10/11 Week 18

Mark Watson: Do you know me?

Exeposé: We do now!

Interview: Arts P 26

Exeposé

Monday February 21 2010 Issue 576 www.exepose.com

Powderham Ball cancelled

Photo: Henry White

Ellie Busby News Editor

THE 2011 Powderham Ball has been cancelled due to a shortfall in ticket sales.

The Ball, due to take place on March 28 at Powderham Castle, was just 250 tickets short of its target. The tickets were priced at £60 which would cover a range of costs, including transport and drinks.

On Wednesday February 16, the Powderham Committee issued a statement via email and facebook stating, “The Powderham Ball Committee has decided the only practical option is to cancel the 2011 Ball.”

If the Powderham Ball had proceeded to go ahead, there would have been a loss of approximately £15,000, excluding a charitable donation. Money saving measures would also have to have been introduced, which may have diminished the Powderham Ball experience.

A Committee member told Exeposé, “The main point of the Ball was to raise money for charity, whilst putting on an unforgettable event for Exeter. Sadly the demand for this wasn’t there, and we would like to apologise to those who supported the ball all the way through the process.”

Despite the large publicity campaign, both online and on campus, students failed to fill the places. Jonnie Beddall, Guild President, said, “The work the committee did in organising it was absolutely brilliant – I’ve never seen such an ambitious, creative and competent student group.”

He added, “It’s a real shame students won’t get to experience Powderham this year. With it not going ahead last year, most students won’t remember what a superb event Powderham was.”

This is the third year that the ball has not taken place, as it was cancelled in 2009 and there was no event in 2010.

Greg James, who was due to perform at the event, will now play at the Lemmy on March 28.

The Guild Box Office will automatically refund tickets, and this process will be completed by February 24.

Free

Record turnout at Guild elections Tristan Barclay Editor

The Powderham Ball fell short of its predicted ticket sales and was unable to cover costs.

RECORDS fell as the Students’ Guild Sabbatical elections descended on Exeter campuses in Week 16.

A new national record for turnout in a students’ union election was set as 38.3 per cent of the Exeter student population voted. The 2011 figure eclipsed the previous national record of 36 per cent, set during Exeter’s 2010 elections.

This year’s winning candidates were Nick Davis for Guild President, Beth Hampson for AU President, James Eales for Vice President (VP) Academic Affairs, James Fox for VP Participation and Campuses, and Emma Payne for VP Welfare and Community.

Voters had a record number of candidates from which to choose, with 39 current students running for five Sabbatical Officer positions. The VP Welfare and Community position was the most fiercely competed, with ten candidates running for the role.

Emma Payne, VP-elect Welfare and Community said: “The election week was really hard work but well worth it.

Other candidates were really fabulous and I made some great friends. I cannot wait to start with the new Sabbs next year and I’m excited to help our award winning Guild move forward. I think my biggest challenge is going to be building on the student and City relationship.”

The 2011 election saw voters embrace the digital age as the Students’ Guild website experienced 350,000 page views, with 1,000 votes cast on a mobile device.

Continued on page 3

2

Exeposé

The Exeter student newspaper

Exeposé, Cornwall House, St German’s Rd, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6TG (01392) 263513

Features P 12-13 When the EDL met Exeter’s celebration of diversity. Features tells the story.

Lifestyle

P 14

Don’t worry about those April showers.

Lifestyle takes you through the latest brollies.

P 20

Music

February 21 2011

News

Exeposé

Aaron Porter fights for students

Ellie Busby & Charlie Marchant - news@exepose.com

Uni one of top 100 fastest growing companies

Photo: Henry White

Everything Everything and The Vaccines speak to Music Editors, Ellie Bothwell and Ben Murphie.

Sport

P 36

BUCS championships for Exeter’s newest (and most banterous) AU club. Meet the EUTBC.

Editors Tristan Barclay & Andrew Waller editors@exepose.com

Deputy Editors Rachel Bayne & Jennifer Seymour depeds@exepose.com

News Editors Ellie Busby & Charlie Marchant news@exepose.com

Features Editors Columba Achilleos-Sarll & Anna-Marie Linnell features@exepose.com

Lifestyle Editors Laura Le Brocq & Clare Mullins lifestyle@exepose.com

Music Editors Ellie Bothwell & Ben Murphie music@exepose.com

Books Editors James Henderson & Jacob Moffatt books@exepose.com

Screen Editors Calum Baker & David Brake

Exeter University has been ranked as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Europe reflecting the ongoing £275 million investment.

Nicholas Seymour EXETER UNIVERSITY has been ranked amongst the top 100 fastest growing companies in Europe.

The University is ranked 62nd out of millions of businesses across the continent. The list, compiled by business information experts Dun & Bradsheet, also ranked the University as 23rd in the British top 25, with turnover increasing by almost 50 per cent since 2007 from £153 million to £227 million.

In the face of rising unemployment and continual appearance of negative

growth in European economies, the number of full time employees has risen since 2007 from 2,500 to 3,000 in 2010 with continual growth. Juan Roure, co-founder of Europe’s 500, a non-profit organisation which commissioned the list, said, “These are exceptional achievements considering that there was a negative growth of approximately 5 per cent in Europe in 2009.”

The period of growth enjoyed by Exeter has been accompanied by recognition of its academic excellence, ranking 12th in the Times Good University Guide 2011 and in the top one per cent of worldwide universities. Prof.

Steve Smith, University Vice Chancellor, said, “Being ranked as the 62nd fastest growing company in Europe is a real testament to the hard work everyone here has put in to reinforce our position as one of the UK’s leading universities.” He added, “By improving our student experience and continuing our cutting-edge research programmes, we hope to continue our contribution to economic growth.”

The University continues to grow, with an investment programme worth over £350 million across all three campuses, including the flagship building on Streatham Campus, expansion of the

Business School and new Biosciences facilities. Exeter University continues to contribute £400 million of economic benefit to the UK. Jonnie Beddall, Guild President, has responded with enthusiasm stating that this “demonstrates the sheer ambition of Exeter, an ambition which personifies students here.”

Beddall prioritised the welfare of students, cautioning that “It’s vital that the University doesn’t grow too fast.

We need to consolidate the quality of the academic experience and clearly define what added value students get for our higher fees.”

the increase in our entry requirements.

This is to reflect the increasing competition for places at Exeter due to our reputation as one of the UK’s leading universities.”

This statement comes in the light of the Business School’s recent decision to introduce the first A* grade requirement for their BA Business Economics and combined Economics degree. “However,” Williams added, “the quality of applications has also increased.”

University statistics show that for Home/EU undergraduates, 52 per cent of applicants are predicted or have achieved AAA, up from 43 per cent at this point last year. Similarly for International students, 64 per cent of offer holders are predicted or have achieved AAA or better, up from 59 per cent at this point in the previous cycle.

Jonnie Beddall, Guild President,

commented, “All the top institutions saw a drop in applications this year, so for Exeter, this is nothing to worry about. The 11 per cent drop in applications to Exeter is down to the increasing entry requirements to study here. The Exeter brand is strengthening and we should welcome this.”

When asked whether the fall in prospective applications is a result of the MPs vote last December to increase the cost of tuition fees from £3,375 up to £9,000, Williams stated, “There has not yet been any significant increase in tuition fees for this year - so that wouldn’t be a factor in the fall in applications observed.”

arts@exepose.com

11% drop in applicants to Exeter University

Video Games Editors Steve O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees

Joe Johnston

screen@exepose.com

Arts Editors Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel

games@exepose.com

Sports Editors Alexander Cook & Andy Williams sport@exepose.com

Photography Editor Henry White photography@exepose.com

Advertising Stuart Smith S.C.G.Smith@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722432 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

THE number of prospective applications to the University of Exeter has fallen.

Figures released by the University reveal that the number of Home/EU undergraduate applications received for the next academic year stood at 20,258 on February 1, a drop of 11 per cent on last year’s numbers. International prospective applications are also down to 2,835, a four per cent decrease.

Daniel Williams, a University spokesman, has stated that the decrease in applications “is likely to be down to

“The 11 per cent drop in applications to Exeter is down to the increasing entry requirements to study here”

Jonnie Beddall, Guild President

3

Exeposé Week Eighteen

Uni contact hours decrease despite tuition fee increase Hannah Sweet Senior Reporter

AN NUS survey has revealed that university teaching hours are decreasing despite increasing tuition fees. Contact time is even less now than it was just a year ago.

Across all universities and courses, contact hours decreased from an average of 14 a week in 2009 to 13.4 in 2010. In 2008 the average teaching time was 15 hours per week.

The decline is particularly notable for the higher-ranking, more research intensive Russell Group universities. At these institutions tuition and teaching hours dropped from an average of 15.6 hours a week to 14.7.

Medicine and engineering students appear to be worst affected, with average

weekly contact time in 2010 two to three hours less than in 2009.

Contact hours already vary dramatically between courses and years of study.

Arts degrees tend to have far fewer face-toface hours than science courses.

“These results indicate a significant step backwards in terms of students’ learning experience at university” Aaron Porter, NUS President

Bertie Archer, VP Academic Affairs, said, “The University is committed to providing a minimum of 10 hours per week

(on average) for all first years, 15 in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.”

He added, “This is indicative of a degree based in independent study - the most important questions are: is this enough contact? Should this be extended to all taught students (second and third years and taught masters)? Is the contact of a high quality?

How much support is given for independent study? How many more hours of contact are possible through online learning or office hours? I am lobbying the University to get the best possible answers on all these questions.”

With the cap lifted on tuition fees, students are even more concerned about getting value for money when it comes to their degree.

Tom Nicoll, second year English student, said, “How can we claim to be one of the most forward thinking, developed countries in the world when we’re paying so much for so little?”

Aaron Porter, NUS President, said, “These results indicate a significant step backwards in terms of students’ learning experience at university, particularly for those in their first year.”

He added, “The massive cuts to university funding might tempt universities to

further cut contact time and staff-to-student ratios but they must not let these standards decline any further.”

Commentary Ellie Busby News Editor As a second year English student I often question whether six hours a week for two terms and no hours at all in third term is really worth £3,290 a year.

In second term of third year contact time decreases to only three hours, which I think is ridiculous. If contact hours are going to continue to decrease, how will they justify asking students to spend up to £9,000 a year as well as an extra £200 or more for the books and photocopying needed for the course?

It does not seem fair that a Physics student has up to 36 hours a week and still pays the same as a Humanities student.

I understand that we need more time for independent study, but often the extra time is spent reading the books which are not at all funded by the university.

News

Exeter drops 7 places in league table

EXETER UNIVERSITY has dropped seven places in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey league table.

Exeter came 18th in the newly published survey – down from 11th the previous year.

Rachel Bayne, second year student, commented, “People applied to Exeter for beautiful greenery, which has now been destroyed.”

The annual poll asked more than 13,000 undergraduates to rate their university on 21 different factors, from quality of teaching to social life.

Ann Mroz, Editor of Times Higher Education, said, “Our annual survey is well established as a benchmark of the student experience at each university.”

Loughborough topped the poll for the fifth year in a row, followed by Sheffield and the University of East Anglia. The universities in the top 10 remain the same, although the positions have shifted.

Records broken at 2011 Guild Sabbatical elections Continued from page 1 Bertie Archer, incumbent VP Academic Affairs, said, “Exeter has a proud history of student engagement and this year we beat our own record.

Our voting turnout of 38.3% represents 6,491 students, a new national record and our students have put the Guild into a strong position for next year.”

Many candidates spoke of their

enjoyment of the campaigning process.

James Fox, VP-elect Participation and Campuses, said, “I had a great week, it was so much fun canvassing with all the other candidates. It was so tiring

but definitely worth it.”

Amelia Doughty, campaign manager for Emma Payne, said, “There was a great atmosphere on campus amongst campaigners, and the thought

of our team winning kept me going during the coldest and rainiest moments.”

The new team will take office on August 1 of this year.

Your Guild and AU Sabbatical Officers for 2011/12

Guild President

AU President

VP Academic Affairs

VP Participation & Campuses

VP Welfare & Community

Nick ‘Badger’ Davis

Beth Hampson

James Eales

James Fox

Emma Payne

What he promises to do for you:

What she promises to do for you:

What he promises to do for you:

What he promises to do for you:

What she promises to do for you:

Lobby the University to influence its decisions over tuition fees; strengthen Exelets; create an accommodation database; introduce a ‘Lemon Card’ loyalty system for Guild outlets.

Initiate more varsity matches for AU clubs; organise more charity events, channeling money back into the AU; extend intra-mural by creating end of season tournaments; and increase publicity of AU clubs.

Create an online bookshop so that students can buy and sell second hand texts; reduce the number of core modules for second and third years; extend ‘sport and society’ Wednesdays to everyone.

Make societies more accessible and safeguard their interests; ensure opportunities to volunteer are open to everyone; promote the use of Guild facilities; and improve the Guild presence of St. Lukes.

Make City residents more receptive to students; lobby the Council to collect bins every week; bring in a Welfare Week to highlight the support on offer to students; and assess the housing issue.

4

February 21 2011

News

Campus celebrates Chinese New Year Charlie Marchant News Editor CHINESE New Year celebrations took place on Saturday February 5 at Exeter University’s Business School.

A Chinese dragon parade opened the festivities, which were organized by the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA).

The festivities welcomed in the Year of the Rabbit and marked the completion of the University’s new Business School, which embodies £18 million of the £25 million investment towards improving facilities for the school.

Around 2,000 Exeter residents and university students attended, which was the most ever to attend the free annual event.

The event included a Chinese market, sampling traditional Chinese dumplings and other foods, as well as dance, drama and music performances. The celebrations ended with a bang, as fireworks were set off at 6pm.

Yuting Bai, CSSA President, commented, “We hoped this event would provide a taste of home for the Chinese students but, more importantly, enable us

Exeposé Photo: Henry White

to share our culture and traditions with others in the University and the residents of Exeter.”

Richard Lamming, Dean of the Business School, concluded, “We are delighted to have been able to mark the completion of our splendid new building with an event that reflects our international outlook and the diversity that we enjoy in the School.”

“The spirit of the event was most impressive - everyone seemed so happy! I will definitely come again next year” Exeter resident

One Exeter resident at the event commented, “The spirit of the event was most impressive - everyone seems so happy! I will definitely come again next year.”

A teacher added, “It was so lively and full of variety. As a teacher it’s great to have such a good insight into other cultures.”

Chinese New Year celebrations at the University open with a dragon parade at the new Business school.

One EDL spokesman stated: “It’s a seventh century barbaric religion that needs bringing into the 21st century.”

Police separated the protestors on separate sides of the High Street when EDL members antagonised the Diversity Event. A large crowd promoting

multiculturalism formed at the entrance to Princesshay on Bedford Street, with people holding banners saying “AntiNazi League” and “Stop Racist Attacks.” In amongst the crowd people were poster-making and drawing the flags of the world.

Clash across Exeter High Street over Burka Naomi Davies SATURDAY February 12 saw dual protests on Exeter High Street when the English Defence League protested in favour of a ban on burkas.

Around 11am, several members of the Exeter Division of the far-right movement attempted to march through Princesshay whilst an anti-demonstration Diversity Event took place in nearby Bedford Square.

Dressed in hoodies and tracksuits and waving St George’s Cross flags, with the same flags covering their mouths, they chanted “EDL!” at the opposing demonstration. Several members of the public questioned the EDL protesters and their motives, shouting “Go home, there’s no platform for fascism in Exeter!”

Sarah Briggs, an Exeter student, remarked “The EDL didn’t do themselves any favours in getting their message across.”

Leaflets distributed by EDL members stated: “We deem face coverings to be a major security risk to the British public!” The group claims to be a human rights organisation, protesting against extremist elements of Islam and the barbarity that it brings, including the denigration and oppression of women.

Several men in balaclavas came to support the EDL but an EDL spokesman claimed that they were not officially part of the protest.

Sascha Klement, English PhD student, said, “It is embarrassing for them.

Just ten EDL members shows how ri-

Over 200 Diversity Event protestors gather in Bedford square to oppose the EDL’s protest over burka wearing in Britain.

diculous they are! The Diversity Protest has over 200 people and it’s a clear message.”

See Features pages 10-11 for more coverage.

Photo: Henry White

5

Exeposé Week eightEEN

Recycle! The possibilities are endless…

Photo: Hannah Walker

Ben Tyson

EXETER UNIVERSITY has announced the launch of a new recycling programme, supported by CocaCola Enterprises.

The scheme plans to establish 200 new recycling points on campus, providing points to dispose of paper, card, cans and bottles across the University’s Exeter campuses.

A recent survey carried out by CCE has shown a need for more onthe-go recycling schemes, particularly amongst students across the UK. In fact, whilst 74 per cent of students said they would recycle more often if facilities were available in their area, over nine in ten students say it is more important for recycling facilities to be available in public spaces.

“Even hundreds of new recycling points across Exeter are unlikely to cause the waste revolution being idealised” Martin Fisher, Exeter student

To coincide with the launch of the scheme, the University has provided recycling guides to all the staff and students as part of their effort to fulfil their pledge of increasing the amount of waste it recycles and composts by 45 per cent by the end of 2015.

Chris Hardy, VP Welfare and

ANIMATED Exeter, the annual festival, once again is providing the city with a gateway into the world of animation.

The two-week free festival runs from February 14 – 26 and received funding of £38, 500 from the Arts Council England.

The first Animated Exeter took place over a decade ago in 1999, and has since been growing with help from the local council. Turnout figures have increased from only 400 attendees at the first event to 15,000 people attending the 2010 iteration.

The turnout figures confirm that Animated Exeter is now the premier animation festival in the South West.

The event is produced by internationally acclaimed London artists Tundra*, who produced the centrepiece to this year’s festival.

This centrepiece is an audio-visual celebration of Exeter entitled Isca Obscura (meaning secret or hidden Exeter).

Occuring across the weekend of February 17-19, the projection stretched 80x30 metres across the Cathedral’s north aspect.

The animation used various techniques such as shadow-theatre, paper

National Student News Porter’s Memo

Does this cone go in with the plastic or just general waste?

Community, welcomed the new scheme, saying, “Recycling is something that has become increasingly important for students this year, especially given the fact that refuse collections are now fortnightly as opposed to weekly. It isn’t difficult to do, and the new scheme will make it even easier.”

However, Martin Fisher, a current student, remains slightly more cautious of the potential for the scheme’s success, saying, “On-campus recycling should be less of a priority, given that the majority of our waste is produced at home. Even the hundreds of new recycling points across Exeter are unlikely to cause the waste revo-

lution being idealized.”

With the support of CCE and the Guild, and once the Forum Project building works are complete, it is hoped that the scheme will have a big impact on how we dispose of our waste on campus, and will raise awareness of recycling schemes in general.

Exeter gets animated Green Soc go greener Paul Williams

News

Photo: Animated Exeter

St Peter’s is lit-up for the festival.

cut-outs and CGI. The projection incorporated elements of the city’s history, from the Vikings to the Second World War bombers.

Phil Gibby, Arts Council England’s South West Director, said, “Animated Exeter encourages new audiences to experience digital arts and is an important event for the creative economy of Exeter and further afield.”

Emerald Maxwell FROM February 7 to February 12, Exeter University Green Society organised a range of activities as part of the national student initiative ‘Go Green Week.’

The annual scheme raises awareness of simple and achievable changes that can be made to reduce our carbon footprint. At present 82 per cent of students recycle weekly at home, slightly below the national average, but recent studies show many would like to see a bigger push on recycling in public.

The week began with a free cinema night in exchange for bringing along a tin can to recycle. This was followed by other successful events such as a ‘Bookcycle’ at Devonshire House and an ethical activities fair which played host to many organisations, such as Unicycle and Devon Wildlife Trust.

The week was rounded off with the popular Exeter Campus Walk, exploring some of the last untouched green spaces on campus and highlighting what is being done to save it.

Exeter’s own Dr Stewart Barr also gave a talk on easy ways to be green.

Charley Mason, an Exeter student, said, “Go Green Week 2011 has brought to-

gether people from all over the university. Students and staff alike have come together and have seen that we can bring about change and ensure that our future is both low-carbon and sustainable.”

“Go Green Week 2011 was a

great success. As the focus of Green Soc’s activities for the year we were delighted to

see so many students getting involved”

Michael Willmott, Green Soc President Michael Willmott, Green Society President, said, “Go Green Week 2011 was a great success. As the focus of Green Soc’s activities for the year we were delighted to see so many students getting involved who might not usually take part in environmental activities on campus.”

The University has since shown its commitment to the cause by launching a new Recycle Zone scheme with CocaCola Enterprises, which will see many more recycling points placed around campus.

A PRIVATE NUS memo advised elected student officers not to campaign against universities raising their tuition fees.

The memo was particularly aimed at the higher-ranking Russell Group and 1994 Group of smaller research universities, who are more likely to set their fees to the maximum £9,000 per year.

The memo reads, “Simply campaigning for a low fee might not generate the results you require (especially inside the Russell and 1994 group).”

The Times newspaper received the memo from Jamie Brown, a second year Exeter student. He said, “The most disappointing thing is that the NUS is not being honest.” However, the memo is also freely available to access on the website of NUS Services Ltd. The NUS has now claimed that the Government’s higher education forms are “progressive” and that their campaign officers should hold talks with their universities instead.

Aaron Porter, NUS President, stated that the loan repayments system is “a small progressive element within a deeply regressive package.”

This is mirrored in the memo, which reads: “The vastly increased number of graduates that will never pay the loan off are, in fact, what makes the systems relatively progressive.”

Porter has been criticised since condemning the Millbank centre violence at the London fees protest in November 2010. He now faces a tough challenge for re-election at the NUS annual conference in April.

Imperial sets £9k IMPERIAL College London is the first university to announce a rise to the maximum tuition fee.

Imperial plans to implement this change for all subjects, starting in 2012.

As a result, Imperial will now have to provide details of support for poorer students to the Office for Fair Access.

Cambridge University has also proposed a rise in fees to £9,000, but no definite decision has been made.

A second year English student at Exeter University, commented, “Imperial has only made this quick decision over fees in an attempt to gazump Oxbridge and assert their position as one of the UK’s leading universities. It is nothing but ego-exertion.”

She added, “Exeter University is yet to make this decision because of its self-presentation as a middle ground between more affluent private school students and less well-off public school students.”

Universities will be submitting their fees plans in the coming weeks, with the final outcome expected in the summer.

Widen Your Options is for you…

Monday 28 February – Friday 18 March 2011 Attend sector specific presentations Participate in question and answer panels

OPE TO A N

LL STU DEN TS

Network with the professionals Enhance your employability Don’t forget to look out for events being organised by your College!

Selected events will be video conferenced between the Cornwall and Exeter campuses.

For more information visit www.exeter.ac.uk/employability/widenyouroptions

www.exeter.ac.uk/employability

Intelligence Officers £24,750 + benefits UK based Analysing information. Spotting connections. Making decisions that really matter. This is what MI5’s dedicated and focused Intelligence Officers do every day. Working together, we help safeguard the security of the nation. This is challenging and vitally important work that demands strong communication, analytical and organisational skills – not to mention a good deal of patience and attention to detail. If you enjoy solving problems, becoming an Intelligence Officer is one of the most rewarding and interesting career paths you could choose. Make sense of it at www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/intelligence To apply you must be over 18 and a British citizen. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

7

Exeposé Week eighteen

Comment Tristan Barclay & Andrew Waller - editors@exepose.com

Exeposé

The Exeter Student Newspaper

Sabbs, fees and the NUS memo The successive national records for turnout at Exeter’s sabbatical elections show that more and more people are caring about democracy on campus each year. For us, 2010/11 certainly has been an academic year filled with controversy over higher education, both in Exeter and nationally. What with the Forum Project, housing issues and tuition fees, there was plenty for candidates to think about during the elections and plenty more for Sabbs to do next year. More than ever, Exeter students need strong representation to the University as they face paying more for their educations.

So does 38 per cent give our next Sabbs a credible mandate? Relatively speaking, it would appear that it does.

An increase of 2 per cent on 2010’s figure is nothing to be scoffed at, particularly when one considers that we held the previous record. However, with so much at stake in higher education, why isn’t 100 per cent of the student population voting?

Apathy is always a factor, but there are more concrete reasons that people have for not voting. For instance, a conscious rejection of the Sabbatical system must motivate some. Tuition fees are rising and builders are still peering through students’ windows, yet the Exeter student body is seemingly helpless.

Our University has just been named in the top 100 fastest growing businesses

in the EU: why should the management care about these issues when it’s getting such good press? Students would be forgiven for questioning the real power that their representatives wield in the face of such big business as the University pushes ahead with its rampant expansion policy.

The same is true of student voices nationwide. Imperial College London has just announced fees of £9,000 a year for 2012. Don’t be surprised when every other university does the same; those that didn’t put fees up last time round soon regretted it. Despite the fee issue being something that seems so obviously bad for students, the NUS has found itself in a real mess on the subject, particularly after The Times revealed the student body’s memo that flagged as progressive some of the elements of the Coalition’s policy. Appeasement often gets a bad press and, while Exeposé still opposes the cuts to HE funding, we have to make sure our opinions are taken seriously – negotiation is one way to do this.

So, whilst it is true that if you don’t vote the Ram will still be there next year and your society will still be able to host the odd social, it is for the reason of representation that a record turnout for the Guild’s Sabbatical elections is important. And it is also why 38 per cent isn’t enough.

Over the past year, you will have read numerous tales of misery from Exeter students roundly fed up with such ills as building works, tuition fees and the prospect of unemployment in life after education. Amidst the cranes and scaffolding, however, there is much to brighten the mood on Exeter campuses. In particular,

Exeposé feels all those involved in the University’s Arts scene deserve great praise. Societies such as Footlights and EUTCo have put on fantastically wellattended shows this term and should be congratulated for bringing light relief and vibrant culture to Exeter’s rather grey mood.

Arts are alive on campus

Thanks to all those who helped proof this issue:

Tom Payne, Hannah Thompson, Sapphire Mason-Brown, Zoe Bulaitis, James de Souza, James Crouch, Maddie Soper, Cyan Turan, Jessica Leung, Hannah Walker, Fiona Lally, Sophie Duncan, Matt Palutikof, Sammy Brook, Alex Hawksworth-Brookes, Hannah Brewer, Esther Privett, Rebecca Lodder, Emily Leysham, Luke Graham, Katie Thompson, Adam Koziol, Harry Coombe, Emerald Maxwell, James Dean, Devika Pandit, Kate Gray, Mia Nashe & the Exeposé editorial team

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Pressures of the campaign Nick Davis Guild Presidentelect

In my brief time on this earth I have experienced a fair few things; I have worked ten hour shifts of back breaking manual labour and I have taken a 26 hour sleepless journey crushed into the back of a mini-van. I have worked 70 hour weeks in London’s Soho district (nothing seedy) running on nothing but Pro Plus and coffee but I can honestly say that none of this could have prepared me for the Sabbatical elections week. Like many students I indulge in

the occasional lie-in, so awaking on the Friday morning at 7.30 am after a particularly exuberant Thursday Arena had me wondering if I knew what I had really signed up for. On arriving at the first morning meeting and feeling the buzz emitted by my fellow candidates, all niggling doubts and feelings of selfpity (the hangover was kicking in) were abolished, a desire to win ran through myself and every other person in that room.

