2010/11 Week 2 by Exeposé

Glasto, Isle of Wight, Latitude, Beach Break, Eden Session: Exeposé reviews the best of the summer festivals Festival Round-up: Music, P 18-21

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Monday October 11 2010 Issue 569 www.exepose.com

Free

Photo: Henry White

‘Campaign Army’ Charlie Marchant News Editor

Students queue to withdraw cash for the Activites Fair.

£36 000 increase in sign-up takings

Charlie Marchant News Editor

THE University of Exeter’s Activities Fair (formerly called the Squash) saw thousands of students on the Streatham campus sign up for societies, media and sports. In total, students spent £125 740 on signing up to societies (not including the Athletics Union clubs), a massive amount compared to only £90 000 in 2009. The Athletics Union had in excess of 8000 people through the doors at the Activities fair signing up for sports, with snow sports

being amongst the most popular again.

Takings from sign-ups:

2009 - £90 000 2010 - £125 740

Josh Belsher, Athletics Union President, said, “The Activities Fair was absolutely incredible, there was an amazing atmosphere. The clubs were all well represented and unofficially we think we have smashed all AU records.” Community Action signed up 1322 new volunteers (slightly less than last year) and International

society gained a total of 700 new members. Body Soc received 500 sign-ups totalling £7 500, far more than they had expected. Lisa Harbron, Body Soc Social Secretary, expressed concerns about whether the university would be able to accommodate their classes, saying, “With so many members we’ve not been able to fit them all in the rooms that we are allocated by the university and have had to turn people away. The volume of members is quite a concern because of this, though it’s amazing to have so many enthusiastic people wanting to join us.”

Students encountered further problems on the day as many experienced difficulties in finding the societies they were looking for. This was due to societies being located in six different locations across the campus, as well as bad sign-posting and confusing access routes. Furthermore, the two Natwest cash point queues backed up along the nearby paths and took up to 40 minutes during the early afternoon. Rachel Mulvany, a second year English and Law student, said, “The queue was really frustrating and I was worried that the cash points were going to run out of money.”

THE GUILD’S campaign against university funding cuts will culminate at the national demonstration in London on November 10. The Guild will be holding a launch presentation on October 11 to recruit a ‘Campaign Army.’ This will be a group of volunteers who will dedicate time to assisting the Guild run it’s campaigns. This is the first part of the national campaign called ‘Fund the Future: Stop Education Cuts.’ The campaign intends to promote the belief that education will be key to economic recovery and to protest against increasing privatisation of education. Unions across the country will take thousands of students to the November demonstration, which is organised by the University and College Union (the Union for University Staff and Academics). 42.8% of Exeter students are privately educated compared with only 7% nationally. Jonnie Beddall, Guild President, commented, “Exeter cannot let itself become more elitist – but cuts will make it so. We’ll pay for as many coaches as we need to bus Exeter students up to London and back.“ A second year English student, said, “I think it is important for students to demonstrate their opposition to univeristy funding cuts.” The Guild further plans to hold a debate with Steve Smith, the Vice Chancellor; Aaron Porter, NUS President and leading politicians. See p 5 for Jonnie Beddall’s comment

Exeposé

The Exeter student newspaper

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

Comment P 5 Jonnie Beddall, Guild President, launches the Guild campaign against the rises in tuition fees.

Features P 10-13 Interviews Dame Suzi Leather, head of the Charity Commission, and Henry White, Photography Editor, investigates the work of Estate Patrol. P 22-3

Screen

The Social Network, Wall Street 2, Buried, and The Dagenham Girls.

Sport

P 33-6

Alex Cook, Sports Editor, watches in awe as the students lose narrowly to Exeter City in the annual Varsity match. 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

News

STUDENTS have moved into newly built, eco-friendly accommodation at Birks Grange. The building work is part of the University’s £275 million capital project for Streatham campus and is the first phase of construction to be completed at Birks Grange. The accommodation was built by the University Partnership Programme (UPP) using their Eco Residence model. Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive of UPP said, “This development has been designed with sustainability in mind and to further enhance the student experience.” The Eco Residence design uses environmentally friendly techniques, which reduce the carbon emissions of the building work by 30%. Other attempts to reduce energy wasting include light sensors in cor-

Photo: Exeter University

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

Screen Editors Calum Baker & David Brake screen@exepose.com

Arts Editors Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel arts@exepose.com

Video Games Editors Steve O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees games@exepose.com

The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

ridors and stickers on all doors to remind students to turn off lights. Jeremy Lindley, Director of Finance & Corporate Services at the University, said, “We are delighted that the first phase of accommodation is now completed and we think our students are going to be very impressed.”

Louise Parkin, a first year Politics and Philosophy student living in Birks, likened the accommodation to living in a hotel saying, “My first thoughts when I saw Birks Village for the first time was just how impressive and attractive the buildings were.” However, Angus Forrester, a first

year Civil Engineering student, also living at Birks this year, commented that the continued building work is causing noise and disruption in the Birks area. Remaining blocks of accommodation currently under construction are expected to open September 2011.

Will he Raleigh be the next Apprentice?

RALEIGH ADDINGTON, an unemployed University of Exeter graduate, has gained a place as a candidate on BBC1’s TV programme, The Apprentice. Addington is competing against 15 other hopefuls to win the job as Lord Alan Sugar’s next apprentice, a title that comes complete with a six figure salary. The candidate was born in Swin-

music@exepose.com

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

The first of the new eco-friendly accommodation buildings at Birks Grange Village are opened.

Charlie Marchant News Editor

Music Editors Ellie Bothwell & Ben Murphie

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Photo: Henry White

Flora Busby Senior reporter

lifestyle@exepose.com

Photography Editor Henry White

Aaron

New Birks Student Village has opened

Lifestyle Editors Laura Le Brocq & Clare Mullins

sport@exepose.com

Exeposé

The SSB moves to the Westpoint Arena P4

Ellie Busby & Charlie Marchant - news@exepose.com

features@exepose.com

Sports Editors Alexander Cook & Andy Williams

October 11 2010

don and graduated the University with a degree in Economics and Politics.

“I’m pretty unique” Raleigh Addington

As a former telethon caller, he is remembered for his work in the University’s fundraising department, where he once secured a £1 million donation. In his shaky audition film, he says:

“I doubt you have met anyone quite like me, I’m pretty unique,” only to contradict himself as he admits to having been compared to Boris Johnson. During the first show, Addington kept his head down to ensure he remained in the game. His only comment came in retaliation to an attack from Dan in the boardroom, where he described Dan as, “a bull in a china shop,” whose performance was “shameful!”

University enters International Rankings for first time

Rachael Peers

THE University of Exeter has been ranked 184th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. There has been a global increase in competition between universities to make the annual list in recent years. Ann Mroz, The Times Editor,

congratulated Exeter University on achieving international standing for the first time in what she described as “this year’s rigorous rankings.” Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of Exeter University, commented on Exeter’s success saying, “It is a great achievement to feature amongst the top 1% of universities in the world. This ranking is further proof of the enormous progress we have made

in the past few years and my thanks go to everyone at the University for their contribution. Exeter is now firmly on the international map, something that the whole City can be very proud of.” 13 performance indicators, including teaching and research, determined the placements within the league. Phil Baty, the Rankings Editor described the league tables as,

“more comprehensive and sophisticated than anything previously published.” With 27 other universities recognised within the rankings, the UK kept its position as the second strongest university system in the world (behind the US). Oxford and Cambridge were the highest ranking British institutions coming joint 6th.

Exeposé Week two

A Welcoming Week?

Welcome Week 2010 sees a first night burglary and a drunken knife incident. Hannah Sweet Senior reporter

THIS year’s Welcome Week ran relatively smoothly, with only two major incidents affecting students. In the early hours of Sunday September 26, the first night of Welcome Week, a new student’s room was burgled in Hope Hall. At around 12 to 3 am, a ground floor flat in the student halls was broken into. The culprit gained entry by throwing a brick through the window of the Badger Bar, and proceeded to steal a male student’s laptop, iPod and money. On the evening of the incident, the University provided the victim with a room on St Luke’s Campus. The police attended the scene and found spots of blood. A male suspect is now being charged for the

offence. Chris Hardy, Vice President Welfare & Community, said, “It’s always terrible when something like this happens, and the fact that it happened on this student’s first night in Exeter seems to compound the misfortune in this case. As students, we’re often identified as easy targets, so it’s really important to be vigilant against thefts.”

“Freshers have been the most polite and well behaved group that I’ve personally been aware of for some years.” PC Dave Dalziel, Neighbourhood

Later on in the week, a second incident occurred concerning students living on Victoria Street. In the early hours of Wednesday 29th September, a male student was arrested after he threatened another Exeter student, and fellow housemate, with a carving knife during a drunken domestic argument. Fines were issued to students who were found urinating in the street and on vehicles, a small number were dealt with by the police for cannabis possession, and a number who were found drunk and disorderly will be dealt with internally by the University. However, there was no crimi-

nal damage to vehicles, no incidents involving vulnerable females and far fewer second and third year house parties compared to previous years. PC Dave Dalziel, Neighbourhood Beat Manager, told Exeposé, “Freshers have been the most polite and well-behaved group that I’ve personally been aware of for some years.” Allan Edgcumbe, Head of Estate Patrol Security, said that the number of incidents this year was “on a par with previous years, if not better.” Edgcumbe described incidents of drunkenness as ‘time-consuming’ but said that students were generally well behaved. PC Rob Bolt, an officer in the St. James area of Exeter, emphasised the success of different parties working together, from University staff to licensees. He said, “Through prior planning with our partners at the University licensing department we have reduced crime from last year and also minimised antisocial behaviour, impacting on residential communities.” PC Bolt added, “The Welcome Team have been brilliant as well.” The Welcome Week Team worked very hard throughout the week to make sure incidents were kept to a bare minimum. 217 students volunteered their time, around 70 hours each, to ensure Exeter students were kept safe.

Glory for Campus Cinema

Jason Ham Senior reporter

CAMPUS CINEMA is celebrating after winning several awards at the recent national British Federation of Film Societies ceremony. The group won first prize in the category of “Best Marketing & Publicity” and was Highly Commended in the field of “Best Student Society” in a ceremony in London organised by the BFFS. In regards to the former, in judging comments the BFFS stated that Campus Cinema stood out due to its highly professional rebranding project. This involved changing the group’s name from CinSoc to Campus Cinema.

Ellie Busby News Editor

A CAMPAIGN to encourage students to get to know their neighbours has begun this week. The Students’ Guild launched the campaign on Monday October 11, in order to promote a good relationship between Exeter students and local residents. Over the next week, students living in the community will receive a leaflet from the Students’ Guild encouraging them to knock on their neighbours’ doors and invite them round for a cup of tea.

“I fear it may not be taken too seriously.”

Second year Psychology student

The project, initiated by the Students’ Guild and supported by the StreetWise fund, aims to develop a lasting relationship between students and their neighbours. The campaign argues that this will make it much easier for them to live together with fewer issues. The Guild are pushing the campaign by offering students the chance to win a £50 prize if they

The group’s highly commended award means that Campus Cinema is ranked as the third best student cinema in the country. Guest speakers included Francine Stock, the presenter of Radio 4’s The Film Programme, and Derek Malcolm, one of Britain’s oldest and most respected film critics. Jamie McKeekin, Former President of Campus Cinema, told Exeposé, “To jump from an economically crippled enterprise, whose membership were starting to lose faith in its ability to provide Exeter students with its invaluable service, this is a testament to the hard work and devotion that my colleagues have poured into Campus Cinema.”

Belly-flop for Bradshaw

Polly put the kettle on, we’ll all have tea prove they have had a cup of tea with their neighbours with photographic evidence. The prize will be awarded to the best photo as selected by the Sabbatical Officers. Chris Hardy, Vice President Welfare and Community officer said, “It is hoped that if students and local residents establish a rapport early on in the year, then both will be respectful of the other’s lifestyle. For example, if a house of students meets their neighbours and discerns that they have a young child, they may agree a finish time with their neighbours for any party or event they might host.” He added, “Evidence shows that if students can meet their neighbours within the first couple of weeks of moving in, they’re more likely to have a constructive and successful relationship.” A third year Maths student remarked, “I think it is a good idea to improve the community atmosphere and ease tension between local residents and students. However I’m unsure how many students will actually get involved.” One second year Psychology student, said, “While initially this may seem like a positive and good idea, I fear it may not be taken too seriously and end up like the ‘Zip-It’ campaign and become a mockery.”

News

Photo: Express & Echo

BEN BRADSHAW, Exeter MP has failed to win a place in Ed Miliband’s new shadow cabinet. Bradshaw only received 53 votes from the Labour party. It is suspected that his attachment to New Labour may have been the cause of his downfall. Prior to the votes, Bradshaw commented that Ed Miliband “understands exactly what Labour needs to do to win back the support we lost.”

Commentary

Photo: Henry White

A campaign launched by the Guild encourages students to offer neighbours a cup of tea

Tristan Barclay Editor The Guild’s new Put the Kettle On campaign seems like a nice idea, but will it really work? Unfortunately, it probably won’t. For an indication, just look at the Guild’s last ‘students in the local community’ project - the Zip It campaign. Whilst well-meaning, the campaign to use Zippy as a tool for keeping students quiet when leaving city nightclubs seemed to have little effect. Students ignored the advice and Zippy was dismissed as a bit of a gimmick. The question of town vs. gown is an important one, and students must play a part in Exeter life rather than insulating themselves on campus, but I don’t think adults need to be instructed to offer their neighbours tea and biscuits. Believe it or not, most students actually lead very busy lives, so time at home can be precious, and often best spent on the sofa. With anti-social behaviour, the Guild should continue to focus on tackling loud, early morning drunks. Although the sense of community is important, and the sentiment of the latest Guild campaign is correct, I doubt the practicalities of it will work.

october 11 2010

News

Photo: Henry White

Transport Improvements Rachel Bayne Deputy Editor

The new bike sheds are equipped with solar power lighting

OVER £150,000 has been invested into sustainable travel developments on Streatham Campus. State-of-the-art bicycle sheds made out of sustainable wood and recycled steel were opened across campus last week. By December 2012, the university plans to have built 1000 new such bicycle spaces in a bid to encourage more staff and students to cycle. Gemma Smith, second year English and Spanish student, is happy to see that the Guild is making improvements to the bicycle facilities on campus. Gemma commented that, “Last year there was never anywhere free to lock my bike. There would be bikes literally piled on top of each other at the designated areas but when I tried locking my bike at other spots on campus I came back to find notes tied to my bike saying I’d be fined if I didn’t move it.” Matt Dowler, the University of Exeter’s Bike Club President, commented, “It is great to see that the university is embracing sustainable

transport and installing facilities that make cycling a practical way to get to campus. The University Bike Club is rapidly expanding, with lots of interest from the new students.” The university has also just extended the D bus service, which runs from campus around Exeter, so that the route now runs to Cowley Bridge. In partnership with Stagecoach and Devon County Council, the service will also run until midnight six days a week and will operate every 15 minutes outside of term time. These projects are part of the university’s ten-year sustainable travel plan, which aims to improve transport and promote sustainable travel. Karen Gallagher, University Sustainability Manager, said, “These improvements are a tremendous step forward and we are delighted that we have been able to work so effectively with Stagecoach and Devon County Council. “The changes will benefit the broader community, as well as the staff and students.” Photo: Henry White

SSB: Safer Sex Bus-ride Hannah Metcalfe

EXETER UNIVERSITY students will be congregating at the Safer Sex Ball on December 8 to promote awareness of AIDS and other STIs. The event is renowned for hoards of girls in skimpy outfits and boys stripping down to their boxers. It is widely regarded as the biggest event in the Exeter Universitycalendar and is listed in FHM’s Top 100 Things To Do Before You Die. Westpoint Arena is the new venue for the ball. This means more students will be able to attend the event than in previous years as the Arena offers a capacity of approximately 4000, and is only a short bus ride away. With this increased number of

attendees, it will be the biggest AIDs awareness event in the country. Rachel Magner, a RAG SSB Coordinator, has commented, “this year we are creating an experience, not just an event.” She assures that despite a change in venue, there will not be a considerable price increase and transport will be included in the ticket price. Demand for tickets is expected to remain extremely high, as past years have always been a sell-out. Tickets will be released for online sale on October 22. Rachel Magner added, “We have the potential to substantially beat previous profit for Eddystone Trust.” RAG aims to raise as much money for charity as possible by involing societies and students.

A NATIONAL appeal to raise over £350,000 for those affected by the war in Afghanistan is to be led by a team of students from the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth. The DecAid campaign is being launched October 13 and the proceedings will dominate the Summer and Autumn of 2011. It will help raise awareness of the contribution of British Armed Forces in a coordinated national ten-

week campaign. Thousands of people throughout the UK will take part in a series of extreme physical challenges. These will include the ‘Munro Mission’ which aims to conquer 283 mountains in 45 days, with the team climbing the height of Mount Everest every three days. The DecAid enterprise donates to three service charities: Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA); The British ExServicemen Association (BLESMA);

Student News

Missing loan repayments

THOUSANDS of graduates fear their student loan repayments have gone missing. Due to delays in HM Revenue and Customs passing payments made through PAYE to the Student Loans Company, many graduates have not had their repayments acknowledged. One medical student commented, “I rarely receive statements from the Student Loans Company, but this year when they sent me a summary of my payments over the last financial year I was disturbed to see that the majority had not been acknowledged. There was a deficit of about £2,000.” An HMRC spokesman reassured graduates that, “Just because a SLC statement doesn’t have all the information on it does not mean the money is not there. Borrowers should not be concerned that anything has gone missing or that we are making money off them.”

Humanities face funding cuts

The SSB’s new venue is only a short bus-ride away

Exeter students lead DecAid campaign

Hannah Brewer

Exeposé

and Talking 2 Minds. Rupert Laing, Exeter graduate and DecAid team leader, comments, “We feel passionately about the cause and we hope to raise awareness for the physically and psychologically wounded and their bereaved families.” The DecAid Team is made up of current and former Exeter University Officer Training Corps (EUOTC), all under the age of 25. DecAid endeavour to have over 5000 peopl directly involved in its programme.

Layer app

EXETER is the first UK University to launch a layer app for smartphones. Layar is an augmented reality app, which provides the user with information about their local environment by using the camera on their smartphone. Sue Milward, head of the University’s Web Innovation Project, said, “This technology is a great way of helping people get the most out of the facilities here at Exeter, giving directions and information on hundreds of points of interest.”

FUNDING for arts and humanities degrees may be scrapped, say reports last month. Funding would be focused on ‘economic priority’ subjects, such as science, engineering and medicine, as part of the solution to the government’s deficit. As well as this, teaching grants may be slashed by two thirds, from £4.7 billion to £1.7 billion, and discussions are still underway about the possibility of student fees tripling to £10,000 a year. The Whitehall spending review of October 20 is expected to give the go-ahead to university funding cuts of 37%. However, higher tuition fees could cause contentions in the coalition Government as the Liberal Democrats have promised to block a rise in fees. Bertie Archer, Guild VP Academic Affairs, expresses his concern saying, “I fear that people will be turned off higher education by the higher fees, not pushed towards other subjects.” Aaron Porter, NUS President, said: “Any rise in fees would force thousands of able young people to reject the education our faltering economy needs them to have.”

Exeposé Week Two

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

Exeposé

The Exeter Student Newspaper

Top 200, Browne Review, campus work: change is afoot Higher Education is changing rapidly. For many, the hopes and fears of university life don’t entirely match reality. Looking a little nostalgically at Your Starter For Ten it’s sad to think that the student experience will never be the same again. It’s easy to think the grass is always greener, especially if you lived in Birks last year, but change is necessary, change is unavoidable. Now is a truly exciting time to be at university, particularly in Exeter. A very welcome change comes with Exeter’s new world ranking. In recent years we have moved up the UK league tables and now it seems that rise has been recognised worldwide. Over the summer Exeter broke in to the top 200 universities in the world, some considerable achievement. Indeed only one in 30 000 people our age worldwide are receiving the level of education we do here at Exeter. Higher league table results means better jobs for you all, and it will also allow the university a great reach worldwide so that we can forge stronger links abroad. With stronger links come more opportunities for Exeter students to study at more prestigious foreign institutions and, with the jobs market an increasingly international scene, experience of life in other countries in becoming even more important. As Exeter students, we are extremely privileged to be in the position we now are. Continuing the theme of change, if its higher education funding that gets you going (and it

really should do), you are in for an exciting year. In the next couple of weeks we will see the results of the Chancellor’s Spending Review and hear the outcome of Lord Browne’s committee reviewing funding for higher education in England. Browne is almost certain to propose that the current cap on tuition fees is removed. But given Ed Miliband’s support of a graduate tax, and the fact that nearly all of the Lib Dems signed the NUS’s pledge to abolish tuition top-up fees before the election, when it comes to this vote could be even tighter than when Blair first introduced tuition fees in 2005. Jonnie Beddall, Exeter’s student president, sets out the Guild’s position below. Change is also afoot on campus. The once bucolic cradle of intellectual pursuit is now in the full throws of regeneration. No matter how we look, Sir Robert MacAlpine’s looming crane booms are no phoenixes ariseing from the ashes. The main library is, quite frankly, appalling - cramped, almost impossible to navigate, and anything but silent. The new ‘noise forecasts’ are more insulting than informative. Students must keep up all the pressure they can to ensure they get the best deal from their time here. Voice your opinion in these Comment pages, engage in the Guild’s campaign against the rise in tuition fees, and stay up-to-date with the changes happening across campus and the country. Like it or not, change is coming - don’t get left behind.

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Paying more for higher education University funding could be cut by 45%. What are we going to do about it? Jonnie Beddall Guild President

Cuts are coming to this University. By how much? We’ll know on Wednesday October 20 when the Chancellor, George Osborne, delivers his Spending Review. How universities make up for lost funding, we’ll know after Lord Browne delivers his Higher Education Funding Review on October 13. Steve Smith, our Vice Chancellor, describes the funding shortfall as the ‘Valley of Death’, with universities across the country scrambling to raise money lost from cuts. Currently, universities are largely funded by the taxpayer. The government pays universities through HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England). David Willets, Minister of State for Universities and Science, has already said that the £3 000 cap on tuition fees will either go up or be removed entirely. This would create a market in higher education. My feeling? British and EU students could be asked to pay up to £10 000 each year for their degrees and, if agreed, the higher fees could affect all students starting in 2012. With demand for university places higher than ever before, it is those

least able to pay who will miss out. But how does this apply to Exeter? When I applied to Exeter, we were 33rd in The Times League Table. We’re now firmly ‘top dozen’. It is vital for the future value of an Exeter degree that our reputation continues to rise. The question is: if the cap comes off, how much does Exeter charge its students? Our University has to make its mind up quickly. With higher fees starting in 2012, they will have to publish 2012 course costs this academic year, in January 2011. The University of Exeter’s turnover in 2010 was £250 million. Of this, 27% came from HEFCE (around £70 million). If we know that cuts could reach 45% of HEFCE funding, the University is left with a hole of around £32 million to plug. How should they raise the extra cash? Currently British and EU students contribute £3 000 each year to the cost of their degree. The state then pays the University for the remaining cost – around £4 000 for, say, a humanities student, or significantly more for a subject like Engineering. So, for our university to replace funding lost through government spending cuts, students would have to pay at least £7 000 each year towards our degree.

What is the Guild doing about all this? 1. We’re fighting government cuts. Alongside the NUS (National Union of Students), we’re marching with students across the country at the national demonstration in London on Wednesday November 10. Come with us on the 10th on coaches from Exeter to London. Join voices with other students who believe that the social cost of cuts will be to destroy the chance of society’s poorest to afford a university education. 2. Exeter is special - nowhere else do students get involved like we do. Exeter inspires passion and a sense of belonging unlike any other university. It’s never been more important that the Guild fights your corner with the University. I’m certain that they want the best for us: the best course, the best job and the best experience. The last of these, only the Guild can provide. As I see it, it’s the Guild’s job this year is to fight the cuts to higher education and spell out exactly what it is that makes studying at Exeter so special. If the cuts come, the fees go up and we’re forced to pay so much more for our degrees, then it’s my job to make sure we get more for it. Just think, if your brother or sister started University in 2012, what would you want for them?

Do Postgrads need the Forum Project? Gary McLachlan

As far as the Forum Project goes, the disruption for postgraduate students is probably cumulatively worse than for undergraduates; since research students stay all year and Masters dissertations are written in the summer months we’ve been around for the worst of the summer noise and disturbances. We sympathise with the graduands whose ceremonies were moved and disrupted – but it got a lot worse after those Convocations than it was during them, and all we could do was endure and try to work off-campus as much as we could, when we didn’t require office time or library-based research.

