole is a city of all things illusion. When you search for something behind that you may be disappointed for we have to view things through our own eyes, not those of a director’s camera lens.

send you written letters of thanks and all will be well with the world.

What more could you ask?

18

Music Do Not Miss

Vibraphonic Festival

NOW in its sixth year, Exeter’s Vibraphonic festival is one of the UK’s most eclectic annual music festivals, featuring living and future legends in jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, blues, electronica, breaks, beats, reggae and drum & bass.

If you haven’t checked out any of the events thus far, you have already missed some of the highlights, most notably pioneering electronic beat sample duo Utah Saints and Reggae Reggae sauce creator Levi Roots.

Not to fear, however, there are still great things to look forward to. Hip-hop lovers should get themselves down to Timepiece on

Monday March 8 for 4 Elements, a free night featuring a turntable sound clash, an open mic MC session, breakdancing and graffit artists.

Following on with the urban theme, one of the highlights of the whole festival has to be 2009 Mercury Music Prize winner Speech Debelle, who will be playing at the Exeter Phoenix on March 13. If you’re yearning to try something a little different, why not check out The October Ensemble, a ten-piece jazz band who are playing in the Phoenix Voodoo Lounge, also on March 13.

Back to the hip-hop theme,

march 8 2010 Exeposé

www.exepose.com

legendary Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike will be demonstrating his turntable skills on March 15, before the festival climaxes with two big nights. On March 19 ambient house pioneers The Orb will be playing in the Lemon Grove, and finally on the March 20 the Phoenix will be hosting Synchronicity, a night of dubstep,

house, breaks, dub, reggae and hip-hop.

For anyone of you who is interested in more than the usual cheese-filled club nights, be sure to go along to a night during Vibraphonic, and you can have a look at the full listings on www. vibraphonic.co.uk

EWS live REVIEWS live REVIEWS live REVIEWS liv Mr. Hudson

Lemon Grove, Wednesday Feb 17

IT can’t be good if people jeer at a gig. Then again, if you only play four songs and are on stage for less than 15 minutes, is it that much of a surprise? Unfortunately this was the sad case of Mr. Hudson’s set at the Lemmy, though whether the brief indifferent appearance of Ben Hudson merits it being called a gig is debatable.

Mr. Hudson has come a long way since he first started touring with his band Mr. Hudson and the Library, now working alongside illustrious artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and N-Dubz. The reggae influences, piano melodies, and soulful acoustics pervading his first album A Tale of Two Cities have been abandoned in favour of a more current and new-wave synth

“His casual and apparently indifferent entrance seemed to create an aura of reluctance” approach for Straight No Chaser; think of Sting mixed with hints of new-wave and hip-hop. But this is not the only difference for the artist. The genuine enthusiasm and energy that he would display in his earlier gigs seems to have

given way to a slightly more uninterested performance.

In his biography on the official Mr. Hudson website he details his real need to “make this album work” after being forced to live a frugal lifestyle, though it is dubious as to whether he can maintain the support of his fans to do this if he continues to conduct such lacklustre performances.

The night began at 7.30pm where a DJ played talented mixes before the support act arrived. The support was in the form of the hip-hop Triggadon hailing from Bristol, and though the genre is not a particular favourite of mine, it was hard to deny that the set was lively and well performed. Then the wait began. Mr. Hudson was due to appear between 10-11pm as the ‘Mr Hudson Soundsystem’ where he would ‘DJ, MC, and perform some of his hits’ for

60 minutes, though there was still no sign of him at 11.20pm. Instead, his former band member and fellow vocalist Joy Joseph remained on stage attempting to maintain the morale of the crowd. Though a difficult task when the attendees were beginning to lose patience, her repeated cries of ‘are you ready for Mr. Hudson?’ did not do much to help.

Finally he arrived on stage at 11.30, though his casual and apparently indifferent entrance seemed to create an aura of reluctance rather than anything else.

The songs that were

played were definitely worthy but it was just a shame that there were so few. He began with ‘White Lies’, followed by the popular ‘Forever Young’, a new song ‘Anyone But Him’, and concluded with the hit ‘Supernova’. He did seem to get more involved during the performance although his voice sounded a little tired; perhaps he was simply having an off-night.

He could not have been on stage for more than 15 minutes and his sudden farewell led to a torrent of booing from the audience. There was an air of consensus that it was not what was expected and not worth the £10 price.

As a fan of Mr. Hudson, I would like to believe that this was just an unfortunate and isolated incident. Perhaps the demands of his touring combined with the small venue made for an unlucky gig, or arguably it should have been pitched as an appearance rather than a full set. It is clear that he is a talented artist with some impressive material and perhaps different circumstances would mean a better performance. But for this gig, it is hard to describe him as anything other than a disappointment. steph marston

Upcoming

08/03 - The International Women’s

Day Cabaret (MAMA STONE’S) 08/03 - Hadouken! (LEMON GROVE) 09/03 - Rough Cut + Darkhorse +

Livin In A Valve State

(CAVERN) 09/03 - Miquid Licks (MAMA STONE’S) 10/03 - Lofi Hifi - The Brute Chorus

(CAVERN) 10/03 - Gift For A Ghost Town (MAMA

STONE’S) 11/03 - Freakscene presents The

Peacocks (CAVERN) 11/03 - Two Spot Gobi plus Willie &

The Bandits (MAMA STONE’S) 12/03 - Cabaret Voltaire presents

6Toys (CAVERN) 12/03 - Dub Pistols - Pama

International (PHOENIX) 13/03 - Indie Club - EastStrikeWest

(CAVERN) 13/03 - The October Ensemble

- Sketches (PHOENIX) 13/03 - Speech Debelle and Gift Of

Gab (PHOENIX) 14/03 - Sierra Maestra (PHOENIX) 15/03 - Anderson + The Joe Public +

Guests (CAVERN) 15/03 - Mix Master Mike (PHOENIX) 16/03 - The Computers (CAVERN) 16/03 - Wild Beasts (PHOENIX) 17/03 - Beats and Bass Soc (CAVERN) 18/03 - Glamour Of The Kill!!!

(CAVERN) 19/03 - Los Mondo Bongo - Tribute To

Joe Strummer (CAVERN) 19/03 - The Orb (LEMON GROVE) 19/03 - Johnny Winter (PHOENIX) 20/03 - Synchronicity (PHOENIX) 20/03 - Indie Club - Acoustic Ladyland

(CAVERN) 21/03 - Neil Cowley Trio (PHOENIX) 22/03 - This Is Hell + More Than Life

+ Osmium + Depths + We

Hold The Gun (CAVERN)

Playlist

PARKER - Where’s My Monkey LUDOVICO EINAUDI - Monday JEHST - Alcoholic Author THE CARDIGANS - Lovefool (Mr GASPAR Remix) MICHAEL JACKSON - Dirty Diana (Dexplicit Remix) DAN LE SAC V. SCROOBIUS PIP - Get Better ETIENNE DE CRECY - Am I Wrong NEIL YOUNG - Like A Hurricane MAGDA - Panna Cotta Eyes THE BRAVERY - Slow Poison (Drop The Lime Remix) MODEST MOUSE - Parting Of The Sensory DR DRE - Ed-Ucation HOOD INTERNET - Floating Paranoia (Modest Mouse v Kanye West) MIIKE SNOW - Sylvia (Redial Remix) THE SMITHS - William, It Was Really Nothing RADIOHEAD - Videotape (Xaphoon’s Dubstep Remix) JAMIE T - St Christopher THE KNIFE - We Share Our Mother’s Health (Ratatat Remix) MUMFORD & SONS - Sister joel moktar & Lalita korzybska music editors

19

Music

Exeposé week twenty music@exepose.com

iEWS album REVIEWS album REVIEWS album REVIEWS albu Charlotte Gainsbourg IRM

IRM is Charlotte Gainsbourg’s second musical outing, named after the brain scan machine (IRM is the French translation of MRI – Imagerie par Résonance Magnétique) she had to constantly visit after sustaining a head injury whilst water skiing. Circumstances might suggest that this album

would be an acoustic ode to the beauty of life, complete with mandolins, ukuleles and zithers – not to put things too cynically. IRM is in fact an unpredictable, at times dark record that has definite echoes of Charlotte’s hugely influential father; French pop maestro Serge Gainsbourg.

It would be easy to suggest that this is an album made through connections, with record executives mistakenly indulging the musical desires of the child to try and echo the successes of the father. However, with the brilliant Beck Hansen at the helm as producer and cosongwriter, we are presented with a compelling set of songs. This can be seen on the title track ‘IRM’ where the sound effects genuinely sound

Alkaline Trio This Addiction

THIS seventh effort from Chicago’s darkest sons has been heralded as a “back to basics, back to best” return to form for the three piece, and whilst it undoubtedly features elements from the alcohol-soaked bitterness that was their early work, it does not by any means dispense with the sensibilities learned from their brief dalliance with major label success.

It is musically reminiscent of 2003’s Good Mourning with the welcome presence of guitarist Matt Skiba’s choppy, chainsaw like guitars and a dramatic reduction in orchestral accompaniments and tertiary guitar parts. Vocally however, particularly in the case of the beleaguered guitarist, This Addiction harks back to the Goddamnit era.

The greatest success of these eleven songs is their exploration of the band’s ever present dichotomy between their pop-inspired hooks and acerbic, darkly humorous lyrics. However, by virtue of being aware of this characteristic of their music, the trio have avoided This Addiction becoming a tired rehashing of past successes. Quite the opposite in fact, many of the songs feature fantastic tongue-incheek moments that only serve to enhance some of the darkest moments on the record. Possibly the most brilliantly dour moment amongst this collection can be found in bassist’s Dan Andriano’s ode to marital difficulties, ‘Off the Map.’ The highlights of the record

Frightened Rabbit

The Winter of Mixed Drinks

OFF the back of a heavy touring schedule since their touching sophomore effort Midnight Organ Fight, it’s hard to see how Scottish five-piece Frightened Rabbit found the time to record their newest full-length release, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. In between their own headline circuit, supporting heavyweights Death Cab for Cutie, and Gomez, and hitting the international festival circuit last summer, they managed to find the time to put an eleven track followup together. With the decline of ‘British Indie’ and its subsequent and often misguided efforts to innovate, Frightened Rabbit represent a reassurance that simple

guitar music can still be refreshing, exciting, and considered.

What stands out about Mixed Drinks is the production. In contrast to Midnight Organ Fight the tracks sound a lot fuller, and have an audio depth that wasn’t there on previous releases. It hasn’t just been the case of a post-production wipeout of the band’s character in the name of commercial progression, but the introduction of a more layered approach to song writing that incorporates the talents of each member. None of the instrumentation is lost in a wall of sound, but is instead developed.

Every song sounds perfect through headphones, and has the potential

like a rhythmic MRI machine backed by pounding drums and synths.

Direct tributes to Gainsbourg senior are seen on tracks such as ‘Looking Glass Blues,’ which borrow the whiplash “wah-wah” guitar attack of his 1971 classic ‘Melody.’ Echoes of the old French master can also be heard on ‘Le Cafe Des Artistes,’ with its dramatic and dark string section and whispered Gallic vocals sounding like a soundtrack to a ‘60s surrealist French film. This is not to say that Beck does not put his own stamp on the album with a multitude of layered drums, fuzzy guitars and orchestral backing to be found throughout. Yet perhaps he is most evident in the lo-fi punk stomp of ‘Trick Pony,’ sounding in the same vein as ‘Chemtrails’ from his latest

album Modern Guilt.

This is not to suggest that this is an album of imitation for Charlotte (although both Beck and her father are perfectly respectable artists to imitate). Her biggest influence is in a voice that comes across as a husky little girl whisper, perfectly suited to the hopeful lyrics of songs such as the semi-acoustic ‘Time of the Assassins,’ where she tells how “It doesn’t take a miracle to raise a heart from the dead.” Adding to her charm are the two songs delivered in her native French (‘Le Cafe Des Artistes’ and ‘Voyage’), which rather than appearing inaccessible, seem to make the album seem more eclectic and involving.

There are times when the melodrama of soaring violins

and glockenspiels wears slightly thin, although the variety of styles provides a good mix of the sombre and light-headed. Rather than coming across as a mash of Serge Gainsbourg and Beck songs, this album is a good example of a fledgling female artist crafting a fine piece of work in her own right. Fans of Beck and Serge Gainsbourg will find plenty of interesting material here with standout songs being ‘Heaven Can Wait’ – scruffy yet beautiful, featuring guest vocals from Beck as well as ‘Me & Jane Doe & Rousseau’ - the wonderfully serene acoustic opener.

include ‘Lead Poisoning’, a track in the seminal Skiba style, which features a trumpet solo that fits the tone of the song beautifully, and probably represents the trio’s most successful use of auxiliary

instruments since they began working with them more - in the less than - successful Crimson.

Another memorable moment is the sombre album closer Fine, another example of Andriano’s no-holds-barred honesty making for compelling and wonderfully difficult listening in equal measure.

However, the album is not all triumphs, including the utterly forgettable ‘Draculina’ which you feel would have been destined for the cutting room floor had the three piece been more prolific, and the first of Andriano’s three efforts, ‘Dine Dine My Darling,’ an attempt to recapture the simplicity of songs like ‘My Standard Break from Life’ but with lyrics that sound forced and ultimately very awkward.

Though this album does not reach the heights of albums like Good Mourning or From Here to Infirmary, it is certainly the best of their recent efforts and is by no means a bad album. It stylistically sits in the gap between Good Mourning and Crimson, which currently houses many of their Hot Water Music split records, and in my opinion some of their best work. The fact that they are returning to that now cannot be a bad thing for Trio fans hungry for something more substantial than the two efforts that proceeded this one.

to surprise the listener each time with new layers of sound.

One of the strongest points of Midnight Organ Fight were the lyrics, which lead-singer Scott Hutchinson claims were largely inspired by a break-up. Taking a step back on Mixed Drinks, the album addresses a more broad range of themes and emotions, while still retaining a sense that it is something personal.

Album opener ‘Things’ starts with the simple refrain “Well here is the evidence, of human existence,” before going on to question the things we value as necessary in our lives. Hutchinson’s vocals still ring out over the music with the same characteristic crack and hint of a

Scottish accent that lend themselves to the emotion of the songs. Nowhere is this more evident than the standout track ‘The Wrestle,’ which swells through highs and lows, flawlessly written and produced.

Frightened Rabbit have gone from strength to strength since their 2006 debut, and are undoubtedly a band to watch. With a tour in promotion of Mixed Drinks set for March this year, they remain one of the most interesting bands around at the moment. Mixed Drinks shows that they have built on their previous work without straying too far from what made them great in the first place.

ben murphie

jacob moffatt

alex moss news editor

20

march 8 2010 Exeposé

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iEWS album REVIEWS album REVIEWS album REVIEWS albu Joanna Newsom Have One On Me

LET it never be said that Joanna Newsom lacks ambition. 2006’s Ys was a big, rich record of remarkable scope; Van Dyke Parks’ busy, ornate orchestral arrangements weave their way deftly around the album’s five songs, chasing Newsom’s winding vocal lines in sudden and unexpected directions, and the effect was one of both triumphant excess and supreme clarity of vision.

Newsom’s follow-up, Have One On Me, is equally adventurous - a mammoth triple LP, running over two hours.

Arrangements this time around come courtesy of Ryan Francesconi, whose approach differs greatly from that of Parks; these eighteen songs are given a lot more room to breathe than those on Ys. It’s difficult to call Have One On Me a more immediate or accessible record, sheerly because

of its length, but the songs are far less dense, and easier to navigate; there’s a more immediate sense of their ebbs and flows. ‘Good Intentions Paving Company’ is an early highlight, with its propulsive percussion and insistent piano, and despite the considerable amount of ground covered over its seven minutes, there’s a clear sense of direction.

More remarkable, however, is just how lovely it sounds, from the playful vocal melody and smart flourishes of banjo to the song’s reflective mid-point calm, with its understated brass and Newsom’s own impeccable, heartfelt delivery. There’s so much to enjoy about Newsom’s phrasing

on this album; she gallops along her verses, lines tumbling out in curious, perfect little patterns.

Criticisms of fey, elfin lyricism

and Renaissance-faire whimsy are often levelled at Newsom, and it’s true that she has somewhat of a predisposition towards fanciful lines about deer and images of lakes and towers. The album’s most wonderful lyrics, however, are the succinct phrases that arise from the myth and folklore so suddenly that they seem epiphanic, such as on ‘Go Long’, when Newsom sings: “What a woman does is open doors / And it is not a question of locking / Or unlocking.” The most affecting moments are the simply-stated ones, those points at which the mundane and everyday enter Newsom’s folkloric world, “I remember everything, / Down to

the sound of you shaving,” she sings on the album’s title track. It’s a beautifully humanizing moment in a song that primarily addresses a daddy long legs.

