Wednesday November 10 saw 50,000 march in London: Exeposé has it covered. The Protest: News, Comment & Features
Exeposé
Monday November 22 2010 Issue 572 www.exepose.com
Free Photo: Henry White
Violence at student protest
Ellie Busby News Editor
HUNDREDS of Exeter students were among the thousands who took to the streets of London on November 10 to
protest against plans to raise tuition fees. The National Union of Students (NUS) and the University College Union (UCU) organised the protest. They had expected 20,000 people to cam-
paign, however 52,000 protestors attended, making it the biggest student demonstration in a generation. The protest began without violence; students marched from Horse Guards Avenue towards the Houses of Parlia-
ment articulating their message through chants and bold placards. They then congregated outside the Tate Britain to watch motivational videos and speeches from the organisers of the event.
Aaron Porter, NUS President, exclaimed to the crowd, “We will not tolerate any more broken promises. This is the biggest battle of our lives!” Continued on P 7
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Features P 12 Civil liberties and foreign policy are under scrutiny as features focus on politics. P 20
Music
The Jim Jones Revue stop off on their European tour to speak to Music Editor, Ben Murphy.
Arts
P 26 - 28
Curtains up! All the latest theatre reviews including Rum and Coca Cola at the Northcott.
Screen
P 23
Screen reviews the brand new Harry Potter.
Sport
P 33-36
Victory in the Rugby Varsity. Sport has the latest round-up from the world of Exeter sport. 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
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Lifestyle Editors Laura Le Brocq & Clare Mullins lifestyle@exepose.com
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Books Editors James Henderson & Jacob Moffatt books@exepose.com
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Video Games Editors Steve O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees games@exepose.com
Sports Editors Alexander Cook & Andy Williams sport@exepose.com
Photography Editor Henry White photography@exepose.com
Advertising Stuart Smith S.C.G.Smith@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722432 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the
October 25 2010
News
Exeposé
Aaron Porter fights for students
Ellie Busby & Charlie Marchant - news@exepose.com
Explosive start to christmas
Photo: Henry White
Natasha Gilborson
Emily May
EXETER’S Lord Mayor switched on the city centre’s Christmas lights on Friday November 16 at its annual ceremony. The headline act was girl band Wonderland, managed by X Factor judge Louis Walsh and Westlife’s Kian Egan. The cast from the pantomime Aladdin, singer Tom Andrews and the St Margaret’s School Choir also performed on a stage in the High Street. Thousands of people lined the streets to watch the festivities and joined in the traditional Christmas countdown. The display this year contains over 13,000 lights and two kilometres of electrical cable, which have lit up the centre with white and blue stars. A second year Human Bio-Science student commented, “It seems a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I love how this brings the whole city together.” The highlight for many was the ten minute firework finale, which took off from the building on the corner of Sidwell Street, which is soon to become John Lewis. The event also launched the Exeter’s late night shopping. Many shops in Princesshay, the Harlequin Centre, Fore Street and Gandy Street will now stay open until 9pm every Thursday until Christmas.
Thousands of students and locals came together for the Christmas light swich-on
Steve Smith joins PM in China Exeter questions Caitlin Jones
STEVE SMITH, Exeter University’s Vice-Chancellor, joined David Cameron in his mission to China. Although the main purpose of the visit was to secure trade networks, the VC’s priority lay in developing and promoting the relationship between British and Chinese universities. As President of Universities UK, the representative board for British universities, Smith stressed the importance of research partnerships between the two countries. Speaking before the visit, he stated, “The future growth and prosperity of both our countries will depend on research, innovation and skills. These are all vital if we are to succeed as first-rank, knowledge economies.” Smith further spoke about the challenges of “climate change, global security and tackling diseases,” that will be prevalent in the 21st century, and
the joint responsibility of universities around the world to discover solutions for them. Also speaking at the conference, the Prime Minister praised Exeter for its role in international research and trade, asserting that, “Our universities are a real advantage, not just Oxford and Cambridge, but Imperial College, UCL, Manchester, Exeter and Newcastle. We have some great universities in Britain and I think they are a really good way of having links between our country and other countries.” However, Cameron’s main priority in China was to reaffirm Britain’s international status after growing fears that the country is losing its “weight in the world” to larger powers due to economic difficulties. He hopes that the talks will boost the UK’s exports to China, which will in turn stimulate the home market.
HSBC causes problems for students
Bradshaw Flora Busby Senior Reporter
STUDENTS and local residents convened to question local Labour MP, Ben Bradshaw, about a number of issues. On Friday November 5, student representatives from the Oxfam Society and the Green Society, as well as a number of students who were unaffiliated with any society, attended the meeting. Various groups including the United Nations Association urged Bradshaw to support the need for a legally binding agreement for cutting carbon emissions. The University’s Oxfam Society questioned Bradshaw about what he was doing to support the Robin Hood Tax (a small tax on banks that would generate billions for the world’s poorest people). He responded by saying
STUDENTS have encountered problems with internet banking. Many students found themselves unable to access their joint HSBC accounts online due to the bank’s lack of dongles (a piece of hardware for software protection). HSBC has recently created a new ‘business account’ where at least two members of the household are named in order to save problems with bill paying. Brittany Marshall, second year French and Spanish student, said that at one point, the account seemed to be “more hassle than use.” Many students voiced concerns about overdraft charges as they were unsure of how much money was in their account. During this time it was possible for students to make an appointment with the bank, in order to access their account, but two students had to be present for any money to be transferred. At worst, students were left without a dongle for six weeks, within which time paying monthly bills was inevitable. Sarah Stone, second year English student, described her several interactions with the bank as “stressful and frustrating experiences.” HSBC are unable to comment on the matter but have assured students that they will try and ensure that accounts will run more effectively next year. that Ed Miliband is in favour of the tax but that Labour’s policy was yet to be confirmed. He also expressed pessimism for the outcome of the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Cancun. Maurice Spurway, local resident, said it had been “the most positive meeting I have had with Ben in 13 years,” although the general feedback from the group was that they felt Bradshaw was non-committal on many of the issues. Oliver Ritchie, Green Soc Publicity Officer, said he considered Bradshaw to be “genuinely concerned” by the green issues raised, but added that “he seems unlikely to be able to do much that will produce tangible results.” Charlie Mole, third year Geography student, said he felt that Bradshaw “showed a great deal of respect for the fact that students were involved in politics.” Mole added that that the meeting had achieved its purpose and showed support for environmental concerns. Ben Bradshaw plans to meet with the group again in six months time.
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Exeposé Week Eight
News
Council restricts number of student houses
Cockroaches in Point Exe
Students received letters about the new proposals
POINT EXE has an infestation of German cockroaches. The student accommodation is undergoing weekly fumigations to exterminate them. A University spokesperson commented, “Signpost Housing, who own and run the accommodation, have been working with specialists to eradicate this problem as quickly as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to students whilst this work is being undertaken and thank them for their continued co-operation. We would like to reassure the residents of Point Exe that the satisfactory resolution of this matter is of the highest priority to both Signpost and the University.”
Photo: Henry White
Hannah Brewer Senior Reporter EXETER City Council has announced a proposal to control the growth of accommodation occupied by students. Responding to over 100 letters received from members of the public, the Council is proposing to restrict home owners’ ‘Permitted Development’ rights to use their property as houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). This would stop the uses of houses changing from dwelling (normal residential) housing to student housing (houses in multiple occupancy by 3-6 people). The Council seeks the provision of as much purpose-built student housing as possible, so that 75% or more of the additional student numbers are accommodated and to reduce the impact on the private sector housing market. Further planning controls are needed due to the continued growth of student houses in the area, which is leading to imbalanced communities. In some streets up to 80% of properties are entirely occupied by students and in the St James Ward, 55% of homes are entirely occupied by students. The change would be implemented
New Politics journal released From next year, houses in five Exeter wards will not be allowed to change to student accommodation.
on December 31 2011 and would apply to the St James area of the city, as well as parts of Duryard, Newtown, Pennsylvania, Polsloe and St Davids. It will affect a total of approximately 7,000 properties, of which about 1,400 are already HMOs. Consultation letters have been sent to the occupiers of all homes within the areas to be directly affected by the proposPhoto: Henry White
als. This publication notice highlights the Council’s concern for ‘the significant number of students, resulting in an existing or potential future imbalance in the local community.’ However, the University of Exeter Students’ Guild believes that these restrictions will not solve existing problems but only act to further divide residents
MDC project at stand still Hannah Sweet Senior Reporter
Works on the new Mood Disorders Centre has stopped momentarily.
and students. Laura Le Brocq, second year English and French student, said, “I can’t believe that in a city where 11% of the population is made up by students, the council doesn’t seem to want them! How is Exeter supposed to welcome more students and become a world class university if there’s nowhere for us to live?”
BUILDING work on the new Mood Disorders Centre has come to a halt after the building contractor, ROK, went into administration on Monday November 8. Work started on the Sir Henry Wellcome building back in July and was due to finish next summer. At present the £3.6 million research facility, funded by a Wellcome Trust initiative, is no more than a steel frame behind the Washington Singer building where the Centre currently operates. The Mood Disorders Centre aims to improve the understanding and treatment of depression through basic experimental and applied clinical research into mood disorders. The new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities for research, training and clinical treatment. Mark Goodwin, Dean of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, said, “The University understands that works have ceased on site and measures have been taken to ensure that the site is safe and secure. It is unlikely that ROK will recommence work.” He added, “The University has taken legal advice and is considering its options on how best to complete the contract. Please rest assured that the University is doing all it can to mitigate any delay on the project.” When the project was first announced it was said that the new build-
ing would be a world-class facility when completed, filling a gap in mental health research, with the potential to have a huge impact all over the world.
“It’s a real shame that the development has currently stopped since the sooner the mood disorders centre is completed the better” Chris Gardiner, Psychology student
Not only will the new facility help those suffering from depression, but it will also aid student education and research projects. Chris Gardiner, a second year Psychology student, commented, “It’s a real shame that the development has currently stopped since the sooner the mood disorders centre is completed the better.” He added, “Having an active and upto-date centre such as that will not only benefit the Psychology students but also the other students at the University.” Duncan Sandes, Communications Officer, said, “The administrators are currently working through the issues, which are hoped to be resolved in the near future.”
EXETER University have produced their first ever Politics journal. On the evening of Friday November 19, Exeter launched the Politics Society journal called The Witness. There was a champagne reception and a speech from Louise Webster from BBC News. The Witness will be a termly journal addressing current affairs and politics, with articles from students, University staff and various political personalities. The journal will be sold for £1.
Completed Projects VARIOUS construction projects on campus are due for completion at the end of this year. The INTO international students’ centre, located on Stocker Road, and the first part of the new INTO residences at Duryard are to be finished and ready for use in January. Expansion of the Business School and the conversion of Kay House into a new music facility will also be completed. The refurbishment of level -1 in the Library will also be finished, whilst level +1 will close for work at the beginning of January. Improvements to the toilet facilities in Devonshire House are well underway and are expected to open around the New Year period. Forum Project progress can be watched as it happens via a webcam overlooking the development site.
Year abroad debacle APPLICATIONS for year abroad students have still not been opened. The funding available to British Council is yet to be confirmed. Students are facing a very short turnover for their application to be written and processed with the deadline still remaining as December 1. The delays have been so severe that students are becoming concerned that the programme will be suspended.
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News
Uni Art Display
November 22 2010
Diwali celebrations light up campus
Photo: Henry White
Joshua Hughes RENOWNED photographer Hugo Glendinning has opened an exhibition in the University’s Drama department displaying some of his most recent work. The display, entitled ‘White Box Performances,’ is at the University until December 17. It focuses on current trends in the presentation of performance work in art galleries through the use of photography. Many of the photographs were taken at the ‘Move’ show in the Hayward Gallery and at Tisha Brown’s Dance Company display at the Tate Modern. Both exhibits aimed to show how galleries and the art inside can be dynamic. Glendinning has tried to reflect this emphasis by capturing the performers in motion during their acts.
“Glendinning has successfully captured a suggested movement” Third year Drama student
Exeter University officially celebrates Diwali, the Festival of Light, for the first time.
A third year drama student remarked, “It is difficult to capture live movements in photography but Glendinning has successfully captured a suggested movement. It reflects how choreographed dance, such as this, is constructed. Each movement must be thought of as an individual image, considered from every possible angle.” Glendinning’s performance photography work has regularly been commissioned by some of the UK’s leading theatre and dance companies, including the RSC and The National Theatre. Glendinning’s role as a Creative Fellow of the Arts and Humanities Research Council scheme has meant the University’s Drama department has benefitted from his expertise over the past three years.
Joe Johnston DIWALI celebrations on Streatham Campus were attended by over 500 people from across the country. The free festival on Saturday November 6 was co-ordinated by the Asian Society in association with Exeter University Students’ Guild and Be The Change Society. This is the first year that the University has been actively involved with the organisation and promotion of Diwali. Proceedings started at 3pm with a Hindu prayer ceremony. There were numerous activities held throughout the day including a dhol drumming workshop, a Bollywood dance class and South Indian cookery demonstrations. Photo: Henry White
In the evening entertainment was provided by the Bhangra collective ‘RSVP’ from London, who played alongside a variety of dance performances. Celebrations finished with a fireworks display over Clydesdale Rise.
“Diwali was a resounding success, with easily over 500 students” Alex Bordoli, Guild VP
Participation & Campuses Students from all over the country, some as far as Manchester, travelled to Exeter to take part in the festivities. Amongst the student body attending on
Academic clashes with sports Samantha Brook
Students play sports on a Wednesday afternoon at the University sports park.
the day were 50 undergraduates from the University’s Cornwall campus. One Southampton student commented, “We have nothing like this at our University, nothing on this scale. I’m really impressed with the turnout.” Alex Bordoli, Guild VP Participation and Campuses, said, “Diwali was a resounding success, with easily over 500 students and people from the local community attending. Both Asian Soc and Be The Change Society should be very proud for putting on such an event and are a credit to the Students’ Guild.” Diwali, otherwise known as the ‘festival of lights,’ is a religious holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs and is regarded as the most popular festival in South Asia.
UNDERGRADUATES’ Wednesday activity afternoons are under timetabling pressure. Exeter University is struggling to maintain the allocated teaching-free slot on Wednesday from 1pm, which is designed to allow undergraduates to participate in sports societies, voluntary groups and other activities. The rising number of lectures and seminars scheduled for Wednesday afternoons is a result of increased admissions and restrictions on teaching space due to the building works on campus. These circumstances have put a greater strain on the timetabling system. Changes to the University’s policy would affect over 2,100 students tak-
ing part in sport and music sessions on Wednesday afternoons including the 850 who represent Exeter in BUCS fixtures. James Major, Timetabling Team member, explained, “In the current academic year, constraints on space at the Streatham Campus have unfortunately meant that a higher number of Wednesday afternoon sessions have been scheduled than in the past.” He added that they “appreciate the need to protect this time as much as possible.” Pippa Stockdale, AU club member, said, “I had a problem with Wednesday afternoon teaching but I just contacted my college and they reorganised it.” Bertie Archer, VP Academic Affairs, said, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe, and in timetabling this seems to be true.”
Exeposé
National Student News Lib Dems tell lies THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS were drawing up proposals to abandon Nick Clegg’s policy to scrap university tuition fees two months before the general election. In a document dated March 16 and marked “confidential,” Danny Alexander, the head of the secret pre-election coalition negotiating team, wrote, “On tuition fees we should seek agreement on part-time students and leave the rest. We will have clear yellow water with the other [parties] on raising the tuition fee cap, so let us not cause ourselves more headaches.” The document is likely to provoke aggression because Clegg and all the other Lib Dem MPs signed an NUS pledge to “vote against any increase in fees.” The Lib Dems claimed the document was designed for the purposes of working out how to reach an agreement with the Conservatives and Labour, who were “diametrically” opposed to them. A Lib Dem spokesman said, “These are selective extracts of documents which discussed a range of options ahead of any possible negotiations. The coalition agreement has meant we were able to set the foundations for a stable five-year government.”
St Andrews’ Invisibility Cloak SCIENTISTS at the University of St Andrews are on their way to developing a Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak. A group of physicists have created a new type of material using tiny atoms that interact with light. The material could theoretically appear invisible to the naked eye. The researchers, led by EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow Dr Andrea Di Falco, predict that stacking metaatoms together can create an independent, flexible material, which could also be attached to contact lenses to provide ‘perfect’ eyesight. Dr Di Falco commented, “Metamaterials give us the ultimate handle on manipulating the behaviour of light. The impact of our new material Metaflex is ubiquitous. It could be possible to use Metaflex for creating smart fabrics placed on disposable contact lenses to create superlenses that could further enhance vision. Typical lenses generally have some form of limitation, such as aberration or limited resolution, but these perfect lenses would have none of these deficiencies.”
International Exeter take “The programme has provided me with an
unforgettable experience, has fuelled my ambitions to work with the Far East...made me re-evaluate my career goals, and look for work experience in China”
you?
Tara Etherington BA English 3rd year, Study China Summer 2010
Study in China next Easter (10-29 April 2011) http://servalan.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/ studychina This exciting opportunity to study in China includes accommodation and tuition fees as part of the package. You need only pay for your flights, visa and insurance. References required by 17 December 2010. Deadline for application is 4 January 2011. International Exeter is offering £300 to successful applicants to help with travel costs. Contact studyabroad@exeter. ac.uk or see www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/ scholarships
Summer Schools 2011 International Exeter is also offering scholarships to students wishing to attend a Summer School in summer 2011. For a list of suggested Summer Schools you might like to consider. www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/scholarships/ summerschoolswerecommend
For more information contact studyabroad@exeter.ac.uk or see
www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/scholarships/ 2010INT006
EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS t EXPERIENCE NEW CULTURES t ENHANCE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY t FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
where will
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News
November 22 2010
Exeposé
Exeposé covers the NUS 2010 Charlie Marchant, News Editor, discusses the NUS Media Conference AARON PORTER, NUS President, and Alan Whitaker, UCU President, spoke out against government proposals to raise tuition fees. At the media conference on Wednesday November 10, Porter outlined the issues being addressed by the 50,000 students who would march through the London streets later that day. Porter commented, “Cuts of this extent have not been seen in generations. The cuts are simply being replaced with tuition fees, passing the debt onto young people. Tuition fees were trebled four years ago, and there have been no improvements for the money – I just don’t see how it will be justified to raise them again.” He emphasised, “Students will be priced out of education and education should not be based on the size of your wallet.” Whitaker agreed with Porter, asserting that, “The enormity of the burden is being transferred from the state onto the shoulders of students. There is no economic necessity to raise tuition fees, it is just ideological imperative; other cuts can be made to solve the problem. Saddling students with debts is not the way forward; this protest is just the beginning.” Porter followed on, saying, “Yes, this is the start to a bigger campaign and this will be the biggest demonstration in decades.” When questioned by the floor on issues of potential violence at the Demonstration on November 10, Porter said, “The organised protest is to be a peaceful one and we hope there won’t be any issues with violence. However, the NUS have been working with the police for months to plan this demonstration, and they have assured us that they are adequately equipped to deal with any violence that may occur.” To summarise, Porter urged students to contact their local MPs, so as to maximise the pressure against raising fees. He stated, “Students need to show their electoral weight. If the Liberal Democrats stuck to their election pledge and collaborated with labour, the government could be defeated on this issue.” The next focus is on the ‘Right to Recall’ campaign, which encourages students to sign up to pledge to vote against any candidate that breaks their pledges on university fees or EMAs. Porter believes the votes “will create a seismic shift in the education sector.” Clockwise from top: students march on Hoarseguards; pick of the placards at parliament; violence at the Millbank tower; students start fires outside the offices;
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Exeposé Week eight
News
Demonstration in London
Ellie Busby, News Editor, reports on the events of November 10 Continued from page 1
riot police deployed; anxious looking police officers.
Photos by Henry White
During the speeches, the NUS encouraged students with Liberal Democrat MPs to sign a constituency petition (of 10%) which would result in an immediate by-election. The organised protest only lasted a few hours; however violence soon erupted when a minority group of approximately 200 protestors stormed the Conservative Party Head Quarters at Millbank Tower causing damage costing tens of thousands of pounds. The disruption began when some protestors symbolically set fire to an effigy of Nick Clegg as Judas whilst Conservative MPs watched from inside their offices. The violence soon spiraled out of control when the group smashed in the windows, occupied the building and threw missiles from the roof. The riot police battled with the protestors into the evening. 14 people were injured, and around 60 arrests were made. The police have been criticized for failing to anticipate and adequately prepare for the scale of disorder. The Metropolitan police had only drafted in 225 officers to cover the protest, and only 20 were situated at Tory HQ. Aaron Porter was quick to condemn the violence. In a statement he said, “This action was by others who have come out and used this opportunity to hijack a peaceful protest.” 350 Exeter students attended the demonstration on seven free coaches provided by the Students’ Guild. Fortunately, no Exeter students were involved in the violent part of the protest. Chris Hardy, VP Welfare and Community Officer, said, “I was incredibly proud to be part of the 350 strong Exeter contingent. The Exeter representatives did a great job, marching peacefully and constructively to convey our message: that cuts to higher education are unacceptable.” Jonnie Beddall, Guild President, added, “It’s a shame that what happened will overshadow what is a really important issue.” Tom Oberst, a second year Classics student, said, “The riots were pointless, and those who took part didn’t seem to understand the democratic process which we as students have to work with to achieve our aims.” He added, “We have now forced Vince Cable to have an open discussion into the situation, I just hope that the Lib Dems realise how weak they will look if they abstain or vote for this bill.”
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November 22 2010 Exeposé
Comment Tristan Barclay & Andrew Waller - editors@exepose.com
Exeposé
Revolution is rarely a peaceful thing, so if we are really going to see a new order in higher education, was it realistic to think that the protests of Wednesday November 10 would pass off quietly? The Coalition Government’s cuts to higher education, whether you agree with them or not, are unprecedented. It is no wonder that they are sparking strong emotions from students and lecturers alike. For our part, Exeposé feels that the cuts pose a threat to the sustainability of higher education. Now the Browne Review can only be seen as an attempt to cover up the realities of this fiscal tightening. It was therefore uplifting to see so many students and staff gather in London to protest against the cuts. At last we saw some confirmation that students are still politically active and that the Government’s attempts to commodify higher education will not pass unnoticed. Some people still believe that education stands as an end in itself, and not solely a means to financial gain. The 50,000 at the protest proved that the romantic ideals behind education are not yet dead.
But where does the vandalism of Millbank Tower sit in all of this? Undoubtedly the violence of the few undermined the peaceful aims of the many, and won no favours with the wider public. Was the vandalism actually anything to do with the aims of the protest, or was it simply a gang of over-excited teenagers crashing the party? The dubstep played outside Tory HQ suggests the latter, and rumours circulated all evening that these law-breakers were in fact seasoned anarchists in it for the fight and not the cause. However, when the protest arrived at the foot of the Tower, students looked up to see men and women in suits laughing at them from the plush offices above. With tensions running as high as they are at the moment, there was always the chance that things would boil over. Do not let the chaotic scenes shown on television distract you from the real problem.To put it mildly, it is going to take some effort to force the Government to listen to student voices. Whilst Exeposé does not condone the violence, it is impossible to pretend that the events of November 10 are meaningless.
Exeposé cannot help but feel sorry for Aaron Porter. The protest of November 10 was so nearly a huge success, but rioters ensured the spotlight eventually shone on the NUS President for all the wrong reasons. However, it must be noted that Porter’s speech at the rally bordered on
the inflammatory. Certainly, students are ‘in the fight of their lives’, but Porter must be careful not to give the national press - so keen to bash students after the vandalising of Millbank Tower - any ammunition to suggest he is anything other than a calm and rational student leader.
Governing via coalition obviously involves compromise. However, buying in to government does not necessarily mean selling out to your supporters. Nick Clegg pledged to oppose any rise in tuition fees, and promised to work to abolish student payments for higher education. Therefore, for him to stand
in Parliament defending a hike in fees is sickening. Clegg’s pre-election rhetoric was incredibly exciting for students, but melting into the halls of power shows a distinct lack of backbone. The Lib Dems made a promise in order to win votes. Can they ever be trusted again?
Porter and the Press
Don’t forget Nick Clegg
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Eva Peiró Santos, Fiona Lally, Ellen Baker, Cyan Turan, Caitlin Jones, Rachel Jamieson, Sophie Duncan, Hannah MacNean, Paul Williams, Matt Knight, Heather McLean, and members of the Exeposé editorial team.
