2012/13 Week 27 Issue 594

Tabloids in trouble?

Interview with The Temper Trap Music speak to the indie rock buzz-band

The hacking scandal and uncertain future of journalism

MUSIC PAGE 15

FEATURES PAGE 8

The University of Exeter’s Independent Student Newspaper

Since 1987

Monday 21 May 2012 • Issue 594 • www.exepose.com • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose

The price of progress

Free Photo: Josh Irwandi

Forum flourishes amid café closures Zoe Bulaitis & Tom Payne Editors THE busy exam period has drawn an overwhelming amount of students onto campus, with the appeal of an updated library, extra study space and fresh Costa coffee.

In the first 400 hours of use, Market Place has kept hard-working students fed and consistently sold out of key products, whilst Costa has already become the busiest branch in the South West.

The initial success of the new Forum outlets has been marred by the announced closure of the highly popular cafes in the Queen’s, Harrison and Amory buildings. Has the changing footfall on campus had a detrimental affect to the takings of some of these University outlets?

Jilly Court, Director of Campus Services Operations said: “We have continued to develop and invest in our facilities over recent years to provide new places for our students to eat, drink and socialize. Outlets such as La Touche and Terrace Restaurant have proved extremely popular.”

“It will of course be sad to see some of the older outlets close at the end of the year, however I am confident that the outlets remaining continue to offer a diverse range of services.”

Dr. Robert Mack, College of Humanities, does not see a correlation

between the Forum opening and the café closures. He argues that “in the mere handful of days imediately subsequent to the hype surrounding the festive and regal inauguration [...] the long-term impact made by one facility on another could not have been accurately assessed”.

The cafés will be removed in favour of key social and learning areas for students and academic staff. No compulsory redundancies will be made, and existing staff are to be redeployed to other areas in the University.

The news will come as a blow to students and staff who regularly use the cafés in their respective academic buildings.

2nd year History student, Tom Ling sees this as an example of the attitude towards Arts subjects in general: “Humanities are always neglected so this comes as no surprise. It was helpful being able to easily grab a coffee between lectures.”

It cannot be denied that the new facilities have been highly successful additions to campus life. Nick Davis, Guild President remains optimistic about student opinion: “I think the Forum has been very well received by students and staff […] the feedback I am hearing is overwhelmingly positive”.

Inside this week’s issue, Exeposé reports on evolving student opinion surrounding the Forum and the backlash from disrupted examinations.

Lifestyle: Visit the source of RAM ale - PAGE 12

You shall not pass!

Games: Exeter Cathedral embraces gaming - PAGE 28

Sport: Interview F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz - PAGE 30

THE INS AND OUTS OF THE FORUM COMMENT PAGES 6-7 coming soon ONLINE AT

www.Exepose.com

Exeposé

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Editorial team Editors Zoe Bulaitis & Tom Payne editors@exepose.com Deputy Editors Ben Murphie & Ellie Steafel depeds@exepose.com News Editors Beccy Smyth & Phil Thomas news@exepose.com Features Editors James Crouch & Megan Drewett features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Thomas Ling & Alex Tindall lifestyle@exepose.com Music Editors Callum McLean & Anthony Prodromou music@exepose.com Screen Editors Louis Doré & Owen Keating screen@exepose.com Books Editors Tom Bond & Emily Lunn books@exepose.com Arts Editors Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner arts@exepose.com Games Editors Marcus Beard & Jonathan Jenner games@exepose.com Sport Editors Will Kelleher & Mike Stanton sport@exepose.com Photography Joshua Irwandi photography@exepose.com Senior Proofreaders Elli Christie, Megan Furborough & William O’Rourke

Online www.EXEPOSE.com -COMING SOON-

@Exepose facebook.com/exepose issuu.com/exepose Advertising 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 Publisher.

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21 May 2012 |

NEWS

News

NEWS EDITORS

Beccy Smyth & Phil Thomas news@exepose.com

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Bronze Award for Student Guild The Guild’s achievement at the Podium Awards follows an earlier success for the project. In March, it was accredited a Gold award under the National Union of Students’ ‘Be a Champion’ initiative, due to the efforts of six student ambassadors from the University: Jonathan Batten, Archie Burbidge, Joyce Chan, Paula Victoria Makowiecka, Kristina Petraviciute and Rebecca Todd.

James Fox, Vice-President Participation and Campus officer, said: “Golden Exe winning Bronze at the Podium Awards is a fantastic achievement and testament to the great work that our ambassadors have done over the course of the year.

“We have created a number of projects that have engaged students with the Olympics and their legacy and I hope that we can continue the great work beyond the 2012 games”.

Gold Medals were awarded to Leeds University, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and Queen Mary.

Bronze Medals were given to New College Durham, The Arts University College, Bournemouth and Trinity St David’s.

Hannah Mawdsley EXETER UNIVERSITY’S Students’ Guild was awarded Bronze at the National Podium Awards for its ‘Golden Exe Project’ on 3 May. The ceremony was held at Forman’s Fish Island, which overlooks the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

The Guild’s award was included in the ‘Be a Champion’ category for successful student led activity.

The Podium Awards recognise the key role that universities and staff have played in delivering the London 2012 Olympic Games to students and the wider community. They are an opportunity to showcase the highest standard of initiatives developed by Further and Higher Education institutions.

The Guild’s ‘Golden ExProject’ reflects the values of the Olympic Games.

It consists of five events, including a photography competition, dance taster sessions and showcases, Olympic-style sports games for school pupils, a ‘Multi-Sports Marathon’, and ‘The Sport of Science’, a panel event that celebrates the link between sport and science.

Exeposé

Photo: University of Exeter

>> Joe Batten, Beth Hampson and James Fox of the Guild at the award

Students question Sanctuary’s bold design

Photo: University of Exeter

Lucy Cryle Senior Reporter THE SANCTUARY has been subject to student scrutiny over the past week, with complaints about the functionality of the design and the way the space is used.

With examinations being held in the new space, it is a crucial time for students to be able to use The Sanctuary effectively. It has 180 quiet study spaces. Alongside functioning as a place of study and an exam hall, it is intended to hold major student events such as the Careers Fair.

One second year English student voiced her distress about the space being used for exams: “Who thought it would be pleasantly ironic to hold exams in a Sanctuary? That is not what I expect from a Sanctuary!”

A PhD graduate was equally dissatisfied: “It looks dated, like someone has vomited coloured squares all overthe place. I hope people aren’t going to have to sit exams in that mess.”

Other reviews have been more positive. Kate Robarts, a third year History

student, said: “I like it! It’s a change from more conservative spaces, and is making the most of an area that could only really be made better by bulldozing the whole room.”

“It’s a change from more conservative spaces” Kate Robarts, 3rd Year History A number of students were consulted during the design stages of The Sanctuary. Louise Waterton, Senior Communications Officer, said these students voiced a desire for a vibrant and modern space: “It was important to create a less corporate look and feel than more traditional study spaces, like our libraries.”

James Eales, VP Academic Affairs, added: “You can’t look at any space independent of the wider offering available. The Sanctuary is one small part of the quiet space on Campus, all of which are very different spaces catering towards different demands and student perspectives.”

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

NEWS

3

Sports Park investment begins Philip Thomas News Editor

Fire causes exam fiasco Zoe Bulaitis Editor ON Friday 4 May a fire alarm caused by smoke fumes from Devonshire House led to the evacuation of an examination containing students from Business, Psychology and Classics. The evacuation process took 45 minutes and led to students’ papers being disrupted.

Devonshire House and the Lower Exam Hall were evacuated, with test alarms also sounding in the new Forum building. The alarm was a genuine cause for concern for the welfare of students.

Following the exam, students from the Business School were contacted and offered the opportunity to retake

the exam at the end of the May examination period or instead have their disrupted papers marked with a five per cent mitigation mark added to the total. An email from the Psychology department contradicted this five per cent offer, asking their students to choose between the paper being marked without mitigation or a retake.

James Eales, VP for Academic Affairs commented: “Colleges are rightly allowed an element of freedom when dealing with mitigation. However, I think that in circumstances such as this more can be done to coordinate discussion and communicate a coherent message.”

Students have expressed frustration at the situation, with complaints from students who left the examination

before the alarm and missing the chance of mitigation, and students who feel that the five per cent is not enough compensation for the disruption.

“Colleges are rightly allowed an element of freedom when dealing with mitigation” James Eales, VP Academic Affairs University student Sara Ledger reflected this dissatisfaction at the handling of the situation as she tweeted to the University of Exeter’s twitter page: “I am extremely disappointed by the lack of support being offered to 3rd year Psychology students by the @

UniofExeter at the moment.”

The University and the Guild are to meet at the end of the examination period to discuss ways of handling such situations in the future.

James Eales explained: “A policy will be drawn up outlining the process to be taken in the event multiple colleges are affected by an exceptional occurrence”.

The fire alarm was the first genuine disruption to affect examinations in this way for ten years. Some students are annoyed about the lack of a coherent message from their respective colleges following the incident.

However in general, it seems that students have now been offered suitable options in this exceptional circumstance.

Dragon presents prizes to students Photo: Barnabas Mester

Beccy Smyth News Editor ON 17 May the University welcomed Dr Deborah Meaden to campus, to give an interactive talk on ‘Sustainability and Business’ in the new Alumni Auditorium, and present awards to student entrepreneurs.

Meaden, Dragon’s Den panellist and patron to the Exeter Entrepreneur Society, emphasised her enthusiasm for the issue of sustainability, and the importance of businesses’ commitment.

Following the talk, Meaden presented prizes to the winners of the 2012 ‘Exeter Apprentice Awards’.