The early mornings coupled with the late nights out dancing when all you really want is to be curled up in bed with a cup of tea, as well as the emotional turmoil you feel everyday, really do take it out of you. I can say in all confidence that I had never before felt

my mood change so many times in the space of an hour, the feeling of sheer ecstasy from clinching a vote changing to absolute despair as three students in a row avoid your eye. So would I do it again? Of course I would, because I, like all of my fellow candidates, love this university and would do anything to be part of it for just a little longer.

As for the year that stands ahead of me, I am ready to approach it, alongside my superb team, with excitement, trepidation and cautious optimism. This is a fantastic university with a worldclass Guild and I am proud to be part of it. Congratulations to everyone who took part and finally thank you to my campaign manager Will Davies - you are a hero.

an entire team dedicated to maintaining something that should essentially be so simple. I know of several people who have failed tests, missed lectures and been unable to complete assignments because of these failings and as such it should not be tolerated.

The issue is wider than just MyExeter. Last year in halls we had weeks of internet downtime to which your department responded with a complete lack of urgency. Exeter made it onto the front of American technology blogs for all the wrong reasons. Resnet was frankly a joke.

There is still no unified wi-fi on campus, something that colleges and universities with much smaller budgets manage to achieve.

It is not just the students who have become completely disaffected, frustrated and infuriated with this university’s computer systems. Staff - admin and academic alike - have to struggle with complex

software and unreliable services. Every student has been in a lecture which starts late because the academic cannot login or the computers aren’t working.

I understand and empathise that there will at times be problems and that 100 per cent uptime cannot be guaranteed. However the frequency of errors, the lack of mobile access, the amount of downtime and the lack of consistency makes stressful jobs and degrees near on impossible.

To give credit where credit is due your decision to move from webCT (blackboard) to the new ELE (moodle) was bold and should be applauded. Though still having problems it has improved Exeter’s online experience. This is though simply too little too late and things have to change.

We as students must pass the year to continue onto the next. You need to either up your game, take more bold moves, simplify the system and provide a better service or frankly you need to go.

Thursday 24 12pm: Xpression OB 2pm: How to Live Feed with XTV 3pm: XMO present Careers in the Media with Jo Wood and Andrew Howard from Express and Echo

Saturday 26 9pm: Media Lemmy

Friday 25 11am: How to turn TV ideas into TV reality 2pm: Xpression presents ‘The Event’ 8pm: XTV Comedy Night

Monday 28 All day: Visit from Matthew Sydney

An open letter to Exeter’s IT Department Luke Appleton Founder, myexeter isdown.com On Tuesday February 15, myexeterisdown.com received over 7,000 hits from 4,000 visitors because the MyExeter portal was ‘unavailable’. The students of this university have been forced into a dependency on computers relying on electronic timetables, email, library and even online assessments. Whilst MyExeter was down I was still able to access my timetable, my email, the library and almost every other service MyExeter links to. The fact that something which should be so simple to implement goes offline, fails and crashes so often is completely unacceptable. It is almost as appalling as finding out that there is

Media Week 2011: February 21 - 28

Monday 21: 1pm: XTV Golden Bodge 3pm: Photography Workshop 5pm: XMO Workshop/ Q&A Session Tuesday 22: 11am: Panel of Sports Journalists including; Alan Richardson (BBC Radio Devon Sport), Dave Gibbons (Spotlight Sports) and Exeter Chiefs.

1pm: Unisportonline Q&A (JCR) Wednesday 23: 1pm: Match Reporting

Sunday 27 8pm: Xpression Music Open Mic Night

For more info, see xmedia.ex.ac.uk

8

February 21 2011 Exeposé

Comment

The Sabbatical elections 2011: your views Caroline Cant

Every year I dread and long for the Sabbatical elections in equal measure. It is both a gripping week of P.R stunts, and also, a week of keeping your head down and shuffling through campus to avoid being bombarded by an overly cheerful campaigner in a homemade t-shirt…usually garish, with a slogan that makes you cringe for them. This year although there were a record number of candidates, there was also a minimum amount of space for them to campaign due to the Forum Project, and so, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you certainly can’t have missed the proceedings.

A record number of candidates, how fantastic that such a large amount of people wanted to give back to their university by choosing to give a year

to working for their student body. Is that really what some of the candidates were about though? Some candidates had fantastic campaigns, with clever slogans and faultless manifestos; their passion for Exeter could not be denied. Then there were the others, whose campaigns seemed to revolve about how much of a “lad” they were and how much they could drink, with vague promises and no answers to my questions. Sadly, this year the recession hit the guild. With only 1 job for 70 graduates, it seemed a large number of candidates were just there to put off facing the employment struggle.

That is not what I want in my Sabb team. This year’s Sabbs have worked so hard for us in a back-breaking year of building work and funding cuts, our Sabbs have to care about the issues pertinent to Exeter’s students; to make us care about the maintenance of our University and university experience. Despite there being such a huge number of candidates, some realistic, others idealistic, by the end of the week those candidates with real pas-

sion and commitment were definitely taking the lead. You don’t need girls in bikinis in freezing cold weather to secure success; all you need is commitment and a true belief that Exeter deserves the best.

The best have certainly come forward this year, throughout the week there were certain candidates who really shone, constantly happy and enthusiastic, despite being on campus from 8.30am til 6pm everyday, and not deterred by the refrain of every student just attempting to get to class, “I’ve already voted.”

My warmest congratulations go out to the new Sabb team, my heartiest condolences to those who fell by the wayside. A nod of appreciation must also go to their campaign managers; those noble souls who were there at every turn, on campus everyday but whom we will not actually see on the Sabb team. This year’s Sabbs will face even more funding cuts, but with their strong views and passionate commitment to the University, the future’s looking bright for Exeter.

glad for it all to be over.

I don’t think that I’m alone in feeling that the recent elections don’t really matter: many people I’ve talked to have been rather flippant about their voting behaviour. Manifestos are often left unread and unconsidered, with people instead choosing to vote for people they know (even in the loosest way, e.g. ‘that guy I spoke to once in Fresher’s week two years ago’). Even more arbitrary is the often cited method of choosing based on the candidate’s name or picture alone – a process I myself was partially guilty of.

For me, what the above statements show is that a lot of people aren’t really concerned about who is elected or what they stand for. Maybe a lot of people don’t believe that anything will really change, regardless of who

is elected. Personally, I feel that, since last year’s elections, there has been drastically more continuity than change – a pattern that I suspect will continue. My main reason for not taking a greater interest in the election is not because I don’t care about student issues – if anything, now is a better time than ever to take an active role in the future of this country’s higher education – but because I didn’t feel that the outcome would matter. In the rush to break through the wall of campaigners, the real issues of the election, such as student welfare, university funding and better value education, were lost. This, I believe, is why for many people, myself included, the incessant campaigning makes election week something to endure and survive, rather than something to engage in and benefit from.

into securing the votes of the student population. Whilst it may seem that it should be those who enjoy the end of a hard campaign, it seems that in fact it is the student population, those who were not involved with the process, that can truly enjoy a return to normality.

One of the key elements of the election campaign was the prominence of canvassers around the busiest locations of campus; outside the Peter

Chalk and around the Lemmy, and it was these canvassers that seemed to have a more detrimental effect on me as a voting student. Current Guild President, Jonnie Beddall, stated in the last issue that “If you don’t want to talk to canvassers whilst rushing to a seminar, keep your phone close and your headphones even closer,” seemingly extreme measures just to move around campus. It seemed, however,

More of the status quo Alex HawksworthBrookes At the end of election week I breathed a deep sigh of relief; no longer would I have to endure constant offers of sweets, biscuits and flyers on the way to lectures or tell the default lie of ‘thanks, I’ve already voted’. In between the havoc of dodging campaigners and trying to get to lectures uninterrupted, the purpose and potential of the elections seemed somewhat lost.

The policies of the candidates were drowned out by a sea of discarded leaflets – rather than seeing the elections as an empowering opportunity to engage in student issues, I was just

Canvassing or harassment?

Josh Wright

Friday February 11 brought about the end of the Guild elections process. Huge numbers of students put in hours and hours of time and effort

Damian Jeffries Firstly, I would like to wish the newly elected Sabbatical team every success in their endeavours next year.

Election week was eventful, adding colour and noise to campus; what with large banners, home made t-shirts, flyers, posters and people shouting off rocks! It did however leave campaigners exhausted and students trying to escape being ambushed.

“Election week was eventful, adding colour and noise to campus” Then came results night. Inevitably, 80 per cent of people attending would leave disappointed, with the demographic mainly consisting of the 39 candidates and their supporters. What

the Guild describes as the Alternative Vote Top-up (AV) system, certainly brought tension as candidates were eliminated round by round and their secondary votes redistributed, none more so than the presidential elections. The real question here however, and incidentally a question which is currently being debated at a national level, is whether the AV system is best. Those in favour would argue that it is a fairer system and discourages tactical voting. This may be true if we consider marginal parties gaining more seats in Parliament. I can’t help feel however, that in the context of a candidate based student election, that I, and those who voted for me, have been robbed. It seems that the first choice candidate in this election has not been elected, rather the least disliked candidate has. The system encourages, in the university arena, cliques and tactical voting. Churchill once described AV as “the most worthless votes, for the most worthless candidate”, and the 2011 Guild Presidential Elections aptly demonstrate the failures of AV.

My vote counted

A campaigner who was half-naked, covered in paint, and preaching outside Peter Chalk. A campaigner dressed as an aeroplane. Campaigners handing out sweets, cupcakes, even condoms. These are just a few images that made an impression on me in the run up to this year’s Sabbatical elections. As a first year, the flurry of pre-election activity on campus seemed to spring up out of nowhere.

Suddenly, the daily walk to lectures involved the excitement of freebies, live bands, and a bustle of colour and noise.

Admittedly, though, being bombarded by a hoard of determined campaigners was less enjoyable when you were running late for lectures and still at the bottom of Cardiac Hill. Regarding myself as somebody who is fairly politically aware, and with the knowledge that Exeter always

ranks highly in the turnout for student elections, I was determined to vote.

However, in honesty, the canvassing on campus didn’t inform my decision. It was all just a bit of a blur. More helpful were the online manifestos and the breakdown provided in the last issue of Exeposé.

Some of the selling points, for me, were the promise of updating the Lemmy, making the Forum Project work for students, and sorting out the housing-rush.

Unfairly, the quality of the campaigner’s pictures also seemed to hold an element of sway. If you were out of focus, I just couldn’t envisage you as a new member of the Student’s Guild. When it came to it, I voted with only an hour to spare, but I credit myself with being suitably informed. Only one candidate received my vote purely based on the power of their food-based freebies to win me over.

When results came out, I was surprised that what seemed like quite a low turnout (38.3 per cent) set a new national record.

Happily, though, quite a few of those I voted for did get in, so I do feel my vote counted.

that measures such as these could not prevent the increasingly militant nature of campaigners. Despite taking what can only be described as precautions to prevent being hassled and canvassed, it was inevitable that a trip to campus would involve some form of stamping, a folder full of fliers and annoying, tacky marketing campaigns by the candidates.

Following my first experience of

guild and AU elections I have been pretty disillusioned with the whole procedure. Whilst it is clear the role that these are vital for our student experience, the methods by which candidates canvass votes is painful. I for one am not looking forward to next year’s campaign, unless those aiming for these positions can understand the phrase “I have voted” and perhaps approach the process in a more tactful manner.

Jo Clifford

9

Exeposé Week Eighteen

Comment

The Postgrad Survey, with a hint of sarcasm Gary McLachlan PGU President Reading survey results is often boring; collating responses and attempting to get a sense of the understanding of your questions that people have had in order to give answers that you might not have expected, gives an insight into why every survey these days has a fivepoint ‘like/dislike’ checkbox system

rather than asking for written responses.

Having said that however, I do enjoy directed and spiteful sarcasm as much as the next man, and it did indeed lift my spirits somewhat as I progressed through an analysis of the data from the PGU Survey 2011 – the full report is available elsewhere, since I do not feel the need to articulate an opinion on it here I shall instead turn to some of the individual answers that require a response.

For example, to those who feel that the PGU, Guild and any liaison body is nothing but a waste of time

and a talking shop – thank you for that particular insight. However, I would feel compelled to answer that criticism of inaction with a call for an example of a specific act that you have undertaken which is of worth to anyone but yourself? I’m taking these results seriously, and so will the Guild and the University – this is the broadest response available in evidence for several campaign points, fulfils my manifesto pledge to show leadership and communicate with students and gives everyone involved leverage in strategic planning. Nearly a quarter of all postgraduate students are

cynical about it, obviously no one likes walking past metre after metre of grey chicken wire that surrounds the Great Hall and certainly no one enjoys having their lie-in cut short. Nor do people like being watched by middle aged builders as they get dressed in the morning.

But there is a reason for all of this, the University (although you may find this hard to believe) isn’t doing this just to annoy us. I promise that I am not being paid to sweeten the rotten pill of disruption, but the £265 million redevelopment will enhance all of our Exeter experiences. It will drive Exeter up the league tables and only improve the already fantastic academic and social experience of every student. Exeter currently lies at 14th in The Guardian University Guide, we are slightly higher in The Times Good University Guide and ranked well within the top 300 universities in the world. This mass redevelopment comes as a comfort then; the University is not happy to stay at

14, it is keen to chase the likes of Warwick, UCL and dare I say the Oxbridge twins. The new facilities will provide a Great Hall fit for a royal banquet, an array of International Centres fit for a UN Summit and learning facilities to rival Harvard (maybe not quite, but still close). The University is clearly headed toward further academic excellence.

If we want to climb the table and have potential employers queuing up for our skills when we leave, Exeter needs to attract the best staff, the best students essentially the best minds from across the world. These new developments and state of the art facilities will ensure that the only place Exeter is headed is absolute first class success. So when you’re woken up at 7.40am on a cold February morning or having to wait for a JCB before you cross the road outside the library, just think: I am part of a movement that will benefit me, and that movement will result in my success.

Exeter Uni: a mini Dubai Matt Palutikof

Today the campus skyline oddly mimics the skyline of Dubai on a slightly smaller scale. By this I don’t mean our own Physics Building matches the height or grandness of the Burj Khalifa. Instead, the cranes and construction work we see every day gives the place a sort of Middle Eastern ‘transformation process’ feeling to match that of Dubai and other developing cities in the Gulf.

The building work has affected us all. Whether this means having to walk through a small rainforest to get from the Peter Chalk Centre to the Amory Building, or being woken up by the clatter of a jackhammer we have all suffered. And it’s easy to be

Letters to the Editors - Send your letters to letters@exepose.com In response to: Lafrowda to Birks. A smart move?

Exeposé I write to say in response to Amy Dickett’s comments in Exeposé Week 16 on the state of Lafrowda, to say her comments do not represent many other ‘Lafrowdians’ views.

I live in Lafrowda block Q and the vast majority of Q and R have decided against the move to Birks. Actually, my flat continues to be a very exciting ‘ghost-flat’. Her comments that Lafrowda residents are excited to ‘climb the social ladder’ were also interesting.

We decided not to move to Birks Grange Village as it’s not that much better than Lafrowda. Despite improvements in having sofas and en-suites, the accommodation is miles from campus, the rooms are the same size and there are building works there as well. The Lafrowda spirit was not the only consideration in our decision.

However, we agree with Amy that

Exeter’s ‘leak’ to The Times

Times as a critic of the NUS’ inconsistencies, came across a public NUS document which highlighted some important information. The memo, which was available on the NUS website, showed that the NUS is in a difficult position. It also rightly pointed to the inconsistencies in the NUS’ public and private statements.

It is a great thing Jamie has highlighted these inconsistencies and I wish the NUS would be simply more upfront.

We should celebrate the fact that an Exeter student has encouraged the NUS to make clear its position on fees. If the NUS really believes that the new system is progressive, why doesn’t it say so, and try and work with the students and Government to help people understand this?

Jack Deane

Exeposé I am writing concerning the article on the NUS, student fees, and, ever so briefly, Exeter University, that appeared in The Times on Thursday February 17.

Jamie Brown, who was quoted in The

Exeposé I find myself somewhat surprised by the recent memo from the NUS. Over the last few months, hundreds of Exeter students, and thousands from across the country, have taken part in mass demonstrations

the building works here are certainly worse than they informed us. We are now surrounded by the works; every window of the flat has builders working, noisily, within a 10 metre distance. She also makes the point that the issue has been divisive. A number of my friends still moved to Birks and there was much stress and heated arguments in the move.

Furthermore, some people were unable to move due to physical conditions.

So I’m glad I haven’t moved to Birks Grange Village, but would still like to vent shared anger at UPP. However, Amy doesn’t represent everyone’s views on all issues here.

Alex Louch

unhappy in some way with space provision on Streatham – and this evidenced proof of that gives us a platform from which to not just campaign for change, but to demand it.

We’ve also seen why so many postgraduates feel left out – there’s direct evidence here to inform how and when you are contacted by the Guild and the University, and what messages will actually reach you rather than being buried in a deluge of non-specific emails. If no-one listens then we’ll have a reason to say “told you so” if things don’t improve; that is both directed ac-

tion and a corrective mechanism.

In the main, and despite some battles against wit over the specific requirements that were set out in the instructions, the survey was a success; and to everyone who took part – thank you.

Oh, and a final thank you goes to the research student who didn’t have any expectations, doesn’t like social events and thought that the survey sucked – your input is valued and I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful fulfilling life; especially since you don’t appear to know what the word “accommodation” means. Now that’s sarcasm!

Time to tidy up Lizzie Annett

Walking up to campus from my house on Culverland Road last week I was shocked by the amount of rubbish littering the pavements.

Now, I don’t like getting up at 8.00 at the best of times but when this also involves dodging rotting bananas on the pavement, I wanted to get back into my bed and stay there. After narrowly avoiding ruining my shoes on the puddle of lumpy milk outside my doorstep I continued up Springfield Road where the problem was not much better.

Last week was recycling week, but the house next door to ours clearly had not realised and the stench coming from their rubbish bags was horrendous. Yet a couple of days later we received a visit from a student welfare volunteer informing us to take in the one recycling bin we against the proposals. The purpose of these rallies (supported and organised by the NUS) were to voice the disgust at the Government’s proposals to raise tuition fees. These rallies were the perfect indication of the way English students felt about these new measures. Throughout them we were guided by the voice of Aaron Porter and his team who stood as representatives of not one university but all.

However, on hearing of this memo calling the measures ‘progressive’ and suggesting that elected students should not actively campaign against their universities over the rise in fees, I am left bewildered as to what the NUS stands for. Having spent months actively campaigning, Arron Porter and his team have decided to lie down and accept the proposals.

While many at our university have suggested that the fact an Exeter student highlighted this memo to The Times has embarrassed the Guild, we ought to applaud his call for honesty within the NUS, and any anger should not be directed

had left outside. She informed us that we could have faced an £80 fine for leaving the wrong bin out. Seeing as for the last week I have been scraping rubbish off my shoes, I think the council owe me £80 for clothing repairs.

So what is happening to the city of Exeter? When first visiting as a year 13 student I remember very clearly being attracted to this university due to the lush green campus and the safe, lively city.

Yet now I find myself living in a street full of rubbish and a campus which is barely more than a building site.

With the rubbish, building work and a feeling of insecurity with the current burglaries around the Culverland area, I was beginning to feel like the students of Exeter were really living in the depths of the dustbins. Yet with kind volunteers looking out for our welfare and a significant increase in police presence my fundamental reasons for choosing this university still stand. If only the council would do weekly bin collections and starve those pesky sea-gulls of their breakfast I would be one happy student.

towards Jamie Brown but towards the NUS. Anthony Mangnall, NUS delegate Exeposé, I wanted to add my voice to the furore surrounding the ‘leaking’ of the NUS memo to The Times.

Firstly, to describe this event as a ‘leak’ is grossly inaccurate - anyone can access the memo, as it is publicly available on the NUS website. The fact that Jamie Brown has highlighted something to journalists that were either too busy or too lazy to look for is commendable.

Secondly, what has to be agreed is that the NUS has not been honest with students and the public. At very least it has been extremely hypocritical. To call the cuts hugely unfair and discriminatory, yet set out in a memo that the new fees scheme is in fact ‘relatively progressive’ is not honest. Either decide on a course of action, or stay impartial. Doing both helps no-one.

Joe James

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11

Exeposé week eighteen

Features Columba Achilleos-Sarll & Anna-Marie Linnell - features@exepose.com

Sleeping rough with the YMCA Laura Parkes experiences a night on the streets of Exeter.

AS some students donned skimpy outfits and prepared for a Saturday night at the Lemmy on January 29, my best friend and I did the opposite. We piled on comical layers of clothes and prepared for a night sleeping on the streets - all in the name of charity.

Around 40 of us turned up for the Exeter YMCA ‘Sleep Easy’ event, clutching our sleeping bags, blissfully unaware of how uncomfortable, cold and interrupted our night on the streets was about to be.

Things started well: from 8:30 pm onwards the YMCA laid on hot drinks and team-building exercises in the freezing cold conditions. Speeches were made by leading members of the charity, followed by a talk from three homeless people who are currently supported by them. These latter speeches were among the most harrowing aspects of the whole event. Each of the three young men had experienced very troubled pasts and found themselves on the streets of Exeter as victims of circumstance, far from the misguided belief that homeless people are in some way liable for their own misfortune. One of the men has now found a full-time job, the success of which he believes he owes to the help he received from Exeter YMCA. After the speeches we all settled down to sleep. Or at least, that was the idea: try

as I might, I couldn’t sleep at all. I had a mat and a sleeping bag, mittens, hat and scarf. Name any item of clothing and I was probably wearing at least three of it.

But all the layers were still no match for the icy cold. To put this aside, we also had to contend with the discomfort of sleeping on the ground. No matter which way I tossed or turned, it still felt like sleeping on a fabulous bed of upturned spades.

I fidgeted for a while and promised myself that I would never take a wonderful soft bed for granted again. Then a voice rang out: “WAKEY WAKEY!” I popped my head out of my - warmthless – cocoon to find a man jabbing his finger at me.

“I do this every night and I don’t have a sleeping bag!” he shouted. “I get pissed on and kicked! How would you like that?

WAKEY WAKEY!” This homeless man had taken the liberty to bring along some vinegar, and he splashed it on a middle-aged couple sleeping nearby to emulate being urinated on. He was swiftly moved away by Exeter YMCA’s security, but left us with a loud promise that he would be back at five.

And back he came, twice. By the third visit I didn’t even bother to look out of my sleeping bag when I heard “WAKEY WAKEY! Guess who? It’s me again!”

His appearance felt like something out of a low budget horror movie: but it was

the most striking eye-opener of the whole event. He was absolutely livid. For a man who sleeps rough on the streets every night, to see a bunch of do-gooders complain about the cold whilst wrapped in sleeping bags and munching custard creams felt like a slap in the face. And he had a point.

Here we were, people who have houses to go to and beds to sleep in at night, ‘sleeping rough’ for one night to raise money for the homeless. But we weren’t really sleeping rough. The YMCA was providing hot chocolate, tea and limitless biscuits all night. McDonalds was providing a free breakfast in the morning.

We had even been locked in to the Guildhall shopping area to supposedly make us safe for the night: safely locked away from the real homeless on the real streets. His voice was, for us, a literal wake up call to what other people have to face everyday – even if we didn’t quite experience it ourselves.

A YMCA official estimated that the charity had raised an impressive £7000 from the event. Hopefully this money will help the YMCA make a difference and give hope to people who are, as the homeless man screamed at us in the middle of the night, often ignored by members of society and even pissed on. Unfortunately, the budget of this vital charity is soon to be hit by government cuts: by at least 40 per cent.

Education gone soft?

As some universities introduce guidelines on which A-level subjects to take, Michaela Tye asks what this means for students.

MORE and more people each year are beating at the doors of universities all over the country in the hope of gaining a place – it has been estimated that 45% of young people now enter higher education.

Unfortunately, increasing numbers of these young people are being turned away.

In 2010, the number of students who did not receive a place at university was 14% compared to 6% in 2003.

Analysis carried out by an independent body suggests that many of these young people were poorly qualified. It is shocking that swathes of young people have been poorly advised by their pre-16 teachers and mentors, and steered away from more academic subjects in favour of more vocational subjects. In fact, research has found that just 15% of students receive good GCSE passes in traditional subjects such as English and Maths.

It has recently been revealed that Exeter University, as a university that is notoriously difficult to gain a place at, is

now required to publish a list of A-level subjects which it considers to be ‘soft’.

This is amidst claims that universities were dishonest when it came to admitting some students. Now, the Russell Group has published the Informed Choices guide, which lists ‘facilitating’ subjects such as Maths, English, Sciences and Humanities as more likely to be accepted than ‘specialist’ subjects such as Dance, Sports and Leisure Studies.

While the renaming of ‘soft’ subjects to ‘specialist’, and ‘hard’ to ‘facilitating’, is an obvious effort to reduce criticism for using elitist rhetoric, the guide does mean well. Its author Andy Gardner said “I just felt I had to do something about the fact that teenagers are given such misleading information about what subject choices to make”. The report attempts to make good on its promise not to mislead. It states that “it is extremely important that you are aware that for several university courses... vocational courses are not considered to be

Photo: Henry White

suitable”.

In September of last year, John Denham, the universities secretary, called the current system a “huge waste of talent” adding that there is a considerable “social bias” across higher education institutions.

Wendy Piatt, the Director General of the Russell Group also warned that a gulf was emerging between State and Private schools as Comprehensive schools opted for ‘soft’ subjects at both GCSE and A-Level in order to boost educational statistics.

The Russell Group’s guide shows an effort to become more transparent about what subjects higher level universities are likely to accept, in order to make students more aware. At one point, the guide asks students to question why they are not considering taking a traditional subject: “Are you trying to avoid a challenge?”

While some students on the Student Room forum have hit back at some of the choices for the “blacklist”, I can’t help but

think that this is something that we all knew already. One comment stated: “Universities favour traditional disciplines. Next up, bears filmed shitting in the woods.”

If you are reading this article now, it is most likely because you are a student at Exeter, to do this you had to get the right grades in the right A-Levels to achieve a place on your desired course – it’s not rocket science! Top universities should not be blamed for wanting to acquire the better qualified students.

While there are obvious problems with the number of students who are able to be admitted to university, it is a natural progression that the better universities will want the cream of the crop, and these are most likely to be those who took more traditional subjects. These new guidelines make it a much more real possibility for those who may otherwise have been pushed into easier subjects by their teachers. The real blame in this matter is not with the universities who choose to operate these restrictions, it lies instead with the schools and teachers who refuse to acknowledge them and who encourage their students to take easier subjects in order to boost their statistics, rather than looking out for the best interests of their pupils.

In reality, the Informed Choices guide simply makes public what many schools and career advisers have known for years about which subjects students should study at A-Level. Sir Peter Lampl, the chairman of the Sutton Trust, which campaigns for greater social mobility said of the guide: “subject choice during the sixth form years is one of the key decisions teenagers make in their lives...we welcome this guide”. David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities also commented that the guide provided a “welcome step towards levelling the playing field for prospective students”.

However, I do hope that the guide becomes more accessible to young people hoping to attend higher education. At present it is only available online, and it is not particularly well advertised.

The statistics given show that it is vital that, if not as a country, then at least as a university, we endeavour to reach out as far as we can to those students who do come from a deprived background, those who do attend a school which is more concerned about statistics than it is students welfare, and help in whatever way we can. The Informed Choices guide is certainly a step in the right direction.

12

February 21 2011

Features

English Defence League in Exeter

Max Norman takes to the High Street to watch the march and ask what this means for the EDL in Exeter.