The fact of the disruption also stings a little more for us – unlike the large undergraduate classes who will benefit from the new state of the art large lecture theatre and other forum space developments, postgraduates will only share the increased library facilities. We have no other ‘positive’ to take from the work – we are not being allocated space and we get no new resources from the project. Moreover, since we lost the use of Clydesdale House (still mockingly labelled as the ‘Postgraduate Centre’ and sign posted as such) we have no permanent home to call our own on the Streatham Campus; our ‘shared’ space in Starbucks was a grudging and miserable experience for us and given the increase in student numbers this year, the limited academic space taught Masters students had

last year is squeezed even more, while research students face increasingly tough battles to even get a hot-desk, let alone space to truly call their own. In the six years I’ve been at Exeter as an undergraduate and postgraduate I’ve never felt quite so alienated from the campus life I used to enjoy as I do this year – despite positive advances in catering (I’m vegan) I can’t bring myself to use any Streatham facilities except those of the Students’ Guild. Despite previously being an enthusiastic cheerleader for Exeter, I find myself actively resenting the University for the way I perceive that postgraduates have been treated over recent months. So what is the Forum Project to the postgraduates of Exeter? An expensive nuisance, and nothing more.

Comment

October 11 2010 Exeposé

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The Activities Fair and RAG’s Missing Members

With sign-ups down on last year, and a huge fundraising organisation to run, have the building works and the newly squashed Squash cost RAG? James Appleby RAG Publicity & Recruitment Supervisor

Welcome Week for us was a huge success. RAG raised almost £3 000 and throughout the week we were able to talk to new and old students about one of the largest organisations at the University. Year after year, RAG receives thousands of email addresses at the Squash. This year’s newlytitled Activities Fair brought about some new changes which have affected our initial sign-ups this year. The Activities Fair was an

opportunity to advertise RAG and to tell people who we are and what we do. It was a big opportunity for us to recruit new members and to advertise the role of FREPS (Fresher’s Representatives), PREPS (Post-Grad Representatives) and sub-committees. Our stall was a large purple affair with over 30 committee members helping out throughout the day. Armed with clipboards, pens and freebies they worked hard, talking about RAG and conveying our passion for volunteering and raising money for worthwhile causes. However, after spending hours typing up the email addresses from the Fair, we have a disap-

pointing total. This will have a big effect for RAG over the year, especially in this first term. We will have to have big publicity and recruitment pushes in order to gain a larger network of students. It will cost us more money and, of course, it will have a big effect on our events which always rely heavily on our members.

“After spending hours typing up the email addresses from the Fair, we have a dissapointing total.”

The reason for our low number of sign-ups lies in the building

works. With the Great Hall and LEH out of commission, societies were forced into buildings spread far and wide across campus, while spacing within these buildings was extremely difficult for the hard-worked Guild to sort out. With limited space, committee members had to branch out across campus in order for us to reach the student body. The Welcome Team were always helpful throughout the week and especially on the Sunday of the Fair by directing students to our stall in the Lemon Grove. They could only do so much in a difficult situation which has led to a less condensed Activity Fair.

Welcome-back Week

As a Fresher, Welcome Week is one of the best of your life. As a second year, there’s more to think about.

Should he stay or should he go?

Crazy. Exciting. Terrifying. These are the words that come to mind when I think of my first Welcome Week. As a Fresher, Welcome Week basically forces you to cram almost every university experience possible into seven days - be it making new friends, sussing out the town and nightlife, trying society taster sessions or battling your way through the Squash; they’re all there. Needless to say the first few days for any Fresher are a bit tense and stressful.

In light of recent British political history, awkward relationships can most definitely work. Consider Cameron-Clegg: two party leaders purportedly from different ends of the political spectrum have, as the Daily Mail so eloquently phrased, entered into a ‘No10 Love-in’. While New Labour’s double act Blair and Brown managed to oversee the UK’s longest period of economic growth for 200 years despite an inherent culture of rivalry and mistrust between the Cabinet Office and Treasury.

Zoe Dickens

“This year my biggest panic was over how to fit my entire life and large TV in the back of the car”

As a second year the experience was really quite different. Having already lived in Exeter for a year I pretty much knew how everything worked so moving back just felt like picking up where I left off a few months ago. This year my biggest panic was over how to fit my entire life and a large TV in the back of the car – a task not lightly undertaken I can assure you. Of course, one of the biggest

draws of fresher’s week is the nightlife. How has the Exeter Welcome Week nightlife changed over the course of the year? I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you, I didn’t manage to get in. Anywhere. Last year this didn’t really seem to be a problem; living in town and being eager to try out our new locals meant that by 8.30 pm we’d already finished a round of ring of fire and were ready to go. At the same time this year we were still trying to figure out how the dishwasher worked and debating who should get the last of the hot water. Judging by the sheer amount of second and third years roaming the High Street on Thursday night we weren’t the only ones. And let’s not forget Welcome Week Team Skills. For most people this involves spending an afternoon in the Sports Park doing ‘trust’ exercises; if you’re an English student like me, however, it means a full blown, two-day project. I appreciate the fact that this helped my group to get to know each other but basically it meant wandering around town looking damp and lost. Luckily it seems they’ve decided that was enough bonding for three years; there has been no repeat performance. And when it comes to the Squash, let’s just say they may have changed the name but it hasn’t got any less squashed.

Uncomfortable partnerships are a feature of politics. Why should David Miliband leave now? Fred Corkett

“It is a genuine shame David Miliband has made the decision to step down from frontline politics”

In consideration of these unlikely political partnerships witnessed in recent governments it is a genuine shame David Miliband has made the decision to step down from frontline politics. The surprise victory of younger brother Ed in the Labour Party’s leadership election must certainly have dealt a heavy blow to David’s previously undoubted political status. Both brothers studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics

at Corpus Christi College, Oxford but it was David who excelled in achieving a first class honours. It was David whom Tony Blair described as his “Wayne Rooney of the cabinet” and perhaps most importantly it was David who was bandied around as the only plausible alternative leader to Gordon Brown right up until the May 2010 General Election. With Ed consigned throughout his academic and political career behind the shadow of older sibling David, leadership victory must have arrived with surprise and elation in equal measure. The intriguing question of where to place his begrudging older brother within the shadow cabinet was taken away when David announced his decision to step back from frontline politics to “let Ed have a free run as leader”. A Miliband-Miliband partnership would have provided Labour with a powerful political instrument. As many commentators have suggested, the rivalry and competition between the two brothers may have led Labour once again towards a path of infighting and conflict. However, conversely, it would have also represented an opportunity for the party to rebrand itself away from the Iraq and recession tainted years of New Labour and to write the next chapter in the history of the Labour Party.

As an organisation which last year raised over £88 000 for various charities, it is imperative that we have a large network of members at the start of the year in order for us to continue to raise a considerable amount of money for charity. We are grateful for the support we received before and during the Fair from staff and students and would like to thank those who helped RAG in such a difficult situation. For those who would like to sign up to RAG this year and have not already done so, please visit our website www. exeterrag.org to sign up for free and to find out more information about RAG.

The Trouble with A Levels Henry White Photography Editor

There will be many reading this now that worked incredibly hard to secure their place at university, feeling they are well prepared for higher education. After all, surely an A or A* A-Level grade makes you qualified? Frankly, no. At university, gone is the voice telling me who to research and how to form my arguments. Instead I have to do this for myself. I get on with it, as most people with a place at university should be able to do; even A-Levels can’t suppress common sense. What’s worrying though, is that a system designed to prepare pupils for university is so lacking in anything other than box ticking exercises. It seems counter-productive to educate thousands to pass an exam, rather than teaching independent learning skills and encouraging personal development and curiosity. Sadly, as the national average of a one in four dropout rate suggests, perhaps the leap is simply becoming too great, and we are failing future students with this gradeobsessed culture. The first year of university, therefore, predominantly serves the purpose of removing A-level constraints and opening up young minds to the real world, when really it should be building upon the foundations laid by an A-level. This problem will only increase unless there is a serious change in A-level teaching.

Exeposé Week Two

The obsession with Exe Puns

send us your letters - letters@exepose.com

Exeter seems gripped by a pundemic - even the newspaper’s caught up in it. James Henderson Books Editor

‘A joke is only funny the first time’, the age old maxim of parents, tired of their children’s repeated knock-knock jokes, is as relevant as it ever was. However, a student body at the cutting edge of education appears to have forgotten the past. I EXEplain, of course, the EXEtreme quantity of emails, flyers and general information that continue to EXEpress themselves using the EXE-based pun. If we are not EXEtremely careful we could be heading up to campus or whatever is left of it this summer to take our Exeter EXEaminations.

fact that several students attended on the name’s basis alone. This highlights the beauty of the pun, it must be always flEXEible and never static, it must adapt to each new situation and EXEplore all possible word connotations. This is EXEactly what is being EXEterminated by the re-use of tired old ideas. Now, we have had ‘Sex on the Exe’ (you know what I mean) which was an EXEtremely popular title - not just for the most obvious reason - and this is exactly what we need more of. The wordplay uses ‘EXE’, but not in the dull and straightforward manner with a title such as ‘SEXE’ there is at least some further effort EXEtended. As I write, many an EXEpectant fresher is at home waiting

“As I write, many an EXEpectant fresher is at home waiting to EXEperience life at what they hope is an EXEtraordinary university.”

Let me justify, before I am condemned as un-EXEciting, that I love a good pun. Last year, for EXEample, the employment service delighted me with an email proclaiming their ‘employabiliTEA’ event one lunchtime. I know for a

to EXEperience life at what they hope is the most EXEtraordinary and EXEmplary university that EXEists in the country. By ‘Fresher’, I mean, in keeping with official university guidelines, less EXEperienced but equally valued

students who should in no way be forced to EXEcute a ‘bolt’. Whilst these particular students may (again I stress may) be more interested in ‘Carlsberg EXEport’ or other more EXEotic alcoholic substances than the standard of our ‘pun and games’, I would ask - is this the image we want to EXEport from our campus? So the message is, do not stop EXEcersising your right to pun with reckless abandon. However, if the EXEtinction of the simple putting an EXEtra ‘e’ into a word that already begins ‘ex-…’ could be achieved or at least become PUNishable, I would feel much better and much less EXEasperated. Some might find that this article is somewhat contradictory, with the use of so many puns that have been condemned in the same breath, but this is not an EXEacerbation of the problem. Rather this article intends (indeed, aptly for the paper it appears in) to EXEposé the possibilities and in turn to EXEhume Exeter’s punning ability from the shallow grave in which it currently resides, thanks to the interference of the Tyriversaurus REXE, and its seemingly unending collection of possible pun adaptions.

Does the Top 200 mean anything? David Brake Screen Editor

The University of Exeter is currently going in and out of the top ten universities in the country. Its long term aim is to create a firm grip on a top five place by the end of the decade, through the development of the Forum project and other expensive ventures. However, a greater issue for the University is its world ranking. Exeter is currently ranked 184th in the world. This may sound a long way from the top but, in truth, it is a worthy achievement. It would be nicer to be higher, but if one was to peruse the campus grounds, you would not expect us to be any higher. Our place in the world rankings is not due to the traditional myths of poor employability rating and poor levels of international students. In fact, it is due to our teaching, research and citations. Therefore, if this be the case, the attempt to become the Manchester City of

universities seems strange to me. The amount of cash being spent on new buildings bewilders me with boards around campus advertising the figure at £275 million. However, for future generations of students and lecturers, the reality of a brand new university will raise Exeter’s reputation nationally and internationally. It does seem to be bringing Exeter into the 21st century with a crash and bang, literally. Nevertheless, as Manchester City have found out, prestige and success is never instant after a spending frenzy. The existing prestige and pre-established excellence of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge means it will take more than money to move Exeter into the higher world ranking positions. Therefore it seems time will be the necessary element for Exeter’s development into the top 100. Indeed, in the world rankings, Exeter is below the universities of Surrey, Sheffield, Nottingham, Glasgow, Leeds, and Dundee. However, in the Guardian’s 2011

UK university standings, Exeter is 14th. This places them above all the aforementioned universities with Leeds lying in a low 35th. The question must be asked: why is there such a huge difference? In the UK rankings, Exeter is declared as one of the best in the country, yet in the world, it seems to be middling at best. The difference pulls into question the validity of the ranking system. Indeed, Exeter may not have the prestige of others but it has one of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the country. Therefore it is impossible to define what makes one university better than the other. There will always be student pride with each university stating greatness in their selected field meaning a fair comparison is impossible. Hence, Exeter’s position within the world ranking’s should not worry many of you, if any of you. For the time being, I believe Exeter should simply focus upon improving their UK position rather than the world ranking.

Comment

A long summer of Internships Rachel Rietz

Internships. When did they become imperative to getting a job? My older siblings never had to juggle internships with paid work and their studies. Now it seems that to become a serious contender in the increasingly competitive, contracting job market you have to have some industry experience. A degree alone just won’t cut it. The problem with many internships, or at least the problem I have encountered, is that in addition to working for nothing, you then have to pay for this privilege. I say pay for the privilege because for anyone unfortunate enough to live outside a large city the travel expenses incurred can reach hundreds of pounds a week. While some companies are gracious enough to acknowledge the time interns invest, with some even generous enough to pay a wage, there are many that offer no form of compensation. So are students essentially paying for internships? In the case of unpaid internships, the answer has to be yes. In addition to paying for the expenses internships incur, students are then unable to perform paid work - often used to

recoup the money spent during the university terms. Now I am in fact a big believer in internships. It is not a one-way exchange, and students can gain an invaluable insight into an industry during internships. It is also understandable that, given the ever-increasing number of people applying to university, relevant industry experience is required to distinguish between the horde of equally well-educated graduates. The system serves its purpose but it is, in my mind, flawed. Despite the financial support available to support students through university, getting a degree is undoubtedly expensive and any financial difficulties are only compounded by internships that offer no contribution towards expenses. However, without an internship, gaining employment is all the more difficult, so it’s a catch-22. Unpaid internships prohibit, or at least hinder, less financially able but nonetheless bright individuals from participating in internships. Unfortunately there is no clear path for change; demand for internships outstrips supply (a fact exacerbated by the recession) so the problem is inevitable. Currently. the only solution is to target companies that do contribute towards expenses, and thankfully some industries are better than others in this regard.

The Community Wardens Hannah Porter

It’s the start of a new University year, and if you are living off campus, this may mean that you also have a new house, new neighbours, and even a new recycling schedule to deal with. After the quiet student-less ghosttown of the summer months, Exeter is well and truly repopulated and bounding with life. Although the cliché is of drunken, drugged-up, oversexed students, I feel that the reality is far from that. Indeed, many local residents and businesses look forward to the return of Exeter’s students; we add much to the local economy and the general vitality of the area. It is even true that we bring a sense of security to those of the elder generation; by repopulating empty streets and houses, we reduce the risk of break-ins. And we must not forget how many hours students clock up by taking part in volunteering activities throughout Exeter.

However, this does not change the fact that, year after year, local residents, and indeed other students, repeatedly report instances of drunken and antisocial behaviour and the littering and overflowing of rubbish on streets. Reports of loud singing late at night from houses enroute to the clubs may seem trivial, but it is becoming so much of an issue that last year, the Guild had to launch the ‘Zip-It’ campaign. Some local residents are able to smile about it and accept that living near students has its ups and downs, but some are much more upset with such behaviour. This is where the Student Community Wardens come into play. The ten-strong group of students liaise with the Police, Council, Guild and local residents to help diffuse situations like this. Is it a comment on our student culture that only our contemporaries can keep us in line? Or is it, as I believe, that the social gap between students and the local community has widened to such a degree that we are lacking the lines of communication and mutual respect that a true community needs to survive?

No bull. Straight talking from KPMG. Graduate Programmes All degree disciplines We close for applications once we are full. To secure a place at KPMG, be sure to apply early. To find out more head straight to:

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more challenging routine for those www.exeterguild.org/pgu bdgZ XdcÐ YZci l^i] i]Z^g hVahV # Postgraduate studentstime. 9pm 8:50pm - 9pm: Practice – represent the postgraduate 10pm: Intermediate class (for those wanting a much more challenging community by standing for the class, both with footwork, styling Committee positions available. and turn patterns). Contact slc215@ex.ac.uk for more details.

Wednesday 13 October

EVERY WEEK

FRESHERS BALL 2010 MONDAYS Matford Centre Student Events. - Freshers Ball 4pm - 5pm Live Bands, DJ’s,Fairground German Society: Conversation Rides and Bars. Includes a Class special set from Long Lounge, DH Jo Whiley.A must Ado great opportunity practise event!This yeartotaking place your spoken German with native off campus due to the Forum speakers in an informal and building works but including free friendly atmosphere. Suitable for transport to and from the Ball. German undergraduates. Contact alt204@ex.ac.uk for more details.

Thursday 14 October

7pm-7.45pm Folk Society: Folk Music Session 20:00 JCR, DH ALEXEI SAYLE An opportunity to play traditional Exeter Phoenix folk tunes. All instruments Alexei Sayle excerpts welcome. Also performs see our slower music session Fridays. Contact from his new on book ‘Stalin Ate cgb203@ex.ac.uk more details. My Homework’, for a hilarious

and perceptive memoir of

8.30 pm- 10pm his confusing lifeDancing as the son Folk Society: Folk of Communist parents, his JCR, DH Come and try some traditional english folk dancing with Folk Soc, one of Exeter’s longest running societies. No partner needed. No experience necessary.Contact live jazz • cgb203@ex.ac.uk for more details.

childhood in Eastern Europe and his years as a teenage Maoist. WEDNESDAYS 1pm friday 15 October Meeting Amnesty International Freddie Mercury Suite, CH 13:00 weekly meeting, during Amnesty’s Autumn Election: Nominations which we plan our campaigns close and fundraising events and take action on contemporary www.exeterguild.org/elections Human Rights issues. See www.and Get your nomination placed exeteramnestystudents.co.uk for upload your manifesto before more details. the 1pm deadline to stand in the 7pm Autumn Elections. Buddhist & Meditation Society: Meditation Evening Queen's 16:00 4.2 Every week we have a meditation Halls Elections: Nominations session with a local speaker, close who gives the background to the www.exeterguild.org/halls practice and leads a meditation. Get your nomination inanyone for your All sessions are free and is welcome at any time so do come Hall Committee election. along. Contact us on jrm212@ ex.ac.uk if you want more details of 16:00 our schedule.

PGU Elections: Nominations close - 9pm 7:30pm

16:00 St Luke’s Committee Elections: 8.30pm - 10pm Nominations close Japanese Society The Lemon Grove Bar www.exeterguild.org/lukies The Japanese Society's regular Finalise your St. Luke’s meeting; come along for a friendly Committee nomination before the chat! 4pm deadline. 7pm Arabic 20:30Society: Bellydancing Coffee Express,DEVELOPMENT DH ARRESTED Arabic Society is proud to introduce Exeter Phoenix the return of our belly dance The classic hip will hopbe outfit classes! Lessons heldreturn with a all new weekly thealbum, term on‘Strong’, Thursday adding to their impressive evenings from 7pm to 8pm inback Coffee Express, Devonshire House. catalogue of the likes of ‘Mr Prices are £1 for members of Wendal’, ‘People Everyday’Arabic and Society, and £2 for non-members. ‘Tennessee’. It'd be great to see you there!"

SKREAM AND AFRICA HITECH FRIDAYS SOUNDSYSTEM

1-2pm The Lemon Grove Arabic Conversation Classes Seminar Room 2, IAIS Colloquial Arabic conversation saturday 16 october classes. Mainly Levantine dialect, 09:00 incorporating some Egyptian. Anyone welcome! Contact St. Luke’s Committee kjm205@ex.ac.uk forOpens more details. Elections: Voting

www.exeterguild.org/lukies

6pm onwards St. Luke’s Committee elections. Free Fun Friday Ram Bar, DH Enjoy all the games in the Ram for Free from 6pm, as well as promotional drinks offers every Friday!

7.30pm 09:00 PsychSoc: Play that Funky Music Halls Phoenix Committee Elections: Exeter Voting Opens Jazz Orchestra Exeter University and Soul Choir will be combining www.exeterguild.org/halls forces to your provide anor amazing Vote in Hall Residence evening of musical entertainment. Committee elections. Tickets are a bargain at £5...come along, it’s guaranteed to make you 09:00 smile!

PGU Committee Elections:

TUESDAY, 23RD MARCH Voting Opens www.exeterguild.org/pgu

12pm-2pm Postgraduates: Vote in the PGU BodySoc: Bake Sale Committee elections. CH A bake sale to raise money for the ‘Breast 10:00 Cancer care’ chairty. Tickets for our formal charity dinner Autumn Elections: Votingwill also be availble here.

Opens www.exeterguild.org/elections 6.30pm and 9pm Vote in Cinema: the Autumn elections. Campus Dr. Strangelove Film Screening M&D Room, CH 20:00 £1.50 members JACKIE LEVEN £3.00 non-members

Exeter Phoenix Scottish singer-songwriter Jackie 7.30pm Leven has spent a lifetime of ECU Open Mic Night Cross Keys, St Luke’s nights in bars and a lifetime of Relaxed informal days writing theenvironment, songs including everyone welcome, invite your his latest release ‘Lovers at the friends and come and hear some Gunmusic. Club’.Short talk by AU pres great Tom Murray;hosted by ECU.

Friday 22 October

7.30-9.30pm Community Action: Take me Out 16:00 Lemon Grove, CH

Elections: Voting closes. www.exeterguild.org/elections WEDNESDAY, 24TH MARCH Voting in all elections closes.

Lost Ark Film Screening 19:30 M&D Room, CH ZANE LOWE DJ HERO TOUR £1.50 members The Lemon Grove £3.00 non-members

Club Night (0ver 18’s)

FRIDAY, 26TH Zane brings his MARCH DJ Hero Tour to the Lemon Grove for the first time

8.00pm-2am Twi-night; Twilight and New Moon Marathon Film Saturday 23Screening October Lemon Grove, CH Don’t miss outGIBBS on this fully-loaded 20:00 OTIS night of Vampire-ladened fun! Exeter Phoenix Team Edward/Jacob dress-up with An alt-folk/country, music PRIZES and drinks available at the troubadour from the American Lemmy bar. Popcorn and Ice Cream! mid west, Otis Gibbs is someone '#*% [dg dcZ Ð ab! * id hZZ Wdi]# Half entrance for Campus withprice a strong political agenda and Cinema seen asmembers. a spiritual descendant Buy your tickets in advance from of Woody Guthrie and a soul i]Z AZbbn 7dm D[Ð XZ! Vcn 8Vbejh brotherscreening of Steve or Earle. Cinema on the night.