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Don’t cut Anglo-Chinese links
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Charlie Marchant News Editor
STEVE SMITH, Exeter University Vice-Chancellor, joined David Cameron in the Government’s recent mission to China this November. The VC specifically was out in Beijing as a gesture towards developing relationships between British and Chinese universities. Steve Smith himself said, “There has been substantial progress in recent years in strengthening links between universities in the UK and China. These partnerships are very important to the higher education
sector in the UK.” But what kind of absurdity is this? There are no grounds to validate Smith’s objectives in China when the Government is scrounging around for pennies and is yet to renew its funding contract for the Study China programme. The Study China programme, established in 2007, allows UK university students to study Mandarin and take cultural classes at a Chinese university on a three week crash-course. The point is to encourage British students to consider careers that have links with China and the global economy, as well as develop a better cultural awareness and international relationship. So if Smith is out there trying to
establish Anglo-Chinese university links which are so very important to the higher education sector in the UK, then why is the programme that promotes these very ideals likely to be scrapped? I’m not claiming that cuts shouldn’t be made to this sector, as understandably, with the economy in dire straits, there are going to be cuts across the board. But after attending the programme this summer, I can assure that it embodies exactly the links that Smith has described as needing to be strengthened. In light of these blatant contradictions of policy, perhaps Cameron-Clegg would like to stop being hypocrites, or Smith at least stop wasting his time and get back to his university office.
Graduate Teaching Assisstants Gary McLachlan PGU President One of the points of contention that often gets included in arguments about ‘value for money’ in undergraduate degree courses is the use of Graduate Teaching Assisstants (GTAs) to deliver course content – as Lab assistants in BSc courses or as seminar tutors in BA Humanities or Social Science degrees. While I don’t intend to talk about specific individuals, I’ve always been very clear in my mind where I stand as a postgraduate student who also represents the interests of students and teaches as a GTA for Law; it’s a good thing. Speaking for myself, I’ve completed and passed the University’s teaching course which gives the professional accreditation now required of all new academic staff entering the HE sector;
or tf u o us ok mp o L ca on
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and so feel as qualified as any full-time member of staff to teach undergraduate students – if lacking in years of experience, I am trained to deliver all types of teaching, and also keep myself informed of all developments in academic teaching theory that relate to Law as a subject and more broadly about aims in Higher Education. I won’t say I’m perfect (or even close to it), but I try hard and hopefully deliver a seminar experience that gives good feedback and helps my groups understand the law and how to use that knowledge in essays and examinations – and speaking more broadly to other GTAs it appears that we all try our best along those lines. There are also, in my opinion, leverage points where GTAs could be used to better effect – there are particular issues I see around the NUS 2008 criteria that call for more peer-to-peer feedback and better methods of self-assessment – all of which could actually be better handled by people with more recent experience at the ‘customer’ end of Higher
Education. Additional contact hours for all academic subjects could be directed towards self and peer-assessment, which is not just useful in the academic setting, but is a precise employment skill too in terms of Management and Human Resources; in other words a way that accomplishes strategic goals while using the skill-sets of GTAs to enhance the student experience for all. Are we a cheap option? Not really – pay scales may not be the giddy heights of professorial salaries, but neither are we underpaid by comparison on an hourly rate – you might have personally had a bad experience with a particular GTA but I’m also guessing you’ve been taught by someone who you didn’t know was a postgraduate student because you couldn’t see a difference between their teaching and that of a lecturer. In that respect, teaching is as much an individual skill as any other profession; you can either do it well or you can’t. Your status as a lecturer, professor or graduate teaching assistant is not the determining factor.
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Categories: Autumn/Winter in Exeter, Student Life, What does Exeter mean to you?
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Exeposé Week Eight
Comment
Cuts, Fees and Protests: What do you think? Freya Joseph
Wednesday November 10 was a day marked with arrests, hospitalisations and a break-in at the Conservative Party HQ. Fueled by their outrage at the higher cap on student fees, students marched in their hoards through Westminster. Eventually, the protest became more of a riot than a valid demonstration. Clearly people are furious and the protest shows no signs of dying down. So can the Government follow through with a plan so obviously unpopular with the public? Or, as with Iraq, will this be a nail in the coffin of an administration? Of course, this is all a result of ‘the current climate’. The already huge national debt cannot possibly bare the brunt of free tuition for students. In light of this, those that are likely to struggle with the fees will receive help from public funds. Overall, you still don’t have to pay anything upfront when you start your degree. You can still apply for extra living allowance if you need it. You still repay your fees once you’re earning enough (and though the fees have risen, so has the definition of ‘enough’). But that’s about where the similarities between the old and new systems end. We still have plenty to be angry about: the rise in interest rates on repayments; the ‘better’ universities that will be able to charge more; the growing cost and funding cuts of ‘non-priority’ courses even though they’re the cheapest to teach. And if, like me, you voted Lib Dem, be angry at Nick Clegg, for getting in bed with Cameron and snuggling up so close. Unfortunately, I don’t think any amount of protesting will reverse the effects of the cuts. It seems universities are doomed to become the playground of those who can buy their degrees.
Maxim Edwards & Adam Southall On November 10 we saw tens of thousands of students with a common voice, stand up for a common cause and common goal. On November 10 the world saw a radical rabble of thugs, civil disorder and in their eyes a metaphor for ‘broken Britain’. The media was served a complete course of controversy: controversy caused not by the students and lecturers who took to the streets of London, but by those who consider themselves ‘full-time demonstrators’. There seems to be a consensus among radical groups that anything is acceptable when done in protest; violence is an expression of frustration but it is always a choice, and due to a minority succumbing to it, the student voice is more damaged than the glass of Millbank ever will be. The irony seemed not to be lost even on David Cameron, who couldn’t flee from embarrassing questions even in Beijing, nor by Nick Clegg whose vacuous waffling was dismissed by Harriet Harman in a quip over the dangers of being led astray in freshers’ week. In many ways, despite the broken windows and broken promises, the presence of fifty thousand infuriated people sporting witty placards is enough to convince anyone that Britain-or at least its resolve- is not yet ‘broken’. The commodification of education is about more than pounds and pence; it is about principle. Knowledge cannot be assigned a market value; knowledge first and foremost stems from dialogue and discourse. The simplistic polarity that evokes the cry of “Smash the state! Down with the system!” cannot reclaim the education sector. We are saddled with debt, are in financial crisis and radicalism only serves to disengage
us from the vast majority of working people who are disaffected due to the wanton destruction from government cuts. This is 2010, not 1968, and the power of mass media intensifies public protest, for better or for worse. Upon returning to Exeter after the day in London the news was awash with the factual and the fantastical. From the Socialist Worker’s reporting of a ‘carnival atmosphere’ in Millbank (seven people were hospitalised) and ‘police brutality’ (a policewoman was injured after a fire extinguisher was dropped from eight stories) to The Telegraph’s lamenting our ‘infantile behaviour’, the dubious analyses of the protest will speak louder to the public than any of NUS President Aaron Porter’s condemnations ever could. We did not travel five hours on a coach to London to demonstrate against cuts to higher education, to march against the raising of tuition fees, to express our outrage at being lied to by the Liberal Democrats, to protest the draconian obliteration of university funding, eradicating resources for arts, humanities and social sciences, to rally against the slashing of EMA, only for a minority of criminals to hijack a peaceful demonstration, extinguishing the voice of tens of thousands of students in an orgy of destruction at Millbank. We are indeed ‘all in this together’ as Cameron promised we would be, but perhaps not how he envisaged, and nowhere more so than in Exeter, which has one of the highest proportions of public sector employment in the South West. With over 6,000 jobs expected to be lost on our doorstep, we have a choice: wait for the coalition to collapse under the cumulative weight of its contradictions, or show support for fellow Exeter residents, blurring the ‘town and gown’ distinction in this most crucial moment for the student movement. Do not allow the actions of a few destroy the voice and aspirations of the many.
When Aaron Porter, NUS President, spoke out against the violence during the protest, he was, quite correctly, distancing the peaceful protest he and the majority of the 50,000 students in London were attending, from the actions of the few students and anarchists storming and occupying the Conservative HQ. Though this was a necessary move by Porter to attempt to maintain the efficacy of the campaign, was the violence necessarily counter-productive for the movement? The protests have won the support of over 100 lecturers recently, who wrote a letter of congratulations on “the magnificent anti-cuts demonstrations”, in spite of the violence which supposedly undermined them. The scenes that took place in the Millbank Tower certainly transformed a mildly important student protest into headline news for papers across the world, coverage that even the organisers might not regret. Possibly, the Coalition will now take the campaign more seriously, and especially the threat of further protests against the cuts they propose, not just those attended by students, but any demonstrations by, for example, the unions, as those planned for March 2011. Yet, more importantly, the violence really shows the animosity that many feel towards the coalition, and particularly Nick Clegg, having ridden a wave of student support, going back on his election promises. There is, quite obviously, genuine anger amongst students at this in particular, and this anger came to the surface and reared its ugly head at the protest. However, though the violence achieved much wider coverage for the demonstration, enabling the protestor’s
message to reach a larger audience, the media coverage is not beneficial to the cause in the ways some might argue it is. The sympathy of the wider public to the student cause will undoubtedly be affected in the coming months. Further action will merely bring back memories of masked youths painting obscenities about the police and kicking in windows. Rather than inspire understanding of the student cause, I fear much of the public will now have seen a student mob rioting and find them a greater enemy than the coalition’s cuts programme. I am certain that if you ask most of the 50,000 attendees of the march, then you would find that the majority would have preferred a page five story about the hypocrisy and betrayal of the Lib Dems, than a frontpage story about the attacks on police officers by anarchist and student groups. Some might argue that more press is good press, but how is it constructive to be seen by the British public in an unsympathetic light, when the continued success of the student fees campaign will undoubtedly rely to an extent on their support too. After all, there may be 450,000 students in higher education, but what is that in a population of 62 million people? So maybe the violence has become a distraction from what was the real reason behind the demonstration, and maybe the coalition have got away a bit lightly on the media coverage of the day. But what the violence is symbolic of is a much more dangerous thing than a few smashed windows. I was present at the march, and watched as placards were burnt, and the police line was smashed outside Millbank Tower, I could feel the anger of the whole crowd, all 50,000 protestors and not just the few who made the headlines. Only a few broke into riot, but all, and that includes Aaron Porter himself, felt the anger towards the government. These feelings of animosity are what, I hope, will drive the campaign on to future success.
between students and local residents. 4. Exeter’s Infrastructure Students prefer to live near the University. Aside from the convenience of living in these areas, the other factor which attracts students to areas like St James is the inadequate transport infrastructure across the rest of the city. If reliable and affordable transport links to and from our campuses served other areas of the city, then it might make for a more natural spread of students across Exeter. 5. Exeter’s brain drain Given the state of the economy, more and more people are choosing to houseshare. In particular, many young people living in HMOs in the city, from teachers, nurses and other graduate-level employees would also be effected by these changes. If
the City Council is as committed as it says it is to attracting (or retaining) graduate talent to Exeter, it should realise that this legislation is counter-productive. So what can we do? Let’s have a real debate. Ultimately, in my opinion, restricting the number of HMO properties in Exeter will not have the desired effect. The consultation period on this legislation ends on December 3. During this period the Council is asking residents to vote on whether or not they support the proposals. The Guild will be working hard to ensure that student views are represented to the Council. For a copy of the letter sent out by the Council to residents, visit the Guild website - fill it out, send it back, show your friends. Using legislation to address community problems is like trying to crack a nut with a sledge-hammer. We must fight these proposals at every stage.
Ben Tyson
Guild response to Council’s planning proposals Chris Hardy VP Welfare and Community We in the Guild are concerned about the threat of restricting houses in Exeter for a number of reasons: 1. Discrimination The presentation of the issue by the City Council paints a very negative picture of students living in Exeter. The overwhelming majority of us have a constructive relationship with our neighbours. I have no time for anyone, student or otherwise, who engages in anti-social behaviour that disturbs local residents.
However, the way that students are lumped together as a homogenous group, upon which restrictions are to be applied, is discriminatory and does not help create a healthy and balanced debate around the actual issues. 2. Rent & house prices As student numbers grow, competition for the HMO accommodation in prime areas will become extremely competitive if numbers of rental properties remain static or decrease. As competition increases so do rent prices for students which, in a climate of increasing fees and other living costs, may well price students out of living in Exeter. Additionally, it could affect the value of certain properties within the city. If we take an example where a street containing 40% of HMO
housing and 60% of family homes, a two-tiered market will emerge. One can envisage non-HMO house prices falling significantly. 3. No change, only damaged relationships Banning the creation of further HMOs in certain parts of the city doesn’t tackle the problems we have now. I fear that legislation will create a rift between permanent residents and the more transient student residents, who together form local communities. This would be unfortunate given the positive areas of community cohesion that exist. The Council should be looking to encourage and get behind more student-led initiatives like our Zip-It, Put the Kettle On and Community Wardens, rather than introduce legislation that drives a wedge
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November 22 2010 Exeposé
Comment
Student opinion on the Council’s planning proposals Tom Price
Recently, my housemates and I received a letter from the City Council with a survey attached. Betweeen all the bureaucratic double-speak, it basically stated that in future the local authority will have powers to limit the amount of student housing in the city. I think that this is not an explicitly anti-student measure, but rather one that will enhance the social structure of our fair city. In fact, with the university set to expand, it is a sensible step by a forward-thinking council to preserve some houses for locals and limit potential resentment at a lack of affordable accommodation. At the moment, certain areas of Exeter such as St James have got the mix wrong in my opinion and this can lead to a “them and us” attitude between locals and students to the detriment of everyone concerned-in fact there is already a sign at the end of my road that states
“Culverland Road-Homes for Exeter people.” One of the principal benefits of studying away from home is that you get to live in a different city and broaden your horizons yet Exeter students in their second or third years will miss out on this in future if certain streets become student “ghettos.” Obviously there are those that will argue that this measure will be hard on current home-owners as they will be restricted to selling or renting their homes to locals who may be put off by the student reputation of an area. They miss the point that other regulations are already in force in Exeter that regulate the number of bars/takeaways in any one road so as to maintain the overall ambience of the place. As long as this proposal is enforced fairly and takes each case on its individual merits then I can see no reason why any student should feel worried or targeted. The dynamic between city and university is like a much loved old quilt: it has existed for years without a hitch but can occasionally come apart at the seams and unless they are carefully repaired then the whole fabric is under threat.
John Ashton
Exeter city council is planning to restrict landlords from renting out their properties to students in St. James (the area around The Vic – everything from Union road to the town centre). The proposals are in the consultations stage, and students must use the opportunity to make their voices heard.
What does the Council want? That students are spread out all over the city? The measures must be partly motivated by recent complaints by residents about noisy students. Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Sustainable Development and Transport, commenting to the People’s Republic of South Devon said “In some streets up to 80% of
properties are entirely occupied by students”. According to this woman, these “imbalanced communities” require the intervention of the council. What are they hoping to achieve? It’s true that it’s a short straw for those 20% of residents (some of whom will have seen their street invaded by students over the last few decades) who are facing sleepless nights or depressed property prices. But how on earth will stopping the student population of these streets exceeding 80% help anyone? It certainly won’t help those students forced to live the other side of Exeter as a result of this, or the majority who live in St. James, who will surely have to pay higher rents to live in an area with rising demand and artificially suppressed supply. What does the Council want? That students are spread out all over the city? They have no more right to tell us where to live than they have right to tell the elderly where to live. If we were a society in which this sort of intervention were tolerated, then why subordinate the rights of the 80% to
the rights of the 20%? But we aren’t a society in which this is acceptable – that’s something Rachel Sutton needs to remember. Why would the council want that anyway? Students aren’t quiet. No matter whether they constitute 80% of the street or 8%, they’re still going to make the same amount of noise. They have different sleeping patterns from the rest of humanity. While at present, they are busy neatly consigning themselves to St. James, the council wants to spread them out. The effect will be not only inconvenience for the students but sleep disturbances for many more residents. What is Rachel Sutton thinking? The council is holding a consultation until Friday, December 3. If you’re living in St. James, you should have had a letter through your door by now. Please, on behalf of the students who are looking forward to the St. James student community in the future, take this opportunity to send the message to Rachel Sutton: preventing students living in St. James won’t help anything and she has no right to tell students where not to live.
Letters to the Editors - Want to respond to something in today’s Exeposé? Send your letters to letters@exepose.com Don’t forget international fees Exeposé, In your November 8 edition, both your editorial , ‘£9,000 a year’ (on P 9) and an article by News editor, Ellie Busby (on P 1) were well-written, incisive, informative and hit the nail right on the head. But I am surprised that neither of the articles, articulate as they were, mentioned the likely consequence(s) of the proposed fee tripling (275% increase, to use Jonnie Beddall’s statistics) would have on the international studentry.As you are very much aware, international (that is nonEU) students in UK currently pay over £9,000 a year, and many without funding opportunities pay through their noses. If the home fees get increased to £9,000, will the international students be asked to pay up to £27, 000 a year? The Browne Review should be carefully examined by the Parliament: international students are an asset to the UK education system, and many of them would want their cousins and children come for UK education beyond 2012. Tunde Oseni 3rd Year PhD Candidate in Politics RE: Arms companies: should they be on campus? Exeposé I understand that for those with very little incliniation to give a damn one way or another about the presence of arms companies on campus, this debate may be getting a little tiresome, but I feel obliged to reply to Jack Bennetts’s article in sup-
port of their attendance at our careers fair. I would like to make a couple of things clear. Firstly, and most importantly, the students protesting about these companies on campus are not representatives of Amnesty International or of UNICEF; they may support these organisations, but are not in a position to speak for them- so when condemning the protest on campus, please do not make such sweeping statements as ‘I find it greatly regrettable that highly respected organisations like Amnesty International and UNICEF can make such bold claims without doing sufficient background reading on exactly what the engineering companies do.’ Amnesty International UK certainly does not campaign against any of these organisations, but for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that would ensure that companies like these ones are not put in a position where they may choose financial profit over respect for human rights. For further information on this please visit http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content. asp?CategoryID=10079. Secondly, I would like to point out that in inviting only three engineering companies to the fair, all of whom have questionable trade records in terms of dealing with countries that commit human rights violations regularly, the University is not providing any real choice to the many engineering students with a respect for human rights- this is absolutely unacceptable. Molly Faulkner Exeposé As an engineering student, I was appalled
at the misrepresentation provided by the XEng society president over the issue of arms companies on campus. Engineers were presented as amoral, egotistical creatures who’s only concern was finding high paid employment. I wish to take this opportunity to point out that, although these characteristics are evidently displayed by some engineers, it does not stand as the view of all. The XEng President attempts to balance out the immoral acts of these companies with the good they do in terms of British security and safety. As if the morality of a company were a points based system: oh, you lost a few points selling arms equipment to Zimbabwe, but don’t worry you can gain them back by helping out our fire service. If that were the case imagine what Oxfam could do with the moral points they have racked up over the years: human trafficking? Organised crime? Who knows, it will all balance out at the end of the year. Personally it delights me that companies who supply objects of death and torture to states with incredibly dubious human rights records are challenged. It demonstrates that students actually care about other human beings and take into account the effects of their chosen career on the world. I wouldn’t personally regard this as ‘preposterously idiotic and irritatingly naive.’ I think it’s wonderful that we have the ability to challenge the conduct of such companies; which is more than can be said for the populations of a large proportion of the countries these companies export to. My point is that the production
of small arms cannot be taken out of perspective; They are designed to kill, maim and injure whilst the companies in question currently sell such products to regimes known to abuse them. It is difficult to label such companies as responsible or moral. To provide arms companies the platform to misinform students about this industry in a place of development and learning to me feels grossly irresponsible at best. Josh Flower RE: Disabled but enabled
Exeposé, It was a concern to read in your last issue of Ben Tyson’s ‘prolonged’ quest to receive funding for taxis from the university for the period in which he has had to get around campus on crutches. It can be a challenge to get around Streatham campus at the best of times; and with the Forum project now in full flow, it can be even harder. As the Student Guild’s Disabled Student Representative, I would be interested to hear if any other students have experienced problems similar to those described by Ben. If anyone with a disability – be it temporary or permanent – would like to make a comment in relation to this matter, or any other disability-related issue, please contact me via my email link at www.exeterguild.org/equality. Thomas Read Students’ Guild Disabled Students Rep
RE: New Mood Centre causes unecessary stress Exeposé I just wanted to send a response to you concerning Lillie Revington’s (to use her own words -) ‘mindless and uncalled for’ article about the depression statistics displayed on the boards surrounding the development of the new Mood Disorder Clinic. While I agree with Lillie that these statistics are a difficult truth, I disagree that when reading about the suffering of others you turn off the news broadcast or bury your head in the sand. 30% of the student population may be suffering with depression, oh but Lillie doesn’t want to hear that right now - she has a 9am lecture to attend. Fortunately, others may not be so callous; instead, people reading these boards may learn about the prevalence of such mental health problems that are present in our own community. They may perhaps be more conscientious about their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of those around them. And they may choose to support the important work of the Mood Disorder Centre and this new clinic. My condolences to Lillie’s friend who has experienced a family loss due to depression. This is a tragedy and is worthy of the attention of the public as well as health and research services. It is the goal of developments such as this clinic to provide more help for those who suffer with depression, I would think Lillie would support that. Caroline Farmer
Exeposé WEEK SIX
Features
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Columba Achilleos-Sarll & Anna-Marie Linnell - features@exepose.com
Just another protest?
Camilla Goodwin considers Exeter students’ secret love of revolution. THERE are few strangers to the events of Wednesday, November 10. I, along with three coachloads of other Exeter students made the five hour journey to demonstrate against an increase to tuition fees. But this was by no means the first protest that Exeter’s students have embarked on in recent years. In 2004 a number of universities began to phase out chemistry as a degree course in an attempt to cut costs. When Exeter University announced it would follow the trend, students weren’t about to give up without a fight. Exeter’s chemistry students flocked to the streets, shouting, singing and waving placards with messages such as “Save Chemistry” and “Let us finish our degrees.” Students were outraged by the decision, especially considering the 21% increase in applications to take chemistry. Student discontent was highlighted by the day long demonstration out-
side the university. Not all campaigns undertaken by Exeter students have been made on such a national scale. March 2010 saw more than 100 students take to the streets, but this time it was to our very own High Street, more specifically outside Virgin store. Anger built up last year as many students, especially in the Mount Pleasant area, were experiencing extremely slow broadband supplied by Virgin. After a Facebook campaign set up by some students, it was decided that everyone had had enough and they made sure the company knew it. A protest date was set for one Sunday in March. The term ‘short and sweet’ comes to mind with respect to this demonstration, as Virgin surrendered to students’ demands at the 11th hour so the protest wasn’t necessary. On the whole, though, the campaign was a success and Virgin amended the problem. Even in the build-up to the fees demonstration, Exeter students were out on campus with signs for a different cause: this time protesting against firms who supply arms from being allowed to advertise at the recent careers fair. Members of Amnesty International gathered in a small group at the entrance to Streatham campus with makeshift banners and placards, in an attempt to persuade fellow students to boycott these firms. This is just a small handful of protests Exeter students have been involved with, so it’s
evident that our student body is by no means apathetic. As a first year, it was extremely encouraging to go to a protest and see so many third years and postgraduates fighting the cause in London – and also to know that it was the students who increases in tuition fees will affect the least that organised the trip itself.
“Britain’s youth take their education far more seriously than previously thought” But was it all worth it? Has the congregation of 50,000 students in London armed with chants, whistles, costumes and signs really made any difference? The unfortunate events that occurred later in the day have definitely marred the spirit of the campaign. However, those who demonstrated did so to make a point. They demonstrated to highlight that if the coalition government thought they would be able to impose their higher education reforms without so much as a peep from former, current and future students, they were wrong. Britain’s youth take their education far more seriously than seemingly thought. It is true that a small group of students have relatively little power when it comes to the task of changing the minds of those who run our country, but Exeter’s small group contributed to a much larger and more effective one. No matter what, I believe the campaign was a great success. To raise awareness for the student cause was the aim and that was most definitely achieved.