PUNCH drunk on a heady cocktail of expectation, I went to city centre on last Saturday afternoon to see the English Defence League (EDL), whose Exeter Division had organised a ‘ban the burka’ demonstration. 140 of their members were expected. To counter their exhibition, a ‘celebration of diversity’ event had been organised to take place in Bedford Square (the one that Café Rouge is on), largely represented by Unite Against Fascism (UAF). Other reaction groups such as the Devon branch of the National Union of Teachers and Exeter Anti-Cuts Alliance were trooping their colours too.

The EDL is a recent phenomenon, taking seed from the ‘United People of Luton’, a group formed in 2009 following the protest of a specific Islamist group called Al-Muhajjroun against Royal Anglian Regiment troops returning from Afghanistan. Since then, the group has built on a platform against Islamic extremism.

Their leader, under alias Tommy Robinson, argues that Islam, in the presence of Western democracy, needs nothing short of a reformation, in order as the group advocates ‘to make it more relevant to the needs of the modern world...’ arguing that the Qu’ran should not be taken in its ‘original’ 7th century barbaric form.

They state there is a creeping Islamisation eroding English culture, which is based on an undemocratic and incompatible Sharia law. More broadly, they argue that Islam is a religious, political and social ideology that seeks to dominate all non-believers and impose a harsh legal system that rejects democratic accountability and human rights. What they want is for Islam and therefore all Muslims, to be prepared to change and adopt secular, liberal ideals and laws. They are a street protest group, and thus can potentially organise themselves in any urban area in the country. What is unique about the group is that anyone can join: whites, blacks, Hindus, Jews, gays and even Muslims.

So, with events in Egypt fresh in my mind, clutching a leaflet from Exeter Cathedral and a pen I borrowed from an unsuspecting shopper, I readied myself on High Street, waiting to document the exchange of words, spittle and flying fists that had been forecast. What would happen? Would we see blood? Would there be arrests? Would I be able to get the scoop I needed?

The anti-fascists (this sounds like something out of the Spanish Civil War, but isn’t) were congregated just off High Street opposite that giant shiny metallic pyramid thingy. They had a megaphone, an arsenal of different sorts of leaflets, a bunting of international flags, and lots of different type of people: students; failed revolutionaries; aging socialists; clergymen; feminists; hippies; local councillors; Muslims and some chap caught up in it all, who was selling AA car insurance. Many were lining themselves up, just like in a team photo, holding their different banners, revelling in the shared atmosphere. It was for the moment a competition of slogans: ‘Love not hate’, ‘Feminists Against a Burqa Ban’, ‘Say

No to Racism and Islamophobia’ and my favourite, ‘Celts, Romans, Danes, Angels, Saxons, Huguenots etc., etc. We Are All a Nation of Immigrants’.

Watching all this, I stuck to the shadows, waiting for the off. Where were the EDL, the star attraction for my article? I approached various people, acting casual so as not to give away the fact that I was undercover for a leading student newspaper. Some said they had seen real EDL members skulking amongst the anti-fascists, but that they had quickly slipped into the ether, just like death eaters.

I clicked my pen in anticipation. I was keen to write. I still had nothing on paper. A man eating a cream bun walked past, a bit dropped on his shoe; perhaps it would make for a better article. “Look, look, here they come” one UAF sympathiser suddenly exclaimed, pointing to some vanishing point too far down the high street to see. Like a mob of meerkats, all heads whipped round nervously as many stood on tiptoe. Anxious whispers followed “where, where?”

I walked up the high street with the mob. There was now a feeling of excitement. The anti-fascist’s eyes were darting around, they all smiled at each other (as if to say “I can’t believe we’re standing up for what we believe in, it’s so exciting”).

We marched on. Then I saw the EDL. They were standing near a fudge stall half way up High Street.

I gathered they had walked down the High Street already. Apparently some had been wearing balaclavas, but they were no longer present, or had taken them off. The remaining five were exactly as I expected from what I had seen on YouTube: chavvy; yobbish; loud and young. They had St George’s Cross balaclavas over their faces and caps on their head crowned with hoodies. I counted between five and ten additional EDL supporters obscuring their faces on the periphery, but they were not really doing anything.

The silent bastions of order, the police, were waiting in ubiquity and looking bored, just metres away from the gathering. On one side, about 15 ‘celebrate diversity’ punters were stood in a semicircle around the young EDL men with their flags. Interested members of the public, journalists and photographers filled in the gaps. The mooting then began. ‘EDL...

EDL...EDL’ they began to chant quickly in a low baboon like tone. Armed with their flyers, the anti-fascists delivered their ripostes, making sure of their distance. It was pretty average. I thought the crowd seemed more curious to see who stood behind the acronym EDL than anything else.

An EDL spokesman said the balaclava clad flag wavers may have been EDL supporters, but they were not members and did not represent the group. Annoyingly, it seems that the official members did not go onto High Street at all, and the event was cancelled, with the thirty or so members pottering about other locations in Exeter. Jim Myers, an English Defence League supporter from Exeter, said: “We haven’t organised it, we’re just support-

ing it. It has been organised by another group, the United People of Britain.”

However, despite the lack of real EDL ‘people’, the EDL supporters present help to highlight the wide support the organisation can enjoy beyond the fringes of its tiptoeing members.

Where the EDL encounters setbacks is in the reputation of its loutish supporters. John Cruddas, writing in The Guardian, describes the EDL as “a dangerous cocktail of football hooligans, far-right activists and pub racists...a bigger threat than the BNP...providing a new white nationalist identity through which they can understand an increasingly complex and alienating world.’

The EDL proclaim they are against militant Islam, in the forcing of Sharia Law upon Muslim believers themselves.

Ultimately however, their online mission statement clearly shows their affront on the whole of Islam and by extension potentially every Muslim in England and Great Britain. It is not surprising therefore that their active members are attracted to such views. John Cruddas asserts that what makes the EDL so dangerous ‘is how is reflects a wider political cultural war.’ With this in mind, from originating as a group opposed to militant Islam, the EDL has opened a Pandora’s Box of issues to do with race, class and immigration that their followers have been reluctant to pronounce publically because of the pressures of political correctness.

The supporters of the EDL are generally speaking of the same economic bracket. The majority are white, poor, young and from dreary urban/suburban areas where life is tough. They attack policy makers for deliberately undermining their culture and for imposing a nonEnglish culture on them. At the heart of the issue, I think, is that the EDL’s wide support base comes from forgotten voices whose feeling of neglect and poor quality of life has been heightened by their perception of Islam as the cause. The EDL has given these grievances an expression, hence why it has such large support. Additionally, the EDL is even threatening to go political, which probably won’t happen, in the attempt to mop up the votes of these ‘lost’ and angry individuals.

Though I abhor the EDL and the views of its members, on a national level, I feel the underlying issues described above must be addressed by policy makers.

Back in Exeter, the UAF and their supporters had a resounding victory. The counter-demonstration was a good way to show the merits of integration whilst deconstructing the EDL’s platform. The result will be welcomed by many. The UAF’s Mike Gurney said “It was great to see Christians, Jews and Muslims standing together side by side to oppose the EDL. The people of Exeter showed that the EDL’s politics of hate are not welcome here and will be challenged whenever they arise”. This is certainly true. It was a good day for Exeter, for anti-racism and for all those who oppose a dangerous and adaptable English Defence League.

Let us hope the EDL will become nothing more than an historical curiosity.

Exeposé

13

Exeposé week eighteen

Photo: Henry White

Features

Students on students’ protests Say no to the hatred Rob Sturgeon

Photo: Henry White

LAST Saturday, various anti-racist organisations celebrated diversity in the centre of Exeter. I arrived early, to see banners like the UAF’s standard “Hope Not Hate” and one which said “Feminists Against a Burka Ban” already in place. Our modest, homemade signs included one which depicted religious symbols and stated “Don’t Be Scared”, and another with the word prejudice spelt backwards.

Why? Because either way, it makes no sense.

Throughout the day, the nice people of The Woodcraft Folk provided face painting, flag-making and other activities for children, who seemed to especially enjoy the sing-along which followed. An Egyptian bypasser chimed in to discuss the acceptance he finds in the UK, while our German friend did a rousing speech on how the key to his academic success has been a free and open Europe, a vision frankly challenged by the Government’s revocation of vital post-study visas for non-EU migrants.

The Anti-Cuts Alliance spoke of their opposition to Cameron’s cuts, and an upcoming march against them on March 26. Exeter UAF’s Mike Gurney spoke of the EDL’s facade

of respectability, considering it was founded by former BNP member, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, under the pseudonym “Tommy Robinson.”

Much like the group itself, this is taken from a notorious gang of Luton football hooligans. They claim to only oppose radical Islam, but a look at their website’s mission statement says differently. They suggest Islam is given “more respect than it deserves”, and that Halal meat is sneaked into our food. These claims are nearly as ludicrous as they are unfounded. Tellingly, the Prime Minister has also just spoken in practical support of the EDL agenda in Munich. He made his speech on the same day that the group violently protested in Luton.

“This ignorance of political terminology mirrors the ignorance of Islam, the Burka, and the tolerant society we live in. Say no to the EDL, say no to their hate, and say no to their lies” But back to the march. A Muslim who was wearing the Hijab spoke about the clothing choices she has the freedom to make. Despite the fact that few British Muslims even wear

the Burka, the EDL were protesting to ban it. Their website describes the Burka as “encasing women,” but this alleged oppression is misguided. The Burka as a symbol of control is a myth peddled by the confused and ignorant; clothing choice is, as the speaker argued, entirely up to those individuals. These predominantly white men believe they can dictate the clothing choice of women and immigrants in Britain. Banning an item of clothing is much more oppressive than promoting choice and understanding of other cultures.

On one side of the street, 300 people happily participated in diversity.

On the other side, a paltry 15 EDL racists could barely mouth their Islamophobia over the sound of the adjacent crowd. In the end, the police banned the EDL from returning to the High Street, for fear that the confrontation would be antagonistic. Showing the meaning of peaceful protest, ours was an event as diverse as the Britain we envisage. While we cheered, fearless of what foreign cultures bring, they complained that preventing their hatred reaching the square was simultaneously comparable to Nazi Germany and Communism. This ignorance of political terminology mirrors their ignorance of Islam, the Burka, and the tolerant society we live in. Say no to the EDL, say no to their hate, and say no to their lies.

Protests: not just for the left Maxim Edwards Guild Councillor ‘You’re not protesting in London with those awful lefties, are you?’ someone asked an acquaintance on Facebook before the student protest in London on November 10. Quite content to be an ‘awful lefty’ myself that day, I am beginning to wonder why the fight against indifference has to be defined as ‘left-wing’.

Conservatism, it has been observed, is only as good as what it conserves and if one needs to be a card-carrying Socialist before public protest is viewed as acceptable then we have a lot of soul-searching to do. What is it that makes protest the cause of such merriment for the centre-right?

A misguided belief that growing up inevitably means making peace with the establishment? Perhaps something more quintessentially British: hating to ‘cause a scene’?

A recent anti-EDL protest in Exeter was a classic example. In

portraying their cause - as they have attempted to - as a fight between the working man and an exclusive clique of arrogant and wealthy students on the far-left they have helped bring the nature of protest to a political impasse. It is therefore no small problem that Unite Against Fascism, admirable though the organisation is, presents its members with a united front, as opposed to a popular front.

The Socialist Workers’ Party’s massive influence on this organisation is no great secret. Not necessarily a problem, but this important fact realistically does little to attract Conservatives to its membership.

Uniting against Fascism should be a matter of principle for those of all political persuasions - from the beret-and-badge brigade on the left, to Tories-in-tweed on the right. To insist that one unites against such an evil on certain political terms simply reinforces the exclusivity of protest.

Many of us on the streets of London in November shouted ‘Tory scum’. Some clenched their fists in a symbol of defiance. But you can’t shake hands with a clenched fist, and in retrospect the more politically

conservative or even Tories who disagreed with the education cuts (they’re a rare but wonderful breed!) may have simply felt they were in the wrong place.

“If one needs to be a cardcarrying Socialist before public protest is viewed as acceptable, we have a lot of soul-searching to do” This is hardly to say that a mass expression of anger at the Coalition was the wrong choice, but idiocy transcends all social boundaries and we should be aware that the protest movement is a very broad school.

Some of us may be Labour, others Lib Dem, the most visible and vocal from parties further on the left. Some may support free education, others a smaller scale of education cuts. This diversity of opinion is what makes us at our strongest, and in public protests against education cuts and the EDL, no political party can claim to have a monopoly on conscience.

These are difficult times to be apathetic.

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February 21 2011

Lifestyle

Exeposé

Laura Le Brocq & Clare Mullins - lifestyle@exepose.com

Don’t be a drip

Clare Mullins, Lifestyle Editor, recommends the best umbrellas to get you through Spring.

UMBRELLAS are a peculiarly British obsession. These rain-defying pieces of equipment are almost as ingrained in our national psyche as the damp that accompanies them.

A bowler-hatted business man is not complete without his black folded umbrella, Wimbledon is not quite Wimbledon without an audience of layered umbrellas, and, it goes without saying, Exeter wouldn’t be the city we love to endure without the bobbing of umbrellas along Union Road.

Whether you wear them with wellies, or inappropriate toe-revealing flipflops (ours is not to judge), the brolly is the weather-beating implement of choice.

It allows you to stride along with confidence, unfettered by a waterproof; resplendent hair-do uncrushed by a hood.

What’s not to love?

As with most things we hold dear, (tea, toilet paper, banknotes) it was China that bought us the gift that is the folding umbrella. Infinitely superior to its cum-

bersome forbearer, it can be stashed, albeit a little moistly, in a bag and, hey ho, it’s like it wasn’t even raining at all.

If you’re prepared to sacrifice this functionality for a degree of wet-look glamour then, by all means, invest in a golf umbrella or one of the prettier examples (see below). Some of them are even windproof. Take that Pacamac.

Clockwise from top left: “The Heart” Walking Umbrella, www.umbrellaworld.co.uk, £19.45.

“F*** the Rain” Umbrella, www. store.artlebedev.com, £28.00.

“Marvel Comics’ Heroes” Folding Umbrella, www.umbrellaworld.co.uk, £11.99.

Lulu Guinness “Birdcage” Dome Umbrella, www.brolliesgalore.com, £32.00.

Yellow “Auto Walker” Umbrella, Topshop, £18.00.

“Senz” Stealth Umbrella, www. amazon.co.uk, £39.99.

A tale of two cities: student life vs local’s strife Davina Cameron-Gale discusses the tensions that exist between Exeter residents.

WHEN you’re immersed in the university bubble, it’s easy to forget that people who aren’t students live in Exeter as well. The term ‘Exeter local’ has a variety of connotations, some of which are pleasant enough, and others that are, well, not so flattering.

Living in a university town or city is always going to produce friction between those who have lived there for years, and those who charge in for three before moving on elsewhere. However, one would hope that we could exist peacefully or at least in a state of tolerant indifference.

I would say that as a result of personal experience and some of the encounters that I’ve heard about, it could be suggested that in Exeter this is not always the case. The danger zone is the less savoury end of Sidwell Street, with the area between the Co-Op and the Odeon being particularly notable for its strong wafts of antipathy.

In some local pubs and with some of Exeter’s locals, it’s a silently accepted fact that students are not thought welcome – one person told me that he and his friends were actually harassed until they left one establishment, purely because they were students – and everytime I walk past one pub, a subtle expletive is thrown in my direction or a menacing look, if it’s a good day.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting that the entire non-student population of Exeter is a group of angry Devonians waving flam-

ing pitchforks at us all and waiting to attack, but I think that there is a definite sense of tension.

Some of which, of course, is justified – there are certain people within the student community who show a complete lack of respect and consistently confirm every negative stereotype there is.

But these people are in the minority. Most of us are just here to study and have a good time. I was once approached by a man who followed me for the whole length of the high street, ranting about the fact that I had never worked for anything in my life, always had an easy time, didn’t have a clue about real problems and parted company with me after conveying the revelation that I was a “stuck up posh bitch”.

People are perfectly entitled to their opinions – and I guess because I’m blonde and don’t go around wearing a sackcloth, it’s fair to assume that I’m comfortably middle class – but I think that it’s grossly unfair to start a completely unprovoked and unfounded verbal attack on someone in the street.

If it had been the other way around, and I had unloaded a nice torrent of classbased abuse onto him, I would be described as elitist and offensive.

Over Christmas, in the wake of the problems regarding bin collection – where rubbish was left strewn in the streets – X-Media Online quoted a resident who suggested that it was the entire student population’s fault, and that we’re a bunch of “unintelligent” and

“inconsiderate” rowdy yobs. The same yobs that contribute greatly to the local economy and who, most of the time, behave perfectly well.

Relations don’t have to be fraught – I happen to live next to a family who get along extremely well with my housemates and me and there are a lot of very friendly, helpful people living in Exeter.

Just as there are a lot of well-mannered and good-intentioned students, who don’t deserve to be cast as a generic bunch of arrogant, uncaring trustafarians.

We just need to move away from this ‘them and us’ culture; yes, students are only temporary residents, but that doesn’t mean that the three year or so stint can’t be a harmonious one. I’m not saying that every undergraduate should go out onto the high street and attempt to get a group hug going, but it is important to be aware that a relationship of mutual respect between students and locals is vital for everyone.

When I first moved into my student house, the majority of the street – a mixture of students and local residents – descended into a park with tea and cake and chatted happily away. This may sound like a revolting suburban nightmare to many people, but it was actually very nice – this is the kind of dynamic that should exist more generally. Everyone was bonding, and there was no negativity or antipathy, just a group of people who live in the same place getting along rather well. And not a pitchfork in sight.

15

Exeposé week eighteen

“This week I have been worrying about...”

Lifestyle’s new columnist, Zoe Dickens, writes about the curious modern phenomenon, the Facebook relationship status: it’s complicated.

“IS he/she/it in a relationship?” “I don’t know, what does Facebook say?” Sound familiar? As the remainders of Valentine’s Day wilt limply in vases across the country, my thoughts have turned to how our relationships, and the way we think about them, differ to those of our parents’ and grandparents’.

I believe this is largely to do with the way we communicate. We don’t talk and write, we text and type - but in terms of relationships, is this good for us? Are we allowing social networking sites in particular to have too much influence on the way we interact with people?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Facebook as much as the next person. It gives me hours of entertainment and, as with the majority of users (don’t try to deny it), losing it would probably cause me about the same amount of grief as losing a faithful pet.

Due to the sheer amount of information required from each user, there is almost nothing you can’t find out about someone from their profile. It’s a great networking tool – or, as is more often the case it seems, brilliant for finding out just how much you and the hot guy from your seminar have in common.

I currently have 427 friends on Facebook but only about 11 of these are people I actually see and talk to on a regular basis. This isn’t uncommon and our ‘friends’ seem to fall into four categories, with each descending category having fewer Facebook hours devoted to them: 1) close friends and family 2) course mates and casual friends 3) acquaintances and friends of friends 4)

Campus Style OUR roving photographer and Lifestyle team bring you the best style on campus!

[Left] Name: Rhona Kirby Studying: English, 2nd year.

[Centre] Name: Georgie Myers [Centre] Studying: Spanish and Film, 3rd Name: year.

Studying: What she’s wearing: Name: Dita Hesse Studying: English and Film, 3rd year.

[Right] Name: Ben Oliver Studying: History and Politics, 3rd year.

strangers, businesses and ex-partners.

Having your news-feed filled with the statuses of people you don’t really care about is a necessary evil of polite social networking etiquette - and that is fine. My problem with Facebook is attached to the one person that doesn’t fall into any of these categories: the person defined by your Relationship Status.

“We’ve met each other’s families, are planning on going on holiday together and have even said those terrifying three words”

I have a guy, but I must make it clear that he is Not My Boyfriend. We met three years ago, lost touch and didn’t speak for two years, were reunited six months ago and have been inseparable (as far as this is possible when you live 250 miles apart) since then. For all intents and purposes, ‘The NMBF’ and I are a couple – we’ve met each other’s families, are planning on going on holiday together and have even said those terrifying three words which scream commitment.

However, we haven’t had ‘That Conversation’ and if you ask Facebook about my relationship you will find nothing: I am in that barren relationship wasteland known as ‘No Longer Listed As Single’.

Should this bother me? The truth is, I don’t know. But it does, and I think it

has something to do with the fact that as humans we have an incessant need to define our relationships in order to understand them. It’s the same reason that we feel the need to make a distinction between our close friends and our best friend. It’s the same reason that Facebook gives you ten different options for said relationship status. No matter how rational you are, a romantic relationship is one of the most important ones you’ll have, and knowing exactly what type of relationship it is, and what its boundaries are, matters. This has always been the case, the issue here is that Facebook makes it public.

Changing your relationship status is like shouting it from the proverbial rooftop and invites the inevitable torrent of comments and likes which, unless you’re 13, are just embarrassing.

It isn’t exactly the healthiest start to a relationship and yet we still feel the need to change our statuses because the undeniable truth is, if we didn’t want people to know these things about us, we wouldn’t have Facebook.

So it seems that this is my problem I’m fed up of relationship nothingness, I’ve found someone I’m proud of and I want people to know about it. I have a friend who said she was going to ‘wait a while’ before changing hers. It has now been a year and, as yet, no change.

So, my advice? Just go for it, if you feel confident enough in your relationship to tell your 400+ Facebook ‘friends’ then just do it. What’s the worst that could happen? As for me, I’m moving to Twitter – they don’t have relationship statuses there.

Lifestyle

Rock, Paper, iPad Laura Le Brocq, Lifestyle Editor advocates newspaper supremacy over the iPad. NEWSPAPERS have been around for significantly longer than the iPad, and here, I think, are some darn good reasons why:

5. That night you get locked out, you know the warmest place to snuggle up is invariably going to be your newspaperfilled recycling bin.

1. You can tear out your favourite pages/articles/pictures and stick them on your wall, your fridge, the underside of the toilet seat (boys, read while you pee).

6. You will always have a costume at hand for those unfortunately popular ‘anything but clothes’ themed parties.

2. You can leave it lying on the kitchen table and not worry about your housemate smearing tomato ketchup/fried egg/mushy peas all over it, as they’ll be reading whilst they eat, not playing Angry Birds.

3. It can act as a mop when the kitchen roll has yet again run out, and all the tea towels have been requisitioned to another part of the house for some mysterious reason involving a distinct lack of a bath mat.

4. You can scrunch it up and use it to stuff your shoes when they are soggy from the Exeter weather. Just make sure they’re not too wet - you wouldn’t want newsprint all over your favourite camel suede boots.

7. Lash, banter, bolt, chunder into newspaper, screw into a ball and throw away.

8. Why would anyone pay for wrapping paper when newspaper can suffice? It wraps, and also provides intellectual stimulation.

9. You can leave a newspaper on Dawlish beach whilst you skinny dip in the sea, without having to worry about the tide coming in, not to mention thieves.

10. If you’re reading naked (in bed, in the bath) your newspaper can act as a good cover-up for when your housemates burst in ‘accidentally’. An ipad won’t cover much.

11. At some point, the toilet paper in your house will run out.

February 21 2011 Exeposé

16

Lifestyle

Eating out at Mill on the Exe Chocolate Heaven

Alexandra Wynick reviews the waterside pub.

A BIG pub filled with light, wooden flooring and comfortable sofas, situated right on the river; Mill on the Exe is one of my favourite places to eat in Exeter. A stone’s throw from the Millstone Bridge and a lovely walk along the river, Mill on the Exe is a relaxed environment with a picturesque view of the Exe river. It‘s a perfect place to while away a Saturday afternoon.

There is a wide range of food, from hearty lasagne, to enormous portions of scampi and chips, to toasted sandwiches filled with mushrooms and cheese. The food is delicious, freshly made, locally produced and always in vast quantity.

They have a selection of side dishes such

as nachos which are perfect for sharing – although the mains are so filling I doubt you’ll need any!

Ordering food at the bar is simple, with friendly staff and prompt service. Disappointingly their drinks range doesn’t extend much beyond a bottle of Pinot Grigio and a Corona, with a limited selection of local ale and beer in comparison to other pubs.

At the end of 2010 local publicans John Milan and Steve Bellman became the new tenants of the Mill on the Exe with Ashley Millgate and partner Janice Thomas as the new managers. Already managing a number of successful pubs in the West Country, Millgate says, “We are

delighted to be taking over such a great pub, it’s a marvellous opportunity and we have lots of plans.” As of yet I see no change in the quality of food or service, and doubt that many changes will be needed for such a brilliant pub.

It’s not a long walk to the Mill but it is out of the way from the rest of the city centre and other restaurants, requiring you to walk along main roads without great pedestrian access. I would say it’s not really formal enough for a dinner date, more suited for a lunch with a large group of friends or parents. It is more expensive than other pubs, but the food is as good as any restaurant in town and cheaper considering the mountain of chips and salad that come with most dishes on the menu. A steak will set you back £13, and a huge bacon burger costs £8. If this is too expensive for your budget, a meal deal is available where you can chose two selected dishes on the menu for £15 including popular dishes such as cottage pie and chicken and mushroom pasta.

Try as I might, I have yet to bring myself to order one of their puddings, because I always seem to have eaten too many of their delicious chips. I would recommend Mill on the Exe to anyone.

Emily Gray with the best pudding ever.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl and then add the caster sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Mix together.

3. Put the butter, the milk and vanilla essence in a small pan and melt over a low heat.

4. Once the butter is melted pour the mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.

Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups plain flour. ¾ cup caster sugar.

2 tsps baking powder. ¼ tsp salt.

2 tbsps cocoa powder.

2 tbsps butter. ½ cup milk.

1 tsp vanilla essence.

For the topping: 2 tbsp cocoa powder. ½ cup brown sugar. ½ cup white sugar.

1 ½ cups water.

5. Pour into a greased dish. A 20cm square dish is recommended, and it should be about 5cm deep.

6. In a separate bowl mix the ingredients for the topping together: the cocoa powder, brown sugar and white sugar.

7. Scatter this evenly on top of the pudding in the greased dish.

8. Finally, cover the whole pudding with the water.

9. Cook in the oven for an hour. If you want it particularly gooey then take it out slightly early.

Have you ‘bean’ to the Jack in the Green?

Jessica Leung reviews the Exeter restaurant, voted 52nd out of the top 100 in the UK.

PICTURE a lovely romantic meal with a new, sexy date. Your eyes meet over the flickering candlelight and you smile that smile you’ve been practising in the mirror. It’s going so well, you struggle to contain your excitement. You look around to absorb the atmosphere.

On your left is Barry from your seminars getting very close to his girlfriend, on your other side sit all your housemates celebrating end of exams.

You’re in that generic restaurant on the high street and suddenly it doesn’t seem so romantic after all.

Luckily for you, I have found the ideal place to get away from Exeter town centre; a place where you can dine in peace and have delicious, orginal food.

Welcome to Jack in the Green, the closest thing to heaven in Devon.

Hidden away in such the idyllic setting of the Exeter countryside lies this multi-award winning gem. Located off the M5, Jack in the Green is just a brief taxi journey away from the town centre.

Though at first I did question whether I squeezed into my little black dress just to be taken to a roadside pub near the airport, Jack in the Green did not fail to impress.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the friendly manager of the pub and shown to the bar area to select drinks and order food. The atmosphere of the bar was spectacular. The comfy leather sofas and

the mood lighting made the room feel welcoming and rustic.