Sitting down and listening to Have One On Me front-to-back is, admittedly, pretty exhausting. Each LP, however, is so well-sequenced that listening to them individually seems perfectly natural, and what’s truly amazing is that despite the amount of material here, not a moment’s wasted. While a judicious listener could probably craft a beautiful LP from the standouts, no one track is without its own unique charms. It’s an album of stunning depth and astonishing detail.

elliot moignard

iEWS EP REVIEWS EP REVIEWS EP REVIEWS Ep REVIEWS Ep REV Forever The Sickest Kids The Weekend: Friday

IT can safely be said that Forever the Sickest Kids aren’t a standout band in their scene - but although this is the case they are still a solid poppunk band capable of producing decent tunes tailor made for The Hills’ soundtrack. Friday, the first of three Weekend E.Ps promised by the band, has its flaws but is nevertheless a pretty good effort.

The EP is (as you would expect) loaded with huge hooks and choruses throughout with lead single ‘What Do You Want From Me?’ and the guitar driven ‘Tough Love’ possessing the EPs standout choruses. It is the guitar driven songs that make up the stronger material and songs such as ‘She Likes (Bittersweet Love)’ and ‘Take

it Slow’ are as good as anything their more illustrious contemporaries such as You Me At Six and Fall Out Boy have put out recently.

However, it is when the guitars step out of the limelight that the EP runs into problems. Opener ‘Do or Die’ lacks punch and is let down by an overpowering synth and electronic drum sound. Further to this, the electronica driven ‘Hip Hop Chick,’ although catchy, sounds thin and unoriginal. The EP’s final track ‘Hawkbot,’ a woeful collaboration with r’n’b star Chae Hawk, resembles a poor 3OH!3 song and as such is forgettable. However, when the band stick to what they know The Weekend: Friday is more than passable.

The lyrics don’t deviate much from the standard ‘boy meets girl, girl likes boy’ theme seen in modern pop-punk, the vocals occasionally asphyxiate under the effect of autotune and musically it’s far from original, but in terms of guitar driven pop songs you could do a lot worse than this.

christopher cooper

Emily And The Woods EP

LONDON has produced a disproportionate amount of talented folk artists in recent years.

Originally from Hammersmith but currently based in Exeter, it would be no wild extrapolation to assume Emily Wood’s music will be a future continuation of the trend.

Whilst this four track debut EP is by no means musically r e v o l u t i o n a r y, boasting simple but effective acoustic guitar parts with a light, well produced sprinkling of electric, bass, piano and drums (courtesy of the Woods), her voice is simply lovely. Ethereal yet still deeply soulful, Wood’s vocal abilities are evident just on the basis of these four offerings: from the bluesy ‘Virginia’ to the more solemn ‘Fire is in the Fjord.’

Inevitably, love is a recurrent

theme in her songs, but the abstract manner with which she deals with the subject is refreshing. At the close of ‘Fire is in the Fjord’ she sings “Love just pour out your goodness/the goodness that you have for me,” attributing an almost deity-like status to love. Wood is more playful in ‘Nietzsche,’

the finest track on the EP, where with a total change in tempo and tone from the rest of the song she breaks into a Spektor/Marlingesque chorus: “If love be rough with you/Then you be rough with love.”

Ultimately Emily Wood may turn out to be just another female acoustic singer, a species appearing from every corner of the music world at present, and only time will tell. Yet the piercing, transcendental qualities of her voice leads me to believe otherwise, and if future releases are more musically multifarious, I can see her making something of a name for herself.

Joel Moktar music editor

21

Exeposé WEEK twenty books@exepose.com

Ham on Rye Charles Bukowski ISBN: 1841951633

Arguably one of Bukowski’s greatest novels, incorporating a semiautobiographical element, Ham on Rye is a bitter story of coming-of-age and is likely to appeal to readers of Salinger, Steinbeck and even Wolfe.

Set in Los Angeles during the depression, Ham on Rye is the structurally straightforward, first person narrative of the life and struggles of no-hope protagonist Henry Chinaski, following his early childhood and teens, eventually leaving him on the brink of adulthood and alcoholism. Born into a troubled world and abusive home, Henry becomes a violent and jaded anti-hero

depicting with black humour and gritty honesty the reality of living as a first generation migrant during the Wall Street Crash.

Bukowski’s style of uncomplicated, unaffected prose makes Ham on Rye a brief, but not a light read. It is possible to split the book between Henry’s early childhood and latter teens in terms of what Bukowski wishes to bring to the reader’s attention. In the earlier part of the novel, Henry is an example of stolen innocence. When reflecting on his childhood, he describes his life experiences through the eyes of his child-self, remembering his family’s

The Bookseller of Kabul Åsne Seierstad

The bestselling book The Bookseller of Kabul is a brilliant portrayal of post-Taliban life for a middleclass family living in Kabul. It has attracted controversy as attempts by Åsne Seierstad, the award winning Norwegian journalist, to protect the identity of the family have led to a court case against the author. Shah Muhammad Rais, the character Sultan Khan in the novel, is attempting to seek asylum in Europe fearing for his family’s safety over the portrayal of their actions within the book.

Books like The Bookseller of Kabul reaffirm why British troops are in Afghanistan. Like many other British citizens, I have become immune to the constant news reports of the ongoing effort of the British Army in Afghanistan and often wondered the point of intervention. The recent invasion of Afghanistan began in 2001 and the final plans for retreat are being created, with attempts at handing over to an Afghan

negligence, his father’s abuse and the tormentors of the schoolyard, invoking both dark humour and heartbreaking sadness. One of the best examples of this comes when Henry remembers meeting his alcoholic grandfather for the first and only time, describing him as “beautiful.” Cynically, this could be called trite; however, when compared to the rest of the novel it is a moment of sensitive calm in this modern day tragedy and possibly one of the most memorable parts of the novel for its poignancy. The second half, though maintaining its harsh and graphic mode, becomes a more caustic

My Cousin Rachel Daphne du Maurier

critique of society emphasising the plight of those that are rejected and forgotten by a self-infatuated society making the open ending of the novel a hard reminder of the universality of Henry Chinaski’s life.

Whilst not for ‘entertainment’ in any mainstream sense, Ham on Rye exemplifies Bukowski’s ability to write realistically and express the desperation of the subject he explores.

Ham on Rye is a tough book in terms of content but a brilliant work of fiction that challenges the reader to engage with the hard social themes raised. james bullock

ISBN: 1844080404

ISBN: 1844080471

“This excellent, easy to read and short book showcases the talent and compassion of Seierstad”

government within the next year.

The everyday events of the ‘Khan’ family are shown in a way that allows Seierstad to remove herself from the story and insert the personality of the brilliant characters.

The main focus of the book is women and their relationships with their families. The story relates the ‘freedom’ the female characters experience in the post Taliban era to the subjugation felt under the horrific government. The removal of females from schools, employment and public life is eloquently discussed at length, without forcing the author’s opinion. The controversial topic of the burka, which was enforced by the religious police on Afghani women is examined. Again, the author allows the characters to show their opinion towards the controversial item, leaving the thought in the mind of the reader.

The terrifying Department for the Promotion of Virtue and the Extermination of Sin frequent Khan’s four bookstores across Kabul to remove and destroy all works of fiction, fantasy, history and culture.

The attitude of Sultan to the Taliban, and his determination to preserve the rich Afghani culture, is Khan’s only redeeming quality in a man who manipulates his sons, sisters, nephews, nieces and two wives to

Books

strengthen his bookselling empire and improve his quality of life, despite removing most of his family from the essential education they desire. Khan has the nerve to stand up to the illiterate Taliban officials telling them, “You can burn my books, you can embitter my life, you can even kill me, but you cannot wipe out Afghanistan’s history.”

For me this excellent, easy to read and short book showcases the obvious talent and compassion of Seierstad. It also brings to life a culture that I clearly knew very little of; characters such as Khan’s sons gain real personality through tales of their attempted, illegal seduction of women. The strength of the Afghan character and culture comes to life in this short work and whilst the family discussed is not that of a typical Afghan family it does offer a rare glimpse into a completely alien world, which is infrequently shown in the media. The despair felt under the Taliban regime, and the hatred the family experiences, I feel validates British continued presence in Afghanistan as long as power is handed over once a strong Afghan led government is in place.

David garbutt

“They used to hang men at Four Turnings in the old days. Not any more, though...”

It is writing like this by du Maurier which creates the brooding, moody atmosphere of My Cousin Rachel and causes the reader to be gripped in anxious anticipation until the very last page.

It is 1840 in Cornwall and young Phillip Ashley is set to inherit the estate and fortune of his father-figure cousin Ambrose.

However his pleasant, monotonous life is disrupted when Ambrose dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances after a whirlwind marriage to the elusive Rachel at her home in Florence. With the sudden knowledge of her arrival, Phillip, blinded by jealousy, pictures Rachel as an evil temptress and is suspicious about her involvement in Ambrose’s death. Initially planning to be completely hostile towards her with the intention to

send her away as soon as possible, he soon finds himself falling in love with her; even as he begins to suspect that she murdered his cousin and may be planning the same fate for him. Phillip’s instinct and all rational judgement ebbs away as he becomes even more obsessed with Rachel, and du Maurier manages to stir up intense emotions in the reader as he loses sight of how possessive he has become.

“The reader becomes engrossed in the exciting pace of the novel” My Cousin Rachel is not a love story, not to the very least in the stereotypical sense. Ultimately it is a heart-wrenching tale of love, longing and tragedy with a fast moving plot and plenty of suspense, which du Maurier conveys in a sophisticated and subtle way. The reader becomes completely engrossed in the rich, exciting pace of the novel and is left asking the question that kept me on the edge of my seat until the final twist on the very last pages did she or didn’t she? emma pritchard

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march 8 2010

Exeposé

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Condensed Classic

Animal Farm George Orwell ISBN: 0451526341

There is no title so deceptively simple as that of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. To the uninitiated, the two words conjure up a cutesy world of frolicking farmyard hijinks, especially if the talking

Cloud Atlas David Mitchell ISBN: 0340822775

My copy of Cloud Atlas was a Christmas gift from my older brother, and if you open it you can see that he has written “Stick with it - it is not what it first appears.”

Having finished David Mitchell’s third book, published in 2004, I can confirm that that much is certainly true.

Cloud Atlas has been showered with numerous literary awards and was short-listed for the coveted Booker, and it isn’t hard to see why.

Although well over 500 pages, Cloud Atlas feels refreshing to read rather than overly long, down mainly to it being written with the most interesting structure I think I have ever encountered in a book. Cloud Atlas is split into six short stories that span time and space, starting in the Pacific Ocean circa 1850 with the journal of an American returning home, through ‘70s California where an investigative journalist is uncovering corruption at a nuclear power plant, and ending in postapocalyptic Hawaii, civilisation as we know it having torn itself apart.

I say ‘ending,’ but this is not exactly true. Certainly Cloud Atlas ends chronologically with Zach’ry’s account of his life as a simple goatherd on ‘Ha-Why’, but the novel doesn’t follow a comfortable linear path. When I started reading I was surprised

animals are mentioned, and the volume is deceptively slim.

From the author of the infamous Nineteen Eighty-Four, however, nothing less than a scathing social satire can be expected, and as most of you probably will know, Animal Farm is precisely that. As the novella begins, we see the animals of Manor Farm dissatisfied with their life. This is put into words by Old Major, a prize pig of the farm, and though he dies soon after preaching his dream of overthrowing the human oppressors, it is taken up in full spirit by the other animals.

When this initial revolution proves dramatically successful, the inhabitants of the renamed Animal Farm win fame in the surrounding

to find that ‘The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing’ ended mid-sentence and on turning the page I was confronted with Robert Frobisher’s ‘Letters from Zedelghem.’ It turns out that Mitchell has split each of his six characters’ stories in half and arranged them around each other, with Zach’ry’s tale ‘Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After’ being the only whole one, placed squarely in the middle. One has to wait, as it turns out, to the very end to find out what happens to Adam.

This disjointed structure does not disjoint the book as a whole; on the contrary, as Cloud Atlas progresses we discover that, disparate though their lives may seem, the main characters are all linked together across time and civilisations – an unfinished book, some letters discovered by chance, a birthmark that crops up again and again. Mitchell does a tremendous job giving each of our narrators their own distinctive style and voice, whilst maintaining cohesion and at all times an imaginative and beautiful use of prose himself that conjures up the six vastly different settings he deals with perfectly.

The film rights for Cloud Atlas have been bought up by the Wachowski Brothers (they of The Matrix fame) and production rumoured to start this year, but I fear that no adaptation will ever do it justice. Few films could fit in all the perspectives Cloud Atlas offers on life, love, humanity and existence itself. I urge you to read this book.

Strange, emotive and inspiring in equal measures, it may not be what it first appears but Cloud Atlas gives you the impression that nothing else is either. alice scoble-rees

neighbourhood and foresee a wonderful future of equality, working together to produce their own resources. To this end the “Seven Commandments of Animalism” are created and the farm seems set to fulfill its promise of a glorious future.

Unsurprisingly, it’s at this point that everything takes a more sinister turn. Despite the proposition that “all animals are equal,” a committee is set up by the pigs of the farm to control production, gradually introducing new restrictions and altering the old rules. They employ the trust the other animals hold in them to exploit the system they have created, manipulate the truth and modify Animal Farm to suit

their own needs. The progression is almost imperceptible and culminates in one of the most wellknown twists in literature.

Animal Farm is, of course, Orwell’s allegory for the “spectre of Communism” haunting Europe at the time it was written. The message these days may be considered outdated, but nevertheless the story represents an important and influential period of history. Taken as a reflection on human society in general it is still relevant today, but even without this justification Animal Farm is a haunting classic worth picking up, no matter what the political experience and inclination of the reader.

ISBN: 0340979038

When Willow breaks a bone, her eyes flash electric blue and her whole body contorts, yet there are no tears from her, just from the reader. For over the course of her six year old life she has had 75 broken bones, and so when she is driven to the emergency unit, she keeps herself occupied with a recitation of useless facts to help her to ignore the constant pain. For Willow, the endearing focus of Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, has Osteogenesis Imperfecta; a bone defect where even a sneeze can cause a break, and for this her mother proves that she would do anything to fight for Willow to have a better quality of life.

Handle with Care is a harrowing novel based on tough questions.

It centres around the court case of Charlotte O’ Keefe and her daughter Willow, and around the question of ‘wrongful birth,’ pushing the reader to question whether mothers should have the right to abort purely because their child is disabled, and whether indeed every decision we make is not clear cut, in fact it is a thousand shades of grey. At first you may feel astonished that the case is even probable – surely only an American would sue because their doctor didn’t reveal all on an ultrasound, but then you realise that it isn’t a clear cut issue. It isn’t a question of pro-life vs. pro-choice, but how to handle

1. Gone Tomorrow Lee Child Jack Reacher encounters a suicide bomber on New York’s subway.

2. The Lovely Bones

Lyndsey tuckett Alice Sebold

Handle With Care Jodi Picoult

Bestseller List

A murder victim recounts her death and watches her a family when all that seemingly family trying to cope. holds them together is a person who continuously breaks.

Needless to say, this novel is a tear-jerker, and a book which will 3. One Day most likely stay with you. It follows the same vein as Jodi Picoult’s earlier novel My Sister’s Keeper, as it features David Nicholls very emotional topics, family strife and a haunting twist in the narrative. Rom-com following Jodi Picoult often features topics the lives of two people which people want to ignore, and as on the same day over a reader we often reassess our views 20 years. because of her crafty handling of difficult subjects. Jodi Picoult herself commented that her “objective as a novelist is to take you for a breathless ride, and to make you rethink what you believe, and why.” This novel at 4. Twenties Girl first seems clear-cut, but as you meet all the characters involved, you realise Sophie Kinsella that Willow is not the only one who needs to be ‘handled with care.’

The spirit of a dead aunt proves a twentysomething’s saviour.

“A harrowing novel based on tough questions”

Handle with Care is a return to the craft of her early novels, as it is not formulaic and predictable – a trap Picoult had started to fall into. The characters are believable, and the theme of skating on thin ice follows right through to the climax. With the chapters written by the different characters of her novel, you are able to gain insight and the different voices help the novel to build momentum.

I would definitely recommend this novel, for its story is compelling and even though it is extremely sad, it is well-crafted and well-researched, and takes you on an emotional journey like no other. rachel bayne

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson A computer hacker and a journalist investigate a cold case.

Sunday Times Bestseller List February 28 2010

23

Exeposé WEEK TWENTY books@exepose.com

The Dice Man Luke Rhinehart

The medium of literature is a powerful means to voice an opinion, a political view, to evaluate the trajectory of one’s own life or to create a new perspective on the very world we inhabit. If words have the ability to change a life then this is best exemplified within The Dice Man

by Luke Rhinehart.

Published in 1971, the novel came with that very tagline, creating a cult sensation based on the psychological assessment of a character who determines all

decisions with a roll of the dice.

Whilst the name upon the spine of the book may read Rhinehart, this is in fact the main character within the book, and the actual author is George Cockcroft whose work is based upon such an experiment he tested upon himself. The tone of the book is intellectual and witty, but the material is disturbing in the extreme. The book was banned in many countries due to the themes evoked within the chapters; those of rape, murder and sexual experimentation which were cited to reflect sentiments shared in the collective minds of the generation of the 1970s.