The Front Line Jonny Williams Xpression FM Station Manager “THE Resistance Starts Now” were the parting words for the 50,000 students who attended the protest against the rise in tuition fees in London. Much had been made of the march beforehand, a few critics quipping that if students cared enough to get up before midday: SOMETHING must be up. But on first arrival, the protest really was an inspiring sight. I managed to join the protest at the front, about 300m from the final stop. Huge screens had been erected and there was a plinth with a microphone set up, for guest speakers from the NUS and related unions to have their two cents. Now, we’ve all seen propaganda and we know how just the right dose can inspire a population on to great things. The crowd was shown a video detailing all the promises the new coalition Government has broken regarding student fees. As soon as Nick Clegg came on the screen, a chorus of boos rang out. There’s nothing like a scapegoat. One video created by a university featuring a student dressed as MC Hammer rapping a song called “U Can’t Cut This” was met with laughter by the crowd. Up to this point, all seemed good: the right balance between light-hearted camaraderie and hard-hitting facts. Then the protest leader spoke up. “So I heard a chant you guys were singing earlier,” he shouted to the crowd. “When I say ‘Tory’, you say ‘scum’. Fancy giving that one a go?” My group was bemused. Was this message, effectively asking a group to take political bias as a result of one act of law, really the right message to
give to 50,000 people? Another guest speaker then took to the stage, who read his speech in such a faux-inspiring, textbook manner that the words had no meaning. What had started as a protest with togetherness, joviality and a serious belief in “The Resistance” suddenly just felt futile. I managed to see the attacks on the Millbank first-hand. Let’s just say that the media has blown the violence greatly out of proportion. A small minority of people, clearly out to cause damage and destruction, totally against the mantra of the march, thought actions would speak louder than words. It started with eggs (is there a more damning, shameful fate than being egged? How indescribably humiliating). As we’ve all seen, it ended in destruction with arrests - and the meaning of the protest erased. Yet most students held their ground, chanted their protest songs and made their feelings known peacefully. There were a few truly inspiring moments in the midst of it all. For the first 15 minutes of the presentation it felt that I, just like every other student in that crowd, could make the difference and overturn parliament’s decision with our feet and our words. Banners ranged from the nonsensical (“Is this the queue for Bieber tickets?”) to the rhetorical (“Learn your lesson. Let us learn.”). But one protestor in particular left a lasting impact. A 70-year-old woman, stood alone on the pavement, away from the main march. Her picket read “I’m doing this for my grandson.” It seems these controversial new plans haven’t only affected our generation and those to come. The NUS and UCU protest was covered by Xpression Fm. To listen to the podcasts, visit http://xmedia.ex.ac. uk/radio/podcast Cartoon: Nene Fisher. ‘Where’s Cleggy?’
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November 22 2010
Features
Exeposé
This House Believes Civil Liberties were unnecessarily eroded by the Labour Government The Debate as it Happened by Daryl Hurst ADORNING the two projector screens was this week’s motion: “This house believes that civil liberties were unnecessarily eroded by the previous Labour Government.” This signalled the start of the debate, where there was not a majority in the opening poll, and both the proposition and opposition gained only 20 votes each out of an audience of over 110. The debate featured lively interaction between Exeter’s MP Ben Bradshaw and former Tory Chief of Staff and director of Big Brother Watch, Alex Deane. Ben Lodge, Vice president of the Exeter Freedom society opened the argument for the proposition stating that the labour government defied one of the oldest rules in British history, innocent until proven guilty under the Magna Carta in the 13th Century. Ben’s argument developed in a well structured and researched speech. He pursued ideas of detention without trial and control orders or “bad boys” as Lodge referred to them, bringing in
the MPs’ vote into 90 day detention sentences for terror suspects which he took great pleasure in pointing out that Bradshaw voted in favour of.
“Bradshaw’s argument followed the balance between personal freedom and the freedom of greater society” Bradshaw showed great skill as an orator with his relaxed appearance. His argument followed the balance between personal freedom and the freedom of greater society. He started by rebutting Lodge’s definition of civil liberties stating that Labour’s attempt to improve the freedom from cold, freedom of poor housing and most significantly freedom from excessive tuition fees . Bradshaw argued that under the previous government freedom for homosexuals, women and other minorities increased,
Statutes of Liberty
further stating that the most important freedom was “The freedom of life”. Bradshaw continued that the measures put in place by their government were reactions to events such as the July bombings, arguing that terrorists unbalanced the system, and Labour had to be extreme to re-address this balance although admitting, “we did get some things wrong”. Alex Deane entered the debate with a rebuttal, defending his colleague’s definition of civil liberties stating that Bradshaw’s definition were social aspects not civil liberties. Deane brought us back into the debate and presented his central argument; “it could happen to you” implying that the covert means of surveillance can and are used on everyone. Deane’s somewhat childish taunts and mockery of Bradshaw’s words actually housed value as he showed that Bradshaw didn’t engage in the debate and, in fact, created a new motion to suit his own means. Deane’s points included the stop and search policy of the previous
government, commenting on its failure to find real suspects, an issue heatedly raised in the floor questioning. Deane concluded his speech claiming that the Labour Government used the idea of a ‘terrorism umbrella’ to invade individual liberties to claim that “freedom is a universal value”. Ust Oldfield, the second speaker for the opposition, in a monotonous style, discussed how 60% of people actually supported the control orders such as phone taps and house arrests arguing that liberty is about doing as one pleases as long as it does not affect another person doing as they please. However, rather than engaging in the debate at hand, he chose to list to the audience the civil liberties before discussing issues such as child labour and slavery, slightly off topic but used in a way to support his conclusion that the state has a responsibility to protect society from individuals. The audience questions put pressure on the speakers, challenging every aspect of the debate. Cyan
Catherine Bardsley investigates our country’s approach to civil liberties ‘NEW Labours’ time in power was longer than that of any other Labour government. During that time our country’s approach to civil liberties altered significantly, the most contentious of which formed the skeleton of the debate. Alex Deane from the proposition introduced Labour’s 2001 AntiTerrorism Legislation. This legislation was passed in response to September, 11 2001 and was an
attempt to allow indefinite detention without trial of foreign nationals in the UK who were suspected of posing a threat to national security.
“The question remains as to how far we are more or less free that the previous generation of British citizens”
Under the European Convention of Human Rights this act would have been illegal, and therefore was never made law. Furthermore, the proposition introduced the controversial issue of the DNA database (officially the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database). The database was set up in 1995 prior to the Labour administration. It now carries the genetic information of over 3 million Photo: Henry White
Stimulating Debate: MP Ben Bradshaw alongside Debsoc’s Ben Jones and former Tory Chief of Staff Alex Dean
people. The database itself does not include the entirety of an individual’s genetic code, but aims however to include genetic information of all known active offenders. There are mounting concerns over the 24,000 genetic samples of young people, where most have never been convicted, cautioned or charged with an offence. The Liberal Democrats argue that the DNA should not be held
“21.5% of those on the database have no current conviction, but according to BBC news 32.4% of 99,402 crimes in 2009 had suspects identified through the data held” indefinitely, and the Conservatives object to the database on the grounds that Parliament has not yet voted on it. Although both coalition parties have reservations, the database is still maintained and updated. 21.5% of those on the database have no current conviction, but according to BBC news 32.4% of 99,402 crimes in 2009 had suspects identified through the data held. Compulsory National Identity Cards dominated the next area of debate. The opposing notion that Compulsory National Identity Cards invade the individual’s right
Turan, for example, earned a bottle of wine for his question addressing why the new government hasn’t reversed the measures and in not doing so, shows that the measures were in fact necessary, This prompted Deane to use one of Bradshaw’s own points against him, with only 80 crimes being solved with the one million bits of information held in the DNA database. For me, Deane’s rebuttal stating “the cure is worse than the disease” about the Labour governments measures was one of the most interesting analogies used in the debate. Overall, the speakers kept their cool in an otherwise very heated debate, with the proposition landing a victory with a vote of 62 out of 110. The quirks and tricks of the debaters were so varied it provided entertainment, as well as an education. Ben Bradshaw’s notably relaxed tone, and the humour of Alex Deane, really made tonight’s debate one that should not have been missed.
to privacy was pitted against the example of the war on terror where gathering public information is arguably necessary for security interest. It was quickly stated that the current government swiftly abolished the scheme, reflecting current opinion on the preservation of personal privacy but, more significantly the unaffordable cost of the project in the current economic climate, ending the debate. This should not signal the end of discussion on ID cards. The economic argument has put the kibosh predominately on the political and moral dimension rather than being a genuine conclusion reached in the House of Commons. These examples are by no means an exhaustive list. Further examples discussed were the issues of Control Orders, the de-classification and re-classification of cannabis to a Class B to C and back again, the controversial ‘Stop and Search’ powers granted to police and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As Ben Bradshaw MP argued, it is the balance between protecting the right of society to live freely and letting criminal and terrorist behaviour go unchecked that creates the tensions raised. The question remains however as to how far we are more or less free than the previous generation of British citizens.
13
Exeposé week eight
A Master Statesman or Idiot Abroad?
Josh Cowls reviews the diplomatic side of David Cameron’s premiership. DEPENDING on your political perspective, for good or ill the first six months of the coalition government have been defined by economic issues. The Great Recession may have been global in scope, but it has forced countries to turn inward, to focus on deficits and levels of unemployment. There has therefore been little opportunity for David Cameron to articulate a comprehensive foreign policy of the sort that Tony Blair introduced in the optimistic years of the late nineties. Instead, at his very core, Cameron comes across as a pragmatist, which is a fortunate trait when he has to grapple with a global system within which Britain risks sliding into international mediocrity. Britain’s defence and diplomatic budgets have been severely cut, which has not helped the sense of imperial decline. Cameron has invited the ire of military officials and some Tory back-
benchers by scrapping the Ark Royal aircraft carrier combined to a shared defence deal with France, is an ultimate sign of austérité.
“Britain’s defence and diplomatic budgets have been severely cut, which has not helped the sense of imperial decline” Along with economic issues, “hardheaded internationalism” as Cameron puts it, seems to be the coalition’s guiding ethic. When Cameron was recently in China, he raised the issue of human rights not for the sake of it, but to suggest that political freedom goes hand in hand with economic prosperity. (He spoke to a room full of Chinese students at the same time as our students back
home attacked his party’s HQ. An ironic contrast. Past conflicts also simmer below the challenged relationship, as the poppies worn by the British delegation caused some furore in reminding Chinese hosts of the Opium Wars some 150 years ago. As for more traditional allies, the UK-US relationship may now be labelled “truly special”. However, Cameron and Obama do not see eye to eye on spending cuts, and the relationship certainly lacks some of the warmth which Blair enjoyed with both Presidents Clinton and Bush. But, this may not be a bad thing. Britain’s international standing has arguably been most tarnished by Blair’s close, abiding loyalty to Bush, as the recent release of Bush’s memoir recalls. However, when Britain has drifted away from America in the past, the focus has usually turned towards Europe. It will be difficult for
Cameron to convince his largely Eurosceptic party to support a more productive relationship with the continent, despite his recent partial victory over EU funding rises. With American and European relations somewhat strained, attention has turned to other less conventional allies. Cameron led a large delegation to India in July which, like the Chinese visit, focussed on trade although the Prime Minister also made it known that he supports India’s claim to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. He also discussed the two countries’ shared histories, yet the modern Indian government probably cares more about accommodating high-tech industry than it cares about its former position as the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Perhaps this is the paradox that Cameron and Britain face on the world stage.
Turkey’s Economic Delight
Features
In the annual Mansion House speech on foreign policy, Cameron last week touted the beneficial legacies of empire: Britain’s language, her membership of key international organizations, the significance of the City of London, and even our time zone. Yet while the empire has given modern Britain useful assets, the shadows cast by empire can dim our modern perception of relations with other countries. Explaining our dealings with India in terms of colonial history makes little sense in a world where alliances are being formed on more firm and rational foundations, such as the promising bilateral relations between Brazil and Turkey, or China and Africa. Cameron has found some success through talking in more shamelessly economic terms than his predecessors, and clearly doesn’t desire any new and costly wars. But in the anarchy of the international system, single incidents can reverberate across the Earth. Tony Blair started his premiership with the same intended focus on public service reform. In the ensuing years however, global events – 9/11 foremost among them – redefined his leadership and his legacy. As Harold Macmillan famously stated, it is “events, dear boy, events” that are a statesman’s greatest challenge. In his first six months Cameron has made a positive start in foreign policy, but he has been devoted to processes of trade missions, currency stabilisation, and defence spending reviews. Only when the big events rear their head will his statesmanship be truly tested and subsequently judged.
As European countries struggle to regain market confidence, Turkey’s economy and diplomacy goes from strength to strength. Mikail Ozmemis discusses the political implications of Turkey’s success.
WHEN The Economist praised Turkey’s fast recovery from the global crisis in the October 23 issue, the good news was wrapped up in a 14-page special report. Indeed, there is a lot to say about Turkey. In 2010, 72m people will have generated an estimated GDP of almost $900bn, with an annual growth rate of 6%. The country is ranked as the 15th biggest economy worldwide and sixth largest in Europe. One would assume that the November 11 G20 Summit in Seoul was a rather relaxed trip for the Turkish ministers. While Britain tries to digest spending cuts and the US Fed desperately prints more money, the release of new macroeconomic figures is something to look forward to in Turkey – bar sticky structural unemployment rates. So what more is there to it? Economic strength has always been crucial in politics. Even more so if there is a foreign political strategy aimed at becoming a “soft” power. Turkey is carefully balancing strong relations with the European Union and NATO with their recently intensified involvement in the Middle East. However, some say
Turkey’s attention has been shifting to the East in the past few years. Indeed there are many developments behind the worries of some western diplomats. So it is worth having a closer look at what Turkey is doing in assessing if the western angst of losing Turkey is justified.
“Although Turkey is not an oil rich country, the state run TPAO has become an important contractor for exploration of oil fields in Iraq” Not only is the trade volume soaring between Turkey and its Middle Eastern neighbours, but also serious steps have been made towards the creation of a free trade zone with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Turkish construction firms, concrete, TV shows, textiles, machines as well as “kek” – small, packed pieces of wonderful cake - are all most welcome in the Middle East, and even Kurdish dominated northern Iraq where a new consulate general has been recently inaugurated in Erbil.
Although Turkey is not an oil rich country, the state run TPAO has become an important contractor for exploration of oil fields in Iraq, Syria and North Africa. Iran and Azerbaijan remain crucial energy suppliers not just for the Turkish market but also - using Turkey as a reliable transit country- for oil and gas hungry Europe. Only recently, Turkey voted against sanctioning Iran causing some turmoil in the US. Even in the Balkans,
Right : Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish diplomacy has brought together some former enemies, the Bosnian national airline is basically run by Turkish Airlines, and the Turkish banking regulation agency (BDDK) advises governments in the region (23 countries in total) in setting up an efficient banking system. Also worth mentioning is the Turkish equivalent to the British Council – the Yunus Emre Institute – set up to provide a platform for cultural dialogue. Some fear that Turkey’s new initiatives could provide a preferable allegiance to working with Europe and America. However, Turkey’s new approach to the Middle East seems an organic, even belated step given the shared history with its neighbours. Following the Gaza flotilla crisis, when eight Turkish
civilians were killed by Israeli soldiers in international waters, Turkey minimised diplomatic contacts with Israel. For the conservative Turkish government to be so outspoken in its criticism of Israel has intrigued some, but in doing so Turkey is just one scarce member of the international community reiterating what is stated in international law. Turkey has negotiated for accession to the EU since 2005 – almost a decade after it entered the customs union. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, a Turkish MP, also became president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe this year. For Turkey, it is not about choosing between East and West. The achievement they is to being both, making Turkey an important stabilising and mediating factor in the region. Most importantly, whether or not Europe fulfils the promise of full membership, Turkey is far from dependent on it. As President Gül put it last week in London, having had the privilege to receive a prize from the Queen’s hands: it could be the Turks who vote against EU membership in the case of a referendum.
14
Lifestyle
November 22 2010
Exeposé
Laura Le Brocq & Clare Mullins - lifestyle@exepose.com
The Devil Wears Panda
Emma Sorrell on the resurgence of fur in the fashion industry and the consequences for animal welfare worldwide. THIS season fur has certainly made a comeback. From High Street, to high end fashions, fur is everywhere. But have people really stopped caring about the animals it comes from? The 2010 Autumn/Winter catwalks saw fur in every form: shaggy fur boots and fur trimmed aviator jackets at D&G, gothic fur coats at Lanvin, and fur gilets at Roberto Cavalli. However, behind the glamour of the catwalk lurks a much uglier truth. Despite fur farming being banned in the UK in 2003, the fur industry is worth over £400 million a year, and, according to The Times, ours is one of the fastest growing fur markets in the world. China is the biggest global exporters of fur, which is worrying when you consider that they do not regulate their fur industry. According to an investigation carried out by Swiss Animal Protection into the Chinese fur industry, many animals live in conditions of extreme cruelty. Its report unearthed how foxes and other wild animals die in Chinese fur farms, an “unspeakable horror” that “dwarfs” the cruelty associated with the cramped cages and unhygienic conditions found in Western fur farms. Some examples of the cruelty, it reports, are foxes living in roofless cages less than a metre square
are, by comparison, “humane,” according to PETA the “globalisation of the fur trade means it’s impossible to know where fur comes from.” The fur we import isn’t affected by any British laws and we have no way of knowing what extreme cruelty animals may have suffered before they arrive as fur. It is also hard to know which animal a fur has actually come from. Although most fur items are made of mink and fox, many other furs are legally im-
“The Globalisation of the fur trade has made it impossible to know where fur products come from” PETA ported, including cat and dog. Defenders of the fur farms argue that regulated farms are much better than the alternative, where wild animals can be caught for days in traps before bleeding to death. The 15% of our fur that doesn’t come from fur farms could come from anywhere; wild animals killed in traps, seals bludgeoned in an annual commercial culling in Canada, or the particularly horrific case of “Foetal Karakul Lambs” in Uzbekistan, where the pregnant ewe is killed for the skin of her unborn lamb. But is any of this cruelty really necessary?
“China produces around 10 million mink and 4 million fox skins each year” SAP
SEX-ON-THE-EXE
and animals being hung up and skinned alive, still moving up to 10 minutes after the procedure. Even animals farmed in the Northern European countries that supply much of our fur still suffer in captivity for the sole purpose of our vanity. Mink in captivity are denied the chance to swim and hunt in water, which can cause psychological problems such as pacing back and forth and gnawing their own tails. Even if we had decided that these European farms
With modern technology faux fur is becoming increasingly elegant and realistic, as well as being guilt free. Due to the success of past campaigns the majority of High Street shops including Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Debenhams have pledged not to sell real fur, and only use fake. However, there are some shops on our High Street that still stock real animal fur; among them Dune, Joseph and Nine West continue to sell real fur, which many consumers may assume is faux.
An Anonymous Student on the pleasures and pitfalls of having sex to a soundtrack.
YOUR choice of seduction music says a lot about you. Some people like a bit of Verdi while they’re getting down to it, some people prefer the Glee soundtrack and some people need the dulcet tones of Jamie Cullum to get them in the right frame of mind. Music is not just useful as a mood setter; it sets the rhythm, glosses over the awkward moments and masks the noise of your flatmates downstairs. Over the summer I had a crash course in the art of sex to a soundtrack, and whilst the benefits are many, the consequences of getting it wrong are lethal. To your love life.
Lesson One: Choosing your musical mode of delivery. Unless Chris Moyles’ voice is the thing that gets you up in the morning, turn off the radio. Lauren Laverne might have the voice of an angel but with such a lack of control over the playlist and the topics of conversation, you could end up doing it to a news bulletin or a weather report (“it will be a cold, frosty night in Exeter”). Similarly, whilst Spotify offers you a great range and controllable playlists, I have had ‘John from Spotify’ interrupt my boyfriend and I and a happy threesome we did not make. CDs are great but be careful about
the running time, depending on the stamina of those involved, the tracks could end before you’ve finished your final notes. The best bet, if you can ignore the glow from the screen, is your laptop music library. The playlist function, the unlimited running time and the repeat button make it a clear winner. Lesson Two: Pay attention to the type of album you’re listening to. I speak from personal experience when I say you want to avoid anything ‘Live from…’ Nothing is quite so embarrassing as having the entire O2 arena applauding as you resurface back up from under the duvet. Even if you do feel like
If you did want to max out your student loan, designers are starting to use very high quality faux fur in their collections. Karl Lagerfeld only used faux fur in his collection for Chanel and labelled fake fur as “chic.” However, there is a large difference in the attitudes towards fur between High Street and high end fashion. Many designers including Armani and John Galliano neglected faux for real fur on the Autumn/Winter catwalks.
you might have earned it. Lesson Three: Use the playlist. Putting your music library on shuffle leaves the door open for all sorts of intrusions. I learnt this the hard way when, just as we were preparing to enter the final stage of the evening’s events, Marvin Gaye appeared. If anyone ever manages to have sex to Ben Harper’s acoustic version of ‘Sexual Healing’, please, let me know. If you’re bored tonight or looking for a challenge, try it. It will give you six minutes and thirty-two seconds of abject, toe-curling, balls-shrinking embarrassment. So with the power of the playlist
Even Lagerfeld commented that he only used faux fur at Chanel so as not to compete with Fendi (where he is creative director) who “does the best real furs”, rather than as a moral message about the use of fur. So what about second-hand fur? There are plenty of vintage fur coats on eBay, and, out of the options available, it may seem like this is the guilt free way to buy real fur. However, PETA comments that even if an animal is not being harmed in the buying of a vintage fur coat, wearing any form of fur “puts animals in danger” as it “provokes interest” and validates fur as an acceptable fashion choice. Although fur can look glamorous and keep us warm, it really isn’t worth the suffering that so many animals go through to bring it to us. We really cannot justify the process of producing fur just for our own vanity. Unfortunately, many within the fashion industry haven’t yet realised this, but campaigners were able to eliminate fur from most of the High Street so hopefully we can do the same with the rest of the fashion industry. So when you’re shopping for your winter coat this year, remember there is a much darker side to fur.
comes great responsibility. Take a few hours away from your other forms of essay procrastination and use it to create something you can return to again and again. When you’re choosing your tracks avoid ones that are too fast or too slow, listen to tracks all the way through (or a mid-song rap might come as a surprise) and try to avoid lyrics about death. In the end, what you choose to listen to during your most intimate moments is up to you. Avoid the basic pitfalls and then just figure out what it is that turns you on. Whether it’s Italian opera, show tunes or popular jazz, there is no accounting for taste.
15
Exeposé week eight
University myth No 3:
“Getting a degree will give you a head start”
Café Society
Emma Tattershall reviews The New Horizon.
Lifestyle’s columnist, Davina Cameron-Gale, examines the myths that surround university, studenthood and life on campus.
I KNOW it’s difficult to accept, but there will come a time when we have to leave Exeter. It will involve a lot of pretending to be more grown-up and sorted than we actually are, discussing house prices on a regular basis and learning to drink wine in moderation. It will also involve holding down a regular job, because that’s what we’ve been trained up for after three years at university, isn’t it? It’s at this point that things get a little complicated. On the one hand, we’re told that having a degree is the best way to secure an advantage in the job market (although by a government who seem to be actively trying to make higher education more inaccessible). On the other hand, we’re faced with depressing graduate employment statistics and constant questioning in the media about the validity of having a degree. From a students’ perspective, this is all pretty intimidating to figure out. As a History student, there are times when I’m faced with an obscure question about the habits of 13th century monks, my eyes have glazed over and I wonder what on earth I’m doing here. Of course, there is differentiation within the degree spectrum, with certain subjects clearly being more vocational than others. The specific debate about the usefulness of individual subjects is perhaps one for another time; I’m talking more about the general university experience. Is it just a superficial formality, something to tick off the ‘to do’ list, an accepted element of middle class life? There is a class-based undercurrent to some of the arguments that question
Campus Style OUR roving photographer and Lifestyle team bring you the best style on campus! Here at Exeposé we’re layering up the knits and donning our favourite hats in an effort to stave off the November gloom. [Centre] [Left] Name: Name: Genevieve Hinchliff Studying: Studying: English, Classics and What Archaeology, she’s wearing: 2nd year. What will you be wearing to the SSB? I’m going with the dressing room look: hair in rollers, fluffy slippers, and maybe a silk dressing gown. What’s on your Christmas wish list? A cape in navy or green.
the validity of a degree, presenting it as a kind of frivolous bourgeois holiday camp, where we all lie around in hammocks and occasionally peddle out pretentious thoughts with our quills, before returning to loll around in bed. Is this the case, or does university turn you into someone who is more capable of having a successful career than someone who has gone straight into work? I think the answer lies somewhere in between the media stereotype and government rhetoric. University is what you make it; there is no generic undergraduate experience. You might spend three years doing the bare minimum of work, learn absolutely nothing about yourself or other people, and leave with nothing more than a chaotic sleeping pattern and a seriously compromised liver. Or, you might make an effort to work at your degree, and get involved with something – be it a cause, a sport, developing a skill - that allows you to broaden your mind.