The initiative was developed and is supported by the Exeter Entrepreneur Society. The society provides £100 for one month to fuel start-up student businesses. The ‘Exeter Apprentice Awards’ recognise the dedication and creativity of student ventures.

SOEx, a business that sold sweets and condoms in clubs, won the award for best overall venture. SOEx was

crafted by Exeter students Soléne Madelpuech and Olivier Brochand, and also won awards for Most Socially Responsible and Most Profitable.

“It can’t just be about the profit, you have to really believe in your business. I’m proud of raising so much for a charity that does such great work” Soléne Madelpuech, Student entrepreneur SOEx donated their profits to the Eddystone Trust, a charity that provides support for those affected by HIV in the South West, and also backs the University’s annual Safer Sex Ball.

Madelpuech commented on her team’s success: “It can’t just be about the profit, you have to really believe in your business. I’m proud of raising so much for a local charity that does such great work.”

WORK began on the £8m investment in the University of Exeter’s Sports Park on 17 May. This venture includes a health and fitness suite and an upgrade in the quality of the netball courts.

Furthermore, there will be a new team changing pavilion, a cover for tennis and netball courts, a playing surface for the hockey pitch and an entrance to the sports park.

Phil Attwell, University of Exeter director of sport and student activities, expressed his enthusiasm: “This will be a huge boost for our students – whether they are keen athletes or just want to stay fit and active”.

During this construction period there will be consistent disruptions to the Sports Park, details of which will be published on the Sports Park website.

Innovative students win award Philip Thomas News Editor EXETER UNIVERSITY students battled off competition from 16 other UK universities to win first prize in a national competition awarding innovative ideas.

The event was organised by the Royal Bank of Scotland in aid of the Prince’s Trust.

The team rented out an Indian rickshaw and charged students and locals for rides, and were awarded the Most innovative creation prize.

“We feel honoured to have won the competition against 16 other top universities and we look forward to continuing our journey in Mumbai” Will Humphries, Team Captain To reward their efforts, the team will travel around India for three weeks this summer. During their time in India, they will work with a charity named SUPPORT, which helps street children, and they will spend a week on an internship in the RBS Mumbai office.

Will Humphries, team captain, was jubilant after the ceremony. He said: “The team put in a great deal of effortthroughout the competition, especially when faced with presenting to such an esteemed panel from RBS. We feel honoured to have won the competition against 16 other top universities and look forward to continuing our journey in Mumbai as part of our winners!” prize!”

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21 May 2012 |

NEWS

Exeposé

Survey shows students not put at ‘heart of system’

University scientist helps trace kiwifruit killer

Beccy Smyth News Editor

Joe Johnston Senior Reporter

A REPORT released on 10 May suggests that there has been no noticeable improvement in the provision for students at UK universities since 2006, when the maximum charge for tuition fees was increased to £3,290.

The survey, released by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), reports that there has been no apparent increase in the time allocated for small group sessions, nor have students seen improvements in the contact hours they receive, since the initial rise in fees.

In June 2011, the Government indicated that the rise to a maximum charge of £9,000 would allow universities greater independence, permitting the institutions to better respond to student demand.

Liam Burns, NUS President, responded to the HEPI report, which he suggests undermines the Government’s claims in 2011.

He said: “The Government claim that by shifting the burden of funding even further from government spending to student borrowing that they have put students at the heart of the system.but this survey casts further doubt on that assumption.

“Whether we like it or not students going on to campuses this year will feel like they’re paying more and will have increased expectations to match but there is no evidence that shifting the financial burden to students gives them more power.”

AN Exeter scientist has helped locate the origin of a pathogenic kiwifruit disease as part of a team of international researchers.

Dr David Studholme of Biosciences at Exeter University, played a major role in the analysis and writing of the paper, now published in the journal PLoS ONE. The study, which included scientists from the US, Italy, Canada and the UK, used DNA sequencing technology to locate the virus back to its likely origin, China.

Recent outbreaks across the world have destroyed entire yields of kiwifruit,

National Student News

Exmouth to host charity football Steph Punfield TWO Exeter students have organised a football marathon, which will take place on 2 June on Exmouth beach, to raise money for Tackle Africa, a charity that uses football to educate young Africans about HIV. The marathon will kick off at 8am and will last a total of twelve hours.

The marathon is an open event that any team of eight can enter, and the organisers encourage societies to get involved. The entry fee stands at £15, and it is hoped £400 per team will be raised through sponsorship in aid of Tackle Africa.

Becca Todd, Event Organiser, said: “This is a great chance for everyone to have a fun day out playing football, whilst at the same time making a difference.”

For more information, email: becca. todd@tackleafrica.

causing huge economic losses.

He said: “We are continually being threatened by newly emerging diseases infecting ourselves, our animals and our crops. There are real opportunities for computer-savvy biologists to make an impact in tackling important real-world problems.

“It is great that this research opens doors to working closely with other researchers all over the world; this was a truly international collaboration.”

The University is one of the first UK universities to invest in DNA sequencing facilities.

Although originally developed primarily for medical applications, Exeter has been well recognised for using the technology to research diseases of food crops.

Students have a ‘Chance to Dance’ Sarah Stone ON 1 June, the Lemon Grove will host a 12 hour dance marathon called ‘Chance to Dance 2012’, as part of the University’s NUS ‘Be a Champion’ initiative. The event will promote the Olympic values and cultural diversity ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Students will arrive at 11:00 and take to the stage at 12:00, dancing

non-stop until midnight. The event will consist of dance performances, celebrating dance and music through the ages, and various dance workshops run by a range of dancers, including members of UniDance and DanceSport.

Paula Makowieka, co-organiser of ‘Chance to Dance 2012’ said: “Everyone is invited. You don’t have to be a great dancer. During the marathon you will be invited to take part in dance workshops that will help you learn the basic moves of various

dance styles.”

“‘Chance to Dance’ is a fantastic opportunity for students to get involved with the Cultural Olympiad” James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses James Fox, Vice President Participation and Campuses, stated: “‘Chance to Dance’ is a fantastic opportunity for students to get involved

with the Cultural Olympiad and is a great part of all of the Olympic activity that the Guild has undertaken this year”.

The organisers are still keen for more volunteers and supporters. If you are interested in being involved in ‘Chance to Dance’ next month then email chancetodance2012@gmail.com to find out more.

Tickets are £2 and are on sale now, available from the Forum Information Desk and the Community Action Office.

Exeter and Brown join forces Adrien Book SIR STEVE SMITH, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, met with Ruth K. Simmons, President of Brown University, on 7 May to sign two memoranda of understanding, which will strengthen links between the two institutions.

Under the Brown Global Forums, one faculty member from each institution will visit the other’s campus for one week. The faculty members will each deliver a lecture at the host institution, and will be involved in workshops, classroom visits and meetings with colleagues.

Under the second memorandum of understanding, the Universities also agreed to continue development of existing faculty exchanges and explore other future opportunities for collaboration.

Matthew Gutmann, Brown’s Vice President for International Affairs, commented: “Partnering with the university of Exeter on Brown Global

Forums offers both institutions the opportunity to learn from one another.”

He also praised the continuing relations between the universities: “We are delighted to continue to build upon our relationship with Exeter while also furthering our commitment to global engagement.”

“We are delighted to continue to build upon our relationship with Exeter” Matthew Gutmann, Brown’s Vice President for International Affairs Exeter and Brown are already making use of their partnership. As of October 2012, students who hold an undergraduate degree from either University will be eligible to apply for a three year fully funded postgraduate studentship at the University of Exeter, which also includes up to three months study at Brown.

This is part of the Exeter-Brown PhD Scholarship in High Frequency Spintronics.

>> Prof. Steve Smith signs the Memoranda with Ruth K. Simmons

Photo: Molly Quinn

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21 May 2012 |

COMMENT

Comment SEND US YOUR LETTERS: editors@exepose.com

Exeposé est.

1987

from the University If students weren’t plagued enough by the garish shades of the library, the Sanctuary, with its bawdy shades and angular design are an anthithesis to calmness and simplicity.

Simply put - the design and layout of the space, viscously lampooned by a number of students on the University of Exeter’s Facebook page, is almost so bad as to appear something of an elaborate joke.

Give us cream walls, comfy sofas and calm aesthetics - the Sanctuary, as it is, is a waste of space. The University must remember the old mantra that often less is a great deal more.

Wake up and smell the coffee THE news that the cafés in the Queen’s, Amory and Harrison buildings are to be closed marks the end of an era for many university students.

The new Forum is becoming part of everyday campus life and is no longer simply a novelty. The demise of older facilities is an inevitable part of the process of renewing any space. Nonetheless, services that have been used by members of staff and students alike for many years will be sorely missed. What is lost in improved facilities is a sense of familiarity, which is important to any café’s culture.

Queen’s café in particular is a centre for many Humanities students, and is a space used for informal meetings with tutors, lunch in between seminars, and

study groups. With few contact hours, it is spaces in academic buildings such as Queen’s Café that form a vital site for face-to-face contact.

The new Costa in the Forum might be providing students in the library with a quick caffeine hit whilst revising, however in the long term the limited seating cannot cater for many students at one time.

The open air space in the Street has adequate seating however does not have the same centralized feel of the cozy cafés that students have come to love throughout their degrees.

The atmosphere of the new catering facilities will need some serious student usage before they begin to feel more homely and less like an airport lounge.

Exeposé would like to thank those who helped proof this issue Elli Christie, William O’Rourke, Megan Furborough, Matt Bugler, Fiona Lally, Rob Harris, Ellie Bothwell, Kate Gray, Adam western, Cressy Travis, Chloe Parkin and members of the Exeposé Editorial Team

Apologies

DEPUTY EDITORS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ExeposeComment

A ‘Sanctuary’ for no one IN many ways, the hot topic of this issue of Exeposé is the changing use of Streatham campus.