SATURDAY, 27TH MARCH 20:00 UTAH SAINTS

1:30pm Exeter Phoenix Exeter University Chamber Orchestra Spring Serenade University Chapel Sunday 24 October Experience the joys of spring with Chamber 20:00 Orchestra! Repertoire includes Ireland’s Concertino WALTER TROUT Pastorale and Mozart’s Sinfonia Exeter Phoenix Concertante with student soloists The legendary Trout has Jenny Rogers andWalter Clara Bradbury wowing audiences with his -been Rance.

rock/blues band The Radicals

6.30pm and 9pm for 10 years and previously with Campus Pulp Fiction CannedCinema: Heat, Santana and Film John Screening Mayall. Walter was recently voted M&D Room, CH one of the top 10 guitarists in the £1.50 members world. £3.00 non-members

6.30-8.30pm Nooma SUNDAY, 28TH MARCH UNICEF: Student Art and Poetry Long Lounge, DH Night Exploring the relevance of Jesus 6.30pm and 9pm Castle Galleries, 18 Cathedral Yard and the Bible in contemporary Campus Cinema: The Dark Knight An exhibition of student art society, looking at ‘building the folk • surf rock • acoustic • reggae to world music • late night home-made pizzas Film Screening work and poetry inspired by the foundations for a brighter future’ 6:30pm M&D Room, CH theme of UNICEF’s global work. open to all. Folk Society: Beginners’ Folk £1.50 members Refreshements will be provided. 8:30pm Music Session 8pm onwards £3.00 non-members Community Action: Pub Quiz Claydon (behind Knightley) Xpression FM presents Open Mic 6.30pm and 9pm Ram, DH Come along and join in with a slow MONDAY, 29TH MARCH Night Campus Cinema: A Clockwork Pub Quiz hosted by CA. Prizes informal folk music session. All Lemon Grove, CH include exciting vouchers from instruments and abilities welcome! Orange Film Screening 7.00pm A free and fun evening. All new M&D Room, CH Dominoes and the Black Horse. We also teach instruments from BodySoc’s Formal Charity Dinner and returning acts welcome, come £1.50 members Tickets £1 per person, half of which scratch. Contact cgb203@ex.ac.uk for Breast Cancer Care along at the beginning of the night £3.00 non-members is charitably donated to CA and for more details. The Royal Clarence to sign up. www.xpressionfm.com. its volunteering projects. Prizes A formal dinner to raise money for 7.30pm je [dg \gVWh ^cXajYZ Ð kZ 9db^cdÇh 7:30pm ‘Breast Cancer Care’ at Michael EUSO Spring Concert E^ooV kdjX]Zgh! Ð kZ Yg^c`h [gdb i]Z THURSDAYS Debating Society:Friday Debate Caine’s Restaurant and to include Exeter Corn Exchange Black Horse, a bottle of wine and a Parker Moot Room,Amory a pink champagne reception @ Join EUSO for our biggest concert healthy cash sum is up for grabs. The Debating Society’s weekly 4:30pm - 6:30pm Pithcher and Piano. of the year: Contact cafundraising@ex.ac.uk show debate, check the Debsoc World Music Choir: Rehearsal Sam Richards: 4 Sea Studies for more details. Facebook group each week for the Knightley Seminar Room motion. Contact cf256@ex.ac.uk for Glazunov: Violin Concerto Op 82 in A TUESDAY, 30TH MARCH Come and join the World Music minor, soloist Sulki Yu more details. Choir for a fun rehearsal singing TUESDAYS 7.00pm-11.00pm Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique songs from around the world SUNDAYS Exeter’s Got Talent Heats Student tickets cost £4.50 and £2 members £4 non-members. Lemon Grove, CH 6:45pm - 9:45pm are available from 01392 665866. Contact worldmusicchoir@yahoo. 8pm onwards Dancesport Society: Latin and BOOK NOW! com for more details. RAG Quiz Ballroom Lessons THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH Lemon Grove, CH Hope Hall Dining Room 5pm onwards Latin and Ballroom Lessons taught Poker WEEKS 11 & 12 by a former world champion. No 8.00pm Lemon Grove, CH previous experience necessary World Music Choir: Spring Mini MONDAY, 22ND MARCH 7pm - 10pm for our beginner lessons. 6:45pm Concert Available from 8pm to 8am every night during term time. Dancesport Society: Salsa Lessons -7:30pm: Beginners Latin. 7:30pm University Campus 6.30pm and 9pm Hope Hall Dining Room -8:15pm: Beginner Ballroom. A half hour break from stress and Call: 01392 275 284 (local rate) Campus Cinema: Some Like it Hot 7pm - 7:50pm: Beginners class 8:15pm - 9pm: Novice and deadlines, with some fun, beautiful or 724000 (free from halls) E-mail: voicemail@exetervoice. Film Screening (beginners footwork and partner Intermediate Latin. 9pm - 9:45pm: music and the World Music Choir wholesome fresh home-cooked food co.uk work). 7:50pm - 8pm: Practice time. M&D Room, CH Novice and Intermediate Ballroom. (response within 48 hours) 6.30pm and 9pm £1.50 members 8pm 8:50pm: Improvers class (a Email slc215@ex.ac.uk Skype: exetervoice devon real ales & farm cider Online Chat: www.exetervoice. Campus Cinema: Raiders of the £3.00 non-members

Old Firehouse all day opening, 12 noon up to 3 am in the morning

three storey candlelit pub

co.uk

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

There’s Something About Suzi

Anna-Marie Linnell, Features Editor, discusses Exeter student life with Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission

“So,” she says, “tell me about you.” I had no idea what to expect when meeting a Dame for the first time. Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission in England and Wales, certainly was not it. When I offer to buy her a coffee, she laughs and tells me it would feel “a bit mean.” One Americano later and the interview is underway. Much has changed for Suzi since she was a student at Exeter: “I did my first degree here, from 74-77, I did politics ... Then I came back, they couldn’t keep me away, to do my CQSW. It’s very nice to be sitting back in Devonshire House.” Since she was a student, Suzi has held over thirty posts in the public sector, been given a Peerage by the Labour Party and been awarded an MBE. But back in her old student haunt she notes that she’s not the only one to have changed. “The Uni is clearly recognisable,” she tells me, “but it’s just developed so much, in a very positive way.” Suzi has continued to play an active role in the life of the university since her graduation. “I think because we live in the city and because my husband teaches here, and because I’m on the Council, obviously I feel I’ve kept pace with the changes.” Although Suzi might be expected to give positive descriptions on cue as a member of the University Council, the controlling body of our University finances, in fact no cue needs to be given. There is even no need for uncomfortable prompting before she addresses the question of building works: “I know it’s an absolute pain for everybody while they’re going on,” she assures me. “But it signals Curriculum Vitae

Born April 5 1956 1974-77: Politics Bachelors 1979-84: Senior Research Officer for Consumers in Europe 1997-2001: Chair of Exeter and District NHS Trust 2000-2002: Deputy Chair of Food Standards Agency 2002-2006: Chair of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 2006-Present: Chair of the Charity Commission England and Wales

such strength and confidence and sustainability for the future.” Such optimism may not drown out the drilling, but even the ForumProject sceptic would struggle to disbelieve Suzi’s honesty when she says: “I feel really proud, always, to say I went to Exeter.”

about teacher training?’At a stroke, denigrating teacher training, but at the same time as giving me the message: you’ll probably fail.” It was an experience Suzi still has not forgotten, despite her current position as Chair of one of the largest charitable organising bodies

“I was given some advice by a woman I admired very much when I was a postgrad. She said: don’t learn to type, because you’ll end up in a typing job. And don’t stick at anything that bores you.” “I get a sense that the University is much more strategic now, straightforwardly, much better managed.” Suzi believes the building works are not just a campus’ crusade, but a symbol of the need to regenerate universities across the country. “Universities clearly need to be able to distinguish themselves from their competitors. I think that’s not just about results, but about what it means to be a student here.” Suzi admits that the national question of raising student fees could affect this. “There is a real danger people will be put off, absolutely,” she says. Although her “collective responsibility” as part of the Council means she is uncomfortable with discussing any further details, Suzi does emphasise the need for support of lower-income students and widening participation. I ask whether provision will be kept in place and she is quick to respond: “It jolly well has to be.” “Good students aren’t being encouraged to go to the top universities. They’re being told they can settle for something less than the best.” Dame Suzi remembers the effect of this from her own personal experience of what low expectations can do to a student’s esteem. Having studied at a private school in Wiltshire for most of her education, “where everybody was expected to go to university,” Suzi attended Tavistock Comprehensive to do her sixth form years. Whilst at Tavistock, she experienced a very different attitude to university education. “When I went to get the UCCA form,” Suzi tells me. “The Deputy Head said to me: ‘You want to go to university? Um, it’s very difficult to get into university. Have you thought

in the world. The Charity Commission exists to provide support for over 180,000 charities in England and Wales, from “big household names to local tiny community based organisations.” Earlier in the year controversy was drawn over statistics concerning the salaries of top earners in the public sector, of which Dame Suzi was one. For a three day week, £150,000 may seem a huge reward to reap. But then, ask her about a typical week. “Oh goodness,” she says – seeming floored. Then she whips out her diary and starts to consult it. “On Monday I’ve got a meeting with Francis Maude, who works at the Cabinet Office. ” More consultation. “On Wednesday I fly to Edinburgh, because on Thursday I’m going to the Queen’s reception for the Pope at Holyrood Palace.” Indeed, nothing seems so typical about the Queen’s reception, though Suzi is quick to add: “I don’t think I’ll actually get to meet the Pope.” I ask her if she’s met the Queen. “Well Charles ‘Damed’ me,” she says. “I met the Queen when I got an MBE a few years ago and she gave me that.” The huge range of Suzi’s work is what she finds so exciting. Whilst a large chunk of her day may be taken up with meetings, Suzi says that she most enjoys getting back to the grassroots. Despite the pressures of recession, some of the smallest charities are Suzi’s top priority. She considers their role vitally important and emphasises: “One of the things I’m determined to try and protect is the support we give to small, community based grassroots organisations that are run entirely by volunteers.”

october 11 2010

Exeposé

A night on the town with the University’s Estate Patrol The prospect of economic cuts could make the public sector feel pessimistic at best, but Suzi insists that “the future is bright for charities.” Her pragmatic optimism is reflected in the report she pushes towards me, a new initiative to boost the role of Young Trustees in charities. The facts and figures roll off Suzi’s tongue: “There’s 810,000 trustees in England and Wales and only 4,220 of them are between 18 and 24. That must increase – it means charities are missing out.” Suzi believes it genuinely important that young people are not only given the chance to get involved with charities, but, “believe it makes a difference what they say.” Suzi thinks that self-belief and the knowledge that you are making a difference comes from pursuing causes you are passionate about. “I was given some advice by a woman I admired very much when I was a postgrad. She said: don’t learn to type, because you’ll end up in a typing job. And don’t stick at anything that bores you.” “I never knew what I wanted to do. I just followed what I thought was interesting.” Maybe it’s this idea of experimentation that makes Suzi such an approachable figure. In her gap year she worked in a light engineering factory in

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Plymouth, was a hospital cleaner, taught English in Italy and travelled. She also “did a sponsored hitch to Amsterdam with RAG. Quite good fun!” When it comes to the pressure of being a working mother of three, Suzi is proud that she has been: “able to have a family and have a professional life.” She even takes the refreshing approach that “it’s much easier now to stay in touch, with emails and free texts.” So there’s something very relatable about Suzi. And what, in the span of her career, does she consider her most striking achievement? “That’s a really difficult question. In a way...just having been able to have done the things I have been able to do, being a woman who didn’t go to Oxbridge. ” “I just feel very blessed, really Anna-Marie.” I wasn’t aware of entering the interview with any expectations of my first ever Dame, but something tells me Suzi might have exceeded them. The interview ends in a very similar way to how it started: Suzi relaxes, leans back on the chair and smiles broadly. “So, interview over. Tell me about you.”

Exeposé week two

Flagship 33

Cuts in contact time as well as funding? Caroline Cant takes a look at changes to degree structure. Things are changing for the University of Exeter English department. The ever increasing pressure for jobs has led to a change in its undergraduate programme. For the first time this year, a new module is available for second year undergraduates called “English in the Workplace.” The module sees its students completing a work placement as an endeavour to master some of the transferable skills that their degree should be teaching them. And, of course, to increase their employability. In an economic environment where 70 graduates fight for one job, this module may sound great. Yet how can a module that only requires 80 hours of work experience really be considered on a par with those that require attendance of weekly lectures and seminars - and complete essays and exams? The average English undergraduate receives only six hours of tuition per week and the majority of learning is done independently. “English in the Workplace” takes this minimum of contact time to an entirely new level: 200 of the 300 hours of work required for this module are termed as “independent study”, there is only one tutorial for the entire module and it is up to the students to keep their tutors in the loop in terms of how they’re progressing. Dr Paul Young, convenor of the new module, admits that it is not a “traditional module in terms of contact hours.” But he argues that what students lack in teaching specifically dedicated to English they gain in hours of direct contact whilst working for outside institutions. It is a chance for students to challenge themselves by engaging with a completely different world and learning to critically analyse that dialogue. This could be seen to expand on elements of intellectual detachment encouraged in first year critical theory modules – for all English undergrad students, we are talking about C&C. If the new course allows students to think creatively and critically in work environment, they will not be changing to fit a set employability mould: instead students will force that mould to fit them. It can’t be denied that work experience teaches you

skills you cannot always learn in an university environment. However, the point of the long summer holiday was supposedly to give students the time to pursue commitments such as internships outside of their degree; few will be able to gain credit from their experience. “English in the Workplace” is worth 30 credits for the 33 undergraduates on its programme. This new module seems at odds with the other modules of Exeter’s English programme, which is rated 5th best in the country and is usually highly academic. Part of what pupils are marked on are elements such as good covering letters and CVs – an exercise in spelling, perhaps, but not mainstream academia – and even the module’s own convenor admits that its ethos is flawed. However, the way students on the module will apply their skills in English to the workplace may help them learn about issues far beyond the reach of their degree. Final essays though are expected to show how pupils make steps between their degree and the world of work using theoretical analysis of work rhetoric and culture, and they must be critically demanding. The module aims to be rigorous and challenging. Just not in a traditional way. Introduction of such a module may help to pierce the university bubble students feel so safe in. Should employability take the place of academia? Is it acceptable that students can avoid taking more strenuous modules? No. But this is not the point of “English in the Workplace”. The rise in work experience based modules across the university, and the emphasis on schemes like the Exeter Award, forces everyone to see that we are living through an economic downturn. Having a degree is not enough, you have to be employable. The 33 students of “English in the Workplace” may be the first pupils of a new module which is not yet fault free, but they may end up as the flagship for a new style of learning.

Features

Concerned about Conservapedia Alex Blake investigates the new alternative to the ‘liberal’ Wikipedia.

CUE movie trailer voice: In a world where Fred Phelps is a liberal activist and where Wikipedia is a left-wing cesspool, only one man knows the truth: Andy Schlafly. Mr Schlafly is the founder of the ultra-conservative alternative to Wikipedia, Conservapedia. The project was started when Mr Schlafly, a teacher and attorney, noticed one of his students using the date marker BCE instead of BC on a paper. The student’s source for this, Wikipedia. Mr Schlafly was led to the obvious conclusion that Wikipedia, “despite its claim of neutrality, contained bias against the achievements of Christianity and conservatism”, hence the need for a conservative alternative. Thus Conservapedia was born, or created, one should say. The standard procedure for the site appears to make broad generalisations about one’s enemies (namely, liberals, atheists and Muslims) and explain that this is how all such people act. Therefore common finds on the site include, for example, describing bigotry as a trait that all liberals will display, but not conservatives. Or, atheists as being unwilling to give to charity because they are all motivated by social Darwinism.

exist?” and, “do liberal teachings cause mental illness?” which are all apparently meant in good faith. The latter of the two posits that “medical professionals emphasize that they do not know what causes mental illness. Accordingly, they cannot rule out that liberal indoctrination is a contributing factor.” I kid you not. Another bugbear for many Conservapedia editors is the public (state) school system. In fact, the v e r y first l i n e of the article on public schools states that “public schools in the United States are liberal and atheistic”. The article goes on to say that “the teaching of morality is implicitly disfavoured”. Indeed, “homosexual indoctrination is common as early as elementary school in more liberal states”. The site’s editors seem to have so much contempt for public schooling that it is listed as a major

“The term liberal has become something of a dirty word in American politics - Conservapedia does all that it can to keep it this way.” The term ‘liberal’ has become something of a dirty word within American politics and Conservapedia certainly does all that it can to keep it this way. Terry Jones, the pastor who threatened to burn a copy of the Koran on September 11 2010, is categorised as a liberal, along with Fred Phelps, the infamous “God hates fags” leader of the Westboro Baptists Church. Conservapedia has a whole array of articles apparently chronicling the most egregious of liberal attributes. There are articles on liberal bias, liberal deceit, liberal falsehoods and liberal myths. The “liberal traits” page is not so much an article, but a list of links to 113 other pages. Among the traits are bullying, name-calling, bigotry, racism and even mental illness. The site also has a series of articles seeking to address “mysteries”, such as “why do people doubt?” or “did Jesus suffer more after crucifixion?” Of course, liberals are equally mysterious, and there are pages on “why do nonconservatives

cause behind many of the sprees of young mass murderers. The entry for Stephen Kazmierczak, a student who killed six students, himself and wounding a further 18 at the Northern Illinois University in 2008, states that he fitted the “typical mould of a killer” because he wore all black and was taught at a public school. Nowhere is the tragedy of such an event

mentioned. Perhaps the one thing that made Conservapedia most famous was its “Conservative Bible Project”. This was an attempt to retranslate the Bible “into modern English without liberal translation distortions”. Accordingly, words such as “peace” and “labourer” were replaced. The authors of the project were apparently unaware of the concept of eisegesis, or the reading of one’s own ideas into a text. Duly, one of the stated aims of the project was to make sure the Bible now “express[es] free market parables”. Of course it would be wrong, biased even, to accuse Conservapedia itself of bias. Mr Schlafly et al were simply trying to make clear J e s u s ’ role as a businessman. E x c u s e s for Pinochet So, what can be made of a site such as this? Many people have simply chosen to mock the site. Schlafly was a guest on The Colbert Report, a satirical US news show, where Stephen Colbert stated that he himself “believe[s] in a conservative world view and I want to create my own reality the way you are”. Parodies have sprung up across the internet, whilst some have even suspected the entire site of being a giant parody itself. But more fundamental is that Conservapedia reflects American ultra-conservatives and, more broadly, the nature of US politics. For the site’s editors at least, facts are a partisan affair. The “How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia” page states that “We do not allow liberal censorship of conservative facts.” Despite the fact that the Conservative Bible Project proposed excluding texts that “liberals commonly put their own spin on”. Conservative censorship, anyone? Facts have never been politics’ strong point, but something is wrong when a supposedly educational site actually openly admits to playing fast and loose with facts. So, is Conservapedia a parody? No, a look at the conviction displayed on the talk pages dispels that idea. Sorry, t h a t liberal myth.

Features

A Night in the Life of the University’s Estate Patrol

Henry White, Photography Editor and Katharine Bardsley spend a night of Welcome Week with Exeter’s campus security

For most people at Exeter University, seven o’ clock in the evening – and of an evening in Welcome Week - marks the start of socialising and clubbing. For some it signals the beginning of a busy and varied night protecting both the students and Exeter’s campus. Welcome to the life of Estate Patrol. The team of the University of Exeter Estate Patrol work 24 hours a day in a team of four officers. Every evening, a patrol shift comprising of four officers will be on shift: one in the office co-ordinating events, two in a patrol van and one as the “third man”, whose job is to provide backup or cover situations the other team can’t reach. This is an account of a typical night for Estate Patrol, almost as exactly as it happened. 20:00: Mark and Paul, officers with Estate Patrol for four and seven years respectively, are acting as the response team for the first half of the night. After sorting some congestion problems around The Lemon Grove, including a car driving the wrong direction down a one way street, we head to St Luke’s because of a fire alarm. When we arrive it turns out that the Porter has already sorted the problem, so a quick check is done of James Owen Court and several residential streets on the way back to Streatham Campus. 20:30: A standard patrol of the University Campus, which stretches from Duryard down to as far as Topsham and Duckes Marshes, follows. The van needs refuelling after we’ve inspected the building work around Kay House and Moberly. On average, each patrol van covers

around 80 miles per night and uses £25.50 of fuel. One way of minimising journey time is the use of the CCTV cameras. The University has a network of 367 cameras on Streatham Campus, with 66 more coming online for the new Forum buildings. These provide vital assistance in spotting criminal or dangerous activity, enabling a Patrol to pinpoint and react to problems quickly and directly. The cameras cover a range of areas including Student Halls and most Academic Buildings. Almost all have 360º swivel capability, as well as powerful magnification to capture detailed images of any suspect activity. 20:47: Another car is spotted travelling down a one way street by the Northcott Theatre. Only 1% of students cause or are involved in illegal activity on Streatham Campus; a significant amount of the problems come from non-students and the general public. Some people perpetrating the offences are unfamiliar with university systems, but others are deliberately acting to damage property. As the Patrol heads past St Germans a call comes in over the radio about a Road Traffic Collision at Knightley. Ray, the Support Officer for the evening, arrives as our van does and together we investigate the scene. A minivan has reversed into a pillar, causing considerable damage to the van and brickwork. With a side window shattered and in need of removal, the vehicle is deemed unsafe. It is moved to a car park where the

university CCTV can monitor it for the duration of the night. 21:00: After another drive around the halls of residence we return to Northcote House for some food and a quick break. Peak times for evening activity often occur between 18:20 and 22:00 and 02:00-04:00, which unsurprisingly coincides with students’ social habits. The night shift runs from 19:00-07:00, though, meaning Officers can be called out at any time. Shortly after we go in for a break, a fire alarm is triggered in Chagford, St Germans. A five

minute response time is required to avoid the fire brigade being called out. We reach the building within two minutes, although people are still inside - seemingly unaware of the alarm’s meaning. Mark and Paul quickly check and evacuate the block, including a group of students heading the wrong way up the stairs. The trigger of the alarm is located in a room on the second floor and it’s obvious the cause was hair straighteners being used under the detector. Within three minutes of our arrival we are finished and

everyone is allowed back into the block, though only after the culprit has been named and shamed. The embarrassment technique is used to shock people into being more aware and careful. Alarm silenced, we return to Northcote House. Last year over 600 fire related call outs were made to Estate Patrol. The 424 other incidents ranged from general maintenance to vandalism, drugs and assaults. The scale and variety of problems means that the Estate Patrol team, made up of 20 officers working in shifts, perform many more duties than just security.

Exeposé Week two

22:45 Alvan, Team Leader and an officer for ten years, and the designated driver for the night, Mark, head back out on a Patrol. This leaves Paul to monitor the cameras and office operations, with Ray as second patrol. A Lemon Grove concert has just finished and several cars are caught travelling the wrong way down St German’s Road, with large amounts of non students also in the roads. Our patrol then moves onto Sidwell Street, where several students on their way into town are seen falling into the road. Welcome Team members are, however, on hand to assist quickly. Alcohol related issues actually form a very small percentage of call outs for Estate Patrol and it’s females

that make up the majority of alcohol based problems. The main issues often involve walking alone at night or large groups creating noise. 23:25: A call comes over the radio about a new arrival at JOC. Welcome Week sees a large amount of students arriving at any time of the day or night, and this particular girl has been travelling for 13 hours from Hong Kong. Mark and Alvan register her and allow her access to her flat, giving her a brief tour. With so many international students arriving in out-of-office hours, the team provide a vital hospitality service which prevents hundreds of students from being isolated and stuck on the streets of Exeter late at night. Back on campus and the fire alarm in the library isn’t communicating with Northcote House. Before the building work started, Estate Patrol regularly had to remove vagrants and non-students from the library, but since the new reception has opened this problem has lessened. A spot check of all the floors is still conducted, to prevent any criminal activity and spot any maintenance or safety issues. 00:06: A call comes through about an incident at Point Exe. A female student cannot get into her block, whilst a man is insisting on accompanying her to her room. The disturbance has raised concern with fellow residents. We locate the pair in the courtyard and Mark and Alvan quickly take ID cards from both. As the female is visibly inebriated and distressed, it’s important to identify her so Paul runs a cross check from the office. Mark and Alvan want to discover the girl’s accommodation block as soon as possible, not only to get her inside from the elements but also to determine who the man is and why he is there. The girl’s Uni Card is not yet activated, so there is no record of her. Mark decides to allow the girl in to the flat she claims she inhabits, where her housemates are used to confirm her identity. The male is asked to wait outside. When he refuses, the man is ordered to wait at the bottom of the stairs and Alvan keeps watch on him. Mark lets the girl into her flat and questions her about the male downstairs. It’s important to determine whether she knows him or knows his reason for being there, in order to prevent anything more serious from happening. Patience and understanding is required by both Mark and Alvan to combat the effects of alcohol, as they are required not only to investigate but also to support any students with problems. Estate Patrol officers are trained to deal with a range of difficult situations, from counselling to the diffusion of aggressive and violent disputes. With the help of her flatmates, the girl is safely put to bed. She confirms that the male is a stranger and is not welcome.