The character of Luke is an American psychiatrist whose monotonous yet comfortable existence causes him to call into question the notions of fate, free will and chance. Disillusioned by the constricting nature of modern society, he encourages patients to begin toying with the very fabric of the existence they took for granted. His games with the dice start small, with few possibilities assigned to the numbers. The plot

The Edible Woman Margaret Atwood ISBN: 0860681297

The Edible Woman is a story about a woman who can’t eat, but is, in a sense, eaten. Or as she puts it, devoured.

Published in 1969 (though written in ’65), The Edible Woman coincides neatly with the rise of the women’s movement in North America and could perhaps be said to herald the soon-to-be epidemic of eating disorders.

What makes this protagonist unique, however, is her helplessness; she doesn’t decide to stop eating, the food decides for her.

Or rather, her fiancé, the thoroughly practical, typically chauvinist Peter, decides. One day, at a restaurant, he orders her meal for her, and in doing so, decides her destiny. The steak

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Paul Torday ISBN: 0753821788

ISBN: 0006513905

in front of her is suddenly reinvested with its original bovine nature and literally won’t go down her throat. Thus begin her more obvious troubles.

The “abnormally normal” Marian has no idea Peter is behind her indigestion, or lack of ingestion. After all, he’s not forcing her to do anything she doesn’t want to. His life and his agenda, simply, wordlessly, consume hers. And she is therefore the envy of all her colleagues; Peter is not only commandeering, he is handsome and rich. What more could a woman want?

Food. Maybe some R-E-S-PE-C-T? Or perhaps a rendezvous with a scrawny, unkempt grad student from the laundromat.

Marian never voices her desires, she simply acts. Throughout the novel, until The Cake, she appears powerless, unable to make her own decisions. Her body moves without her willing it to, and suddenly, on more than one occasion, she finds herself running desperately away from Peter into the spindly arms of Dylan, who - she knows - doesn’t even like her. How refreshing.

Halfway through the novel Marian is “taken” thoroughly out of herself and into the third person. She gets her own pronoun back at the end, however, when she transplants

becomes more adventurous as he introduces friends and family members into his psychotic quest to destroy all notions of stability.

The mayhem created is humorous yet dark - his aid in the escape of psychiatric patients is especially hilarious and examines the substantial power of authoritative figures. Rhinehart exposes Western society as a limiting environment that forbids spontaneity. Mental illness is shown to embody a logic and truth as Luke creates a cult following that critics have cited as leading a psychiatric revolution.

Aside from this the book is absurdly funny and intensely involving.

Whilst the plot is tragic and chaotic, it is also liberating in the extreme. After the sensation it sparked in the 1970s, the book seems to undergo many a revival as each new generation stumble upon it. This constant global rebirth is perhaps suggestive that there is meaning behind Rhinehart’s madness after all!

Anna garrett

the old, devourable self into a cake that she bakes, then shapes like a woman – then feeds to Peter who, not surprisingly, loses his appetite.

“His life and agenda simply, wordlessly, consume her’s” But Dylan is right in asking, after the fact: was it really Peter devouring her? Maybe it was him, or maybe it was her, or maybe everyone is both a devourer and devouree of each other. The reader doesn’t know anything for sure by the conclusion, except that the cake is delicious.

Atwood’s narrative is wickedly subversive, undeniably political, and a rollicking good time. So much attention has been paid to Atwood’s iconic feminist status that it is easy to forget that she is firstly a damn good storyteller.

Consumption is a theme Atwood employs again and again, but not all her novels are as delicious as this sugary dish. I was smacking my lips throughout; thankfully, I never found myself choking on a “message.” The Edible Story?

Indeed. jordi wieler

books

As the title may suggest, Torday’s politically-charged debut novel is based on an impossibility: the feat of introducing Scottish salmon into the deserts of Yemen. Although the premise of the book is certainly intriguing, after the first few pages you get the sense that the language will mainly consist of scientific fish jargon, which is an off-putting thought. However I urge you to keep reading, as Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has a lot more to offer. The novel proved to be a funny and fascinating tale of politics, faith and the realm of the impossible.

situation is worsened by constant governmental interference in the form of (Blair-esque) Prime Minister Jay Vent and his Director of Communications, the pompous Peter Maxwell. The pair are hell-bent on obtaining some positive Middle Eastern media coverage and a photo opportunity featuring the PM in the wadis of the Yemen, “with a rod in one hand and a salmon in the other,” seems ideal. The perfect opportunity to mend Anglo-Yemeni relations.

Torday’s witty and cleverly crafted novel; composed of letters, emails, interviews and diary entries, documents Dr. Jones’ journey through the murky waters of British politics and spin. Encumbered by incompetent governmental figures, Torday’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a sharp political satire with a twist. Amidst the politics there also emerges an unexpected comment on Eastern faith versus Western scepticism.

This tension transforms the meek Dr. Jones as he begins to embrace faith and redefine the impossible.

Torday excels in creating likeable and charming characters, and

“Torday’s witty and cleverly crafted novel... documents Dr. Jones’ journey through the murky waters of British politics and spin” The story revolves around unlikely hero Dr. Alfred Jones, a socially inept fisheries scientist whose greatest achievements in life include discovering the mating habits of freshwater mussels. Trapped in a mundane existence married to a career obsessed financier, Dr. Jones’ sheltered world is overturned by a bizarre work project.

The National Centre for Fisheries Excellence has been approached by the enigmatic Sheikh Muhammud, a wealthy Yemeni potentate, with the proposal of introducing salmon into the deserts of his homeland. An outrageous concept, but thanks to government interest in the project, it is Dr. Jones’ job to make it happen.

The shy scientist embarks on his seemingly ridiculous task accompanied by the beautiful and intelligent land agent Harriet Chetwold-Talbot. However, their

the story line is punctuated with moments of love lost, discovered, and even the realisation that it might not have been there to begin with.

After wading through the scientific lingo, Torday presents a thoughtprovoking tale of the importance of faith and a commentary on the lack of it in Western society. The novel is multidimensional enough to stop it becoming a repetitive political commentary and manages to weave the different themes together seamlessly.

Although the ending leaves much to be desired, abandoning the reader without tying up all those annoying loose ends, Torday’s Salmon Fishing will keep you hooked until the last and a jaw-dropping plot turn will not leave the reader disappointed.

You may even learn a thing or two about salmon fishing.

Sophie pirouet

24

March 8 2010

Exeposé

www.exepose.com

screen

Exeposé looks at Hollywood as an institution Calum Baker explores his distaste for all things formulaic.

HOLLYWOOD: the final vestige of the Damned. A misogynistic, racist & xenophobic, capitalist (or do I sound too militant?) industry of untold evils; a factory for the worst concealed abnormalities of humankind, that is, our prejudices and irrational fears. I thought I’d continue David Brake’s ideas on the role of women in cinema from a couple of editions ago.

And so, follow me, if you will, down a long and winding road paved with Stars (and the occasional Stripe, dependent on the obviousness of the patriotic message); lined with fences of stereotypes and clichés.

You’re the hero.

The narrative is a familiar one here:

inevitably, you will find the end of the road and it will be a happy one.

Optimistic tautology, the mark of a desperate mind. That’s the end: Kill the baddies, Get the girl, Save the world! You’re probably an underdog.

If not, you’re a maverick, a hardboiled loose cannon with nothin’ to lose. Either way, you’ve probably met ridicule for your unorthodox ways at some point in the film.

But you’re not that unorthodox, are you? Your deviance is no worse than the tendency to study too hard – bespectacled? - or dispatch those goddamned foreigner terrorists in particularly hardcore ways (this depends on whether you’re the underdog or the maverick). In truth, you’re as conservative as the fat cat funding your improbable adventures. Are you really fighting for freedom of speech? Or

just a veiled, pseudo-liberal mode of conformity? Try Twilight and its ‘alternative’ vamp-fiend-bastards, sucking their way through every remaining semblance of interest, parasites to the artistic soul or something less pretentious. “They’re different, Mum, just like me,” you’ve probably heard some small virginwhore tween say. I want to marry Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner!

The horror of the young generation.

So let’s examine Twilight.

Or do we need to? Surely it’s obvious. It’s a liberating/liberated tale of puberty & emotional development,

Modern Update of the vampire genre. That it has done so well is testament to the enlightened nature of modern girls across the world. Believe this

at the risk of seeming conservative.

Don’t be ridiculous. Twilight depicts a girl (Kristen Stewart) so weak she just fawns over the boys in her life (Pattinson and Lautner) no matter what they do to her. Moreover, how come Dakota Fanning’s character, who can torture with her eyes, is subordinate to the fey Michael Sheen? Patriarchy, my friends, patriarchy. Men are always stronger.

Other ‘strong’ women in recent cinema, perfect role models for a generation of young female adults, include: Juno MacGuff (whose growth/development is reliant on Michael Cera & his pervasive sperm), Star Trek’s Uhura (overly gung-ho but still fetishised

by JJ Abrams’ wandering camera) and Megan Fox (oh PLEASE). At the risk of sounding even more of a paranoid militant-liberal stereotype than I already am, Hollywood could be called the last remaining stronghold for near-total misogyny in the arts.

So break it down, we should yell (though if we tried, the Industry wouldn’t listen). Where’s a film about ugly women saving the planet? I’m hesitant over the word ugly. But, hopefully, the lack of objective, Meganfox “beauty” would detract from the usual feminist argument levelled at strong-woman films such as Alien or Thelma & Louise: that the women are still attractive. You can

look at them and they still become objects, no matter how hard they’re stickin’ittotheMan. But then, if they did make a strong-woman movie truly impossible to fetishise, would the filmmaker not be accused of condescension? Or overt militarism?

It would be criticised as deliberate, a despicably obvious attempt at liberating women in Hollywood.

The problem is that the problem ever existed. Like the truths of slavery/segregation/Holocaust/ Hiroshima/colonialism & killing the Native Americans (etc.), issues of prejudice in Hollywood simply can’t be erased. Such a reversal, as with the Blaxploitation movement, would probably create a new stereotype and in any case be seen as… well, again, too deliberate. In any case, when the main problem is male gaze, or ‘to-be-looked-at-ness’ (read up on feminist film writer Laura Mulvey), nothing can really be done. Film is visual: if there are women on screen the straight male (or even, as Mulvey speculates, the straight female) will end up drawn to them in a way that, many believe, just does not happen with on-screen males. Woman is Hollywood’s object, another part of the mise-en-scene, another convention in and of it/herself.

We’ve reached the end of the winding path, and you notice you’ve been walking on broken glass all along. You realise Hollywood convention was not such a good thing to walk through after all. Next week: why Big Business hates your skin tone.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Dir: Chris Columbus Cast: Logan Lerman, Jake Abel, Sean Bean (PG) 118mins

CHRIS Columbus, in the distant wake of his Harry Potter success, helms this big-screen adaptation of Rick Riordan’s US bestseller: a familyfriendly action adventure that clouds our cinematic horizons with the threat of yet another big-budget franchise.

Here we meet Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), who soon discovers that he’s the son of Poseidon – he’s not dyslexic, he’s a demigod! Packed off to a camp for similar “special kids”, Percy is thrown into a mythological world of sword fights and flying Converse shoes, and given the task of

retrieving Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt before the gods break out in a hissy fit of epic proportions. Thankfully the film doesn’t waste time on a lengthy back-story (you might have guessed that plot doesn’t feature heavily in this light-hearted romp), and with the help of a Fury and a Minotaur, we’re pretty much thrown into the heart of the film within the establishing 15 minutes.

Bloated with the standard CGI fare, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this was the world of Narnia-ona-budget, albeit a considerably more tame and unimaginative one. There’s

nothing inspiring in Columbus’ vision of Riordan’s world, and the story too is generic. The teen’s “parental issues” add a touch of melodrama to an otherwise bland palate of angsty teenage subjectmatter; Percy Jackson effectively breezes over its cloudier topics of domestic violence and the difficulties of single parenting.

In an attempt to dress up the substantial inadequacies, we’ve got big Hollywood names bursting out of the chain mail, with Pierce Brosnan and co. thankfully ‘acting’ with tongues firmly in cheek. Brosnan’s first appearance

galloping on screen with “a real horse’s ass” sent me into a fit of hysterics, and the film doesn’t let up on the semiunintentional hilarity. New levels of overacting are achieved with a bizarre appearance from Uma Thurman, but credit must go to Steve Coogan, whose all-too-brief turn as washed-up rocker Hades in the pits of Hollywood Hell was a delight to watch.

Unfortunately no matter how many names Percy Jackson manages to snag, almost all struggle to revive the feeble script, which drags the film down to new depths of uninspiring tedium.

Our cardboard cut-out teen heroes tick all of the clichéd boxes, and deliver each of their lines with the practised mechanical ease that would put Keanu Reeves to shame.

Ultimately, there’s not much I can positively say about Percy Jackson.

Save for the exceptional scene, a taste of what could have been an enjoyable summer blockbuster, this film is just as unappealing as the last dregs of cinema popcorn.

Felicity Stone

25

Screen

Exeposé WEEK TWENTY screen@exepose.com

The Crazies

Dir: Breck Eisner Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson (15) 100mins

The Crazies is a revamped version of George A. Romero’s 1973 long forgotten film which filled the void between Night of the Living Dead and

Dawn of the Dead. The Crazies starts with an interesting premise about a small old town in Iowa where several citizens are being struck down with

spontaneous bouts of insanity. Soon, a military crackdown ensues. Before sitting down to this film, I predicted it would be rated at about four out of five. Sadly my prediction was optimistic. Very optimistic.

The film begins with great promise. It sets the scene quickly - idyllic little town, agrarian community, simple folk time - and respects the audience’s previous knowledge of zombie films (a long melodramatic sepia-toned beginning is unnecessary). Within the first ten minutes the first shocking incident happens. The audience is hooked.

So far - so good. But oh dear, the early promise unravels as the story continues. Woman - Oh there’s a noise.

Man/Woman - I will investigate. Phew, there’s nobody here. Oh wait, they are still here! Let’s escape or die, painfully.

It is sad to say but this basic formula is how much of the film develops. There are truly cringe-worthy moments that

A Single Man

Dir: Tom Ford Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult (12) 101mins

WITH an ending at once unexpected yet strangely inevitable, fashion designer Tom Ford’s directorial debut is a tour-de-force of emotion, contradiction and undeniable visual splendour.

I cite the circular ending as a highlight, but the 90 minutes leading up to it (adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel) are equally brilliant.

Colin Firth’s English lecturer, George Falconer, has spent the last eight months in a state of numb mourning for his deceased partner Jim (Matthew Goode).

The year is 1962. This is not, then, an emotional position that can be publicly expressed – rather repressed, kept as secret as possible from a homophobic society where George’s nextdoor neighbour considers him “light in his loafers.” The film refrains, however, from detailing George’s wider social problems with the inevitable descent into preachy messaging. Instead he interacts perfectly normally with bankers and shopkeepers, if a tad depressed for understandable reasons. For any intelligent viewer, the wider queer issues here are obvious, something we need no lecture on; Ford therefore examines the result of societal repression on George’s psyche as,

during the 24 hours in which the film takes place, he decides to kill himself.

We are fed occasional flashbacks to other key moments in George’s life: the night he met Jim; loving moments on a beach and at home; and the worst night of his life as Jim’s cousin phones with the tragic news of a car accident. These flashbacks, though comparatively brief and infrequent, serve to construct an entire life for George – 16 years, to be precise. Though nearing 50, we need no more to understand the man as, after all, Jim was his life. The flashbacks also confirm George’s motives as completely insular. He never encounters any real abuse; the only problem for him is, like many tragic protagonists straight or gay, that he adored his partner too much.

I write about the film as if everything I loved about it was down to the way it dealt nonchalantly with potentially trite and overcooked gay issues; that’s not so much what I thought about in the cinema though, it’s actually just been coming into my head as proof of the picture’s intelligence/maturity. Everything that hooked me in the cinema was simply cinematic: the acclaimed and award-winning acting from Firth, Julianne Moore and (the

underlooked) Nicholas Hoult; the music and surprisingly pervasive layering of sound; the dialogue; and of course the visuals.

Some have complained about the film’s look, comparing it to a series of fashion shoots due perhaps to Ford’s professional background. The thought entered my head, but it didn’t bother me. Aside from the fact that it looks beautiful by all accounts – reminiscent of American Beauty and Magnolia – surely a new aesthetic (‘Posteresque’, perhaps?) in cinema should be welcomed by so-called professional critics?

Another positive is that the meticulously-lit cinematography brings a sleek, moody gloss to proceedings which only reinforces the Modernist ‘60s vibe (masking a very real political paranoia).

Frankly, I haven’t been so weirdly affected by a film in a while. A Single Man is such a beauty on all levels that it should be seen by anyone with an interest in cinema – and it will replace all previous perceptions of Colin Firth (think Bridget Jones etc.) as he gives a nuanced, subtle performance only worth celebrating.

plague this film and it renders Eisner’s movie as ultimately below par.

To say that every zombie film is like this is maybe true, but it still does not excuse the film. However, Eisner does try to create some original ideas.

For instance, the clever depiction of the entrapment of the citizens or the experimental camera angles he uses.

There are other good things about this director. It is a credit to Eisner that the military’s response appears to be an accurate portrayal of how the military might react to these fantastical scenes if they actually occurred.