“University is what you make it; there is no generic undergraduate experience” Now is the time to start growing up. That’s what university is really about, that’s why it’s worth it, and that’s why it’s something that everybody should have access to. The stereotype of the student shouldn’t be a lazy, apathetic waster, it should be of someone forging individual opinions, a sense of self,
and a strength of character. Yes, your degree may well provide you with ‘research and communication skills’ and ‘good time management’, things that will inevitably find their way onto your CV, but ultimately how you emerge as a person after your university experience will have the most impact on your job prospects, and your life as a whole. There is a kind of complacency amongst our generation about career projections; some people read the negative statistics about job opportunities, and accept the interrogations about career intentions from elderly relatives at Christmas, and either couldn’t care less, or think it doesn’t apply to them. This is fair enough. One could argue that the situation is out of our hands, the lack of jobs being the responsibility of some far-away tier of government bureaucracy, and the solution being someone else’s problem - nothing to do with us. Whilst this is true to a point, apathy will get us nowhere. The best preparation for the real world – with the navigation of a competitive job market being a major part of that - is to take advantage of the time we have now to prepare ourselves. If you can equip yourself with selfbelief (that’s self-belief, not arrogance) and an ability for independent thought, then congratulations: you’re on your way to becoming a fully fledged adult. If someone would like to set up a University of Life, where we get all the answers, all the skills, and a job upon graduation, then I’d be most grateful. Until then, we’re just going to have to hope that the University of Exeter is the next best thing.
Lifestyle
THE New Horizon café on Longbrook Street might not appear to be the most exciting place from the outside, but the food it offers most definitely is. The café specialises in Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine, serving a variety of dishes from falafel to baba ghanouj, and is especially appealing for students with its low prices, fresh ingredients, and welcoming owner. I have tried a range of dishes at The New Horizon but my favourite meal, which I thoroughly recommend, has got to be the lamb meat kofta in pitta bread. This costs a mere £2.75 and for this price
you get a large toasted pitta filled with a good portion of medium spiced lamb meat and plenty of fresh seasoned salad; in fact the salad in itself would make an adequate lunch. The ingredients are all incredibly fresh, making it so much tastier, healthier, and better value than a typical takeaway. The pitta breads, sandwiches and baguettes start at £1.99 and go up to £2.75 for the chicken kebab. The New Horizon also offers more substantial meals for a similarly reasonable price, such as a chicken curry at £4.75 or your own individual mixed platter from the counter, starting at £4.50. The café also boasts a shisha garden which costs a reasonable £3.50. Inside there is a computer and wi-fi, which could come in handy if your Virgin connection is poor (most likely) and Starbucks is full. The New Horizon is ideal for a lunch time retreat.
Late night Christmas shopping
To tie in with next issue’s Exeposé fashion shoot, Lifestyle takes a look at Exeter’s best Christmas High Street events. CHRISTMAS is fast approaching, and what better way to soak up the Christmas spirit than an indulgent late night shopping trip? The majority of shops in the Princesshay shopping centre and the town centre are now open until 9pm on Thursday evenings and many of them will be putting on Christmas shopping events to entice us through their doors. Amongst the best events so far is the Jack Wills ‘Student Session’. The JW look will be featured in our Week 10 fashion shoot, but in the mean time, head down to the store on Thursday December 2 for
live music, free goody bags, in which you are presented with socks, a T-shirt, and exclusive Christmas party pants, and an after party in nearby Mosaic. We’ve got loads of other big-name high street brands featuring in our shoot, so make sure you pick up a copy and take a browse for your Christmas lists. GAP, Moss Bros., Coast, The Real McCoy, Off The Hook, Mounts Bay, Dorothy Perkins, Reiss, Hobbs, New Look and Oasis - we’ve got all angles covered, and we’ll keep you posted with the upcoming shopping events
[Centre] Name: Wang Pengcheng Studying: Accounting and Finance, 3rd year. What’s on your Christmas wish list? It’s too early, no idea yet! [Right] Name: Jessica Newton Studying: English and French, 2nd year. What will you be wearing to the SSB? I was thinking of going for a vague ringmaster look. I’ll be wearing my black corset and possibly adding some leopard print. I’m going to dye my hair a bright, bright red. What’s on your Christmas wish list? I really want a proper vintage leather satchel.
November 22 2010 Exeposé
16
Lifestyle
Google vs Facebook: their loss is privacy’s gain
With the launch of Facebook Messages, Alexander Boni examines the privacy records of the internet giants. ON November 15, Facebook held a press conference to unveil their first foray into the free email market and their latest attack upon Google’s internet dominance. The two titans have been locking horns for a while now, but with no serious encroachment upon their rival’s core market - Facebook has steered clear of the search engine business and Google has stayed out of the holistic social networking business. With ‘Facebook Messages’ on the horizon, a system that combines email, IM, SMS and facebook messages all under one social networking umbrella, Google Mail could face some serious problems with regards to market share. Currently, the search provider is estimated to hold around 198 million user accounts for its email service, a fair few shy of Microsoft Hotmail’s 360 million users – although it isn’t clear what percentage of these figures are made up of spam bots, defunct accounts and fifteen year-old emo kids creating new accounts
because ‘sevenwaystoscreammyname@ hotmail.com’ no longer accurately reflects their inner turmoil (or because they perceive Funeral for a Friend to be too mainstream now). There is, believe it or not, a serious point to all of this. Whilst Google’s busi-
ness practices are being criticised almost ad infinitum over privacy concerns, Facebook are a much more concerning threat to personal privacy. There is an obvious and accepted risk to all social networks in that whatever you put online is essentially in the public domain and thus
you should be careful of what information you share with the other 500 million worldwide Facebook account holders out there. But when Facebook tantalise those half billion users with a service that will likely offer them seamless integration with their friends, upcoming social events, birthdays, anniversaries, photo albums and all the other clutter you people fill up my news feed with then it is a very real possibility that Facebook Messages will become an oversubscribed overnight phenomenon. Now, I haven’t seen The Social Network yet, although I very much would like to, but I am very clued up on the messy state of affairs that is Facebook’s privacy record. Needless to say, it is sketchy at best. Their targeted advertising scheme was one of the first major uproars and others have followed since as allegations of users’ data being kept after their accounts have been deleted have been made. So then, how many of us will actually throw caution to the
wind, ignore the warning signs and take the blue, envelope-shaped pill with a white ‘f’ stamped on it? Facebook Messages has the potential to be a sensation, but also the potential to be a landmark occasion in which we see people becoming savvier with the way they use the internet. Google were lucky, in that they unveiled Gmail before anybody realised how dodgy their privacy record was, but Facebook has not been afforded the same good fortune. If the uptake of Facebook mail accounts is slower than expected, maybe it is because collectively we’re becoming smarter with the way we utilise the internet. It’s unlikely that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg will allow figures on Facebook Messages’ adoption to be released any time soon, but it will likely be made obvious who on your friends list has signed up to the service as a form of peer pressure marketing. I just hope that if you do throw caution to the wind, somebody isn’t reading your emails.
A ‘brief’ guide to preparing for RAG’s SSB A survivor of last year’s event, Cyan Turan gives you the DOs and DON’Ts of the SSB.
DO wear as little as you like! For one night only it becomes socially acceptable for girls to dress in almost nothing and for men to dress in sequinned thongs. No outfit is too small and less is most definitely more. However, if you are on the shy side, this year’s circus theme provides a great way to dress up and still retain that flickering shred of dignity: think ringmaster, clown, or even lion.
comfortable then you will feel like a prize idiot and probably look like it too.
But DON’T think that this is the time to unleash the new you in jewelled nipple tassels and a fig leaf. Regardless of what everybody else is wearing, if you’re not
DON’T feel the need to go home with a random stranger. It’s not big and it certainly won’t feel clever when you’re sat next to each other like two awkwardly
DO remember to fake tan. There’s nothing worse that a whole load of photos of your hot outfit basted in the unforgiving glow of the nighttime flash. A word to the wise: head down to Boots now because if you wait until December 7, the tan will be gone and pasty panic will set in.
inebriated sardines on the coach journey back to campus. The semi-naked walk of shame the next day won’t be fantastic either.
DO think about your significant other. If you have another half in a distant location, please be sensitive. Imagine the shoe on the other foot. Would you like to hear about him/her scantily clad and getting a little worse for wear surrounded by rowdy students? No, of course not. Be prepared to sacrifice (some of) the flesh-flashing for the sake of future happiness with your beloved. DON’T forget to put all family who have you as a friend on Facebook onto limited profile. It came as quite a shock last year when photos of me having a ‘good time’ were splashed across the internet. Needless to say, mother wasn’t impressed and little brother was scarred for life. DO have a look around! An amazing amount of work goes into the Safer Sex Ball and there is so much to see and do. As tempting as it might be to dance all night long to Tinchy and Jaguar, make the most of your £38 and don’t miss out on some of the other great activities that are on offer. DON’T get so nervous about going out in all your glory that you pass out before you leave as a shame-faced friend of mine did last year. The SSB is as much an experience as it is a night out, if not more so. Try not to have one too many before you arrive and also…
…DO have a good meal before you head out! Pasta, jacket potatoes and anything with rice are good options. Stomach lining is essential! DON’T forget to get some cash out! The bars are notoriously cash-only and you don’t want to be left high and dry at 9pm. Bringing cash is also conducive to a good time because it means that it is impossible for you to spend your entire overdraft in one hazy, hedonistic blast. DO remember that the SSB raises tens of thousands of pounds every year. As well as supporting the regular RAG charities, the SSB also raises money for the Eddystone Trust, providing services for people living with HIV or AIDS. DO bring a coat. It’s December, it’s cold and goose bumps are not a good look.
Protect your dignity on the journey there and then stash it in the cloakroom. And lastly, DO enjoy yourself! Have a great time and remember to brag about it to other people. The Safer Sex Ball holds legendary UK university status and people will be jealous of the fact that you have been to the most exciting, unique and downright outrageous ball in the country!
Your Last Chance for SAFER SEX BALL TICKETS The last remaining SSB tickets go up for sale on Tuesday November 23 at exeterboxoffice.com
WWW.THELASTINGDAYS.CO.UK
“ONE TO WATCH” VENUE
FRIDAY 26TH NOV @ THE LEMON GROVE
£3 ENTRY 8PM – 1AM
+ support
IKO + Disney Rascal + Guest DJ’s
18
Music
November 22 2010 Exeposé
Ellie Bothwell & Ben Murphie - music@exepose.com
Upcoming
22/11 – The Vibrators, Cavern Club 23/11 – Mike Peters (from The Alarm) – Cavern Club
25/11 – Sonic Syndicate + Red mist, Cavern Club 25/11 – Ruarri Joseph, Exeter Phoenix
26/11 – Cabaret Voltaire presents High Rankin, Cavern Club 26/11 – Frightened Rabbit, Exeter Phoenix 26/11 – Joey The Lips, Mama Stone’s 26/11 – The Lasting Days and IKO, Lemon Grove 27/11 – Aynsley Lister Band, Exeter Phoenix 27/11 – The Pines, Exeter Phoenix 27/11 – Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band, Mama Stone’s 28/11 – Dark Dark Dark, Exeter Phoenix 28/11 – Quantic (DJ set) + Florian Keller, Exeter phoenix 29/11 – The View, Cavern Club 29/11 – The Fall, Exeter Phoenix 30/11 – Dead Swans + Mother of Mercy, Cavern Club 1/12 – Lofi Hifi Student Party with The Xcerts 2/12 – Villagers, Exeter Phoenix 3/12 – Zion Train, Exeter Phoenix 4/12 – Matt Schofield + Electric Skies, Exeter Phoenix 5/12 – Xavier Rudd and Izintaba, Lemon Grove
INTERVIEW
Whatever Happened to Rock ‘n’ Roll? Ben Murphie, Music Editor chats to The Jim Jones Revue
The Jim Jones Revue sound like what would happen if Rock ‘n’ Roll had never grown up; in a world where sophistication, lengthy guitar solos and lyrics about the unfairness of politics had never existed and the hammered teen bop of the ‘50s had been stunted in its hyperactive formative years, distaining progress for anger and volume. As the lead guitar and voice of The Jim Jones Revue respectively, Rupert Orton and Jim Jones refer to how after earlier musical projects they saw fit to “give it a go as a stripped-down rock and roll band,” finding that “everything else was just an apprenticeship leading up to something more succinct.” For Jim, “Rock ‘n’ Roll was the first music I listened to when I was young,” with a main influence being ‘50s music icon Little Richard, who provided inspiration with his song ‘Hey Hey Hey Hey’. Jim says it “had this astonishing punk rock attack to it,” with “a very blood and guts” approach. It was from there that he felt “the awakening and realisation that music had both changed and hadn’t changed also.” Rupert relates how, of the mainstream music scene that surrounded his own upbringing, “there wasn’t the kind of primal energy that interested Jim or I [...] there was no real passion.” He cites influences that “stretch back to people like Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis but then go through to The Stooges, MC5 and the New York Dolls.”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll was the first music I listened to when I was young” Whatever motivates them, The Jim Jones Revue’s new album Burning your House Down has been well received, even described as “a gang fight set to 12 bar blues,” by The Guardian’s Michael Hann. Rupert says the band “took a lot of care and attention to increasing the sonic depth of the sound of this record”, whereas their self-titled debut album was done “in a rehearsal room in a couple of days. We didn’t have any money but we wanted to capture the sound of a live band” and “when we had been to
a studio before that [...] it didn’t have the grit that we get when we’re live.” However, some commercial interest soon brought the band to the attention of Jim Sclavunos, famed pro-
“We were a little bit out on a limb as far as anything happening now is concerned”
ducer of energetic rocker Nick Cave and both his bands The Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Rupert says they “went into a big studio” to record their latest offering, “but still played live,” with the main aim being to record something “a bit louder than before.” He says of the first album “we love it, but if you went up past three or four notches on your sound system, then it would break up into white noise.” With a recent appearance on “Later... with Jools Holland” under their belt, The Jim Jones Revue are now facing “at least a year or so of solid playing across the world”, and
the pressure of “trying to write as we go along.” Big changes for a group who felt that musically “we were a little bit out on a limb as far as anything happening now is concerned...” When asked if success is everything he wished, Jim shoots back “well, it’s less sleep that I hoped it would be.” He goes on to say how a successful band is “about the chemistry, and when you hit on it you are lucky. The chemistry is really good in this band... and we’re running with it really.” The Jim Jones Revue are currently on tour around Europe.
Exeposé week eight
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Music
LIVE REVIEWS Feeder, Bristol Academy, October 27 Tonight, Bristol Academy holds its breath in anticipation for something. The encroaching show is sold out and expectations are high. The crowd is vibrant with such a diversity of people, from college kids to balding, leathered men that it is hard to tell what genre of music will grace the stage. The theatre-like venue has an air of intimacy with two balconies overlooking the main floor and stage. Even before the support comes onstage the balconies seem to lean into each other and fall onto the main floor as everyone cranes their necks for a better view. The reason? Feeder are on the road again following 2008’s Silent Cry, armed with material from their new album Renegades, released in July earlier this year. The support for tonight is Morning Parade, a four piece electro indie band from Essex. With a commanding stance onstage, raw guitar sounds, electric beats and an echo
Yann Tiersen, Exeter Phoenix, November 10 At the time of writing, René La Taupe has topped the French single charts. La Taupe is an animated mole. An animated mole who sings about someone who is “mignon mais gros”, nice but large. Très terrible indeed. Although such songs can understandably put people off investigating music from non-English speaking countries for life, to do so would be a mistake, as Yann Tiersen proved to all who attended his show at the Exeter Phoenix. Although a well-established star in France in his own right, Tiersen is mainly known to the rest of the world through his work on the film soundtracks to Goodbye Lenin! and Amélie. Although these and other previous works featured the prominent use of accordion and piano, in recent years these have been set aside in favour of the electric guitar. Those expecting the traditional multi-instrumental compositions found in his film work would have been disappointed; Tiersen was here to rock out. With this in mind the opening act, Lonski and Classen came on. Hailing from the Netherlands but based in Berlin, the duo performed a set that occupied the Venn diagram points between folk, indie post rock and electronica. The structure of the band was a familiar one: a guitarist who sings and a drummer who drums and occasionally joins the singer in playing the melodica. They succeeded in getting a decent variety of sounds out of this set up, thanks to both the restrained but persistent nature of the songs and the occasional moments where the audience has the opportunity to wonder, ‘where is that sound coming from?’ In keeping with the ‘rocking out’ ethos, Lonski and Classen weren’t afraid to distort the guitar and up the tempo, if only spo-
of Feeder’s Grant Nicholas’ voice, they warm the crowd up well. Their first single ‘Under The Stars’ will be released at the end of this month. At 9pm, Feeder take to the red glowing stage. Without introduction they launch into fast tempo ‘Barking Dogs’ from their new album, followed by ‘Insomnia’. During the beginning of the set, the Renegades songs are received well: ‘Sentimental’ and ‘This Town’ are played and new fans sing word for word, while old fans move with the raw guitar sounds, impressed. The lyrics are instinctive
“The band hold a majestic presence on stage and the crowd are captured by the music” radically and for a few moments. The sparing use of these outbursts added to their effectiveness. The first part of the evening ended with a preview for the second, as the duo were joined on stage by backing vocalists made up of none other than Tiersen and his band. After an interval spent doublechecking Tiersen’s on-stage appearance by finding his face on CD covers, the audience returned to the hall to finally see him play his own set. Opening with a melodica duet, it wasn’t long before the full band started playing and the guitars came in. Although it’s tempting to see the lack of piano and orchestra as a step-down, this is still the music of a composer. The guitar parts interweaved melodically; the vocals, when present, were a mixture of Tiersen solo or full choral singing, and other instruments, such as an understated synth and the violin were used. Altogether it created the same sense of drama present in his film scores. This drama was expressed in the show’s centrepiece, in which a solo Tiersen played the violin. Forming a perpetual tension as the piece got more complex, it turned into a violent crescendo that could be simplified to violin abuse, but in actuality was spellbinding. And then Tiersen went back into guitar-priority mode, although the violin and other instruments returned periodically. The evening continued apace, the band only stopping before the chorus filled encore and to ask the audience ‘Who invented cider?’ in an awkward and therefore enjoyable piece of faux Anglo-French rivalry. It’s always good to see bands irrationally rock out, but Tiersen displayed that you can get the same energy and drama from well-thought-out compositions. Above all, it’s worth investigating the musically unknown, even if it means sifting through ten René La Taupes to find one Tiersen. PAUL WILLIAMS
and the songs are back to their gritty rock roots. They are back to invent, not imitate, now limitless with their own label “Big Teeth Music”. ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Feeling A Moment’ spark off the high nostalgic air of the night. The band hold a majestic presence onstage and the crowd are captured by the music, but not yet controlled. The momentum begins when Feeder deliver ‘Renegades’, the signature track of the album, but still the crowd do not seem completely engaged after the song is finished. The air of expectancy is not yet fulfilled. It seems predictable, but at the first note of the 2001 hit ‘Buck Rogers’ all of the crowd lift off. The energy reaches a crescendo, and Grant, bassist Taka and new drummer Karl Brazil laugh together as they see they now have the crowd in their hands. The anthemic song of our university life, I fight off the instinctive urge to drown out Grant with a holler of “DEVON!” Fully fuelled by the hype of the last song, fans who were unfamiliar with Renegades now jump about to
‘White Lines’ and ‘Home’, which, with their raw, grungy sounds work the floor into one body of movement. Minds are at one with the band.
“I fight off the instinctive urge to drown out Grant with a holler of “DEVON!’” Grant stands centre stage for ‘High’, pulling the crowd’s memories up onstage alongside him. The vocals and music are tight and the band are in perfect harmony with each other, making the song more beautiful than it already is and powerfully chilling in the wave of nostalgia it brings. The band are men of few words, Grant speaking only to thank the crowd; they connect with the crowd musically and with intimate lyrics. After an enthusiastic encore, Grant declares a
trip down memory lane with a fitting ‘Yesterday Went Too Soon’: a beautiful song perhaps echoing back memories of the original drummer, Jon Lee. Taka prompts a wave of clapping and a full singalong to the first verse of the fun ‘Seven Days In The Sun’. The place explodes once again with ‘Just A Day’ and the pit that has been present throughout finds new energy. Crowd surfers pour over the barrier to the delight of the band who are putting all their energy into their penultimate song. Feeder finish off the night with a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Breed’, whipping the main floor into a frenzy and tempting the people on the balconies to tip over into the pit. The night is seen out with a cacophony of fantastic noise from the Welsh rockers and the crowd are left on a high. Expectations have been fulfilled. Gallant in their departure, the band shake hands with old friends and new. I think it is true to say that Feeder are back to stay. HEATHER MCLEAN
Photo: Sapphire Mason Brown
“Perpetual tension”: Yann Tiersen at Exeter Phoenix
PREVIEW Frightened Rabbit, Exeter Phoenix, November 26 Formed in 2003 and hailing from the small Scottish town of Selkirk, Frightened Rabbit don’t ascribe the typical brash indie sound of their proud nation. With three studio albums under their belt, the most recent of which, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, came out this year, Frightened Rabbit come to the Exeter Phoenix to give us a taste of
their quiet, reflective rock. Sporting a line-up that constantly appears to be “gathering members”, as frontman Scott Hutchison proclaims, they’re a band that promise to deliver an affecting and powerful live show. Summer 2010 saw the band play a host of successful festival dates, including Latitude and Glastonbury. Their new single, ‘The Loneliness and the Scream’ resonates with Hutchison’s hound-dog vocals and is saturated with their trademark jangly guitars, slowly building to a hollered
crescendo. Support at the Phoenix will come from Leeds-based indie hipsters, Sky Larkin, and fellow Scots, Admiral Fallow, for a evening that is set to deliver. Tickets can be purchased from Exeter Phoenix Box Office (01392 667 080) or online at www.exeterphoenix.org.uk
ELLIE BOTHWELL AND BEN MURPHIE MUSIC EDITORS
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Music
November 22 2010
Exeposé
ONE TO WATCH Daniel Horgan discovers why Little Comets are burning bright It is almost guaranteed that if you spend good money to see a well-established band then you will enjoy the experience. The live performance is likely polished and the band will have a tried-and-tested formula that appeals to you. Even if the particular set that you witnessed wasn’t their best, even being able to say you have seen such a group is rewarding enough. However, with smaller scale venues and less well-known bands it’s very much luck of the draw. Though there is no doubting the talent of such groups, the problem could simply be the lack
of enthusiasm you may have for their particular musical style. And yet occasionally you stumble upon something wonderful. Just like Little Comets. Little Comets are a four piece from Sunderland and Newcastle, with a distinctively unique indie sound. They are yet to release their debut album but they have recently graced iTunes with their musical talents in the catchy form of the single ‘Isles’. This may be their first foray into Apple’s online music market but it is sure not to be their last. They have had some recognition, such as appearing on the BBC Introducing stage of Radio One’s Big Weekend 2009 and having the captivating single ‘One Night in October’ being played on Huw Stevens, Sara Cox and Zane Lowe’s music shows. Despite this, they seem to be widely unknown, and prior to seeing them I had not sampled the wonders of their music. I saw them in April, and they were
and contagious choruses, the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. The grandstand hit of ‘One Night in October’ was first to enthral the crowd, followed by a relentless barrage of sublime tunes including ‘Figures’, ‘Adultery’, ‘Mathilda’ and my personal favourite ‘Joanna’. However, the band’s live performances are not confined to traditional music venues. A unique activity that the group partake in is doing gigs in many unusual locations, including trams, shops, streets and most impressively of all lecture theatres. Check out YouTube to have a look for yourself. Who knows, maybe they’ll liven up one of your lectures with their presence one of these days…
simply incredible. From the instruments hanging on strings throughout the stage
and the flamboyant chicken hat the lead singer had donned, to the catchy riffs
Their new single ‘Isles’ is now available to download from iTunes, and you can also download a free ‘one-violaplus-mark-on-a-drum’ version from their website, www.littlecomets.com.
CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin Released 5 October 1970 It’s 40 years since Messrs Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham unleashed Led Zeppelin III, their third hotly anticipated album, on the world. With the bluesy, hard rock, guitar riff-driven second album, now widely considered the band’s heaviest, (which gave us ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Dazed And Confused’ and ‘Heartbreaker’) still ringing in the ears of fans, this album came as a shock. It marks a pivotal moment in the transition of Led Zeppelin from a simple bluesrock band to the stadium-filling act that could demand a reported million dollars per show for the duration of the 1970s. The band had retreated into the Welsh Valleys to Bron Yr Aur cottage to write and record a new album. The Celtic and folk influences of the surroundings permeate every song, with a more lyrical and melodic approach that takes the band’s music in a new and mature direction. Album opener ‘Immigrant Song’ is a hard, stomping track that echoes the Viking war cries of the song’s subject and links with the previous riffdriven album. However, with ‘Friends’ the tone and music becomes far more folk-based, with the appearance of an acoustic guitar, almost unheard of in Led Zeppelin’s catalogue. With the lack of a discernible riff, and the drums sounding decidedly quieter and Eastern influenced, it is obvious that the band were heading in a new direction. A criticism of Led Zeppelin had been that they lacked original songs and style, and simply defeated any criticism with volume. Here, it seems they worked to silence the critics. A new style and attitude is obvious, and the Plant/Page writing duo blends an eclectic mix of influences and styles. A rock/pop song that, as the lyrics suggest, is full of optimism and hope,
‘Celebration Day’ has a driving drum rhythm and simplistic guitar track mixed in stereo to swirl around the speakers like a maelstrom. Vocally, Plant is as strong as ever, growing in confidence at his own range and ability. However, the guitar has primarily been used as a rhythm instrument, leaving Page’s Godlike status to languor in the backing track. Step up ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’.
“Plant oozes charisma and sexual feeling, his voice cracking, almost painfully, as he sings” At seven minutes, 23 seconds long, this is the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ of the album: a blistering blues track in which each band member rises to a new level of musicianship. Recorded live in the studio, with a few overdubs later, the song is a direct slap in the face to any doubters of Zep’s musical ability and prowess. Plant oozes charisma and sexual feeling, his voice cracking almost painfully as he sings. Jones’ Hammond organ and Bonham’s drums provide a solid rhythm section for Page to deliver an epic guitar piece that is almost operatic in scale. The grandiose overdubbing and layering of ‘Stairway’ is vacant here, leaving the simple blues melodies to speak for themselves. ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ is definitely the musical high point of the album. After the catchy but slightly repetitive riff of ‘Out On The Tiles’, a song reflecting the band’s experiences in Los Angeles, and with a typically late 60s pop chorus, the latter half leans heavily towards folk and country music. ‘Gallows Pole’, a Western Country ballad, employs a unique use of the banjo and acoustics, with Plant singing with a slight Texan twang, far from the Celtic dirge that opened the album.
‘Tangerine’, another paean to country and western music, with origins in Page’s previous band, The Yardbirds, utilises Page on a pedal steel guitar, though is probably the weakest track. ‘That’s The Way’, twinned with ‘Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp’, form the album’s true acoustic couplet. A precursor to the superior ‘Going To California’ from Led Zeppelin IV, ‘That’s The Way’ is a strangely optimistic but regretful song about lost love. It is possibly the most tender song released by the band, with a noticeable sense of loss in both Plant’s singing and Page’s longing, echoing guitar slides. ‘Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp’ contrasts nicely and is a true Celtic romp of acoustic genius that simply captures the joys of walking a dog in the countryside. Page excels himself with his fingerpicking and strumming in a typically English country blues masterpiece, complemented by Jones’ sliding bass and Bonham’s simplistic drumming that is guaranteed to get feet tapping. Finally, ‘Hats Off To (Roy) Harper’ celebrates the Brit singer in a psychedelic Robert Johnson style that will leave some baffled and others marvelling at the diversity of this album. A far cry from their two previous, riff-driven efforts, Led Zeppelin III is the quieter, reflective and logical step in the band’s history. Although overshadowed by Led Zeppelin IV, it deserves a listen, if only to hear a band on the cusp of creative genius and superstardom, a band reaching the peak of its ability. HENRY WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
1970 in music January 14 – Diana Ross & The Supremes perform their farewell concert in Las Vegas. January 26 – Mick Jagger is fined £200 for possession of cannabis.
“God-like status”: Jimmy Page wields his famous Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck guitar . September 9 – Elvis Presley returns February 14 – The Who record Live at to touring for the first time in 12 years, Leeds. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Arizona. April 10 – Paul McCartney officially announces the end of The Beatles. September 18 – Jimi Hendrix dies On the same day, Elton John releases from asphyxiating in his own vomit. his second album, Elton John.
Exeposé week eight
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ALBUM REVIEWs Messy Little Raindrops Cheryl Cole Let’s face it, it’s not been the best year for Cheryl Cole. It can’t be easy to undergo a very public divorce from Chelsea and England hero, Ashley Cole, and to then take a luxurious break in Tanzania only to contract a strain of Malaria that left her weak, super-skinny and, more importantly, writing her will. Nevertheless, the ‘nation’s sweetheart’ pulled through and managed to record a new album along the way. Following her multi-platinum-selling album 3 Words in 2009, Cheryl returns with the much-anticipated Messy Little Raindrops. Being a household name in the UK that is fast gaining recognition across the Atlantic, Cheryl was sure to land herself some first-class help from world-renowned artists and producers. These include good friend, and rumoured love interest, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Travie McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes and the producer, or genius rather, behind the hit that was ‘Fight for This Love’, Wayne Wilkins. Wilkins works his magic once again on the catchy new single ‘Promise This’, which, following its release in October, was announced as the fastest selling single of 2010. Messy Little Raindrops is a much more personal and up-tempo creation than 3 Words. The track ‘Yeah Yeah’, featuring vocals from McCoy, undoubtedly set to hit the Dance Chart with a
bang in the near future – as well as quite arguably being the best track on the album. Also not to be missed is the scheduled second track for the album, ‘The Flood’, a slower song most likely reflecting the emotional turmoil Cheryl has suffered this year, with lyrics reading “I knew the waves were icy, when I felt them all retreating, went to take a dive into the deep end, oh, what was I thinking?” Cheryl has recently been quoted as saying that, finally, “I want to get my voice back, get it all off my chest and move on,” and that is exactly what Messy Little Raindrops is all about. Whereas the gorgeous Geordie normally prefers to keep her personal life under wraps, it appears that she has turned to her music as a medium through which her adoring public can at last hear an element of her side of the story. With ‘Happy Tears’ directly addressing her marriage predicament with “I cried when I heard you cheated” and ‘Promise This’ targeting the actual severity of her illness with “If I die before I wake, be the last to kiss my lips”, the album really is almost a compilation of diary extracts. Despite her vocals being a little digitally enhanced and high-pitched at times, one cannot ignore Cheryl’s
SINGLE REVIEWS
Hypest Hype Chase and Status feat. Tempa T After a year working with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Rihanna, Saul Milton and Will Kenard are back in the limelight under their old moniker, Chase & Status. On the rowdy new single ‘Hypest Hype’ the duo return to their English roots and have brought UK Grime MC Tempa T with them. A hybrid of heavy guitar riffs and the duo’s usual Dubstep-inspired productions, ‘Hypest Hype’ leaves you feeling one thing only... hype! The fusion of guitars, basslines and Tempa T’s furious vocal delivery lead to obvious comparisons with British dance group The Prodigy and, in terms of energy, the similarities are striking. The aggression kicks off with a guttural scream from Tempa T just as the guitars drop and from here on out there is a perpetual rise and fall in en-
“‘A hybrid of heavy guitar riffs and the duo’s usual Dubstep-inspired productions”
ergy as the guitars weave in and out of the bassline. The production keeps you on the edge of your seat, or if you’re at a club/festival, which this track was clearly intended for, raving your head off. In a recent interview with Metro, Kennard explained, “It’s been inspired by our shows: we’ve kept that energy of dance production, but layered a few guitars,” while Saul Milton jokingly described their shows: “if there’s no moshing or people punching each other in the face, we think it hasn’t been a decent gig.” Whilst ‘Hypest Hype’ may not get a ‘most played’ spot on your day-to-day playlists, its raw aggression will undoubtedly be smashing up dance floors nationwide and into the distant festival season. BILLY MCLENNAN
WYWH The Concretes
evident metamorphosis as an artist. Her trademark ‘pop’ sound is far from lost in Messy Little Raindrops, but Cheryl has stepped things up this time by mixing this with dance beats, a touch of RnB and even a little Punjabi influence in the track ‘Amnesia’. The fact that she doesn’t stick to a particular genre could very well be criticised, but really it just highlights Miss Cole’s understated versatility even further. Whatever Cheryl touches turns to gold. With Messy Little Raindrops being an exciting follow-up to 3 Words, Cheryl-mania looks set to continue for a long while. Never mind the raindrops, this girl’s whipped up a storm. CHIARA THOMAS
THE CONCRETES used to be so cute. With the tinkling toy piano-like sound that opened their last album, 2007’s Hey Trouble, anyone could be forgiven for any surprise induced by WYWH’s opener and lead single, ‘Good Evening’. I guess it’s sort of slow-burning ambient disco - though still with that experimental feel and quirky Swedish accent that comes with this sort of band. Interesting hooks weave throughout, rarely rising above a strong atmospheric track. Nice to listen to, naturally, and with slightly dubby elements, but most solid humans can’t dance to mere atmosphere. You see this, like most others on the album, features denser production than previous, but with what seems to be a sparser sound. The eight-strong band always sounded surprisingly slight, but placed in this near-epic context of swirling production, much seems lost below the ambience - including, interestingly, Lisa Milberg’s voice. This progressive - or at least progressed - aural style is a lot more moody and brooding than the band’s usual (bitter)sweet indie pop. As we move through the melodic ‘My Ways’ and the heavily trip-hoppy ‘Crack in the Paint’, we realise this is several steps forward in terms of sheer style; so you see why it’s a surprise. Why, Lisa is almost sexy - before, you wanted to take her home and make her a picnic; now, you want to take her home
Music
and… see what happens. She’s breathy throughout, her vocals pushed back into the echoey mix and moving from the old First Aid Kit twee to a near-unprecedented Goldfrapp erotica. Standout tracks here are ‘I Wish We’d Never Met’ and ‘Oh My Love’, which are the strongest examples of simple Concretes’ melodies against lovely Concretes’ sounds and arrangements. But this is deceptive: ‘All Day’ may sound like a polished dance release but the longer the songs play, the more you realise there is little, in terms of melody and lyrics, that is actually that unrecognisable about it. It is then that you realise just what an intriguing shift forward this is for the band. It all clicks. The ambience, then, isn’t so alienating. WYWH is The Concretes of old with some tweaks – perhaps a symptom of being the second album without Victoria Bergsman. After some adjusting, they can now consider their feet found. By the time we move into the last few tracks, including the lovely ‘Knck Knck’, we realise this is not only recognisable, but improved: I was 16 when the last album came out and it definitely chimed with this burgeoning indie-ish ‘thing’ many of us underwent, all cardigans and whatnot. This, like myself, has substantially matured. How lovely. By the time of the closing title track, the album seems new and familiar – of interest to both returning fans and new listeners. CALUM BAKER SCREEN EDITOR
Constellations Darwin Deez ‘CONSTELLATIONS’, the opening track from Darwin Deez’s self-titled album, is an undiscovered three-minute gem. From the first time you hear the pulsating, robotic riff that rides through the whole track you’ll be up dancing, and making moves like frontman Darwin Deez himself.
“‘From the first time you hear the pulsating, robotic riff you’ll be up dancing and making moves like frontman Darwin Deez himself ” Described as “infectious” by the brooklynvegan blog, Darwin Deez’s performances are a must-see spectacle, and listeners to ‘Constellations’ will find themselves loving it even more once seeing it live. Famed for their synchronised ‘80s inspired dance moves, the band unself-consciously jump around onstage, embracing their frontman’s contagiously positive outlook on life.
Raised in an American household based on the teachings of the Indian mystic Meher Baba, who spoke about stirring “love in the hearts of humanity through love itself,” Smith is an incredibly philosophical character. Yet, whilst studying Philosophy at university, his Baba-esque bubble burst as he discovered the teachings of Nietschze, and the concept of brotherly love that was his life’s basis was destroyed. The lyrics of ‘Constellations’ reflect Smith’s truth-seeking mentality. The line “if freckles don’t mean anything, does
anything mean anything?” reveals a melancholic undercurrent to the upbeat music, and harks back to a time of depression when Smith struggled to make friends and dropped out of college. Yet despite its philosophical depth, it can purely be enjoyed for its musicality. This simple, understated track is a singalong work of art. So get those hand-claps and wolf howls spot on, whack on your flannel headband and break out your silly dance moves to this little masterpiece. CAITLIN JONES
22
Screen
November 22 2010
Exeposé
Calum Baker & David Brake - screen@exepose.com
NEWSREEL
THE HANGOVER 2 cameo roadshow continues with Paul Giamatti and Bill Clinton now joining Liam Neeson as the cast and bizarreness of the new film continues to grow. Following mixed reviews for Todd Phillips’ latest, Due Date, it seems the director is going all out to secure the brilliant success of The Hangover again. In trailer news, last week saw the release of the new Winnie the Pooh trailer. Interesting to note is the change back to hand-drawn animation which creates an oddly lovely, warm, fuzzy feeling. Released next summer, it definitely seems to be one to watch. Meanwhile, The Green Lantern has leaked - in Spanish. The film, whatever the language, looks sadly uninspired. In sequel news, the title for the second Wolverine film has been announced simply as The Wolverine. Here’s hoping the more serious title and prospect of Darren Aronofsky directing will breathe fresh life into this fledging series.
COMPETITION
THIS week, we are again offering THREE PAIRS of tickets for any film at any time that you fancy. With essay season reaching its peak, you deserve a break. So, all you need to do is email us with the subject line “I LOVE EXEPOSÉ”, and you’ll get entered into the draw. It’s easy.
Take a peep Alice Windows explores a returning cult favourite.
WITH series seven of Peep Show starting this week on Channel 4 it seems a good idea to explore what it is that makes this comedy so brilliant. Having won Best Comedy Show twice at the British Comedy Awards and two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy and Best Comedy Performance (David Mitchell) it is certainly up there in the echelons of British Comedy. However with fairly low ratings, why is it that Peep Show has been continually recommissioned to become Channel 4’s longest-running sitcom? The concept of the show is in itself unusual, following the lives of Mark (Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb). Although a standard comedy plot, it is made remarkable by the point-of-
All entries should be sent to: screen@exepose.com Deadline is 29 November 2010.
It’s all white noise
Lizzy Quinlan isn’t optimistic about TV these days.
LADIES and gentlemen, before we begin our feature presentation: a lazy regurgitation of an appalling cliché. Back in 1968, pseuds’ favourite Andy Warhol announced that in the future, everyone would be famous for 15 minutes. Poor call, Andy. Everyone’s famous for approximately an hour on a weekly basis. Obnoxious, talentless, or genuinely mental, a lifetime of PR reps desperately trying to get you into the ‘Spotted’ section of Heat is just an online application form away these days, courtesy of British television. You don’t even need to speak coherent English. Or have access to basic washing facilities. Or a visa. What once was a magical box of dreams, creativity and Blackad-
der Goes Forth has degenerated into an advert-ridden display case for the delusions of fame-hungry lunatics. Even ignoring the infuriating ubiquity of ‘reality’ style shows, the state of TV at the moment remains unrelentingly depressing - one big hostile takeover bid by Satan, his weapon of choice being sheer, brain-numbing mediocrity. It’s not like there is a massive influx of hitherto untapped small-screen brilliance being overlooked here: the closest thing we’ve had to intelligent drama this autumn is a balding Rupert PenryJones wearily chasing Ronnie Kray’s evil bastard children across London, superfluous Jack the Ripper expert in tow. And we call this civilisation? Elsewhere, we’ve got such mindbogglingly vapid crap as The Only Way is Essex clogging up the schedules, single-handedly lowering the collective IQs of the entire nation to subatomic
view shots used. This often gives the viewer the same perspective as the protagonist with narrative voiceovers from the point of view of Mark and Jeremy, which means the audience have a much more direct relationship with the characters. This refreshing stylistic comedy, with brilliant telewriting from Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain (of Four Lions, and contributors to The Thick of It and In the Loop), was first aired in 2003 and has since become considered a cult television show. Mark and Jez are two men in their late twenties/early thirties who struggle to deal with life. They’re unlikely friends with nothing in common. Mark is intellectually superior but crippled by social inadequacies, whereas Jez, although slightly more sociable, is a freeloading “musician” who fails to work for the vast majority of the series. As characters, they are extraordinarily well-developed with complex layers. Mark, while intelligent and with a love of history, is paranoid about the way he is perceived by people and his internal dialogues lead to some of the most hilarious moments in the show as he questions whether he is normal. A particularly poignant moment is his perception of his relationship with his b o s s A l a n Johnson
when Mark is confused by his admiration and begins to question his sexuality. In order to fit in, Mark at times has to endure activities others deem normal. Jeremy, on the other hand, has a much more laid-back outlook on life and prefers not to think at all, rather than over thinking situations like Mark. However, he too has his social inadequacies, particularly where women are concerned. Although he has more success than Mark, he appears to become incredibly over-attached in his relationships, which eventually leads to their demise. The dynamic between Mark and Jeremy makes the show entertaining. Although they share a flat, they essentially dislike each other and find it impossible to understand each other’s motives for their actions. They are forced to stay together by a mutual dysfunction which prevents them leaving each other and living real lives. The combination of Mark and Jeremy with secondary characters such as Johnson and Super Hans makes Peep Show’s cast one of the funniest around. Like many other shows that deal with current affairs and social issues, Peep Show addresses society’s problems. However, it is done in an unusual and comedic fashion, and is much more subtle. For example, Mark is harassed by some children who call him a “paedo”. He eventually responds to them, leading to some amusing viewing as he chants to himself “I’m not a paedo”. It provides a refreshing take on comedy, dealing with
how these issues affect people’s lives - not just the news - and as a viewer it is easier to relate to. This is one of the most pivotal things about the show: people can relate to it. Everyone has an awkward friend or family member who is a little socially inept and it is funny to watch their struggles with life. In a way, one of the most appealing things about Peep Show is its relatively low viewing figures. By watching a non-mainstream show you feel you’re part of a secret members’ club where the brilliance of Peep Show is limited to those who “know”. With the unusual filming techniques, awkward humour and not exactly ‘family’ viewing, it is unlikely Peep Show will ever become a mainstream comedy show, but frankly, I like it all the better for that. Series 7 starts this Friday at 10pm on Channel 4.
levels as it gleefully fellates the shareholders of fake tan manufacturers. The Jeremy Kyle Show, whilst obscenely compelling, is essentially a legitimate way to point and sneer complacently at the proletariat. (Come on, you can admit it. We’re all friends here). The Inbetweeners is finished. Strictly Come Dancing is weird. Skins attempted a ‘murder mystery’ plot. Lip Service is only ‘controversial’ and ‘provocative’ in the sense that they let a four-year-old write the script. Boyle quit Mock the Week. Hislop has veered incontrovertibly off to the right. Kristin shot J.R. In terms of ‘proper’ TV, we’re screwed. The only option we really have these days is to retreat into the realms of exploit-o-porn, but the socially acceptable kind (you know, the sort with classical music). Alas, however, even The Apprentice, official reality schlock for the middle class, seems vaguely tedious
this time round. My usual ritual of nastily judging the contestants has somehow lost its appeal. Hard-faced, backstabbing über-bitch with unrecognisable accent and distractingly cold dead eyes? Check. Nice-but-dim ‘geeza’? Check. Impossibly odious-yet-undeniablyattractive slimeball? Check. Recent Exeter graduate? Che- oh wait, actually no, not anymore. It’s like the producers aren’t even trying to find decent original humiliation fodder anymore. And the incompetence itself has also lost its comedic genius. 16 bread rolls out of a thousand? A dress made of recycled ties? A VAGUELY SUGGESTIVE TASK INVOLVING SAUSAGES? Tee-bloody-hee, BBC, tee-bloody-hee. God, it makes you feel like napalming a primary school. I miss Margaret. Oh, and as for the bloody X Factor? Rather like the Roman Empire, it’s become so big it’s actually imploded, and
in doing so, mutated into a hideous orgy of weird outfits, confetti and mad fat people. It’s awful. So yes. In conclusion, we are facing a decidedly tragic state of affairs, and one that only seems worse when set against this year’s backdrop of exceptional cinematic releases (e.g. INCEPTIONOHMIGOD). And for those of us too lazy to even consider the 10 minute walk to the cinema, that’s just not good enough. I demand action. Antisocial sofa dwellers of the country, unite. It is torch and pitchfork time. Or, at the very least, strongly-worded-letters-to-Ofcom time. Will no-one rid us of this turbulent lack of good TV? (And if you missed that reference, it’s already too late for you.) Come on. I have simple tastes. More Doctor Who would be fine.
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Exeposé week eight
My Afternoons With Magueritte
Skyline Dir: Colin and Greg Strause Cast: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison (15) 91mins WHEN asked about UFOs, one of the first things that comes to mind is the idea of them hovering over objects and people and sucking them up using some weird, mysterious light. Well, this idea has made its way onto the big screen now in the form of Skyline. When strange blue lights descend upon LA, people go outside to investigate before a fleet of spaceships appear from the clouds and start abducting the hell out of everyone. The story follows Jarrod (24’s Balfour) and his girlfriend (Scottie Thompson) and their struggle to escape the invasion. After a slow start, the film picks up as aliens start emerging from the ships and begin ominously roaming around the city, and the Strause brothers’ direction
shows skill with special effects that won them a BAFTA for The Day After Tomorrow. The cast are all fairly unknown, the most recognizable being Scrub’s Faison, and due to the characters’ behaviour at the start of the film it is hard to feel much empathy for them as it progresses. Sadly ,this film relies far too heavily on admittedly impressive effects and neglects the plot, culminating with a frankly anti-climatic final twist whose sole role appears to be to secure a sequel. Fans of Cloverfield will enjoy, but don’t expect to be blown away. THOMAS JENKINSON
Dir: Jean Becker Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus (15) 82mins GERMAIN CHAZES (Depardieu) is a man without a purpose in life. Illiterate, mostly unemployed and struggling with a lack of affection from his mother, only his girlfriend Annette (Sophie Guillemin) keeps him going. However, his life is spun on its head the day he meets an intelligent old lady called Magueritte (Casadesus) while he is sitting at a park bench counting and naming the pigeons - a scene which in particular shows his incredibly endearing qualities. The pair immediately strike up a friendship:
he shares with her the many facets of his life and she shares her immense knowl-
TO even hint that the release of the penultimate Harry Potter film is not a major cinematic event would be as foolish as professing a dislike for redheads in the presence of a room full of Weasleys. Needless to say, this seventh instalment in the franchise (based of course on J. K. Rowling’s fantasy novels) has been ambitiously staged by director David Yates, who fittingly injects the film with a real sense of scope, maturity and even horror. Gone are the days of skipping merrily around Hogwarts, drinking Butterbeer and dealing with badly CGIed three-headed dogs. No, this is serious stuff, with Hogwarts professors being devoured by snakes, epic battle sequenc-
es conducted from the air, and strong overtones of ethnic cleansing. With so much going on, it’s only appropriate that Warner Bros. decided to split Deathly Hallows into two distinct halves - for the benefit of the fans, of course. Nothing to do with the lucrative prospect of doubling the profits... The always-fantastic Bill Nighy kicks off proceedings with a low-key cameo as new Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, who acknowledges that “these are dark times” and declares that the “Ministry remains strong”. Within 20 minutes or so, and after some intense words, an amusing sequence in which Daniel Radcliffe wears a bra, and a wedding with quite a few more uninvited guests than Mrs. Weasley (Julie Walters) might have hoped for, the film intensifies as the Ministry inevitably falls and Harry (Radcliffe), Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) are forced to fend for themselves for the first time.