An emergency number, which can be found on the back of all Uni ID cards, is given to the flat members in case of any further incidents that night. Mark and Alvan then question the male about his presence at Point Exe. His immediate aggression towards the officers and his limited knowledge of the University raises suspicion, which is only heightened by his reluctance to leave. He is escorted from the building and Alvan and Mark wait outside until he is out of sight. 00:28: Ray radios through asking for help back at Chagford: this time students in a flat are refusing to answer the door after they were spotted smoking by a construction site security guard. When we arrive, about five minutes later, Ray has gained entry and has confiscated a sizeable amount of cannabis from two international students. The University has a zero tolerance approach to drug abuse and Alvan informs the students of their situation, the UK laws on cannabis and the disciplinary procedure that will follow: An incident report will be handed to the Resident Tutor who will then follow disciplinary action as well as liaising with the Police. Estate Patrol officers have the power to confiscate any contraband found on campus or in the hands of a student. Although they cannot confiscate alcohol, they can remove any drugs or items linked with drug use if they believe they are in use. They work closely with local Police officers to ensure that there is a minimal presence of drugs or drug abuse at Exeter. This is designed to protect the environment in which students live and work and keep students safe. 00:45: Whilst we are still at Chagford, a call comes through about some students locked out of Lafrowda. Mark and Alvan leave Ray to complete the drugs report and head around to J Block. The lock to a flat has become jammed. Mark manages to force it open and then explains how to report the fault to Campus Services the next day. Two minutes later we leave J Block after a call to go to another lock-out in Mardon Hall. We walk straight into a male student in fluorescent green tights and skirt, carrying a For Sale sign which obviously isn’t his. As is procedure with such situations, the student’s Uni ID card is taken and he is informed o f

university regulations - and which ones in particular he is breaking. Embarrassment is considered the best form of education again, as with the fire alarm, so Alvan walks the student back down Pennsylvania Road to put the sign back. Mark follows slowly in the van with the lights flashing. Several jeers from the Lafrowda flats and passers-by seems to be sufficient punishment. 01:12: Mardon seems to be quite quiet, although the Resident Tutor informs us of a noise issue around the back of the building. We locate the group that have locked themselves out and allow them back into the room, though one student is sent to bed after nearly throwing up in the corridor. Whilst there we get a call about another lock-out down at Birks Grange. With the clubs nearing closing time many students are returning home to find they have lost or misplaced their new room keys. 01:22: After some confusion as to where the locked out student is, and a rather long-winded search through several flats, we locate the girl outside of her flat. Mark tells her there is a £25 fine and charge for getting back into her room. She believes him until we get back in to the room, when Mark explains the joke and says he hopes she will remember her key in future. We then drive past The Imperial on our way into town and find a group of students trying to hide a street sign. Ironically they have just picked it up just after a previous group had dumped it. Alvan explains the problem with removing road signs and the implications of doing so before letting them carry on home. 02:00: On a drive past Lafrowda we receive a call about people removing security railings from the building site, literally right in front of the van. In an almost identical scenario to earlier, Alvan escorts the two back round to where they removed the fence at St German’s. The event will have to be reported, as the fence belongs to the building site contractors, so the two students will face a disciplinary procedure. We then catch someone putting up fly-posters at the bottom of Stocker Road. Any advertising on campus has to be authorised by the Guild and any unauthorised posters are considered vandalism. Estate Patrol regularly deal with people who unofficially d i s t r i b u t e advertisements around campus and in halls of residence. 02:28: After driving past Elmbrook House, securing a gate that has been opened and searching the property for squatters, we drive past the location of the road sign from

Features

earlier. It has now vanished. In town we come across an ambulance picking up a student. The Police inform Alvan of what has happened but that the Patrol isn’t required at this moment. Injured students regularly get taken to A+E by Estate Patrol if the injury does not require immediate medical care. Daytime injuries commonly occur at the Sports Park or in Halls, although they aren’t limited to these locations. Part of the role of the service is to avoid the involvement of the Emergency Services where possible. Broken arms, ankles and legs are standard injuries that would result in a trip to hospital. If necessary and if no other means of transport is available, Estate Patrol can also collect students from the hospital. 03:00: Police presence in town is heavy and the Tactical Aid Group is also deployed to handle students emerging from the clubs, so our focus turns back to campus. Another noise complaint comes through on the radio, this time from a Resident Tutor. She states there is a party going on in Lafrowda which she was unable to break up. Mark and Paul are sent out but on arrival can find no evidence of excessive noise. The complaint came from N Block but after searching several flats, and with no sign of the Tutor, there seems to be nothing happening. Hoax calls do occur and it is a possibility that this is one. Finally it is decided that the complaint must have been about a ground floor flat. Paul goes in first, with the priority to get the music off before sending people home. It isn’t excessively loud but has to be dealt with anyway and the students are asked to go home. By 03:45 it appears everything has gone quiet and most students are asleep as the campus winds down for the night. Although tonight has been relatively quiet, the team has been kept busy, and in a few hours time the day shift will take over to provide support for everyone throughout the day. Without the support that Estate Patrol give to students, from simple maintenance to crime prevention, the university campus would be a much more dangerous and unpleasant place to live or work in. For the Officers to stay so welcoming and hospitable throughout the evening seemed, to me, a real credit to the teams that protect campus. And it was much appreciated at seven am.

Lifestyle

october 11 2010

Holidaying in the French countryside: is it that much fun?

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

Fall for Fashion

Exeposé

Geek chic, vintage accessories and chunky knits; Lifestyle takes a look at Autumn’s trends. AS Autumn rolls in, back under the bed goes the summer wardrobe and inching ever closer are the book crammed hours of the Christmas term. In one row of a lecture theatre you can see everything from hot pants and flip-flops to woolly tights and knitted scarves.

The transition to colder weather calls for a cleverly put together wardrobe. A wardrobe that is comfortable, fashionable and will hopefully fool your lecturers into thinking you are a bonafide genius. Here’s Lifestyle’s guide to staying one step ahead of the weather.

“This Autumn is your ticket to retro swagger without the sniggers. Think punk circa ‘77, clean-cut 50s school kid, and an understated heritage vibe.’ - Lucia Genziani

“Why not squeeze a few last outings from your favourite summer dress by layering a chunky cardigan over the top” - Alice Gibson

[Left] Ellie wears: cream chunky knit wool cardigan, £48, Topshop. Vintage denim dress, The Real McCoy. I heart Paris t-shirt and hockey socks, model’s own.

“The envelope clutch is the perfect accessory this season and remember, the bigger the better!” - Olivia Hawes [Right] Lottie wears: black body, £14, Topshop. Wool coat, Jaeger. Boots, belt and envelope clutch, The Real McCoy. Jeans, model’s own.

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

[Left] Name: Jake Hemingway Studying: English, third year What he’s wearing: satchel from a leather shop in Camden Lock and Autumn’s geek glasses. Jake: “I’m glad that English style is having a revival at the moment. I’d describe my look as pretty laid-back with a touch of heritage. I’m currently on the lookout for a decent tweed jacket, though I doubt I’ll be able to find one on my student budget. Most of the time I end up wearing the first thing that comes to hand from my bedroom floor!”

[Centre] Name: Rosanna Maxwell Studying: Psychology, first year What she’s wearing: Primark brogues, muddied by a Psychology team-building day, and (brand new!) dress from Miss Selfridge. [Right] Name: Molly Faulkner Studying: Philosophy, fourth year What she’s wearing: Molly bought her leather satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Company; www.cambridgesatchel. co.uk. Molly: “I work pretty hard so just need a sturdy bag I can sling everything into. It’s probably pretty geeky but I still love it.”

Exeposé week two

Lifestyle

Photos by Henry White. Modelled by Ellie Bothwell and Lottie Ticklewrong. Make-up by Rachael Morris. Words by Caro Cant, Lucia Genziani, Alice Gibson, Olivia Hawes and Rachel Reitz

“To maximise the versatility of your trench, select one in a neutral colour, such as beige or camel; for added chic, tie your trench at the waist with a skinny leather belt rather in the traditional way.” - Rachel Reitz “The satchel is a practical and fashionable way to transport all your books to and from campus. ” - Caro Cant [Right] Ellie wears: trench coat, Marks and Spencer. Red cashmere scarf, Tie Rack. Vintage skinny leather belt and red satchel, model’s own.

Many of catwalk trends aren’t easily transferable to campus life, especially when the campus in question is extremely hilly. Some sartorial trends that are student suited this season include the shearling jacket and the trench coat, which has retained its popularity and continues to be a prominent piece on both high street and catwalk, so wrap up warm on your way to Uni.

Vintage, vintage, vintage; the word has long since been a charm on the lips of stylish types, but this Autumn, mere dalliance with the trend won’t earn you fashion points, this season, vintage demands commitment. Open any fashion publication these days and its pages will be splashed with 50s circle skirts, and enough tweed blazers to fill even the grandest country pile.

SEX-ON-THE-EXE

“Miuccia Prada celebrated the classic hourglass womanly figure with waist belts and waist-cinching dresses and skirts modelled by curvy women on the runway, showing off classic key peices that are wearable and desirable to all women.” - Olivia Hawes [Left] Lottie wears: black body, £14, Topshop. 50s skirt, Toast.

An anonymous Exeter student finds the morning after is even more cringe-worthy than the night before. HAVING recently broken up with my boyfriend of just over a year at the end of the summer term, I decided that this summer would be my summer of love. Cosmo is full to the brim with people talking of their summer flings... bronzed skin, sand in your knickers, cocktails on Bora Bora and the odd Facebook message at home. Romance at its finest. This is what I had in mind, but in reality, I got this. After a long night spent at an average club in Fulham one night, I managed to get chatting to a certain semi-celeb. He was incredibly charming and very chatty, very complimentary of my (fake) tan. How I had him fooled. So instead of cocktails on the beach, we were drinking vodka with a splash of some sort of fizz in the smoking area of this cramped bar,

when the lights came on inside and we decided to leave. In short, we got a taxi back to his after a little per-

“I start running, heels in hand, with my hair looking like Russell Brand’s after a sex marathon with a horny gorilla!”

suading and ended up kissing on the drive home. A lot. After presuming that because of his celebrity status, he lived alone, upon arriving back at his house I

was surprised to find his parents still awake. This meant that we now had to make up a story about how I went to his school, we have been friends for years, and I need a place to sleep because I live ‘outside of London.’ In actual fact, I live two minutes down the road. So we creep upstairs (giggling lots) but before we get to his room he has a massive fight with his sister (who calls me a slapper) and moans about the fact he left a huge poo in the toilet that morning. Nice. We head to his room and one thing ends up leading to another and we end up sleeping together. It was rather average and then I fell asleep. So I wake up to the smell of breakfast and after a few seconds, remember where I am. Oh dear. I’m still

here. I put my clothes back on and, noticing that my fake tan has stained the bed, looking like Alex Mac had melted on his mattress, gather up my things before creeping downstairs past the bratty sister’s room. I get to the kitchen. Not being able to bear talking to his dad after the high volume of fake screams coming from his son’s room the night before, I creep out of the front door and close it behind me. I think I am safe. I hear a faint ringing noise coming from inside the house, which gets louder and louder, which then fills the street with the loudest burglar alarm noise you have EVER, and I mean EVER, heard! I start running, heels in hand, with my hair looking like Russell Brand’s after a sex marathon with a horny gorilla!

So, I just keep running, until I hear his dad shouting after me: “Excuse me! Excuse me! You’ve left your phone here!” My heart dropped.You can imagine how I felt; walking back up this quiet street, people hanging out of windows to see what the fuss was about. Scandal like this doesn’t happen in this part of London. I grabbed my phone, mumbled something incomprehensible and strolled off, dialling my best friend’s number, when I get a text. It’s him. “Turn around burglar bill.” I did. He’s leaning out of his bedroom window, looking great, smoking a cigarette, with the widest grin on his face ever. Could my huge mistake have actually turned out to be just the fling I was looking for? If so, I think we’ll be heading back to mine next time!

october 11 2010 Exeposé

Lifestyle

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Relationship David Brake, Screen Editor, discusses the highs and lows of long distance love.

MY girlfriend is presently fast asleep upon my bed enjoying her pleasant slumber; however, I am still very much awake. Bothered by the issue that within 12 hours, she will be back at her own university in London, and I shall be alone again. This simple story shows the highs and lows of the long distance relationship. Entering your second year of university, one must prepare oneselve for the pain and loneliness caused by a long distance relationship. Indeed, those who are currently in a long distance relationship understand the difficulties incurred by apparently ignoring logic. With long distance, it has the effect of making

it seem better to be single than have a better other half for the simple fact that it would stop hurting. Worse still, the level of patronage that heads your way is not intentional but unavoidable with a barrage of friends and colleagues all putting their spin upon your relationship. The underlying problem being that all you need is the person you love by your side and the sad fact that it isn’t going to happen. For some, it is an unimaginable position to be in and many would not advise it. To an extent, they are right. Side effects of this kind of relationship can include high levels of paranoia, spontaneous arguments, lack of sexual intimacy, jealousy and trust

issues all playing a role in causing tension and a potential arsenal of break up material. Indeed, to a greater extent, it is ridiculous to continue pursuing something that is fruitless and just leads to pain, stress and a big phone bill for both parties. One must not simply fall into the trap that being in a long distance relationship instantly qualifies you into being perfect for each other. Now, it may seem all doom and gloom, but it really is not. To be honest, one who complains constantly about long distance verges on the pathetic. If one person loves another, they will find a way. Furthermore, for those of you who have currently entered a long dis-

Whatever floats your bateau

tance relationship, give it your best shot. Most partners will want you to gain the full university/life experience; they will be sad they are not a main part of it but they are gaining their own university and life experience. Distance makes everything harder and to gain the enthusiasm to act happy and continue to maintain a happy relationship is stressful. Across campus, long distance relationships break up every day but that does not mean yours will. From personal experience, the pure joy of seeing the person you love again after long distance and time apart is sensational. The adrenaline rush, the excitement and just the realisation that the reason you

For Jake Griffiths-Birnie, a trip abroad is just the thing to cure academic burn out.

YOU’VE all chosen a degree course, but does it really fulfil your appetite for knowledge? Pinpointing what gets you excited (cerebrally speaking of course) isn’t always easy, and what motivates us to continue learning is constantly changing. Our academic urges can be ruled by necessity, obsession, interest, or simply not wanting to look stupid, as I learnt the hard way. Underperforming in social environments is upsetting at the best of times, but in a foreign country it’s enough to reduce anyone to a gibbering wreck. My summer break was spent at my parents’ new home in rural France. Language barrier firmly in place, you find me floundering desperately in the village boulangerie. That’s me, the Brit with the manic smile, gesticulating frantically in the vain hope of conveying my growing exasperation to purchase a baguette. (No, not the one the size of Corsica,

s’il vous plaît!) The feeling of utter incompetence induced by this inability to communicate is enough to make me want to miraculously turn into a pain au chocolat. However, remaining calm I receive a loaf gratefully and return to the outdoor market to find mum squeezing and sniffing an array of strangely shaped legumes with startling proficiency and vigour. “I don’t remember you doing that in Sainsbury’s”, I mumbled, proffering my wares. I hadn’t got the right bread, but it didn’t matter, it was time to watch the annual prune-stone spitting contest. The question of what I was going to do for the next eight weeks loomed large. To say that the pace of life was slow would be an understatement. Any slower and they’d be going backwards. If shops and bars did manage to open, it was only in the morning for a couple of hours before the obligatory lunchtime standstill,

perhaps to re-open again in the afternoon if Madame saw fit. It seemed that everyone my age had fled to the nearest city at the first opportunity. Luckily I am a self-confessed nature junkie, nature being something the famous Dordogne region has in abundance. Discovering a walnut tree in the garden, identifying the bizarre insect gorging on the Buddleia as a humming-bird hawk moth, not to mention inspecting road-kill of unfortunate hedgerow fauna, filled my days. As did the pile of twenty books I had decided to plough through in my solitude. Checking Facebook using WiFi in a room vaulted with 900 year-old timbers and tethering hooks for goats made for an interesting juxtaposition. After five weeks, a friend’s X-Factor related status appeared both odious and completely irresistible. This curiosity, to know about everything our world has to offer, whether high-brow or trashy and banal, is an

important trait to foster. Much is said about the so-called ‘dumbing down’ of contemporary culture, but I think we can have it all. Our generation can switch from Cheryl Cole to Coleridge in a split second. So as well as registering for the all-important TV licence this year, just make sure that library membership is also on your to-do list. Reading in my four euro British newspaper that universities are more oversubscribed than ever, we should feel all the more privileged to have secured our places at Exeter. The Times reported how one student, Elizabeth Dykstra-McCarthy, 18, was denied her first choice despite her 3 A*s at A Level. She will be visiting classical sites around the world before studying philosophy and literature at the Catholic Institute in Paris during her gap year to put her a cut above the rest. What have you done with your summer? Moreover, what do you do

suffered those weeks of pain was to gain this one moment of true happiness. However, despite how patronising this may seem, here is some advice. Communication is vital. Above all else, keeping in touch and maintaining high communication levels ensures a relationship remains interesting and keeps a couple connected. Also, accept that you both have lives to live – no matter how much you will the other person to be there, it is not going to happen. Remain patient and just plan ahead for your next visit. Furthermore, make up sex is unbelievable. In all seriousness, if you love your other half, you’ll find a way. Wish me luck for year two!

with your spare time at university? Learning need neither stop with the deadline on Thursday at four o’clock, nor involve hobnobbing at the Acropolis. Even the greatest minds in history have become disillusioned with their studies, but despite this they continued to read and absorb. Prodigies such as Bill Gates, Evelyn Waugh, James Cameron and even Albert Einstein dropped out of education completely. What’s important is to feed your mind with knowledge and opinions that interest you, things that get you excited; the unknown. University is the ideal place to do this as you as have unrivalled resources at your fingertips and can tailor your course to meet your individual needs. Every undergraduate has the opportunity to take thirty credits in the Modern Foreign Languages Department as part of their degree. I for one will be taking ‘French for Beginners’ this October!

Find out where we could take you Come to our University Presentation to find out about a rewarding career in our Audit, Tax, Consulting and Corporate Finance service lines. Meet our staff and find out what life is like in one of the UK’s leading professional services firms from those that know and have been in your shoes.

Find out where we could take you

2011 Careers Presentation – Exeter Come to our University PresentationEvent: to find out about a rewarding career in our Audit, Tax, Date: 20th life October Consulting and Corporate Finance service lines. Meet our staff and find out what is like in2010 one Devonshire Rougemont of the UK’s leading professional servicesLocation: firms from those that know and haveSuite, been in your shoes. Thistle, Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3SP Event: 2011 Careers Presentation Exeter Time: 6.30pm to –8.30pm Date: 20th October 2010 To attend, register on www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates/events Location: Devonshire Suite, Rougemont It’s your future. Street, How farExeter will youEX4 take3SP it? Thistle, Queen Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm To attend, register on www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates/events It’s your future. How far will you take it? © 2010 Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is an equal opportunities employer.

october 11 2010 Exeposé

Music

The Festival Special P 18-21

Ellie Bothwell & Ben Murphie - music@exepose.com

Upcoming

GLASTONBURY Photo: David Wood

11/10 - Alex Hart, Mama Stone’s 12/10 – Ladycop + Cats and Cats and Cats, Cavern Club

13/10 - Jo Whiley Fresher’s Tour feat. Diagram of the Heart, Fresher’s Ball

13/10 - Richard James, Mama Stone’s 15/10 - Skream and Africa Hitech Soundsystem, Lemon Grove 15/10 - Arrested Development, Exeter Phoenix

15/10 - Mama’s House Band feat. Leigh Coleman + Alex Hart, Mama Stone’s 16/10 – Zappatika, Exeter Phoenix 16/10 – Jackie Leven, Exeter Phoenix 17/10 – Canterbury + Not Advised + The Deering, Cavern Club 17/10 - Celine Dos Santos, Mama Stone’s 19/10 – General Fiasco, Cavern Club 20/10 – Darwin Deez, Cavern Club 20/10 – Music Of The Mind, Exeter Phoenix 20/10 - African Night with Casido Kosohko, Mama Stone’s 22/10 – Zane Lowe DJ Hero Tour, Lemon Grove 22/10 - Mama’s House Band feat. Adam Isaac + Leigh Coleman, Mama Stone’s 23/10 – Playground: Utah Saints + Parker & Moneyshot, Exeter Phoenix 23/10 – Otis Gibbs, Exeter Phoenix 24/10 – Walter Trout, Exeter Phoenix 24/10 – Attila the Stockbreaker, Exeter Phoenix 24/10 - Taylor & The Made Gentleman, Mama Stone’s

“A playground for adults” - Glastonbury, 2010

Worthy Farm, Pilton, June 24-27 2010

I arrived at Castle Cary station at around 8am, having taken the unusually busy train full of wellied, yawning people chatting and queuing up to use a clean toilet for the last time until next week. Even though it was my second Glastonbury experience, the excitement was just as fresh as it was last year when I travelled towards the site, although this year I wasn’t trapped in a car for seven hours waiting to get in. After you pitch your tent and take a walk around, the enormity of the site hits you. If you haven’t been to the festival, then it is almost impossible to describe. Just imagine 1000 acres of tents, toilets and people. When you compare this to the first ‘Glastonbury Fayre’ in 1970, the changes are phenomenal. Whilst critics scold the festival for losing the ramshackle edge that defined the festival in the early years, the site is incredible. The money brought in has made what can only be described as a playground for adults, with sensory experiences around every corner. Everywhere there are performers and musicians,

creating a highly individual festival atmosphere that I’m yet to find anywhere else. Even the bins are beautiful, hand-painted before the festival. The music on the main stages kicked off on the Friday, with Rolf Harris on the Pyramid Stage, a performance I (somewhat intentionally) missed to catch a tight set from Detroit Social Club. A quiet start. It picked up with a mind-blowing performance from Breakestra with Chali 2na, of Jurassic 5 fame, who got the crowd dancing and singing along. Meanwhile, on the Pyramid Stage, Snoop Dogg and Vampire Weekend entertained those camped out in the baking mid-afternoon sun. We then wandered off to the Park Stage due to the whispers about the then unannounced secret set. As soon as we pushed to the front of the stage I heard a roar and a quiet “hello” from Thom Yorke, who was eventually joined by Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood, further completing my weekend, if not my summer. From there, beaming, and along with several hundred others still singing the lyrics to ‘Karma Police’, we headed to the Pyramid. Gorillaz had perhaps the biggest weight to carry coming into the

festival, having replaced U2 at late notice (much to my relief), but they were the biggest disappointment. The show was an excuse for Damon Albarn to show off his army of high-profile musical friends, and this meant Gorillaz buckled under their own weight. There were huge pauses in between the slow, dull songs, just leaving the crowd waiting to dance to ‘Clint Eastwood’. I wish I’d seen The Flaming Lips.

“Just imagine 1000 acres of tents, toilets and people”

Having woken up at 7am sharp, thanks to the beautifully clear skies allowing the sun to boil me alive inside my small tent, I needed some afternoon relaxation on the Saturday. This was provided in the floating folk sounds of Stornoway, who provided an atmosphere so romantic that one couple proposed in the crowd. Saturday also heralded performances by Seasick Steve and Foals, both of whom got the crowd moving in the blazing sun. The XX also managed to

stun the crowd with their dark and brilliant heavy bass-driven sounds. Elsewhere Saturday played host to Jamie T, Muse and Laura Marling. I wandered off on the Sunday in time for the oldies set on the Pyramid, a time slot which in the past has seen the likes of Johnny Cash. This year saw Ray Davies from The Kinks play a set, which included lots of dancing and lots of middleaged people singing. I loved it. Other musical highlights from the Sunday included the easy sounds of Toots and The Maytals, played off against the sound of Faithless. The festival culminated in a highly anticipated set from Stevie Wonder, the peak of the festival for many and a massive hit parade for the 100,000 or so that watched eagerly. I didn’t get around to seeing half of the bands I had planned to. Perhaps not even a third. But that sums up Glastonbury. It’s a festival focused on the experience, not the music. If this year proves anything to me, it’s that this is possible whilst still providing the most diverse and exciting line-up of any UK festival. Long live Glastonbury. DAVID WOOD

Exeposé week two

EDEN SESSIONS Doves & Mumford and Sons, Eden Project, Cornwall, 2 July 2010 A gig starring one of the hottest festival acts of 2010 and one of the biggest bands of the last decade, all set within the illuminated tropical biomes of The Eden Project seems brilliant on paper. In actual fact, it was a night cut into two parts quality-wise; the relative newbies trumping the old timers on the same stage where Doves had wowed the crowds eight years previously. The concept of the Eden Sessions are that there are no headliners (a line shouted at the crowd by a very enthusiastic announcer), and with previous ‘support acts’ including Florence + The Machine and Vampire Weekend it appears they’re not lying. One of the largest and most excited crowds for a ‘support’ slot I’ve ever seen at Eden gathered for Mumford & Sons; their own brand of epic-folk seemingly being the main draw to the show, and for good reason. As they made

BEACH BREAK LIVE Pembrey Country Park, South Wales, 14-18 June 2010 In a nutshell, this summer’s Beach Break Live will be most remembered for frustratingly long queues and glorious sunshine. No guesses for which of these the 10,000 plus attendees will nostalgically hark back to in later years. And it was the sunshine that brought out the best in everyone, students and acts alike. The chilled out, laid back vibe was a huge plus and allowed for a relaxing break, well and truly needed so soon after the end of exams! Much of that was undoubtedly down to the glorious setting, Pembrey Country Park, with its lush greenery and standout beach. Although the controversial limit on alcohol brought on site by event organisers was arguably a contributing factor. With a huge contingent of Exeter students, this year’s event

their way through most of Sigh No More it became clear why they drew such a massive crowd at this year’s Glastonbury; their songs come to life in the live arena, the soaring choruses are enhanced by the crowd’s sing-a-long and the live vocals add to the heartbreak of many of the tracks. The band have still only released one album, so a set lasting for over an hour was perhaps a bit of a stretch, and when unreleased material was played the crowd did understandably lose some of its energy. This temporary blip didn’t last for long though, and highlights included ‘The Cave’ and ‘Little Lion Man’, which was played far too early in the set and would probably have been the perfect ending to what turned out to be a complete triumph of a set. Lead singer Marcus Mumford said this was the bands first ever gig in Cornwall. It’s safe to say they’ll be welcomed back with open arms. After the frenzy of Mumford & Sons, it wasn’t the easiest of tasks to come out and try and top them, so starting with an unknown song to anyone but hardcore fans probably wasn’t the best move Doves could have made. More melancholy than manic, the band could have thrived in Pembrey felt like home - an extension of our university bubble even more full of fun and whimsy. As strong a line-up as ever, attempting to cater for all-comers, Beach Break 2010 produced some memorable performances. Headliner Calvin Harris played a hit-filled set that pleased a huge crowd with mass sing-a-longs and dancing combining to create a party atmosphere hard to beat. Tracks such as ‘Girls’, ‘Acceptable in the 80s’, and summer anthem ‘I’m Not Alone’ unsurprisingly met with most enthusiasm. Exeter’s Got Talent winners, Schmoks ‘N’ Yoks attracted the largest audience of the weekend in the Moustache Bar tent with a vast number of Exeter students descending to cheer on their own. A rousing, feel good set by the Gogol Bordello-influenced band proved one of the moments of the weekend. Vampire Weekend’s headline set, however, proved somewhat underwhelming. With a set suited to accompany the sunshine, the

Festival Round-Up Music

in the unique setting with darkness falling, but instead the entire first half of the 90 minute set fell completely flat; people steadily leaving as the set list seemed to be leaving all the hits until the second half. The slight turning point came as the band played ’10:03’ from their newest album (coincidentally at around 22:03) and followed it with a string of hits from the last ten years but the atmosphere never matched that of the Mumford & Sons’ set. It must have crossed a lot of people’s minds that the wrong band may have been ‘headlining’ the event as Doves never really got into the groove; crowd interaction was sparse throughout the gig and by the time they tried to get everyone involved it seemed as though many Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall in the garden of Eden had already given up. When their of excitement you know it’s gone anthems did finally arrive, people wrong somewhere. As I walked were just excited to know a song into the venue I noticed Doves were rather than love one, and when the selling the night’s performance encore didn’t elicit massive amounts on CD straight after the gig, but nighttime setting seemed to lame the impact of the performance despite attracting a truly respectable crowd. Songs ‘A-Punk’ and ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ still garnered keen interaction. The charm, wit and infectious performance of Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip was another highlight of the weekend. Perhaps the only act able to keep the attention of a baying crowd when rapping about suicide and murder (‘Rapper’s Battle’), Scroobius Pip captivates a crowd with his very aura. A mustsee act for any music lover. Yet the name on everyone’s lips was Ellie Goulding. The ‘Starry Eyed’ singer-songwriter proved a hit with male and female fans alike, proving a winning combination as she performed to a sun-kissed crowd. A standout artist of the past summer, Goulding’s set at Beach Break left its mark in more ways than one. Rounding up the festival were Chase & Status who drew by far the largest crowd of the weekend. The drum and bass duo of Saul Milton and Will Kennard combined their excellent set with a lighting extravaganza, which rounded a perfect weekend off in style. To all those new to university and those who simply have not thought of attending Beach Break, it is a must at your time here at Exeter. Proving popular ever since its introduction onto the festival circuit, Beach Break is a great alternative to other festivals and a perfect excuse to get away with your student friends this coming summer. BEN TOWNSEND

Photo: Jade Eustace

considering what followed, I’m not sure many would have bothered. All in all, on a night when Mumford & Sons soared, Doves never really took off. MATT EUSTACE

5 minutes with Ellie Goulding

5 minutes with Beardyman

What attracted you to perform here at Beach Break? Well, the idea of performing near a beach was particularly attractive; it just offered a different element that no other festival does and it’s near my home in Hereford so it means I can pop home for a few days and have a break between festival dates.