The main reason for why this film is not completely terrible is Timothy Olyphant. Ever since the end of the TV series Deadwood, Olyphant has not been rewarded with the good roles that he so clearly deserves. Instead of simply presenting a flawed, magnolia flavoured sheriff, he represents someone who has a both brain and a heart. Indeed, he gets support from

Radha Mitchell, especially in the latter half of the film once she stops attempting her ridiculous Fay Wray impersonation.

There are much better films than this. Indeed Zack Snyder has shown that it is possible to update a Romero classic with verve and frantic energy as shown in his version of Dawn of the Dead. However, the main flaw is that it does not capitalise on its flashes of genuine promise. It has dark moments with the cold-blooded murder of a woman and a child through their house being torched by someone suffering from the insanity. However, the finale is a cop-out with it verging on the pure ridiculousness. It even stole a scene straight from Indiana Jones 4. Not the best film to steal from.

Overall, it is sadly a rather depressing affair.

David Brake

Campus Cinema

The cheapest cinema in Exeter M&D Room, Devonshire House www.campuscinema.co.uk The following is not only the listings for the tail-end of our latest programme, but also those for our 60th Anniversary Film Festival, running every day between March 22-28.

If you’d like to book a ticket for the seminal Twi-Night on March 26

just come to The Ram, Lemmy, Cornwall House Box Office or any Campus Cinema screening. Tickets cost £5 for both films or £2.50 individually. The bar will also be open, with a fancy dress competition (wherein you “pledge your alleigance” to hunky men) with some great prizes on offer.

Tues Mar 9 -Paranormal Activity (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6.30 & 9pm Fri Mar 12 - Film Quiz (Long Lounge), 7.30pm Sun Mar 14 - The Road (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6.30 & 9pm Sun Mar 21 - Up in the Air (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6 .30 & 9pm Mon Mar 22 - Some Like it Hot (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6.30 & 9pm Tues Mar 23 - Dr. Strangelove in association with History Society (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6.30 & 9pm Wed Mar 24 - A Clockwork Orange in association with Politics Society (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6 & 9pm Thurs Mar 25 - Raiders of the Lost Ark in association with Classics Society (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6.30 & 9pm Fri Mar 26 - Twilight/New Moon Double-Bill (Lemon Grove, Cornwall House), 8pm ‘til 2am Sat Mar 27 - Pulp Fiction (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6 & 9pm

Calum baker

Sun Mar 28 - The Dark Knight (M&D Room, Devonshire House), 6 & 9pm

26

march 8 2010 Exeposé

arts

www.exepose.com

Inspirational Voices of Inspirational Women

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world, in which oppression and inequality were spurring women on to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.

International Women’s Day takes place annually March 8, and there are a range of events being held in celebration of this day in Exeter. I caught up with female artists who are in the process of preparing performances for International Women’s Day events going on around the city.

Performer Emily Keene is showcasing her performance piece Domestic Bliss as part of the Inspirational Women’s Voices line up. Inspirational Women’s Voices is an evening of performance featuring the region’s finest and most inspirational professional female artists in music, dance, poetry, live art and film. This event is programmed as part of Exeter Phoenix’s 2010 International Women’s Day programme. When I asked her what International Women’s Day means to her she responded: “International Women’s Day is a great chance to celebrate being female, find connections between generations of women and get inspired. Doing this project has highlighted that

even small things we do everyday can change lives and make things better. ‘Inspirational Women’s Voices’ will be a great night for the girls! (...boys are invited too!).”

Emily grew up in West Devon and after studying fine art in Sheffield, she moved back to the South West. She told us how she loves the region and wanted to make work here.

Domestic Bliss is a lively, fun performance piece about women’s changing roles in the home using dance and film. Emily and her collaborator, Gemma Kempthorne, were inspired to deal with this theme because they wanted to create a piece that women of all ages could relate to.

“There are so many things us ladies have to think about: career, cooking, family, housework, looking gorgeous.

We are constantly given ideal lifestyle tips, but finding that work/life balance is sometimes hard to achieve. Domestic Bliss gives a nod to women’s lives over the last fifty years, and brings it up to date with images and ideas that affect us all today. We’re quite excited by what we’ve made and look forward to presenting it at the Phoenix.”

Emily is a filmmaker and Gemma is a dance choreographer,

and they got together to work on Domestic Bliss and want to continue to develop new work after the event at the Phoenix.

“There are so many things us ladies have to think about: career, cooking, family, housework, looking gorgeous.”

“Working together has actually been really easy. We met in November and immediately found a shared language of ideas and aims. We first spent time constructing a story for all the live action and filmed sequences to work around. Gemma’s got lots of energy, and there’s quite a lot of humour to her choreography.

I like finding the beauty and poetic in everyday places. We have managed to combine all these things in this piece. Though our training and backgrounds are quite different, there are many cross-overs to our working process.”

Theatre with Teeth member Katie Tranter is also in preparation as co-director for the International Women’s Day Cabaret at Mama Stones on Monday March 8 at 8pm. The Cabaret showcases a number of unique variety acts

from both female and male performers, all with one thing in common; celebrating female creativity and identity.

The Cabaret will be compered by a mysterious Miss Basket Case. Katie seems keen to keep an element of surprise. “The elusive Miss Basket Case is many things, but here’s three to start... she’s inspirational, a bit fruity and our MC for the night. I fear I have said too much.”

Both Inspirational Women’s Voices at Exeter Phoenix and International Women’s Day Cabaret with Theatre With Teeth are supporting and donating profits to Exeter Women’s Aid. Theatre With Teeth are also in collaboration with Amnesty International’s ongoing ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ campaign and Gender Equality societies. Both campaigns focus on violence against women in the family, and Amnesty’s campaign addresses violence against women in conflict and postconflict situations.

Inspirational Women’s Voices is at Exeter Phoenix on Sunday March 7. The International Women’s Day Cabaret is at Mama Stones on Monday March 8.

MONIQUE LUCKMAN

ARTS

Curtain Call

THE window of a London tube train: splattered with blood, and lit with a cold, haunting, white spotlight: the closing image of the Cheekish Productions Eschara and Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat at the Northcott.

We experienced an epic cycle of short plays showing the effect of war and terrorism on modern society. The audience were left awestruck after being catapulted through Mark Ravenhill’s Shoot, the interrogation of an Iraq woman by an American soldier; Get Treasure, a terrorist suspect being tortured; and Repeat, a paranoid couple left crippled by their damaged society.

And this was just the first half.

Ravenhill is one of the few living writers who questions our social mores and in these three short plays this was particularly evident. In the second half -Eschara- a series of three short plays, written by the company’s Phillip Whiteman, explored the effects of the 7/7 attacks both on society and on individuals.

We bore witness to a man who had been scarred by the attacks, a mental asylum in which the patients were unable to forget them, and a mother who had lost her child. We were struck by its blunt honesty and were left feeling emotionally battered.

These six short plays truly hit home, and the fading light on that shattered ‘Underground’ sign left us with a sincere feeling of regret.

Currently, the Northcott faces an unclear future, having recently gone into administration. We cannot allow a theatre which promotes such innovative and avant-garde performances to disappear. It would be a sore loss. It is our responsibility to ensure that the Northcott has a fighting chance by buying tickets and participating in an experience like no other; live, rich and explosive performances. The Spring Season will continue to run with Ruddigore, Folkbeard Fantasy’s The Colour of Nonsense - a comedy thriller about an invisible masterpiece and the effects surrounding its theft - and the Northcott’s production Whipping It Up, a witty political satire, which examines the trivialities of government. There is certainly something for everyone and it is up to you. Do not miss out on the opportunity.

ELOISE TONG

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Arts

Exeposé wEEK twenty arts@exepose.com

ARTS REVIEW Ministry of Fear Exeter Northcott

THE stage is littered with piles of props and costumes, entirely reminiscent of what goes on backstage in any normal play.

Ministry of Fear, as performed

by Theatre Alibi is no normal play, however, and never lets the audience forget it.

Before the play began I examined the set with great interest. Described in the programme as being based in part on a bombed lift shaft, it does not entirely look like anything – more a chaotic jumble of bars and ladders, with a great grey hump running through the middle. Then there are small attachments – three telephones, for example, and a pair of lamps.

Surrounding this are clusters of chairs and piles of clothes, designed, or so I thought, to perform in the first scene, a jumble sale. However, once

ARTS REVIEW

Sludge M&D Rooms

SLUDGE: a semi-solid material.

But how did this relate to us as an audience? There was a lot of ambiguity surrounding the play; however we were soon removed from our state of ignorance.

The play taught us the reality of our situation through the blunt, direct answer that we needed: We were losing part of ourselves, becoming semi-solid like sludge, from our rejection of important issues and preoccupation with the indoctrinating media.

Once again, Theatre With Teeth have provoked the audience to see the world in a new light, through a relevant, modern and engaging piece of theatre. We learnt that through the simple act of switching the off button on a mobile phone or an iPod we can tune in and appreciate the here and now before ‘Game Over’

the play began I quickly realised that this disordered set was actually, by necessity, extremely organised; all prop and costume changes were performed on stage, and mostly within a matter of seconds. The appearance of untidiness was a red herring to distract the audience – the first of many.

The success of the set is of course also due to the actors, who manage to give the impression of being in a private living room, or on a bridge above a river, or at the tube station, despite the fact that little moves on the set throughout the course of the play except chairs and costumes. Jordan Whyte is particularly good, not only giving a number of very impressive performances as Anna Hilfe and a number of small characters, but also opening the second act with a musical number – a uniquely nerve-wracking experience which she executes very well. And in speaking of the cast I cannot help but mention their chameleonic capabilities; they are able to slip in and out of character as quickly as they slip in and out of the

flashes up on our screens.

Directors of Sludge, Marc Davis and Nick Chowdrey, wanted to express their view that the media uses half truths and sheer triviality to manipulate and distract the public from the world around them. This message was articulated effectively through the audience interaction used throughout the piece, which began before we had sat down in our seats and carried on as we left the theatre. The audience involvement allowed us to become highly engaged with the strong messages that were directly addressed at us.

The design of the set was very simple, with the only fixed object on the blank stage being a screen on the side, which symbolically emphasised the dominance of the media. The screen was used to show adverts created by the cast, which came on during scene changes, highlighting that media will always interrupt our lives. These adverts were very amusing, but were also near the knuckle in order to remind

relevant costumes. In fact only Chris Bianchi, as Arthur Rowe, remains with one character the whole time, which adds to the rather unsettling feeling that the rest of the cast know something that we do not.

Elements of the play are thoroughly peculiar. During a pivotal scene between Arthur Rowe and Cost, the other actors are sat watching and drinking tea out of cups from the same tea-set as the two characters. Frequent narration makes it seem as though the characters are aware of the audience – again, a strangely troublesome thought.

The humour is very uneasy; the high ratio of male actors to female means that many of the bit parts are performed in not-too-convincing drag, something about which the audience seemed reluctant to laugh.

It is a perfect representation of the bizarre plot, in which the ordinary and the extraordinary are inexorably linked.

The play gets more and more peculiar as it reaches the denouement, and it is entirely well performed.

It is a singularly uncomfortable experience to feel as though the characters are tricking you, as well as each other, and stranger to see that backstage has taken centre stage, yet this discomfort is somehow absorbing. It is so rare to feel truly involved in a character’s plight, but, put in the same shoes as Arthur Rowe, we wander the stage with him in search of answers. The cast thrive on the discomfort of the audience, who went to the theatre to get lost in something, and instead were found.

MICHELLE POWELL

us how much the media can get away with.

The cast worked so well as an ensemble, and it was extremely impressive that the production was a collaboration of all their ideas.

The style of the production was diverse, with hilarious moments of comedy, emotional monologues, stylised dance, and the use of live music - both singing and guitar playing. These aspects made it visually engaging, and highlighted how strong the cast were with their diverse range of talents.

Sludge was a production that took the audience out of their comfort zone; from singing hymns about cereal to realising that having an obsession with phenomenons, like Facebook and X Factor, was ultimately pathetic. As I left the theatre, I no longer wanted to be “day after day, melting in the furnace, melting into sludge.” It was time for change.

ELEANOR BUSBY

Comedy Radar

Tim Key

THIS week’s performer is not in the traditional sense a standup comedian but in fact a bit of a poet. Tim Key first gained his most mainstream notoriety on Charlie Brooker’s Newswipe which is, for my money, one of the best shows on television at the moment. Here, Key was allotted short slots of time to read a humorous topical poem (or two).

But more recently Tim Key’s fingers have found their way into a number of proverbial pies. Minor fame has found him for his work on the growing cult TV show We Need Answers and the lesser known Cowards, Key was also awarded best stand-up at Edinburgh Fringe 2009 and his show, The Slutcracker, has garnered critical acclaim and some sell out nights. Though his more documented achievements on television are recent, Key has gone from strength to strength since the early ‘noughties’.

Key’s purposefully bad poetry is both precious and ephemeral, yet also cut with a whimsical and mischievous tone. The humour derived from his poetry is elevated through the endearingly polite and deadpan character he assumes on stage; exploiting silence and tension with deft control.

Tim Key is more proof that stand-up comedy can be whatever you make it, that one doesn’t have to be restricted by an archaic imagined image of what a stand-up should look like and should do. It is so important that we recognise Tim Key not only as a talented performer, but as a talented stand-up comedian who can mesh and transcend his

own medium. Performance artistry is an umbrella term that includes stand up comedy and it’s vital we remember this. As comedians get more ‘high brow’, there’s a danger that people stop using the word ‘stand up’ altogether and only the title ‘performance artist’.

Key is destined to become one of the leading figures in alternative comedy, mainly due to having established a solid base within the Edinburgh scene as a unique and accomplished comedian, actor and writer. Since his debut in 2003 with Cambridge Footlights, Key has returned to Edinburgh every year since, usually in a number of shows with co-presenters of We Need Answers, Alex Horne and Mark Watson.

Lauded as a genius of his art by Time Out at the young age of 33, Key is likely to find more critical acclaim in the future as there’s no denying that his comedy will struggle to find a wide audience.

Though extremely popular at Edinburgh, both We Need Answers and Cowards only found their way as far as BBC4 and the latter only aired for three episodes until dropped. Fortunate then, that Key seems to be performing for a love of his work. With mean spirited mockery and cynicism saturating prime time comedy programming, Tim Key provides a long overdue antidote. Key’s comedy is nothing short of heart warming and unashamedly ‘sweet’, with curious darkness arising here and there.

There is no denying that he is a truly rare stand-up who, when at his best, is both beautiful and charming.

MATTHEW HIGHMORE

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march 8 2010

Exeposé

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ARTS REVIEW Pierre Soulages Pompidou Centre

ON a recent visit to the Pompidou Centre, the main draw was the vast retrospective of Pierre Soulages, and ascending to the top of the building via the unfailingly exciting escalator system I entered the exhibition.

Knowing nothing of Soulages’ work but his name I did not know what to expect. Initially one is confronted with, in essence, what Soulages is all about; The Black. One finds vast canvas after vast canvas of abstract, black lines. The focus on this one colour is so evident throughout his work displayed at the Pompidou that in fact throughout the whole exhibition the only other colour included, save white, is an electric blue, which glares out strongly from the otherwise monochrome landscape.

On first entering this spectacle of “non-colour” I was confused and frustrated, and felt somewhat cheated to have found nothing but room after room of black scribbles, rooms scattered with art lovers musing thoughtfully at what I saw to be nothing but an incoherent splatter of overwhelming black. As the retrospective continued however my feelings began to shift. I was drawn into a room painted black and read the explanation of what lay before me, with Soulages explaining “I like the authority of black. It’s an uncompromising colour. A violent colour, but one that encourages internalisation. Both a colour and a non-colour.” The intelligence behind these words clashed with the previously simple images I saw before me, and as I moved on through the retrospective, I saw the work of Soulages change and evolve. The paintings developed to be something more than 2D paint, and the black on

black created an intense and visually exciting experience.

This black on black concept was named “Outrenoirs,” translating from French as exaggerated black. This is certainly true, what you see with Soulages becomes more than simple blackness. The reflections of light off shiny or matte black paint create grey, from blackness - it is something of an optical illusion of line and texture, with the most notorious colour to manipulate. The abstract forms of Soulages are enticing eventually, once you accept the complexity of the sincerity and simplicity of what you are looking at. One is at first disinterested, and perhaps even humoured by the paintings, but the more you look, the more you see.

The paintings are absorbing in their darkness and density. The quote on leaving the retrospective is one that has stuck with me. It summarises the allure of Soulages. “Why black?

The only answer which covers the unknown reasons that lurk in the obscurest regions of ourselves, and of the powers of painting, is: BECAUSE.” It is something that is not easily explained, and should be seen for oneself, it is a spectacle of shadow.

The Retrospective runs at the Pompidou Centre Paris until March 8.

ZOE BULAITIS

ARTS Q&A Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore

Arts speaks to the President of Gilbert and Sullivan society, and lead in Ruddigore, Mike Gormley to find out about the production.

So in a nutshell, what is Ruddigore about?