The drinks menu is extensive. They serve local ales and ciders as well as hundreds of wines. The large selection may be daunting, but the waiters were happy to help. We settled for a nice full-bodied red called “The Opportunist” which was their wine of the month. They also have a kir menu which adds a twist to your standard kir royale. Instead of just using Crème de Cassis, they had a wide variety of flavours including raspberry and blueberry.

Jack in the Green offers a bar menu and a restaurant menu. We opted for the latter and the choices were absolutely divine. Although this was a gastro pub, their food was far from your average pub grub. With locally sourced meat and decadent comfort food, this is traditional English cuisine at its prime. With the restaurant currently placed at 52nd in the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants, I was expecting nothing less. Vegetarians need not lament as the Inn has an alternative menu.

I ordered the ‘Totally Devon’ selection which was a set three course meal

with dishes that supported local farmers. First we were presented with warm bread rolls and a complimentary Amuse Bouche of seafood chowder. Complimentary is always good, but the soup was even better.

To start I chose cured ham which was delicious. It may seem like a simple dish but it was adorned with pickled vegetables which put taste in a whole new dimension. Following that, I had pork belly and ham with piccalilli. Now I absolutely love pork belly and this one did not disappoint. The top was crispy

rather than chewy and the meat wasn’t fatty, two things which could have easily ruin this dish. The piccalilli worked well with the ham which was surprising as it was my first encounter with this bright yellow ingredient.

The presentation was stylish and the taste definitely lived up to it’s appearance. I chose a crème brûlée for dessert, though they all looked so good it was difficult to pick just one. It was deliciously creamy with subtle hints of vanilla, and the top was still warm.

The dining area is cosy, yet oozes sophistication – a feeling also reflected in their dishes. I never thought you could create such beauty out of comfort food (I normally just shovel down my steak and ale pies) but the dishes were attractively presented and showed how much care was put into them. Ramsay, take note.

Overall the food is delicious and there is such a great menu to choose from. Their menu changes every so often too so there really is no excuse not to head down there now. The staff were welcoming and friendly; it is easy to feel at home in this restaurant.

Although the prices may be a little beyond a student budget, it is definitely worth every penny. So I urge you to stop celebrating special occasions at the same restaurants over and over again – branch out a bit and head to Jack in the Green.

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Exeposé week eighteen

Lifestyle

SEX-ON-THE-EXE

Alice Scoble-Rees, Video Games Editor, discusses her one night stand that really took the biscuit.

WHEN I came to university it was with the spring of independence in my step. I had broken up with my boyfriend of almost two years early in the first term – an act not without floods of tears – because I quickly became aware that I wasn’t capable of doing the ‘long distance relationship’ thing. But no matter; I come from a fairly liberal family and was ready to sample some of that sexual promiscuity that university is all about, right? Right?

This is the 21st Century, where women can totes own it like the fellas. One entire gap year was surely all I needed to become sexually empowered, despite not leaving the small rural town where I was born and, at age 16, awkwardly lost my virginity to a fishmonger. I am not joking.

That actually happened. He specialised in salmon.

So despite a much better alternative, I set about trying to find a casual fling to get over my break-up because, like, they do that in movies and that all turns out okay. An opportunity presented itself in

the form of what first appeared a bronzed, lean, charismatic and confident sex god.

He wooed me with blatant advances and talk of his family home in Switzerland, and jokes about periods that I… probably found funny at the time? Eventually, at his birthday party, we ended up alone in his tiny and somewhat dank room.

I shall gloss over the details, suffice to say that he flailed and squirmed with all the brutal lack of care and attention that only the guy who assumes he’s a total Casanova can really pull off.

I’ve only had to fake sexual satisfaction a few times in my life, and this was the most desperate – “Oh god!” with a subtext of

(please let this be over soon). He ate biscuits in bed afterwards, then rolled over with his back to me in a stereotypical way I didn’t even know existed, so that I slept pressed against the bedroom wall, cold and on crumbs.

In the morning ‘twas as if a veil had been drawn from my eyes, as I now saw him for what he was, is, and ever shall be: a sallow-skinned, ratty, unfunny, arrogant, unhygienic dead loss. He went to shower and came back after literally 30 seconds saying “you just need to rinse around the key areas,” a line I’d previously heard on a sitcom, now a terrifying reality. I didn’t wait around.

I later heard from other people the hideous things he said about women, the sex tips that included “you have to molest the breasts,” and gradually learnt the fullness

of my mistake, which I now look back on with the benefit of hindsight and (thankfully) amusement. It turns out he was so promiscuous that I felt like starting a help group for others in my position: “Have you slept with this man? You don’t have to be alone!” Thank God there was a condom between me and the Sexual Health drop-in clinic.

So the moral of the story? There may be several: that fishmongers, despite what you might think, actually smell very strongly of soap, that you will never be as experienced as you think (and you will never stop having experiences), and that sex is not the answer to everything.

Mostly, never do anything just because you think it’s what everyone else is doing, only what you feel right doing. Who knows, you may feel comfortable having a rebound fumble with a terrifying caricature of a human being.

To be honest though, I’d try and avoid it if I were you (and I was).

Work experience 9 to 5, what a way to try a living

Finding work experience can be a pleasure not a chore, says Helena Fane.

ALL this ‘employability talk’ is making me feel a little uneasy. Well, a lot uneasy. A fresh new year has begun, and alongside that sits the realisation that this is the year in which I leave Exeter. I don’t really want to leave - it’s a touchy subject. And to make matters worse, whilst I should be cherishing every last second of studenthood, making a permanent mark in our numerous clubs and embracing the Devon countryside, it just seems that I’m constantly being pummelled from above by those heavy, pressure-pushing words: ‘job,’ ‘prospects’ and ‘future.’ Yuck.

The thing is, so few of us know what on earth we’re going to be when we ‘grow up.’ And how can we be expected to know? At school, we’re effectively given a list of four pathways to

choose from: ‘would you like to be a) a doctor, b) a lawyer, c) a banker or d) a teacher?’ So we just do our exams, go with the flow, and leave, feeling slightly bewildered and thinking ‘oh crap, I don’t particularly want to shimmy-myway into any of these categories!’

And then you reach the big-wide world and are hit by a massive realisation: you can do ANYTHING in the whole universe, not just a measly four things. Right. So where to start?

This is where that heard far too many times, please don’t tell me again conversation kicks in: ‘No one’s going to employ you because it’s ALL about the work experience. Have you got any work experience? No, no, but WORK EXPERIENCE. Because you know your CV will be NOTHING without

work experience!’ It’s usually a monologue from earnest yet guilt-tripping adults, or those slightly patronising ‘our CVs are soooo obese with experience that they’re practically dieting!’ fellow students, but either way, it definitely is a monologue. Or a lecture.

A couple of years ago, all this work experience guilt-chat got too much for me, and I decided to be one of those proactive people, so I signed up to WEXO, a work experience company based online (www.wexo.co.uk). I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to be, and here was a lovely ready-built website set out to help me discover just that.

It’s basically a small and personal company dedicated to setting up original internships for students with up-andcoming young companies. What hap-

pens is that the student signs up, builds a profile, and then sits back to browse through all the various work experiences they might like to apply for. If you see a position you’re tempted by (PR/ journalism/film – or anything), you effectively ‘poke’ the company, they look at your profile (which contains information about qualifications etc, and then personal, silly facts like ‘favourite song’ and ‘hero’), and finally, if you’re what they’re looking for, they accept you for however long or short a time you want.

And it’s sometimes even paid.

The best part is, all the companies registered with WEXO have done so because they want interns – they want to give students the experience and to give them a glimpse of an entirely new field of work. So instead of calling upon

a friend of a friend of a friend’s father, who probably owes that first friend a favour but who’d frankly rather eat wasps than actually have a student following him round for a couple of weeks, you could just sign up with WEXO. I’ve now had two fantastic and completely different batches of work experience through WEXO, helping me to gradually pin-point my perfect job. If you’re wanting to set something up for the holidays or you just want to browse through a catalogue of potential placements, you literally just have to log onto the website, pay the one off registration fee of £10, start a profile, and you’re away. It couldn’t really be easier, or more worthwhile; and then you can relax a bit, and get back to embracing the Devon countryside!

We couldn’t be bothered to think of a headline...

Old habits die hard: but we’ll grow out of them eventually. Francesca Morosini on the student lifestyle.

STUDENTS get a pretty bad rep these days and seem to be considered the laziest creatures on the planet. It’s assumed that every student sleeps the day away and just rolls out of bed to eat and go out for the night. Well, maybe this sort of thing happens now and again but we’re not lazy, we just direct our energies in different directions to the majority of the world.

Just because we get up when the line between breakfast and lunch begins to blur, and moan about having to walk seven minutes for a whole hour of lectures, doesn’t mean we’re intrinsically lazy. Or at least, if we are, it’s a very specific and strange type of laziness.

It’s the sort of laziness that means when we run out of table space, we’re quite happy to rearrange all the furniture and bring a new table in, as long it saves us having to tidy the other ones.

It’s the sort of laziness that will drive us to get changed and walk to the shop to buy a readymeal because cooking

what’s already in the fridge, if anything, is too much effort. And it’s the sort of laziness that suddenly switches into caffeine-fuelled, panicky working the night before our assignments are due in and all we have is the title (which took long enough to type out. And underline).

Okay, so perhaps being a student isn’t the most strenuous job, and I do know we’re very lucky to be here and not cleaning chimneys, but it’s not fair to accuse us of being lazy. If students are lounging around because their lectures are few and far

between, that’s not laziness, that’s just us obeying the timetable. If students are eating Domino’s pizza every night, that’s not laziness, that’s just us knowing that attempting to cook would be dangerous for anyone and everyone

nearby. If students are in bed until four in the afternoon, that’s not laziness, that’s just necessary. Well, maybe not quite, but we’re always being told how important it is to get our eight hours of shut-eye. If we go to bed at half three, we can’t be getting up again at seven, especially as there’s nothing to do then. So all of this so-called laziness is really just common sense.

I suppose the state of most student rooms and kitchens would lead many to say that if we have all this time on our hands, we could be using it more productively than watching hours of telly. And perhaps we’re being lazy when we’re staring at the overflowing

bins rather than emptying them. But I think this is something deeper, and perhaps stronger, than laziness. My room is usually pretty clean and I’m frowned upon for this; as a student, it’s not natural for me to hoover my room.

We suddenly have our own space and no-one telling us to clean it so of course we’re going to make the most of it. We need to live in a way that makes us comfortable and floordrobes are often much more practical than wardrobes (or sometimes we need both).

If nothing else, perhaps being able to live in scum for a bit will get that need out of our systems: the novelty of stomping over all our belongings to get into bed will wear off. That way, when we’re older and have children of our own, we’ll be able to force them to tidy their rooms. Balance will be maintained. So though we may look lazy to the casual observer, we’re actually involved in a much more complicated and sensible lifestyle.

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Music

February 21 2011 Exeposé

Ellie Bothwell & Ben Murphie - music@exepose.com

Upcoming 21/2 Beat Roots feat.

Carpet Face + Audible 1, Mama Stone’s 22/2 – Grinspoon + Jett Black + Idiom, Cavern Club

23/2 - Celine Dos Santos with Marc Taylor, Mama Stone’s 23/2 - Skism, Lemon Grove 24/2 - Gay for Johnny Depp + The Computers, Cavern Club 24/2 - Jazz Jam with Sheriff Bickle, Exeter Phoenix 25/2 Cabaret Voltaire prsents The Correspondents, Cavern Club 25/2 - The House Band feat Kat Savage, Mama Stone’s 25/2 - The Quails, Lemon Grove 26/2 - Kosmo Kings + Zero One Zero, Cavern Club 26/2 - Joey The Lips, Mama Stone’s 26/2 - Jazz Morley, Exeter Phoenix 27/2 - Steve Knightley, Exeter Phoenix 1/3 - Attack Vipers + Worn In Red + Ok Pilot, Cavern Club 1/3 - Reel Big Fish, Lemon Grove 3/3 - Kill It Kid, Cavern Club 4/3 - The House Band feat. Adam Isaac, Mama Stone’s

4/3 - Jaguar Skills and Mista Jam, Lemon Grove 6/3 - Jackie Oates, Exeter Phoenix

SHOckwaves nme awards tour 2011

Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man, Everything Everything, The Vaccines, O2 Academy Bristol, February 15 The Shockwaves NME Awards Tour is one of the key barometer’s of new musical talent, showcasing up and coming bands each year looking to take the music industry by storm. On past tours, young acts included Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and Florence and the Machine, and if these are anything to go by this year’s selection are likely to

develop into a much more formidable presence.

Dance-punk innovators Crystal Castales are thsi year’s headliners and didn’t fail to impress with Alice Glass turning in a typically energetic performance, despite sufering from a leg injury. Support came from hotly tipped Rock ‘n’ Roll insurgents The Vaccines,

whose snarling punk-attack warmed up the crowd to burning point; Everything Everything followed running a synthladen gauntlet of “ethereal weirdness”; and finally Magnetic Man, who decided to get low (in the frequency sense of the word) with their gut-shaking dub-step.

This year’s line-up proved as exciting as ever, with several game-changing

performances. We caught up with Everything Everything and The Vaccines before the show to chat UK Garage, Weetabix and why today music is as indefinable as ever.

ELLIE BOTHWELL AND BEN MURPHIE, MUSIC EDITORS

INTERVIEWS Everything Everything

Everything Everything don’t want to be broken down. With a sound they describe as “a mixture between The Smashing Pumpkins and Craig David” the past year has seen their debut album Man Alive excite music critics and fans alike.

Jeremy Pritchard (bass) sums up the tour as “really civilised”, “because the audience have been really appreciative, because the bands get on really well, and because we finish playing at quarter to nine every night!... It’s not what people think it is, its not like a 24hour party.”

Of the other acts on the bill, he relates, “it’s not in anyone’s interest to be a prima donna, and nobody is.” Yet image is something impossible to shake off, with headliners Crystal Castles being a prime example: “people think they’re kind of vampires and they’re going to eat you in the corridors… They’re nice people and they’re unbelievable performers.”

With such a wild and varied mix of acts on tour, Pritchard relates how “it’s kind of the way people listen to music now, and it’s like a festival… Everybody occupies a different area of music and nobody treats it like a competition, but everyone appreciates each other’s part.

It’s a good vibe.”

“We’re not playing to one audience, or one scene, or one demographic.

We’re just making music as it comes” One of the challenges of taking such a musically unorthodox record as theirs on the road is the reproduction of the sound in a live setting: “we actually went through a process of either sampling the

sounds we’d used on the record and rebuilding them from scratch.” Performing live “doesn’t mean you have to lose any of the immediacy or energy of the band, there is a balance to be struck and we are trying all the time to do that.”

Whilst it would be impossible to pin down any one influence on Everything Everything, the band themselves cite UK Garage and 90s R ‘n’ B as their inspiration. Although the band sport disparate musical tastes, they admit “it’s the production and the performances and the writing which is really firecracker stuff.”

Since forming in 2007 they’ve worked hard to avoid comparisons with “landfill indie” and eschew the idea of being like “a white four piece indie band in leather jackets”, the like of which they condemn as “like listening to Weetabix, it’s dull as anything.” Far from having a goal in mind, Pritchard tells us, “we’re not playing to one audience, or one scene, or one demographic. We’re just making music as it comes.” At the same time “we don’t want to be wildly eclectic so that there’s no signature between the songs.”

It seems a fine balance to maintain.

On the wildly enthusiastic critical re-

“It’s like listening to Weetabix, it’s dull as anything” sponse the band received for their debut (The Sunday Times awarded five stars, and Exeposé awarded four), they remain humble: “you’ve got to take these things with a pinch of salt… If you get great reviews across the board, that by no means guarantees that people are going to like or buy your record.”

Everything Everything ended their UK tour last year with a couple of dates at the Union Chapel in Islington, supported by “the crown Prince of the Quiet Revolution” (Clash), post dub-stepper James Blake. “He was amazing”, Jeremy tells us, “there’s a lot of space in what James does and I find that really interesting, there’s quite a lot of silence. You are left waiting around for the next thing.”

The band identify more with his musical aesthetic, rather than that of tour mates Magnetic Man, labelling themselves as “kind of geeks as well.”

In terms of what’s in store for the music world in 2011, Pritchard tells us,

“all of the nineties rock music recycled in one package is what we are being told is gonna be big this year.” However, always evasive when referring to their style, Everything Everything say, “there will always be trends and a band like ours will accidentally, or not as the case may be, fall into one.”

Nonetheless, today music is a lot harder to pin down than it was a few decades ago. As Pritchard reminisces, “the trends were so blocky throughout the 80’s and the 90’s… early 80’s was post punk and then there’s the electro bit and then there’s grunge and a band like Blur who could not succeed in 1991, and by the time 1994 came round they were the biggest band in the country and Kurt Cobain was dead.” Michael Spearman (drums) reflects how “its getting harder to ween out whats going on now. Things are more muddled and confused which I think is actually a good thing… It’s a bit less balanced and more chaotic.”

Exeposé week eighteen

The Vaccines

Six months ago no one knew who The Vaccines were. Tonight, they come on stage at 7:20 and the house is packed.

Following Radio 1 airplay of their single ‘If You Wanna’ and a blunt-force performance on Later… with Jools Holland hype has been building around the London based four-piece. With a nod back to

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50s Rock ‘n’ Roll, mixed with an energetic 80s punk edge, their name is on the lips of anyone who’s anyone in the music industry.

The band started as a project between Justin Young (vocals) and Freddie Cowan (guitar) back in 2009, because “we were just kicking around doing nothing.”

Following the addition of Arni Arnason (bass) and Peter Robertson (drums) Cowan recalls, “it just sort of felt right.”

When asked how the current tour is going, Cowan tells us, “really good actually, it’s kind of a shame that it’s almost over.” They cite Birmingham as the best date of the tour so far: “it was mad, the most mental gig we’ve ever played. At the third song this girl stage-dived off the balcony, it was like 15 foot,” Cowan recalls. “We almost stopped playing and were like… she’s probably dead”, continues Arnason.

The NME Shockwaves Awards Tour comes after The Vaccines’ now legendary debut London show, at The Flowerpot in Kentish Town. Despite the walls bursting with the likes of Marcus Mumford, White Lies and The Maccabees, Cowan remains stoic; “if you have something good people are interested but they’re not necessarily fans. They don’t like you, they’re just curious and I think that was a big part of it.”

Of the other bands on the NME tour, Magnetic Man are their closest friends: “they sat on the bus and we listened to music for a long time and found we had a lot in common. Whenever we go and DJ after we play they come and hang out”, relates Cowan. “You should see DJ sets with me and Freddie”, jokes Arnason, “we aren’t exactly what you would call professional DJs… in front of three professional DJs.” Despite not having an album out yet, the band are slated to be supporting Arcade Fire at their mammoth Hyde

LIVE REVIEWS

Something to Bragg About Billy Bragg, Mama Stone’s, January 31

A dimly-lit cocktail club, a smattering of mismatched chairs, tables, and quirky artwork dotted around the room.

And a practically empty area in front of a stage where a man stands tuning his guitar in the middle of a venue certainly smaller than he’s used to playing.

On Monday January 31 Billy Bragg headlined Exeter’s ‘Can’t Cut This’ at Mama Stone’s, a music and fundraising gig organised by Caitlin Hayward-Tapp and those shouty-yet-persistent folk of the Exeter Occupation Uncut. The evening’s entertainment showcased some of Exeter’s brightest local talent such as The Parade, The Beacons, and guitar-wielding foot-stomping girl-trio Sound of Sirens. With much-coveted tickets selling out completely in advance of the gig, a huge amount was raised for the students’ cause, and Billy Bragg was kind enough to lend his support for free.

The small cosy venue and relaxed atmosphere suited the tone of the evening perfectly – feeling much like a nod back to the earlier days, where music clubs and student activism walked hand in hand. The venue filled quickly: half an audience of young impassioned students, half first-wave old hand Bragg fans. There was also a good smattering of under-18’s who had dragged along their not-so-unwilling parents and guardians, keen not to miss

out on an evening that exemplified the fight for a cause that will affect them most of all. This was the poetic combination of the experience of 70’s and 80’s activists now inspiring the youth and vitality of the next generation.

From the workers anthem ‘There is Power in a Union’ to the more recently released ‘Battle for Barking’, the tone was one of determination and political change - which with a back catalogue like Bragg’s is to be expected. Speaking passionately about the electoral defeat of the BNP in Barking and Dagenham, he emphasised the strength of voters themselves: the reminder that those who are voted in can always be voted out.

The popular crowd-pleaser ‘To Have And Have Not’ with its rousing chorus of the biting political jibe, “Just because you’re better than me / Doesn’t mean I’m lazy”, seemed to reflect the feelings of quite a few in the audience, awakening sentiments of an earlier decade, as well as holding a poignant relevance to current times.

In between songs Bragg spoke powerfully of his personal recollections of the strength of both student and wider social unity. Whilst it was clear he was preaching to the already converted, the message was no less compelling. The tone of the evening dwelled not on negativity at the current situation, but rather of hope for the future - with events like this one at the spearhead of the student activism that Bragg so vehemently praised.

A personal highlight of the evening

Park gigs this summer. “We were quite hesitant at first because those Hyde Park gigs can be pretty funny, you know, issues with the sound and noise limits” says Cowan, ”but that’s just normal to play with a band like that. There aren’t many modern groups that are as well respected.” Arnason agrees: “they’re just constantly innovating and constantly trying to find new ways of expressing themselves really. An incredible band.” The Vaccines are also excited to be supporting Arctic Monkeys in June with Miles Kane, an event to which they maintain a certain amount of hipster reserve.

With their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? finally surfacing next month we are told “there will be a lot of things that [the fans] wont be expecting.” “I think it’s quite an immediate debut record”, says Cowan, “I think a lot of people are expecting a really short punky record and that’s not the case.” Arnason chimes in, “I think it’s a great representation of our live show. We were always trying to make a record that represented us live as opposed to doing a live show that represented the record.”

In terms of influences, Cowan cites Sonic Youth, Glen Branca, The Monks and Brian Eno, which may help account for their broad appeal and the many attempts to define them. “We’ve got a love for very direct and instant pop songs whether that’s like Minor Threat or The Shangri-Las, it contains elements of

Music

that”, Arnason tells us.

Cowan got his first taste of live performing at just 16, standing in for Josh Hayward of The Horrors, a band which includes his brother, Tom. “I used to turn up to the gigs… and they would just be like, ‘what the f*** are you wearing!’”, Cowan recounts. “They’d throw me behind the curtain and dress me in black and push me out on stage. It was good fun.” Although he hasn’t been directly influenced by his brother, Cowan says, “I think he’s shown me, or did show me in the past, that its not a million miles away, these things are possible if you want them bad enough and you work hard enough.”

In terms of creating their music, Young is the chief songwriter and the rest of the band “build the sounds” – “ I think its good that way, a lot of bands write by playing around in the studio, they’ll find their riff and then they’ll work backwards. It’s quite good to get it done pretty quickly.” Although busy touring, they still find time to play around with ideas and are looking to the future: “we don’t want to be stumped at the end of a long touring run with nothing.”

The Vaccines define their music as Rock ‘n’ Roll: “I don’t use that loosely”, snarls Cowan. “Rock music is very different to Rock ‘n’ Roll music I think.

Rock ‘n’ Roll music is rare.”

Destined for greater things, a trip to see The Vaccines perform live could be just what the doctor ordered.

Interplanetary Rock

was more slowed down: a heartfelt rendition of ‘I Keep Faith’, with the gentle reassurance “I know it takes a mess of courage / to go against the grain / you have to make great sacrifice for such little gain / and so much pain.” This felt as much a personal conversation with each individual, as a global message to fight the cynics and those who would doubt the power of youth activism and political passion.

Closing with the classic ‘New England’, (complete with Kirsty MacColl’s additional verse) in which he jokingly wondered at the young audience’s enthusiastic accompaniment “do you do this for GCSE or something?”, Bragg ended on a clear high, opening up the stage for the remaining bands to continue the night’s entertainment.

The evening saw a merging of music and politics in a way that can galvanize action like nothing else. Whatever your political views, the performance itself was thoroughly enjoyable, and an intimate one: the best kind of gig where the barrier between artist and fan seems to break down, to be replaced simply with a mutual love of music.

Staying to talk and socialize with the students and fans after the show, Bragg in person was just as dedicated and down-to-earth as his music. An evening that will no doubt stay prominent in the memories of existing fans, and surely won over a good few younger ones as well.

MADDIE SOPER

Little Comets, The Cavern, February 8

Having just completed their tenth gig in eleven days, I was slightly wary that Little Comets wouldn’t give quite the frenzied performance I had become accustomed to when I’d seen them live previously. Fortunately, I was wrong; buoyed by a sold-out crowd and a first trip to Exeter, Little Comets delivered an energetic and workmanlike performance to a thrilled audience.

Opening with ‘Adultery’, the boys were clearly up for a good time, drummer Mark, in particular, jumping up and down from behind his kit, whilst the rest of the band put the ‘washing line’ of percussion above their heads to good use, smashing the pots and tambourines above them at every available opportunity as the crowd drowned out lead vocalist Robbie throughout.

In a world still stuffed with eminently forgettable indie guitar bands, Little Comets provide a breath of fresh air - an indie sophistication in the vein of bands such as Orange Juice, combined with a lyrical intelligence and array of song structures akin to that of Vampire Weekend, without crossing into pretentious territory. It’s this brand of kitchen-sink indie pop that makes debut album In Search of Elusive Little Comets one of the best indie releases of the year thus far, and tonight the album is played almost in its entirety and what a showcase it is. Every song is a

quirky, infectiously catchy gem.

On the basis of tonight’s performance, there is little doubt that Little Comets pack even more punch live than on record. ‘Isles’, one of many highpoints from their album, sounds near-anthemic tonight and set highlight ‘One Night in October’ sounds even more infectious than when it was first released on 7’’ just over two years ago.

Even non-album track ‘Friday (Don’t Need It)’, unfamiliar to newer fans of the band, receives a fantastic reception from a crowd as the first crowd surfer I’ve ever witnessed at Cavern topples over my head. Closer ‘Dancing Song’ further highlights the reason that Little Comets are one of the most fun bands to witness on the UK circuit at the moment. It should be laughable, but in a way only few bands can muster its genius. Indeed, Little Comets have come a long way since infamous guerrilla gigs in lecture halls and shopping centres and being dropped by major label ‘Columbia’ in the past year or so has also developed them for the better.

Although lacking the funding and promotion many lesser bands gain from being on such labels it leaves those lucky enough to have witnessed Little Comets live with a wry smile in the knowledge that they’ve witnessed one of the great ‘hidden’ gems of the UK music scene. A clear triumph.

SEAN PHILLIPS

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Music

February 21 2011

CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW

ONE TO WATCH Sapphire MasonBrown looks at the buzz surrounding Sea of Bees.

A Sea of Bees? Doesn’t sound too pleasant, painful even. Fortunately, the music of Californian folk singer, Ms Julie Baezinger (aka Julie Ann Bee) is highly pleasing to the ear. Every one of her songs is rich with emotion, powerful vocals and a story to accompany it.

Sea of Bees’ Bee Eee Pee is the product of a 15 minute introduction to Pro Tools and 48 hours in which she was left to her own devices. With false starts and introductory counts on the majority of the tracks, it could easily be seen as an amateurish outing, that is until the instruments and Baezinger’s voice emerge. The EP’s first track, ‘Skinnybone’ begins with some delicate strumming over the repetition of “I don’t need you, but I want you” before a pause and a launch into what is actually the titled track.