What attracted you to perform at Beach Break? Money. (laughs)

The general feeling around the camp is that you are one of the acts people, particularly the girls, want to see most; are students an audience you are keen to perform to? Definitely. I feel like I have a big student following, and girls seem to be able to relate to my music and that’s what I do it for. It’s why you write a song, it’s why I do what I do. I guess they get my music and that’s amazing. What have you got planned for the coming months and what are you most looking forward to? Well, I’m playing Glastonbury which I’m so excited about, on the John Peel Stage, and loads of other festivals over the summer but Glastonbury is definitely the one. In terms of your career, what is your ultimate ambition? To keep making music that inspires and gives hope to people. I know it’s cliché to say but I just want to stay true to myself and what I’m doing and keep doing it. I guess just to be around for a long time doing this – it’s fun.

Are students an audience you are keen to perform to? No, they’re all lazy, good for nothing c**ts, spending my taxes on drugs and alcohol. Stop being an intellectual and get a job! What is the strangest thing you have seen at a gig or festival? In Swansea, last week. It was definitely one of the worst festivals I’ve done. It had a good drum and bass line-up but it was just savage, awful. I went into this dance tent and it was like a high energy dance class, just too many drugs. Who do you take inspiration from? Who has inspired you most? Tony Blair’s ambition is something I admire but I’m not a murdering c**t. I’m not an ex-dictator who passed it off as democracy. You got to admire the hippy c**t from a posh school. But other than that, Aphex Twin, Thom Yorke, Hunter S. Thompson, Bill Hicks, the Chuckle Brothers, Paul McKenna, and Madonna. You’ve got to admire her terrifying ambition. What is your ultimate ambition over the coming years? To wipe out the whole of humanity. We are a virus, malevolent bacteria. I, myself, will be encased in a time capsule under the ground, full of helium where I will laugh maniacally until the end of time.

Music Festival Round-Up

LATITUDE

october 11 2010 Exeposé

Photo: Ellie Bothwell

ISLE OF WIGHT Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight, 9-11 June 2010

Forty years ago, Jimi Hendrix put the Isle of Wight Festival on the map, and since it restarted in 2002 it has gone from strength to strength. This year it was once again one of the most legendary festivals the UK has to offer. After last year’s disappointing line-up, the Isle of Wight Festival’s organisers had their work cut out for them in finding a line-up to bring back the masses. In spite of the recession, the announcement of living legend Paul McCartney to headline Sunday night had tickets selling out faster than ever before. Friday night saw Jay-Z take

Sunrise Coast, Suffolk, 15-18 July 2010 We’re in a field in the middle of Southwold 300 miles from home, desperately trying to batten down the outersheet of our tent. Pink and blue sheep graze in the pen near the bar in guest camping, whilst girls called Persephone and Tiger Lily strut through the long grass with flowers in their hair. The trees glisten with a crazy network of fairy lights illuminating woodland stages like A Midsummer Night’s Dream Broadway show; welcome to Latitude. “Are you all seriously here to see a writer?” exclaims Bret Easton Ellis as he looks out across the sea of faces old and young. Over the past few years Latitude festival has become the defining term for a myriad of tastes and interests. Showcasing acts ranging from poetry to music, to performance art and comedy, the festival has become a cultural hub for all things creative.

“Latitude festival has become the defining term for a myriad of tastes and interests”

Headliner Florence Welch showed herself off to be a defining presence at the festival with her particular brand of Romantic English mysticism in abundance from the diaphanous dresses of posing English beauties to the flowers in teenage boys’ hair. A true spectacle of showmanship, Florence appeared from behind a giant black sheet clad entirely in an ethereal white robe. Even though

the band has but one release behind them, she brought more than an adequate level of drama to proceedings. Rising comedic star, Ivo Graham, said the words on the minds of many when he quipped, “I enjoyed the ten minute version of Dog Days are over as much as the next man, but I mean… come on.” Coming second in the young comic’s competition, his set eschewed the bashful tradition of The Inbetweener’s Simon Bird, whilst overall winner Eric Lampaert contented us with salacious ramblings akin to Russell Brand. Support for buzz-band, The National, came from Mercury Prize nominated Villagers, who put on a powerful and genre defying show, marking them apart from many modern bands with their eerie and haunting sounds. Richard Hawley, who brought his own brand of Rockabilly Charm to the festival, sauntered through a confident set, accompanied by a slicked quiff and a suit to cut through butter. The Word Arena was also home to a breakout performance from Funk beatboxer, Jamie Lidell, complete with virtuoso funk band, followed by French hipster Charlotte Gainsbourg. Initially suffering from nerves, she appeared effortlessly chic, showcasing a mixture of her new Beck-produced album IRM as well as older material, including a tantalising cover of her father’s classic ‘L’Hôtel Particulier.’ Saturday saw The Horrors skulk onto stage to perform their new album in its entirety, choosing to disdain the tired traditions of breaks between songs and audience interaction. Huge plaudits go to headliners on The Word Arena, The XX, who made their material both dramatic and crowd-pleasing. Where it sounds

sparse and minimalistic on record, live it was transformed into a thundering mass of gut-shaking bass, and their surprise sample of ATB’s 90s dance hit ‘9pm (Till I Come)’ proved a popular addition to their show. Over on the Obeslisk Arena, jittery Indie crooners The Maccabees drew a huge crowd and spiced up their performance with an enthusiastic horn section, confirming their status as a mainstay of the British music scene. Sunday headliners, Vampire Weekend, provided a solid performance, let down slightly by Ezra Koenig’s patronising attitude towards the crowd: “Do you think you can manage to shout as loud you can?” As the set drew on, it became clear that they cite more than just a little inspiration from Paul Simon, and songs blended into each other into a ‘Upper West Side Soweto’ jumble which didn’t stand up to prolonged listening. Non musical treats came in the form of the woefully underappreciated Daniel Kitson and Gavin Osborn, who put on a succession of late-night performances mixing comedy, music and whimsical storytelling into a truly magical bedtime sendoff. Outwardly billed as a familyfriendly event, news of two sexual assaults came unexpectedly, dampening the buoyant spirits of an otherwise wonderful weekend. As a concept, a festival mixing music, comedy, literature and theatre is a good one, giving the opportunity to showcase a whole range of creative talent. It is only reasonable to expect that whilst some events worked, others would fall flat, yet for a definitive festival experience Latitude should come highly recommended. BEN MURPHIE AND ELLIE BOTHWELL, MUSIC EDITORS

“ The atmosphere was electric”

to the stage, with none other than birthday boy Kanye West; the atmosphere was electric and when Jay-Z refused to leave the stage he was met with screams of approval from the 60,000 strong crowd. The biggest letdown of the weekend’s line-up were US band The Strokes, who provided an impressive lights show but little else, dwarfed by the performance of Jay-Z the night before. Pink’s Sunday set had her performing acrobatics on a suspended wire over the audience, running over the heads of the crowd in a giant inflatable hamster ball and setting the stage alight: Paul McCartney had a hard act to follow. Yet follow it he did, sending the

stage up in flames and fireworks in a rendition of ‘Live and Let Die’, finishing his set with ‘Hey Jude’, a sing-a-long that could be heard from all corners of the Island. Even a brief downpour couldn’t dampen the mood as McCartney was cheered back for three encores. The entertainment did not stop at the star line-up: Island acts such as Holly Kirby, Lucid and Zoe Eady appeared in the Kashmir Cafe, whilst the Big Top hosted a range of alternative entertainment, including a silent disco which went down particularly well with those outside of the tent! As any seasoned festivalgoer will know, the weather plays a huge part in any festival experience. The Isle of Wight Festival has always been blessed by sunshine, but this year saw the campsite turned to mush by Thursday night’s torrential rain, and wellington boots fast became more important than food to those caught in the floods. The pie van that arrived on the campsite on Friday morning to provide tea and emergency blankets was a welcome surprise, and the guidance of Elvis Presley and Superman in finding somewhere to eat breakfast in Newport was invaluable. Cheap food and water were on offer from back-garden barbeques, and locals offered parking spaces and hot showers to those not native to the Island, demonstrating once again the Island’s community spirit. The Isle of Wight festival has been gaining momentum for years, and this year’s epic line-up and unparalleled atmosphere proved that it has become an unstoppable force in UK festivaling. EMILY SCOTCHER Photo: Emily Scotcher

Pink’s circus-themed act at Isle of Wight Festival 2010

Exeposé week two

HOP FARM

Paddock Wood, Kent, 2-3 July 2010 Located at Paddock Wood Farm in the depths of Kent countryside, it is no wonder that the words ‘Hop Farm Festival’ are usually responded to by blank faces and shrugs of indifference. No, Hop Farm is certainly not the country’s biggest festival, with only about 30 different acts performing across the weekend, but its impressive line-up and laid-back feel hardly means this is a flaw. This year it was even more folk-ridden than usual, and this proved to be the perfect kind of music to listen to at such an intimate festival on one of the hottest weekends of the summer. Blondie was the highlight on

“ I can’t say a 65-year-old woman in a grey wig has ever flirted with me before”

Friday, playing all their big hits including ‘Call Me’, ‘One Way Or Another’ and ‘The Tide is High’, interluded by Debbie Harry speaking to the crowd as though she was chatting someone up at a bar. At the end of their set she said to us

TRUCK

Hill Farm, Oxford, 2425 July 2010

Oxford! The land of dreams, charming old buildings, enlightened tourists, anxious students and also the home of little known Hill Farm where Truck festival is held annually. The whole place with its small-town feel and laid-back locals had many festivalgoers watching bands whilst picking grass and getting glitter tattoos. Unlike the larger festivals, there didn’t seem to be the oppressive need to get to know your fellow fans underarms or spend an entire set being nudged in the head by

“party people”, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” with a wink and scurried off stage. It was a slightly surreal experience, I can’t say a 65-year-old woman in a grey wig has ever flirted with me before, but she successfully worked the crowd into a frenzy ready for headliner, Van Morrison. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same charm, and although he sounded brilliant, he looked as though he’d just been to a funeral, and did not utter a word except to introduce his band. Watching the sun go down whilst listening to him proved to be a much better way to enjoy his music, although I couldn’t help but think that putting on one of his CDs and watching the sunset from my garden at home would have had a similar effect; I don’t think he was worth the hype. Saturday was the main day of the festival and the music certainly reflected this. Johnny Flynn was wonderful, playing a mixture of music from his two albums, A Larum and Been Listening, and reflecting his talent as a musician, by playing the banjo, trumpet and violin, as well as the acoustic and electric guitar across his short 30 minute set. Laura Marling also sounded beautiful; her vulnerability yet simultaneous feistiness seeped through her performance. Not being able to play the violin, she whistled the violin part of ‘Night Terror’, and asked us to join in, asserting before hand, “don’t be shocked, I’m a very good whistler.” If I hadn’t

Photo: Georgia Rae Goodyer

adolescent moshers. One of the first bands on the main stage was local group Borderville. After hearing only good things about them and their selfstyled cabaret theatricality, there were high hopes, heightened by the fact that the four-piece were joined by Glamour, a string quartet. Dulled by a false start, blamed by vocalist, Joe Swarbrick on a hangover, they went on to deliver a rather tame performance - my companions had begun twiddling their thumbs and looking bored by the third song. To add insult to injury, Mr Swarbrick went on to shamelessly plug himself and his not so flamboyant band, but their predictable pop riffs

been watching her I would have thought she was accompanied by a flautist; it was a truly magical and transfixing performance. Peter Doherty, as he likes to be called these days, was, however, disappointing - he sounded like he was rehearsing in his living room, half-heartedly attempting to sing. Predominantly playing songs from the Libertines and Babyshambles’ back-catalogue, his talent as a solo artist, which I thought he would be there to defend, was proved questionable, and the

“Laura Marling’s vulnerability, yet simultaneous feistiness, seeped through her performance”

accompaniment of two ballerinas on stage throughout the set was simply bizarre. However, Ray Davies’ set made up for anything Doherty lacked; he was lively and charismatic and his voice still sounds brilliant 40 years on from his heyday. ‘Sunny Afternoon’ and ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ were both highlights, with Davies getting the entire crowd singing along, whilst the sun was setting over Paddock Wood. All hyped up, we waited for Bob

and lyrics didn’t go down a storm in such a large space that they sadly just couldn’t fill. Out of the main stage and into ‘The Village Pub’ were Good Shoes. Besides ‘Everything I Do’ which seems to differ completely

“ The gentleman in front of me weed on the floor and an 80s throwback skinhead girl insisted on dancing in it”

with their usual sound, these London lads lived up to what they are meant to be. Their small army of fans could be seen strutting in Good Shoes’ merchandise up and down the grassy fields, gulping down their underage beer and insisting on declaring love to Rhys Jones, or a strong steady handshake whenever he chanced a quiet moment with people of his own age. Next up were La Shark, led by lead vocalist, Samuel Geronimo Deschamps, who informed the crowd that despite his otherworldly behaviour and profuse sweating, this was the first gig he had played ‘sober,’ before ploughing off the stage

Festival Round-Up Music

Photo: Ellie Bothwell

Laura Marling’s mesmerising performance at Hop Farm Dylan to come on stage. Eventually he did, adorned in a bright pink shirt, black trousers with an ubercool white stripe down the side and a straw hat, but unfortunately this was the highlight. He adapted his songs to such an extent that they were barely recognisable, even for an avid fan such as myself; trying to decipher them was like doing a cryptic crossword. My guessing time averaged at about 90 seconds into each track, when I would just be able to make out a particular lyric, which for someone who can usually recognise his music instantly was dispiriting. This was not helped

by the fact that no close-ups of Dylan were shown on the video screens, only a distant shot of the entire stage, making it difficult to engage at all. It was disappointing not being able to sing along – a man in the crowd near me belted out the original version of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ whilst Dylan sang his new and unimproved rendition, but he eventually gave up, yelling in frustration. Whilst Davies has definitely still got it, I regret to say Dylan seems to be a little past his sell-by date. ELLIE BOTHWELL, MUSIC EDITOR

in a frenzy and leaping without forewarning into a backflip. The band looked mightily pleased at their unwillingness to be ordinary, yet for all their exuberance and energy, after advising the audience to jump on the ground when Geronimo did on numerous occasions, he was left on his own to stand carpet burns as his trendy counterparts looked on. Egyptian Hip-Hop, despite not being Egyptian or playing hip-hop, didn’t disappoint. Behind those nervous wrinkle free fresh faces were the tick-tocking thoughts of complicated and intricate melodies. The rabbit in the headlights look that continued throughout their set was understandable for their instrument swapping, Mac touching ways, but the sound in ‘The Village Pub’ stage did them no favours. As with other bands in there, the vocals were not as clear as they could have been. Recently produced by Sam Eastgate from Late of The Pier fame and Truck being just the beginning of a string of festival dates up and down the country it seems that there are bigger and better things for those seventeen-year-old darlings. Once inside ‘The Barn’ after an unnecessarily inefficient queuing system, the crowds were rather civilised, despite the everpresent smell of cow manure. That was until the gentleman in front of me weed on the floor and an 80s throwback skinhead girl insisted

on dancing in it. All this excitement was for Ms Dynamite. Having not released an album since 2004, and the most recent recollection being her 2002 album A Little Deeper, her popularity was surprising, especially after she made it to the stage nearly an hour late. This aside, when she did arrive, along with DJ Free and sincere apologies, all hesitations and pre judgements were entirely unfounded; even the stoniest of trendy indie kids couldn’t help but jump around - the highlight was her drum and bass finale with DJ Zinc.

“If you prefer chilled out and chatty festivals to hardcore raves, this one’s for you”

Overall Truck was great fun and value for money, the food and drinks were not overpriced like so many festivals, and served by the local Rotary club, on top of that, all profits go to charity. If you prefer chilled out and chatty festivals to hardcore drug infested raves, this one’s for you. See you next year Truck. GEORGIA RAE GOODYER

Screen

october 11 2010

Exeposé

Calum Baker & David Brake screen@exepose.com

NEWS

IN the past fortnight, there has been the sad news of the passing of screen legend Tony Curtis, the star of Some Like It Hot and Spartacus. His evercocky and energetic persona will be missed. The Spider-man reboot, targeted for a 2012 release, earnt another cast member in the form of Emma Stone this week. She will play Gwen Stacy opposite Andrew Garfield who plays Peter Parker. Garfield’s recent performance in The Social Network (see review below) is touted for Oscars therefore making Spider-man one to watch. Again. Peter Jackson has announced he will direct The Hobbit when it is given the full greenlight. Even since Guillermo del Toro’s departure from the project, it seemed the logical move for Jackson to step (back) in.

COMPETITION

As always, we have THREE PAIRS of FREE TICKETS to any ODEON screening you choose. If you’d like your two tickets, just answer this question: Which website should next be made into a movie?

The inception of intellectual cinema Chris Grosvenor encourages the movie industry to dream bigger

SOME say they hated it. The majority say they loved it. I believe everyone collectively had something to say after what can only be described as that pinnacle moment of shock and disbelief that dashed our own personal dream: the image of DiCaprio’s spinning top suddenly cutting to black. Silence. I think we can all agree, however, that one thing Inception made us all do was think; to question everything, draw meaning from every little nuance of performance, shot composition and narrative. It got us to question the difference between reality and a dream, truth and illusion and that very puzzling concept of a dream within a dream... that was quite possibly in several more dreams. Now this in itself is nothing new. In the history of cinema, a vast array of different films as diverse as one of Nolan’s earlier works, Memento (2000) to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Donnie Darko, have served to challenge the audience with their unconventional narratives, often profound themes and dismissal of traditional film techniques. Yet these three cult films, even combined, did not come close to the $62 million Inception made on its opening weekend in the USA alone. Instead, of course, the money

The Social Network

Dir: David Fincher Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake (12A) 120mins

IT still seems weird not only that anyone in Hollywood can commission a film about the creation of Facebook, but also that it can be so absolutely astonishing. This is not wholly unexpected, mind, considering the writer is Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and the director David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) - indeed, the two men have proven themselves insightful documenters of society. Here, we find Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) creating ‘Facemash’ by way of drunken revenge on the girl who’s just dumped him. Put on academic probation for breaching security and misusing images, as well as re-

garded as a misogynist by most of campus, Mark is ‘hired’ by the affluent Winklevoss twins (both Armie Hammer) to create a Harvard-only social networking site. He turns this into his own baby, ‘Facebook’, which, after appointing his best (and only) friend Eduardo Saverin (Garfield) as CFO, soon grows big. The film’s main plot is told in increments from five different perspectives, the last of which is Sean Parker (Timberlake), the Iago-like Napster founder who soon gets in on the business and manipulates all involved. Framing the main narrative are a few trial scenes as Mark faces being sued by those he had previously worked with - including Eduardo. Mark is as alone as a film character has ever been: driven by the need to break into the popular crowd of Harvard’s elite ‘final clubs’, he alienates most everyone, including his best friend - the scenes of close-

pours into those we call Blockbusters - Piranha 3D (The 3D making of course all the difference), The A-Team and whatever no-laughs, no-brains comedy happens to have been cobbled together from the mind… of the brother…. of the third producer…. of some American Pie spin-off (Vampires Suck, I’m looking in your direction). The sort of films you would happily go and throw away a couple of quid on, on an Orange Wednesday out of boredom. Perhaps based on some naïve fantasy, that maybe the world does need a second Spiderman reboot/re-imagining/re-hashing (token ”gritty” cinematography included for that added sense of realism) some five years after the last instalment. Yes, it’s happening

people. So why is it, still, we flock to these films, knowing full well that they will not deliver anything other than a fleeting laugh or admittedly vivid CGI-soaked set pieces, and leave the critically-acclaimed to, well, the critics? I understand completely the perhaps limited appeal of more challenging, independent or even (deep cut here guys) arthouse films, but Inception proves that a film of such complexity and imagination can make it big with a mainstream audience. The issue is, of course, as it has always been, with the studios that churn out the films we enjoy in the cinema and at home, and their inability to put faith in these lesser publicised productions and risk market-

ing a film to such a high level. It was only after for example Nolan made millions for Warner Brothers in 2008 with The Dark Knight that the studio gave him a free reign on any project, the project he chose being Inception, which he crafted from an idea he had in the works for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately the studios at the end of the day see film not as art, as it rightly should be seen (contentious - Ed.), but as a business, and as a result it’s these high-octane, high concept popcorn flicks that get the money, stars and effects. Please don’t get me wrong, this is not the insane rant of some film snob who purely enjoys black and white, subtitled films about the pain of human existence. I’ll admit that Die Hard proudly sits on my shelf amidst my Haneke, Tarvosky and Godard DVDs. But it just seems to me that with so much at risk (the current instability of the British Film Industry springs to mind), the industry as a whole needs to be shaken up and even uprooted from its now-stagnant tradition of blockbuster “hits” that shamefully grasp to every genre convention and cliché for dear life – I mean come on, who didn’t see the whole Statham/ Stallone/knife/gun competition at the end of The Expendables coming a quick macho one-liner away. Inception proved that a smart film with a big budget could bring in the crowds. I for one am just hoping the rest of the industry catch on as well.

ness intercut with their bickering provide the film’s more heartbreaking moments. We are told that both men have damaging information on the other which they have, despite everything, tried to protectively downplay. It is sad and yet makes a certain amount of tragic sense: Eduardo feels contempt towards Mark, who he had previously protected in an almost paternal way, whilst the continually-frowning Mark (and Eisenberg somehow creates many, many different types of frown) has no way to express his need for a friend and therefore passively drives poor Eduardo away. Garfield sees his character as someone who sometimes can’t keep his emotions in check and later regrets it; Mark, meanwhile, finds he causes the most problems for himself when relying on his characteristic introversion. There is, says Sorkin, a lot of ‘grey’ in this story rather than a straightforward b&w.

Neither Mark or Eduardo is really ‘right’ - and that’s to say nothing of Parker, who seems to show a balance between openness and enigma, outward confidence and close secrets but really, in the end, is brought down by sheer human urge as the police book him snorting coke at a party. And this is exactly what the point is: nothing is reliable, particularly in a networking-ridden world where we post everything, many broadcasting to the world their own side of things in a status update while their friends can say another. Publicly. Parker may be lit like the Devil in one scene, but in another we wonder if he, like the other two, is just a scared self-projection in way over his head. Mark is not the only one, as the legal secretary puts it, ‘trying hard to be a bad guy.’ The three leads are victims of each other as a collective rather than a single, blameful individual.