Centuries ago the Murgatroyds, baronets of Ruddigore, had placed upon their line a curse so that whoever inherited the title was obliged to commit a crime every day or perish in unbearable torture. Now Ruthven Murgatroyd is trying to escape the curse by living as a farmer under an assumed name. But the return of his brother Richard drags up his past, and the ancestral curse he is destined to inherit.

What can audiences expect from your production?

Well it’s really fun, and uplifting, I mean there’s a few spooky moments but they’re all in good humour and all pretty light hearted. There’s some really great humour and you’ll leave the theatre humming the songs. We have a professional set and our own orchestra made up from students as well. It’s an early form of musical if you like, although technically it’s a comic opera.

How have you decided to adapt the play?

Well we’ve tried to keep it close to the original as we could. Gilbert and Sullivan audiences tend to prefer a traditional adaptation, and although we’ve had to change a couple of things such as certain little parts of the script that are less relevant now, in terms of the story and the plot we try to keep it to how it was originally supposed to be.

What do you make of the recent news about Northcott’s uncertain future?

When we found out we were really worried at first, but now I guess we’re just trying our best to emphasise how important it is to keep the theatre going, and encourage people to keep going to the theatre. I think it’s really important right now for us all to really prove how much we need a theatre in Exeter.

Ruddigore is being performed at Exeter Northcott Theatre from March 9-13 2010.

NICOLA RANSON Arts editor

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march 8 2010 Exeposé

videogames News

Bytesize

In a vaguely interesting piece of anecdotal news, a tenuous link has been discovered between terrorism and discarded Playstation consoles. Amongst a cache of weapons found in an Afghanistan raid was a Playstation controller that had been rewired to act as a detonator.

In a development of this story, a group of men have been arrested on charges of exporting Playstations and digital cameras to a supposed terrorist group in Paraguay. Paraguay? Really?

A ghost of the Y2K scare, Playstation 3 users recently suffered from inability to connect to the online network due to the PS3 clocks recognizing 2010 as a leap-year and cocking up the internal clock system, leading to connection issues... somehow.

Despite the raging wrath of millions of Fatlus fans, Sony have weathered the storm and sorted things out. The Playstation 3 has returned to 2010.

Tentative evidence has emerged that the much-anticipated Deus Ex 3 will be multi-platform, as opposed to the established notion that it would only be released for the PC. Probably a smart move

by Eidos, as we’ve all seen what happens to PC-only releases poor, poor Demigod.

In an exasperating and downright annoying twist, Ubisoft have announced that the majority of their releases - including Assassin’s Creed 2, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands, Splinter Cell: Conviction and the new Ghost Recon title - will be restricted by a draconian DRM scheme by which players of the PC versions will have to constantly be online in order to remain playing. Therefore, if you suffer a disconnect in an offline game, you are a pirate and deserve the lost progress that you will endure.

Apparently, the regular use of “exergames” such as blight on gaming Wii Fit, reduces depression in the elderly. Maybe the NHS should take note: imagine wards of old codgers struggling with Wii Baseball. Brilliant.

Gaming Headaches Infuriating Instances

As we all know, some games are difficult to complete and provide challenging obstacles, bosses and levels to overcome, eventually rewarding the persistent player with an illustrious sense of achievement as the final credits roll past. Other games are so mercilessly impossible to complete that a part of you is genuinely led to believe that smashing up the console is a legitimate strategy to defeat the final boss.

You see, back in the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, SNES, and the Atari 2600, game designers were not concerned with trivial matters such as replay value or a coherent story line, and instead opted to increase a game’s play time through good ol’ fashioned mindless repetition. In fact there are some games out there that are so mind-bogglingly and infuriatingly difficult that people end up having to buy another copy of the game; the initial purchase ended up scattered across Warwickshire after the firework it was duct-taped to exploded in a glorious nebula of 8-bit pixels. At least this was the fate of my copy of Mike Tyson’s Punch-out. This was a game that saw your beloved (and apparently malnourished) character horrifically mismatched against a series of opponents before facing, and inevitably losing to, Mr. Mike Tyson. Whilst Tyson’s underling minions were often about as dangerous as a toothpick, they

lulled you into a false sense of security before you were inevitably massacred at the oversized hands of the champ.

Tyson’s blows were devastating and essentially impossible to avoid, whilst the counter-attacks of our hapless competitor were delivered with the ferocity of an elderly widow. Witnessing your horrendously underweight boxer take a vicious string of right-hooks from the mountainous Tyson was utterly demoralizing, and the frustration culminated in a crescendo of rage when your character was KO’d for the fiftieth time in a row, and you were forced to go back and fight every other guy all over again because there were no saves in this game.

Similarly unreasonable in difficulty was the NES’ Ninja Gaiden.

The enemies our resident ninja Ryu, faced were prettyhardcore but what really separated the men from the boys were the obscenely difficult jumping puzzles that make

Mario Party 64 Retro

Okay, maybe we’re stepping back a few years (dare I say, a generation!) but here I argue what may be the classic in the (fairly underappreciated, I’d wager) genre of the board game/ videogame. At the risk of social exclusion…

Mario Party (I) paved the way for a serious franchise, albeit (and, I guess, inevitably) with less vitality and charm as it wore on; all of which invited and expelled various characters to/from the party (because I’m a geek and like continued metaphors).

The story is appropriately thin: an interspersing of a minute of animation with a minute of this type of gameplay would be an excruciating process. It follows a contest of talent between the six personalities who litter the proceeding games (led by that audacious, somewhat

portly character, Mario), and the decision that - and here the gamer becomes impossibly absorbed - one must claim the title of the ‘Superstar.’

The game had hit every hot button issue of the decade.

What follows is the overture to the epic struggle: character selection (albeit with no actual implication on the way you play the game). DK has the dexterity to operate a vehicle, and Princess Peach raises a mammoth hammer to destroy brick blocks… inexplicably floating in the air.

And now the game. I hope I have you hooked; using rapid, quick-fire game play in the form of dice rolls and your chosen character (if it’s any interest, I choose Peach, exclusively.

It’s a dark day when someone gets her before me) hopping around the board in the hopes of collecting coins. If

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other old-school 2D Platformers, like Mario and Rayman, look easy. Also for some reason, Ryu was constantly attacked by flocks of angry birds as you tried to negotiate cliffs and chasms, which simply added to the already significant level of frustration evident in the game. Another title to join the ranks of ‘ludicrously difficult to complete’ games was the Commodore 64’s Ghosts and Goblins, which saw the valiant über-knight Sir Arthur battle his way through swarms of - you guessed it - ghosts and goblins, to save the beautiful but clearly useless princess (sounds familiar somehow).

Our doomed knight could only be struck twice before losing a life, which would of course result in the swift return to the start of the level. Having decided this was still far too easy, the developers decided that each life was only good for a certain length of time (roughly three minutes), with the result that Sir Arthur effectively died of a stress induced heart attack every time the clock ran out.

However, the icing on the cake came when the player eventually reached

the final boss. After a brief glimpse of the bastard that just wasted eight hours of your life, the player is inexplicably transported back to the start of the game, meaning you must complete the game twice in order to complete the game.

Several other games crossed my mind when thinking back to the NES/Atari 2600 era that qualify as ‘throw-your-joystick-out-the-windowimpossible’, including Mega Man, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the first Batman game, but there is one title that defies the logic of playing videogames for the pursuit of pleasure.

The potentially awesome racing sections in this game are ruined somewhat by the fact that few players last longer than ten seconds before plummeting to their deaths ,or face-planting into a concrete slab in a segment of play that contains 108 obstacles to avoid in roughly two minutes. The game is Battletoads and was voted by Gametrailers.com, amongst many others, as the hardest game ever made. The surfboard stage is still considered the hardest level in gaming history by many critics and can be emulated online if you have a few months to kill. From one human being to another though, I urge you never to play this game - for sanity is a wonderful gift.

one gains enough of this currency (20 coins being required) you are able to purchase a star, the ultimate tender, with which you are closer to winning the ‘game.’

Is the ‘game’ life? Is this a comment on capitalism and a left-winged perspective – where a princess and a dinosaur (the enigmatic slightlyaquiline Yoshi) can play in harmony without either considering the ultimate objectives of the other? Maybe, but let’s pretend politics was far from the minds of the developers.

Anyway there’s a twist, and a twist singular to the videogame branch of the board-game genre (or viceversa…). After every complete cycle of rolls, a ‘mini-game’ commences, where the players face off in either battle royale, asymmetrical 3-to-1 or 2-on-2 skirmishes of a wacky nature.

These are generally awarded 10 coins, a hefty bonus considering it constitutes half that required to buy a star. Games take on all forms, and display the cast’s capacity to defy physiology (and physics) to earn the

gold. They vary from ‘Shy Guy Says’, a tense perseverance game whereby one raises the flag that Mr. Shy Guy does; to Buried Treasure… sometimes the simplest concepts are the most ingenious.And then the coveted moment where the superstar is crowned amidst the synthesized fanfare, to the misery of his/her opponents. It’s a proud moment, and one easily slipped into casual conversation to the wonder of your peers.

To conclude, Mario Party provides the staples of those it’s derived from - both recently undervalued boardgaming and the prevalent Mario series - by providing dependable enjoyment with an individual tang. Appealing to almost everyone I’ve seen, it holds its retro-own as a golden game, which I can be jocose about and, hopefully, still convey its simple but engaging nature, which I’d bet, even for those who’ve stopped videogaming, will hold fond memories.

Stephen richardson

Jack Flanagan

31

Videogames

Exeposé wEEK twenty games@exepose.com

Aliens Vs Predator

I Hate Videogames

SEGA: Xbox 360, PS3

Though not a tie-in to the films of the same name, the game may as well be as it maintains the standards of them. I should be clear here, I don’t mean the terrifying Alien or any of its three sequels, or the action-packed Predator. I mean the average at best AVP films. I suppose, to be fair, it does have some redeeming features, but none that saves it or makes it worth buying.

Like the (much better) AVP games that came before it, the campaign is split between the three species; marine, predator and xenomorphs (Aliens). The Marine levels are by far the best and most polished of all of them. The lighting is done well and there are some moments of genuine terror, but it’s still a fairly shallow FPS. The standard weapons are all here,

Perfect Dark Retro

Perfect Dark is pretty much the spiritual successor to Goldeneye, an earlier game by Rare which revolutionized the world of console FPS. With this in mind, you already know it’s going to be a great game.

Whereas the story is new, many of the gaming mechanics are similar, including unlockable Goldeneye weapons and multiplayer maps.

This is going back to the N64 era of gaming where Nintendo arguably had some of its finest games and when the developer Rare was at its peak, creating classics such as Banjo Kazooie and Goldeneye.

Unfortunately, Rare currently develops games for Microsoft, and it hasn’t quite wowed the gaming world like it used to. Don’t get too excited to hear that there’s a Perfect Dark prequel, released in the early days of the Xbox 360. My advice is to treat it the same way you’d treat the second and third Matrix films.

It takes place in the not-sodistant future amidst the backdrop of a war between two alien races,

Ranting

including some of the trademarks like the smart gun.

The Predator campaign feels wasted. Whole games have been made with the Predator as the playable character, but here he feels underpowered and underdeveloped.

The stealth aspect is never fully realised and his weapon choice is extremely limited and unvaried.

The Alien campaign is just bad.

There is nothing to it but running and hitting. Since the Alien is supposed to be an almost mindless killing machine coming up with a storyline is near impossible, but having you know which buttons to push is just stupid. The amount of machines or doors which will do exactly what you want if you just bite them is astounding. The whole of the Alien campaign feels like it has just been tagged on at the end when they remembered that they were in the title.

Altogether the campaign takes about eight hours, average FPS length.

However, with the amount of variation between characters it should have been longer… except the Alien section; that should never be lengthened at all.

Graphically,thegame

is disappointing. It is nowhere near up to par for the current generation.

The game was banned in Australia for being too violent and, though the trophy kills are extremely gory, they don’t look realistic at all. The sounds of the game are far above the looks. The predators’ roar and the aliens’ cries are captured perfectly, though marines telling you “not to relax just yet” could be turned into one of the most savage drinking games of all time.

The redeeming features of the game are its multiplayer and survival mode. Survival mode puts you in a dark arena with waves of aliens coming at you and sums up everything that’s good in the game. It really does get your heart racing, but it is let down by only two arenas being available which get boring fast.

The online multiplayer is great fun. Unique games like Hunter, where marines fight off one predator, and

Infestation, where they fight off groups of aliens are all enjoyable to play.

Being the last one alive while every other player has been turned into an alien is exhilarating (as much as sitting down can be). The other two modes, regular and team deathmatch, are fun as long as you get the right species.

The aliens feel far too underpowered and marines seem too strong.

Overall, the fun multiplayer can’t make up for the lacklustre single player. Rebellion should have done better since they had already created an awesome single player experience in their 1999 game of Alien vs. Predator.

If you love the films, rent the game. If you don’t know the films, rent them instead.

the Maians (stereotypical, big headed aliens) and the Skedar (dinosaur-like creatures which can conveniently disguise themselves as humans). As agent Joanna Dark – codename ‘Perfect Dark’ - you eventually get involved in this struggle through your position as an agent of the Carrington Institute, investigating a mysterious distress call from an insider of the corrupt dataDyne corporation.

This game showcased some of the finest graphics possible on the N64 and pushed the system to its limits. In fact, they’re so good that it needs an expansion pack for the N64 to play it. It might not look too polished now but when I was 11, I thought it was as realistic as games could get. Whether you were on an alien planet, on Air Force One, the game looked beautiful, providing some great cinematics and overall atmosphere. It allowed for dark, moody settings but also included something often lacking in videogames today - colour.

However, Rare didn’t take the

game too seriously, with slices of cheese to be found in each map, and a delightful alien sidekick by the name of ‘Elvis.’ Hell, your boss in the game has the face of Robin Williams.

The game is also highly original, even by today’s standards. In fact, with the increasing emphasis on Modern Warfare and Halo clones, Perfect Dark could breathe some life into the tired FPS genre. Just look at the guns. So... many... guns!

Perfect Dark has some of the best weapons in videogame history. You have your oft-maligned pistols, along with shotguns and assault rifles. On top of this, you have a whole load of alien weaponry at your disposal, most with secondary functions! Guns like the Reaper, a ridiculous heavy machine gun resembling a twisted office fan that doubled as a sort of chainsaw, and the Slayer, which had the ability to guide rockets. Sure, games today do have variations on these weapon types, but do they have a laptop which doubles as a gun, which can

be thrown onto walls as a sentry turret? What about a gun where you experience some sort of acid trip and can see and shoot through walls? The list went on and on for Perfect Dark, and with access to all of Goldeneye’s guns too, you had a pretty large arsenal.

This leads me onto the multiplayer aspect of Perfect Dark which sucked away my childhood.

Up to eight players, including bots, can play at any given time causing mayhem with the crazy arsenals at your disposal. There are a range of multiplayer modes, challenges, and the ability to play the campaign with a friend either co-operatively or against each other. The game can get a bit laggy sometimes, but who could blame it, given the technological challenges the console faced?

This game deserves to be remembered as one of the finest examples of the FPS genre, and I haven’t even touched on all of its great features. To this day, it stands with modern FPS games

5/10 Guy Rolfe

Games aren’t fun anymore. I’m sitting here on my deadline day for the paper, unable to put in any of the articles because the mail server - by which we receive articles for the issue - is down.

At this point I realise that this is what my love-hate affair with Videogames has become - half asleep, dizzy from smoking too much, sitting in an overheated office trying to work in articles about videogames I haven’t played because I’m busy acquiring reviews of them and that I wouldn’t play anyway because they’re games I’ve already played before, only with different skins and textures.

I remember playing a Mega Drive instalment of Madden NFL, one of my earliest gaming memories. I could barely read English, and I certainly couldn’t navigate even a rudimentary control system. Sometimes I would stumble past the team selection screen and into an actual game of American football. The crispest part of this hazy memory is the point where one of my guys fumbled the ball. My sense of bafflement and excitement on seeing the word FUMBLE appear on screen, my sheer oblivion as to what was going on, was what I came to love about games - that helpless immersion. Now, that is entirely gone. Every game is the same. Even things considered good by my harsh standards - Bioshock 2 is just Bioshock again, which is just System Shock again. Forget it.

Alex bennett VIDEOGAMES EDITOR

and puts many of them to shame.

It’s even coming out on Xbox Live, and so I urge all of you to buy it and let nostalgia take over.

Naader Abbasi

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march 8 2010

Exeposé

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Vancouver Victorious

lack of snow. The choice of Downhill Dreams extreme Cypress Mountain for the Freestyle

Dominic Small Videogames Editor

The Winter Olympics of 2010 have drawn to a close, the Russian flag has been raised and Sochi now steps up to receive the world’s elite winter sportsmen and women in four years time. Vancouver can be proud, it was undoubtedly a great Games, albeit one plagued by controversy and weather problems.

Perhaps these games will unfortunately be most remembered for the tragic death of a young athlete; Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian Luger. He died after his sled left the track and struck a concrete bollard at a speed of nearly 90km per hour. The opening ceremony of these Games was a sombre affair with a carefully observed silence and tributes from the IOC to the 21 year old who so tragically lost his life. Perhaps the success of the rest of the Games can be considered a tribute to him.