It is a credit to the main trio, and especially Watson’s much-improved acting talents that the film’s middle sequences do not lag, despite the fact that not a lot seems to happen. Indeed, the trio wander from forest to forest, arguing and looking miserable for quite some time, but these scenes are nothing if not ominous and full of subtext, with Yates, screenwriter Steve Kloves and cinematographer Eduardo Serra (employing an abundance of secluded landscape shots) capitalising upon a sense of deep-rooted paranoia and dread. It is these scenes in particular which highlight a surprising level of artistry, not present perhaps in a Potter film since Alfonso Cuarón’s moody Prisoner of Azkaban. As the film picks up pace and Lord Voldemort (the ever-noseless Ralph Fi-
Dir: Hal Ashby Cast: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort (15) 91mins
That said, from experience around campus, “Harold and who?” seems by far the more common response than immediate recognition. Running only 91 minutes long the plot follows hearsedriving Harold (Cort), literally bored to death, whose encounters with the carstealing, tree ‘rescuing’ and nude modelling Maude (Gordon) revive his enthusiasm for life. The film is punctuated with the dark humour of Harold’s increasingly inventive suicide attempts and the reactions of his high society mother, dates and therapists to his affair with Maude. Vivian Pickles plays the brilliantly aloof, controlling, conservative mother bewildered by her son’s strange behaviour designed to get her attention. Her misguided attempts to straighten Harold out, ranging from a new car to finding him a
THIS year celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of Britain’s most controversial films ever released; one that appalled the critics, horrified its audience, and destroyed its director’s career. Peeping Tom takes its viewers on the same voyeuristic journey as its lead character, whose sadistic compulsion leads him to murder women in order to capture their dying screams on celluloid. There are some genuinely chilling moments here, but much of the film is weighed down by uninspired cinematography and stilted acting. It’s a pity that these brief shining moments of Peeping Tom are lost amidst the blandness of Powell’s vision, but a vision nonetheless that is still dividing the critics.
HANA TUHAMI
FELICITY STONE
Dir: Michael Powell Cast: Karlheinz Böhm, Anna Massey (15) 101mins
ennes) grows even stronger, the trio find themselves in mortal danger, not least when trapped within the bleakly decadent Malfoy Manor. It is here where the terrifying Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) single-handedly gives a new meaning to the phrase knife crime, and where a series regular is brutally dispatched (to the cries of millions of young children, I shouldn’t wonder). The only major criticism that can be afforded to the film is the anti-climactic nature of its final scene, inevitable due to the unnatural splitting of one complete story into two segments. Considering the fact that Part II is well on its way to cinemas in July, it is perhaps safe to surmise that this film is in fact an extended trailer of the highest order. LUKE THEOBALD
Classic Films #8: Harold and Maude (1971)
MANY people might be tempted to favour the term perverse rather than romantic towards a film about the relationship between a young man and a 79-year-old woman, but in the case of Harold and Maude they would be wrong. Very wrong. An American black comedy classic celebrating living life to the full and eccentricity, with music from Cat Stevens throughout, Harold and Maude remains a fond personal favourite. A box office flop, it gained popularity especially on college campuses and went on to receive BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.
Peeping Tom (1960 rerelease)
edge of books. Every day she reads to him her favourite passages, allowing him to escape into another world, one which he could never access in his painful schooldays. Magueritte also gives him the maternal love that his mother never could, raising his self-esteem and helping him destroy his shame about being illiterate. Eventually, when her eyes start failing, he reads to her. However, while their relationship does wonders for Germain’s life it raises difficulties with his girlfriend as she wants him to focus on making a baby. His friends are also divided: half feel annoyed he spends less time drinking at the local with them, and the others are resentful of his newfound knowledge from her books. My Afternoons with Magueritte fills the viewer with hope that even the most difficult obstacles can be surmounted, with a story delivered in a sensitive and thoughtful manner and filled with realistic characters that the audience feels deeply connected to.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One Dir: David Yates Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint et al (12A) 146mins
Screen
wife, provide considerable amusement. Maude’s enthusiasm is contagious; she is the quintessentially outrageous, uninhibited old lady who plays chase with the police and encourages the hookah.
“The earth is my body; my head is in the stars” However, while her spirit is believably youthful, she is the source of much of the wisdom and messages the film projects: the importance of individuality; doing as much as you can; engaging with politics and perhaps the pointlessness of the Vietnam War in light of experiencing two World Wars. The film’s quirky ambience stems
in part from expressive faces, deadpan deliveries and clever camera work; it is worth watching carefully as you might miss one of the subtler twists. Cat Stevens’ folk rock tracks like ‘If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out’ and ‘Miles from Nowhere’ complement the mixture of light and heavy subject material. Although there is no doubt Harold and Maude is visually dated, sporting ‘70s clothing and the precursor to internet dating (which ‘fortunately’ “screens out the fat and the ugly”), this only adds to the charm. Its philosophies of life, love and individualism are timeless and almost paradoxically uplifting against a wonderfully macabre sense of humour. Not only very affordable but also available in the library, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
SAMMY BROOK
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November 22 2010
Books
James Henderson & Jacob Moffatt - books@exepose.com
IN a week where the newest royal couple have ‘booked’ the date, we here at Books have also turned towards the future. This issue sees our first feature discussing the possible death of the tangible book, the good old fashioned dusty tome. In fact, it appears that this demise is not necessarily forthcoming and is not really linked to the growing popularity of the e-book. Indeed, the future theme does not stop there, we cover Riptide, the creative writing journal which showcases the writers of tomorrow, soon to be e-book bestsellers. From the future to “l’avenir” or in other words, France. We accompany Laura Le Brocq to Paris for a series of short stories, which are all of a very high standard. Finally, Jock Paton gets locked on Papillon, a wrongly convicted member of the French counter-culture movement.
FEATURE
Re-Kindling a love for technology
Imogen Blake suggests that new media is embracing rather than destroying the humble hardback.
E-READING has never been easier. A host of e-Reading technologies are now available to the public, from a dedicated app for the iPad, to the newly launched Amazon Kindle, which uses e-ink technology in order to prevent eyestrain. With the first colour e-Ink eReader soon to be released by Chinese manufacturer Hanvon, eReaders are fast becoming a popular alternative to the real thing. Bibliophiles will insist that even the mere mention of eReaders is sacrilege and that nothing could compare to the intimate experience reading a well-loved book provides. Meanwhile, bookish holidaymakers, keen to make room in their suitcase for clothes as well as their 25 favourite novels, are full of praise for the lightweight devices which are often no larger than a single paperback. The invention of eReaders is part of what has been dubbed ‘the digital revolution’. The shift has seen Compact Discs replaced by the mp3 format; DVD players neglected in favour of BluRay technology and the humble personal computer become a multi-media colossus, incorporating television, music
storage, web access, a home cinema system and more besides. Consumer culture is currently fascinated by the idea that access to all our music, books, films and social networking websites is available on one convenient, compact and lightweight device. With the flurry of tablets, eReaders, netbooks and smartphones, which are released year on year, this trend looks set to continue. The commercial success of eReaders is clear. The Amazon Kindle sold out even before the UK release date in August of this year and from May through to July Amazon US reported that 143 digital e-books were sold for every 100 hardbacks. Sales of ebooks now make up 9.03% of total consumer book sales, compared to 3.31% at the end of 2009. After the launch of the two principal eReading devices in 2010, the iPad and the Kindle, this figure seems likely to rise. Successful sales reveal the potential product longevity of the eReader but traditionalists need not fear that the book will eventually be lost to antiquity and bookshelves will become obsolete. The invention of the eReader is simply the next step up from the online e-book and it comfortably fills the gap in the market for a portable and lightweight device, which reads like a real book but weighs much less. Judging by how quickly society has embraced HD, mp3 players, and 3-D, it appears that eReading will integrate itself into our digital culture. Children born into this generation of rapid technological development
will intuitively acquire the skills needed to control these devices because this manner of audiovisual hardware already surrounds them. They are becoming so accustomed to interacting with screens in every facet of their lives that eReaders may be a more comfortable alternative for some children than a book. If e-Readers encourage children to engage with texts, enhance their vocabulary and to simply read more, these devices can only be beneficial. Nothing could ever replace the smell of an old, dusty book plucked off the shelf and the feel of the worn pages in your hands, but eReaders do provide a more convenient means of indulging in some wonderful literature and insightful non-fiction. An eReader need not be an enemy to the book and could become its companion, as there is a demand for both in the public domain. Nostalgia for books should not arouse suspicion towards the new technology, which can enhance the way we read in so many ways. Rather than the eReader monopolising the future of written culture, there is a place for both the book and its electronic twin on our shelves.
Exeposé
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Exeposé week eight
Review
Cyan Turan reviews Exeter’s very own creative writing journal
It is not often that a university is lucky enough to be home to its own creative
Review Laura Le Brocq, Lifestyle Editor, explores Paris Tales a collection of twenty-two short stories set in Paris.
This is a delightful collection of 22 short stories which are, unsurprisingly, given their title, about Paris. I often struggle when reading about Paris. Having lived there for a while I am constantly searching for a glimpse of the city as I knew it, but I simply could not find fault with this book. The stories are from a mixture of classical and contemporary French authors, and range from the surreal The Green Monster by Gérard de Nerval, to the realist Family Portrait by Maryse Condé, to the crudely sexual (and typically Parisian!) The House in the Place des Fêtes by Roger Grenier. Short stories are pleasing to read, because even if you should come across one that you do not particularly enjoy, there will be another one, far more suited to your taste, and when you are reading from a collection of several authors, diversity and the subsequent pleasure gained from this is further amplified. The pressure you feel when reading a novel that you
writing journal but, here at Exeter, we are blessed with not only a series which publishes writers from the South West and beyond, but an astoundingly good one at that. Riptide is now into its sixth volume and still growing. Edited by Ginny Baily and Sally Flint, this volume of Riptide is something of a unique project and presents the ten short stories that were shortlisted in the 2010 Riptide International Competition for young adult fiction. The competition was judged by the university’s own Philip Hensher and also contains his introduction. The book was launched on November 2 at Exeter Central Library as part of the Exeter Children’s Literature Festival, where prizes were also given to the authors of the top three stories and the winner of the Reader’s Prize. Although these are stories for young adults, their richness and diversity is testament to the fact that good fiction is universal. Even Philip Hensher admitted at the launch that it took him a while to realise that this was in fact a competition for young fiction targeted at people aged 12+. Indeed, the ‘should’ like, and are not enjoying, but must plough on with for the sake of it (or coursework), is entirely alleviated in this case. Each story brings a fresh revelation, a fresh style, unlike another laboured chapter which only seems to further thicken an unnecessary and heavily padded sub-plot, rather like this sentence. However, in Paris Tales, I can honestly say that there was not a single dull story. There were more unusual ones, which perhaps held my interest less or did not capture my imagination quite as much, because I found little there that was familiar to me, but ultimately the book was a delight from beginning to end. A particular favourite would have to be The Gare Saint-Lazare by Michel Butor, which contains short extracts of overheard conversations interspersed with descriptions, and channels the hustle and bustle of a day in the station. I find it particularly brilliant because it is a style of writing which is difficult to maintain for both the writer, and the reader. For the writer it is a constant struggle not to turn to repetition, and equally to not describe anything too obscure. For the reader, if the story carried on for any longer it would become too involved and tiring, without any actual plot progression, but in a short, sharp burst it is as dazzling as a glimpse of midday sun. The rhythm of the station and the trains has been exquisitely captured in a prosaic
“From the swiftly turning pages; there is love, sex, death, race, luck, sorrow...” snapshot, and the brilliance is further increased by the fact that the piece has been translated from French to English without losing any of its originality. In translation, the biggest challenge is not the literal translation of words, but the transference of rhythm and tone from one language to another.
Books
creative writer and each captures the imagination of the reader so completely in such a way that I didn’t think possible for stories as short as seven or eight pages. The stories in the volume rep-
The stories themselves are at once hypnotic and beautiful, unnerving and thought-provoking. The winning story overall was Belfast author Sheena Wilkinson’s ‘What You Will’, a hilarious and frightfully ‘cringe-worthy’ account of a group of teenagers putting on a performance of Twelfth Night at their school, which had me giggling in the solitude of the library. The short tale lets us into the life of Jordan, whose
teenage crush spirals into a heady whirlwind of obsession and vodka: “I smelt his breath, Pringles and beer. My heart pounded.” Second prize went to Amy Shuckburgh for her heart-rending story ‘The Lifeguard.’ Annie’s Dad has been hospitalised with a serious throat problem and the story reflects on the need for family, strength and care, in all areas of life. My personal favourite, however, was ‘Kite Season’ by Anita Sivakumaran. An account of the uniquely bittersweet and competitive relationship that exists between brother and sister, ‘Kite Season’ is set in the tamarind groves of India. As Anand attempts to build the strongest kite, his sister is forced into the role of assistant, hanging from her bullying brother’s every words. The luscious language coupled with the grappling humility of sibling rivalry is conducive to a story that is both rich and poignant. Thankfully, karma reigns supreme as the narrative closes and Anand’s kite reaches an inevitably perilous fate. I could go on about every story. Each one exemplifies the craft of the
The collection also contains a descriptive introduction: notes on the
Review
However, in Colombia, they are thrown in jail and Papillon decides to escape on his own, ultimately escaping the authorities by spending two years with the native Indians of Goarjira.
ISBN: 0007179960
“Ideal to read all in one sitting on a lazy day, or in little snatches during the commute”
editors believe that “what unites [the stories] and sets up an echo between them is the youthful nature of all the protagonists struggling to find their path in worlds where adults don’t always hear their voices”. As a student, it can be incredibly nostalgic to look back at what seems so near, and yet is buried in past childhood memories. I found the stories to be both sensitive and complex enough for the older reader.
“Their richness and diversity is testament to the fact that good fiction is universal”
“I can honestly say that there was not a single dull story” authors, a further reading list, a map and a metro map of Paris, as well as a black and white photograph to illustrate each story. These all help to bring the stories, and therefore Paris, to life. Whilst reading this collection you really feel as though you are there, riding the RER across the city and catching strange glimpses of the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro and pulsing in time with the city’s heart. Perhaps my imagination was further exaggerated by my own vivid memories, but I really feel that these are the stories to pique anyone and indeed everyone’s imagination. Nothing is wanting from the swiftly turning pages; there is love, sex, death, race, luck, sorrow, families, war, and 95 whole metro stations of possibility. You become lost along with the small child in Georges Perec’s The Runaway, empathise with the old man in Hugo Marsan’s Blind Experiment, and are as unsure as Anna Gavalda what to make of her seemingly charming date in What Goes On in Saint-Germain. Ideal to read all in one sitting on a lazy day, or in little snatches during the commute or in bed at night, or even, perhaps, to act as an alternative travel guide to the city of lights, this is a ‘literary panorama’ which will enthuse even the most discerning of readers. I should know - I’m one of them.
Papillon Henri Charrière
Papillon is the half-fictitious memoir of Henri Charrière; a Frenchman known as ‘Papillon’ who was wrongly convicted of murder in France in the 1930s. He is sent to live out his life sentence in the brutal penal colonies of French Guiana in South America. When the book was first published in 1970, it was a huge hit and sold millions of copies, later being adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Despite its development into a Hollywood blockbuster, Papillon had humble beginnings - Charrière wrote his life story on primary school exercise books. Papillon is French for ‘butterfly’ and was the nickname Charrière had during his time in the Paris underground, a pseudonym he was forced to adopt, as his actions left him as an easy target for prosecutors. Following the trial, he is sent on a tortuous boat trip to the colony and on arrival, Papillon immediately sets out to formulate the plan for his first escape. At this point, ‘Papi’ is obsessed with getting back to France and exacting his revenge on the lying prosecutor who faced him in court. The first break leads to Papillon and his fellow convicts escaping from the hospital wing of their prison, before tackling the Atlantic Ocean on a boat given to them by convicts suffering from leprosy. Their success continues as Charrière’s superb nautical skills bring them as far as Trinidad and Colombia, in a search for a country that would allow them refuge.
“ The stories themselves are at once hypnotic, unnerving and thought-provoking”
resent the versatility of the short story form, the potential for discovery and the scope of human emotions. As Philip Hensher says in his introduction, “They are about very different sorts of people, and very different ways of life” and we should relish the diversity that this volume of Riptide allows us to experience.
Copies of Riptide can be bought from the Guild Shop in Devonshire House or Blackwells the bookshop located next to Queen’s Building. Alternatively, buy a copy of the journal online at www.riptidejournal.co.uk.
Contrary to all he had been told, the Goajira accept him as one of their own and within a year he had two wives, both of whom are soon pregnant. The idyllic life of fishing for pearls and making love under the stars detains him for a while, but soon he longs to return to France, to reunite with his family and to settle scores with the prosecutor. He is soon caught again, and after a further four attempts to escape, Papillon is sent back to French Guiana to rejoin his old prison-mates. What follows is one of the most trying periods of his adventures, as he spends two years in solitary confinement. After his release, Papillon is more determined than ever to escape, finally making his successful break on a bag of coconuts from the notorious ‘Devil’s Island’, a popular tourist attraction to this day. Papillon is eventually issued a citizen’s identity card when he makes his way to Venezuela, at long last guaranteeing his freedom. All in all, Papillon is an extremely compelling story, full of hundreds of prison anecdotes and fascinating characters from the penal underworld. Papillon is a master at expressing his every emotion through his writing, be it pain, grief, frustration or ecstasy. The suffering and anguish that he endures during his 13 years in captivity leaves the reader breathless and in awe of the courage this man possessed. You finish reading Papillon and put the book down feeling that almost anything is possible. It is truly an epic tale. JOCK PATON
Exeposé Week Eight
26
Arts
Rosie Scudder & Ellie Steafel - arts@exepose.com
theatre review
Make mine a Rum and Coca Cola James De Souza reviews Don Warrington’s latest directorial venture, Rum and Coca Cola, at the Northcott Theatre.
“HOW do we reach our audience?” Professor, a past calypso star, asks Slim, his student. “We tell the truth”. Sometimes, however, the truth can be ignored. Rum and Coca Cola asks the question, how can we pass the truth on from one generation to the next? This is an important issue during Black History Month. Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Translated, it means “continue, go on”. This is the difficulty that Professor has in the play. With a glorious past of calypso hits, it is a struggle to face his idle, rum-soaked present. Life experience has taught him to be cynical. He is reluctant to move on. In contrast, Slim is romantic and idealistic. He is keen to learn the art of calypso and the ways of the world. Together, they are writing a new song with the hope of winning the ‘Calypso King’ crown. Rum and Coca Cola charms the audience with a combination of gentle humour, catchy music and a perfect re-creation of the sun-soaked island of Trinidad. Director Don Warrington has brilliantly paced the play, capturing the leisurely feel of the music together with the excitement and passion that comes from creating it. However, whilst the sound of calypso is beautiful, the real focus of the play is the lyrics. For Professor and
Slim, the music comes naturally but the words are a struggle. They carefully develop their song line by line, weighing up every option. By drawing attention to the words, Rum and Coca Cola highlights the importance of story-telling. Truth is revealed through stories. Mustapha Matura’s script is wonderfully written, demonstrating the lyrical quality of everyday speech with its natural rhyme and rhythm. The language is vivid and sensuous, particularly when Professor reminisces to Slim about his young love affair, and through these stories the past begins to come alive.
“Rum and Coca Cola charms the audience with a combination of gentle humour, catchy music and the island of Trinidad.”
Politically the play is not as dynamic as one could have hoped, considering that calypso was used to promote free speech and highlight the central issues of the day. The real excitement in the play comes about through the chemistry between the two characters. Okezie Morro (Slim) and Shango Baku (Professor) successfully demonstrate the distance across their generations whilst bringing forth a level of closeness similar to that between a father and son, torn between their love and frustration with each other. The ‘passing of the torch’ becomes a much more intimate process. Rum and Coca Cola, it seems, is not as concerned with a political message as it is with a heartwarming one.
THEATRE review Liv Torc @ Queen’s Building November 10
I DIDN’T recognise Liv Torc when she stood in front of the Creative Writing Society, mainly because I was ignorant of what a bard was and unaware that Exeter even had one. The tradition of the bard is an old one, dating back to the Iron Age. The bard is the person elected within a community as the representative for the encouragement of poetry and creative writing. Liv Torc is a performance and page poet, that is, she performs her poetry and organises open mic nights around the
South West, whilst also having her own book of comedic and ‘Wondermentalist’ poetry published. She won the 2009 South West heat of National Radio 4 Poetry Slam and is active in promoting new stand-up performance poets around the UK, in particular at the Phoenix Centre. Liv struck me as a kooky woman who ‘had her head screwed on’. She was most certainly a gritty poet whilst also connecting with us on a personal level; many of the poems she performed were based on her own experiences and were both comical and lewd in places. She revealed to us that Liv Torc is in fact a pseudonym that she chooses to perform
under, not wanting to be attached to her poetry through her birth name. I felt privileged that Torc was able to share this personal information with us, and this personal touch was carried through to the performance of her poems. In particular, a poem containing references to her ongoing problematic relationship with her father was touching and she chose to sit down to deliver this, which I felt was very heartfelt. The deliverance of her poems was extremely engaging, the rise and fall of her tone of voice and the speed at which she stumbled over her words made the poetry all the more authentic as it felt like she was simply
making it up on the spot, making the performances endearing and awe-inspiring at the same time. She made her poems live and breathe, as if they were a person in their own right. Overall, an excellent performance poet. Her performance was not all poetry she began with a witty demonstration on the different levels of audience clapping in reaction to a poetry reading; very little clapping meaning in essence a pretty lame performance and an awed silence combined with a communal intake of breath being the height of a poet’s career. She also took the time to answer questions after she had finished her set which was
great, as many budding poets in the audience asked her how they could get their work published seriously and about her motivation for writing, all of which she responded to enthusiastically, telling us to feel free to contact her for advice or to enquire about open mic nights in the area. Ultimately, her act was outstanding and ingenious. I would recommend anyone to see Liv Torc at the Phoenix, where she regularly performs and supports upcoming stand-up acts. She was inspirational and a breath of fresh air, even if it was the kind that slaps you round the face on a chilly day. She made a lasting impact! POLLYANNA COTTERILL
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November 22 2010 Exeposé
theatre review The Merry Wives of Windsor @ Barnfield Theatre, Exeter November 2
ON my English Literature course, I was recently acquainted with Shakespeare’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. The only comedy to focus entirely on the lives of middle-class citizens, it is a humorous tale giving power to witty wives and mocking the conceited knight Falstaff. On walking into the Barnfield Theatre, I noticed with a sinking feeling the words “Countess Wear Community Theatre” printed on my ticket, the halfempty theatre and the high proportion of actors’ friends and family members in the audience.