It is this alienated pessimism that drives the film’s message: the failings of human behaviour and relationships as illustrated by a group of guys, each representing a different aspect of social ineptitude, who have somehow created the biggest social revolution of the century. That these bickering people can bring the world together is at the very least a tantalising paradox; at most, a scathing indictment of the way our world interacts these days. Hell, it isn’t even just about the 21st century - continual references to Harvard’s past link the events to an entire history of humanity. This is a terrifyingly clever film: knowing & savvy, sad & despairing, but in a cold, calm, calculating way that seems to accept the madness that is modern social interaction.

CALUM BAKER SCREEN EDITOR

Exeposé october 11 2010

Buried

reviews

Dir: Rodrigo Cortés (15) 95mins Cast: Ryan Reynolds BURIED is one of the most thrilling films of the year. Ryan Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, an American contractor buried alive in Iraqi soil. The film plunges you underground, face to face, eye to eye, with Conroy’s desperate situation as he slowly regains consciousness. Ambushed and buried in a coffin with only a lighter and a mobile phone with limited battery, Conroy must somehow reach help before oxygen levels run out. His position is helpless (he has virtually no idea of his whereabouts) and yet at times, unexpectedly funny as he battles with the American bureaucracy on his phone (“I’ll just put you through to personnel...”). This is Reynolds’ best performance yet. Stripped of his usual romcom charm and thrust into a far more gritty, disturbing and unconventional role, he rises to the chal-

lenge. Despite being locked in a box for ninety minutes, his desperate struggle to reason with his kidnapper, and shake the US forces into action keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. His acting range may be restrained, but his sheer terror is not easy to forget. Rather than shying away from the limitations of such a film, director Rodrigo Cortés embraces them to create a powerfully haunting experience. Whilst the camera angles are necessarily restricted, the handheld style and constant close-ups give the film a consistently edgy feel. The claustrophobia is palpable; it is impossible to distance yourself. It is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

Made in Dagenham

Dir: Nigel Cole (15) 113mins

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins BRITISH films have not always had the best reputation. Unless they are the period costume drama, gritty social realist type, or a fluffy Richard Curtis rom-com, then they are rarely given much acclaim. So it was with apprehension that I went to watch Nigel Cole’s Made in Dagenham, a British film about the strike for equal pay undertaken by the 1968 upholstery seamstresses at the Ford plant in Essex. It was exactly as I expected. Gentle humour and a stellar cast make it an enjoyable enough watch, while the plot is comfortable, if a little predictable. The film is made by the talented cast, the script is slightly clichéd, and the action does become a little repetitive as the women repeatedly face oppositional executive male figures, whom they jolly well rise against. There are so many faces to spot, such as Bob Hoskins and

JAMES DE SOUZA

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

get an overwhelming sense of ‘aww’ as his company is broken up in front of his eyes. Sadly, the rest of the film could not follow Langella’s lead.

OLIVER STONE’S 1987 Wall Street was a scathing satire on the greed of corporate America fuelled by Reagan’s free market initiative. Therefore, with the banking crisis in the last few years, Stone has found the perfect time to release Wall Street 2. Stone, renowned for tackling difficult subjects with ballsy direction and biting scripts, has sadly fallen flat. A film about one of the most talked about issues right now in the world, the economic crash of 2008, should be exciting, revealing and easy for a director to capitalise on. It’s got twists and secrets that are just begging to be exaggerated and

Although Stone’s script is stoic at times, his ability to handle boardroom drama increase tension and interest levels making the film a much more enjoyable watch. Indeed, the scene involving discussions over the future of Langella’s company is by far the best scene. Well-acted, wellshot and interesting. The problem with Wall Street 2 is that there is no

Dir: Oliver Stone Cast: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan (12A)127mins

revealed on the big screen. Plus with Gordon Gekko in tow, the greasiest stockbroker of all time, this should be an enthralling watch. However, Wall Street 2 is just a tepid and boring affair. The main blame must be pointed at the actors and Stone’s script. Douglas, reprieving his most rememberable role, seems out of touch with Gekko’s charcter and it’s only due to his natural charisma that we remain interested in him. He underplays it to the extreme and at times looks plain bored. However, I fear that Stone’s script has a hand in Gekko’s weaker portrayal in this film than its predecessor. Stone over emphasises the fact that Gekko was away for a long time and develops the character no further than that. Stone seems to rely upon previous memories/ideas surrounding Gekko and places all his effort into boosting Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf).

LaBeouf does not exude the same charisma as Charlie Sheen in the first Wall Street thus meaning it is harder to care and rout for our protagonist through his moral turmoil and hardship. The scene in which Sheen cameos gives us a glimpse of the brilliant chemistry between him and Douglas, and those who have seen the original Wall Street will yearn for something that never comes. In fairness, LaBeouf is crippled by Stone’s script which does not allow LaBeouf to play around much with his role. Also, Carey Mulligan never truly convinces. However, the supporting ensemble do a good job of propping up the film and maintaining audience interest. Brolin, Wallach and especially Langella do very well with the little freedom they get. Langella stands out by adding a much needed passion and personality to his role. You

Classic Films #5: Back to the Future (1985)

Dir: Robert Zemeckis Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd (PG) 116mins

IT is 1985. Marty McFly (Fox) is transported 30 years into the past in a DeLorean time machine created by the eccentric Dr Emmett Brown (Lloyd). A stranger in a strange land full of poodle skirts, Cherry Cokes and jukeboxes, Marty must seek out a younger Doc Brown to get him back to 1985. After preventing the pivotal moment that brought his parents together, Marty’s future existence is at stake and he must get his teenage mother and father to fall in love before time runs out. Created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, Back to the Future is a delightfully entertaining fusion of sci-fi, action, comedy and romance with a witty, inventive script and a superb cast. The adrenaline-kicked pace is driven by a riveting undulation of tension, punctuated by Alan Silvestri’s exhilarating score, blend-

ed with the light-heartedness of the screenplay. It creatively explores questions that we all often wonder – what were our parents like when they were our age? Is the past really superior to the present? What if lifechanging events, extraordinary or mundane, never happened?

“If you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”

The iconic skateboard-riding, guitar-playing Marty McFly is charmingly played by Fox, who carries the film with humour and joiede-vivre. It is hard to believe that

“Someone reminded me I once said ‘Greed is good’. Now it seems it’s legal.”

‘80s teen star Eric Stoltz was originally cast in the role, even filming six weeks’ worth of footage. Fox and Lloyd as the time-travelling team have terrific on-screen chemistry and comic timing, marking them as one of the greatest cinematic duos in film history. The supporting cast are exceptional, but I would like to give a special mention to Crispin Glover. His attention to detail in creating unique geek George McFly is excellent. His shaky mannerisms and hilarious gawkiness are believable, offering a loveable, sympathetic performance. When George finally stands up to bully Biff Tannen with an empowered punch, finally getting the girl (his “density”), the audience is elated and I myself wanted to applaud. Zemeckis and Gale created this classic with a sensation of nostalgia

Screen

Rosamund Pike of the recent British film An Education. Though Sally Hawkins does particularly well at playing Rita O’Grady, the timid yet determined character who prompts and leads the strike. Daniel Mays also convincingly portrays Rita’s husband Eddie, who wishes his wife well but struggles to come to terms with dirty dishes and no dinner for him on the table. The plot of this film could at first confuse many into thinking that it is a feminist rant about sexual inequality, but the political grit is sidelined in favour of a portrayal of plucky British courage and female bonding. Made in Dagenham seems to fit somewhere between the workingclass social realist genre and cheeky Ealing-spirit comedy that is enjoyable if you like films such as The Full Monty, Calendar Girls and Billy Elliot. It is a breezy comedy with a good cast, feel-good lukewarm story, and some fabulous retro clothes. STEPH MARSTON

excitement and there are no stickout moments, and scenes turn into a procession of economic jargon and boredom. In fairness, however, the script allows new comers to come enjoy the bright lights and extensive economic terms. Nevertheless, the ending is horrifically clichéd and makes one cringe at how saccharine it is. It sums up the pointlessness of the film. As shown by Alex Gibney’s documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room, tales of deception, lies and economic failure can be astounding and shocking; however, with Wall Street 2 the plot takes us nowhere and with such a brilliant ensemble in his hands, it’s bewildering how he missed this golden opportunity.

DAVID BRAKE SCREEN EDITOR

for the 1950s, and now the scenes set in the present day (the quintessential 1980s) evoke nostalgic feeling from today’s audiences (think walkmans, big hair, denim overkill, etc.). However, despite the idiosyncratic detail of the respective time periods, Back to the Future is an enduring story with a warm, humanist tone and feel-good comic charm, which Roger Ebert compares justly to the films of Frank Capra. It certainly has an It’s a Wonderful Life feel which is even a direct influence in the foundation of the film’s sequel. It is an incredibly enjoyable film, never failing to put a smile on my face whilst revealing that whatever era it is, the follies and tribulations of teenage life are timeless.

MELISSA BARRETT

Books

october 11 2010

Exeposé

James Henderson & Jacob Moffatt - books@exepose.com

FEATURE

Taking the stress out of the 1001 Jacob Moffatt, Books Editor, looks at a digestable way of being ‘well-read’

The desire to be ‘well-read’ is a fairly common one but without devoting a-not-inconsiderable portion of your time to books then it can be a pretty daunting task. And to some extent I am inclined to agree with anyone that says it’s a pretty unfathomable task just to read Peter Boxall’s 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. Consider this, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is held by many as the birth of the modern American novel; Mark Twain first published Huck Finn in 1884. That’s a 126 years of American fiction writing alone to catch up with. Not to mention an average of 200,000 new titles published yearly in the UK Impelled not to give up on any chance of literary Buddha-dom, and inspired by the work of Mr Jack Nicholson, I propose a ‘Bucket List’ of just five pieces of fiction to read before committing to a new life as plant fertiliser. Picking the list is obviously the difficult bit, particularly as Dickens, Austen and Tolstoy might be heralded as ‘must-reads’ they are really not for everyone. Naturally every list will be more-or-less completely different but for what it’s worth here are a few suggestions that might not immediately have come to mind. The Minpins Roald Dahl ISBN: 0141501782

I couldn’t think of a better place to start that with Roald Dahl, his fifty-year career included probably the greatest, funniest and cleverest children’s writing, and he remains unparalleled. Ideally you’d want these stories read to you, as you animate Quentin Blake’s stunning illustrations in your head, but it’s never really too late to enjoy them. I could have chosen any number

of Dahl stories, but The Minpins is special for a number of reasons. It’s Dahl’s last ever work for one, published months before his death in 1990; it’s my personal favourite for another, but crucially it contains just about everything a good Roald Dahl story does. There are sections with blistering pace and genuine excitement, that incredible gallows humour and imagination and a monster called the Terrible Bloodsuckling Toothpluckling Stonechuckling Spittler. Not one of his better-known works but I urge you to read it.

Money: A Suicide Note Martin Amis IBSN: 0099461889

Norwegian Wood Haruki Murakami ISBN: 0099448823

I’d be hard-pressed to name a more emotionally engaging or touching novel than Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. Set in Late 60s Japan, it is essentially the story of adolescent love and alienation but so label it so succinctly would be to do it a disservice. Murakami writes with an incredible poetic stillness and sincerity as he captures the feelings of youth with remarkable accuracy. We follow Toru Watanabe through the first years of his university life, a time when Tokyo was in cultural turmoil and the world was in the grips of the sexual revolution. He is torn between his first love, beautifully fragile Naoko and the life-affirming Midori who offers him a release from his loneliness of his past. There is no doubting that a book like this demands something of you but more so emotionally than intellectually. And what’s more, I am yet to read anyone write even close to this well about sex. Murakami is never tawdry nor gushing, yet understands perfectly the relationship between sex and growing into adulthood.

A lifetime of essential books.

When it was published in 1984, Money freed Martin Amis from the shadow of his father and remains the finest novel of his career. Money is the story of hedonistic English commercial director, John Self and his ill-mannered foray into Hollywood with the help of New York film producer, Fielding Goodney. Amis has often spoken of how Money was his attempted to anglicise the American Novel, but for all the Dashiell Hammett’s inspired noir touches and dramatic dénouements, the self-debasing humour and cutting sarcasm gives this book an inherently English voice. Amis’s beautifully written set pieces and one-liners serve as brilliantly crass decoration for what is a genuinely gripping thriller. Amongst the satirical and horrific elements, Amis explores ideas about identity, fa-

therhood with a level of depth that was never present in any of his father’s noir novels. In recent years Amis has been better known for his outspoken battles with the media rather than his novel writing, but it is worth remembering that this once University of Manchester lecturer probably wrote the funniest English novel of the last fifty years. The aim of the bucket list is not to discourage yourself from reading as much as you like, but to take the stress away from reading. After all it’s better to have read a few books well and enjoyed them and maybe even enjoyed re-reading them too, than rushed through as many as possible.

Exeposé week two

Books

Kicking the Hobbit : Can you outgrow a series of books?

James Henderson, Books Editor, discusses whether it is possible to grow out of a series before it is completed.

THE question in essence is, can you outgrow a series of books? Ostensibly the answer would be yes, however here I refer in particular to a mid-series outgrowing. As we have seen from the recent explosion onto the scene of The Twilight Saga there are many very successful series of books that range beyond the slightly smaller trilogy standard. However when a greater number of sequels appear, the time taken to complete them extends. This indeed is quite dramatic when one considers that arguably the most popular longer series of all time, Harry Potter, with the first book being published in 1997 and the last in 2007, spans a period of almost exactly 10 years. So when an 11 year old can be fully 21 years of age before a series such as this has finished, it would seem likely that there may be some loss of interest mid-series. However it is to the Artemis Fowl series, written by Eoin Colfer, that I turn before tackling

To The Wedding John Berger ISBN: 0747599394 John Berger’s beautiful and powerful novel To The Wedding first published in 1996 and set across Southern and Eastern Europe is a work that heaves with the intricacies of love, life and death. Telling the story of the build up to the young Gino and Ninon’s wedding, through the eyes of a blind but all seeing Greek narrator, a tapestry of intermingled poetic moments is gradually unveiled, leading to a devastatingly powerful yet deeply humanist ending. Berger explores the journey of the couple’s past, of their parent’s travels across post-Cold War Europe to the wedding in Italy and of their sad limited future as husband and wife, for tragically Ninon is dying of AIDS. In this collection of individual artistic creations subtlety woven together into a novel, (each page could almost be read on its own as a completed work), Berger takes the reader through soaring yet delicate and precise sentences which herald a new and different world with each paragraph. Rarely do books so vividly take you to the very moment the author is creating. During Ninon’s father’s motorbike journey across the Southern Alps we can feel the very engine vibrations of the metallic bike, watch every curve gently bend as Berger describes how carefully the rider shifts his weight to take the corner, and reach clearly out to the hu-

the literary behemoth that is Harry Potter. In an aside, I would like to remind those who consider novels such as A.S Byatt’s Possession to be far more advanced than the aforementioned wizarding series, that where Byatt is leagues ahead in both literary reference and techniques of language, she most certainly trails in storyline and popularity. Yet enough of my English grievances, for that is another article. The reason this question arose for me was that I read the most recent book in the Artemis Fowl series this summer on a whim after seeing it at the end of a WHSmith shelf. For those of you who do not know, Artemis Fowl is a child genius who discovers that a whole host of fairies and fantasy creatures live under the surface of the world in secret from humans, who are far more advanced than us. Whilst I was enchanted as a child by the genius of Artemis’ schemes, his outsmarting of adults, and the fairy advances made on human technology, which in a Harry Potter type style are not too far beyond the realms of belief, things have changed. Once, I read in ignorant wonder as Artemis managed to save the day against all the odds, when I could not hope to see a way out. I marvelled when I realised that all the clues had been there back in the earlier parts of

morous, gentle mountain characters he meets on his way. Throughout the book, moments of understated universal wisdom are dispensed in brief dialogues, reaffirmations of life are given in minuscule actions, personal fears and aspirations are portrayed through simple expressions. Moments such as when Ninon’s mother meets two philosophers, who have decided the least harmful thing they can do in life is craft toys that mimic the sound of bird songs, carry a harrowing beauty. Others such as when Gino’s father briefly considers killing Ninon encapsulate the vulnerability of humans to all emotions, however evil.

the book, but I had missed them. This summer I found myself seeing most of the clues and if not predicting resolutions, thinking of other possibilities and I thought, have I outgrown this series? A simplistic argument would tell me that “No” I have not, as I still enjoyed the book and the references to our modern reality, but in fiction of backward human technologies. Further, I enjoyed the book on a new and grown up level. However I believe the conclusion demands a more powerful argument than that. So I turn my attention to the obvious example of a book that spans generations and that very few have grown out of, of course to Harry Potter. How has this series done so well where so many others have failed and how has it managed to interest parents where few others do? I think the answer, as always, is one of circumstance. Probably the key feature of any successful book, after an interesting plot, would be a character or scenario one can relate to, or indeed would like to be able to relate to. Here Harry Potter has two obvious integral components, magic and school. Magic, of course, is impossible to relate to, unless I write in ignorance of a greater power and so it must be school. Further examination shows

Batman: The Killing Joke Alan Moore ISBN: 1845767721

“Each page could

almost be read on its own as a completed work”

Increasingly in the crescendo of the final wedding scene such a frenzy of life is provided, contrasting so cruelly with Ninon’s imminent death, that one can sense her and Gino’s time together literally slipping away in front of you, the trail ending with the last and precious words of the book. With these final words both the characters and reader desperately cling onto the last moments of the couple’s existence together. So much is said with so few words in this gripping and precise novel, which is what ultimately makes it the wonderful piece of poetic art it is. CAROLINE CANT

Alan Moore is praised and well renowned for his brilliant works including Watchmen, V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. However, the gem that is Batman: The Killing Joke is in fact one of his greatest works. It’s a brutal masterpiece, with Moore not pulling any punches in showing the extremity of the Joker’s madness. It blurs the lines between sanity and insanity, right and wrong and finally, heroes and villains. The original Joker is a fantastic literary creation and although Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker in The Dark Knight is a perfect contemporary portrayal, the original outright

this to be likely, as children are at school and thus can relate to the experiences, meaning teachers, homework etc. Here too though, adults can reminisce as they have experienced school and can both reflect on the experience and also imagine the possibilities of what they did, but with magic.

“You can outgrow one series, you cannot outgrow them all, therein lies the real magic”

When we turn back to Artemis Fowl, the main intrigue is still there for the children but as we progress towards adulthood the problems present themselves. A hero who outsmarts adults and discovers a fantasy world reflects the sort of play children make for themselves, the sort of adventures they once planned. The older teenager or adult is not so impressed by cocky young children making fools of figures maybe not too far different from themselves. Indeed, it is common for young adults to be insane Joker always holds a soft spot for me. The pure evil he puts upon Gordon’s daughter and his excessive lunacy is gut-wrenching and makes the reader actively encourage some form of deep punishment to fall upon the Joker. Nevertheless, Moore’s novel is not two-dimensional as he attempts both to show the psychosis of the Joker whilst balancing it with humanity. Within this particular novel, it is one of the first times the Joker’s back story is addressed. He is a failing comedian with a baby on the way, he wants to be a good father, a good husband and a good man. However, he’s desperate and becomes corrupted which leads to his downward spiral. The Joker simply became the next step of evil and corruption after the guys who corrupted him. Indeed, life as a good man never worked for him; it is only when he goes insane that he can finally become who he wants to be. Moore’s vivid and brutal realisation of the Joker’s life does help provide depth and necessary dimension to Batman’s greatest foe. Nevertheless, as in Moore’s previous works, he is not trying to portray a sob story. He wants us to sympathise and understand the Joker, but the distance must remain between him and us. The opposite to this comes from Batman himself; indeed, the purpose of The Killing Joke is to show the consequences of our choices and that no matter what we do we can never outrun them.

annoyed by younger teenagers for a brief period after they have left such a lifestyle behind. So it would seem that whilst we have only really covered fantasy series in this discussion, a conclusion can be drawn. It is clear when pondered, that most children’s’ books have children as the heroes, deal with childhood issues and often have a lack of parental figures entirely (somewhat morbidly usually through death). The successful cross generation series then must have either a concept such as magic in Harry Potter which relates to governments and children alike and therefore provides interest for both adults and children. The other option is a world which is just as relevant to adults and to children such as school which is something everyone must go through. Indeed the success of the Harry Potter franchise in my opinion is largely due to its combination of both of these elements is duly mirrored in the latest hyper success with Twilight. Where magic is replaced by the existence of vampires and school is kept constant as it is one of the few experiences every person has had. Therefore, I would say that whilst you can outgrow a series, you cannot out grow them all, and therein lies the real magic. Moore’s skill is shown in the finale of this graphic novel with two worlds falling in line with each other. Like Nolan did for Batman on celluloid, Moore did for Batman in terms of graphic novels. A book of no more than 64 pages manages to truly enthrall the reader and completely engulf them in the world of Batman.

“It does not aim

to be anything but a thrilling and haunting read”

This novel is a classic and the illustrations are vividly realised with Brian Bolland providing even greater effect for Moore’s words. The Joker and Batman are iconic images but Bolland’s work exaggerates their features matching Moore’s words perfectly. If one had any qualms they would be that it is too short and it would have been great if it were extended further. The book should be a classic and it’s recently released deluxe edition highlights its importance within the graphic novel world. Indeed, it represents the brilliance of graphic novels as it is seemingly impossible to put this book onto the big screen as it is too dark and nasty. It does not aim to be anything but a thrilling and haunting read. DAVID BRAKE SCREEN EDITOR

october 11 2010

Arts

Exeposé

Hänsel und Gretel at the Royal Albert Hall

P 28

Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel - arts@exepose.com

Interview

Exeter graduates not loafing around Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel, Arts Editors, talk to Exeter graduates Callum ElliottArcher and Monique Luckman about their new artistic venture, SourDough Theatre Company.

TALKING about life after Exeter is often a panic-inducing subject. However, sitting in Boston Tea Party chatting to two driven graduates about their new artistic venture, SourDough Theatre Company, it was clear that life could not be more exciting. During the last year, SourDough has grown from a distant ambition to a professional collaborative company, working with old and new media to create exciting work here in Exeter. When asked about the unique name of the company Monique Luckman revealed, “a tutor of ours encouraged us to treat our ideas as dough. We were taught not to be precious about the work we created and to instead view the devising process as akin to making bread, forcing us to discard, mold and develop ideas. This formula for creating theatre stuck with us and we still play by those rules.” Name and mantra decided, SourDough’s 12-strong company (consisting of both Drama and non-Drama students) decided to stay in Exeter after graduation. In her role as producer, Monique Luckman feels that Exeter provides a “captive artistic audience”, seeing it as the ideal supportive and responsive setting for a budding theatre company. SourDough has excited venues across Exeter, making

the company feel instantly welcome amongst Exeter’s established arts scene. The company is set to perform at both the Bikeshed Theatre and the Exeter Phoenix Centre in the coming season. At the Phoenix Centre, SourDough will host three workshops as part of “The Family Sundays Event”, in which children and parents are encouraged to experience different aspects of the arts. When asked whether their work with children is something they envisage pursuing, Callum Elliott-Archer insisted that the company is not trying to “narrow our target audience right now. We feel the work we create for children informs our work for adults. A child audience requires simplicity of narrative that can sometimes get lost in adult theatre.” With this in mind, SourDough put on a series of shadow puppet shows for children over the summer. This allowed them to experiment with a new medium whilst forcing them to remain aware of their challenging audience.

“We feel the work we create for children informs our work for adults. A child audience requires simplicity of narrative that can sometimes get lost in adult theatre”

Alongside this venture, SourDough is also preparing for a threenight run in Exeter’s Bikeshed Theatre in November. The company will present ‘Rogues and Wanderers’, a piece developed from Aphra Behn’s 17th century play The Rover. Using this play as the stimulus provoked interesting discussions within the company, instigating a series of lively

Photo: SourDough

workshops. These workshops, one led by each member of SourDough, gave the company a chance to get to know each other as practitioners and find out their strengths and interests. From this they established their core themes; “we felt strongly that the piece should have a sense of otherworldliness, drawing on the use of carnival and masquerade within Behn’s original script.” Another defining feature of SourDough’s process is their experimentation with aesthetics. “At university, there seems to be an emphasis on using new media: live video, recorded sound etc. However, we found ourselves engaged by more traditional methods: manipulating torches, shadows, masks, live music and illustrations.” It seems that SourDough is

experiencing an exciting period of experimentation as they attempt to establish themselves as a theatre company, and find their own style. In order to intensify this process, the company is in fact living together throughout this time, something they consider paramount to SourDough’s success.

to charm him. The humour in the play is entirely derived from Hunter; her stormy representation of an older woman in love creates a dark sort of comedy. However the changeable nature of Cleopatra’s character also provides some of the deepest tragedy in the play, she is torn between looking out for her own interests and obliging Antony, her lover. Hunter’s small and wiry frame inspires immense pity as she grieves over Antony’s eventual

death. The contrast between her wild high spirits and her terrible sorrow certainly do justice to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine. Despite the complex political context of the play, Boyd’s version concentrates on the phenomenon of love in middle age. Darrell D’Silva’s Antony is warm hearted yet flawed, as all tragic heroes must be. Visually the two make an odd looking couple but in my opinion this helps to show the ridiculous yet marvellous relationship

“Exeter provides a ‘captive artistic audience’. It is the ideal supportive and responsive setting for a budding theatre company.”