Compared with last year, exam errors seem to have been kept to a reassuring minimum. This undoubtedly reflects the decreasing amount of building work.

However, there remains some particularly pertinent questions about some of the University’s investment in its students. “Fire whoever’s responsible” – just one in a series of ringing endorsements on Facebook praising the ‘Sanctuary, a new study space.

The Sanctuary, which opened at the end of last term, represents the next in a long line of questionable design choices

EDITORS

The article entitled ‘Cheerleaders succeed at Nationals’ last issue was written

by Eleni Garidis, and not Joe Barrs as published. Lucy Gibson is the EUPC captain, and not the EUMCC captain as credited.

Exeposé

Zoe Bulaitis & Tom Payne Ben Murphie & Ellie Steafel

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Comment

The Forum, two weeks on...

“It’s a really light, happy place to work. I’ve been coming here to revise every day”

“It looks like an airport lounge”

3rd year, Business Studies

2nd year, English

“The Forum was definitely worth the wait and all the building work. It’s stunning!”

2nd year, History

“The library is so much nicer now. It’s easier to get to and to find a seat, and the close proximity to Costa and Marketplace make long revision sessions more enjoyable!”

1st year, German

“Everything’s broken.

The building squeaks. The rotating door doesn’t work.

Marketplace keeps running out of sandwiches...”

3rd year, Theology

“It needs another restaurant - Costa is way too small and the RAM is the only option for hot food”

1st year, Economics

“The cheese was out of date”

1st year, Geography

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

COMMENT

Spinning out of control?

Photo: Josh Irwandi

Kate Gray MY feelings on the new Market Place are mixed. Looks like a shop you might find on a ferry, charges enough for its branded Forum mugs to make you think they’re being used to secretly smuggle cocaine to students. The best way I can think to describe it is like those iconic yet ridiculous revolving doors: shiny and enticing on the outside, but once you’re in, it takes a lot of effort on your part to make the most of it. Also, you might find the odd student inside looking confused and terrified while trying to figure out what to do.

The best course of action, I find, is to go in with a purpose, or product, in mind, and not to get sucked in by the brightly coloured gourmet cheddar and the enticingly large selection of pick ‘n’ mix.

Magda Cassidy

>> Students flood in to the newly-opened Forum

ALTHOUGH I didn’t make the Forum opening due to Term three madness, I excitedly went to visit it the next day and was immediately impressed with the results. The Forum provides our campus with a student hub, something the University was desperately lacking beforehand, and seems to instill in students a motivation to stay on campus between lectures and revision sessions and actually get some work done! The bright, light space captures the feeling of bustling excitement you would find in the city centre, but simultaneously feels like a uni-

Many a careless student has emerged, dazed and bewildered, clutching a pork pie, satin cushions and eight freshly baked croissants. I have even caught myself, on occasion, staring mindlessly at the sausage rolls, perhaps looking for Pastry Nirvana, who knows? But if I enter Market Place searching for something specific then the experience isn’t so bad after all. Quite pleasant, in fact; I feel like I’ve just been in a miniature Waitrose, where all the customers happen to be between 18 and 21 and wear UGGs. But, being a student, I do like to nitpick. The Forum is lovely, don’t get me wrong; if it’s worth Queen Elizabeth II’s time, then I’m sure I can make allowances. I just can’t help but feel like whoever is stocking Marketplace has never met a student. Yes, we do have a new Waitrose, and we like to indulge ourselves from time to time, but I honestly don’t see the need for a wider range in pâté flavours, than in sandwiches.

If you were to ask an average student - let’s say, for the sake of this argument, that Holland Hall residents don’t come

under that heading, harharhar - then I doubt their food priorities would include pâté, of all things. The times I eat pâté are as follows: when someone else is paying, when someone hasn’t finished their pâté and offers it to me, and 20 years in the future when I’m so rich I have my own pâté fountain. So please, Exeter, don’t tempt me with your pâté now, it will only make the taste of cascading pulverised duck liver sweeter.

Of course I love the Forum. I love its sexy triangle-y roof, the big ego-boost of a commemorative plaque just inside the door, and the touch-screen air hockey tables that I foresee being used to secretly doodle on Paint during lectures. It has lots of places to sit, as long as you like sitting outside, and it is a hell of a lot easier to get to lectures. I just think Marketplace doesn’t need to try so hard.

The happiest moment I had in there was discovering that they stocked spaghetti hoops. Keep your pâté, your cheese, your brioche: give me potato smiley faces, cheese strings and Capri-sun; grown-up food can wait.

versity campus. We now have a place to go where all our needs can be catered for in one space; from having a coffee and catching up with friends, to doing your weekly shop. I am genuinely impressed with the high standard and variety of services the Forum has to offer. The link with the library is fantastic too, as I often find the group study areas in the library never have enough seats. Now, the stylish study bar provides extra space for group work while maintaining a professional atmosphere, and the library is moments away for grabbing a useful book.

It looks like my days of hacking into The RAM’s wifi, pint in hand, to squeeze in

half an hour of group presentation preparation are over!

“The Forum provides our campus with a student hub” My only criticism is the revolving doors after an embarrassing experience when attempting to rotate the door in the wrong direction. I got stuck in a painfully slow rotation with everyone staring at me! Other than that, I have nothing but positive things to say about the Forum.

It’s a brilliant asset to the University. I’m so pleased it’s finally up and running.

Olympic torch comes to Exeter Annabel Parrish SUNDAY 20 May is an important day for Exeter. The Olympic Flame will travel through the city, representing not only the countdown to the Olympics, but a celebration of community and creativity. Exeter has already welcomed the Queen as part of the Diamond Jubilee Tour, and both of these events are important reminders that we should be proud of Exeter and proud of Britain in 2012.

Even in tough economic circumstances, there is great joy to be found in a shared spirit of celebration.

Events have been planned across the city to provide the chance to try something new, to get active and have fun.

From midday, people can have a go at canoeing at the Quayside, or take a dance lesson as part of the Princesshay Shuffle. The variety of events organised suggest that everyone can get active and

enjoy themselves, no matter what age or ability. We should be proud that some of the University’s finest performers and groups from across the city will come together to share their passion for dance, art, music and more. The parade, due to take place from 3pm, will showcase the creative costumes of top Devon artists, Forkbeard Fantasy, in their collaboration with students from the University, Exeter College and local primary schools. The Olympic Flame will be welcomed to the Cathedral Green from 6pm, where the evening festivities will take place.

The torchbearers represent the com-

“Even in tough economic circumstances, there is great joy to be found in a shared spirit of celebration” munity of Exeter and Devon; as the Olympic Flame travels around Britain it will unite different towns and cities in anticipation of a great event. The Olympics are not just for athletes, nor is its appeal limited to sports enthusiasts.

The Olympics are a chance for the world

to celebrate its achievements. From the architectural triumphs to the magnificent opening and closing ceremonies, the Olympics are about inclusivity, creativity and enthusiasm, something Exeter does incredibly well.

“The Olympics are about inclusivity, creativity and enthusiasm, something Exeter does incredibly well” Who knows, maybe London will become just a little chaotic this summer with its many new visitors, perhaps Boris will be given flag-waving duty again and look embarassingly clumsy. But is there anything wrong with a bit of eccentricity?

Whatever happens, Exeter will be celebrating the Olympic countdown in style and having a jolly good party.

Whether you have been lucky enough to get tickets, or will be watching at home with a cup of tea, you can feel part of an event that will unite people from across the world, as well as your local community.

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>> A replica Olympic torch in Princesshay, 2011

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21 May 2012 |

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Journalism: hacked to pieces?

Photo: IB Times

Tom Bond, Books Editor, lays bare the damage that News International has done to the reputation of British journalism I THINK it’s safe to say that unless you’re a senior News International employee, you know all about the phone hacking scandal.

Under the not-so-watchful eye of Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson the News of the World rifled through the private messages of nearly 6,000 people with scant regard for law, ethics or just basic human decency. The revelations have come leaking out steadily over the past few months of the Leveson Inquiry with News International employees passing the buck so often that there’s only change left for Rupert Murdoch. It began in 2005 with the hacking of Prince William’s voicemail, peaked in July 2011 with the news that they had hacked Milly Dowler’s phone and at the latest count has exposed corruption and collusion between politicians, the police and News International. The behaviour of the News of the World represents the single biggest blow to the integrity of journalism in my lifetime and as the inquiry continues, things only seem to be getting worse.

“Every step of the way the lies are revealed to go deeper and deeper and right now the question seems to be: how long can the Murdoch empire survive?”

>> Rebekah Brooks has been charged for perverting the course of justice

The true horror of the scandal comes with the company and its employee’s abhorrent lack of contrition or responsibility for their actions.

There is clearly no honour among thieves at the News of the World with countless sacrificial lambs being offered up to appease the public’s appetite for justice. Shockingly, every step of the way the lies are revealed to go deeper and deeper and right now the question seems to be how long can the Murdoch empire survive? The man himself was described in a recent government report as exhibiting “wilful blindness to what was going on in his publications and companies”. Wilful blindness is a generous description; I prefer moral myopia. Often, it just becomes a bare-faced lie, like the following statement from Andy Coulson that he dares to deliver with a hint of smug superiority. After winning newspaper of the year under his editorship

in 2005, Coulson said: “The News of the World doesn’t pretend to do anything other than reveal big stories and titillate and entertain the public, while exposing crime and hypocrisy”. We’ll get to the first part later, but ‘exposing crime and hypocrisy’? I don’t think I need to highlight the bleak irony of those words for you.