“Falstaff’s ‘belly’ was liable to reveal its true nature as a pillow”
The staging, whilst simplistic, was effective in placing the audience in a small community, focused around one location: the Garter Inn. The costumes were descriptive of the social rank of each character, with the shimmering material of Mistress Page’s dress contrasting with the ragged costume of the servant Mistress Quickly. However, Falstaff’s ‘belly’ was liable to reveal its
true nature as a pillow by having corners protrude from beneath his jumper. The props were minimal, but the ones used were successful, in particular the washbasket central to the key comic scene, emphasising Falstaff’s humiliation and gaining laughs from the audience. Unfortunately, whilst the set and costumes were simplistic but effective, the acting was unconvincing and direction confused. Mistress Page seemed incapable of producing any facial expression other than a bemused smile, even when delivering the supposedly passionate lines, “Hang him, dishonest varlet! We cannot misuse him enough.” Even worse was Falstaff, the central character in the play, who forgot enough lines for a complete newcomer to the play to notice, and did not cover his mistakes with any kind of grace or subtlety. The one star of the play was Mistress Quickly, who delivered her lines with confidence and played the role of the opportunist, manipulative servant with conviction and great comic timing. Despite the highly distracting immaturity of the actors, the performance retained some of the comic value that Shakespeare intended, particularly the final scene where rejected lovers Slender and Caius respectively chase and are chased by their false wives through the theatre. Thankfully, the genuine wit of the Bard cannot be destroyed, no matter how hard the Barnfield Theatre tried. ALEXANDRA WYNICK
theatre review Rogues and Wanderers @ The Bikeshed Theatre November 3
THE BikeShed Theatre has recently been home to one of Exeter’s up-andcoming theatre companies, SourDough. After graduating this summer from Exeter University, the 12 key members made the risky and inspiring decision to carry on doing what they love and set up a theatre company. Having previously interviewed two members of the company, we were excited to see their debut production, Rogues and Wanderers, in the
“The coloured material draped across the performance space, beautiful Venetian masks and atmospheric acoustic guitar transported the audience to another place.” intimate, local setting of the BikeShed. The stimulus for the piece was the carnival world created in Aphra Behn’s The Rover, with SourDough aiming to
present “a world of masquerade and mayhem, where truth and myth share the same mask.” On this level, the company certainly did not disappoint as the coloured material draped across the performance space, beautiful Venetian masks and atmospheric acoustic guitar transported the audience to another place. Through-
“Two musicians also helped to carry the show, at one point accompanying an impromptu tap dance.” out the performance, props and music were used to great effect, enhancing the sense of ‘otherworldliness’ and holding together the underlying story. Two musicians also helped to carry the show, at one point atmospherically accompanying an impromptu tap dance. SourDough’s first theatrical venture made for an enjoyable evening. However, an engaging story was sometimes sacrificed for a visual feast. Nevertheless, the young performers were a credit to Exeter and a real inspiration to budding actors at the University. We look forward to their next production. ELLIE STEAFEL AND ROSIE SCUDDER ARTS EDITORS
Theatre review Serendip @ The BikeShed Theatre November 9
SERENDIP is the first full-length play by Exeter-based writer Sam Randall, and certainly showcases her talent as a successful fledlging playwright. Two separate stories set in two very different time periods are intertwined and become oddly reflective of each other. The three women suffering through the Blitz of World War II are not actually that different to the two modern day teenagers and grandmother; what links them is courage and strength in the face of adversity. The three characters exclusive to each period are all ordinary working class women, those often overlooked by society. Whether it is in war-torn Britain or the council estates of Exeter, the play is effectively one about finding hope in the darkest of moments. No male characters feature in the play and actually, this adds to its charm. The set design is excellent, and creates an intimacy that compels the audience to continue watching. The stage is left untouched throughout, only the odd item replaced or reorganised, and yet it becomes each period instantly. The BikeShed Theatre itself has an incredibly electrifying ambience, the nearest sofa (yes, sofa) to the “stage” be-
ing less than a metre away; Serendip is so suited to such an environment that I am actually doubtful as to its success in a regular, larger theatre. Katie Tranter, an Exeter University alumnus, makes her theatrical debut as the mentally disabled Dora and the fierce, street-smart Cassie. Though complete opposites, Tranter portrays each with wit and sincerity and steals the show with her genuine yet awkward compassion towards her deteriorating grandmother. The seventh character is perhaps the only real flaw in an otherwise exemplary play. ‘Stranger’ moves through time, silently interacting with the rest of the characters, and smoothing the transitions between periods. She seems to symbolise that another force is at work; her “job” being to fix the fracturing bonds of friendship and love. However, I felt this almost trivialised their struggles; the human aspect being more genuine and distressing without this hint of the supernatural. Serendip’s strength is its focus on the ordinary human. Very little actually happens, yet it touches on everything from illness to abandonment with honesty and humour. It is hard not to empathise with such stories of everyday anguish; equally hard to disengage from a play that so obviously takes the time to include you.
JULIET ANKERS
Arts
Editors’ Top 10 1. Watch This
Space
Dance November 23 The Phoenix Centre
2. Don Giovanni Opera November 23-26 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
3. The Madness
of George III
Play November 23-27 Northcott Theatre
4. The Day the
Waters Came Play November 23-27 Drum Theatre, Plymouth
5. The Vagina
Monologues Comedy November 28 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
6. Merge Dance
Week
Dance Event Nov 29-Dec 5 BikeShed Theatre
7. Nursing Lives Mask Theatre December 1-3 Northcott Theatre
8. Rambert Dance
Company
Awakenings Tour December 1-4 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
9. Barbershopera! Musical Comedy December 1-19 Drum Theatre, Plymouth
10. Swallows and
Amazons
New musical Dec 1-Jan 15 Bristol Old Vic
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Exeposé week eight
Arts
theatre review Kupenga Kwa Hamlet @ Ustinov, Bath Theatre Royal November 3-6
EVERYONE thinks that they know Hamlet, but no one knows it like this. Hamlet is probably the most performed (and most quoted) of Shakespeare’s plays. It is the archetypal tragedy, covering all bases: murder, revenge, incest, doomed romance, and of course a climax which results in the demise of pretty much the entire cast. The latest offering from Two Gents Productions is the clever and captivating Kupenga Kwa Hamlet. The name
fittingly translates as ‘the madness of Hamlet’ and theirs is certainly a unique take on Shakespeare’s classic. Performing in a tiny space with only a musical instrument and a mat as props, this Hamlet adaptation is staged by two orange-jumpsuit-clad Zimbabwean actors. Between them, Denton Chikura and Tonderai Munyevu share all the roles, seamlessly flitting between griefstricken and playful. Although the ratio of 11 characters to two actors should be confusing, their energy and use of a simple hand gesture to indicate a change in character is more than sufficient. Their performance is both amusing and engaging – most so for the
Creative Writing Corner Tribute to a sunny day in Exeter Amelia Nashe
Oh what magical Art is this that flows through me? Not the poison of last night, nor smoke’s false ecstasy No, ‘pure’ and ‘luscious’ are good descriptors for her Buttery warmth as rich as The Babe’s gift of myrrh I cannot retreat, thy magnificence holds me Still, enwrapt, thou keepst me with a wisp With such a whim, I wonder at this great honour Thou hast bestowed upon us, the Fresh and poisoned ones. From me, receive much gratitude, yet I must leave now I know not how to break, lest thy smiles should be gone I shall drink them every precious moment ‘til with a fresh tear and lift of breath, I depart
Untitled
Jack Flanagan Older, we are now. The veil of innocence is dropping And all the World can see Inhale the sulphur with beating heart A man is made of me. The aged are enumbed By years adrift at sea Till years fall from them like candle wax And a burning wick let be. Saints are older now The ever before could be. But white remain their tombstones: A virtue does not cease.
unsuspecting audience members who are dragged up on stage during the infamous play within a play (thank God I didn’t sit on the end of the row). The tiny Ustinov Theatre has an intimate feel which effortlessly involves the audience. We become the missing characters, the blanks in the conversation and part of the play itself. Somehow, from the doom and gloom of Hamlet’s tragic tale, the two actors manage to draw out some humour. As well as their laugh-worthy depictions of a sassy Ophelia and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as witch doctors, the introduction of African rhythm and song makes theirs a lively production of this tragic tale. The final scene is handled skilfully.
The action of Scene Five is retold by the gravediggers as the actors fall in and out of character, killing each other in succession to the soundtrack of a catchy African song (four days later, it’s still stuck in my head). They perform the first quarto version, cutting the running time down to just under an hour and a half. Whilst losing a lot of the dialogue, this actually makes sitting through Hamlet a much more enjoyable experience. Kupenga Kwa Hamlet is an original and thoroughly enjoyable play; the actors’ faultless and charismatic performances left me wondering why you would ever want more than two actors. ELLIE WALKER-ARNOTT
Exhibition review
Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909 – 1929 @ The V&A September 25 2010 – January 9 2011
THE first thing that catches your attention when you enter the exhibition room is the bold red walls and dark lighting that makes you feel as though you are in that hushed theatre moment, just before the curtain lifts. The boldness of the exhibition is perhaps reflective of the man himself; Diaghilev was an art critic, events organiser and publisher, though of course most famous for the groundbreaking ballet performances he orchestrated. The exhibition first seemed as though it were a random assortment of artefacts, such as sizeable jewels from the Russian tsars, and posters and videos of French ballets before Diaghilev’s era. I began to get the impression that these were objects the V&A had always wanted to display, but hadn’t quite known where to situate them. But things all fell into place when the comparison began between traditional French ballet and the bold new style that Diaghilev created. The distinction between the sedate and rather plain French ballet and Diaghilev’s
spectacles was immediately apparent from the luxurious and immense detail that had gone into costume design, not to mention the daring colours. Round the corner a video of Diaghilev’s most renowned work The Rite of Spring was cleverly juxtaposed with costumes, and my first taste of the actual ballet itself was marked by how it could be disjointed, clashing, and simultaneously brilliant. The dance is designed not to be in time with the music, which
duction, which admittedly didn’t hold much interest for me. But then the mood changed. The music was crashing all around as I entered the room, and what a room it was! An original and enormous set backcloth from The Firebird hung in the middle of the room, making it triangular and trapping viewers. The cloth is intricately designed with tiny buildings, collaged entirely by hand. The whole floor was bathed in a circular red spotlight and projected onto the
“Whilst the shadow of a girl danced across the walls, the music crashed and the spectator had the disconcerting feeling that they were also somehow on stage.”
is disorientating, but utterly fascinating. The next dimly lit room explained the different elements of pro-
other two walls was a shadow film shot entirely in red, black, white and yellow, and not dissimilar to a Bond girl montage. Whilst the shadow of a girl danced across the walls, the music crashed and the spectator had the disconcerting feeling that they were also somehow on stage. The backcloth is the single largest object in the V&A, and as if it wasn’t impressive enough you then round the corner to find another backcloth for Le Train Bleu, less detailed but equally impressive. There are some of Picasso’s costume designs, and a little history tour of the Ballet Russes during the First World War. For a final flourish, the V&A parade you past Yves Saint Laurent’s Ballets Russes inspired collection from the 1960s. It is a stunning exhibition and I would urge you to go, even if you know nothing about the Ballets Russes, the sheer wonder of the display is enough to capture your imagination. LAURA LE BROCQ LIFESTYLE EDITOR
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Video Games Stephen O’Nion & Alice Scoble-Rees - games@exepose.com
Feature
Jessica Leung traverses the everchanging landscape and market of the girl gamer.
“No Jess, you cannot play with us because you’re a girl,” responded my housemates when I asked if I could join their Halo marathon. When Halo: Reach came out I laughed at my boyfriend and the ridiculous packaging of his Legendary Edition. A day of solid playing later, I sported my 200,000 points achievement with pride. It was the look of disbelief on my friends’ faces which made me realise that the gaming world is not for girls. Or is it?
The Video Games section apologises to any men who couldn’t relate to this week’s feature. To make up for that, here are some links to mods that will make your female character naked: 1) Strip Alyx down to her birthday suit in Half Life 2 http://tinyurl.com/36tkzwy 2) Watch your character run naked accross the wastelands in Fallout 3 http://tinyurl.com/369peaa 3) Take playing God to a new level with the nude patch for The Sims 3 http://tinyurl.com/34xw4nb Only kidding! We know only girls play The Sims! As ever we would advise the use of caution and antivirus programmes when downloading from the internet.
Retro
Dr. Mario: Nintendo; Game Boy/NES. October 1990. Imagine, if you will, a blatant Tetris rip off with only a vague connection to the Super Mario franchise. Imagine if this game was at some point actually packaged with Tetris as if to prove it was more or less the same game. Now imagine that this game was far too awesome. In gameplay terms, Dr. Mario is nothing special. As said above, it is essentially Tetris, except the aim is to destroy viruses by creating a line of colours. The colours are to be found in the ‘vitamins’ that Dr. Mario throws into the game (evidently Dr. Mario went to the same Medical school as Dr. Nick if he thinks mere vitamins can cure viruses, but it is running on video game logic I suppose). However, its simplicity makes it far too addictive!
As a child I remember begging my parents for Pokémon Red (since all the cool kids played Red) and spending days wandering around Kanto as a boy named Jessica. Evidently Nintendo did not expect girls to want to be PokéMasters. Perhaps, as the name suggests, they did not think girls would even want to own a Game Boy in the first place. If I want to play as a girl I could play as an extremely sexualised character. With thighs that could crack skulls and shoes that would be more suited for the street corner (minus the guns of course), Bayonetta is one of those characters who were created to fulfil a man’s fantasy. I know of many men who claim they play as female characters to check out their pert derrière as they climb up ladders (perhaps Lara Croft tickles your fancy?) Take the Dead or Alive girls, in particular the Beach Volleyball edition, where breasts seem to have a life
of their own! If that is not a deliberate sexualisation then I don’t know what is. There are also some sexualised male characters too. Ezio from Assassins Creed 2 is not badlooking and Nate from Uncharted 2 is somewhat (VERY!) attractive. Though this makes me wonder whether the sexualised male characters were designed to appeal to a female fan base, or whether they allow men to live vicariously through them as the ‘perfect male.’ It is games like GTA, where a man can drive recklessly and sleep with everyone, which confirm that men like to live a fantasy life through their gaming. As a woman, society does not expect me to want to do the same, unless my gaming fantasy is linked to Cooking Mama. Perhaps the boundaries between games
and reality are becoming blurred; someone recently pointed me to the website ‘GameCrush’ and, intrigued, I took a peek. Single ‘PlayDates’ post a picture (Myspace style and super sexy preferably) and a gaming profile of themselves for other single ‘Players to choose who they wish to game with and pay
them to do so online. Most of the members are girls – thrusting out their cleavage and licktheir controllers
ing in a ‘sexy’ way. Statistics show that the major-
“Our tastes in games may differ but our abilities do not” ity of casual gamers are female. When I pointed this out to my boyfriend he said, “That’s because girls play silly games like The Sims or Nintendogs.” Perhaps to an extent this is true since I happen to love The Sims. However, with minimal persuasion from me, he soon became addicted. It was especially satisfying when he begged me to show him how to put After unlocking the good Doctor in Smash Bros., hearing that classic piece of music, and boring my housemates with tales of how good the old Game Boy version was, I took up the mighty quest of searching for an emulator in the vastness of the internet and find one I did. The browser emulator of Dr. Mario is the Game Boy version, and is exactly the same as it was back in the good old days of the original Game Boy. Upon finding it, Dr. Mario proceeded to steal near enough 45 minutes of my life, and has replaced idling on Facebook as my essay procrastination of choice. If you’re looking for a little game that will eat your time, only requires a basic grasp of WASD movement and the concept of rotating a digital brick, then I recommend you type the magic words ‘Dr Mario Emulator’ into Google and pick either the NES version (it has colours) or the Game Boy one. You won’t regret it... until you get your essay results back. James Smith
a roof on his house – apparently it’s not such a silly game anymore! Nintendo have definitely set a trend in making games more accessible to women, though all their games seem to be aimed at the cliché of a preteen girl. Take Super Princess Peach for the DS. Despite the fact that I am your stereotypical pink-loving, cheerleading girl, such games are patronising: Princess Peach cries more than I do and is surrounded by a world of hearts and sparkles.
November 22 2010
Exeposé
was unbelievable. He was seen as inferior all because they thought he was a girl. Despite the objections from teenage boys, the gaming world is more accessible than ever to girls. I dabbled with the new Fallout game recently and found I could fully customise my female character. Game manufacturers are quickly realising the ever-increasing market that girl gamers provide. Many men doubt that us girls can handle a controller but this is a stereotype that should be reconsidered. Our tastes in games may differ but our abilities do not. And on that note, I need to return to Fable 3, where I am successfully ruling Albion as Queen.
Even I felt nauseated. Obviously different games appeal to different audiences – you’re unlikely to see hordes of women queuing for the latest COD, although I’m sure there are girls who love nothing more than pwning n00bs online. Besides, I’m sure many guys would choose Wii Party instead of spending the day with prostitutes in GTA. Ultimately, everything’s subjective; anyone can play video games. However, people have their own preconceptions about who the term ‘gamer’ applies to. For example, I changed my friend’s Halo name to my own and made him an emblem of pink flowers. Despite winning the round, the amount of abuse he received (including demands for sandwiches) from pubescent American boys
NEwsBYTES
Shot someone recently? Just couldn’t resist taking an axe to a dwarf in the street? Decided to start a civilization and slowly wipe out an opposing nation? Listening to that, George Bush? Well, you may have video games to blame, as a new study finds 54% of Americans believe violent video games lead to a more violent society. They complain now, but come the zombie apocalypse, I feel better knowing our generation will decapitate the infected effectively with a frying pan. When it comes to the influence of video games, perhaps the CIA could play Call of Duty: Black Ops if it ever plans to try and assassinate Fidel Castro again. Cuban state television has denounced the latest installment in the COD series for a mission when you attempt to take out the ex Cuban leader.
Given the ever-increasing level of controversy afford to COD’s levels, after MW2’s airport, look for the next installment to feature a 45 minute torture scene where a disabled war veteran is poked with a sharp stick. All in the name of realism. For anyone who has been affected by the horrors of war, or being poked with a stick, then Tetris can help. Oxford University researchers have concluded that playing the block-based puzzle classic could help prevent flashbacks and other traumatic memories. For all those who want Tetris of the 21st century, an HD 1080p PS3 version is on its way. But whether playing it will counter the trauma of losing at its multiplayer version is anyone’s guess. Finally, the Exeposé Video Games section would like to wish Prince William and Kate Middleton congratulations on their impending 1-Uptials.
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Exeposé week eight
review
Rockband 3: Harmonix, Electronic Arts; PS3/360/Wii/DS. October 29 2010 Rock Band 3 represents the strongest assault yet on Guitar Hero by Harmonix, the original developer of both franchises, and pushes ahead with updated graphics, more songs, a new instrument, and, crucially, the introduction of a ‘Pro’ difficulty level that brings a new level of realism to a game where you otherwise press buttons on a plastic guitar. RB3 has now introduced a plastic keyboard to go along with the plastic drums, guitar, bass and mic to cater to your friends with elegant pianist’s fingers, and it doesn’t seem out of place, as the track list features many new titles that showcase keys. You can still carry over your hard drive from the previous two titles though, and, coupled with the online music store the Rock Band
review
Fallout New Vegas: Obsidian, Bethesda; PS3/360/PC. October 22 2010
When playing Fallout: New Vegas, despite the many brilliant things about the game, the one thought that I couldn’t shift from the back of my mind was that it felt almost too familiar, as if I had already played it but couldn’t quite remember all the details. Despite being set in a different location to Fallout 3, New Vegas feels almost identical: it uses the same engine so the graphics and character animations will be familiar to many players. The same goes for the menus, levelling up system, VATs mode and annoying bugs that defined Bethesda’s 2008 masterpiece. This is possibly New Vegas’s greatest failing; it just doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from a game that is now getting on for
library runs to over 2,000 varied songs. The ‘Pro’ difficulty level is the real masterpiece of RB3 though. For forking out a bit extra you can deck your drums out with cymbals, or get a guitar with realistic frets – the idea being that you can learn to play instruments for real as you play them for pretend. Fender have even developed a guitar model with actual strings that can plug into your console or your amp. Though it may sound unrealistic, after playing through Pro Keyboard mode, I have no trouble believing you could master at least the basics of piano. Ultimately, RB3 is pricey considering the more populist song library and lack of anything especially groundbreaking unless you’re willing to fork out for the full setup. If you have enough money to spare though, I definitely recommend RB3. Not only has it grounded itself at the forefront of its field, but there’s nothing more fun than getting drunk and pretending to be a rock star with your friends.
8.5/10
alice scoble-rees Video Games Editor
three years old. It felt like more of an expansion pack, albeit a vast one, than a brand new game. The same dodgy facial animations are there, the landscapes are near identical in many places and much of the content feels slightly recycled. The only reason this is acceptable is because Fallout 3 was such a joy to play, so more of the same is definitely not a bad thing, it would just have been nice for Obsidian to have really made New Vegas unique.
H o w e v e r, the additions to New Vegas really are worth talking about. Of particular note is the new Hardcore Mode – a difficulty setting where the player is required to regularly sleep, eat and drink in order to survive (thankfully there is no inclusion of a toilet function). In addition to this everything, including ammo, has a weight. This makes the game feel far more realistic, as well as introducing a whole new challenge when wandering out into the wasteland – every moment becomes a fight for survival as you’re forced to drink irradiated water from toilets and scrounge food from
review
007 Blood Stone: Bizarre Creations, Activision; PS3/360/ PC/DS. November 5 2010 Starting by parachuting onto a boat in Athens, this James Bond game provides a rollercoaster of a journey with a brand new storyline as you save the world from a biochemical threat whilst enjoying a few vodka martinis on the way.
“Some of the most satisfying moments are when Bond jumps out of cover to break a guard’s neck.”
ful. It literally tells you where all the enemies are, and shows you which path to follow so you can never get lost. It can take some of the fun out of the game, but then again it can save you walking around for hours because you missed a ladder somewhere. The online multiplayer is fairly standard. There are three different modes available, of which Team Deathmatch is the most popular. Two teams of one to eight players go against each other and aim for the most kills. It’s enjoyable, but I’ve played better. What really makes this game stand out, however, is the cinematic chase scenes. The influence of Bizarre Creations (makers of the Project Gotham series) has had a significant impact. Whether you’re driving a sports
007 Blood Stone is a decent third person shooter with a lot of emphasis on close quarter combat. Some of the most satisfying moments are when Bond jumps out of cover to break a guard’s neck. What’s more, taking down enemies in close combat unlocks ‘focus shots’ which allow Bond to perform fatally accurate shots that take down opponents in one hit (rather like Splinter Cell: Conviction’s ‘mark and execute’). It does seem to me, however, that the Orange advert applies to this game: “don’t let a phone ruin your movie.” The smartphone, this game’s hightech gadget, is far too power-
“What really makes this game stand out is the cinematic chase scenes.”
trash cans. The need to survive in such an inhospitable environment – a postnuclear wasteland – has implications for character development; suddenly skills such as survival, which previously seemed unhelpful, can mean the difference between life and death. The world of New Vegas also feels more realistic than its predecessor; the voice work is far better, meaning that even the most minor of characters come across as convincing. Obsidian has a good record for storytelling, and have done a great job with New Vegas; even the smallest of side-missions can easily distract from the main storyline and a combination of dark humour and nihilism permeates the game. The new reputation system is also a good addition: your actions in the wasteland will influence how certain groups respond to you. The black and white morality of Fallout 3 is replaced by a much greyer spectrum; there’s not always a ‘good’ choice and no faction epitomises good or evil. Despite the high-quality storytelling, I did sometimes feel that things were developing so quickly that I didn’t have time to evaluate my decisions and come up with a strategy, but this was only a small frustration.
On the whole there is a lot to like about Fallout: New Vegas; my only complaint is that it’s almost too similar to Fallout 3. I felt like I was picking up a much-loved classic, rather than a cutting-edge new release. However the pure size and scope of the world, its intriguing characters and intricate level of detail mean that this lack of originality is easily forgiven. 7.5/10
Video Games
car, a hovercraft or a speed boat, the high-speed adrenaline action is truly gripping, but it can be infuriating that simply losing sight of the target can force you to restart from the previous checkpoint. Still, the diversity of this game is fantastic. You could buy a specialist shooting game or a specialist driving game, or you could buy Blood Stone and get the two rolled 7.5/10 up in one. Jonathan minter
Alex HawkswortH-Brooks
Freebies
Well hot dog! We have a wiener! Our most popular competition yet, with one entrant, has yielded a winner! So, many congratulations go to... david johnson for telling us that Silent Hill 2 was the scariest game he’s ever played. A copy of Saw II: Flesh and Blood will be soon be in your trembling hands. And so, on to this week’s installment of the ever popular Video Games-sectioncompetition! We’ll be giving away an Xbox 360 copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Yes! A popular game on a popular console is being offered, and to get your hands on it just answer this simple question? How do you spell ‘Castlevania’? A random correct answer wins! It’s that simple! Closing date is November 29 and, as always, good luck! Email now to games@ exepose.com for your [very good] chance of winning!
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33
Exeposé week fourteen
Historic win for EURL Rugby League
Tom Goulston Rugby Correspondent Wednesday December 15, 2010 will go down as a momentous day in Exeter’s Rugby League history, as this season’s 1st XIII travelled on the long away trip to Loughborough where they recorded their first ever away win, 18-8, against their bitter rivals. The victory also meant that the EURL 1’s continued their unbeaten season and topped Premier South, heading into 2011. Head coach Matthew Cuss stated, “Beating Loughborough away was on our list of must do’s and to finally beat them shows that the boys have taken a massive physiological step forward and matured as a squad”. The team arrived after the four
“Punishing hits were administered from both sides” hour coach journey, focused for a battle. In the changing rooms Cuss passionately reiterated the historical significance of a victory away at Loughborough and stated that, “destiny was in our own hands”. The first half proved to be a defensive battle with both teams racking up the tackle counts. Punishing hits were administered from both sides,
however on half an hour, EURL did manage to break the Loughborough defence through a great line cut by centre Cormac Healy, only halted by a fantastic cover tackle from the Loughborough full back. For the next ten minutes Exeter found themselves on the back foot, defending three consecutive sets on their own line, before the Loughborough 6 managed to break through the line and cross over for the game’s first score. This meant at half time Loughborough led 4-0.