The contrast between high quality

Exeposé

recording and the EP being made in its DIY fashon is most apparent in the penultimate track, ‘Willis’. It opens with Baezinger enunciating random syllables, introducing the song and then groaning for a few seconds. However, it is the immediately appealing song that follows which most stays with the listener.

“Every one of her songs is rich with emotion, powerful vocals and a story to accompany it” At the end of 2010, Sea of Bees released their debut album, Songs for the Ravens, a more polished collection featuring tracks from the Bee Eee Pee mixed with newer tracks of equal calibre. Like the Bee Eee Pee, each track is filled with such emotional intensity that it seems like the listener should feel a tad uncomfortable from hearing what sounds like someone’s deepest secrets. With the more professionally created Songs for the Ravens, one cannot help but think back to the charm of their EP, something present to a lesser extent in their newer material.

Last summer saw the briefest of UK tours from Sea of Bees. Playing a mere five solo dates in London alone the tour seemed to be over before it even began. Her 2011 dates (of which there are many) feature an accompaniment from vocalist and electric guitarist, Amber Padgett, making for some angelic harmonies. The live See of Bees show is certainly an experience. Julie Ann Bee instantly forms a rapport with her audience, conversing with them and telling stories, guiding them through each track she performs. ‘Willis’ is a song dedicated to someone she barely knew but who eventually became her best friend, ‘Strikefoot’ details a missed romantic opportunity and ‘Sidepain’, one of the most upbeat of her songs, contrasts a whiskey-filled camping track with being enamored with Jenny Lewis.

With a Rough Trade album of the week, a signing to Heavenly Recordings, the recent conclusion of a tour with the Smoke Faeries, an upcoming tour with John Grant (which features a date at the Exeter Phoenix) and a headlining tour under her belt, it is clear that Ms Bee is on the rise.

Sea of Bees are curremtly on tour in the UK and Europe Photo: Sapphire Mason-Brown

Acid Eaters The Ramones Released January 4 1994

The Ramones are probably best remembered as the standard bearers of the New York punk scene of the 1970s.

The band formed in 1974 and was composed of four guys from Queens, New York City. They wore ripped jeans, leather jackets, dirty Converse and they were cool. Over the course of their career they released iconic songs including, ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, ‘Sheena is a Punk Rocker’ and ‘My Brain is Hanging Upside Down’. Their raw and fast two-anda-half minute street odes revolutionised popular music.

Acid Eaters is one of the Ramones’ least appreciated albums. Released in 1994, towards the end of their musical career, it consists of songs originally written and performed by other artists.

The album is, in essence, the Ramones’ tribute to the bands from the 1960s that influenced their music, hence the album’s title and the stunning psychedelic artwork on the cover.

The songs range from ‘Out of Time’ by the Rolling Stones to ‘Surf City’ by Jan and Dean. The Ramones quicken the paces of the original songs and add po-

tent guitar riffs backed up by a watertight rhythm section. The crowning glory is the singing of Joey Ramone which has never been better. The Ramones on this album create innovative and exciting bridges between different musical genres. They inject punk rock fury into these classic tunes and are greatly successful.

One of the best tracks on the album is ‘Can’t Seem to Make You Mine’, originally by The Seeds. The Ramones keep the prominent psychedelic guitar riff that characterises the original. It punctuates the song at regular intervals, making it powerful and compelling. The cover is faster than the original and is dominated

by Joey Ramone’s unique vocals. His pleas of “Can’t you see what you’re doing to me? You fill my heart with misery”, lend the song a striking poignancy.

Making an album of covers is always a tricky business; recording a different version of a song that has already been a hit exposes the artist to criticism. Many cover versions are simply rehashes of original songs dressed up and sanitised for a younger audience, but this is not the case with Acid Eaters. Every song on the album is a sublime evolution of the original version.

Acid Eaters passes the acid test with flying colours.

FIONA LALLY

1994 in music Etta James, Van Morrison and The Doors are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame January 15 - Harry Nilsson dies of a heart attack

SINGLE REVIEW Lose My Mind The Wanted You’d have to have been living under a rock to have not heard of The Wanted’s ‘All Time Low’. Their third single ‘Lose My Mind’ promises a similar effect.

The five piece boy band have pro-

duced a club-filling anthem set to build atmosphere at the start of Arena Mondays or close the night at Mosaic Tuesdays. In all honesty, it’s anything but original and won’t have quite the same impact as ‘All Time Low’ but this shouldn’t stop you checking it out.

‘Lose My Mind’ adds a clubland twist to what could easily have been a

“The five piece boy band have produced a clubfilling anthem set”

Backstreet Boys song from our youth and the pounding bass that runs throughout will easily get your feet tapping. The lyrics are easy to memorise so even if you only hear it in snatches on Radio One, ‘Lose My Mind’ is likely to stick in your head and runs the risk of becoming one of those dreaded ‘guilty pleasures’ we all love and loathe.

February 17 – Blink-182 release their debut album Cheshire Cat March 1 – Beck releases his third studio album Mellow Gold

It’s been a while since the UK has seen a new successful boy band and I for one wondered if The Wanted were a one-hit sensation. The release of this single demonstrates that they still have more to give. If you were a fan of ‘All Time Low’, no doubt ‘Lose My Mind’ is a song for you.

MATT KNIGHT

Exeposé week eighteen

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Music

ALBUM REVIEWS Mine Is Yours Cold War Kids With their new release, Mine is Yours, Californian alternative rockers Cold War Kids aim for the big time and, at the expense of their old fans and lyrical quality, might just make it. Having got Jacquire King on board as producer, whose previous credits include Kings of Leon’s commercial success Only By The Night, Cold War Kids’ sound has changed notably from the shy and minimalistic to the loud, stadium rock that earned Kings of Leon their success.

Musically, Mine Is Yours is perhaps Cold War Kids’ best effort yet, with the bass guitar and drums taking greater prominence amongst the layers of chiming guitars and piano. ‘Royal Blue’ combines a catchy bassline and neat percussion with scratchy guitars to make a very catchy song. The trademark lush-sounding chords appear on ‘Finally Begin’ to great effect, producing a peppy, vibrant track, though the one that sounds worryingly like ‘Dynamite’ by Taio Cruz. All instrumentation comes with a bigger sound, perhaps in an attempt to make the album more melodyheavy to improve its commercial appeal, though losing some of the charm of their older, rawer efforts.

Typically minimalist Cold War Kids can be found on ‘Sensitive Kid’, one of the standout tracks of the album. Pounding along on a heavy bassline, with Nathan Willett’s crooning voice laid over the top, it carries itself well next to the brashness of lead single ‘Louder Than Ever’ and the eponymous ‘Mine Is Yours’. ‘Bulldozer’ also demonstrates Cold War Kids at their best. The prob-

Zonoscope Cut Copy

Cut Copy’s brand of New-Wave inspired dance-rock has acquired widespread acclaim since the release of their sophomore effort, In Ghost Colours.

The album gained legions of fans for the Australian quartet, and their latest record Zonoscope, not only consolidates this success, but builds on it.

The synth-heavy Zonoscope is an unashamed throwback to the ’80s, and signals an evolution to a purer dance sound. There is also greater engagement with organic percussion and natural sounds, which lends Zonoscope a global feel. Although lacking the instantly catchy singles of In Ghost Colours, Cut Copy has produced a fuller and more am-

lem is, there aren’t enough defining moments in the album. Many tracks sound similar, especially in the chorus, giving the album a more formulaic feel. Previous Cold War Kids records blended a multitude of sounds, yet Willett’s voice sounds very similar on most songs, especially in the chorus.

“Musically Mine Is Yours is perhaps Cold War Kids’ best effort yet” Perhaps the biggest casualty of the album is the lyrics. Mine Is Yours attempts a more positive, life-affirming message, which isn’t a sound old fans will be familiar with. The band itself doesn’t seem overly comfortable with it, as the forced lyrics demonstrate. Instead of Willett’s pained voice confronting alcoholism, domestic abuse and hospitalization, he now seems content to make up any old stuff that fits the melody. Such howlers include “I’ve got a black belt in doubt” and “I don’t own the moon.” The lyrics seem meaningless and lacking in poignancy, empty of a clear story and message.

Cold War Kids’ latest effort, therefore, isn’t a bad album, but the band doesn’t sound comfortable in their attempt to ‘do a Kings of Leon’. The instrumentation seems formulaic and the lyrics are nowhere near what Willett is capable of. Perhaps Cold War Kids are at their best when at their most morose.

BEN WINSOR bitious album.

Zonoscope’s rewarding opener, the heartfelt ‘Need You Now’, is distinct for its withheld chorus, as it gradually climbs from a few progressive synths, before exploding into a glittering crescendo.

The undeniably cheesy ‘Take Me Over’ follows, and is the catchiest number. The funky bassline, borrowed from Fleetwood Mac, reinforces its feel-good vibe and confirms Cut Copy’s love of disco.

The equally enthusiastic ‘Where I’m Going’ is a definite crowd-pleaser, while temporarily abandoning disco for guitar jangle. The next two tracks, ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ and ‘Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution’ reflect the Aussies’ increasing percussion variety, as the former combines cowbells with their signature heavy synths and pounding keyboards to produce a euphoric finish. The latter features a distinct marimba groove and is arguably the strongest track on Zonoscope.

The strong first half of the LP concludes with ‘Strange Nostalgia for the Future’ which sprinkles with electronic bursts, before blending into the hazy ‘This Is All We’ve Got.’ This graceful transition is an improvement from In Ghost Colour’s shorter fillers, which emphasised the album’s peaks, making it less of a cohesive listening experience. The second half of the LP reaches its most emotive moment in ‘Alisa’ and its weakest on ‘Hanging Onto Every

The King Is Dead The Decemberists After a steady progression of increasingly ambitious and obscure albums, the Decemberists seemed to have reached the end of their convoluted terror-tale tether and released the only thing left to astonish – a totally stripped-down folky American roots record bordering on straight out country. Reeling in their line to the tip, this candid collection of songs is a considerable contrast to their last album The Hazards of Love, the sweeping prog rock-opera concept which left many listeners feeling simply overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, The King wouldn’t feel out of place in a barn with only a cow and a square dance for company. As it happens, this record was recorded on some American farm, and has lost none of that rustic Neil Young vibe through production.

Bluegrass singer Gillian Welch’s backing vocals complemented with harmonica and fiddles make for a genuinely American-sounding album which retains the Decemberists’ masterful skill of transporting the listener to an elaborately detailed and palpable other-world. Peter Buck of R.E.M. features on several songs, his distinguishable jangly guitar prominently contributing to the overall sound of the album, though never threatening to overtake the sonorously potent bleat of Colin Meloy’s vocals.

Lyrically, Meloy’s favoured theatrical narratives and lamenting protagonists are replaced with much simpler pastoral scenes, the musical accompaniment also toned down from

“Although lacking the instant catchy singles of In Ghost Colours, Cut Copy has produced a fuller and more ambitious album” Heartbeat’, which drifts along without any real purpose. The house-infused ‘Corner of the Sky’ puts Zonoscope back on track, and features a stunning hook in the chorus. It again reflects Cut Copy’s shift away from rock, while staying loyal to their dance-pop roots. The 15 minute finale, ‘Sun God’, sees the band on a larger scale than they’ve ever attempted, and it pays off as the number blissfully drifts into spiraling experimentation five minutes in. The track morphs into a range of ’80s-inspired styles, including acid house; the Aussies are uninterested in playing it safe. The eclectic and more organic Zonoscope indicates significant artistic sophistication and the upbeat dance grooves will get you going, even if you’re not a fan of the ’80s.

OSCAR WARWICK-THOMPSON

past records’ grandiloquence yet still melodically beautiful. This may well come as a relief for many listeners sick of looking up Meloy’s lyrics in a dictionary and piecing together the scattered fragments of his mythical storylines, but personally, I enjoyed the chaos and challenge of these earlier records and can’t help feeling a shred of disappointment for the seeming lack of passionate peril and ambition the band has become so renowned for.

My favourite track, ‘This is Why We Fight’, diverges most from the album’s country sensibilities and is laden with subtle moodiness and that nice uncomfortable tension the band is so skilled at producing.

Generally though, the deliberately

unambitious approach The Decemberists have taken has made what was probably meant to be a calculated break from their previous style, actually an album in want of drama, negative only if boredom is offensive to you (I am offended by boredom). The King is Dead being Meloy’s ‘exercise in restraint’ as he called it, makes it considerably more approachable and radio friendly than earlier work - evident in a track like ‘Down by the Water’ but as a whole, the album seems to be missing that all-or-nothing vehemence which to me had always made The Decemberists so great.

Simply Eva Eva Cassidy

in particular ‘Over The Rainbow’ and ‘People Get Ready’, highlight her unqualified passion and artistic commitment to her songs. The album as a whole is able to bring new meaning to lyrics while inspiring a rainbow of emotions in the listener.

‘Time After Time’ and ‘True Colours’ are perhaps not as gripping as her previous recordings, the acoustic arrangement somewhat hindering the impact, yet this is not to say that they are not engaging and original.

Fans of Eva’s electrifying albums Live at Blues Ally, Songbird and Time After Time will undoubtedly enjoy the new arrangements of her more popular songs; ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ have never sounded more poignant or beautiful than on this album, offering a profoundly personal listening experience and providing the listener with the most interment and insightful look into the life and style of Eva Cassidy thus far.

Simply Eva is not an album to be talked over. From start to bittersweet finish it demands attention and no track more so that the concluding number ‘I Know You By Heart’, a brief yet powerful song simply featuring Eva’s vocals, which does nothing if not show the purity and beauty of Eva Cassidy’s style and voice.

FRANCES RILEY

Bill Straw (President of Blix Street Records) has said it is “time to focus on the core of Eva Cassidy recordings, namely, the voice and Eva’s superb guitar work,” and I agree that the time has come for us to sit, listen and appreciate Simply Eva. The opening track, ‘Songbird’, is a beautiful and fitting start to what truly is an exceptional album; the lyrics and melodies “melt like lemon drops” in your heart and mind, as one recalls the tragedy of a life cut short (Eva Cassidy died of cancer in 1995, aged only 33).

‘Wayfaring Stranger’ follows as a natural progression, a powerful reminder of Eva’s talent and ability to take you to a place few artists are musically capable; as you are moved with serene grace through emotionally haunting and breathtaking tracks you cannot help but loose yourself in the undeniable passion which seeps out of every song.

The previously unheard ‘San Francisco Bay Blues’ showcases Eva’s vocal strengths and is a truly refreshing track, one of the highlights of the album. What is apparent throughout is the range present in the songs both emotionally and stylistically. The acoustic renditions of her previously recorded tracks,

KATARINA KLARIC

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Screen

February 21 2011

Exeposé

Calum Baker & David Brake - screen@exepose.com

NEWSREEL

THE KING’S SPEECH continues its successful collection of awards as it scooped seven BAFTA awards recently. However, the highlight of the evening was the awarding of the academy fellowship to Sir Christoper Lee. The three minutelong standing ovation was more than deserved for a legend of the screen for more than 50 years.

Also, the trailer for X-Men: First Class has finally arrived. Following rumours of a troubled production, this restores some faith. Best of all, Michael Fassbender looks utterly perfect as Magneto.

Speaking of Fassbender, the man’s been cast in Jane Eyre, as Carl Jung, and now in Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel. Set for release in 2012, the film will also star Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace. It’ll be great to see Scott do sci-fi again after some ‘Epic’ mis-fires.

And finally, a massive apology to Laurence Morton, who we named as Laurence Milner is last week’s issue.

Our bad.

COMPETITION

THIS week, we are again offering THREE PAIRS of tickets for any film at any time that you fancy. So, all you need to do is email us with the subject line “I LOVE US”, and you’ll get entered into the draw. It’s easy. Bonus kudos if you can name the film that is from.

All entries should be sent to: screen@exepose.com Deadline is 28 February 2011.

The Sky’s the limit?

Christopher Preston examines the potential impact of Sky Atlantic.

“IT’S not TV, it’s HBO.” If you’re into television in a big way, you must have heard this slogan by now. If you’re not, it’s the tagline/ mantra from America’s mightiest cable network HBO, but it’s also repeated across our lands, and across the globe really, by any self-respecting, squareeyed, box set-wielding, television snob.

For those of you who are not acquainted with its fantastic selection of series, you might be wondering what exactly all the fuss is about - especially since the unveiling of the much talked-about Sky Atlantic, which began broadcasting on February 1. The channel is styling itself to be the UK home of HBO, and Sky obviously care a lot about this coup – apparently investing £150 million to bring us all the network’s entire back catalogue, as well as first dibs on all its new shows.

But what impact, if any, will Sky have bringing these much loved shows and franchises to jolly ol’ Blighty?

In my opinion, there seem to be two schools of thought.

The first thing to say is that there is no denying HBO’s greatness. It has been the channel that has brought the world some of the greatest television series audiences have ever drooled over.

It all began in 1997, when prison drama Oz premiered, but didn’t properly catch light until the debut of “modern Shakespearian drama” The Sopranos in 1999.

With that, the seal was broken. Gems came thick and fast with Sex and the City, The Wire and the wonderful Six Feet Under – penned by Oscar-winner Alan Ball. After pretty much everything turning to gold for the network, it wasn’t

long before UK audiences became desperate to catch a glimpse of their greatness. And see them they did, but on scattered channels and at illogical times.

Sky Atlantic is now trying to reverse that, bringing all the shows together and giving them all weekly primetime slots.

However, for many, it seems that Sky Atlantic is somewhat of a cynical move – with some even crying “too little, too late” at the overlords at Sky. The greats I have mentioned - The Sopranos, Sex and the City and The Wire to name a few - have all bowed out and have since been replaced with seemingly mediocre series like the average Big Love, leaving many considering whether or not the golden days of HBO are now over.

The gloom surrounding the channel is only being heightened by the excellent output on rival, premium channels.

Take AMC for example: we can thank them for the brilliant, multi-award winning Mad Men (which is actually being brought to Sky Atlantic when the fifth season premiers) and the criminally underrated Breaking Bad – which, alas, is not being featured by Sky Atlantic. It’s all OK shouting to all about being the home of HBO – but if their current crop is, indeed, proven to be sub par (even the delightful True Blood has, apparently, come off the boil with its most recent offering) then it means Sky has been saddled with a load of rubbish new shows, and a back catalogue that can be easily bought on DVD. Take The Sopranos – it’s

a show worth every penny of the Sky subscription. There’s no point in paying 60 quid a month to follow it when the complete boxset is being sold on Amazon for £49.99.

As well as this, it cannot be denied that £150 million is a tremendous amount of money and many, perhaps even including yours truly, believe that kind of moolah might have been better spent in investing in UK talent. Sky1, for example, has very little original output; they’re mostly seen as the channel that throws their cash at any trendy American bandwagon that starts to do well (see The Simpsons, Lost, Prison Break, 24 et al.) Yes, they have produced the hilarious An Idiot Abroad, and some pretty highly acclaimed adaptations of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, but apart from that it’s very scarce. This huge sum of money could have helped to create more shows like E4’s charming Misfits or BBC3’s hit Being Human, or even the fantastically inventive Life on Mars/ Ashes to Ashes saga.

It is this kind of innovative

Realising his true love for Clementine, Joel desperately tries to preserve his fading memories of her.

The film moves with great lucidity as we progress through Joel’s increasingly absurd and disturbing memories. Constantly playing with picture and sound distortion and lighting effects, Gondry conducts a kaleidoscope of unbridled absurdity, a relentless attack on the nervous system. As the title of the film suggests, Gondry leaves the viewer’s mind almost in a sense of limbo, inducing a bizarre sleepy trance which, irrespective of the complex narrative, typify the film’s central concern – the fulfilment of one man’s desires, that is to say, his love for Clementine. There’s something special about Eternal Sunshine. The film is a window to the soul of a hopeful, but broken heart.

And that sometimes takes us to bizarre and chilly places.

Simply put, Gondry succeeds in numbing the senses. I don’t think I can adequately explain how he does this. In fact, I almost wish I could take a BA in Film Studies just so I could learn how.

The complex is absurd, yet the emotional callings of the heart are so poignant, so true to the individual viewer’s sense of self that we are both perplexed and charmed in equal measure. Confused that such a film could successfully induce a sheer degree of warmth and realism, and yet equally aware of how provocative and widely imaginative Gondry’s direction is. I might consider how Carrey and Winslet portray and flesh-out their characters, but in Eternal Sunshine there is admittedly something rare and precious that suggests these issues are redundant for serious analysis of the film’s effects.

The emotional directness of Eternal Sunshine is taut and imaginative. At

programming that will put British television back on the world stage, critically speaking, and also help to finally destroy the stranglehold soaps appear to have on our own television networks.

Come on; let’s give our audiences the respect they deserve too!

Looking at Sky Atlantic’s plus points, however, it is nice to see the channel giving some of these fantastic HBO shows the reverence they deserve.

Entourage, once banished to a graveyard slot on ITV2, now stands proud on Sky’s homepage – basking in the spotlight they have given its seventh, and penultimate, season. Curb Your Enthusiasm, one of the world’s finest ever sitcoms, too has been offered a reprieve from late-night More4 and the granddaddy of them all, David Chase’s superb The Sopranos can finally rid itself of the cape that is late night Channel 4 (where it’s only competition in the time slot seems to be Babecast, Sexcetera and reruns of Wheel of Fortune on Challenge) and show its true brilliance for the primetime British audience to marvel at.

So, finally, we find ourselves back at the original question: what impact will Sky Atlantic have on the UK? In my opinion: not much. Although it will be the host to many fantastic characters and their stories, it really is a move that Sky, or any of its competitors, should have brokered about five years ago.

The world is moving on, HBO finds itself in a furious fight with rivals and with their progression, and this huge amount of British television money being handed over to the USA, we are in danger of being left behind. Sky Atlantic, in the long run, could be merely a beautiful, sparkly assassin for British television, masquerading as the opportunity it never was.

Classic Films #15: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Dir: Michel Gondry Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet (15) 108mins

ETERNAL SUNSHINE has enjoyed blossoming critical acclaim since its release in 2004. In the film, directed by Michel Gondry, Carrey cools his jets in the role of Joel, an emotional blank-canvas who meets enigmatic free spirit Clementine (Winslet) on a frosty railroad train journey in the suburbs of New York.

Apparently complete strangers, Joel and Clementine feel an emotional connection. It soon turns out that the pair were lovers, whose memories of each other were erased after a messy break up.

Devastated by the news, Joel decides to undergo the procedure himself, revisiting his memories of Clementine in reverse.

once both explicit and widely open to interpretation, the film’s ending is almost crushingly disappointing, simply because it closes the film’s meaning. Carrey and Winslet portray their characters with thriving multiplicity – not mindboggling, more heart-rendering. Gondry crucially correlates both heart and head, intellectually-engaging the reader in perfect harmony with satisfying, relentless tugs on the heartstrings.

The enduring message of Eternal Sunshine seems to be that there are no easy answers to happiness. The film’s greatness lies in the nagging suggestion that love always finds a way. That emotions, irrespective of social or mental circumstances, somehow always successfully manage to navigate the changing waters of life.

THOMAS PAYNE

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Exeposé week eighteen

Just Go With It Dir: Dennis Dugan Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston (12A) 116mins IF The Proposal taught us anything, it’s that faking marriage leads to love. Now Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston put that to the test with Just Go With It, a two hour exercise in predictability.

As a man who woos women with numerous sob stories about his abusive/ loveless marriages, plastic surgeon Danny (Sandler) has a simple life. It comes as a surprise, then, that he unexpectedly falls for walking cleavage Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), who soon discovers Danny’s wedding ring. Danny’s a man who can fortunately think fast, and soon calls in his long-suffering assistant, Katherine (Aniston), to play the part of his soon-to-be divorced spouse.

Havoc, ‘hilarity’ and predictability ensue before, unpredictably, true love prevails. This being a Sandler comedy, along the way there are three nutshots, the Heimlich manoeuvre given to a sheep, and some of the worst child acting I’ve ever seen. Add to this a baf-

True Grit

Dir: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon (15) 110mins TRUE GRIT is the new film by acclaimed writers and directors Joel and Ethan Coen. They are two of my favourite filmmakers and their work rarely disappoints. True Grit does not disappoint.

True Grit is an old-fashioned Western about 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) who, after her father is killed, hires two bounty hunters to track down the killer as he flees through dangerous Indian territory. The hunters are Bridges’ US Marshal Rooster Cogburn, and smooth-talking and brash Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, played by Damon. Cogburn is the more fearsome of the pair, an alcoholic who is shown to be uncaring and a lethal law enforcer, but develops a soft spot for young Mattie, who hired him because

Yogi Bear

SHOT almost entirely in muted and sombre tones, Romanek’s new film Never Let Me Go is reminiscent of some horribly polite nightmare.

There is an oxymoron, if there ever was one. But it’s true. There is a subdued calmness to the tragic events and sadness that this film revolves around. Starting in the late seventies the film begins in a beautiful boarding school which only caters for certain pupils who, without giving too much away, have their lives already mapped out for them. Yet their childish innocence never lets them ques-

FEELING grizzly, I stalked down to the cinema expecting barely-sub-ScoobyDoo nonsense. But I underestimated it.

You heard me. Underestimated it.

Bear with me; what on Earth could’ve possibly saved this turgid kids’ flick – that I would even have dismissed at 12 – from the un-bearable lightness of laziness, I hear you growl? Quite simply: the title character.

Yes, Aykroyd has picked up quite the picanic basket here; as has Timberlake, shining as Boo-Boo. The humans act like shit in the woods, but when we cut to the zany antics of the two creatures we know & love, devoid of forced ‘plot’ and ‘emotion’ more akin to the original shorts - recalled in the new pre-feature Roadrunner cartoon -, it all seems briefly worth it.

Yogi Bear wasn’t quite honey – but it didn’t smell of Pooh either.

STEPHEN O’NION VG EDITOR

he had ‘true grit’.

Bridges plays the part fantastically, with a deep gravelly voice, commanding every scene. The acting across the board is amazing.

Despite the overbearing and powerful Cogburn, the focus of the story is on Mattie, whose naïve

Never Let Me Go

Dir: Mark Romanek Cast: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley (12A) 103mins

Dir: Eric Brevig Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake (U) 80mins

fling supporting turn from Oscar winner (!) Nicole Kidman, and Just Go With It can place itself among the other hit romcoms prefixed by the word ‘Just’. That isn’t a compliment.

Director Dennis Dugan can pat himself on the back for not repeating the level of dirge present in Grown Ups and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, but his direction is terrible and comes across like a series of amateur improv sketches. Even so, whilst the jokes involved may be predictable and tired, there is a certain chemistry between Sandler and Aniston so come the conclusion, he can count himself wealthier - she treading water - leaving anyone who pays for a ticket two hours older whilst definitely no wiser.

tion what their duty is for a minute. It is only as they get older that they realise their lives are not quite going to be the same as everyone else’s. Even then there is a ready acceptance of what it is they have to do, even when they try to change it.

The film is very slow moving, and the emotions of the characters are not really shown until Tommy (Garfield) cannot take it any longer and finally breaks down almost at the end of the film. It

CALUM BAKER SCREEN EDITOR

mindset is challenged and over the course of the film discovers her own ‘true grit’.

The story itself is fairly simple and straightforward, with no underlying message about violence or the Wild West, but it is tense and contains lots of moments of pitchblack humour that the Coens are famous for. The story is played very straight by the brothers, who normally attempt to subvert genres.