It would be easy to assume the company’s short run at the Bikeshed may be disproportionate to their pun-

ishing rehearsal method. However, Callum and Monique assure us that “a show is never finished” and with aspirations to take ‘Rogues and Wanderers’ to festivals around the Southwest, it seems SourDough’s debut show could reach far wider audiences. It was clear from talking to Callum and Monique how driven and excited they are about SourDough. This passionate group of young graduates certainly seems to be on the road to success. With Exeter’s artistic hotspots behind them, the city is their “playground”. They are an inspiration to current students, whether theatre-bound or not. Watch out for ‘Rogues and Wanderers’ at the Bikeshed Theatre, November 2-4.

theatre review

Antony and Cleopatra @ RSC Stratford, August 19 2010.

MICHAEL BOYD’s fastpaced, modern dress version of this complex Shakespearian play is an unlikely triumph. For one thing his choice of casting is far from the expected. His Cleopatra is nothing like the sexy, youthful god-

dess portrayed by Liz Taylor in the 1963 film. Instead Kathryn Hunter is diminutive and wizened but creates electric stage presence with her captivating facial expressions and her irrepressible energy. She leaps around the stage, thrown from one deeply felt emotion to another. In one instance she wildly brandishes a gun and tries to shoot an innocent bearer of bad news before almost instantly shifting to a seductive countenance in order

they share. Both past their prime, they seem younger when they are together; their troubles float away in the light atmosphere they mutually create onstage. My only criticism is that the lead actors’ super-fast delivery occasionally detracts from the pure magic of the Shakespearian language. Ultimately, Boyd’s production is high-energy, humorous and well worth seeing. JENNY WOOD

Exeposé week two

Arts

theatre review Design for Living @ The Old Vic, London September 9 2010

A “three handed spiritual pingpong” best describes the controversial dark romantic comedy ‘Design for Living’. Written by playwright Noel Coward and directed by associate Anthony Page, the play is currently amusing audiences at the Old Vic, London. Written in 1932, the play originally premiered on Broadway having been banned in London because of its controversial content. It did however make its way to London in 1939 where it was initially heavily criticised for offending public decency. ‘Design for Living’ is set in a 1930’s shabby-chic Paris apartment. Gilda, an interior designer played by Lisa Dillon, is in a relationship with extravagant artist Otto. Despite being in love, Gilda is also in a relationship and in love with recently self-made playwright, Leo. To complicate matters, there are undertones of a relationship between Leo and Otto. Confused? Old family friend Ernest Friendman mediates this ménage à trois while housekeeper Miss Hodge, exceptionally played by Maggie McCarthy, is composed of the moral indignations and prejudices of 1930’s society. This complicated affair between the three main characters that are inextricably bound is explained

by Leo thus, “I love you. You love me. You love Otto. I love Otto. Otto loves you. Otto loves me.” The play effortlessly progresses through cities Paris, New York and London whilst Otto and Leo become successful in their chosen arts with Gilda as their feminine lynchpin. With success however, the three main characters grow increasingly detached from society and their relationships fragment. Throughout the play Gilda wrestles with her femininity in a world built for men, by men. What makes ‘Design for Living’ so timeless is that the play is not just a social commentary, but an exploration of gender, the modern women, dependence and unconventional relationships. With this, Noel Coward was way ahead of his time.

“The play is not just a social commentary but an exploration of gender, the modern women, dependence and unconventional relationships. And with this Noel Coward was way ahead of his time.”

It would be difficult not to like the three main characters and although displaying a hint of preview nerves, the actors were well

Editors’ Top 10 1. The

Misanthrope

A play by Molière Sept 30 - Oct 23 Bristol Old Vic

2. Love, Love, Love

A play by Mike Bartlett October 7-23 Drum Theatre, Plymouth

cast and the audience reaffirmed the performance with much laughter and applause. Lisa Dillon who played Gilda however lacked that extra sparkle that would have ignited the character’s dazzling, ballsy feminine charm. Andrew Scott as Leo and Tom Burke as Otto managed the razor sharp dialogue as the words rebounded off one another and proceeded to spitfire at the audience, whilst engendering an intense on-stage relationship. Ernest, played by Angus Wright, was a dynamo, an upper class gentleman unhinged by his attempts to break the bonds between the three main characters.

‘Design for Living’ is as pertinent as it was in 1932. This is a play about privilege. Even in the current era of economic austerity, where drastic economic cuts are fuelling a political assault on the idea of privilege, we can see some things do not change. This play is intense, high-paced, humorous and intellectual, and the likable charm emanating from the characters makes the performance unmissable.

COLUMBA ACHILLEOS-SARLL FEATURES EDITOR

art comment Zoe Bulaitis explores the seaside town of Collioure, France and encounters the artistic brilliance of Matisse and the Fauvists.

HENRI MATISSE’S lasting and

most predominant impact on the world of art is the large blocks of colour that form the iconic cut-out works such as the Snail, or the stunning Icarus falling through a sky of stars. However, visiting the south of France during the Summer, and seeing where Matisse lived, loved and learnt to paint opened my eyes to exactly why Matisse de-

3. Hit Me: The Life

and Rhymes of Ian Drury October 11

Northcott Theatre

4. Landscape with

Wild Men

Talk with Michael Bird October 12 RAMM

5. A Disappearing

Number

National Theatre Live Production October 14 Theatre Royal, Plymouth

6. Birmingham

Royal Ballet

“What Matisse and his friends achieved in the sunshine was a celebration not of the technique of replicating reality but a triumph of sheer colour.”

serves the title of ‘modern master’. The seaside town of Collioure is an artist’s paradise. With its winding streets, bobbing fishing boats and the shimmering waves of the Mediterranean it is easy to see why it was the perfect place to paint. The South of France is a magnet for beautiful sunshine, and painters still come today to bask and be inspired by the quality of the golden light. The big draw for Collioure is based upon the success of the Fauvism movement, of which Matisse, alongside his friend Andre Derain, was leader. The Fauves used bright colours and wild brushstrokes in a break away from formal academic art. The word ‘Fauve’ literally translates from French to mean ‘Wild Beast’, and looking at the work Matisse produces it is not an unreasonable title. What Matisse and his friends achieved in the sunshine was a celebration not of

the technique of replicating reality but a triumph of sheer colour. Walking round the bay at Collioure the Fauves still triumph. There is a fantastic selection of viewpoints of the exact scenes that Matisse painted. Looking from the painting to the view of the sea, one can tell it is the same place, not by direct objects or literal things, more the mood and atmosphere so accurately described. The use of colour alone to describe is something created by Matisse, and we all owe him respect for that. The use of clashing complimentary colours in fine art is something not previously explored, and it is hard think of the world today without it. The discoveries Matisse made with pure unrefined colour have given birth to some of the greatest designs and most recognisable patterns, prints and pictures.

Triple Bill October 19-20 Theatre Royal, Plymouth

7. The London

Merchant

A play by George Lillo October 20-23 Northcott Theatre

8. Romeo and

Juliet

A BRB Ballet October 21-23 Theatre Royal, Plymouth

9. One Flea Spare A Play by Red Dog Theatre October 24 Bikeshed Theatre

10. Stuart Lee:

Vegetable Stew Comedian October 24 Theatre Royal Plymouth

Arts

october 11 2010 Exeposé

opera review Prom 61: Hänsel und Gretel @ Royal Albert Hall, London. August 31 2010. WALKING into the Albert Hall on a late summer’s evening, after a day spending a small fortune in Oxford Street’s Topshop, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of remembering a childhood favourite: the story of Hänsel and Gretel. I had only been to the BBC Proms once before when I was 15 years old, and it is safe to say I hadn’t a clue what to expect. So this summer, feeling very uncultured (apart from a failed trip to see the tennis at Wimbledon), I decided that a trip to the Proms would be just the ticket. Taking our seats (limited legroom and knees almost up to our noses), my mother joined the rest of the audience in welcoming the orchestra, and the somewhat overexcited curly-haired conductor, to the stage. The opera began with an orchestral prelude, a familiar tune that set the tone and character of the rest of the opera. After accepting the fact that my rather limited knowledge of Year 8 German was not going to help me remotely follow the opera, the purchase of a programme (in which the whole opera was translated) was probably the best investment of the day. Hänsel and Gretel are the first to skip onto the stage, singing and playing excitedly with brooms and

Photo: Royal Albert Hall

pillows, followed closely by their mother. An accident with a jug of milk sends the children off into the forest to look for strawberries, whilst their mother sorrowfully sings of the family’s need for food. Next to appear, stumbling and pushing his way through the crowd in the standing arena, (shopping bags in tow) comes the rather raucous father, who has evidently spent his evening boozing in the local tavern. Once he learns that his wife has banished their children into the forest, he suddenly remembers the evil Gingerbread Witch who lurks in her gingerbread house luring in little children. The parents then run off into the forest to search for their son and daughter.

“After accepting the fact that my rather limited knowledge of Year 8 German was not going to help me to remotely follow the opera, the purchase of a programme was probably the best investment of the day”

As Act Two begins the children, blissfully un-aware of their fretting parents’ mission to rescue them, continue to pick berries and lark around between the trees. One thing that was particularly impres-

sive about the staging in this act was the trees, which were created by the brooms from the kitchen standing on their ends. Leaves were ripped-up pieces of paper and rocks were huge cardboard boxes. As their evening alone draws on, and the music becomes more and more eerie, the children realise that they are lost in the dark forest, and so surrender to spending the night there. As they fall asleep, 14 angels descend to protect Hänsel and Gretel and see them safely through the night. After a picnic supper of sushi, and an endless wait in the queue for the loo, we returned

to our seats for the second half. It is now that the Gingerbread Witch, in drag, makes an appearance. Donning a fluorescent pink suit, complete with a peroxide blonde wig, the Gingerbread Witch brings an element of fun to the opera. You know how the rest of the story goes: Hänsel is put in a cage, fattened up by the witch, but manages to escape and both he and Gretel push the witch into the oven and that’s the end of her…or rather a him dressed up as a her. Hänsel and Gretel are finally found by their parents, and make their way home to live happily ever after.

A quick exit, a bus ride, a few stops on the tube and an hour-long train ride later, I arrived home still marvelling at the wonders of the evening. My mission to attend at least one cultural event this summer had been successfully completed and, as a bonus, I am now able to boast at knowing the word for Gingerbread Witch in German. Which, in case you were wondering, is lebkuchen Hexe.

Society followed, led by President Sophie Tickle, and revisited the success of last years’ Loughborough competition with an advanced ballet piece as well as their dizzyingly animated jazz and tap numbers which placed 3rd and 1st respectively out of 18 other universities. A must-see for anybody who likes their dance with a splash of humour is hip-hop group TNS, Exeter’s answer to Diversity. Their clever choreography included different styles of hip-hop, from creative popping and locking, to more mellow lyrical street and finishing off with what I can only describe as an incredibly enthusiastic display of booty shaking to Beyonce’s ‘All the Single Ladies’. The pace was then slowed right down with an intricate rumba and a beautiful two-couple waltz, both of which appeared effortless and demonstrated Dancesport’s ability in both Latin and Ballroom styles. Finally, the two societies joined forces to deliver an explosive group jive to the popular swing song ‘Hit the Road Jack’. Choreographed by the talented Matt Har-

ris, the dance combined aspects from both disciplines and made sure the audience went home bopping.

going to happen”, before whipping around the dance floor in a succession of fiery Latin twists. The dance committees are busy people, and with last week being Welcome Week some of them only had one day to learn the routines from scratch. This meant of course that the dances weren’t completely polished; there was, perhaps, an occasional misplaced foot, but the standard no doubt was extremely high. And, with passion by the bucket-load, it’s clear that some of the performers live to dance. It was a small event. There was no stage, no lighting, no overly professional sound system, just a hall and a few dozen performers. Yet the atmosphere couldn’t have been more electric. I really do mean it when I say these people are talented. I can only conclude that if this is what our students can produce for a small-scale show after only a few hours practice, then the year ahead is going to be fantastic year for dance at Exeter.

ISABEL STODDART

dance review Dance Showcase @ Streatham Campus October 1 2010 I AM not speaking figuratively when I tell you that there was sweat dripping off the walls after Friday’s Dance Showcase. The biological, glistenRAZZ MY BERRIES is the university’s arts magazine and publishes students’ articles, artwork, design, photography and creative writing on a seasonal basis. Founded in October 2007, and awarded ‘Outstanding new society’ by the Students’ Guild, Razz is still going strong into its fourth year. The current autumn issue, dually themed ‘Fifties and Retrospect’, contains a wide range of articles, a modern rewrite of the iconic ‘Good housewife guide’ and a retro photo shoot with the Real McCoy; as well as students’ poetry, creative writing and artwork. The new issue will be launched from Razz’s online blog on Monday 11 October and will be available for download. For fur-

ing type that could only have come from the crazily hardworking and annoyingly talented bunch of people that make up two of Exeter’s biggest societies: Dance and Dancesport. The evening kicked off with a Strictly Come Dancing style cha-cha, choreographed by Dancesport’s own president Rachel Gough. Dance ther information, editors’ contact details and to view the latest issue, visit: www.razzmag.wordpress.com

“Clever choreography

included different styles of hip-hop, from creative popping and locking, to more mellow lyrical street and finishing off with what I can only describe as an incredibly enthusiastic display of booty shaking to Beyonce’s, All the Single Ladies. ”

We also got to witness an entirely unrehearsed number. Salsa, being improvisational by nature, meant that the partners made the routine up as they went along with salsa rep Merri Wills cheerfully announcing “I have no idea what’s

NENE FISHER

Nominations: until 15 Oct candidates’ meeting 4pm, 15 October, JCR, Devonshire House. Voting online: 16 Oct – 22 Oct www.exeterguild.org/elections Arts Rep NUS Delegates Mature Students’ Rep EMSA Social Secretary First Year Guild Councillor Postgraduate Guild Councillor Senior Deputy Elections Officer

Nomination surgeries

Jen Stoneman is available to help with nominations at the following times: Monday 11 October 09:30 - 11:30 Tuesday 12 October 11:00 - 12:00 Wednesday 13 October 13:00 - 15:00 Thursday 14 October 09:30 - 16:30 Friday 15 October 09:30 - 14:30

Video Games

october 11 2010

Exeposé

Stephen O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees - games@exepose.com

NEwsBYTES

Forget the Ryder Cup or the Commonwealth Games, the real action recently was at the World Cyber Games in Los Angeles. This year the UK stepped up delivering our highest ever score, getting joint second place with Germany and Brazil. We were beaten out by, and I’m sure nobody here could have predicted this, South Korea. Who knew they were into gaming? Germany meanwhile created some slightly more controversial gaming-related news when a design student created his own game named 1378. It’s set during the Cold War, and players can take on the role of either a border guard or an East German trying to cross said border. The guards even get medals for shooting high numbers of desperate fleeing civilians! So it’s educational! Not at all in bad taste! Far less controversial news though is the announcement that the Taliban are no more! Yes my friends, EA have announced that they’re dropping the option to play for the Middle-Eastern terrorist side in the upcoming Medal of Honour reboot and have replaced their name with OPFOR. Quite a few politicians, both here and particularly in the US (reactionary? them?), seemed to feel that this too may be slightly in bad taste. In contrast Square Enix seem to be doing something very very right, though it beats me what it is. They announced this week that the total play time of Just Cause 2 adds up to the equivalent of 30 000 years. In months. So all of you playing Just Cause 2 need to congratulate yourselves on such deproductivity! On a genuinely positive note, Valve have just released more sweet, sweet DLC for Left4Dead and L4D2 and updates for Team Fortress 2. Honestly, we love Valve. The only reason we’re not at home downloading it all now is because we have to finish this section and meet the deadlines for you lot.

Freebies Don’t say we never treat you. We have an exclusive review copy from Konami of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 for the 360 to give away, absolutely free! Just email games@exepose.com and tell us which video game to film adaptation is the worst, and why?

Feature

Stephen O’Nion, VG editor, and David Brake, Screen editor, fight over whether games can adapt to film

David

As a fan of both worlds of video games and film, the torrid and painful relationship angers and annoys myself and millions of others. It just does not work. It is not due to one media being inferior to the other; it is just the fact that they are different and do not belong together. It’s like turning Marmite into jam. One only has to look at the backlog of diabolical video game to film adaptations – Lara Croft 1 and 2, Mortal Kombat, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (pictured) and Super Mario Bros *shudder*. All of them were poorly acted, poorly scripted, dull, unimaginative and just an unpleasant waste of 90-100 minutes of my life. One problem derives from the lack of effort put into these films, as shown with the recent adaptation of Prince of Persia, it seems the current trend is to throw money and hope for the best. Furthermore, taking into account the current state of these adaptations, no big name director or writer would be willing to stick their neck on the line due to the horrible task of channelling the video game experience into a suitable film experience. Video games just do not suit the big screen as they focus upon interaction from the audience whereas with films, the emphasis is upon the auteur controlling the audience. Therefore, this transfer of power is unnatural and comes across as awkward on celluloid. Is it due to the inferiority of video games? No. Games such as Legends of Zelda, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy and Call of Duty have great plots, fun experiences, and brilliant dialogue. Granted, video games use cinematic styles and themes to provide greater atmosphere but there is no reason for this to be replicated onto the big screen. However, they need to remain separate to keep their own identity and credibility and to maintain their brilliance. Indeed, Max Payne and Resident Evil have lost some of their stature within the gaming world due to their respective god-awful films. There has been financial success with some adaptations such

as the recent Resident Evil series but many who saw the most recent entry into the series were not the original fans of the gaming series. Therefore, the target market is not interested anymore and renders these films almost obsolete. Many hopefuls of future videogame adaptations use the argument of coolness stating how cool it would be; however, it is similar to the idea of starting a band. It’s a great premise but a bitterly disappointing reality.

There is one overriding reason why there will be a great videogame to film adaptation; Hollywood wants them, and will keep trying until they succeed. Just as comics have made the bumpy but ultimately richly rewarded transition, so too will video games. It’s just that games are just getting through a lot of duds on the way to a success. For almost a decade there have been roughly two or three video game adaptations in the market. Although, whether the Uwe Boll wrecks of Blood Rayne and Far Cry, action flicks like Doom or Tomb Raider, or the incredibly dull Max Payne, they’ve all pretty much shared a common quality: they’re not good films, not just bad adaptations but bad films. That they were even made is testament to the potential for profit those franchises hold. A builtin fan base, a realised universe ready to explore, and no shortage of franchises ready to be spun out into more and more films is a very attractive proposition for an industry where proven ideas are worth their weight in gold. To realise this, however, requires greater care from all involved to ensure a respectable balance between game and film. Upcoming projects such as Gears of War, Bioshock and Halo all present an opportunity to reset the trend. With the kind of stories that studios would be expected to throw money at in search of an epic blockbuster, all three have in-

STephen

stead had potential budgets scaled down massively in an effort to ensure they make a profit with a more streamlined technique. The Los Angeles Times has claimed that Gears of War ‘reined in the story, turning it into a more simple, straight-ahead invasion story instead of a sprawling epic.’ Similarly, initial Bioshock director, and current producer, Gore Verbinski has spoken to the same paper on how the film needs ‘to shoot out of the States for budget reasons’. Proving that a more reined-in approach works is John Hillcoat, director of such films as The Proposition and The Road who recently directed a Machinima short film to promote the game Red Dead Redemption. Given the nature of his intention and his reputation, it’s genuinely satisfying as Hillcoat truly captures the atmosphere and feel of Rockstar’s wide open world in a way other VG films haven’t. Significantly, in adapting an openworld game, Hillcoat hasn’t been lumbered with a linear story from which to make concessions, but has instead been free to craft his own particular slice of the Red Dead Redemption world, whilst weaving in and out of conveniently linked plots. This freedom to explore a game’s world ,whether through prequels or alternate storylines, worked wonders for certain games derived from film universes such as the Knight of the Old Republic or Chronicles of Riddick games, and it demonstrates that translating an atmosphere, characters, and universe is possible. The new strategy from Hollywood seems to suggest a growing awareness of this fact and such bold moves could go either way but for now represent perhaps a faster realisation of the inevitable great adaptation that is destined to be realised. 3 VG to Screen Adaptations to check out:

1. John Hillcoat’s Red Dead Redemption short film - http://tiny.cc/aix6e 2. Escape From City 17. Short teaser film set in Half Life 2’s crumbling metropolis - http://tiny.cc/4ruu7 3. What’s In The Box? Another short borrowing from HL2’s atmosphere and enemy, the Combine - http:// tiny.cc/3w8uz

Exeposé week two

review

Halo: Reach: Bungie; Microsoft, 360 September 2010 And so, we’ve reached the end. The end of Bungie’s association with the cash-cow that is the Halo franchise, before Microsoft’s full ownership no doubt churns this cow’s goods into full-fat processed cheese and other such tenuously-linked delicacies. We’ve had ODST, a shooter which lacked the pace and style of its predecessors. Halo Wars (essentially Age of Empires in the Halo universe) added a bit of interest before the novelty wore off and it hit the bargain bin. And now,

at the end, we’ve come back to the beginning. Set before the events of the Halo trilogy, Reach follows the progress of one trooper called “Six” as part of the Noble Team, a Spartan squad sent to investigate strange goings at a relay station. Needless to say, they discover something far greater than any of them imagined… Okay, so the story is nothing special. If we’re honest, it’s only really involving for the last few missions, once the proverbial hits the fan. But then you’re handicapped instantly by not playing as the charismatic, cooler-thanice Master Chief. It’s harsh to say you don’t care about Six’s plight, but it’s like the first new encounter after a long-term relationship. Somehow your heart’s not in it. But even without the beer goggles, you know she’s a stunner. Reach is the same beast. Set on the planet of the same name, it’s a quite stunn i n g world, with colours from everywhere on the spectrum. Wildlife, plants, mountains, rivers and great chasms look more real than ever, as does

review

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: MercurySteam; Konami 360/PS3 October 8th 2010 Ah Castlevania, one of the longest running and most prolific titles out there. Lords of Shadow is billed as a reboot for the series, and it certainly does its best to break away, though it gives nods to the origins of the franchise. You still play as one of the Belmont family – in this case, Gabriel, an appropriately pretty hero voiced by Robert Carlyle (pictured right) – and you still get a whip as your primary weapon, this time incarnated as part of the ‘Combat Cross’, which also functions as a grapple, a saw, and a makeshift harness to tame giant spiders, to name but a three.

“There is nothing to distract from the very linear feel of the game.”

So Gabe, with occasional cryptic advice from incidental charac-

ters including Zobek, a Sean Connery look-a-like with the voice of Patrick Stewart (whose Shakespearean gravitas at least makes the mystic preambles before every level sound credible), sets out on a quest to kill Lycans, Vampires, and other monsters that look like the cast of The Dark Crystal, to restore balance to the Earth. The combat is pretty intuitive, looks incredibly cool, and is really fun. You feel indescribably badass whipping the Combat Cross around like a total pro and watching goblins disappear in explosions of gore. As you progress you pick up more skills and secondary weapons, including throwing knives and the ever popular Holy Water, plus the dual abilities of Light and Dark magic that heal you and power you up to do more damage respectively. You also get opportunities to buy and level up different moves and weapons, so you can expand Gabe’s repertoire more selectively. However there are several flaws in this game

Six, who is fully customizable (you can give him Chief’s voice if you miss him that much, though this is not recommended with your new beau). Cutscenes seem like they’ve been hijacked from Pixar’s bunker. Bungie have really gone to town on Reach, pushing the 360 to its limits. Sometimes too far, unfortunately, when the gameplay lags as fifteen

“You’re handicapped instantly by not playing as Master Chief.”