“This win illustrates what hard work and determination can achieve”
When the second half commenced the game opened up, but both sides were littered with mistakes. It took a Cormac Healy break off a scrum move for Exeter to get their first score, duly converted by Nico Flanaghan to give them a 6-4 lead. Nevertheless Loughborough managed to hit back against the run of play and their prop crashed over from five metres out; they missed the conversion and moved into a narrow lead of 8-6. With 15 minutes to go Exeter continued to pile on the pressure and a Josh Jones break from a Nico Flanaghan offload, put the away side back in front and made it 10-8 to Exeter. Five minutes
later captain Flanaghan slotted over a penalty after more pressure exerted by an increasingly confident Exeter side. Then with two minutes remaining the final nail was hammered into the Loughborough coffin, as Josh Jones darted from ten metres out and crossed for his second try. The try was converted which put the score at 188. Exeter managed to hold out for the final two minutes, to record a famous victory. Club captain Tom Williams stated that “this win illustrates what hard work and determination can achieve. We have worked incredibly hard since September and seven wins and no losses is the outcome. Each player can be proud of what they have achieved so far this year”.
BUCS Rugby League Premier South 1. Exeter 2. Loughborough 3. Nottingham 4. Northampton 5. Oxford 6. Birmingham
Sport
A word from your AU President...
Welcome back, I hope you’re feeling suitably rested after Christmas and the exam period didn’t prove too stressful for you! We’re at an exciting stage in the BUCS competition. With the snow affecting the last two weeks of term the Wednesday fixture list is jam packed with some exciting finales in the league tables. Looking ahead, well over half of our 64 league teams will go on to play knockout fixtures, which would be great to see Exeter move into the latter stages of the Championship, Trophy and Conference Competitions. Good luck to all teams in these fixtures and please do your best to get out there are support our teams. But what else can you look forward to this term? The Canoe Club are hosting the always enjoyable Adventure Ball on the February 19. It is a black-tie event held at Crealy Adventure Park, a short bus journey from campus. There will be a hog roast, fully licensed bar and access to the parks giant ball pits and death slides – you do not want to miss out! For more information go to www. theadventureball.co.uk. Sunday March 13 sees the return of the International 5-a-side Football Tournament - can Algeria take the title again? Two weeks later, Sunday March 27 will see the biggest Inter-halls sports day ever on campus ever - can your hall conquer all others to be crowned the number one hall on campus? More information to follow.
The Annual Dodgeball tournament returns in the last week of term on Wednesday March 30. We are expecting the highest standard of dodging seen in Exeter in the last decade and entries are again expected to be through the roof so don’t miss out on putting your club, society, subject group on the dodgeball map. Again more information to follow. One quick note, congratulations to Sam Harley (2nd year History and Ancient History) who was selected to represent Great Britain Under 25s as part of a 12 man squad for the World Long Range Rifle Championships in October 2011 in Australia. Lastly, do you want my job? Nominations are now open for the sabbatical elections 2011. Come up to the AU office for more information if you think you might be interested in being the AU President next year! Follow the AU on facebook at “Exeter University Athletics Union”.
EURFC dust away the Christmas cobwebs by losing to Bristol Simon Dewhurst provides a re-freshing perspective on EURFC’s first game of the year.
Exeter University RFC 1st XV started the New Year on a disappointing note with a 17-6 defeat against Bristol University 1st XV. On a bright and sunny afternoon, the opening exchanges of the match were scrappy with a lot of possession for both teams in the middle of the field. There was no lack of determination though with both sides putting in big tackles from the start. This resulted in a lot of early injuries which were possibly exacerbated by the long winter
break. Despite a couple of promising moves from Exeter, it was Bristol who scored first. After giving away a couple of penalties and collapsing the scrum, the referee lost patience with the Exeter pack, showing a yellow card and awarding a penalty try which was duly converted by the Bristol fly half. Despite playing the remainder of the half with 14 men, Exeter came back into the game with Tom Chalcraft breaking the Bristol line and pressuring
them into conceding a penalty. This allowed fly half Chris Reakes to step up and score Exeter’s first points of 2011. Unfortunately, this was to be Reakes’ last act of the match as he injured his ankle in an awkward collision with an opposition player from the resulting restart. Exeter were given a confidence boost soon after though when the Bristol fly half was penalised and sin binned for coming in from the side. Full back Mike Pope took on kicking duties, reducing the deficit to just one
point at half time. The second half started much like the first with neither team stamping their authority on the game. Exeter’s passing was not as fluent as in previous weeks and they struggled to get near the Bristol line. With a partisan crowd behind them, Exeter did eventually force a Bristol line out five metres out but it came to nothing. As the half went on, Bristol came back into the match and they were rewarded when they spread the ball out wide allowing
their winger to cross for a try. With the conversion added, Exeter looked like a tired and defeated team. Bristol’s victory was secured when their fly half slotted a last minute penalty, giving them a 17-6 win. The victory moves Bristol to second in the BUCS Men’s South A Division whilst Exeter remain in midtable. With a lot of away games coming up, Exeter will need a lot of self-belief to achieve their aim of finishing in the top half of the table.
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Exeposé week eight
A word from your AU President...
Only a few weeks into term and already there have been some hugely important fixtures for everyone involved in Sport here at Exeter. The League campaigns are well underway for 53 of our teams, with a mixed bag of results. Nine of our sides are still maintaining a 100% winning record, with the Men’s Hockey 1st team leading the way with five wins from their first five matches. Another side grabbing the headlines is the Men’s Rugby First XV, who are in extremely good form following a big win against Northumbria in the Last 16 of the Cup on November 3. They then completed a comfortable 23-13 win over a strong Bath side in the Annual Rugby Varsity at Sandy Park. Right from the first whistle they dominated and made Bath look very ordinary. A special mention must go to Man of the Match Will Dunkley. It was a fantastically attended event with 3,000 students going down to watch. A big thank you to the Rugby club who worked tirelessly selling tickets and promoting the event. Thank you to all of you who went, it made for a brilliant atmosphere and a memorable varsity for all those involved. On the tennis front, Exeter hosted the first BUCS Individual Challenge of the season and the Women’s competition was won by our very own Yvanna Kurlak, who beat fellow team member Kate Lucy in a brilliant final. On to windsurfing, a big congratulations to Izzy Hamilton, our new windsurfing scholar, who has just returned from Limassol, Cyprus where she took the Gold medal in the RS:X Youth World Championships for the second year in a row. She was crowned Britain’s first ever Windsurfing Youth World Champion at last year’s Championship in Bodrum, Turkey. There has been even more success for the windsurfers of Exeter, who went to Nottingham at the weekend to compete in Pondlife VII, an event staged by the Student Windsurfing Association, where over 300 students from across the country competed in a variety of events, with Exeter on top from the start. Kirsty O’Callaghan and Alex Powell picked up 1st and 2nd in the ladies advance racing respectively. O’Callaghan also picked up another 1st place in the freestyle and Harry Clegg joined her in the final. Amy Taylor finished 1st in the Ladies
Intermediate racing and Tom BadhamThornhill finished 3rd in the Men’s Intermediate racing. Lastly, and by no means least the trio of O’Callaghan, Powell and Clegg picked up the highly coveted Team Racing 1st Place. Well done all around! There’s even more top level sport going on this week, so get yourselves up to the sports park on Wednesday afternoon to see our teams battling it out in BUCS from badminton, hockey, netball, squash to tennis. Also the highly anticipated Snow Sports Christmas Ski trip is now open to book online. This year the guys are going to Avoviaz, France, which is the largest linked ski area in the world, from January 1 to 9. The Resort also has Burton Stash a 100% natural snow park the first in Europe! All this for £329. The deadline for booking online is December 3. For more information go to: www.exetersnowsports.com or email: exetersnowsports@gmail.com . The next big event in the AU’s Diary is the AU Olympics on Friday November 26 up in the Sports Hall where 20 teams will be battling it out in both Track and Field Events to see who is crowned the undisputed number one AU Club. Can anyone beat the Athletics Club in their own back yard? If you are interested in entering a team, contact au@ex.ac.uk or 01392 723573 for further details. If you don’t get in or want to see a night not to be missed, turn up on the evening to see some of the best athletes from the University going for gold.
Golfers face pressure at Woodhall Spa Golf
Laurie Potter Exeter University Golf Club On November 2 and 3, the Exeter Golf team travelled to Lincolnshire and the home of the English Golf Union: Woodhall Spa Golf Cub to compete in the first Individual BUCS qualifier, in an attempt to gain points to enable qualification for the Individual Finals later in the academic year. There were representatives from universities from all around England and Wales providing a very strong field with the ballot at a handicap of 2.0 for entry. The first day saw tough conditions with strong winds making play difficult. Woodhall Spa has a reputation for being well-protected by numerous deep and challenging bunkers, and so we knew it was going to be a tough day. The scoring showed with plenty of high scores not just from the Exeter Team which saw the Standard Scratch for the day shoot to three over par at 76. The top scorer for Exeter boys on the first day was Laurie Potter who shot a round of 74. Although he wasn’t on top form with his long game, he had a solid day on the greens and a good short game, leaving him in 3rd position overnight. Next was Danny Vallis, who shot a creditable 78. He struggled on the
greens with a few shots wasted on the back nine, but stayed confident that another solid day tee to green tomorrow could mean he might post a good 36 hole total. Reece Miller finished the day with a 79 at six over for the tournament ,closely followed by James Wallace who showed good form on the first day, but for an unfortunate finish, with a few shots dropped late on that cost him places back down the field. Tom Thornhill joined James Wallace at seven over par and would play alongside his team mate the following day. In the girls’ tournament Emma Hargreaves showed her experience, shooting a very respectable 74 just two shots off the lead after a very consistent day on the greens. The other Exeter girls struggled on the first day finding a lot of trouble, which is easily done round a course like Woodhall, but they stayed confident for better prospects on the next day. It was fresher Danny Vallis who stepped up to the plate on the next day, shooting a great score of 74 in conditions similar to the first day with strong winds and rain at times. This score left Danny finishing in 11th place overall, gaining vital points moving him ever closer to the Finals. Laurie Potter, who was in 3rd overnight, struggled on the day with the worst of the weather and, finding a lot of bunkers early on, failing to maintain the good short game he had shown the
day before and unfortunately slipped back quite a way with a disappointing 11 over par, finishing well back overall. Chris Young from Jersey showed he had experience playing in the wind and shot the second best Exeter score of the day with a creditable 76. This made up for a poor day by his standards, as the day before he commented: “I was pleased with my game today. I was pretty nervous yesterday after a good start and fell apart on the back nine but hope that next time I will be able to hold my nerve now I have been in that position before and hopefully at the next qualifier can repeat the way I played today for 36 holes.” James Wallace showed consistent play again, shooting a respectable 79 with a few slip ups but showing signs that he is coming back into form after struggling with his game over the start of the University Season. Emma Hargreaves, Exeter’s main hope in the girls competition after the first round, also found it hard work on day two not being able to hole the putts she had played on the previous day. Like Laurie, she dropped down the field undoing the hard work of the previous day. Club Captain Christian Brown found things hard over the two days but after a very long drive up the day before and feeling a bit under the weather himself had a good excuse and will certainly come back strongly next time.
Sunday’s competitions consisted of races in each ability category as well as a freestyle event. Exeter were feeling confident after their triumphs three weeks previously, and did not disappoint with an outstanding performance. Kirsty O’Callaghan once again cleaned up in the freestyle event as well as gaining first place in the Women’s Advanced racing. Exeter stormed through the team racing event leaving Alex Powell, Kirsty O’Callaghan and Harry Clegg enough time to get warm with a cup of
tea before the second team even crossed the finish line. Other successes from the weekend came from Amy Taylor who came first in the Women’s Intermediate racing (second overall), Tom BadhamThornhill coming third in the Men’s Intermediate racing and Alex Powell, who positioned second in the Women’s advanced racing. The weekend’s results cement Exeter’s place in the top few windsurf universities in the country, and the club’s improvements show no sign of slowing.
Exeter had to withstand pressure from Ince’s team in the 2nd half, with Judge and Spicer’s moves down the wing. The Grecian defence had a great game thanks to the return of Captain Matt Taylor in the centre, managing to withstand attempts on goal from Notts County. Harley, in the 66th minute, pushed away all doubts of the winner with a fantastic run from the halfway line. His goal came off a counter attack, and he scored off an amazing shot that came in off the post. This made the score line 3-1 to Exeter, moving them up to 12th
place in the league one table. Paul Tisdale commended the team at the end of the match: “The boys showed plenty of purpose and spirit and we scored three excellent goals. Today we were forced into a defensive mode by their play in the second half and we stuck to it and saw the game out. We took three really good goals, most of them were counter-attacking goals - on the break and quick and decisive.” Exeter City’s next match at St James’ Park is against Tranmere on December 4.
Exeter Windsurfing’s winning streak continues Windsurfing
Jenny Manby Exeter Windsurfing Society On November 13 to 14, 12 of Exeter’s hardiest windsurfers travelled north to Nottingham University, hosts of the first Student Windsurfing Association core event. The weekend followed the well tread routine of welcome drinks on the Friday night followed by a night spent in student windsurfers’ digs. With a bacon sandwich for the road, Exeter headed to the becalmed Rutland water for a weekend of beginner lessons, demo kit testing, and on the Sunday, competitions to win an array of prizes.
“Kirsty O’Callaghan once again cleaned up in the freestyle event”
Exeter City topple County with convINCEing victory Exeter City
Rachel Bayne Deputy Editor
Exeter City regain some much needed form with a solid 3-1 win against Paul Ince’s Notts County. With goals from the Grecians’ main attacking force of Cureton, Logan and Harley, and a solid game in defence, Exeter managed to hold onto the form which saw them beat neighbouring rivals Plymouth 2-1 in the Johnstone’s
Paint Trophy. Exeter opened the game confidently, and from the offset Cureton was gifted space upfront. Attacks came from both sides, however, as Notts County had a very close chance in the first 15 minutes that prompted a goal line clearance from Golbourne and a smart save from the Grecian keeper, Krysiak. The Grecians soon regained the momentum with a superb team move. Archibald-Henville played a welldirected cross field pass up to the Notts County defence. A shot was spilled, and Cureton capitalised on County’s error
Sport
with a shot into the bottom corner in the 18th minute. The second goal came 14 minutes later after a good move down the wing between Harley and Cureton exploded into a surprise flick into the bottom corner by Logan. The Grecians’ two goal cushion prompted pressure from Notts County and after a sustained attack, the magpies scored just before half time with a clinical set play, placing them firmly back into contention. The free kick soared in from Davies, with Hughes powering in a well-placed header.
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November 22 2010
Sport
Badminton Charity Fundraiser Badminton
Steven Foreman EUBC Vice-Captain The committee of EUBC have set themselves a challenge of cycling 500km in 24 hours in order to raise money for Diabetes UK and for the Badminton Club. We’ve chosen to do a fundraiser this year for two reasons. Firstly, in light of recent events with the case of Andrew Vickers, it has highlighted the relevance of Diabetes UK for students.
Rugby League
Alister Haberfield EURL Publicity Officer With two weeks since their last game, the Rugby League first team were keen to get back into the swing of things and continue their unbeaten streak. What more of a challenge than a five hour trip to play top of the league rivals, Nottingham. The firsts started solidly, with Nottingham unable to break Exeter’s sturdy defence and with Exeter keeping their game effective and simple, running it in the forwards. Exeter’s attacking momentum was too much for Nottingham with massive hit ups from the likes of Chris Pawson and Will Wragg. The first try was scored within the first ten minutes, with Will running it in under the posts and Nico Flanaghan promptly converting, bringing the score to 6-0, a sound start from Exeter. The team started as they meant to go on, running in another two tries in the first half, with Nottingham still yet to put points on the board. Heads were high on the Exeter side, but with Nottingham
AU Charity Naked Calendar On Sale £5 Pre-Order Now or Collect November 26 at the AU Office
Secondly, it is important for us to raise the profile of the club and improve what it can offer its members. With the recent employment of the Director of Badminton, the club is rapidly growing. With increasing amounts of members we want to be able to offer social players and performance players more experience for their membership fees at accessible prices. This year we want to take a bus of people to the Yonex All England Badminton Championships to watch the equivalent of Wimbledon in the badminton world and by fundraising we can offer this incredible opportunity to more people. AU President Josh Belsher has commented: “I am right behind the Badminton club’s 24 hour cycle event, I think its a great idea to engage students to develop their club and also a fitting touch to donate proceeds to a charity that is poignant to us all, with the sad loss of Andrew Vickers, a student here at Exeter who passed away in the last month.” We would like as many people passing by Cornwall House (the Lemmy) on Monday, December 6, to come along and show their support whilst we undertake this task. We hope people can give generously to the cause and get involved in what we hope to be a challenging but worthwhile event. being at the top of the league, Exeter knew that they were not undone yet and would still have more to offer in the second half. With Exeter in the lead, but not without Notingham in the game, by any means; everything was still to play for. at the start of the second half. A few minutes in and Nottingham were on the attack. A kick from their 5th tackle seemed to have gone too deep into Exeter’s try area and looked to have rolled out dead, when a Nottingham player pounced on the ball. Giving the attacking side the benefit of the doubt, the referee gave, a somewhat dubious decision, and awarded Nottingham the try. Nottingham’s luck continued during the second half with another kick from the 5th tackle and a fumble from Exeter, straight into an attacking Nottingham player’s hands, leaving Nottingham to run over the line and score easily. Nottingham were back in the game! Exeter could not let this happen; they had to up their game! Tom ‘Bean’ Williams and Luke ‘Traps’ Evans, led the way, putting in massive tackles on the Nottingham attack, causing Nottingham to make numerous fumbles, allowing Exeter to get on the score board once again, with a try from the backs, but not without another attack and try from Nottingham - 22-16. From then on, Exeter’s heads remained high and they continued to pummel a broken Nottingham side, the final score, 34-16. Exeter 1st had continued their unbeaten streak and now stand at the top of the league, with a game in hand. With the 2nd team also continuing their unbeaten streak by beating Gloucester 3rd at home, it seems the club is set for a high ranking season.
Exeposé
Rugby Varsity 2010:
Clockwise from bottom left: Man of the Match, Will Dunkley; Team Huddle: Reakesy slots another: Exeter dminate in the lineout!
Rugby Varsity
Simon Dewhurst Rugby Correspondent Exeter University RFC Men’s 1st XV produced a stunning performance to beat Bath 23-13 in the annual Varsity match at Sandy Park.
“23-13: a stunning performance to beat Bath”
Over 2,000 fans packed into Exeter Chiefs HQ and with all proceeds going to Myeloma UK and Great Or-
mond Street Hospital, the 2010 Rugby Varsity can once again go down as a massive success. It was evident from the kick off that Bath were intimidated by the atmosphere and from the start, they were immediately on the back foot. However, Exeter suffered an early blow when Gus Barton hobbled off injured after 60 seconds. Despite this setback, Exeter scored the first try of the match soon after when Matt Goddard was driven over by the forwards. Bath responded less than five minutes later with a try of their own after a rolling maul from a lineout saw their prop finish in the corner.
The next ten minutes were character-
“Exeter went into the break with a 11-5 lead” ised by Bath’s indiscipline with Chris Reakes taking advantage by slotting two penalties. Exeter were soon under pressure again though, giving away eight penalties themselves before half time. It was therefore fortunate that the Bath fly half was having trouble finding his kicking range, which allowed Exeter to go into the break with an important 11-5 lead.
35
Exeposé week eight
Exeter 23 - 13 Bath
Crossword
Across
1. Operated by compressed air or a vacuum (9) 6. Awake (2) 8. Opening into a cavity (7) 9. Spirit (4) 10. Water feature (8) 12. Seventh letter in the Greek alphabet (3) 13. Brazilian Footballer (7) 16.‘____, Vidi, Vici’, Julius Caesar (4) 18. Sluggish (4) 19. Epoch (3) 20. ‘_____ Goodnight’ – Huddie Ledbetter (5) 21. A man distinguished by exceptional courage etc. (4) 22. A prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache (8)
Sudoku
Despite an early Bath penalty, Exeter continued to assert their dominance in the second half. With the Exeter Chiefs squad watching on from the stand, it was clear that the EURFC players were determined to hold on to their lead. This was achieved by playing an attacking style of rugby which was nearly rewarded when Mark Douglas almost squeezed over in the corner. Exeter showed more dominance in the scrum by this stage of the match, forcing Bath to concede a lot of penalties. Another opportunity was missed in the 50th minute when Chris Reakes knocked on with the try line in sight after a lowing move. However, it was
not long before Exeter made their dominance count with substitute Matt Chambers going over after another strong scrum to put Exeter 16-8 up. Both teams were reduced to 14 men after a brawl between EURFC prop James Wilkins and Bath hooker Ted Stagg resulted in both being sinbinned. In the 75th minute, Bath made Reakes pay for a recent missed penalty when Luke Parker scored their second unconverted try. With a three point difference separating the teams, the crowd were in for a nervous last five minutes, much like the Swansea game two weeks earlier. Once again, Exeter managed to hold on and extended their lead in the
final minute with Nick Morris finishing off a 40 metre drive. This was converted by Reakes to complete a 23-13 victory, sparking wild celebrations in the stands. The win also moves EURFC 1st XV to the top of the BUCS Men’s South A Division. After the match, Head Coach Keith Fleming spoke to Exeposé about the match. “It was a very good advert for student rugby. Bath are a very well drilled side but we stuck to the task and got over the finishing line.” Fleming also said that he has high hopes for the rest of the season and believes that the team can improve even further.
Sport
No. 14 by Alexander Cook
Down
1. Checking for mistakes (12) 2. One devoted to sensual pleasures (7) 3. Damp (5) 4. Support for a golf ball (3) 5. Arena of debrief when losing a task in The Apprentice (4) 7. One who speaks or acts falsely or evasively with intent to deceive (12) 11. In the past (3) 12. ________ Scrooge; _________ Howard (8) 14. Internal organ (6) 15. Fascist movement (6) 17. A ruminant mammal (4) Solutions for No. 13 Across 1. Gesticulate; 7. XY; 8. Inventive; 9. Rank; 10. Enrich; 12. AU; 14. Nephron; 15. Alert; 17. NY; 19. The; 15. Geese; 23. Oli; 24. Cog; 25. Bodger. Down 1. Grime; 2. Severe; 3. Innocent; 4. Unit; 5. Aperture; 6. Exonian; 11. Open; 13. Badger; 16. Edge; 18. Yoke; 19. Tic; 20. Ergo; 22. End.
Easy
Easy
Hard
Hard
36
Sport
Alexander Cook & Andy Williams - sport@exepose.com
Green Machine Marches On
November 22 2010
Exeposé
Launched today, check out the new hub for student sport: www.unisportonline.co.uk
Demons Exorcize Bulldogs American Football
Will Budge American Football Vice-President The Exeter Demons kicked off their British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) campaign in style on Sunday with a convincing 28-0 away victory over the Bath Spa Bulldogs. The game saw notable performances from rookies Aaron Shorter and Josh Berg, with touchdowns coming from Shorter, Josh Amis, Will Budge and Charlie O’Flaherty. Exeter’s defence, led by Berg, was on top form all day allowing few yards and turning the ball over several times. This performance was typified by Berg’s shuddering third quarter hit on the Bulldogs’ half back which knocked the ball loose to be scooped up by O’Flaherty and returned for a touchdown. The power and aggression shown by the defence was matched by the offense with some hard running from half back Shorter behind an offensive line, which held its own very well on the day. Shorter struck on the Demons’ opening drive, sprinting in from 20 yards, the running back having had an earlier touchdown effort denied by a penalty on the offense.
“The power and aggression shown by the defence was matched by the offense”
Exeter beat Bath 23-13 in the annual Varsity match held at Sandy Park.
P 34-5: Simon Dewhurst brings you a ‘Fresh Perspective’ on this year’s Varsity match.
While the Exeter ground game was on good form, the passing game was slow to start. However, in the third quarter, John Lewiston’s first pass connected with Budge who, after shaking off three defenders, strolled into the end zone for a 35 yard score. Likewise the Bulldogs found their passing form late in the fourth quarter, but too late to salvage anything against an Exeter Demons side that showed great potential in their first game of the season. Exeter will look to improve on last year’s showing in the league in their sophomore season with high hopes of making the playoffs. Although the game exhibited the trademarks of a season opener in its dropped catches and poor discipline on both sides, it was nonetheless a good win to get Exeter off to the winning start that they deserved in the BUAFL, setting them up nicely for their first home game against the Gloucester Gladiators on November 21.