The film is filled with bleak shots of deserted, untamed American landscape which I would call beautiful if it wasn’t so stark and empty and the grey landscape may be

reflective of the morally grey actions of our leads. The action is brutal and violent, which is appropriate for the period, and is very well done.

Overall, I suppose it’s a coming-ofage tale about Mattie, who has to put up with the bickering and posturing of her two hired guns, and it’s very well done. The villains of the piece are highly menacing and memorable, even if their characters do seem like bad caricatures.

If I had to criticise it, I would say that the chance encounter between our heroes and villains, in which Mattie and the killer are watering their horses at the exact same point on a river, seemed a little unrealistic and jarring, but it leads to a brilliant conclusion which includes a gun fight from horseback. I really enjoyed this movie; go see it.

is only then that you really realise the severity of the events in the film and all the emotions that have been brewing. It is almost as if these ideas stand out more than the actual characters of the film. Keira Knightley has said in interviews that she did not like playing her character, Ruth, who she believed to be malicious and mean, yet although she does have hints of bitchiness about her, I would not say that she stands out as

being overly malicious. In fact one could go so far as to say none of the main characters particularly stand out, yet all their performances are thought-provoking; but as I say it is more the ideas, that no one really has enough time in life and that sometimes we should just accept that it is better to have had something for a short while than not at all, that stay with you.

This is the perfect film to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and I think whilst it is not necessarily as dramatic or as evidently sad as, say, Atonement, it still (as clichéd as it sounds) ‘affects’ you, and makes you want to make the most of life.

LUKE GRAHAM

EMILY GRAY

Screen

Classic Films #16: The Red Shoes (1948)

Dir: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger Cast: Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring (U) 133mins

FOLLOWING the release of Black Swan, I was immediately reminded of Powell & Pressburger’s 1948 classic, The Red Shoes. The two films have striking similarities, dealing with the dangers of artistic obsession and the struggle to find an inner truth.

The Red Shoes, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, has elements of mystery and reality. The story follows the talented Vicky Paige (Shearer) through her psychological battle to become a prima ballerina and her required devotion to the director, Boris Lermontov (Walbrook). Lermontov is particularly intriguing, with his sole focus on art, deeming human relationships to be trivial, which develops as a major contention.

The story takes a turn when Vicky falls in love with the composer of the ballet, Julian Craster (Goring), and is forced to choose between her career and her relationship. However, after having decided to leave the Company for a domestic life, she is manipulated by Lermantov.

His jealous nature allures Vicky into a last performance of The Red Shoes, in an attempt to seduce her back to the Company. This ultimately reignites Vicky’s passion for the ballet, leaving her tormented and distressed. When her love for Julian finally prevails, Lermantov manages to obscure reality and leads Julian to believe she is leaving him. Vicky desperately tries to fight her urge to dance and salvage her relationship but is prevented once she puts on the red ballet shoes.

“A great impression of simplicity can only be achieved by great agony of body and spirit.”

This unforgettable tale deals with the value of art and the sacrifices that it creates. It further encourages the audience to question whether art requires a sole focus, or whether it can simply be sidelined as an ‘add-on’ to civilisation.

Although the film does delve into some quite sincere ideas, it also contains all the attributes of a vivacious musical.

The dancing and choreography is innovative and captivating. In addition the filming gives the audience the impression of being in the theatre itself. As Andersen wrote: ‘as the dance begins, it should consume all.’

This timeless film was awarded two Oscars and various other nominations, which I believe is completely justified.

The Red Shoes will thrill anyone interested in the arts and provides an insight into 1940s artistic culture. Having survived the decades, this film remains one of the true classics and still manages to relate to the contemporary struggles and controversies of today.

RHIANNON THOMAS

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February 21 2011

Books

James Henderson & Jacob Moffatt - books@exepose.com

One for the open highway

Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro as Dr Gonzo and Raoul Duke in Terry Gilliam’s 2001 film.

Jacob Moffatt, Books Editor, looks at the uniquely American genre of travel writing, the road novel.

The road is perhaps America’s greatest cultural gift to the World, manifested in all forms of fiction, pseudo fiction and in very rare cases genuine non fiction, it is an artistic phenomenon that really could not exist anywhere else.

Travel writing has been popular since it3s inception and the serialisation of writing in magazines in the industrial revolution. But there is something that distinguishes European travel writers like Ernest Hemingway from the pioneers of road-lit in Beat Generation America. In the tangled mess of European metropolises, stories so often focus on alienation and difference; even at its most exotic and resplendent, it is about running away.

The same is not true of its transatlantic cousin, imbued with the spirit of the American Dream and Frontierism, coupled with the sheer size of the American West; the American road story is one of journeys to something new, of adventure and freedom.

Perhaps Jack Kerouac’s On The Road is the seminal work in the genre, but so much has been written and said about it that I shall avoid it as an obvious choice. Instead it is two second

generation road writers that warrant a little more interest, Paul Auster’s The Music of Chance and Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Auster places the archetypal road story in a wider, more absurd world, where in his leading men Jack Pozzi and Jim Nashe suffer something unknown to many roadsters, some fantastically dark consequences for their audaciously free-living existence.

Hunter S. Thompson too subverts the generally adventurous and optimistic road novel to investigate the darker

“The American road story is one of journeys to something new, of adventure and freedom” side of the American Dream that the genre is so intimately bound up with.

Thompson’s satirical look at excess and the death of political optimism in the 1970s is framed around a weekend trip to the infamous City of Sin, and was later committed to celluloid by former Python Terry Gilliam.

The Music of Chance sees fireman Jim Nashe take to the road when his father dies and wife leaves him, after a year or so he meets Jack Pozzi, a young, down-on-his-luck gambler who offers him the chance to recoup

the inheritance he has squandered in a year’s travelling. And in trying to hustle two ageing eccentric millionaires, find themselves in a macabre slavery trying to repay vast gambling debts. Auster’s look at the road genre is exciting because it challenges the road aesthetic with the idea of consequences and an air of finality that isn’t present in traditional road novels, but Auster does so by placing it in a hyperreal absurd world rather than abject realism.

Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing is the seminal and probably only successful work in the author’s self-styled Gonzo genre. The work mixes non-fiction with a heavy dose of fiction, surrealism and subjectivity.

The end result is a psychedelic world full of half-truths and daring insights in which Thompson questions the validity of ideas like Frontierism and the overall foundations of that American Dream. Incidentally, as a long time Thompson fan, the true brilliance of this author, I believe is found in his final works as a sports columnist for ESPN, where the gonzo format really shines as entertainment.

The Road novel really is a fantastic expression of America as the land of the free, and even in an ever shrinking world, it can be reinvented to excite and examine the human condition, whilst mentioning all sorts of fun facts about American made cars.

Review

One Day David Nicholls

ISBN: 0340896965 This novel could not be anything but brilliantly written. The element that makes it so striking is Nicholls’s brilliant characterisation, and the way in which he has captured so many of their wishes and desires.

The story is about two protagonists, Dexter and Emma, who meet on their graduation day, and remain friends for many years after university. It particularly struck a chord with me as we first see the characters as university students, making them easy to relate to. But the genius of this novel is the fact that as the characters move through life, so the reader can move with them, and as such it holds an appeal for a vast readership.

Nicholls is terrifying in his relentless pursuit of life, as the story shows where both characters are, year after year on the same July date, and how many near misses and might-have-beens there are in life. It is a novel that truly makes you want to live each day as if it is your last, and regret opportunities you may already have wasted without realising it.

The novel is pretty funny too at times.

The plot is very simple, and predictable to a certain extent, but rendered quite brilliantly with a sharpness and skill of observation. Nicholls is clever in his narrative - a lot can happen in a year and he has made his own job more difficult by only discussing things as they hap-

Exeposé

BOOKWORM In a bid to avoid any mid term slump we’ve plumped for a bit of an editors special this week!

James Henderson attempts to break free of the shackles of academic study once and for all, lest he be condemned to analyse Harry Potter for eternity, whilst Jacob Moffatt looks at a quintessentially American Genre, the road novel. Tristan Barclay delves in to the life and work of Pulitzer prize winner and author of No Country for Old Men and The Road, Cormac McCarthy. Calum Baker tears himself away from the weeks newest cinematic releases to shed a little more attention on the often overlooked genius that is B. S. Johnson, to discover why this unique author is not more openly lauded and praised.

We also have Lifestyle Editor, Laura Le Brocq’s of last year’s long term bestseller, David Nicholl’s One Day and Freya Joseph takes a look at Lamb by Christopher Moore, the sixth book in a series that attempts to fill in the 30 year gap in the life of Christ left by the Gospels.

A real bumper issue in our opinion and we hope you agree!

pen on one day each year. However he manages to keep the reader nonetheless updated with the plot through devices such as letters, and recounting small incidences as they relate to feelings rather than allowing the characters to wallow in the thoughts of every pair of socks they wore in the course of the last year.

Unfortunately, I was unimpressed with the ending. There is a surprising twist, but it felt very imperfect, and almost a stylistic device to avoid ending the novel with a cliché, for the sake of being different. I really felt that a cliché would have worked just as well, if not better, and that

“The plot is very simple but rendered with a quite brilliant sharpness” there was easily enough depth of feeling throughout the story for it not to just be shelved with romantic fiction.

It was equally strange the way that the novel seemed to continue when the story seemed to have ended, but equally, this somehow worked as a reflection of real life; the story doesn’t just end with one big event, all loose ends tied off, life goes on regardless. But there was too much contrast with certain, more fictitious and unlikely happenings within the novel for Nicholls to truly pull it off; somehow, the ending just didn’t sit well. Overall though, a wonderful read.

Laura Le Brocq Lifestyle editor

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Exeposé week eighteen

Feature

James Henderson, Books Editor questions whether one can ever escape English Literature’s language analysis mindset.

My name is James Henderson and it has been nearly three years since I studied English Literature. (Cue applause).

Yet just the other day, upon hearing a bit of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on audio book, I started to think about the hushed tones Ron and Hermione were both using when discussing their relationship. I felt that the whispering represented the suppressed, hidden feelings that both harboured for the other. Their ‘opposites attract’ style relationship was emphasised by their differing takes on the same situation, Slughorn’s party.

Whatever poor opinion that gives

Profile

Tristan Barclay, Editor, on the life of the fantastically reclusive Cormac McCarthy.

Exeposé Books Editors are no strangers to the works of Cormac McCarthy. In the past year or so, we’ve had glowing reviews of his latest novels, 2005’s No Country for Old Men and the 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning The Road, and the reclusive American’s work seems to have gone down well with Exeter’s budding critics. However, whilst his novels might have won countless prizes and

Review

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Christopher Moore ISBN: 1841494526

Lamb, Moore’s sixth novel, is a biting satire, that attempts to fill in the undocumented years of Jesus’ life. Utterly absurd from start to finish, it is the story of the disciple Levi, (who barely merits mention in the original Gospels) this time revealed to be Christ’s life long companion and closest confidant, nicknamed Biff. We join the twosome in Nazareth just in time for them to hit puberty. Joshua (Jesus) struggles with the knowledge that as the Messiah he

you of me, that is what I thought as well. Harry Potter is absolutely not the scenario for ludicrous inferences about what the author ‘clearly thought’ when writing the novel. Yes, English Literature is still with me three years on, putting analysis in the gaps where enjoyment should sit.

So can you ever shake it off? Am I doomed to be reading The Ugly Duckling to my children in years to come, thinking about how going from ugly to beautiful as you grow up is a clear reference from the author to the ugly yob culture of ‘kids these days!’ Surely some books are meant to be enjoyed only and I for one think that they are brilliant. Take the object of the English teacher’s scorn, The Da Vinci Code, hugely popular with the general public, a best seller and I enjoyed it. Where it lacks an allegory about the transient nature of the life of a 17th century slave ship crewmember or some sort of rubbish, it fulfils the fundamental element of fiction, a damn good storyline.

Yes, HUSS and the English Department, undermine me on fiction’s fun-

damentals if you will, but frankly think of its origins. Storytelling only ever evolved into the written word, it began as an auditory experience. Language (though allegedly defining our world, do not get me started…) was not important, the story was in the mind of the storyteller. Thus the words weren’t the same each time, the way it was told was key.

“Surely some books are meant to be enjoyed only and I for one think that they are brilliant”

ritation and thus to enjoy a story.

Gone are the days of A.S Byatt’s Possession. It decimates this happy balance, you cannot start any work of fiction with a man researching a dead poet in a library, then reveal him to be a loner because, shock horror, it is boring. In the same way that an English essay is not a book review, no one wants to read something not designed for reading pleasure. Though this particular novel was inspired, with more drawn out and obscure, though brilliant, references than an episode of Scrubs followed by a Family Guy double bill, it was not a story.

Books

that has permeated our own modern day diction, which still fascinates scholars but most importantly, has balanced his fiction with good storylines.

If you do not believe me, think about modern adaptations, the popular film 10 Things I Hate About You is a classic example, based on The Taming of the Shrew. This is one example of many; the storylines are parodied in sitcoms and all sorts of other modern entertainment.

To tie up then, before I am accused of perfecting the modern equivalent of the self-indulgent monologue, you cannot escape the mindset that English Literature creates, well at least not in three years. Yet neither do you want to, it is nice to be able to appreciate a subtle hint or reference that an author takes the time to put in, however a storyline makes a story. When a literarynarrative balance is good enough for Shakespeare then I’d like to speak to the writer who thinks they are above trivial endeavours like entertaining a reader.

So, it appears I cannot evade English Literature. In a pure story-driven work, English has infiltrated my mind.

Well, then I must turn to stories that give a good balance. I leave the absence of high power literary technique to the children’s book and the display of literature’s finest to the field of poetry. Indeed, it is a certain equilibrium of technique set against invention that allows for one to satisfy analytical ir-

“I’d like to speak to the writer who thinks they are above trivial endeavours like entertaining a reader”

their film adaptations raked in millions of dollars, what do we actually know about the man behind the stories?

Born in the New England state of Rhode Island in July 1933, McCarthy was raised a Roman Catholic in a family of six children. However, McCarthy spent only four years in the North as the family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1937. The Volunteer State formed a special place in the young McCarthy’s heart, as he took two spells at the University of Tennessee in the 1950s and a home in Rockford after travelling in Europe in the 1960s. Many of McCarthy’s earlier novels are set in Tennessee, including the semi-autobiographical Suttree, considered by some to be his best.

After moving around Tennessee for a decade or so, McCarthy and his then

wife Anne DeLisle separated in 1976.

McCarthy moved west to El Paso, Texas, a state which acts as the setting for phenomenally successful works such as No Country for Old Men. Despite, then, being a Northerner by birth, McCarthy became a Southerner by choice. The significance of this in his literary career is hard to overstate as his ten published novels sweep across the region, from his spiritual home in Tennessee to the Mexican border in desert Texas. McCarthy’s aim has been to show the harsh reality of life in the rough and tumble of the Southern and Frontier states.

I have to admit, I am a big fan of McCarthy’s. The first novel of his that I read was the elaborately titled Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the

West, a haunting tale of scalp-hunters on the US/Mexican border in the age of cowboys and Indians. A quite sickening disregard for human life runs through the novel, as it does through much of McCarthy’s work, whilst the story’s ‘Judge’ is one of the most convincingly terrifying characters I think I have ever had the displeasure of discovering. As a critique of American ideals, the novel is essential reading.

Other favourites of mine include McCarthy’s two most recent novels, No Country for Old Men and The Road.

Both bleak tales have been adapted into multi-million dollar grossing films, with the Coen Brothers’ 2007 take on No Country collecting four Oscars at the 80th Academy Awards.

So, we know much of the great

author’s history. However, somewhat disappointingly, McCarthy seems extraordinarily media shy. His first television interview only came in 2007 on the Oprah Winfrey show, after the talk-show host listed The Road as a selection on her influential Book Club list.

McCarthy says that he doesn’t enjoy the company of other writers, preferring to spend time with scientists in his new home of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

McCarthy is at work on his next novel, under the working title of The Passenger and thought to contain his first prominent female character. Of course, when his next novel is published I would love to bring you an Exeposé interview with McCarthy, but I don’t think we bring quite the same status as Oprah just yet.

cannot ‘know women’, whilst Biff embarks on a journey of sexual discovery, culminating in losing his virginity to the outspoken Mary Magdalene, who thinks he is Joshua.

From the start, Bible references hit you like a sledgehammer as Jesus learns he can control snakes, conjure angels and resurrect various living things from the dead. The overall tone of the story aims to ‘humanise’ the figure of Jesus, which gives the novel its unlikely believability.

He is not denied the chance to be arrogant as he swaggers down the street, healing the sick and blind. On witnessing a murder, his rage is so great that with a single gesture he blinds the killer, leaving Biff to marvel at his badass counterpart.

Despite having all the subtlety of Louie Spence, it’s actually quite charming. The way in which Moore speculates on the evolution of Judaism into Christianity – Joshua develops a taste for bacon and travelling on the Sabbath – amazingly, turns out to be quite convincing..

That’s not to say the religiously inclined should read this. Don’t. It’s so blasphemous that at times it almost hurts to read. Picture John the Baptist, an infamous lunatic more likely to drown you than cleanse you of your sins. But for light-hearted comedy and a heart warming bromance, it can’t be beaten.

Freya Joseph

Profile

affected – self-consciousness, a wish to keep our attention so we don’t hate him. In my favourite of his novels, Albert Angelo (1963), he drops the whole narrative after just over 100 pages to admit that it was all true and that his attempts to create a compelling story have failed miserably. This then becomes a refreshingly unpretentious – Johnson was a Hammersmith-born, soccer-mad straight-talker – discourse on the constraints of conventional narrative, epitomised in his oft-quoted line: “Telling stories is telling lies.”

Blending tropes of other ‘experimental literature’ - such as the explicit stream-of-consciousness rants of William S. Burroughs with the cut-up methods of the Surrealists, and the self-conscious tone of Laurence Sterne with the loose, almost randomised feel of his hero James Joyce – Johnson developed a wonderful confessional tone augmented with dark humour and radical departures from established writing styles. The Unfortunates deals with the death of a close friend and fond/unhappy memories of their time together; it features within its already-experimental format extensions of Joycean monologue; disordered memories are broken by intriguing pauses in thought, as well as a stimulating chapter as he writes, rewrites, and finally dictates a football

match report over the phone comma spelling out every grammatical mark and the odd word. No, w o r d. With a W. Unfortunately, Johnson – despite his notoriety at the time – has never quite become popular, even after talks of a ‘major critical re-evaluation’ about a decade ago that seems to have petered out. Unlike seminal contemporary Hunter S. Thompson, himself a sportswriter-turned-experimental-novelist, Johnson never retained any justifiable self-confidence and killed himself in 1973, at the age of 40. Odd though it sounds, reading and appreciating his work now seems like a reassurance to his memory: ‘it’s OK, B.S., I still love you!’ The final novel published during his lifetime, ‘73’s Christie Malry’s Own Double-Entry, while brilliant, seems hardly a fitting epitaph, and the posthumous See the Old Lady Decently is still out of print, as most of his work was till recently. History has not treated this man too well.

Nevertheless, every one of Johnson’s novels – and most of his poems, found online – proves a compelling read: funny, existential, genuine, and more often than not including a surprising amount of football talk. A sensitive writer on the terraces? Now that’s a truly idiosyncratic author.

Calum Baker, Screen Editor discusses B. S. Johnson and his unique but sadly overlooked literature.

I’ve just finished reading what can only be described as a small installation, a ‘book-in-a-box’ where the 27 chapters are on small, separate pamphlets which are, with the exception of the ‘First’ and ‘Last’, to be shuffled and read in any order. Welcome to the world of B.S. Johnson and his experimental literature.

I assume a lot of you have come across House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski’s heavily experimental multi-font, multi-coloured tome about a haunted house, told as an annotated parody of literary criticism. It’s rewarding, but occasionally sluggish; at least said ‘book-in-a-box’, B.S. Johnson’s infamous The Unfortunates (1969), is snappy enough to cover up any intermittent lapses in interest.

The ultimate reader/writer, Johnson’s broadly ‘Postmodern’ style is exacerbated by his affecting – rather than

Therefore, for the person seeking to avoid English Literature every once in a while, look for the balance. Dare I utter the name, but Shakespeare is a prime example of this. He has language

26

Arts

February 21 2011 Exeposé

Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel - arts@exepose.com

comedy review

We Know Mark Watson Arts Editors Ellie Steafel and Rosie Scudder chat to Mark Watson and review his current tour Do I Know You?

THE Plymouth Pavilions is apparently the place to be on a Tuesday night.

Desperately searching for the arena entrance, we fought our way through a rowdy mass of 14-year-olds, hyped up on ShakeAways and queuing for the ‘Fun Pool and Ice Rink’. Though we were momentarily tempted to exchange our Mark Watson tickets for a dip in the ‘Fun Pool’, we overcame the urge and, grown-up drinks in hand, found our seats.

15 minutes before the show started, Watson appeared on stage, sat himself at a laptop and proceeded to talk to the audience via a linked projection screen. He had the audience members chuckling their way to their seats with observations on the average age and baldness of the crowd.

This initial interaction between comedian and audience set the tone for the rest of the performance, creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere. After returning to the stage and opening the show with a promise not to fall into the routine of victimising audience members, Watson expertly set his crowd at ease.

However, this disclaimer didn’t stop him having a bit of fun as, with the audience’s help, he orches-

trated a hilarious plot aimed to confuse latecomers. We were instructed to howl with laughter when we heard the fabricated punch line “and there wasn’t even a kangaroo!” thus leaving any latecomers utterly bewildered and disappointed to have missed a good joke.

A much protracted start to the show established Watson’s conversational style as he skipped from topic to topic at a dizzying pace, even joking at one point that you get more words for your money at one of his gigs.

As a new dad, Watson shared his worries surrounding fatherhood and having to be a grownup. From all the “dad noises” he has started to make (grunting when lifting any object and wincing when getting into a hot bath), to a genuine fear of killing the child, Watson’s honesty and use of personal experience creates a very natural and endearing form of comedy. Despite some concern that he might not be able to teach his son anything remotely useful, Watson touchingly concluded that he might actually be better at this dad lark than he thought.

Amongst the comical observations of everyday life, Watson also addresses some of the low points in his career. He manages to hold the laughter throughout unexpected moments of self-examination and makes potentially uncomfortable recollections about alcoholdrenched loneliness ultimately uplifting.

Watson is a master of the overarching joke. From the outset, he warned that anyone

who left their seats during the show would be at risk of a good chasing. Lamenting how the joys of the childhood chase become socially unacceptable after the age of twenty, Watson champions a revival of said pastime. With an unusually low stage, he commented on how the arena layout brilliantly facilitated chasing antics.

Lo and behold, the second act presented

the perfect opportunity, as one of the aforementioned bald men perilously stood up and made his way to the end of the aisle. As a wave of tension spread throughout the audience, Watson stopped in his tracks and both men locked eyes. The chase was on.

This somewhat undermined his previous claim to be a serious dad-type but nevertheless had us howling with

laughter.

Having only known him as a panellist on TV series such as Mock the Week and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, we were unsure what to expect from this one-man-show. However, Watson’s unique brand of comedy had us entertained from start to finish. He truly is relatable, endearing and relentlessly funny.

interview Your tour is called ‘Do I Know You?’; how does it feel to be recognized by people in the street?

It’s pretty strange, which is why I tried to address it in this show. If you were massively famous like Madonna, you’d sort of get used to it and automatically factor it in - you’d get used to going everywhere in taxis and not meeting everyone’s eye.

But as I’m only slightly well-known, I never expect someone to stop me. As a result, I have a lot of fairly awkward conversations.

Do you prefer playing small audiences in places like the Fringe, or big arenas?

On the whole, it’s always easier to play small venues, because comedy relies so much on intimacy and nuance.

However I’ve played some big arenas where the thrill of the crowd, and the sense of occasion, make up for that intimacy. What you don’t want is to be in a huge great place with nobody there. Think we can all agree on that.

Who are your comedic influences, past and present?

Most of them are pretty much present, because I didn’t see a lot of stand-up when I was growing up, so the comics who’ve most influenced me are people like Lee Mack and Dara O’Briain, whom I was lucky enough to learn from early in my career. Having said that, The Simpsons is probably the

closest thing I have to a joke-writing Bible. There’s never been a body of work quite like it.

Do you think chasing will catch on after this tour?

It would be nice to think so. I think booing people, which I also advocate in the show, might have more chance as it’s slightly less conspicuous. Chasing requires a certain commitment to looking odd.

Do you think having a family now changes your perspective and therefore your comedic writing?

It’s bound to, really, because all my material is drawn from my day-today experience, and that experience is now dominated by family life. But I try not to let it completely monopolise my choice of subjects, because people banging on about their families can be the dullest thing in the world.

Anyone we should be looking out for on the comedy circuit at the moment?

A bloke called Josh Widdecombe. Really funny and original. He’s from Devon as well, so you shouldn’t have to look very hard.

You’ve just written a novel; do you see yourself as primarily a novelist or performer?

To be honest I started out seeing myself as a novelist, and instinctively I still do. But I’ve ended up getting better known as a comic, because we live in a world where comedians get a lot more attention than writers, on the whole. And I do like attention.

27

Exeposé week eighteen

Arts

photography review Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize @ National Portrait Gallery February 20 THIS portrait competition is an annual fixture at the National Portrait Gallery, comprising of an array of portraits and subject matter from various photographers. The rule is that the photograph must have been taken in the last year. In the course of an intense two days a team of judges assess the photographs based on subject, composition, lighting, narrative, and technical elements.

I found the exhibition particularly interesting because of its lack of organisation - there was little more than simple white walls which allow the pictures to speak for themselves. It was somehow lazy, and yet that is all they needed.

The exhibition has an arresting entrance; a girl, seemingly white-skinned, in a veil, catches your eye from the other end of the gallery, drawing you under the archway. The first wall, to your left, is a mixture of faded colours, bluegreen hues. There’s quite a contrast between Yasna, an emigrant from Moldova living in Israel, and Jack, a boy from

Devon who saved enough money to buy a tortoise (also pictured) by mowing neighbour’s lawns. Yet there is something touching and evocative about both portraits.

Some subjects are serious - ‘Not even magic stopped the genocide’ depicts an African boy holding a copy of Harry Potter, his eyes revealing the horrors he has witnessed at an age when all he should be doing is reading children’s books.

Everyone is waiting, everyone is here. Everyone has gathered in a strange array of people; you would scarce find them meeting together at any time of their lives.

Mothers and daughters, old women, year-eight girls at a Russian cossack cadet school, Irish twins, girls in juvenile prison. And soldiers. Many soldiers. A stark reminder of the amount of wars that are always being fought, the unheard of battles that have been and those that are yet to come. Child prisoners. So much diversity made me wonder, how would you choose a winner? Of course, some portraits stand out for the sheer beauty of the shot, but can you place a portrait that is more an exploration of colour and style over one that evokes death, destruction, and desperation?

There is a strange juxtaposition of horror and happiness, poverty and wealth.

theatre review Wealth @ M&D Room February 12

I PROMISED myself that, this term, I would try and do more with my life than sleep, eat and drink. I planned to read more, try new things and to occasionally have a night out involving a little more culture than Thursday night Rococo’s.

I was, however, concerned that Aristophanes’ Wealth may be a little highbrow for me. Fortunately, in this case, I was wrong.