Despite the eventual success there were weather problems from day one with Alpine skiing events being cancelled and pushed back due to an

events was especially controversial due to the resort relying heavily on the el Nino weather cycle to provide snow.

Nearly 300 trucks ferried in snow from up to 150 miles away to help prepare the courses in time for competition.

These were claimed to be a ‘green games’ but with climate change being so unpredictable it is likely Vancouver will be the last low lying place to hold the games for the foreseeable future.

But enough of the controversy, what about the all-important medal tables? Depending on how you rank them either Canada or the United States finish top; with Canada winning the most golds, 14, and the US winning the most medals, 37. Where was Britain in all this? Lying near the bottom of either table with a grand total of one gold medal. Not even the BBC’s continuous coverage of Curling over more interesting events such as Ice Hockey could secure us more medals. Our gold came from the gorgeous Amy Williams

who sped to victory in the skeleton bob run at speeds of 90 miles per hour which is an impressive feat seeing as Britain only has a starting track at Bath.

Our chances in the Curling were over-hyped and the Men’s Bobsleigh team also crashed out. The BBC seemed to think we could develop speed skating and emulate our success on the bicycle track at the summer Games.

It remains to be seen if this is possible what with government spending set to be tightened. There is a chronic funding shortage for winter sports already with British Skiing receiving less funding than Beach Volleyball.

British winter fans may have just seen our best games ever. Overall though the Games were a success and there was something for everyone to enjoy. From the serene dances of Ice Skating to the frenetic aggression of Ski Cross to the balletesque acrobatics of both Snowboard half-pipe and Ski Ariels.

Ice Hockey, Men’s Final

Dominic Small Videogames Editor

Videogames Editor

the second period with Canada but 20 minutes from glory. The game however was far from over, with a minute and a half to go Ryan Miller was pulled and six Americans stormed the ice. Their puck control was excellent and with 26 seconds remaining Ryan Parise found the goal.

His celebration leaping into the boards said it all: Team USA were still fighting.

Overtime was set and it fell to the golden goal to be the decider.

The game had seen the USA target Canadian star player Sidney Crosby from the start and he had been bullied off the puck consistently when his line swere up. Yet it was Crosby who was to score the winner. Seven minutes into overtime with the Americans having a chance from Pavelski, Crosby got the puck and nipped down the tenders right hand side to send in a magnificent goal beating Miller.

Canada had gold and Crosby had made up for a poor performance.

Team USA were devastated and they had every reason to be, the young team had performed strongly throughout and Miller had been tender of the games.

Perhaps in Russia.

(courtesy of BBC)

Skiing Events

Dominic Small

The climax of the Games was for Canadians what a World Cup final would be for England. The Ice Hockey showdown between the USA and Canada was set to either cement the games in Canadian history as a shining light of their sporting prowess or an ugly stain on an otherwise perfect display.

Both teams had played at the round-robin stage and the USA had come away victorious with a 5-3 victory, but this game was to be the Canadians. The USA started off strong with two early chances but it was Jonathon Toews of Canada who opened the scoring with a tight angled shot that beat Ryan Miller who had been dominating during the games.

Canada were next to strike again in the second period with Corey Perry sending in a rebound. Neither team really made use of the Power Plays, demonstrating how tight the defense were working on both sides.

Team USA now had a mountain to climb but fought back with Vancouver man Ryan Kesler angling in Patrick Kane’s shot to beat his teamate Robert Luongo and put the USA back in fighting. So ended

Medal Table

Snowboard Vicky Wise Sport Editor

“You cannot compare this to any other contest, not the X Games, not anything.” Shaun’s words as he explained his excitement at winning his second Olympic gold medal.

White put a year of hard training on his own private half pipe to good use, getting the highest overall score in the qualifiers, giving him the advantage of being the final competitor to go in the finals. White’s first run annihilated anyone else’s dreams of gold with backto-back double corks. In his final run, White pulled out that trick, the Double McTwist 1260 —he had to show the world what he was capable of. He made history in the process as the first two time Olympic half-pipe gold medallist.

The late extreme skiier Shane McConkey once said, “There is nothing better than sliding down snow, flying through the air” and anyone who has had two planks under their feet knows this to be the case as do nearly all Olympic skiiers.

The Canadian Freeskier Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada’s first ever gold on Canadian soil with his amazing performance in the Men’s Moguls. The stage had been set with four Canadians in the final but with the first three all having made their runs, last year’s Olympic champ Dale BeggSmith, an Australian, still sat in first place. Canada’s dreams all came down to Bilodeau. His run was flawless and pushed him 0.17 points clear of Begg-Smith much to Canadian delight. They also took silver in the Women’s Moguls with Jennifer Heil and another skiing gold at the guest event of Ski Cross (women’s) with Ashleigh McIvor.

The Swiss also dominated the skis with Simon Ammann completing the double again in Ski Jumping as he had in Italy, now making him the most successful olympic ski jumper ever. They also won an incredibly gripping Downhill competition that saw the top three separated by only 0.09 of a second. Didier

Defago took the gold, eclipsing his better known compatriot, and the favourite, Dider Cuche. Carlo ‘iceman’ Janka also won gold in the Giant Slalom with an epic final run. A Swiss man, Michael Schmid, also took the Gold in-one of the most enjoyable sports the Men’s Ski cross. It is now set to remain for Sochi, a truly modern aggressive sport that deserves its place amongst the ski jumpers and the super giant slalomers.

The maverick American Bode Miller also came away with a deserved gold in the Men’s Super Combined and the Norwegian Askel Lund Svindal stormed to gold in Men’s Super G. Britain’s lone entrant Chemmy Alcott could hardly keep up and the best she got was 11th in Women’s Super Combined.

The skiing performance was strong across the board and it remains one of the most riveting sports you can watch at the Winter Olympics.

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Exeposé week twenty sport@exepose.com

Cricket

Andrew Williams Sport Correspondent

Kieswetter past Bangladesh

After an interesting month of cricket for the England limited overs set up, one name seems to spring to mind. Craig Kieswetter, opening wicket keeper batsman, another in the ever increasing line of South African born players who have received an England call up to go with the likes of Strauss, Pietersen and Trott.

Kieswetter was integral to the nail biting victory for the England Lions (effectively the England 2nd XI) over the England 1st XI in a Twenty20 tour

match preceding encounters with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

After England posting a total of 157-6, Kieswetter with opening partner Magnus Lumb put on a partnership of 100, of which Kieswetter scored 82 before being dismissed, to put extreme pressure on the hosts.

However,surprisinglyKieswetter’s performance did not manage to earn him a call up to the full England XI for the Twenty20 match against Pakistan.

England managed to defeat Pakistan after an unbroken partnership of 112 between Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen, who scored 67 not out and 43 not out respectively. Pakistan, who are the reigning world Twenty20

champions, ended their twenty overs on 129-8, their second lowest score in this format of the game, with Shoaib Malik top scoring with 33. England started in a worrying manner, and quickly fell to 18-3 after Trott and Denly fell for only four and one as Paul Collingwood was run out. However when Morgan joined Pietersen at the crease, both players combined to ease England to a comfortable seven wicket victory off 18.3 overs. Pietersen enjoyed a welcome return to form after a dry spell and Morgan’s superb middle order batting showed confidence and maturity, two things that the England middle order have lacked in the past.

In the second International Twenty20, Pakistan managed to come back and snatch a victory after England batted first and posted a respectable 149-6. Joe Denly underperformed again, falling for just five, however Trott and Pietersen put on a 98 second wicket partnership before Trott was run out for 39. Pietersen continued his good batting, influenced from the previous match to score 62 from four 4s and three 6s before being trapped lbw by Saeed Ajmal. Yet when Pietersen fell the England middle order and failed to capitalise on the vital last few overs, and given the platform Trott and Pietersen gave them, they probably should have got an extra 15-20 runs which would have given them more of a target to

bowl at. Good bowling from England saw Pakistan lose wickets at regular intervals and it seemed that perhaps they had just enough runs to see out another victory of Malik and the every dangerous Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi both came and went without a major contribution. However it was the veteran Abdul Razzaq whose scintilating 46 not out off just 18 balls with five 6s who saw the home side to victory with one over to spare.

The two matches highlighted some improvements with England, yet it seems to be another case of two steps forward and one step back, for Denly failed to contribute in either match, yet with the return to form of Pietersen and Morgan, the middle order seems a little more comfortable now.

Despite not being given a call up for the Twenty20 matches, Kieswetter was brought in for a 50 over tour match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI and he scored 143 in his first full England appearance, allowing England to reach 370-7 and score a comfortable 112 run victory.

England then went on to beat Bangladesh by six wickets after notable scores of 64 for Alistair Cook and 75 for Paul Collingwood, and a two wicket victory after a tense encounter which saw Alistair Cook score 60 and an excellent 110 not out from Morgan, to give England a 2-0 lead in the series.

Last friday Kieswetter hit a maiden

Sport

one-day international century with 107 from 124 balls, which included three 6s. England finished on 284-5 thanks to notable contributions from Morgan (36) and Wright (32 not out). Seamer Tim Bresnan (4-28) ripped through the Tigers’ attack and set up England for a superb 45 run victory, which meant the series was a 3-0 whitewash victory for the ever-improving England.

Crouching tiger off to South Africa

Football

Ben Townsend Sport Correspondent

Despite being far from convincing, in the opening hour England defeated Egypt 3-1 in the first international following the tabloid scandal surrounding shamed ex-captain John Terry. In a game that marked a huge opportunity for those filling in for a weakened defence and a further chance for regulars to cement their places in the squad, England looked casual and below par. Frank Lampard should really have done better with his effort in the fifth minute. An otherwise poor Theo Walcott beat his marker to cut back a cross to the Chelsea man who struck his shot straight at goalkeeper Essam El-Hadari when it seemed easier to score.

As African Cup of Nations champions, Egypt were always going to prove problems for the home side and that was confirmed with the confident attacking style they adopted.

The North Africans had come to prove why they should be at the World Cup in England’s group, ahead of Algeria who they had surprisingly fallen foul of in their World Cup play-off. Looking comfortable on the ball and passing

confidently, the Egyptians looked to unsettle an English defence with Terry the sole first choice presence.

This confidence and pressure soon paid dividends as the visitors took the lead. A slip from Matthew Upson enabled a forward ball to Mohamed Zidan to go unchallenged who duly side footed past Upson’s West Ham team mate Robert Green in a well taken finish. Egypt continued to look assured while England were left rueing missed opportunities. Lampard again should have done better. A corner from Gerrard unexpectedly came his way and the England number eight, who has been constantly guilty of substandard England performances in

contrast to his Chelsea displays put his effort over the crossbar. Jermain Defoe also had a great chance to level the tie before half time but his strike was well saved.

Changes at half time saw Lampard replaced by Michael Carrick and Defoe make way for Tottenham team mate Peter Crouch, but the second half continued as the first had ended. Lacklustre and unimaginative, England’s World Cup winning credentials were ebbing away with every passing minute. That is until the move of the game where Peter Crouch delightfully slotted the ball past the Egyptian keeper, capping off a one touch move including Terry, Gerrard

and the assisting cross from Barry to level the tie. Crouch’s formidable goalscoring record for England must make him almost certain for a place in the final 23 man squad with this his 19 goal in 37 caps.

The introduction of Shaun WrightPhillips straight after the equaliser kept the resurgent England on course with his control, skill, and final ball.The feel good atmosphere, represented in the Mexican wave mirrored the confidence of England as they began to turn the screw on the Egyptians. James Milner’s introduction with a quarter of an hour to go proved the final spur needed with his stunning shot well saved but falling to Wright-Phillips whose effort was woefully flapped at by El-Hadari for England to take the lead. WrightPhillips turned goal scorer to goal provider for England’s third as his cross was tapped in by Crouch for his second and 20th England goal, though replays showed it was from an offside position.

With little over three months till the provisional 30 man squad is selected this friendly international was one of the final chances to impress and stake a claim for a seat on the plane to South Africa. Robert Green did himself no harm as the number one spot remains

uncertain, while Leighton Baines produced a professional performance which could hand him what would have in effect been Wayne Bridge’s spot.

Crouch must now be a certain pick as his England record is phenomenal.

Wright-Phillips and Milner will also be pleased with their cameos while Wes Brown and Walcott will be sweating as their performances were weak, casual and nowhere near international level.

The position that is most worrying is certainly England’s defence. A fit Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand are needed if England harbours any real chance of succeeding in South Africa this summer, along with of course, a fit Wayne Rooney.

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Murray’s Musings...

AU President Tom Murray

In a week that has been gripped by election fever, the AU has been no different, with a record number of candidates standing for the highly sought role of AU president. It was superb to see that the seven candidates, Ben Townsend, Georgia Whitfield, Matt Bolton, Sam Tang, Zac Frei, Ellen McIvor and Josh Belsher represented seven different clubs in the elections. It was a closely fought competition, which in the end saw Josh Belsher coming out on top. Huge congratulations to Josh who fought a great campaign and will do a superb job as AU president next year. I would like to extend commiserations to the other candidates who fought brave campaigns and I would have been confident that any of the seven candidates would have done a great job, I would like to wish them all the best next year with whatever they chose to do.

Last week in BUCS I was lucky enough to be watching the Ladies Fencing take on Kings College London in a two legged BUCS affair. Although the ladies lost 135-72 to a highly competitive London side, it was a very enjoyable match to watch; the

Exeposé

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fencing club were most welcoming and produced a great atmosphere. I was most impressed to see that team captain and inspirational leader Amy Church was not only dazzling on the piste, but also is a dab hand in the kitchen, producing homemade cookies for all the fans. I was lucky enough to be allowed a quick taster session of fencing with men’s fencer John Pryor where I was very quickly battered black and blue with the business end of a foil. Thanks to all the fencing club for a genuinely enjoyable afternoon. If you have ever wanted to give fencing a go please contact Dan Younger on dmy201@ex.ac.uk It been a tough week in BUCS this week, with the Rugby first XV crashing out to Durham 15 -18, a real hammer blow to the boys, who underperformed on the day, but did not deserve to lose to a desperate try from Durham, who scored with the last play of the game.

However there were some real success stories of the day, with Men’s Squash winning their knockout game against Bristol 3-2 a great result to progress to the next round.

One of my manifesto promises during election week last year was to look to improve the University facilities at Duckes Meadows. I am currently in the process of lobbying the University regarding the facilities at Duckes, and the response has been positive. However something that would strengthen my argument would be to have a better understanding of the student opinion of the facilities at Duckes, to help please do email me at au@ex.ac.uk If you want to follow Exeter Sport on Facebook, log on to www.facebook. com/exeterau Have a great sport filled week!

Drew to join Team GB Athletics

Rosanna Lloyd Sports Correspondent

University of Exeter student Karla Drew has been selected for the Great Britain Under-23 Athletics squad. Karla competes in the multi-discipline events of Pentathlon and Heptathlon and will join up with the GB squad for an international competition in France this month where she will compete in the indoor pentathlon.

Karla is a first year psychology and sociology student who grew up in Exeter before attending the University and has trained at local athletics track the Exeter Arena for 12 years. She is also currently a member of the University’s Athletics Club.

Being selected for the national team represents the culmination of years of dedicated training, an achievement even more impressive considering Karla caught swine flu just weeks before

the final national ranking event in January.

In the Pentathlon, athletes compete in five athletics disciplines; 60m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800m. Despite her initial illness Karla was in 3rd position before the final event, the 800m, and went on to finish in 5th position overall. This, combined with impressive form in previous competitions this season, was enough to convince the Great Britain selectors of Karla’s ability and potential.

On her selection for Great Britain Karla said, “I’ve worked really hard for this for a long time now and can’t wait to represent my country. I owe a lot to my coach, Ruth Godbeer, who I have been working with for over 10 years now and my throwing coach Terry Harry, who has greatly helped me to improve in the last year.”

Karla trains at the University’s Sports Park, where she receives dedicated and specialist strength and conditioning training as well

as nutritional and psychological support. This support was a big factor in Karla’s decision to apply to study at the University which has become nationally renowned in recent years for its development of elite athletes.

The University’s Assistant Director of Sport responsible for performance and competitions, Nick Besant, is understandably proud of Karla’s selection. He said, “Karla, along with our other performance athletes, works incredibly hard throughout the year which makes it even more rewarding to see her being recognised at an international level. The University would like to congratulate and wish Karla the very best of luck in her first international competition.”

Karla is now looking to secure future international selection and hopes to become a regular in the Great Britain Under-23 team.

Beyond this, the Olympic Games in London in 2012 are an obvious target for an athlete of Karla’s ability.

Testing times for Hamilton and co.

Formula One James Lewis Sports Correspondent

Following a vast array of technical rule changes introduced for the 2009 season, 2010 will see more change again. Although many of the changes are small and technical, such as a new points scoring system that rewards all drivers finishing in the top ten (as opposed to top eight in previous seasons), the one change that will really affect the way the races unfold is the ban on refuelling.