The question that is important for the future of the newspaper industry is why did the News of the World hack?

The main reason was their desperate need to “reveal big stories” and “entertain the public”, like Coulson claimed. Those goals are worthy enough on their own but not when you try and achieve them like this. The paper’s decisive blow came with the revelation that their journalists had hacked the phone of abducted schoolgirl Milly Dowler and actively used this information to create headlines.

Astonishingly, Surrey police were aware of the hacking but didn’t act on it because, according to one source, “there was a hell of a lot of dirty stuff going on”. The paper was rightly condemned but it still feels slightly hollow that this story was what it took to stir the public’s anger. Don’t get me wrong, what they did was disgusting and morally bankrupt but it seems like it took this final innocent victim to prick the nation’s conscience. The prevailing attitude seems to be that all those countless celebrities they also hacked deserved what they got. Look at them swanning around being rich and successful, let’s ignore their right to privacy and destroy their lives. In fact, they’re famous: they don’t have a right to privacy. They signed it away in blood the second you saw them on TV or heard them on the radio.

“If there is any good to come of this scandal and the Leveson Inquiry, it will be tarring and feathering the culprits and making an example of them for future generations of journalists” As Coulson proudly alludes to it, his former paper spends its days hunting down more and more sordid exclusives to proudly smear across its front pages like a monkey using its own

excrement as wallpaper. As inane and worthless as I feel this celebrity gossip is, it’s not the main issue. If you really feel it would enrich your life to read about stranger A filming themselves having sex with stranger B then go ahead. Does it somehow sound more depraved and voyeuristic when I simplify it like that? No, the real issue is the pretence we’ve all been keeping up that this is somehow news, that the tabloids are doing us a favour by chronicling the sex lives of the rich and famous.

“We read it because they write it, and they write it because it’s easier than doing proper journalism and reporting on something important” I’ll let you into a little secret: we don’t need to know. Celebrity gossip is a public service in the same way that spying on your neighbours having sex is a public service. It all boils down to the same thing; the only difference is the pathetic thrill we get from realising that celebrities are fallible humans just like us. We watch these individuals who have become successful, sometimes through luck but often through hard work, and we rub our hands with glee as their dignity and pride is destroyed in front of our eyes in an easy to digest double page pull-out. We’re just as complicit as them, because you know what, Coulson was right: they were just giving the public what they wanted. We didn’t care to ask how they came by these exclusive scoops, we just sat there and lapped it up like hyenas being tossed the bloody remains of someone’s hopes and dreams.

I have more faith in the public interest than that. We read it because they write it, and they write it because it’s easier than actually doing proper journalism and reporting on something important.

Tabloids aren’t destroying journalism; immoral and illegal tabloid practices are. If there is any good to come of this scandal and the Leveson Inquiry it will be tarring and feathering the culprits and making an example of them for future generations of journalists.

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

FEATURES 9

Is the Internet really just for porn?

Photo: anktangle.com

Harry McCarthy asks if pornography is more important to our teenagers’ development than the government thinks SINCE ancient times, sex and sexuality have been widely represented in visual art and literature.

From Paleolithic cave paintings to Greek ceramics, erotica formed an integral part of ancient culture and civilisation – a trend which has by no means diminished over time. Pornography as we understand it today, however, did not evolve until the Victorian era, when sex was perhaps society’s biggest taboo.

Today, such taboos have almost entirely evaporated, and the rise of the Internet has paved the way for the ever-increasing expansion and widespread availability of visual and often graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, establishing pornography as an industry in its own right. As a result, in recent years politicians and lobby groups have begun to voice concerns over pornography’s impact on young people – so much so that last week the Prime Minister announced plans to introduce automatic web filters in order to prevent teenagers from accessing ‘inappropriate content’. But just how harmful is this sexual phenomenon? And is removing it from the lives of the nation’s teenagers really the best course of action?

According to recent statistics published by the Daily Mail, four in every five children aged between 14 and 16 regularly access explicit visual content

on the Internet. Given that the age of consent for both hetero- and homosexual intercourse is 16, this figure is indisputably shocking. But it would appear that given the almost entirely absent restrictions placed on access to age-restricted content online (only three per cent of pornographic websites require proof of age before admission is granted), such a statistic is surely unavoidable. Conservative peer Baroness Howe, an avid supporter of Cameron’s proposals, recently spoke of the “dangerous” effects that the viewing of such content could potentially have upon the sexual relationships of impressionable teenagers; films and images which feature unprotected sex, group intercourse, and female objectification could surely impact upon an adolescent’s understanding of sexual health and relationships, which could in turn lead to long-lasting psychological problems. Denying teenagers access to such content would, according to the government, help to erase these risks and address the younger generation’s apparent fascination with sex.

There is, however, another side to the argument. While the absence of censorship of internet pornography appears to encourage promiscuity and sexual malpractice, it can also provide a valuable resource for a young person’s sexual development and experimenta-

tion. Today’s secondary schools have such a worryingly basic and often clinical approach to sex education that it is a wonder that any of us are sexually active at all. The syllabus focuses far more on the range of contraceptive devices available and the spectrum of sexually transmitted infections and diseases than the practice of intercourse itself. Such an approach hardly offers a comprehensive understanding of sex, particularly in the case of homosexual students, for whom educational material and guidance is virtually non-existent. While schools cannot be expected to deliver practical sessions on intercourse (an innovation that would surely provoke outrage among parents), their unapologetically archaic teaching practices are undoubtedly at least partially to blame for teenagers turning to the internet in order to obtain even the most basic of understandings of sex.

“Pornography appears to encourage promiscuity and sexual malpractice” It cannot be denied, of course, that pornography’s hyper-erotic nature offers a highly unrealistic representation of sex, but such concerns could surely also be applied to romantic comedies’

overly idealistic representation of human relationships – in both cases there is no pretence that these are presentations of real-life situations, but exaggerations of them. More worrying, however, is the trend among porn sites to display extreme sexual scenarios: sadomasochism, domination, and risky or unprotected intercourse. If pornography’s impact upon the sexual practice of the younger generation is indeed as large as the government suggests, such issues need to be addressed and moderated in order to protect the sexual health and development of British teenagers.

But as it currently stands, teenage at-

titudes to sex and sexual health cannot develop without pornography. In order to gain any kind of understanding of the staggering amount of different experiences that the world of sex has to offer, teenagers have no option but to resort to the internet’s overwhelming amount of explicit content – they would simply be lost without it.

Unless the government is prepared to provide a more desirable and socially acceptable alternative in order to satisfy the needs of Britain’s sexually curious teenagers, denying them access to pornographic websites will create more problems than it solves.

Just another pint of vodka in an alcohol war

Andy Henley explains why in recent online boozing battles, the alcohol will always win YOUTUBE is a great place to find the extreme. The biggest, most painful and most shocking seem to be the videos that capture the imagination most. So it’s perhaps little surprise that the Man vs Booze series has proven so popular with students up and down the country.

The videos have received more than 600,000 views and the ‘official’ Facebook page has over 6,000 likes, which is pretty good work for what is essentially a bloke in Leeds drinking stuff in

his kitchen. The challenges which Jack ‘MvB’ Bell has overcome include downing five pints of Guinness in quick succession, seeing off a pint of neat vodka and strawpedoing a bottle of tequila.

Considering there have been eleven episodes already, the fact that Bell is still determined to find more and nastier, beverages to consume is remarkable.

But a challenger to MVB’s dominance of the internet drinking circuit has emerged in the shape of Rhys Dixon, a.k.a Photo: Man vs Booze

the Swansea Student Drinker. His first efforts include the demolition of a magnum of red wine and engulfing an entire bottle of Jägermeister in a mind-boggling six seconds, but the video which has really caused a sensation is his frankly ridiculous consumption of back-to-back pints of neat vodka and Jack Daniels.

The competition between the two has been intensified by a war of words over Facebook and Twitter, as well as an unlikely intervention by Gloucester Rugby number eight Luke Narraway. The SSD fans claim that their guy’s achievement is more ridiculous than anything that MVB has come up with, to which Bell responded by uploading an image of a bottle of 60 per cent proof absinthe with the tagline ‘what’s this?’ suggestively attached. These people are mentalists.

It will hopefully become clear that this article is not an endorsement of drinking on this level. Equally there is little point in me going through the dizzying array of health risks associated with abusing your body like this, as the media makes the dangers of binge drinking apparent to everyone through increasingly sensationalised stories. But to one degree or another, boozing like this is part of most students’ lives. No-one buys drinks in a club for any reason other than to get wasted, and no-one wants to spend twenty quid in Arena if you can get smashed for half that in predrinks. Some people claim they are such heavyweights that sinking a bottle of wine in a matter of

seconds is the only way they can escape the hindering shackles of sobriety, while unlucky others become the chump who has to down the bubbling concoction festering in the King cup. So to a degree, even the alcoholic atrocities committed in Man vs Booze and Swansea Student Drinker aren’t vastly removed from the student experience.

“The story of Richard Davies, who died in 2010 after drinking a pint of vodka in four seconds, is one that’s hard to get out of your head” The problem is that people get bored easily, especially people on YouTube.