The play, which was performed by a small cast of just six students, was a riotously funny contemporary version of the classic Greek play. It was deliciously risqué, with a smattering of sexual references, cross-dressing and, of course, lap dancing. What more would you expect from the ancient Greeks? The writing was sharp and witty, with the povertystricken line, “I’d crucify a kitten for a jammy dodger,” perfectly encapsulating the delightfully dark humour. Despite the comedy, the play also raised some intriguing questions about wealth, its place in our society and the corruption that can result from it. The play was interlaced with subtle moral undertones, exploring the necessity of both poverty and wealth.

As the goddess Poverty points out, if everyone had wealth then no one would have the motivation to work and thus society would cease to operate. These

ideas risked being lost in the delivery, as one could not help but be distracted by the brilliant portrayal of the promiscuous goddess by a male actor in a dubious blonde wig. The acting was generally superb and the cast showed no fear, displaying a wonderful array of costumes and demonstrating a wide range of vocal ability. The audience were treated to a plethora of accents, most of which were amusingly overplayed.

“Deliciously risqué, with a smattering of sexual references, cross-dressing and lap dancing.”

There were points where lines seemed to have been missed and characters would answer questions that had not yet been asked, which could be a little confusing. However, the relaxed atmosphere is what made the play so enjoyable. Nevertheless, it was not advisable to be sitting in the front row; one man was dragged out by a domineering, lustful goddess and shut outside. He returned a few minutes later and fortunately seemed to find it funny. Altogether, it was an extremely enjoyable evening. I felt that I had absorbed a suitable amount of culture whilst also enjoying some crude humour and dirty dancing - a perfect combination.

KATY MCINTOSH

Editors’ Top 10

1. Exeter Dance

Festival

Dance February 20-26 Barnfield Theatre

2. Speaking in

Tongues

Play February 21-22 Northcott Theatre Photo: David Chancellor: Huntress with Buck

Tony Blair in a grey unflattering light and a naked black girl’s back. It is this that makes this exhibition so intriguing. A drab and unflattering portrait of teenage girls before prom sits near uncomfortable pictures of obesity and prostitution juxtaposed alongside the usual array of pretty models, just being.

Haiti is a recurrent theme; its destruction and the months of rebuilding that have followed.

The portrait chosen as the winner is that of a young American girl on a horse, in a game reserve in South Af-

rica with a couple of dead stags slung over her saddle. I didn’t think it was particularly representative of anything, except for the rich once again swooping in to take the resources of the poor, but something that all these portraits have in common is that they require something of the viewer in order to have an impact.

Perhaps it was that something that was missing in me. The exhibition is well worth a visit, if only for the thoughts it provokes.

LAURA LE BROCQ LIFESTYLE EDITOR

theatre review

Showstopper @ Northcott Theatre February 3-4

QUICK-thinking, award-winning, and knicker-wettingly funny, the cast of Showstopper never perform the same musical twice. Each night this talented group of all singing, all dancing actors and comedians carefully concoct a brand new musical. Led by both shout outs from the audience and an innovatively interrupting director, the actors flawlessly piece together a performance of comic and musical genius; with the cast having little or no control over the storyline’s direction, the possibilities are limitless. Fuelled by the audiences’ ridiculous suggestions, Exeter’s being a sisterly struggle over a handsome archaeologist set in a deathly-curse and lustful Arabic tourist plagued Egyptian tomb, each performance is unlike the one before.

Prompted by a telephone call from the show’s fictional producer at the beginning of each performance, Showstopper’s directors, either Sean McCann or Dylan Emery, ask the excitable audience for a setting, a title, and a number of musical styles. Shouts from the audience determine which direction the performance will take (in Exeter’s case the cry “Yes! Exeter says yes!”), a raucous concept saved from mayhem only by the quick wittedness of the

director and the cast. Not even when the shouting is over and the action is underway are the Showstoppers in command of their own musical. Just as the cast get into their stride, somehow turning the audience’s absurd suggestions into a feasible plot, the ingenious director will stand and house lights will come up. With a mischievous grin he will halt the performance, instructing the actors to embellish, rewind, or redo something in the style of, say, Lion King the Musical. After a brief pause for the inevitable giggles, the Showstoppers propel the musical on, never faltering in spite of the undeniable potential to moments of tension, transform into glorious moments of inspired creation.

The Showstoppers didn’t disappoint when they graced our very own Exeter Northcott last week, impressively managing to seamlessly incorporate an ABBA-themed wedding, the body of a (questionably) dead explorer, a spaghetti western-esque harem and a religious proverb-spouting camel into an hour and a half of improvised triumph. Complemented by resourceful and imaginative musicians, the awardwinning cast’s wit, skill, and wholehearted enthusiasm undoubtedly leaves each member of the audience with a grin on their face and the persistent urge to break into improvised song.

ELLIE WALKER-ARNOTT

3. Josh’s Monsters Play February 21-26 BikeShed Theatre

4. Uncut Poets:

Harry Guest Poetry February 24 Phoenix Centre

5. And the Horse

You Rode in On Play Feb 24 - March 12 Drum Theatre, Plymouth

6. Theatre Alibi:

Gaucher’s War Play Feb 26 - March 4 Phoenix Centre

7. Footloose

Musical Feb 28 - March 5 Theatre Royal, Plymouth

8. The

Accordionist

Play February 1-5 BikeShed Theatre

9. Hamlet: Prince

of Denmark

Play March 4-5 Northcott Theatre

10. Angelos

Epithemiou Comedy March 6 Theatre Royal, Plymouth

28

Arts

February 21 2011 Exeposé

theatre review Cul-de-sac @ BikeShed Theatre February 2-12

FACED with the horrific reality that the world is coming to an end, three couples, all with their own problems, face a sobering situation. To the surprise of the audience they do not panic, with one humorous exception, and instead relish the concept of knowing their fate is set.

The play begins by introducing each couple in their separate suburban homes where pleasures, anxieties, fears and desires can be privately expressed.

The audience quickly becomes engaged as we respond to these mismatched characters. Cul-de-sac, with the aid of the quaint and intimate setting of the BikeShed, captures the attention of its audience and takes them on an emotional ride. It stimulates compassion and consideration not only towards the characters but also to the world we inhabit.

The minimal set created by Ruth Webb is not only ingenious but assists

with the smooth progression of the plot.

As the audience are seated at either end of the stage, and barely a foot away from the actors, the play becomes much more intense as you are drawn into these three very complex and troubled households.

“Bebber has written a play that successfully exposes the nature of modern day neighbourhoods; where there is very little interaction between households”

The acting is fantastically natural: Chloe Whipple who plays Carla, recovering from the loss of a child, perfectly delivers this woman’s dreamy vulnerability. Tony, played by Matt Lawrenson, who the audience instantly fall in love with, is a man crumpled by his wife’s affair and his inability to stop loving her.

Bebber has written a play that suc-

exhibition review Modern British Sculpture Exhibition @ Royal Academy of Arts January 22-April 7

AS the saying goes, ‘never judge a book by its cover,’ so does it apply to art exhibitions, ‘never judge an exhibition by its title’. The new ‘Modern British Sculpture’ exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts is by no means as intimidating or indeed up-to-the-minute as the name first suggests. It is not just another collection of pretentious unfathomable objects labelled, ‘Untitled’ and worshipped by serious fashionable art fans.

Instead, within the exhibition is a comprehensive pathway, which the more cautious observer of modern sculpture may follow for a satisfying guide through the last two hundred years. It provides a firm grounding in at least one approach to looking at ‘Modern British Sculpture’.

However, to somewhat contradict myself, the most fascinating piece in the whole exhibition is one of the most modern and unexpected pieces. The preceding rooms help to put the work of the infamous Damien Hirst in context and explain the sinister madness he creates. Standing in the centre of the penultimate room is a tank containing a cow’s head, real flies and maggots, sugar, water, insect-o-cutor (a horrid blue neon fly zapping contraption), a picnic table and chairs, condiments and food.

Titled ‘Let’s Eat Outside Today’; the spectacle is repulsive. The first instinct of most of the observers is to look away,

to avoid the mutilation within the glass box; however the second, which immediately follows, is a morbid fascination to see more. The scene is mainly dead flies, however this was not the case at the beginning of the exhibition. At the start they were all alive – fallen victims

cessfully exposes the nature of modern day neighbourhoods; where there is very little interaction between households. But through a scenario that forces them to communicate, we understand how each couple is troubled, harbouring secrets and, like a cul-de-sac, not going anywhere. Bebber himself comments on how he hoped to write a play that would “expose our preconceptions of a collective human behaviour in the midst of humanity’s final hour”.

theatre review Kes @ Northcott Theatre February 8-12

HANNAH METCALFE

BASED on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, EUTCo’s production of Kes created a balance between severity and comedy, sadness and hilarity, which moved and thrilled the audience.

Wary of being insensitive to the plight of Billy Casper, the production was careful to mix Billy’s poignant struggle with moments of great comedy.

I cannot fault the performance of any of EUTCo’s cast. With standout performances from Will Hughes as Billy, Joe McDonnell as his brother Jud, and the three male teachers, EUTCo’s actors rarely come across as young adults playing children, and vice versa. The teachers looked authoritative in their costumes and followed this with remarkable acting, with comedy brilliance supplied by Mr Sugden (Luke Theobald) and Mr Gryce (Zac Price) and an engaging scene involving Mr Farthing (James Bailey) and Billy. Jud acts as

to the insect-o-cutor and the excessive amounts of roast chicken and sugar available, the insects literally ‘drop like flies’. As I watched the tank, I watched the death of at least four flies, adding to the thousands on the floor. There is a repulsive sense of the inevitability of

death and the futility of living.

My only advice is to go and see it for yourself; it is a stunning example of the power of modern sculpture, and I would argue that the presentation of the work actually acts to make Hirst accessible to anyone who would care to look

“Each couple is troubled, harbouring secrets and, like a cul-de-sac, not going anywhere”

Cul-de-sac is a powerful and funny play, which in the last scene turns terribly bleak as you are forced to ponder the concept of the end of the world.

Everyone involved in the show should be incredibly proud of such an original and prevailing production.

Billy’s nemesis and cruelly taunts him throughout the play. The violence seen between them is raw, very believable and quite shocking in places. Hughes’ flawless portrayal of Billy encapsulates many young boys’ struggle for a life of normality and equality, touching the hearts of the audience and drawing them into the world of the play.

As the director, Charlie O’Reardon not only led his actors but also experiments with multi-media and exciting technical elements. The opening of the second half saw the effective use of projections, as the audience witness Billy and his comrades playing football whilst suffering much abuse from their football coach. The coach’s, shall we say, ‘colourful’ use of language created much comedy and contributed to the dark humour and success of this scene and indeed the play as a whole.

Once again, another fabulous production from EUTCo, the performance they put on was, in my opinion, exceptional. A thoroughly enjoyable and polished play.

POLLYANNA COTTERILL

on. But be warned: it’s definitely not for the faint hearted.

ZOE BULAITIS Photo: Damien Hirst: Let’s Eat Outside Today

long lounge “ Our aim is simple.

To offer a range of healthy, ethical and organic foods that, where possible, have been sourced locally.

“

11am – 5pm mon-fri

30

february 21 2011

Video Games

Exeposé

Stephen O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees - games@exepose.com

Retro

UFO: Enemy Unknown: Mythos, MicroProse; PC/PSX 1994

DESPITE its distinctly ancient graphics and simple premise, UFO: Enemy Unknown is frequently referred to as one of the greatest video games of all time and, in my eyes, rightly so. Released on the PC in 1994, Enemy Unknown stands out as the grandfather of strategy games; placing the player in command of a top secret organisation tasked with defending Earth from alien invaders. For a game produced in a pre-3D and high definition world, Enemy Unknown boasts remarkably complex gameplay and proves that fancy visuals don’t guarantee an immersive experience.

Enemy Unknown integrates several different gameplay elements: there’s base building and resource management, combined with research trees and tactical, turn-based squad missions. The tactical missions take up the bulk of playing time and the combination of atmospheric music and dwindling action points make each turn tense as you attempt to locate aliens in shadowy barns or crashed UFOs. The gradual introduction of new alien species and technology prevents these sequences from becoming boring, whilst the research and development of new alien-based technology with which to arm your troops on their next mission is an addictive formula.

Of course, part of the reason why I hold Enemy Unknown in such high esteem is because of simple nostalgia; playing it now brings back memories of playing it as a toddler with my dad. However, Enemy Unknown also deserves praise for its compelling gameplay and immensely detailed world. Little touches like being able to rename your troops after your housemates or family show just how much thought was put into the game, and often leads to tragic (or hilarious) moments when ‘Sergeant Dad’ steps on an alien grenade. Because of all of these things, Enemy Unknown still has a proud place on my computer, and is more than a match in terms of quality for many more recent games. I’d urge anyone who hasn’t played it to step back 17 years and see where strategy games began.

Alex HawksworthBrookes

In future-earth, armour research is 90% codpiece, 10% hairband.

How companies put the sex back in videoSEXgames, Jessica Leung investigates

As I write this article, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. A day of kisses, hugs, romance and cuddles. We all know that the day is actually just all about pure, unadulterated sex – and lots of it. “But!” I hear you cry, “what if I don’t have that lucky someone to make sweet, sweet love to?” Well, fear not my friend, this is where video games come in.

Despite what you may think, sex and video games actually have a lot in common. Now, I could spend the whole day trying to make you giggle about vibrating joysticks and headshots, but I choose not to bore you with such clichés.

Instead, I am going to open the doors to the secret world of sex in videogames.

Perhaps it is time to come back to reality and realise that you are being turned on by a mere collection of pixels. Therein lies the shame and taboo surrounding sex in videogames.

Sex is everywhere in the gaming world. The Grand Theft Auto games allow you to live the ideal life: taking multiple women on dates then sealing the deal with steamy sex in cars without the pressure to cuddle after. Anyone who has ever played this game will have done the shameful thing of turning the camera angle to try and catch a glimpse of the sexual action. The same applies for The Sims where a simple cheat allowed you to remove the bed during “woo-hoo” sessions, revealing loved up Sims in some form of blurred entanglement. Those who have not experienced this are probably lying, or maybe they’re simply not perverts like the rest of us.

This draws us to the vital question: why are people so obsessed with sex in video games? Perhaps it is the escapist notion of being able to explore one’s sexuality within the confines of a game that draws gamers towards the world of virtual sex. In games you can avoid problems such as not fully satisfying your partner, falling asleep mid-act or the awkward morning after chats. This is literally no strings sex at its best. But then again, perhaps it simply is the fact that sex is such a natural thing that it would be impossible to ignore it in games which are becoming all the more realistic.

Yet having said that, the public are so shocked by sex in video games but are completely undeterred by raunchy scenes in films, as apparently games are responsible for the delinquent youths of today.

An example would be the scandal regarding the Mass Effect sex scenes where a presenter on Fox News decided that they were t o o

graphic, considering the game was marketed towards teenagers. I can tell you now that you will find more nudity from five minutes in Jersey Shore than in Mass Effect – yet no one seems to be complaining about that.

This then raises the question of where to draw the line. The Leisure Suit Larry series can really only be described as soft-core porn. The sole aim of the game is to become the ultimate playboy by sleeping with as many women as possible. The explicit and often quite realistic scenes make me wonder whether this could actually be described as a game, or whether it is purely an excuse for sexually frustrated adolescents to see and ‘feel’ busty blondes. Is this really the message we want to be sending out to the young people of today, or is it all just a bit of fun?

sex found in films. Though perhaps gamers should realise that when it is just you, your left hand and the TV screen every night then perhaps it is time to switch off and brave the outside.

“You will find more nudity from five minutes in Jersey Shore than in Mass Effect”

Microsoft recently blocked a sex game for Xbox Kinect. This game allowed users to use hand motions and voice commands to stimulate, yes you guessed it, busty blondes. Apparently this game was designed so that you can play it with only one hand, leaving the other hand free to toss a ball or something. Surely this is essentially a sex simulator - porn in disguise! Kids can play Kinectimals on the same platform. Is such a sex game therefore appropriate for a family orientated console?

The line between the virtual and the real world is becoming increasingly blurred. LovePlus is a Japanese game for the Nintendo DS which allows users to date and develop a relationship with an anime girl.

Similar to a Tamagotchi, users have to dedicate a lot of time into making such a relationship work. Some take this to the extreme and one lucky guy even officially married his electronic girlfriend last year. It seems that real human relationships just do not cut it in this day and age anymore.

Everyone loves a bit of sex and often the scenes in games are funny rather than erotic. In most cases they are no more risqué than the

NEws byTES

Mass Effect’s Ashley Williams, a soldier who’ll serve alongside, and underneath, you.

Hold onto your swimcaps poolfans!

The excitement of poolside to poolside action is coming to Kinect, with Michael Phelps - Push The Limit. Due June 2011, the game promises to electrify the non-existent genre, just don’t play it straight after eating ... or at all.

Unfortunately, if new evidence by Continental Tyres proves true Michael Phelps’ game may not make you a better swimmer, as a study has shown that gamers who play racing games are worse drivers than their non-gaming counterparts. Not only do more gamers suffer road-rage, but they also throw fruit peel from their cars.

Blah blah tenuous link, GAME has announced plans to sell Xbox Live downloadable content instore! Finally the rigamarole of the long walk to the television and downloading additional content has been replaced by merely walking to the local GAME and purchasing a coded card that will unlock the content when signing onto XBLA. Here’s to business degrees gentlemen!

Of course, it seems many are content to stick with some retro gaming fare - the PlayStation 2 has just rocked up its 150millionth sale! Yes, there’s still huge appeal for Sony’s immortal gaming portal. No word on how many Dreamcasts are doing the rounds though.

31

Exeposé week eighteen

Adam Koziol gives us five Valentine inspired gifts for gaming ladies

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider): A tricky one to start with as she’s already got so much money. She’s been to so many different countries already that a holiday would just bore her, and having acquired the Inafada Stone, the Eye of Isis and the Amulet of Horus during her travels, you’re not going to impress her with jewellery either.

No, what Lara craves is excitement. Try letting a hungry tiger into her room whilst she sleeps, or hiring a group of ninjas to assassinate her.

Princess Peach (Mario Bros.): With this girl you’re facing some pretty stiff competition. After all, Mario has probably saved her life more times than you’ve picked up a controller. On the other hand the guy isn’t perfect and there are definitely weaknesses you can exploit. For one thing, he seems pretty incompetent at actually stopping Peach getting kidnapped in the first place; and even when he does set out to rescue her, he keeps getting lost and going to the wrong castle. My suggestion would be to hire her a competent team of bodyguards.

Navi (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) I’d recommend spending money on yourself rather than her. Not because she won’t complain, but because she is guaranteed to complain. A lot. No matter what you do, this attention-seeking fairy will still endlessly complain about you not listening to her. Do yourself a favour and get a pair of earplugs.

Samus Aran (Metroid) As an interstellar bounty hunter, the vast majority of Samus’ career has involved destroying Metroids to prevent the space pirates using them as biological weapons. Now that the entire species is extinct you’d think she’d be happy. However her latest adventure has her mourning the loss of a baby Metroid as if it’s a cute furry kitten, not a life draining parasite. Giving her a new Metroid egg would seem to be the logical choice, just as long as she doesn’t dump you for the Metroid once it’s hatched.

GLADoS (Portal) If you want to date an insane, homicidal, passiveaggressive robot, then odds are you’re probably already a masochist. This is good, because the best gift you can give GLADoS this Valentine’s Day is your death. To make it an extra special day, let her conduct scientific tests and scorn you with insults before throwing yourself into a cloud of deadly neurotoxin.

Video Games Marvel vs Capcom 3: Capcom; 360/PS3 February 18 2010

AS the title suggests, this game has heroes and villains from the two franchises facing off against each other in the form of a two dimensional team fighting game. Players get to choose

three of 36 possible characters from every corner of both franchises. Since the last game the roster may have decreased in size, but the characters all feel more well rounded and have a wider range of moves available.

The Marvel characters come from various comic books, and the Capcom characters come from games like Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Devil May Cry. However there are too many X-Men and Street Fighter characters in the game, contributing five players each.

Many of the fan favourite charac-

Minecraft: Mojang; PC Beta release: December 20 2010 Excuse me sir, there’s a zombie in my Lego.

Minecraft really says it right on its 8-bit tin. Essentially you mine materials, and then using them in various ways, create structures, armour or weapons. Although the graphics may be jarring to some more aesthetic loving gamers, the charm that comes from seeing rectangle-pigs bobbing in the ocean is only matched by such games as Garry’s Mod in its ability to create such a bizarre universe.

One of the most gratifying elements of Minecraft is its feeling of pure freedom. Independent game developer Markus Persson does not give you a single constraint (other than lava is hotter than you,) allowing the player to explore their own, randomly generated world in peace. However, come nightfall, the world of Minecraft becomes a much more dangerous and grotesque place. For from the darkness comes all manner of sentient cubes intent on harvesting you for that yellow shirt/blue jeans ensemble you’re rocking. These nefarious characters include

ters like Wolverine and Ryu are back, along with some more obscure characters like Taskmaster and Amaterasu from Okami. My personal favourite character is Dante, who can pull out a massive assortment of weapons, utilising both ranged and melee attacks.

Running a close second is Wolverine who just feels badass in every way as he slices through opponents with his trademark claws.

“There is nothing more satisfying than juggling enemies and pulling off amazing combos.”

The control scheme has been changed so that character switching is easier and light, medium and heavy attacks replace the previous system. A simplified control system is also available which makes dazzling moves easier to pull off for those who struggle to get to grips with the normal controls. For some characters stringing together combos is easy and gratifying as you obliterate the opposing team, but with some characters’ attacks feel disjointed and it’s difficult to keep the gameplay flowing. Button mashing is still a viable option in MVC3 but there is nothing more satisfying than juggling enemies and pulling off amazing arrow-shooting skeletons, your classic ‘shufflers’, hissing spiders, and what can only be described as an exploding phallus. Now if that doesn’t take your fancy then there is an optional ‘peaceful’ mode for those who prefer mining in peace.

Although the game is still in its beta phase, there are next to no bugs, and enough content already present to sap away those hours of useless roundedged life we live. The game does feature a multiplayer function; although not nearly finished, it does have potential, and is leaning more in the ways of Little Big Planet than most other world building sandboxes. A survival mode is also being developed, which will function as a kind of endless horde mode, which Persson says he would rather make ‘too difficult’ than ‘too easy’.

combos when you actually mean to.

Each character has a number of special and support moves to further increase their arsenal of abilities, whilst your three characters can combine their special moves to create a screen filling, seizure-inducing barrage of attacks.

MVC3 uses the same engine as Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2 but creates a unique visual style, which mixes bright cel-shading with a comic book aesthetic. All the characters have faithfully been rendered and they all look gorgeous if a bit simple. The attack animations are also beautiful, especially the elemental effects, however it can be overwhelming with too much happening on screen at once.

There is also a tutorial mode in the form of a series of missions for each character that challenges the player to string together combos. Whilst the tutorial is a welcome addition you have to get the combos exactly correct to complete the mission and this can be quite difficult.

Letting the game down is the small variation of game modes, the lack of any coherent story and a disappointing final boss. However, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a great game for people who are prepared to put the time into it, but more casual gamers will get less out of the experience. Building your ideal team and learning how best to utilise them is a lot of fun, especially when competing against friends. MVC3 was definitely worth the decade-long wait.

8.5/10

Athanasios Skarlatos has there been such a love of blocks.

9/10

Cameron Ward

“One of the most gratifying elements of Minecraft is its feeling of pure freedom.”

The game is available for pre-purchase now for 25% off release price, and includes the beta version. Although there is no official release date as of yet, retail price will be at a mere €20.00. Not since Companion Cube

Trenchcoat , sunglasses, slicked hair. This guy seems legit.

Kate Gray matches seven gaming couples that aren’t together but really should be...

To celebrate Valentine’s, this most arbitrary of days, commemorating the gruesome martyrdom of a littleknown Roman saint by showering our lovers with cheap chocolates, I thought about the gaming lovers destined for each other that never will be: Slippy & Navi: Both ridiculously annoying and repetitive, these two are a match made in heaven, purely for the fact that it would get both of them out of the way for a while. Height may be an issue, as well as the whole he’s-a-frog, she’s-a-glowy-ball-with-wings thing, but in the world of gaming, MUSHROOMS CAN TALK. ‘Nuff said.

Sonic & Birdo: Why not? They’re brightly-coloured abominations of nature: he’s a blue hedgehog that can out-run a car, unlike most unfortunate pancaked ex-hedgehogs, with an inexplicable fetish for rings; she’s a… thing… that lays eggs… with her mouth.

Pac-Man & the Ghosts: Rather than being forcibly married to someone who looks like you in drag, why not confront how you really feel?

You’ve been chasing those ghosts for over 30 years. Time to go on a date in the soft light of the neon maze.

Link & Alyx Vance: She’s used to the silent, several-years-in-stasis type.

He really needs to learn how to use a gun.

Donkey Kong & Bayonetta: He’s a hairy beast wearing a tie. She’s a witch with shoes made of guns and a catsuit made from her own body hair. While this is worrying at best, I think Donkey Kong deserves a girl who actually wears less than he does.

Samus & Master Chief: They both have cool armour, visors and a love for futuristic shooty things.

What could go wrong?

The Pong Bat & the Wiimote: Slightly bizarre as the Pong Bat is within a game and the Wiimote exists in real life, but just because the TV screen separates them (as well as a gap of a few decades) doesn’t mean they aren’t a match made in white blocky heaven. Imagine, they could share food by batting it between them; how sweet…

KEEP CALM AND

DRINK BEER The RAM Bar • Devonshire House • www.exeterguild.com/ram

33

Exeposé week eighteen

Exeter feel the wind in their sails Sailing

Tim Saxton EUSC

OVER the past few weekends, the main section of the BUCS competitions for the Sailing Club has kicked into full gear.

Following November’s early successes at the annual BUCS fleet racing Championships (three medals including one gold, and overall team gold) the University’s teams have been competing at the qualifiers for the Match Racing and Team Racing Finals to be held over Easter.

Match racing is a discipline in which each team of five sails one small yacht in a very tactical “one on one” race against another team in an identical yacht. As such, success requires a good balance between both control of the boat and racing tactics.

The University sent two very competitive teams to the qualifiers held in London at the end of January.

The first team was skippered by Tim Saxton, and also contained scholars Matt Rainback and Ben Muskett, and top club members Suzy Russell and AJ Dawson.

The second team was skippered by the experienced Bermudan fresher, Jason saints, and also included Scholar Mike Wood, Francois Fung, Emma Derby and Ian Mayhew. With six out of nine teams to qualify, the event began with a round robin which saw both teams put in convincing performances.

The seconds finished fifth losing only to much older and more experienced teams, before convincingly winning against Plymouth 1sts in the playoffs to reach the finals.

The 1sts ended the round robin in second having lost only one tight race to the top seed. This resulted in a semifinal against the third placed team, Southampton Solent 1. For Solent, match

racing and yachting is a key university sport and they receive huge amounts of funding for training and equipment.

Exeter continued their round-robin form winning the first of the best of three series. However set-up issues resulted in poor speed and they closely lost the next to races, putting Exeter into the petitfinal.

Exeter were to race event favourites and top seeds, Southampton 1sts, who had lost in a shock upset to Bristol 1, a team which included Exeter alumni Elliott Parsons. Again the format was to be a best of three. Southampton won the first race having picked the faster side of the course on the first lap after an equal start. However, the team rallied together and through aggressive starting tactics and good speed they convincingly won the next two races to take third spot and demote the top seeds to a demoralising fourth place.