The refuelling ban means that F1 cars have become larger in order to accommodate a larger fuel tank and keeping tyre wear to the minimum will be crucial as drivers will only need to pit to take on fresh tyres. The intention behind the change is to increase ontrack overtaking as drivers will have less incentive to stay behind a rival and conserve fuel before overtaking in the pit stops and will have to try to pass on the track. Another advantage will be that the cars that are the quickest when running with low fuel weight (such as during qualifying and at the end of the race) may not be the

quickest when full of fuel at the start.

Hence there will be a changing balance of speed between the teams as the race progresses. Banning refuelling also means low fuel consumption becomes more important as cars with the thirstiest engines, such as Ferrari must carry more fuel at the start than lean-burners such as Renault. The change could also result in more nailbiting finishes where cars running out of tyres and fuel are overtaken in the final laps. On the downside there could be longer periods with little happening, particularly at circuits like Monaco where overtaking is

extremely difficult.

The global financial crisis has hit F1 hard and the continuing recession has made new sponsors hard to come by. Even Brawn, who won both championships and had TV airtime valued at roughly £250m, struggled financially through 2009. Worse still, the car manufactures have staged an exodus out of F1 starting with Honda at the end of 2008, then BMW (selling their team back to Peter Sauber), Toyota (selling their designs to Stefan GP) and Renault (selling off 75% of their team to a venture capitalist and withdrawing all direct funding).

This has led the FIA to introduce some cost cutting measures, such as limiting the number of staff teams are allowed to bring to races, to encourage new teams onto the grid. These measures should also help current low-budget teams such as Force India and teams with greatly reduced budgets such as Sauber and Renault.

Financial problems have also led to many teams to hire wealthy paying drivers and those who can bring new sponsors into the sport at the expense on experienced professionals such as Giancarlo Fisichella and Nick Heidfeld.

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Exeposé week twenty sport@exepose.com

Exe serves up a Premier performance Tennis

Joe Simpson Sport Correspondent

Alex Parry, just as he did last week, wasted little time in taking his singles match. Having beat the same guy last week in two easy sets, he repeated the feat by brushing past him 6-1 6-1. It was an impressive performance from the Exeter scholar who recently qualified for the BUCS individual champs. The opponent never had a look in as everything he did well was simply done better by the Exeter man.

Chris Gardiner then put in one of his best performances of the season to comfortably see off perhaps UCL’s strongest player, 6-2, 6-2. With his aggressive style the outcome of the match seemed to be entirely in his own hands as he was either winning the point on his own terms or losing the point on his own error. However, despite the aggressive style of play the unforced errors were impressively kept to a minimum which barely allowed the opponent a look in.

This took the match score to an unassailable 6-0 and the aggregate score to 13-3 with two more matches left to play.

Dan Preston and Joe Simpson subsequently didn’t have much to play for apart from pride. In both matches the first sets were tight affairs; Dan Preston narrowly lost out on a tiebreak 7-6 while Joe Simpson sneaked a first set in which there were numerous breaks of serve, 6-3. However, in contrast to both first sets played the second sets in both respective matches were quite contrasting.

Joe Simpson went on to take the second set 6-1 and therefore the match 6-3, 6-1 to take the score to 8-0 (15-3). Likewise Dan Preston managed to win the crucial first game of the second set to take a 1-0 lead which seemed to spring him into life. He went on to reel off the last five games in virtually no time at all to take the set 6-0.

Many onlookers went for some refreshments after the nail biting first set and were shocked to hear of Dan’s dominance in set two.

Unfortunately he couldn’t continue that dominance in the match tiebreak third set, narrowly losing out 10-6. However, Exeter had won the tie 8-2 and summoned UCL to

playoff heartbreak for apparently the third year in a row.

Away from the BUCS University tennis scene Exeter have managed to reach the finals of the National Premier League, a four man doubles competition played up and down the country which is known for attracting former or even current professionals. Former Wimbledon winners such as Pat Cash and more recently doubles champion Wayne Black played in the event last year, along with the weaker Murray brother, Jamie. Exeter qualified by winning the majority of matches in the South division against teams from Bristol, Cardiff and Bath Uni. This meant they had to beat Loughborough University (1st seeds and European University champions) to qualify for the finals.

Alex Parry and Chris Gardiner took the honours and battled past Loughborough Uni’s strongest pair who were both formerly world ranked players. They won through 0-6, 7-6, 7-5 to send Exeter into the finals in Gloucester to be played in March.

Lacs fall before the final hurdle

Lacrosse

Emily Parker Sport Correspondent

As an almost unbeaten team in the BUCS Trophy, Exeter Ladies Lacrosse 2nd team have had a superb season! Playing through sporadic snowstorms, rain and of course the odd tumble in the mud, they have formed an outstanding side. Beating their biggest rivals Bristol half way through the season spurred the girls on in their tough match against Southampton, only losing by a couple of goals. They came up against Bristol again in the final 16 and played the best match of the season drawing at full time, going on to play an extra 10 minutes,

and trumped them in the last few minutes by two goals.

Reaching the semi-finals, last week Exeter was drawn against Cardiff 1st XII, a team that had been competing alongside our 1st XII in the Premier League. They all knew it was going to be an uphill battle to defeat such a strong side. They walked onto the pitch with immense determination and gusto, geared up to take every opportunity that came their way. Despite Cardiff getting the first couple of goals, with excellent play from Alex Munns (Team Captain) Jodie Scarr and V Bamford in attack, and Lottie Sharland and Alice Thornton in defence, they managed to keep their goal score down and keep ourselves in the game. After 30 minutes of gruelling play and a lot of red faces, the half time score was 6-3. In the 2nd half, with Exeter’s

willpower ever increasing they managed to close the gap to 9-7. However, Cardiff moved the ball effectively and secured a final victory of 11-7.

To finish off the season, playing as a 2nd side against a 1st team with several Welsh international players proved that the Exeter 2nd XII has performed phenomenally well this season. A big thank you to Andi Adams, their strength and conditioning coach for all of his hard work that he has put into Ladies Lacrosse this year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the following players who have represented Exeter in BUCS on a regular basis for both 1st and 2nd XII, and will be leaving at the end of the year; Frankie Dyer, Bex Gannon, Jess Hill, Venetia Philipps, Kendra Leaver, Katie Watson, Veronica Bamford and Izzy Terry.

exeposé crossword -

No. 6 by Emily Jones and Dave Cooper

Exeter Men’s Firsts completed a successful season by winning the second leg of their playoff match against UCL Firsts. After steamrolling through the SouthWest league by winning all ten games, six at 10-0, Exeter saw off the winners of the South-Eastern league in the playoff match. It was a vital two leg fixture for both teams as it either meant Premier Division tennis next year or playing another season in the second tier. In the first leg at UCL, Exeter managed to come out on top 7-3 in a close match which could have easily ended in a draw if not for Chris Gardiner’s epic three set win. That win in particular meant that Exeter had a little cushion going into the reverse leg as even a 6-4 loss would have meant promotion.

However, a 6-4 loss or a 5-5 draw was not what Exeter were playing for despite having talisman

Chris Salisbury unavailable due to injury. Going into a tie looking for a draw to win the tie is not the way to approach a two leg encounter, as many have found out previously.

Therefore Exeter, often inspired by assistant coach Tom Lambert’s team talks, actively went out seeking the win and got off to a great start in the doubles. Alex Parry and Chris Gardiner fresh from some success at the weekend narrowly beat a strong UCL 1st pair 9-8. Having trailed for most of the encounter they managed to pull out the stops when it mattered most and vitally won the important points, taking the tie-break 9 points to 7. Joe Simpson and Dan Preston then managed to put Exeter 2-0 up going into the singles with an 8-5 win. Having poorly lost 8-6 to the same pair last week revenge was on the cards for the Exeter pairing and they seized the opportunity.

Having raced into a 4-2 lead they were pegged back to trail 5-4 but strongly took the next four games to comfortably put Exeter 2-0 ahead with only one more match required for the aggregate victory.

Across

Down

1. Shakespeare’s country (12) 7. He’s dancing on the ceiling (6,6) 8. Knights who say __! (2) 10. Cheese made backwards (4) 12. Tidily (5) 13. _____ Cradock, original TV chef (5) 14. Musical genre (3) 16. ____ Party, Flux singers (4) 17. Islamic fast (7) 19. Pulse (6) 20. Tea (4,4) 21. Where is he? (5) 22. The Fab Four (7)

1. William ____, anti-slavery leader (11) 2. Spanish wine (5) 3. Large intestine (5) 4. Teardrop of the Indian Ocean (3,5) 5. Breathe in (6) 6. Biblical garden (4) 9. A stupid or silly person (8) 11. Intellectual organisation (5) 15. American Jeremy Kyle (5) 18. Wall painting (5) 19. Ancient Greek stinged instrument (4)

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Monday March 8 2010

sport

Team GB Athletics

Exeter’s very own Karla Drew has been called up into the UK under-23 Athletics squad.

Page 34

Winter Olympics Vancouver 2010 Round-up - p32

EUBC sweep to BUCS Gold Philip Horrocks Sports Correspondent

EUBC’s Novice Men achieved unprecedented success at the BUCS head race in Peterborough two weekends ago. On the Saturday Exeter entered boats in both the IV and VIII Beginner’s categories, winning the former and coming second in the latter.

The First IV of Matt Login,

Matt Reeder, Jamie Cawthorn and James Moffett won their category, completing the 2.5km course in a thoroughly impressive time of 11:48.0, seven seconds ahead of Durham University. The Second IV also came ninth, making Exeter the only university to have both of its boats finish in the top 10.

Earlier the First VIII raced to second place in their division in a time of 10:22.0. Having built on a strong start to plough past Newcastle University’s top crew within the

first kilometre. The Second VIII finished 22nd of the 41 teams that completed the course, and were the second-highest placed second VIII in the competition, being narrowly beaten by the Loughborough Second VIII, who were seven seconds faster.

This demonstrates the depth of strength that Exeter has in its men’s novice squad, which is currently the second largest in the country behind Manchester University.

The performance of the novice rowers has demonstrated Exeter to

No.69

GRID 2: MEDIUM

GRID 1: easy

No.68

Exeposé sudoku

be a formidable force in university rowing, and bodes well for the rest of the season and future years.

Success has been achieved against opposition clubs that have top-level professional coaches whereas Exeter relies upon the expertise of students Sam Swaddling and Tom Stoyle to guide them to victory. This performance demonstrates that the EUBC has immense potential to become a revered name in university rowing.

Fill in the grid so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear in each row, each column, and each 3x3 box

GRID 3: HARD No. 70

Rowing

Exeposé

www.exepose.com

Football Alice Poole Sports Correspondent After an emphatic win against arch rivals Marjons, the Ladies Football team were feeling more positive than ever. A rescheduled match time on the rubber crumb meant an early kick off for the onform Ladies Football first team.

With the game looming and ‘Stay With Me’ blasting on the radio, the changing room was buzzing with excitement. As the whistle blew to signify the start of the match, the captains led the team on to the pitch encouraging and inspiring the Exeter side.

After a scrappy start, and a blood injury for the captain, Isabelle Michalski, Exeter managed to make their first goal thanks to a far post shot from striker Nicole Kohnen.

The opposing team got more and more frustrated, managing to get themselves on the wrong side of the official. A slow and relatively uneventful first half resulted in a much-needed inspirational half ime team talk from the captains.

As more supporters flooded in to the rubber crumb, the second half began. UWIC started threateningly and excellent keeper Charlotte Poole stepped up when necessary, keeping the score at a close 1-0. With 25 minutes to go, Nicole Kohnen placed a bullet of a header into the back of the net after a perfectly placed corner from Alice Poole. As the game drew nearer to the final whistle UWIC’s frustration grew and forced the referee to produce two yellow cards for the opposition’s poor behaviour. The players from Cardiff weren’t the only ones in trouble as their coach was asked to leave the pitch due to disrespectful behaviour. With 20 minutes to go, veteran star Hannah Cooper made an essential substitution and continued to force the ball towards the UWIC goal.

With high spirits UWIC however managed a scrappy goal with little time left and Exeter had to work even harder to close out the game.

With minutes to go UWIC brought every player forward for the final effort in their last corner of the day.

As the whistle blew, the tension was apparent as UWIC continued to claim reasons for Exeter’s disqualification. Despite the UWIC efforts the Exeter ladies football team proceeded to the semi-finals of the trophy in a game away against Oxford. Unfortunately the girls got knocked out last Wednesday in a closely fought contest, eventually losing 2-0.

MUSIC

SCREEN

ARTS

Mr. Hudson

A Single Man

Tim Key

Page 18

Page 25

Spotlight On Elections

Monday March 8 2010 Week 20

Free and Impartial.

Your paper, your views, your voice.

In this issue

»

Exeposé

Page 27

Students’ Guild celebrate national record turnout of 36.4% in Sabb Elections, while elected AU President faced allegations of misconduct

Adam Walmesley News Editor

Allegations of misconduct have clouded the record-breaking Sabbatical Elections.

Exeter University Students’ Guild is the most represented national Student Union, following a 36.4% turn-out at the elections. The Students’ Guild Sabbatical Election 2010 recorded a total of 5,742 votes, a 966 vote increase on last year’s figures.

However, controversy has surrounded the election of the Athletic Union President, after it was revealed that accusations of rule breaches were made against the elected Josh Belsher.

Three separate allegations of election malpractice were made against Belsher, and an Appeal Tribunal was held to resolve dispute regarding one of the complaints. Belsher went on to win the AU Presidential candidacy by 376 votes, ahead of Sam Tang.

The first complaint against Belsher concerned campaigning in a night club on February 18, before the stipulated time period of canvassing. A shoutout was made in Rococos, although Belsher claims he was at home with all his registered canvassers, at the time of the incident.

Josh Belsher is the captain of the AU Men’s Tennis Club. Fellow members, who had apparently declined an offer to canvass for him, were apparently held responsible for the first incident.

Belsher was handed a penalty of losing an hour of prime time voting.

The most serious allegation involved unsubstantiated reports of a first-year tennis club member campaigning in Exeter Halls. A complaint was made by a female student on Thursday February 25. She alleged that a tennis club member was signing up students to a physical sheet.

For every 50 signatures the unofficial canvasser obtained, they would be

rewarded with a Timepiece Gold Card, according to the female student.

However, the Guild elections team claimed they could not prove that Belsher had any awareness or involvement in the incident, and it went unpunished.

Gary McLachlan, Senior Elections Officer, explained: “Since there was absolutely no link other than the club and friendship between Josh and the first-year allegedly canvassing for reward I considered that the allegation could not ever be investigated using Guild resources.

“The Guild is neither a detective agency nor a police force. It has neither the forensic ability nor the legal mechanisms to investigate a complaint of this nature to render a just verdict on innocence or guilt. As Senior Elections Officer I invoked privilege and refused to punish rumour and innuendo, imposing no penalty.”

McLachlan cited previous examples of first-year students campaigning for AU candidates without their knowledge. He added, “this is apparently quite common and is based entirely on team spirit rather than any devious motive of election fixing or deliberate will to cheat.”

Other AU candidates appealed the decision at the Candidates Question Time event on the evening of Thursday February 25. A tribunal was swiftly organised for 9am the following day, seven hours before voting closed.

The appeals panel heard from all the AU candidates, incumbent AU President, Tom Murray, and Gary McLachlan. The panel upheld the decision not to punish Belsher.

The AU candidates signed off the incident at the Friday morning election meeting. This procedure meant they accepted the decision-making process, and was before they knew the outcome of the appeals panel.

Continued on page 2...

Features discusses the lost children of Zimbabwe, interviews Major General Paul Newton

Lifestyle takes a trip to Los Angeles, reviews the latest Porsche and assesses your local Wagamama for some Oriental cuisine

arts looks at International Women’s Day, analyses Tim Key’s poetic career and quizzes Gilbert and Sullivan Society Jonnie Beddall was elected Guild President. Photo: Adam Walmesley

SAVE

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0 1 3 ÂŁ t n e d u t s r u on yo n o i t a d o m m acco

y a h n r e h t r o N t a s m o Special offer on ro r a e y t x e n r o f e s u o H t s u r T r e t e x E d n a e s u Ho hernhay House is nd Nort a s n o ti a c lo t a re g in re a s ie Both propert 2010. r e b m te p e S r fo d e h is rb fu being completely re

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ng. ki o bo en h w E V A S e d o c o m ro Enter p

The Exeter Award is an achievement award for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students. The Award is designed to enhance the employability of students by providing official recognition and evidence of extra-curricular activities and achievements. If you are a volunteer, or have undertaken paid work experience, The Exeter Award will help you get ahead of the 280,000 other graduates entering the job market each year.

The Exeter Award is sponsored by

university of

e eter

www.exeter.ac.uk/exeteraward

This year we want as many students as possible to be nominated There’s even a Student Employer category, so if you love your job for the national Student Employee of the Year Awards (SEOTY)! The and want to tell the world, nominate the people you work for as annual awards celebrate the paid work that students do alongside well! You will also receive a prize if your employer wins the award. their studies.

The nomination alone is a great addition to your C.V., and if you win you could even get a crash prize.

Suggest it to your employer – all they need to do is fill out simple form. Remember having a Student Employee of the Year nominee looks good for them too.

If you want to put in a nomination you need to visit

www.nases.org.uk/seoty before 5pm on the 26th March.