Suddenly downing a pint of vodka isn’t enough to earn the internet’s admiration, so something even more outrageous is demanded by the baying idiots who you can bet haven’t done anything in the same realm as what they’re asking for. SSD inhales what one commenter describes as a potentially lethal level of spirits, so MVB downs a bottle of absinthe strong enough to clean a whiteboard with. But the thing is, the physical act of drinking that much isn’t actually that hard. It’s the decision to do it despite knowing exactly what this stuff is going to do to you, the pain and misery you’re going to inflict on yourself, which marks these guys out as

exceptional. After all the bragging and posturing of the MVB videos you can be sure there is a chundering ginger kid, which you can see on any night outside Timepiece. The Swansea Student Drinker happens to be one of my oldest mates, and he described his state after making the infamous episode as basically reverting to that of a two year-old, with all the piss and vomit that entails.

Is it really worth inflicting that on yourself for banter immortality? Some will say yes, most likely the people who would never do what they cajole others into doing. That seems to be what’s happening with MVB and SSD. The mates of both parties want to be able to say “my mate is the biggest boozer” without suffering any of the inevitable consequences. The fact is that someone is going to end up getting hurt. No-one is invincible. The story of Richard Davies, who died in 2010 after drinking a pint of vodka in four seconds, is one that’s hard to get out of your head when watching the more extreme examples of this alcoholic battle. The fact that Rhys is one of my best mates makes this frightening on a personal level for me. The power of a group of people demanding you do something is enormous, and peer pressure is a dismally weak justification for putting yourself through the seven circles of alcoholic hell. So next time you see something off, make sure you’re not doing it to provide a pushy friend with an anecdote. It’s not worth it.

10 Features

21 May 2012 |

Exeposé

Photo: Negocious.com

>> New World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, flanked by his backers, US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton

New World Bank president far from first choice The scepticism that is greeting Jim Yong Kim by his opponents is examined by Alexandra Surtees

THE recent World Bank presidential election marks a new era of leadership for the Washington, D.C. based international development and global anti-poverty leader.

Korean-born, Jim Yong Kim was elected as the World Bank’s 12th president on April 16, only narrowly succeeding Nigerian finance minister Ngozi OkonjoIweala, and marking the first time in the organisation’s history that a US candidate has faced serious international opposition since it was founded at the Bretton Woods conference at the close of the Second World War. During US president Obama’s announcement of Kim’s nomination he explained the importance of selecting a World Bank president with “a deep understanding of both the role that development plays in the world and the importance of creating conditions where assistance is no longer needed.” An unlikely candidate, Obama pushed for Kim’s nomination amidst a dozen others, impressed with his experience in development and public health. A graduate of Brown University in 1982, Harvard Medical School in 1991, and with a doctorate in anthropology from Harvard University in 1993, Kim is current president of Ivy League Dartmouth College and serves as the chair of The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard

Medical School. He has also served as chief of Division of Global Health and Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. A co-founder of the non-profit Partners in Health organisation that provides medical support to low-income communities around the world, and former director of the World Health Organisations’ initiative to combat HIV/AIDS, he received a “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation in 2003, and was listed as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in 2006 for his work on global epidemics. Formerly, the role of World Bank president has gone to financiers and politicians.

“It’s the first time in the organization’s history that a US candidate has faced serious internal opposition since it was founded” Several voices in the developing world expressed discontent at the unbroken legacy of American leadership.

The International Monetary Fund, it’s sister organisation, has always been run by a European, with current president France’s Christine Lagarde backing Obama’s nomination. Kim’s competition

Okonjo-Iweala, a symbol of success in African leadership, has been instrumental in cracking down on corruption, and wiping out $18bn of the country’s debt, inviting investment and growth in the Nigerian economy, according to BBC News. Okonjo-Iweala expressed disappointment that that election was not based on merit, “it is voting with political weight and shares, and therefore the US will get it” she told reporters on a briefing on the country’s 2012 budget. The third candidate, Colombia’s former finance minister, Jose Antonio Ocampo, pulled out of the race calling the selection process a “political-oriented exercise.” However, Okonjo-Iweala stated the selection process will never be the same again, Africa has shown that it “can produce people capable of running” the World Bank, and that this is a “big victory.” In an announcement, the World Bank said: “We, the executive directors, wish to express our deep appreciation to all the nominees. Their candidacies enriched the discussion of the role of the president and the World Bank group’s future direction.”

Professor Simon Evenett, a former World Bank official who teaches at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland, said Kim’s appointment was to be expected.

“There was never really a contest. Some developing countries probably figure

this out and put up a strong candidate to embarrass the west, hoping that this will lead to a more open process in the future.

Don’t bet on that. The west won’t give up its hold over these institutions until they need something from the emerging markets.”

“It is voting with political weight and shares, and therefore the US will get it” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian finance minister Kim’s also facing criticism from students at Dartmouth College. Recently, students have cited Kim’s inability to handle hazing, binge drinking and sexual assault issues on the fraternity and sorority dominated campus as indicative of his inability to tackle larger problems. Upon learning of Kim’s nomination, many students questioned if they “were more worried for their senior year at Dartmouth or the World Bank,” feeling that Kim’s three-year administration “was a massive failure” and saying he was a man of “rhetoric.”

Others, including the Obama administration, are optimistic for Kim, thinking he has what it takes to achieve the mission inscribed at the entrance of the World

Bank – “Our Dream is a World Free of Poverty.” Frequently, he urged students at Dartmouth to share his mantra, “the world’s troubles are your troubles…and there’s nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix, you have a responsibility to think hard about your place in the world, I don’t care which problems you fix, so long as you understand you have a responsibility.” With such a dedicated approach to tackling the world’s problems, and an anthropological grasp of the importance of understanding local cultures, perhaps there is hope in his five-year term, which starts on 1 June. In an interview with Forbes, he explained, “you have to have a really fine grain sense of the local culture” to bring about lasting change.

Perhaps, however the most important thing to take away from this election is the need for greater transparency and voting power for emerging economies. Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said his country would not give additional money to the IMF to tackle the effects of the European sovereign debt crisis until the institution showed firm commitment to voting reforms. It will be important for Kim to establish from early on that he is committed to appointing candidates from developing countries to other top posts.

The changing face of Europe

James Crouch, Features Editor, looks at the fallout from elections that have recently concluded across Europe THE face of Europe is changing. After years with the familiar characters of Sarkozy, Merkel and Cameron, the electorates of Europe are in revolt. The few German regional elections this month were a “bitter, painful defeat” according to

Photo: Daily Caller

Merkel, while the now ex-French President has been replaced by socialist Francois Hollande.

What’s remarkable is that for much of this crisis, the governments of Western Europe have been headed by conservatives, and now they’re uniformly getting a drubbing at the polls - even ‘Teflon’ Cameron suffered his first electoral setback in his whole seven years as Conservative Party leader.

The change at the Elysee Palace has worried Berlin. Merkel and Sarkozy were, well, pretty cosy together. They were centre-right continental politicians with similar agendas. Hollande is not, and his arrival is, in a sense, a spanner in the works at a time when the Eurozone is in probably its greatest crisis since its conception. Europe needs a united front, a single plan to deal with its financial problems, and almost any change mid-

stream is likely to derail that. However, straight after his official taking over, Hollande travelled to Berlin, realising that this was a top priority - reaffirming Europe’s most important partnership.

And what about their greatest headache, Greece? In this rung of elections that have shaken western Europe, they have not left the east untouched either.

If ever there was a country that needed a strong stable government it is Greece, and if ever there was a country that won’t get one, it is also Greece.

The elections that took place there resulted in a complete stalemate. The former national unity government made up firstly of left-wing PASOK and as a junior partner the centre-right New Democracy - was not tenable after the election. PASOK lost 119 seats (three quarters of their previous total), while New Democracy gained on its previous

results to be take a clear first place. Big gainers were the radical left-wing Syriza, anti-austerity conservatives Independent Greeks and the far-right Golden Dawn.

All this makes for a complicated picture and a divided Greek parliament.

The debate here is no longer between left and right per se, but more about austerity or anti-austerity. On the right, austerity won out, although New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said he was unable to form a coalition. The left (where the anti-austerity battle clearly took the lead) then tried not once, but three times, to form a government under Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras. All this inevitably resulted in new elections, which will take place in June.

But what is worrying for the old guard of Europe - Cameron and Merkel - is that austerity is now being rejected.

Regardless of its merits or if it actually

will get us out of this financial crisis, democracies are dependent on their electorates. Francois Hollande is anti-austerity, as is the majority of the new Greek parliament. This policy is still, apparently “non-negotiable”. It cannot be changed.

But what will happen when the day comes that all of Europe is chained to a policy that no-one supports?

Give the thumbs up to a prize every Friday.

We’re celebrating every Friday by giving away the latest in gadgets and technology, and even bundles of cash!

To be in with a chance of winning each and every week simply Like our Facebook page and register for your ticket. And why not share with friends too, and look forward to every weekend with Endsleigh Fantime Friday. facebook.com/endsleigh twitter@endsleigh Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. This can be checked on the FSA Register by visiting its website at www.fsa.gov.uk. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited.

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12

21 May 2012 |

LIFESTYLE

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What the ale happens in a brewery?

Thomas Ling, Lifestyle Editor, finds out the story behind RAM ale at Hunter’s Brewery ACCORDING to a recent survey that I’ve just made up, every single student in Exeter is fed up of exams. You simply can’t escape from hearing somebody burbling on about how stressful their revision is or that they’ve just got too much to remember (I mean, I’m even using these brackets to tell you that there’s exams going on at the moment).

“Well, how can I relax in such a stressful period?” you’re probably asking.

Well, once you’ve stopped interrupting me, I’ll tell you all about what goes on in the brewery that produces RAM Ale, and why the drink is such a tasty way to escape revision fever. So settle down.