Overall, Southampton Solent went on to win the event. However, the Exeter teams both qualified for the finals, gaining invaluable experience and putting in strong performances along the way. This means that Exeter was the only university from the tougher Southern area qualifier to qualify two teams through to the finals. What is more, with all of the top four having beaten each other at various stages of the event, the first team will approach the race with confidence that they can put in a medalwinning performance. The seconds too will hope to use the experience they have gained to break through to the top level, and clearly demonstrated the ability and pure talent to show that this is not beyond them.

Over the weekend of February 5 and 6, the Western area Team racing qualifiers were held at Roadford lake on Dartmoor. Team racing involves teams, each with three two person dinghys, racing against another six person team,

with the aim of getting all three of the boats to finish ahead of the opposition.

The Western area is widely regarded as one of the toughest regions, with teams representing it frequently dominating the quarter-final line-ups at the finals, again to be held over Easter. With only four out of 18 teams going directly to the finals, qualifying was never going to be easy, and the conditions that greeted the sailors on both days confirmed this.

Extremely high winds, almost gale force at times, led to the racing being temporarily postponed on a number of occasions, and meant the boats became extremely hard to control, resulting in some high octane, extremely exciting and challenging racing.

However, true to their form of recent years the firsts (Tim Saxton, Matt Rainback, Ben Muskett, Jodie Green, Lucy De Boltz, Suzy Russell), despite not sailing their best, won all of their races to convincingly qualify and lay down a marker for the other teams.

The second team (Hugh Shone, Hannah Diamond, Jason Saints, Izzy Quickie, Ian Mayhew, Angus Mayhew), with considerably less experience struggled against several of the top teams from other universities to finish fourth in their league. However this did qualify them for one of four spots at the playoffs weekend on March 5 and 6. Eight more coveted final spots are available, and the team can enter the final rounds with confidence, knowing that they dealt well with difficult conditions and some extremely good competition.

This result represented an equalling of last year’s performance, since which the club has lost several of its top longterm performers. Once again the Firsts squad will approach the finals with an air of optimism as one of the top seeds. However, intensive training will be necessary in order to gain those all important BUCS points and medals.

Exeter lacrosse storm through BUCS Lacrosse

Tom Podd, Jamie King and Ginny Langton EULC Exeter Men’s Lacrosse 1st X played Warwick in the deciding fixture of the BUCS Southern Premiership league.

The match was previously postponed and the Exeter team, needing to win by 4 or more goals to secure a first ever title, played in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

From the start, the team looked focused and composed, going into the end of the first quarter ahead at 2 - 1. The second quarter was a one sided affair with the Exeter defence forming a solid platform upon which the offense could begin to build a sizeable lead, as Exeter led 4 - 1 at half time. As the second half progressed, confidence rose as the players realised the league title was well within their grasp and scored a number of impressive team goals. The game finished 7 - 2 with notable performances from midfielders Joe Almond and Nick

Kempster and attackman Jens Halling for his superb hat-trick. The defensive unit had an overall solid performance, particularly goalkeeper Nima Barzin.

Fresh off the back of winning the BUCS Southern Premiership title, the first team faced the University of Plymouth in the first stages of the knockout phase of the national competition. The game started well for Exeter, with the team putting away two early goals with no reply from the visitors. Exeter continued to dominate in a similar fashion for the rest of the game, looking after the ball and frustrating the Plymouth defenders.

After some very classy goals, the Exeter men ran out 12-0 winners with the most notable performance coming from club captain Alex Wilby claiming five goals and commanding the midfield in a display of poise and composure. The team now go on to face Sheffield Hallam in the national quarter finals filled with confidence and keen to progress even further towards the national BUCS Championship Final.

After an impressive win of 13-3 against Bristol 1st the Exeter girls were

drawn against Cardiff 1st for their first match of the BUCS knockout rounds.

As Cardiff were a bit of an unknown quantity, the team trained hard under the captaincy of Anna Wylie and coaching from Dan Aas. The match started with a fast break from Cardiff’s left attack followed by a goal to Cardiff. The match nerves had been blown away by this and the team put their game faces on to come back with a vengeance.

With cracking goals from Millie Whittington, Melie Pemberton and Anna Murch, Exeter were proving to be a stronger side than Cardiff had perhaps anticipated. With this element of surprise playing to their advantage, Exeter went on to score another four goals in the first half, leaving the score at 9-2 at half time. The second half showed a renewed determination from Cardiff, yet solid defence from Rhian White, Alice Thornton and Els Field stopped Cardiff in their tracks. With a fast paced midfield transition to attack Exeter seemed unstoppable. Another few goals from Emily Zaborski, Liv Higgins and Fi Watherston the score stood at 23-2 at the final whistle.

Sport

A word from your AU President...

In a week that has been gripped by election fever, the AU has been no different: a record vote was cast between five candidates standing for the AU president hot seat. It was great to see five different candidates representing four different clubs in the elections from Hockey to Rugby Union, Netball to Golf. It was a close fought competition between Oliver Deasy, Hamish Martin, Beth Hampson, Christian Brown and Phil Cuming which in the end saw Beth Hampson coming out on top. Huge congratulations to Beth who was ever present on campus and I am sure will do a superb job as AU president next year. Also I would like to extend commiserations to the other candidates who fought brave campaigns.

Over the last week we still had several high profile BUCS fixtures being played and I was lucky enough to be part of the Men’s Tennis 2nds battle against Brighton 1sts. After five hours, and all six rubbers saw the match all square at six points all.

It went down to the sudden death tie break where Ben Harries turned on the style to win the first rubber. Brighton pulled level with a close fought game coming from behind to beat me, and Dan Preston and Christy Newby ran away with the deciding shoot out 10-2 to go through to the next round at home to Gloucester. A place in the semi’s beckoning.

Congratulations to our Rugby League 1sts and 2nds who continued their fantastic seasons wrapping up both their respective leagues in style.

The 1sts are still maintaining a 100% winning record. Good luck against Loughborough.

From the other sports we saw a thrilling finale to the women’s hockey 1sts last 16 match, a superb solo effort of a seasoned pro just before the half time whistle saw the Nottingham forward come inside two Exeter defenders and stroke a fine shot into the keeper’s top corner. Fortunately it didn’t affect the final score with Exeter running away 5-1 winners and Exeter forward Amy Goalmasheehan adding another two goals to her season’s tally.

The Men’s Hockey 1sts beat Sheffield Hallam like the women running away 5-1 winners, this was a

Exeter City

Rachel Bayne Deputy Editor EXETER’S hopes for a trip to Wembley this season for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final were dashed by a dynamic Brentford side.

Goals from Sam Saunders and Gary Alexander sunk the Grecians in an extremely disappointing effort, where Exeter managed only two attempts on target and ended up losing 2-1 at St James Park.

Brentford’s Weston provided a strong attack down the left wing for the first goal, easily beating Duffy. His

deserved result with the boys playing some liquid hockey. A special shout out must go to Alex Jakeman who put in a gargantuan performance despite competing early in the week in the UK break dancing finals in Wolverhampton. Unfortunately, Alex finished dead last.

Exciting news from the Rowing club: we can now confirm that club captain Luke Dillon has managed to secure the services of Peter Andre for an intense six weeks abdominal strengthening programme in Eastern Slovakia. First 8s captain S. Swadling was quoted as saying “he is not looking forward to the programme as he is currently very overweight.”

Lastly, on Sunday March 6, we will be hosting a HUGE 6-a-side football tournament. ‘The Grecian Shield’, held in conjunction with Exeter City Football Club and our own Football Club will take place on the Rubber Crumb and Sand Astro right here on campus. PHENOMENAL prizes up for grabs, including a table for 12 in VIP Hospitality at an Exeter City League match and free t-shirt for all competitors! Entry costs just £40 per team with a maximum squad size of 10 (just £4 per person including your t-shirt!!) Places are limited so sign up soon to get your choice of country!!

To register come up to the AU Office in the Sports Park.

If you want to follow Exeter Sport on Facebook, log on to www. facebook.com/exeterau cross found Saunders in plenty of space in front of goal who was able to strike the ball into the top of the net in the 20th minute.

Brentford’s second goal came soon afterwards on the 26th minute thanks to a strong header from Gary Alexander.

Exeter definitely showed more zeal in front of goal after the break and with the added attacking boost from Nardiello and Logan, were able to give the television cameras more of a show.

Nardiello managed a last minute consolation goal at the end of injury time, where, after being left in plenty of space, managed to hit a screamer from the right hand side into the back of the net.

34

February 21 2011

Sport

Also in the news Water Polo

Chloe Terry EUWPC

ON Saturday January 22, the ladies of EU Water Polo Club travelled down to Plymouth for their first round of BUCS matches. The club, which is one of the smallest in the AU, packed a mighty punch, winning three of their four matches, which sees them progress to the semi-finals in Walsall later this month.

The first game against Gloucester was won by the team 10 – 2, followed by another victory against Marjons 9 – 3. The ladies continued their winning streak with a third win against Plymouth, annihilating their defence and defeating them 12 - 2. By the fourth and final game the team were beginning to feel the fatigue of a gruelling early start and 60 minutes of fast paced play, losing to UWIC 6 – 2. Nonetheless, Exeter ladies managed to finish in second place with an invitation to the BUCS semi-finals.

There were fantastic performances

Hockey

Tom Walters EUMHC FOR the second week running, Exeter made the trip to Plymouth to play in the last 32 of the Men’s trophy. Exeter were looking to follow up on last week’s previous victory and build on a confident display against UWE 1st team at the weekend.

Things started brightly for Exeter after some hard work pressing the Plymouth back line resulted in a short corner early on. Step up Luke Owen, who finished sublimely into the bottom corner. Exeter didn’t look back. Joss Goulding quickly added a second with the champagne moment of the game.

After beating his man on the back line, he flicked the ball into the top corner from a near impossible angle, silencing the home fans.

Another superb reverse stick finish from captain Tom Walter sent

Netball

Kerry Lewis EUNC

FEBRUARY 16 saw Exeter’s 4ths back in action once again, this time taking on UWE’s 3rds. It was to be the third time that the two teams played each other this season and, having won one and lost one, this match was to be a decider.

And what a decisive match it was.

The first quarter was very impressive for the Fours; they were calm and steady, playing their own game and were converting any and all turnovers into goals. The end of the first quarter saw Exeter ten goals ahead and making the game look easy.

For the second and third quarters,

Exeposé

Tom Goulston takes a look back

from everyone involved on the day and spectacular goals from Jess Harris, known to be unstoppable on the five metre line. Other standout performances came from Jemma Gardner and Laura Davis who made sure the goals rolled in. The team, comprised mainly of novice players with over half having never played competitively, were over the moon with the result. There was a good community vibe on the day with a few EUWPC supporters encouraging the ladies in their performance.

Moving into the semi-finals in Walsall on February 26/27, with Jess Harris unable to play due to returning home to Australia, can the team keep up the good performances with a crucial team member down? The team are now working hard on maintaining their fitness to build on their success in Plymouth. With the draw yet to be announced the team are preparing themselves for some fierce opposition.

The club is thriving now and is still open to new members who are interested in joining. the visitors three nil up before Exeter defender Tim Chilves was sin binned for blatant dissent, allowing Plymouth to strike back from a short corner on a rare attack. Things were quickly back to normal though as Ben Littlejohns added a forth before the break with a neat close range finish.

Exeter dominated after the break. Goals were added again from Littlejohns and Goulding, before Exeter midfielder Jonny Sloman lost his temper and foolishly gained a yellow card for a horrible looking foul. Exeter remained on top of a disheartened Plymouth though and a beautiful move in the middle of the park with Olly Richards and Walter was finished in style by the captain. Not much was said, but sometimes, it just works.

Littlejohns completed his hat trick before the end of the game with another tap in and Exeter now look to go to Brighton to play the University 1st team in the last 16 of the cup. With this form, it seems little will stand in their way. however, UWE turned up the pace, began to intercept passes and picked up on any unforced errors from the Exeter team. As UWE put on the pressure, Exeter’s Fours’ game became more and more frantic until the focus for both sides turned to simply maintaining possession and keeping the ball steady as it was passed down the court. Despite this, Exeter managed to extend their lead to an impressive eighteen goals by the end of the third quarter.

It was the final quarter that was to be the closest; each side were tired and scrambling for possession, but, at the end of the day, the match was decidedly the 4ths’, and they walked away with a victory of 53-32.

Rugby League

Tom Goulston EURL Publicty Officer In September, EURL returned to the hallowed turf of Duckes Meadow to begin training for what would ultimately be the most successful in the club’s history. After the team got reacquainted, they were introduced to three Royal Marines sent from Lympstone who put the team through their paces.

The day was tough, with many struggling to make it past the warm up, but at the same time highly rewarding and it put the team instantly in the right mindset for the preceding two terms of rugby. The next two weeks were spent building on this experience with tough fitness and s&c sessions as well as skill work with new head coach, Matthew Cuss. Following the testing preseason, the team headed into fresher’s week in better shape than ever before.

Fresher’s week offered a different kind of challenge and involved the team recruiting new members to join the club.

The week proved to be successful with

American Football

Will Budge Demons Publicity Officer It was a windy day when the Demons met the Blitz for the second time this season to decide the winner of the Devon Bowl, a competition set up last year to add greater incentive to this rivalry match.

In the end, Exeter swept Plymouth to claim the Devon Bowl 36-14 on aggregate. Due to the conditions, the game was dominated by both teams’ ground games as throwing the ball was extremely dangerous at the calmest of

three taster sessions across the week. At the fresher’s squash the club took down over 70 membership fees. Not only was there a large group of freshers, but a highly talented group as well.

The following couple of weeks were further preparation for the season’s opening fixture on Saturday October 17, a double header versus Oxford. This was the first time that both the 1sts and 2nds had been able to play side by side at Duckes Meadow and the day proved to immensely successful with two wins for EURL. The 2nds started 15 minutes before the 1sts won convincingly 4410, with Charlie Chapman scoring the season’s first try. The 1sts faced a much sterner battle, but eventually their overall dominance paid off and they recorded a 22-8 victory. The 2nd’s then had a week off, while the 1sts had to travel to previous Super 8 opponents Birmingham. The game was a chance for the club to show that they deserved to be amongst the elite of student rugby.

A very fired up EURL scored four early tries and ended with a 40-8 win.

After such a positive start to the season, the next week proved to be

the club’s toughest as long serving clubman Andrew Vickers passed away.

Andrew was entering his 5th season of involvement with the club and had been a key part both on and off the field. On the pitch he was known for his faultless defence and non-stop engine. While on the social scene he is best remembered for his ability to capture some of the club’s more merry moments at the weekly wednesday socials, posting them the next morning for us all to witness. He is sorely missed by all in the club.

That next week, EURL returned to the pitch with heavy hearts. The 1sts travelled away to Nottingham in what was an early season top of the table clash and came away with another dominant win 34-16. The 2nds had a home fixture versus Gloucester and after a tough opening 20, came away with a convincing 26-4 triumph. More impressive was the ability of the 2nds to field many rugby league novices and still prove to be far too strong for the opposition. The week after was a frustrating one for the 2nds as opponents St Mary’s cried off, however the whole

times on the day. As such the versatility and speed of Exeter quarterback Finlay Brown was a great asset and helped him to run in three touchdowns, a fourth being added by running back Cody Yellowlees-Bound.

The game started closely with neither team able to gain a noticeable upper hand but Brown’s and YellowleesBound’s running kept the ball moving for Exeter and helped them to convert four forays into the Blitz half of the field. Plymouth also ran the ball well but once the Demons’ defence got into its stride it made several crucial stops and halted Plymouth in their own half, doing what the Blitz defence couldn’t.

In the end, the difference between the two teams was the dynamic running of Brown, who added the spark that Exeter needed to keep the Plymouth offense off the pitch and keep the Exeter offense moving the ball and putting points on the board.

Sunday February 13 saw Exeter continue their strong season in a home win against the Swansea Titans. Both teams are in their second season in the BUAFL and met last year with Exeter emerging resounding winners, though both Swansea and Exeter have improved greatly since then and made this year’s encounter much less one-sided and

35

Exeposé week eighteen

at the season’s highs and lows

Crossword

Across

more interesting. Exeter’s three touchdowns came through the air with Finlay Brown throwing two to Will Budge and one to Si Eves.

Swansea showed good attacking intent early on, successfully moving the ball downfield and Exeter’s defence struggled to stop their strong passing game, a rare sight in a league dominated by the running game.

However, once Exeter got into their stride, they managed to shut down the Swansea attack.

While the Titans did make Exeter punt the ball away on several occasions, Exeter’s red zone offense was potent, scoring just before and after half time.

scoring on virtually every possession.

The next few weeks proved to be frustrating for both sides as the weather got the better of the team, which meant several fixture cancellations. However after three weeks off, both teams had tough away games on the last Wednesday of term. The 2nds travelled away to Brunel with a depleted squad and met a far stronger Brunel side. The game was physical, but the 2nds managed to squeeze home with a 16-15 win. For the 1sts, next up saw their biggest game of the season away to Loughborough, a place in which EURL had never won.

After a tight and tense 1st half, Exeter pulled away in the 2nd and ended up winning 18-8. This was a massive victory for the club and really capped off well what had been a hugely successful 1st term for EURL. Going into term two, both sides had a back log of fixtures to catch up on from the December cancellations. The 2nds travelled away to Gloucester where they faced a scratch side of various 1sts, 2nds and 3rds players. After a disastrous start going down by four tries, the 2nds The first score came after a balanced drive resulted in Budge losing his marker in the end zone on a fake run play to make an easy catch from Brown’s pass. The second came from a nice piece of skill from Eves who, receiving the ball five yards from the line, managed to make several Swansea defenders miss tackles before juking over the line.

After Eves’ score, the Demons were by no means safe being up by less than a score, however, Josh Amis intercepted the Swansea quarterback’s pass early on in the Titans’ first possession after Eves’ score. This emerged as a key moment in the game

managed to pull themselves together and ended up coming away with a 38-30 win. The 1sts then made the away trip to Northampton where they saw off their opponents in a forceful 38-8 success.

The 2nds had the week off as St Mary’s once again, embarrassingly failed to produce a side for them to play. Meanwhile the 1sts had a home tie with 2nd place Nottingham. In game which tested the depth of the 1st squad the 1sts, were able to win 42-26 and confirm themselves as champions of Premier South.

In the final week of fixtures, Loughborough cried off playing the 1sts, which mean’t an unbeaten season for them, while the 2nds travelled to Oxford to play Essex in a double header catch up fixture from the 1st term. The 2nds won 64-8 in the first of the two games after which both sides called it a day. It meant the 2nds also won their league and qualified for the BUCs knockout rounds.

2010-11 has been EURL’s most successful season to date. Both sides won their leagues convincingly and head to the BUCs championships in high confidence of achieving something special. when Exeter scored on the first play of the subsequent drive. Once again a fake run play made the Swansea defence falter which allowed Budge to get open and turn up the sideline towards the goal line, beating the last man by selling him inside only to continue down the line unopposed.

The Demons now stand at five and one, still only one game behind UWE, and sitting in joint second place in the SWAC. They face a strong Bath side on the Sunday 20 and are still to play UWE at home. These two games will likely decide who advances to the playoffs from the SWAC and will no doubt be exciting and hard-fought encounters.

No. 18 by Alexander Cook

Down

1. Hamlet’s mother (8) 2. Nationality of Alexander the Great (10) 3. Interpolation of a word or group of words between the parts of a compound word, commonly employed by Derek Trotter e.g. ‘abso –blooming-lutely’ (6) 4. Order of the British Empire (3) 6. Next (5) 7. Food (4) 11. Contemporary icon of street crime; community (4) 13. Attractive (8) 18. Mournful or plaintive poem or song (5) 19. Goodbye; Steel Company (4) 20. ‘Who Dares Wins’ (3)

Solutions to No. 17 Across – 1. Janet; 4. Sappho; 7. AQA; 8. Xanax; 9. Or; 10. Observer; 12. E-On; 13. Pin; 14. Oratorio; 15. Sum; 16. Spe; 17. Owl; 20. Cos; 21. Adele; 23. Male; 24. Orlando Down - 1. Juxtapose; 2. Nonsense; 3. Taxonomy; 4. Sans; 5. Pervert; 6. Overlords; 9. Or; 11. Eat Away; 18. Meta; 19.

Fend; 20. Clan; 22. Go.

Pub Quiz

1. In 1844, the first railway station opened in Exeter. hich station was it?

2. In 2008, Olivia was the most popular girls name in the UK, but for which play did Shakespeare use the name?

3. Get the film from the quote: “Im here to keep you alive, not to help you shop.”

Sudoku

Easy

4. Who is the artist and what is the song?

“We’ve said goodbye, the taxi cab is waiting. Now don’t you cry, just one more kiss before I have to go” 5. Exeter’s motto is “Lucem Sequimur”: what the English translation?

Answers: 1. St David’s 2. Twelfth Night 3. Take That, ‘Everything Changes’ 4. We follow the light 5. The Bodyguard

club headed down to Duckes to watch the 1sts dismantle Northampton 78-0.

This was the 1sts most complete performance up to date and was near faultless. Almost every time Exeter had the ball, there was constant scoring opportunities.

A third of the way through the season both clubs travelled to Oxford, atop their respective leagues. For the 2nds this would be their best defensive performance of the season against a side completely changed from the opening match of the season. However, a couple set piece tries from Oxford, scored them points and the club lost its unbeaten record in an 8-4 defeat. The 1sts had their toughest game of the season as well; however a last minute try from Andy Auld secured the win 24-22 and maintained the 1sts unbeaten streak. The subsequent week saw the 1sts play the reverse fixture against Birmingham, where there was no need for last minute heroics, as the team ended up winning 44-10. On the pitch next to this the 2nds were facing Brunel and managed to create EURL history by winning 96-10,

1. Courage, initiative (8) 5. Feline mammal (3) 8. A person engaged in illegal enterprises for profit (9) 9. American recording artist (2) 10. The colour of tomatoes / cherries somewhat (7) 12. Swiss Capital (4) 14. English Whig Statesman; cunning animal (3) 15. Vat (3) 17. Omit a syllable / vowel at the beginning / end of a word; leave out (5) 19. Implied without direct expression; silent (5) 20. Transgression of God’s will (3) 21. Novel by Jane Austen (4) 22. Radiating good humour (5) 23. Cajole (6)

Sport

Hard

36

February 21 2011

Sport

Alexander Cook & Andy Williams - sport@exepose.com

Grab your balls, it’s EUTBC Fancy a Photo: UniSportOnline

game of arrows?

Darts

Oliver Archer Darts Society Publicity Officer Exeter Darts Society is less than two years old, but on Saturday January 29, 12 of the University’s finest darts players travelled to Bristol to compete in the Regional Qualifiers of the University Darts Cup for the first time.

The only way to progress to the final in York was to win the group, and Exeter performed admirably given that for many of the players it was their first taste of competitive

Exeter’s newest AU Club, Tenpin Bowling.

Bowling

Various Bowlers EUTBC Publicity Office WHAT started as a social club, meeting every so often to partake in a spot of bowling while enjoying each other’s company, has turned into a fully-fledged and committed bowling Club. The past weekend saw the BUCS National Bowling Championships take place in Nottingham.

Exeter went into these championships as true underdogs; not coming last would have been considered a brilliant performance. The combined bowling experience was low and some members of the ladies team actually stated they had only been bowling once or twice.

After scrabbling together a team (which included Dave Clark, the likeable Snooker and Pool club President, who sportingly drove up on the Saturday morning, arriving in time for the competition) it began.

Having watched the warm-ups, with competitors having their own balls, weights and shoes, the tournament started in earnest at 1pm on Saturday with Matt Brookland and Sam Tang, previous Football Club Presidents, playing doubles. After a ‘match play’ mix-up leading to scores counting for the other team and an explanation about etiquette (who knew that existed?) the Exeter bowlers were underway.

During the remainder of the day

Jess Mills took part in the ladies singles, performing admirably and at one stage out-bowling her opponent (although scores were added up at the end to give a team total), a lady who had been bowling competitively for eight years.

The other doubles pairings were Amy Taylor and the vibrant Anna Williams, who, although they openly admitted that they favoured the social side of the weekend, pulled their weight and left the girls in ninth after the first day’s play.

The other men’s doubles pairings consisted of Ben Roberts and Dave Clark, and Oli Fowke and Tom BadhamThornhill. Having recovered from early nerves these two pairings managed to haul Exeter into 18th after the opening day’s play, something that had surprised the competition, although surely the other team’s ability would shine through on the second day.

“The people of Nottingham must have thought Christmas had come early, because it was raining turkeys”

Having celebrated their overachievement of Saturday’s play by sampling Nottingham life after hours, the team returned to the AMF arena for an 8am start. Although this was not appre-

ciated, the weary Exeter team dragged themselves up to, but not beyond, the foul line.

Bowling Averages Ladies: Jess Mills Amy Taylor Anna Williams Mens: David Clark Matt Brookland Oli Fowke Tom BadhamThornhill Ben Roberts Sam Tang

101.16 78.8

75

127.2 149.8 113.1

86.4 124 119.7

The first triples team of Tang, Roberts and Brookland got the ball rolling with a series of fabulous performances.

Ben in particular, with his backspin deliveries, was being spoken about with high acclaim around the arena.

The ladies were involved in singles matches. Amy was competing especially admirably although the chances of the ladies team maintaining their top ten finish looked a distant possibility.

The afternoon session started with Matt Brookland taking to the singles event, having been put forward by first team captain Tang. Matt got off to a great start with a 170. He continued this good form, fist-pumping and high-fiv-

ing his way through the series to finish with a turkey. Matt averaged an impressive 150 for the tournament, placing 54th in the rankings overall.

This set up a brilliant finale against St Andrews University and the Exeter team dreaming of a top 20 finish. The fifth team, consisting of the remaining five players started well, dominating the first game, with joint club President Oli Fowke claiming a 173, the highest score for an Exeter bowler of the weekend, and Tang sliding to a brilliant 159.

Exeter lost focus in the second game and were well and truly beaten by the Scottish Champions, to leave the series tied after two games. A stirring speech by coach Jack Anderson truly inspired each and every bowler to pull together during this deciding match. The people of Nottingham must have thought Christmas had come early, because it was raining turkeys in what some say was the most exciting sporting event of the year, rivaling any before seen varsity match. The intense game went down to the wire with the St Andrews boys narrowly winning by six pins in the final bowl. Despite this defeat, the first ever Exeter team to enter these championships had done themselves and the University proud.

The weekend’s totals were compiled and Exeter had exceeded expectations. The men managed to secure 15th place, a great achievement, and the ladies finished ninth.

“12 of the University’s finest darts players travelled to Bristol to compete in the Regional Qualifiers of the University Darts Cup for the first time” darts. Exeter cruised through their first match against a depleted Essex side, winning the tie 9-4.

The next game was against the much stronger King’s College London. Despite an impressive start in the triples and doubles games, Exeter were unable to prevent a King’s comeback during the singles matches and eventually lost 7-6.

Exeter could now only qualify for the final by comfortably beating their biggest rivals Bristol UWE, who were in a typically rowdy mood and were desperate to take revenge having been beaten in Exeter last term. It was a tense game, but the hostile home support tipped the match in UWE’s favour and Exeter were beaten 8-5.

This meant that Exeter finished in a very respectable second place behind Bristol UWE. It was an understandably despondent Exeter team that made their way back down south that evening but, with at least one victory for each player, it’s fair to say that the whole team did themselves, and the society, proud.

For a full report and further club information, visit the society website at www.exeteruniversitydarts.co.uk.