MONDAY 8TH MARCH 2010 ISSUE 23

How's My teachiNg?

Call 0800-LECTURE-THIS* or visit www.exeterguild.org to give your feedback Why you should nominate someone for this year's Teaching Awards 2

What's on?

Events and Gigs listings 4

On the Campaign Trail What it's like to canvaswhether you win or lose 3

Bio-Hazard Suits and The Houses of Parliament Get up to date with what the Amnesty International Society Have been up to 3 *NB: Fictional number may have been used- please visit www.exeterguild.org

NE

W

A Bad Education?

S

Quite Interesting?

Our fortnightly column of interesting facts and statistics about Exeter University and its Students.

This week we give you some of the results from the recent Students' Guild elections.

36% 5742 2563 27 72% 84%

of students voted in the Sabbatical elections.

individual students voted this year.

Guild Education Officer Llywelyn ‘Taffy’ Morris tells X what the 2010 Teaching Awards are all about and how you can take part

H

ave you ever thought you’ve been taught by an amazing lecturer? Or had someone who went out of their way to make sure you got the most out of your course? Well, now you’ve got a chance to say thank you in the inaugural Teaching Awards.

There are five categories which staff can be nominated for including: ‘Lecturer of the Year’, ‘Tutor of the Year’, ‘Feedback-er of the Year’, ‘Innovative Lecturer of the Year’ and ‘Support Staff member of the Year’. You’ll also be asked to write a short piece (no more than 100 words) on why that staff member deserves the award.

After that the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLCs) for each subject will look at the evidence for the most nominated staff members

within their area. They’ll then pick the ‘Lecturer of the Year’, ‘Tutor of the Year’, ‘Feedback-er of the Year’, ‘Innovative Lecturer of the Year’ and ‘Support Staff member of the Year’ for their subject.

"This will be a prestigious accolade to pick up for any member of staff."

The story doesn’t end

there. All the winners for each subject will be put forward for the overall University Awards. I’ll be

What the Students Say...

individual students voted in 2006/07.

candidates ran in the elections. of people who voted did so because they felt it was important. of students were aware of the 'Did you know?' campaign (the most popular student campaign this year)

QI

What the Uni Says...

Bertie Archer Exeter Student

Michele Shoebridge, Director of Academic Services

T

W

e all want the best lecturers we can get, the best feedback, and the best support through our degree. Here is your chance to give an incentive for lecturers, tutors and staff to be the best they can. Nominate anyone and everyone who you think deserves some recognition for their great work – they may not win, but just knowing that they were nominated will be a massive boost for them and their teaching. This is a great chance to say thank you for the teaching and support you’ve received in Exeter.

sitting on each of the panels that will choose the overall University winners and runners-up. This will be a prestigious accolade to pick up for any member of staff.

So, if somebody has gone that extra mile for you, recognise it.

Every staff member nominated will get an email saying that someone thinks they’re fantastic and could be in with a chance of winning one of the prizes. When these Teaching Awards were piloted at Edinburgh University last year, 3,704 nominations were received for 621 staff members. Let’s try and beat that. Nominations close on Friday the 12th March at 4pm, so don’t forget.

To nominate a staff member go on https://elections. exeter.ac.uk/guild/teaching/.

Tell us what you think about X. Email your thoughts to: communications@guild. ex.ac.uk

hese awards are a fantastic initiative.

Students at Exeter enjoy the highest quality learning experience, and are now able to recognise and reward excellence in teaching and support. We know that students appreciate all members of staff who are committed to the delivery of good teaching, and these awards are an opportunity to say a very public ‘thank you’. Good teaching is vital to the reputation of the University for staff and students; past, present and future. As a research intensive University, it’s of the utmost importance that our academic staff are able to transfer research knowledge into stimulating teaching.

On the Campaign Trail- A Canvasser's story James Freeman Canvasser 08/09 and 09/10

H

aving campaigned for both Sam Palmer this year and Rich Stearn last year I’ve had the pleasure of both winning - when you think you’re going to lose - and losing - when you think you’re going to win. Both, despite being emotionally mad, were good experiences. Obviously losing sucks and looking back on it it’s hard to remember back past the results or anything other than thinking what we did wrong.

Yet, when I think about it we had a good few weeks with minimal academic work. Planning policy with people who want meaningful change, talking taglines, posters and strategy is all a bit West Wing but its better done over a pint in the RAM.

The campaign was by far the most memorable and social bit.

It’s a cliché the Guild will hopefully get over one day, but ‘getting involved’ really does mean meeting new people.

"The campaign was by far the most memorable and social bit."

Defending Sam’s ideas against PhD

students trying to catch you out, or fumbling come-back lines to people who tell you to get lost are far more memorable than the freezing rain.

Just being outside on campus for 5-6 hours a day makes you feel much more part of something than the occasional treks between lectures, societies and the pub. Watching the epic struggles of the Carlsberg lorry trying ten times to get over the midhill speed bump outside the library, and rolling back down the hill every time, would have been weird if I wasn’t in a group of orange T-shirts.

The tension on the night was massive. More so when people kept predicting after every fresh result. Democracy is unpredictable and that’s the best thing about it so I don’t mind being wrong. Winning

is everything, anyone who says it is hasn’t run.

home commitments that prevent full engagement with the Higher Education system. In the terms of the Exeter figures, it also appears that the older you are the more disengaged from the other students you are likely to be.

The solutions to these problems aren’t necessarily easy, but neither are they complicated – the

book I was reading suggests earlier intervention and more pastoral care aimed directly at those groups who need the most help to settle and complete their studies – things that EMSA has been working on for next Welcome Week to enable mature students and student parents to find their feet and be students first and foremost.

"It's all a bit West Wing but it's better done over a pint in the Ram." However, if you canvass for someone with the same outlook, you like and respect and have spent the week with good people it’s a little easier to lose knowing you had good times.

AFFILIATE FEATURE: EMSA

Gary McLachlan Mature Students' Representative

T

here are various teams at the University that collect statistical information on the experiences of students at the University. This information can be quite dry and not particularly interesting. Sometimes however, a piece of information appears that has the capability to significantly change the way we think about certain issues.

In recent weeks EMSA has been in continuing talks with the Guild and University to try to fathom what is missing from the provision for mature students and student parents – and how

we can work together to improve services overall. The first piece of information was hard statistics on drop-out rates; which show that mature students in general have a higher drop-out rate, one that increases with age, and also seems to be related to gender and age, in that female students drop out more regularly than male students and part-time students have a higher drop-out rate too.

This statistical information also matches the rather more generalised information I was reading in my borrowed copy of “How to get a PhD” – where it is

quoted that generally, more mature female students and distance learners fail to complete their PhD (by writing up) than any other group.

The explanation for both sets of figures – our own statistics and also the more generalised PhD figures probably point to the same problems – distance learners and part-time students have less contact with their peers on campus in fulltime study, don’t finish at the same time as the people who started with them, and in the context of female students in the older age brackets, are more likely to have family and

SOCIETY FEATURE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Mark Johnston President

T

he University of Exeter Amnesty International Society works on behalf of Amnesty International UK and aims to support victims of Human Rights abuse all over the world, as well as holding Human Rights abusers to account for their actions.

We run campaigns which aim to raise awareness and demonstrate student support for Human Rights issues. Over the past year, we campaigned on many issues including Violence Against Women in the UK, the Death Penalty, the Arms Trade, the Twentieth Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre and Student Rights in Burma. Our society has been recognised nationally for our work: last May we won the student award for Outstanding Activism at the Amnesty International UK AGM and our Stop Violence Against Women and Arms Trade campaigns resulted in members

of our group being invited to the Houses of Parliament and the Foreign Office respectively to discuss our concerns with top level political figures such as Ben Bradshaw and Bill Rammell.

"Look out for the people in the hazard suits and they’ll explain the rest!"

Our current campaign focuses on the Human Rights violations which occurred as a result of the pollution caused by Shell in the Niger Delta. I don’t want to give too much away about

this – just look out for the people in the environmental hazard suits and they’ll explain the rest!

We recognise that campaigning is not the only way to support Amnesty, so, to engage as many students as possible, we provide lots of other ways to become active within the society: these include organising speaker evenings on Human Rights topics, publishing a termly society magazine, the Human Rights Update, and organising events to raise money for the charitable sector of Amnesty UK. Our next fundraiser is the Woman’s Cabaret. This will take place on International Woman’s Day (Monday March 8th) and will last from 8PM-2AM. The Cabaret is a Theatre with Teeth production and will showcase a unique collection of variety acts from both female and male performers all with one thing in common -

"We provide lots of other ways to become active within the society." celebrating female creativity and

identity. Tickets are two pounds on the door and the proceeds from the night will go to building a local women’s shelter and Amnesty’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

Amnesty Society is open to anyone who wants to join. If you like what you’ve read and want to take part, email me at mnj202@ ex.ac.uk.

LI

ST

IN

8pm - 8:50pm: Improvers class (a more challenging routine for those more confident with their salsa).

8:50pm - 9pm: Practice time. 9pm 10pm: Intermediate class (for those wanting a much more challenging class, both with footwork, styling and turn patterns). Contact slc215@ex.ac.uk for more details.

GS

EVERY WEEK MONDAYS 4pm - 5pm German Society: Conversation Class Long Lounge, DH A great opportunity to practise your spoken German with native speakers in an informal and friendly atmosphere. Suitable for German undergraduates. Contact alt204@ ex.ac.uk for more details.

7pm-7.45pm Folk Society: Folk Music Session JCR, DH An opportunity to play traditional folk tunes. All instruments welcome.

Also see our slower music session on Fridays. Contact cgb203@ex.ac. uk for more details.

8.30 pm- 10pm Folk Society: Folk Dancing JCR, DH Come and try some traditional english folk dancing with Folk Soc, one of Exeter’s longest running societies. No partner needed. No experience necessary.Contact cgb203@ex.ac.uk for more details.

8:30pm Community Action: Pub Quiz Ram, DH Pub Quiz hosted by CA. Prizes include exciting vouchers from Dominoes and the Black Horse.

Tickets £1 per person, half of which is charitably donated to CA and its volunteering projects. Prizes up for grabs include five Domino’s Pizza vouchers, five drinks from the Black Horse, a bottle of wine and a healthy cash sum is up for grabs. Contact cafundraising@ex.ac.uk for more details.

TUESDAYS 6:45pm - 9:45pm Dancesport Society: Latin and Ballroom Lessons Hope Hall Dining Room Latin and Ballroom Lessons taught by a former world champion. No previous experience necessary for our beginner lessons. 6:45pm -7:30pm: Beginners Latin. 7:30pm -8:15pm: Beginner Ballroom.

8:15pm - 9pm: Novice and Intermediate Latin. 9pm - 9:45pm: Novice and Intermediate Ballroom.

Email slc215@ex.ac.uk

8.30pm - 10pm Japanese Society The Lemon Grove Bar The Japanese Society's regular meeting; come along for a friendly chat!

WEDNESDAYS 1pm Amnesty International Meeting Freddie Mercury Suite, CH Amnesty’s weekly meeting, during which we plan our campaigns and fundraising events and take action on contemporary Human Rights issues. See www. exeteramnestystudents.co.uk for more details.

7pm Buddhist & Meditation Society: Meditation Evening Queen's 4.2 Every week we have a meditation session with a local speaker, who gives the background to the practice and leads a meditation. All sessions are free and anyone is welcome at any time so do come along. Contact us on jrm212@ex.ac.uk if you want more details of our schedule.

7:30pm - 9pm Nooma Long Lounge, DH Exploring the relevance of Jesus and the Bible in contemporary society, looking at ‘building the foundations for a brighter future’ open to all.

8pm onwards Xpression FM presents Open Mic Night Lemon Grove, CH A free and fun evening. All new and returning acts welcome, come along at the beginning of the night to sign up. www.xpressionfm.com.

THURSDAYS 4:30pm - 6:30pm World Music Choir: Rehearsal Knightley Seminar Room Come and join the World Music Choir for a fun rehearsal singing songs from around the world £2 members £4 non-members.

Contact worldmusicchoir@yahoo. com for more details.

5pm onwards Poker Lemon Grove, CH 7pm - 10pm Dancesport Society: Salsa Lessons Hope Hall Dining Room 7pm - 7:50pm: Beginners class (beginners footwork and partner work). 7:50pm - 8pm: Practice time.

7pm Arabic Society: Bellydancing Coffee Express, DH Arabic Society is proud to introduce the return of our belly dance classes! Lessons will be held weekly all the term on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 8pm in Coffee Express, Devonshire House. Prices are £1 for members of Arabic Society, and £2 for non-members. It'd be great to see you there!"

FRIDAYS 1-2pm Arabic Conversation Classes Seminar Room 2, IAIS Colloquial Arabic conversation classes. Mainly Levantine dialect, incorporating some Egyptian.

Anyone welcome! Contact kjm205@ ex.ac.uk for more details.

6pm onwards Free Fun Friday Ram Bar, DH Enjoy all the games in the Ram for Free from 6pm, as well as promotional drinks offers every Friday!

6:30pm Folk Society: Beginners’ Folk Music Session Claydon (behind Knightley) Come along and join in with a slow informal folk music session. All instruments and abilities welcome!

We also teach instruments from scratch. Contact cgb203@ex.ac.uk for more details.

7:30pm Debating Society:Friday Debate Parker Moot Room,Amory The Debating Society’s weekly show debate, check the Debsoc Facebook group each week for the motion.

Contact cf256@ex.ac.uk for more details.

SUNDAYS 8pm onwards RAG Quiz Lemon Grove, CH

From March 15th, minibus services will be changing- Please visit http://www.admin. exeter.ac.uk/corporate/ campus-services/ facilities/transport.shtml

Produced by Stuart Smith and Meri Wills. © 2010 University of Exeter Students’ Guild.

WEEKS 9 & 10 MONDAY, 8TH MARCH

MONDAY, 15TH MARCH

8pm-2am Thatre withTeeth,Amnesty International,Gender Equality Soc:Miss Basket Case presents...

International Women's Day Cabaret 2010 Mama Stones Theatre With Teeth present a live cabaret night showcasing the work of both female and male performers all with one thing in common - a celebration of female creativity and identity. All proceeds go to Exeter Women's Aid and Amnesty's Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

6:30-8.30pm Friends of Palestine: Israeli Appartheid- The Case for Boycott Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, LT 1 &2 Talk by eminent Palestinian academic and writer GHADA KARMI, and ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolition) Director JEFF HALPER - ""A leading figure within the Israeli peace movement for over thirty years"" Come along and participate in this exceptional event, and experiences to examine one of the most important angles of the Palestinian cause.

TUESDAY, 9TH MARCH

TUESDAY, 16TH MARCH

6pm Friends of Palestine Soc: Stories From Our Mothers- Palestinian women's lives in Occupied Jerusalem Queen's, LT1 A special event for the 100th International Women’s Day (A day after...) where the society will be hosting two women from Jerusalem: Dr Fadwa Al-Labadi (Director of the Insan Centre for Gender Studies, Al Quds University) and Layla Shari (from Shu’fat refugee camp) speaking on 'Palestinian women under Occupation'

12-2pm GENERAL MEETING St Luke's Campus

THURSDAY, 11TH MARCH All Day Amnesty International:Shell/Hell campaign and club night Streatham Campus,The Ram,Arena Amnesty members will be wearing environmental hazard suits all day on campus to raise awareness of the pollution caused by Shell in the Niger Delta. In the evening we'll be having a social in the Ram before moving on to Arena.

FRIDAY, 12TH MARCH 4pm Teaching Awards The Close of nominations for the Teaching Awards 2010

SUNDAY, 14TH MARCH 4:00pm Clarinet Choir:Exeter University Clarinet Choir's Lent ConcertJoint with Peninsular Choir Exeter Catherdral Chapter House Its time for our annnual joint concert with Peninsular Clarinet Choir, so come along enjoy the music and have some cake!

8:00pm Exeter UNICEF Society: UNICEF Open mic night The Cavern UNICEF Open Mic night featuring The New Root, Matthew Neil, James Knight, Cargo Cult and more. £3 entry on the door.

WEDNESDAY, 17TH MARCH 1-2pm Amnesty International:Amnesty Committee Elections Freddie Mercury Room,CH The meeting at which the new Amnesty Committee is elected. If you want to run for a position, don't miss it!

THURSDAY, 18TH MARCH 6.00pm Global Poverty Project Parker Moot Room,Amory Building '1.4 Billion Reasons' http://www. globalpovertyproject.com/index

FRIDAY, 19TH MARCH 7:00pm Parliamentary Condidate Panel Debate Newman A,Peter Chalk Centre

ENTS LISTINGS MONDAY, 8TH MARCH 7.30pm-late Hadouken Lemon Grove,CH

FRIDAY, 19TH MARCH 7.30pm-late The Orb Lemon Grove,CH

Voice is the University of Exeter’s studentrun listening and information service, available from 8pm to 8am every night during term time.

Call: 01392 275 284 (local rate) or 74000 (free from halls) E-mail: voicemail@exetervoice.co.uk (response within 48 hours) Skype: exetervoice Online Chat: www.exetervoice.co.uk