Covenant try to blow your limbs from your body. We can excuse them one or two moments of delay, because as ever, the gameplay…oh, the gameplay. The developers have clearly heard the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” bandied round a few times. But that hasn’t stopped them tweaking it, optimizing it… Bungie have built on the successful Halo engine used for 3 and ODST by adding powerups. You can now deploy a decoy of yourself (the confusion!), or sprint (the mayhem!), or – FINALLY – you can use a jet-pack. There are new vehicles, new weapons, new enemies, as you’d expect. It’s the little touches, the microscopic attention to detail which makes the game the most enjoyable Halo yet. One level you’re driving a new UNSC spaceship, the next you’re in the low-gravity atmosphere, before returning to the richly decorated wilderness of the planet. Be warned though – this is that the magic touch of Hideo Kojima, of Metal Gear Solid fame, couldn’t fix. As you travel through the game world, which is a well executed Japanese vision of medieval Europe - managing to include lush jungles along with murky swamps, tunnels and dungeons – you’re struck first by how rather beautiful it is; second by how flat and lifeless it becomes. Gabriel seldom encounters anything alive he doesn’t then have to kill, and interactions with the other characters are few. You spend much of the game utterly alone; even the beautifully rendered ancient ruins feel like they sprang to life that way without having been lived in. More annoyingly, there is nothing to distract from the very linear feel of the game. Though you have the option to backtrack and unlock different areas of levels with your new skills, Lords of Shadow is like one incredibly long line drawn between the death of Gabriel’s wife at the start and the final battle at the end. A line drawn with a ruler.

definitely the hardest Halo yet too. Enemies are intelligent, surrounding you if you’re isolated and your shields are down. Grunts will sacrifice themselves with grenades. And there are endless streams of Hunters, whose only vulnerability is a tiny patch on their backs. All this serves to do, though, is make victory even more satisfying. All this before you even get online, and waste even more hours of your life trying in vain to increase your K/D ratio. Bungie released Reach online earlier this year as a beta, which over 20 million people joined (and subsequently crashed their servers. Oops.). One big improvement is the ability to choose the type of match from a choice of 3, rather than automatically vetoing and ending up with something worse (always the way, wasn’t it?). Game modes are more exciting, SWAT being a personal favourite – no radar, just you and a battle rifle. Intense. The maps have been updated and obviously look lusher than ever. The power-ups from the campaign migrate over too, so you

“Be warned though - this is definitely the hardest Halo yet.”

can take a useful power-up like active camo or drop shield, or just take the jet-pack for the fun of it. And, as ever, you can choose to play socially

review

PES 2011: Konami; 360/PS3/Wii/PC October 8th 2010

Pro Evo or FIFA? A question that has plagued gamers for a decade, with FIFA edging ahead in recent years. However, this latest offering from PES has proved very promising indeed. Still in is the dodgy music and unlicensed Premier League teams, such as ‘Man Blue’ instead of Manchester City, but a lot has changed. What’s striking about the game is how good it looks, with major improvements made since the last instalment. The second major change any seasoned player will notice is the new passing system, as now you alone are responsible for the power and direction of every pass, providing a challenge that will make those goals feel that little bit more rewarding. Another noticeable change is that the game play has been slowed down considerably, allowing you to think before passing. This emphasis on passing means running the length of the pitch is now, unlike its predecessors, not the way to score. 6.5/10 Weaving runs were an aspect that Alice Scoble-Rees set the PES series apart from FIFA Video Games Editor and their absence is an obvious at-

Video Games

or seriously. Jet-packers rejoice. Unfortunately, Reach is, as mentioned earlier, the new partner. Majora’s Mask when you

l o v e d Ocarina of Time. Ancelotti as a replacement for Mouri n ho. Foals’ second, ethereal layered album when you used to scream to Antidotes’ edgy math-pop. It’s better than Halo 3. It’s incredible. Visually, aesthetically, and to play, it’s the best game on the 360 at the moment, and the sales figure will reflect that. And no doubt Microsoft will be quids in from the release of “Guitar Halo”, spending a few hours with Chief as he gets the hang of hammer-ons. But he’s exactly what this is missing, like Mourinho’s charisma, Ocarina’s wow factor and Foals’ indie haircuts. Six is nameless, Six is a pawn – Six is just another soldier who somehow survives it all. But Chief was confident, Chief had edgy oneliners, Chief was more than “just” a soldier. Chief was the master.

9/10 Jonathan williams tempt to give a more realistic feel to the game, though 30 yard screamers are still on the cards. On that note, don’t be surprised to see the computer also attempt the odd 30 yard volley, which is both refreshing and a reflection on the improved A.I. that is required now you rely on your teammates’ off ball runs. The fully licensed UEFA Champions League facility is still the only cup format for using domestic clubs but the classic ‘Masters League’ and ‘Become a Legend’, where you play as only one player in a team, remain as good as ever whilst the addition of fully licensed South American teams in the Copa Libertadores mode is also welcome. Another added bonus that must not go without mention is the inclusion of extensive unlockable content, including plenty of classic players, funny hairstyles and odd scenery. Overall, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a very good offering from Konami, and a vast improvement from the disappointment of previous instalments. Game play has taken small steps towards FIFA’s passing style, but with an original twist that results in a very creative football simulation, which will offer a new challenge and a pat on the back after every goal.

8/10

Harry Smith & Luke Evans

PUT THE KETTLE ON. takeandausetea bag it to say

“hello!” to a neighbour

stude nts’ guild

exeterguild.org/kettle

Exeposé week two

A word from your AU President Josh Belsher Hi Exeter. I hope all is well and you are settling (back) into the Exeter way of life. It has been a busy few weeks for the Athletic Union, with 7 000 students getting involved in over 150 taster and trail sessions, with the week ending at the Activities Fair. All 47 AU clubs were well represented and as a result the total AU membership looks to have surpassed previous records. It was an amazing atmosphere, so well done to everyone who was there. This week also saw the first of the two varsity events of the term. It was a huge success and the total attendance was 3 142, smashing last year’s attendance record, which is testament to the hard work put in by the Football Club selling tickets. A huge thank-you and congratulations to everyone involved from the Football Club, and especially to Club Captains Andy Waddingham and Kenzo Onumonu, and notably Sam Tang who did not need to spend his evening helping but was fantastic, so thank you, and

I am looking forward to signing substantial cheques to both the Cardiomyopathy Association and the Adam Stansfield Football Foundation. The game itself was won 2 - 1 by a very strong Exeter City side, after a cracking goal by Captain Tom Watson putting us in the lead. Congratulations to our boys who put in an admirable performance of which they should be very proud. Continuing the varsity theme, our annual Rugby Varsity fixture is just around the corner with our 1st XV taking on Bath 1st XV in a full BUCS clash on Wednesday November 10 at Sandy Park stadium Tickets cost just £6 so make sure you don’t miss out. Wednesday October 13 sees ten of our teams in action as the first full week of inaugural BUCS fixtures take place. Matches not to miss include the Women’s and Men’s Hockey 1st teams hosting Oxford from 1pm and 3pm respectively on the water-based, but good luck to all teams playing!

Exeter in Top Ten Bucs finish

Tim Fuller looks at Exeter’s recent breakthrough into BUCS Top Ten

As a result of the outstanding efforts of a wide number of Exeter’s student athletes and teams, Exeter University has achieved a much sort after top 10 finish in the prestigious BUCS overall championships. Running from October right through to the end of June, the British Universities and Colleges Sports competitors compete in a spectacular array of sports from the better known Rugby, Football and Hockey to the more diverse but no less competitive sports of Ultimate Frisbee, Wakeboarding and Shooting. The competitions run throughout the year, with many of them culminating at the finals weekend held at Sheffield in midmarch. Universities and colleges throughout the UK enter teams into any sport in an attempt to gain precious points that will help propel them up the BUCS leader board. Of the 146 establishments on the board, Exeter did phenomenally well to be placed 10th. Exeter men’s hockey club were notably outstanding performers in the championships with the 1sts defeating the might of Loughborough 3-2 in a tense final, following in the footsteps of the 2nds who had dominated Birmingham University 2nds 4-0

earlier in the day. Along with these two teams picking up maximum points, the 3rds also contributed while gaining promotion. The lacrosse club showed why it is one of the biggest clubs in the Athletic Union with both ladies 1sts and 2nds picking up respectable positions and points, while the men ventured further than ever before in their championship tournament, getting knocked out at the quarter final stage. Along with these two terrific club performances, other exceptional teams helped to contribute towards our final spot. Women’s rugby 1st XV had another great season, finishing impressively with points from both the 15-a-side and Sevena-side forms of the game with semifinal appearances in both, proving they are a force to be reckoned with across the country. Men’s rugby Sevens also supplied points with a solid quarter final appearance. The university can show off a wealth of talent when it comes to sailing and they didn’t disappoint, picking up points in four of seven sailing regattas, a fantastic achievement. While there were too many success stories to be able to go into detail for all of them, other university teams that helped

BUCS Badminton back in business

Badminton

Araminta Gilders The Badminton Squad at Exeter University has started this year early with some special pre-season training from top coaches. Gaining a BUCS medal at the end of last season has motivated them to start this year with a running start, training extra hard in the hope that they can repeat

this success. Both men’s and ladies’ squads ventured up to Lilleshall, one of the UK’s national sports centres where they received coaching from the Director of Badminton, Helen Ward and guest coach Lim Kenn - former Malaysian squad member and last year’s BUCS singles champion. The club is well set up for further growth this year after securing significant funding over the summer,

Sport

enabling the club to purchase world class training and match equipment. Director of Badminton, Helen Ward said, “this funding has given badminton at the University a real boost and will hopefully help in our promotion and development across the region, as well as providing performance and squad players with a better training environment from which to develop.” Construction work is also being

undertaken in the near future to improve visibility in the hall. The club are hoping that the combination of an improvement in training opportunities, world class equipment and team enthusiasm will lead to a win in their first ever Varsity match later this term. At such an exciting time for the Badminton Club you can check out all the latest information at their brand new website: au.exeter.ac.uk/badminton

contribute to the top 10 points tally of 1848 include: men’s snooker, men’s squash, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s and women’s tennis, trampolining, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s water polo and windsurfing. Once again proving we have sporting talent in a wide range of sports and disciplines. AU president, Josh Belsher commented, “The top ten finish is a fantastic achievement for the University of Exeter which shows what an exceptional set up and sports programme we have on offer to our students.” He continued, “A huge thanks must go to the hard work by my predecessors Simon Tyson and Tom Murray, the AU Team of Charlotte Edwards and Catherine White and not forgetting the High Performance Unit. Hopefully we can continue to climb up the league table this year.” The challenge now for Exeter will be to build on last year’s successes, climb further up the table and keep the likes of; Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Warwick and Southampton out of the top tier. Follow our sports clubs and teams on the Exeter University Athletic Union facebook page and via www.bucs.org.uk.

Netball not as easy as it looks Netball

Rachael Smith

Netball is often misconstrued as a static sport that requires little strength or fitness; many people have only seen the game played by young girls at school. However, the real sport is a completely different story as proved by this years gruelling pre-season. On the September 1 EUNC returned to Exeter ready for whatever was thrown at them. The girls spent a memorable afternoon in the pouring rain and howling winds on Exmouth beach, hauling sand bags up the dunes before getting drenched by the waves. Other highlights (and lowlights) included pushing team members around in a tractor tyre, a spot of wrestling, spinning that could rival a stint in the Tour de France, and endless laps of the trim trail. Over the summer, the netball club have managed to secure a brilliant sponsorship deal with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Consequently, getting the girls even more fired up for the season, they will be attending a circuit session at fire headquarters near Exmouth. The girls will have the opportunity to use specialist training equipment and will be put through their paces to see if they can match the fitness of the real firemen and women.

October 11 2010

Sport

City Up To 7th in League Rachel Bayne, Deputy Editor examines City’s recent progress

EXETER CITY stormed to 7th place in League One after beating Rochdale 1-0 at St James Park. Cureton scored his 2nd goal of the season to put the Grecians in front with a stunning header on the 49th minute. The goal came after a period of sustained pressure from Exeter, which allowed Cureton the space to capitalise on Troy Archibald-Henville’s cross with a classy header into the bottom corner. The goal boosted the team, and Harley came to life in the second half, giving Rochdale a passing master class with shots that were unlucky not to be converted. His match performance was well received, with he and fellow team mate, Steve Tully, both being selected for last week’s Npower League One Team of the Week on Monday, October 4. Exeter had the lion’s share of the chances throughout the match, making 7 to Rochdale’s 3, and Rochdale never really posed a threat to Exeter’s second clean-sheet of the season. The Grecians were unlucky not to score again, with James Dunne’s impressive 25 yard shot smashing into the crossbar in the closing minutes. Exeter City Manager, Paul Tisdale, was in a great mood afterwards, he said: “It was a fantastic performance and it’s a shame that it was only 1-0 - it wasn’t just that we won, it was the way that we played.” “It was delightful to see a team play with so much focus, so much concentration, so disciplined to their jobs and playing with such enthusi-

asm and energy. It’s not my style to get too up when we’ve done well but I think we did have the giant’s share of the game.” This is not the only result Tisdale has to celebrate this month. He was also nominated for the Npower League One Manager of the Month award alongside Rochdale’s Keith Hill, Tuesday’s Eddie Howe and the eventual winner, Brighton Manager Gus Poyet. The Exeter City Manager enjoyed a great September, with the team gaining 11 points out of a possible 18, including wins against Yeovil, Charlton and Hartlepool. The Grecians also have great momentum in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Last Tuesday they celebrated an exuberant win against Hereford, which propelled them into the area quarter-finals. Exeter City won 3-0 thanks to a penalty from Nardiello, and goals from O’Flynn and Duffy, with Duffy’s powerful drive coming in the closing minutes. Hereford never really stood a chance in the match, and Exeter now seem to be in the kind of form which got them promoted to league one in 2009.

Exeposé

Ultimate Frisbee Top of the World Jennifer Hart reports on Exeter’s World Championship success UrieL- the University of Exeter Ultimate Frisbee team had an extremely successful summer with six individual players representing Great Britain across five different divisions at three different World Championships. Ultimate Frisbee is a fastpaced, non-contact, team sport that combines throwing and catching skills with elements of American Football and Netball, the continuous flow of Soccer, and the offensive/defensive play of Basketball, to create an elegantly simple yet fascinating and demanding game. Self-refereed, it is played by hundreds of thousands of people in more than 50 countries worldwide. To compete at the top level, Ultimate players require an incredible degree of speed, stamina and agility. This summer saw the first

ever U23 World Ultimate Championships which were held in Florence from 19-25 of July. Last year’s University 1st team captain, Jake Warren (maths masters) won Gold with GB U23 Mixed after comprehensively beating Belgium in the final. Jen Hart (3rd year Human Biosciences) captained the GB U23Women’s team that beat Canada in a nail biting Bronze play off won Bronze and Ollie Gordon (Sport and Health Sciences masters), who was GB U23 Open’s top scorer of the whole tournament, finished 6th in a highly competitive Open division. At the World Junior Ultimate Championships held in Heilbronn, Germany from 3-7 August, Ben Hall (2nd year Engineering) and Thomas Cartwright (1st year Geography) beat Germany to win Bronze whilst representing GB Open U20s. Emma

Kingston (2nd year English), after only joining the club last year, finished 11th representing the GB U20 Women’s team. Jen Hart, Ollie Gordon and Thomas Cartwright also competed at the World Ultimate Club Championships held in Prague from the 3-10 of July. Jen and Ollie finished 13th in the Mixed division with the highest ranking European team and Thomas also finished 13th in the Open division. We are exceptionally proud of all our team mates who have competed at World Championships this summer and are looking forward to what will undoubtedly be another successful year for our club! If anyone is interested in joining, visit our website: www. urielultimate.webs.com

Exeter Chiefs stumble after storming start in Premiership Chiefs Rubgy

Andy Williams Sports Editor

Exeter Chiefs knocked the rugby world off its feet during the first three weeks of this year’s Aviva Premiership season. Exeter won their first match of the season with an impressive display of kicking from promotion hero Gareth Steenson. He contributed 17 points with the boot to go with the only try from former Gloucester wing, Mark Foster. The visitors did not go down without a fight and scored two tries through James Simpson-Daniel and Tim Taylor, yet Gloucester could not raise their game high enough to overcome the Premiership new boys. Exeter won 22-17. Despite the confidence this early win gave them, Chiefs’ next task was seen as nigh on impossible, facing rugby legends Leicester Tigers at the seemingly impregnable Welford Road. Miraculously, Chiefs were leading at half time 20-10 after two tries form cen-

tre Phil Dolman which left theTigers firmly on the back foot despite scoring the first try. Chiefs resumed the second half where they left off and added another try through Mark Foster and it seemed that the impossible task of victory was within sight. However, as is often the

case in these David and Goliath cases, Leicester turned up the heat and scored two tries of their own before being awarded a penalty try in the dying seconds of the match. This was duly converted and gave Tigers a victory of 37-27, meaning Chiefs also missed out on that crucial losing bonus point.

Even after such a heartbreaking loss, Exeter’s whirlwind start to the season continued with their second home win of the season over Newcastle Falcons. Once again it came down to the boot of Gareth Steenson to guide the Chiefs to a close 22-17 victory. Falcons took the early lead

through a try from Charlie Amesbury yet Chiefs immediately hit back with a try from second row Tom Johnson meaning that it was level pegging at half time 10-10. In the second half Steenson coolly kicked the Chiefs to a 22-17 victory with four further penalties, despite Falcons crossing the line once more. Sadly, the Chiefs luck seems to have temporarily run out, they were shown a proper introduction to Premiership rugby by Harlequins who put an impressive 40 points past Exeter in a exhibition of top flight rugby. A week later Exeter managed to scrape a crucial losing bonus point on a visit to Northampton Saints in a tight match which saw both sides score twice, yet sadly the Northampton stalwart Bruce Reihana kicked five penalties to Steenson’s three to ensure a Saints win. So after a storming start to the season Chiefs have been brought back down to reality by some top notch rugby, and with crucial fixtures coming up, fingers crossed they can regroup and build on their earlier form.

Exeposé week two

Your Football Varsity team Congratulations to the lads for a fantastic peformance against the professionals.

Name: Tom Cliffton-More Position: Goalkeeper Degree: Sports Science

Name: Tom Vinten Position: Goalkeeper Degree: Geography

Name:Dan Sandell Position: Centre Back Degree: Sports Science

Name: Nick Peare Position: Centre Back Degree: Sports Science

Name: Adam Rogers Position:Left Back Degree: Geography

Name: Chris Henshall Position: Right Back Degree: Geography

Sport

A Fresh Perspective

Oli Rossiter, first year English student and budding sports journalist recounts his impressions of the game. Amidst the deafening chorus of the vuvuzelas on a chilly Wednesday night it would have been easy to become lost in the excitement generated by a thousand plastic horns. Yet from start to finish there was a rapturous atmosphere inside St James Park, epitomised by a group of supporters singing “lets all have a disco”, that seemed to spread like wildfire and continued late into the night. It is the only time this season that the Exeter City faithful will experience a vuvuzela and there is no doubt that the supporters of both teams left with ringing in their ears. The crowd erupted with the sound of the infamously dubbed ‘instrument from hell’ as Tom Watson passed the ball into an empty net after a superb run. The University keeper and man of the match Tom Cliffton-More pulled

Crossword Name: Alan Horsfield Position: Right Back Degree: History

Name: Andy Waddingham Position: Centre Midfield Degree: Sports Science

Name: Richard Vanstone Position: Right Midfield Degree: Sports Science

Name: Simon Blaxall Position: Right Wing Degree: Civil Engineering

Name: Josh James Position: Centre Back Degree: Sports Science

Name: Tom Watson (c) Position: Centre Midfield Degree: Sports Science

Name: Mike Dale Position: Centre Midfield Degree: Sports Science

Name: Ben Nash Position: Centre Forward Degree: Geography

off a string of marvellous saves, the record breaking crowd inside the ground seemed to sink as the pros overturned the one goal deficit late in the second half. However the spirited performance on the pitch elicited a buoyant atmosphere in the stands: determined to get behind the team and show their support, large pockets of the crowd united to create a lively atmosphere that spilled out onto the streets of Exeter following the game. There certainly was not a large gulf in class as many may have expected following the 5-0 drubbing of the previous year and both teams were subject to jubilant support following the game. Finally, I cannot forget to mention the Exeter University Cheerleading Society, who (despite half the crowd tucking into their half time burger) received as loud applause as the scoring of the University’s only goal.

No. 11 by Alexander Cook

Name: Ben Sullivan Position: Left Back Degree: Business

Name: Sam Taylor Position: Centre Midfield Degree: International Relations

Name: Louis Morris Position:Left Midfield Degree: Human Biosciences

Name: Joe Millyard Position: Left Wing Degree: Sports Science

Across

1. David Miliband’s fruit of choice. (6) 4. Conscription. (5) 7. Not of sound mind. (8) 8. Transparent solid. (5) 9. Abbreviation of Midwest US state. (2) 10. Branch of physics; type of energy. (7) 11. Car. (5) 13. Injunction. (5) 17. Part of the Thames; goddess. (4) 19. Performing well in tests U.S. (5) 20. Part of Freud’s psychic apparatus. (3) 21. The ‘M’ of CMYK. (7)

Down

1. Racquet sport. (9) 2. Collective term for countries in Northern Europe. (6) 3. Bony, lean or gaunt. (7) 4. Avoid. (5) 5. _______ Course; _______ Rifle. (7) 6. Lit. Treasure trove. (9) 9. Id est. (2) 12. Root. (6) 14. Malevolent supernatural being. (5) 15. Land. (5) 16. Town in Hertfordshire. (5) 18. Ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. (4)

october 11 2010

Sport

Exeposé

The line-up: Meet the University team that took on City

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Alexander Cook & Andy Williams - sport@exepose.com

Boom: Students celebrate tumultuously as captain Tom Watson sticks one past the Grecians, putting the underdogs ahead.

Town vs Gown: Students push City to the limit EUAFC 1st team

Exeter City FC

Football

Alexander Cook Sports Editor Exeter University Football Club lost narrowly in the annual varsity match against Exeter City FC. University supporters, many of whom were wearing substantial beer jackets, turned up at the ground to cheer on the lads, watch a one-sided game of football and then head on to TP to continue the revelries. It was completely against the run of play therefore when the university captain Tom Watson pounced on an error from the inexperienced City goalkeeper, and put the students a goal ahead after twenty minutes. Watson charged elatedly towards a beige and sky blue sea. Never has a goal against the Grecians been cheered so tumultuously at St James’ Park. After the restart, there was a

noticeable shift in intensity as the Pros strived to recover the deficit. The university absorbed the pressure, with right back Chris Henshall making several thumping challenges and goalkeeper Tom ClifftonMore (Man of the Match) making a catalogue of spectacularly acrobatic saves. The sheer quantity of City’s chances however made it almost inevitable that they would equalize. Promising young pro Kyle Basset finished well and it seemed likely this would be the watershed in what had been an evenly contested game. The students nevertheless defended with guts, grit and gusto all the way down the team sheet for the rest of the half and had several half chances to score through counter-attacks. It was perhaps the sharpness of touch - slightly lacking this early in the season- that set the students apart from the City players who no doubt have been following a strict pre-season schedule. An equal score line at the break seemed fair. For some, the half time whistle signalled the beginning of the evening’s entertainment. The award winning Exeter Cheerleaders performed magnificently as ever, and

a penalty shoot out competition involving a couple of mindless mascots and five game contenders kept the crowd amused and sustained the already hearty and buoyant atmosphere. Manager, Dave Evans, took the opportunity to make five changes at half time wanting to give all players in the university squad the chance to play at least a half in this prestigious fixture. The replacements gelled together extremely quickly and the two teams seemed evenly matched in the opening phases of the second half. A talking to for City’s Josh Searle for ‘over-exuberance’ early in the second half was a blemish on an otherwise clean disciplinary record and the good-humoured way in which the game was played should be noted. The university made significant inroads down the left flank early on in the half, manufactured by some deft interplay from Ben Sullivan, Richard Vanstone and Mike Dale. On several occasions promising attacks from the students were thwarted by narrow offside decisions. The game hung in the balance. However, as a consequence

of City’s diligent closing down of the man on the ball, the university were put under a prolonged period of pressure. This finally told when City robbed the midfield and knocked the ball through to striker Tom Nicholls who gratefully tucked it home, putting the Town ahead. Credit must go to the students for their spirited response to this setback. They caused some real problems with through balls from midfield, and won several corners. They also continued to defend solidly. Goalkeeper Tom Vinten made an excellent save in the final phases of the game, confidently smothering the ball when City appeared certain to score. The game ended at 2-1 to City and I am confident that those members of the crowd who left early did so in order to avoid the queue down Little Castle Street, not because of the quality of football. This is the best result for the university in recent years. The manager of the university team thought that the “future looks very bright” for the club this season, especially considering that the squads have yet to be strengthened by this year’s intake of Freshers.

He also summed the occasion up perfectly, saying that it was “extremely kind of Exeter City to host the game, a great experience for those students playing and above all raised a huge amount of money for charity”. The two charities are the Cardiomyopathy Association and the Adam Stansfield Football Foundation. They both have a personal significance for the two clubs. Michael Polden, a St Luke’s Sport Science student died tragically after suffering from Cardiomyopathy in 2001 and Adam Stansfield, a former Exeter City footballer, just this summer lost his battle with cancer. The foundation was set up in his memory to support and encourage participation in youth football across the South West. Attendance was also 300 up on last year at 3142. Let’s hope there’s an even bigger crowd next year, and maybe even a university triumph.

Exeter City FC’s next home fixture is on Saturday October 16 against Carlisle. EUAFC 1st team begin this year’s BUCS campaign against the University of the West of England on Wednesday October 20.