For those unaware, the Ram’s very own brand of ale is produced at the award winning Hunter’s Brewery, a growing family business set up in 2008 by husband and wife team, Paul and Eline Walker. Now, you might think setting up a custom-made brewery in a recession makes as much economic sense as a heavy investment in an earthquakeprone etcher-sketch gallery, especially with beer duty rising 42% in the past three years, which leaves the average brewery to scrape 0.4% profit on each pint. However, one visit of Hunter’s Brewery made it clear why they could afford their £50,000 expansion plans after only a few years of production, which being the business expert you are, you’d know that’s an astounding achievement.

Everything is geared towards giving the drink the best taste with an emphasis on high quality ingredients, such as the use of purely crushed Madagascan vanilla, which being the vanilla expert you are, you’d know that Hunter’s is the only brewery in the UK using such an ingredient. Geez, you’re building up quite the repertoire here.

Although there’s an emphasis on high quality ingredients, students won’t have to sell off a few vital organs to experience them. Hunter’s only breaks even by selling RAM Ale to our campus bar, which means students are able to get hold of this drink for only £2.25 a pint, which would otherwise cost around £4 in any other pub.

Paul Walker, owner and head brew-

Cheers!

Whether you’re revising in the library or celebrating in Arena, drink in style this exam season

Exeposé

Photo: Joshua Irwandi

Memories of a fashionista Antonia Hawken gets nostalgic over Exeter’s vintage gem, The Real McCoy

er, clearly has a real passion for beer after starting the business from scratch after a “bad week at work” at his former pharmaceutical job, prompting him to do what he describes as “following my dreams”. He told me about the hurdles the brewery first faced and that “you learn the hard way, don’t you?” when referring to the need to bring in an automated cooling system to combat the warm summer temperatures that threatened to spoil the delicate fermentation process. This all seems in the distant past now, with Paul hoping Hunter’s ongoing expansion will mean that 400 barrels of beer are produced a week, thereby doubling its current production.

This growing business is far different to the industrialized picture I had of the average brewery, the rolling hills of the rural heartland of Devon providing a beautiful backdrop for the converted farmhouse where production takes

Iced Coffee Mocktail

Marcus Beard, Games Editor Who said cocktails and revision don’t mix? Get your caffeine buzz with this smooth coffee mocktail. You’ll be the envy of the library

place. Just before leaving Hunter’s there was even time to visit other parts of the farm where a few new-born lambs, barely more than a day old were lying next to their mothers. It’s a picture that wouldn’t look out of place on the front of a holiday brochure for the Shire from The Lord of the Rings.

“Though previously an ale atheist, I’ve been converted” This relaxing Devon scene really translates into the final product. Though previously an ale atheist, I’ve been converted to the authentic country pub experience of RAM Ale’s initial smooth malted flavour that brilliantly gives way to a delicately subtle floral aftertaste.

Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just tell us how the ale is made and be on your way.

Ingredients 60ml cold, strong coffee 60ml sugar 60ml hot water 240ml milk Method 1. Mix the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker 2. Add crushed ice and decorate with some whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Simple!

Well, fact fans, get out your pens and paper, you’re in for a treat. First off, water boiled to 70 °C is transferred from the world’s biggest kettle into a huge ‘mash tub’ in which a process called ‘mashing in’ takes place. Locally sourced barley and other ingredients are then added and left for an hour and a half, thus pulling the nitrogen and sugars from the barley.

Got that written down? Great!

Next, this mixture is transferred into yet another giant kettle whereby the mixture is boiled and purified (removing the proteins and impurities), before being left for two and half days in a complex fermentation process, with the temperature being tightly controlled from the outside. Finally it’s all barrelled up and left to condition for a week before finally being distributed. Okay, pens down. See you’ve learnt something and you’ve had some fun! Class dismissed.

The Charlie Special Emily Lunn, Books Editor

Improve your celebratory pre-drinks with this delicious rum-based cocktail.

Warning: avoid drinking in large quantities to prevent loss of dignity Method 1. Fill a cocktail shaker with the rum, orange juice, pineapple juice and some ice 2. Shake and strain the contents into a chilled cocktail glass 3. Pour in the grenadine, garnish with a slice of orange and serve

WHAT I particularly love about Exeter and will surely miss are the individual and quirky shops one tends to come across beyond the standard High Street array. Once a fully-fledged graduate, I will mourn the loss of walking down the High Street, avoiding its many buses, and casually strolling back into the fashionable past via The Real McCoy. To those who are unaware of Exeter’s vintage delight, The Real McCoy, located in McCoy’s Arcade (keep going past the Golden Horn, near Mosaic), stocks clothing from the 1920s to the 1980s, sells fancy dress and has its own licensed cafe, a homage to the 1950s.

My proudest purchase has to be my vintage Barbour for £40, which I’m hardly ever seen without. For the summer, I opt for my second year find of a cricket jumper, perfect for teaming with shorts or pastel skinny jeans.

I implore the students of Exeter to investigate what the city has to offer in terms of clothing, particularly when brands such as Topshop, River Island and particularly Urban Outfitters are taking inspiration from fashion’s past. Furthermore dear student, take advantage of Devon’s prices, for many of the items found in The Real McCoy can only be found in London at a far dearer price.

Take, for example, Urban Outfitters, which I’m sure many Lifestyle readers know well, and you’ll be aware of the rail of customized Levi jeans and shorts for £30. In McCoy’s they start at £15, and they’re selling Original Rayban’s for £30, absolutely ideal for the summer.

Finally, if that hasn’t sold it to you, girls, you get a bright pink bag to take your items home in.

Ingredients 100ml pineapple juice 1 shot grenadine 150ml orange juice 2 shots rum

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

lifestyle

13

The eternal pessimist.

The worst thing about ... Travel

Exams, Revision and Cabin Fever

An anonymous student cross-examines why the stress of revision has sent all of her Lifestyle’s new columnist, Helen Carrington, looks ahead at the horrors of flatmates feral post-exam holiday travel

AS a humble fresher about to take my first exams here at Exeter, I’ve been doing my absolute best to avoid revising. As an inventive form of procrastination, I have documented the effect that exam season has had on my flat.

The patriotic air that recently hovered around our Forum has morphed into the highly caffeinated exhalations of stressed out students. With the extra study spaces, the lure of the library as a place to cram and Facebook stalk is greater than ever before. The behavioural changes in my flat mates are becoming more and more alarming with every energy drink consumed. It’s safe to say that my flatmates have changed before my eyes from wonderfully weird to worryingly weird. In all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m more worried for their mental stability or for my own safety, due to being surrounded by five people who wouldn’t be out of place in the local insanity institution. But before we go further, allow me to introduce you to my fellow freshers close to the fuse.

Softly-spoken Dressing Gown Girl is as cute as the chocolate buttons she lives on, whilst Mr Absolute has a penchant for a certain radio station at all hours of the day. Rugby Lad splits his time equally between pulling, lashing and working out. And then there’s Feminist Blonde, who can be found strutting around Queens rapping about how much of a ‘bad bitch’ she is. That is when she’s not condemning Man Slut for leading unsuspecting Arena girls astray.

The brain space required for sticking to normal eating patterns, the ability to cook and kitchen cleanliness seems to have been the main thing substituted to make room for cramming. In the past week alone, Feminist Blonde has become increasingly critical of her own cooking ability - “It just tastes like cow... You don’t think I should become a vegetarian do you?” - and

Man Slut has broken the world record for the crispiest and longest-cooked pizza (around 9 hours). The alarming mountain of Rugby Lad’s egg shells continue to grow each time he decides to get his chef on. “It’s all about the protein,” he explains to us each time he bolts an omelette before heading to the gym. It’s always difficult trying to ignore the aromatic effects that waft after him through the door. It’s not hard to imagine the effects of a diet consisting mainly of hastily prepared eggs.

“We shovelled additives down our throats with our newly bitten fingernails” We always seem to be in the kitchen as snacking is now our chief time consumer. It’s safe to say that our calorie intake increased exponentially when the Co-Op doughnut offer coincided with the day Tetris Battle went down for maintenance. Feminist Blonde’s discovery of gothsuptrees.net didn’t turn out to be the high-octane replacement we were hoping for. In the beginning, we all collectively hated Dressing Gown Girl. She would sit like an angel, silently tucking into her Graze Box. “I love making healthy choices!” she would beam, as we shovelled additives down our throats with our newly blunted and bitten down fingernails.

But then the Graze Box wasn’t delivered on time. Judging by a suspicious collection of crisp packets since then, I don’t think she’s coping too well.

In all honesty, I don’t think any of us are. If we’re like this in our first year, I dread to think how we’ll be at the end of our final year in Exeter. If nothing else happens, let’s just hope that we manage to evade burning the house down once again, and that Tetris Battle is upgraded significantly!

WITH Summer ahead, I’m well aware of our generation’s capacity to waste three months ‘recuperating’ in front of the television or under the duvet. In an attempt to salvage some productivity, many students travel abroad to experience another tiny area of the globe, and return with extravagant tales, hordes of new Facebook friends and a peeling nose.

And don’t misunderstand me, I love this particular tradition, and a talent for misplacing essential items such as passports has done little to deter me.

But I find the joys of travel come attached with one particular irritation, which despite its initially insignificant nature, serves to make the experience one of frustration as well as delight.

It’s not, for instance, the way that I get called aside at security every single time I attempt to pass through its horde of metal detectors and sniffer dogs, and win the pleasant experience of being groped extensively by a large policewoman with a moustache, then scanned by a miniature metal detector, only for it to beep incessantly when in the region of my chest. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I tentatively suggest that it might be the underwire - because who would have thought that women might want to wear underwear even while on the plane? They allow the metal detector to chirrup irritatingly for another five minutes or so, rather like a precocious budgie, before announcing “I think it’s the underwire”, and allowing me to escape to convince the elderly policeman that the jar of olives, despite its shape, is not in fact a grenade.

Neither is the worst thing about travel the way that my rather un-

British determination to learn at least basic greetings in the native language of my destination is always greeted by a stream of fluent English. I am well aware that England is near the bottom of the league table for its inhabitants speaking a second language- Geordie doesn’t count- and that over a billion of the world’s inhabitants speak English (probably better than certain members of the aforementioned group).

“Who would have thought that women might want to wear underwear even while on the plane?”

But I digress. My point is that although being able to mispronounce ‘buenos días’ should be a pitiful achievement in the grand scheme of things, it would be nice if the Spanish people were willing to patronise me enough to reply with something also in Spanish. It could be ‘sod off’ in Spanish for all I know or care, but nevertheless I would nod and smile, and maybe reply with ‘gracias’. Anything would be preferable to being greeted with a cheery ‘Good morning, how are you?’ thus rendering conversation instantaneously awkward when I realise they probably have better English pronunciation that I do. That’s not the worst thing.

It isn’t even the stress of foreign currency. I realise that the pound is no more sensible a form of transaction than the euro, yen or kuna, but nevertheless, I find it impossible to gauge cost in currencies where it’s considered

common practice for a pastry to cost several thousand, and usually end up attempting to pay half in English notes and half in receipts. And because of the insanity of conversion rates at the airport, I’m left with the lingering presence of odd coins in my bottom drawer.

Despite being worth around 20p, I’m somehow incapable of throwing away actual money.

And don’t get me wrong, the essential directions of the air hostess upon entry to the long tubular aeroplane never cease to infuriate me. “Straight on down.” - I’ll tell you what, generically pretty air hostess, if you ever find me confused and firmly wedged Winniethe-Pooh style out of an emergency exit, I give you full permission to treat me like a compete moron for the remainder of our social interaction. Until then, I am perfectly capable of finding my seat, although the obese man taking up the entire row means that actually manoeuvring myself into the seat might prove more than problematic.

“It would be nice if the Spanish people were willing to patronise me enough to reply with something also in Spanish” No, the worst part of travel is indisputably being forbidden from sitting on the conveyor belt on the carousel.

There’s no reason not to try to make the airport experience that bit more enjoyable, and if I’m mistaken for someone else’s suitcase, I’ll take full responsibility.

Lifestyle Asks...

What’s your favourite pub/bar in Exeter and why?

ELLIE BUSBY: I’d have to say Bowling Green for its amazing Cider Black, and free pool and table football on a Tuesday evening. Oh, and you gotta love a bit of Trivial Pursuit as well JAMES CROUCH: All of them, for every reason...

PHILLIP THOMAS: It completely depends on what kind of night you are looking for. For live music - Mama Stones, for a catch up with mates - The Vic, for a game of Scrabble - Bowling Green, on a nice day Mill-on-the-Exe MIKE STANTON: The Impy, my second home in Exeter! and they have ‘Old Rosie’

ZOE BULAITIS: My favourite pub has got to be the Rusty Bike. It’s more expensive than some other places, but the wine is super fine and it’s twenty seconds from my house...what more do you want from a pub?

MARCUS BEARD: The Vic. Hunter’s Chicken is second to none BEN MURPHIE: I prefer the Rusty Bike as despite being ridiculously overpriced and having an owner with a long grey ponytail that ceaselessly tries to chat up any female friends with a roguish wink and the admonition that “I’m kind of a wandering gypsy who loves good food”, I once met Marcus Mumford there

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| Week twenty-SEVEN

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It’s a (Temper) Trap!

Kat Stevens talks to the Aussies about their return, lost passports and avocado chocolate

23 May Beats and Bass Cavern 26 May Jam-the-Channel 6 Birthday Cellar Door 29 May EU Jazz Orchestra Monkey Suit 29 May Gemma Hayes Phoenix 2 & 3 June Exeter Respect Festival The highlight of Exeter’s Summer musical calender.

Respect brings together reggae, roots and hip-hop for an unforgettable experience!

1 June Magic Hat Stand Cavern 2 June Rinseout - High Contrast, Netsky + more Phoenix 4 June The Deep End, Kahn + Distal Cellar Door

Freebie of the Fortnight We trawl through the interwebs so you don’t have to...

Azealia Banks - Jumanji Bitter-sweetie Banks strikes gold again. Hudson Mohawke’s production providing fire. www.bit.ly/KQofX7

IMAGINE the scene: a young reporter sits alone in the waiting room of the Ritz, notepad in hand, awaiting the arrival of Toby Dundas, the self-taught drummer of The Temper Trap for his first ever interview.

Sadly, this was not the scene that lay before me, sat in my room in my pyjamas and trying not to hyperventilate as I dialled the phone, (desperately, and ultimately pointlessly, trying to position the dictaphone on my desk so that it wouldn’t pick up any feedback.) Fortunately however, my inability to remain cool and act appropriately around anyone remotely famous was immediately dispelled by Toby’s laid back Australian drawl. His despairing comments about his fellow band mates put me at ease immediately: “We had Johnny [Aherne] on a run of leaving his passport somewhere for three days running as we were trying to get between London, Norway, Sweden and back to England for Glastonbury. He managed to leave his passport on three separate occasions and get it back!” Hiccoughs aside though, Toby gives off a sense of excitement at the prospect of their upcoming sophomore album - the first in seven years - the self-titled The Temper Trap.

Even if you think you don’t know them, chances are you’ve heard their music. Their seminal song ‘Sweet Disposition’ was the summer anthem of 2009 and their debut album Conditions has sold over 80,000 records. With The Temper Trap due to be released in less than a week, almost three years after their debut, and with less than a week to go Toby seemed admirably calm and surprisingly modest about the whole process: “I’m excited, but I’m not counting my chickens just yet you know [...] We’ve been really lucky the way it’s all worked out. I mean we could have moved over to London and shrunk without a trace, but the last three years have been pretty amazing for us”.

“We could have moved over to London and shrunk without a trace” Talking about the creative process of writing the second album Toby spoke with his characteristic relaxed attitude and good sense of humour, “We were kind of trying to insulate ourselves from expectations and pressures as much as possible [...] for the

most part we’ve been able to do that, but towards the end you become aware of the kind of expectations of the record label and the people around the band, but now we just have to let it go out into the world and see what everyone else thinks of it”.

He needn’t worry. The first date of their UK tour kicked off last week at the Princess Pavilions in Falmouth, to a mixed crowd of students, teenie boppers, and pot bellied middle-aged men alike. Listening to the first single ‘Need Your Love’ beforehand I’ll admit it, I was a little dubious, but live The Temper Trap put my fears to rest.

Launching into a set list dominated by their new material and opening with the ‘London’s Burning’ from the upcoming album, it was an impressive and relevant start to the show; poignantly backlit with deep red lighting and filled with excerpts from the news of the summer riots of last year. The new tracks differ from the original sound of the first album, packed with synths and a more tangible electronic influence.

Toby tells me that this was part of the creative approach to the second album.

“We wanted to expand”, he says, “we brought in some new instruments… we’re excited to see what people think

about it”. A new sound perhaps, but one which certainly maintains all of the high spirited and emotive musicality of the first album.

“There was a lady in Berlin who bought me some avocado filled chocolate” “Torturous” is how Toby describes the long wait between when the album was actually finished and its release. In the meantime they can have strange encounters with the more outgoing of the fans that their success has won them.

“There was a lady in Germany who we met in Berlin once, and she was asking some questions about stuff we liked or whatever. She asked me what foods I liked and what I didn’t, and I said chocolate and avocado, and she didn’t quite understand. So the next time we were in Berlin she arrived at the gig and brought me some avocado filled chocolate.” Laughing, he notes that it was just “different…very different”.

The Temper Trap is released 21 May

Music

21 May 2012 |

16

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The River’s not Dry yet Andy Smith talks to Dry The River about their new album, a love of social media, and knowing you’ve made it thanks to ‘Taste The Difference’ ham AS I entered the small dressing room of the now big-name indie-folk revivalists, what first struck me was the sense of companionship between band members Pete Liddle (guitar/vocals) and Scott Miller (bass). The second was the size of their rider. Joking over the extent of posh ham and ‘Taste the Difference...’ baguettes, Miller jokes “We learnt early on to fill the rider request... they don’t usually give you this much”.

More interestingly, a collection of VHS tapes, including titles such as Mission: Impossible and Lethal Weapon are lined up on a table against the wall, Liddle exclaiming “No way! They never do these!” It is obvious from the off that this is a band who are still excited about what they do, and are enjoying their fame and constant demand by fans.

Having seen them almost two years previously to the day supporting Johnny Flynn just as Dry the River were coming through the cracks into the musical limelight, I asked Pete and Scott about the band’s rise to fame, which, from

the outside appears meteoric. From the inside it’s a different story: “We’ve done three hundred shows since then so the increment for us has been so slow we’ve not been so aware of it. For us it’s much more like a slow climb”.

They can see the evident progression, however with Pete adding “Two years ago we were doing one size venue, now we’re headlining this venue that’s twice the size”.

“It’s cool to play to people who sing along, it’s like you’re a big famous band!”

This year saw the release of the group’s debut album, Shallow Bed, and it’s obvious that this has really boosted the band’s notoriety: “The biggest change we’ve noticed is how many people in the audience have the record at home now so they’re more aware of the songs – it’s cool to play to people who ‘get it’ and sing along, it’s like you’re a big famous band!” And it’s about time:

THE FIRING RANGE

“A lot of the songs on the record are three, four years old, and some even predate the band. By the time the album came out they had already had a year of aging”. The resultant record appears to be more of a timeline, charting the band’s progression up until now, Scott commenting, “it’s nice to have that catalogue of pretty much every song that we wrote, since we started being a band, but now we’re really excited about getting on and writing some new stuff”.

An undeniable feature of Dry the River as a band is their constant drive – having just got back from a US tour and playing SXSW festival, Pete admitted “we’re glad to be back. It’s really different in the U.S. It’s kind of like going back two or three years in Europe and the UK! All the reactions have been really positive”. Perhaps surprisingly, going back to a lower profile has been a nice experience for them, “a lot of people had never heard of us before, which is really fun. It’s nice to be like

Love At The Bottom Of The Sea The Magnetic Fields

Exeposé Music unleash the public on the fortnight’s new releases. Who will be left standing?

*

Can’t Say No Conor Maynard

Can’t say no, eh Conor? In all honesty, I don’t think I could either. If his pulling tactics are anything like his music he’d probably slip something in my drink.

It’s the drone of the endless bass that’s the real problem; it’s a genuine example of brainwashing. Occasionally you’ll snap out of it to notice the ridiculous lyrics (they remind him of his girlfriend so it’s obviously alright to have sex with them) and the dodgy Justin Timberlake impression. But then you forget…

“Houston, I think we gotta problem.”

We do. This is a terrible and catchy song. I can’t stop listening… I hate myself.

JON JENNER, GAMES EDITOR

Hacker Death Grips

Love Will Set You Free Engelbert Humperdinck

Walls of stuttering synths and an 80’s dance beat backing angry hip-hop lyrics about thievery, wiki-leaks and Lady Gaga make for a sonic punch in the face. Yet once the blood is wiped away, it becomes more apparent that California’s Death Grips take things to the extreme in an attempt to push the boundaries of what a hip-hop/ electronica crossover is capable of. It is obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the apparent chaos that surrounds vocalist MC Ride’s depictions of twisted hysteria. That said, this one is best absorbed long before bedtime.

54 years into his career, Arnold Dorsey’s treacle croon is still dripping into your grandmother’s ears as forcibly as those moussed burns frame his ever meltier wax face. The video to this Eurovisionentrant number features everyone’s favourite almost-Gorillaz-collaborator gyrating osteopathically into your eyes in the dim light of a suspiciously curtained warehouse, forgiving his would be lover’s romantic deviation from his varicose embrace: ‘run with no fear/And if you should stumble remember I’m near’ he reassures. His best offering since ‘Lesbian Seagull’.

BEN MURPHIE, DEPUTY EDITOR

CALLUM MCLEAN, MUSIC EDITOR

DOES anyone remember The Magnetic Fields’ breakthrough, and magnum opus, 69 Love Songs? Of course you don’t. I don’t. Even if you’re intimately familiar with it, none of us were scrambling out to buy their synth-baroque musical revue epic back in 1999. We’re 21; we know it, we don’t remember it.

Neck Of The Woods Silversun Pickups

‘okay these people know nothing about us’ - it’s really exciting”. They’re also hitting the festival circuit this summer, and hitting it hard: “we’re flying miles between each festival, so one weekend we’re doing Croatia, Denmark, then Scotland, and four festivals back-toback”.

I know this already, mainly because of regular updates from their Facebook.

“We’re basically obsessed with social media, even before we knew we had a deal, before we’d even played many shows. It’s just the way people can see into the stuff that you’re up to” and the

reason they do it? “Because we’d like it if our fans could actually be back here hanging out with us - with this they almost can!” It’s evident these guys really care about their fans, and there’s little more endearing than such an honest appreciation of them. With their unprecedented album and explosive live shows pushing them further and further, Dry the River’s attitude towards music, making it and their fans makes it obvious that this is a band who are not going to stop going any time soon.

Shallow Bed is out now and available to stream on the band’s website.

When, therefore, you read reviews of this album trumpeting their return to synthesised instrumentation, is it really that exciting? If you’re anything like me… probably not. While others proclaim it partway over-familiar, part return-to-form, I’m only seeing the ‘over-familiar’ part. Having come straight to this within about a year of first getting into their previous work – stretching back to 1991 – this album sounds not like the latest exciting progression, rather another notch on the bedpost.

I wouldn’t call this a complaint, though – more a mildly disappointed observation. The songs are largely excellent – ‘Andrew in Drag’, ‘My Husband’s Pied-a-Terre’ and ‘Your Girlfriend’s Face’ being particular highlights – but they’re infused with all the usual catchy melodies, considered instrumentation and crackling, laughout-loud wit that you associate with

Stephin Merritt and his crew (‘I’ve always been a ladies’ man, and I don’t have to brag/But I’d become a mama’s boy for Andrew in drag… ‘).

That’s right: I’m moaning about a fantastic band being reliably fantastic.

That’s really the only problem. However, it might be because they’re just better live. The stripped-down set-up (piano, ukulele, cello, guitar, accordion) really allows the quality of the songwriting – rather than song production – to shine through in all its eccentric glory, imbuing newbies and classics alike with a quirky new vigour (cf. a doom-laden version of their disco-y classic ‘No One Will Ever Love You’).

That’s what we need: more of the same, but actually different. Roll on that Magnetic Fields live album.

‘Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)’ does retain a familiar dream-like shoegaze sound but ‘The Pit’, the band’s first foray into electronic music, is proof that Silversun Pickups aren’t afraid to push boundaries and delve into darker, more obscure territories if need be.

Opting for moody atmospherics over catchy choruses, Silversun Pickups are keen to show that while most artists today rely on more hooks than a Peter Pan fancy dress party to keep listeners entertained, pensive lyrics and a heartfelt delivery are really all you need. With the majority of songs here hitting the 5 or 6 minute mark, the parting message of this album may well be that the single is well and truly dead and it seems that the one legitimate comparison one might make to the Smashing Pumpkins is that both bands are resolute in resurrecting the listen-all-the-way-though album.

Fans hoping for Swoon Part 2, or at least an easy, instantly accessible rock record will be disappointed, but for those of us happy to make do with the best album of Silversun Pickups’ career, Neck Of The Woods is just that.

“More hooks than a Peter Pan fancy dress party”

BILLY Corgan can sleep easy. The follow up to 2008’s Swoon takes LA distortion-makers Silversun Pickups past clichéd Smashing Pumpkins comparisons once and for all and sees the band carving out a niche of their own.

Neck Of The Woods is a vastly different kind of noise for Silversun Pickups;

The erratic, Nine Inch Nails-esque opener ‘Skin Graph’ is an immediate indication of the band’s reluctance to stay the same, and from there the album ebbs and flows with grinding, fuzz-laden guitars trading punches with delicate, unhinged synth lines. The one thing that hasn’t changed is Brian Aubert’s trademark breathy vocal which lends an eerie tenderness to such otherwise frenzied, angst-ridden aural delights as ‘Make Believe’ and ‘Busy Bees’.

CALUM BAKER

HARRISON WARD

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DH01054_Exeter Student Ad V2.indd 1

20/1/12 09:33:37

ESJF Open Day and First Annual General Meeting All those resident and /or working in St James Ward are invited St Sidwells C of E School on Sat 9th June 2012 Starting at 2pm with the AGM from 3-4

1

Do come and look at the FIRST DRAFT of the St James Neighbourhood Plan and take the opportunity to talk to those who have researched and pulled it together.

2

The AGM is your opportunity to scrutinise and agree the draft constitution and the candidates standing for election to replace the current Interim Officers.

3

Help the Forum Steering Group with their plans for the coming year.

With refreshments after the AGM!

Copies of the Agenda, constitution and nomination forms can be found on our web site www.exeterstjamesforum.org For hard copy contact us c/o St Sidwells Community centre

The council are planning to switch off the street lights at night.

What do you think?

exeterguild.com/streetlights

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| Week twenty-SEVEN

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The Bridge Creator: Hans Rosenfeldt

Newsreel

Cast: Sofia Helin, Kim Bodnia, Dag Malmberg BBC4

Avengers grabs more than $1billion in box office sales Superhero smash Avengers Assemble has stormed into the top 10 highest grossing films ever, after a spectacular reception from moviegoers.

Joss Whedon’s action extravaganza is already the most successful superhero film ever, but its continued success is threatening even the most commercially successful films ever, Avatar and Titanic.

Anchorman 2 teaser to play before The Dictator If you needed further motivation to go and see Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie, Anchorman 2 director Adam McKay has hinted at a teaser trailer for the long awaited sequel of Ron Burgundy and the rest of the Channel 5 news team.

Pegg and Wright’s Blood and Ice Cream trilogy to reach conclusion in 2013 Simon Pegg has revealed on Twitter that he will once again collaborate with long-time friends Edgar Wright and Nick Frost on another film, to be released next year.

The World’s End joins Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead in the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy, and apparently involves a pub crawl, plasma, and gelato. Tasty.

Homeland Creator: Gideon Raff Cast: Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin Channel 4 HOMELAND, which concluded its run on Channel 4 a fortnight ago, is one of the most ambitious American television programmes in years. Adapted from an Israeli show, it tells the story of a US marine who returns home a hero after spending eight years in captivity in the Middle East, and the CIA officer who

19

ON PROCRASTINATI SPECIAL: TV ISSUE

Case closed?

Photo: Joshua Irwandi

Beth Wright explores the success of ITV’s hit show Scott and Bailey NO-ONE can deny that ITV has always done good detective dramas. But you also can’t deny that something fresh and dynamic would fit well into a genre, which has, in recent years, become flooded by the likes of Midsomer Murders; unrealistic and overdramatized fabrications of crime and those who solve it. It is with this in mind that ITV’s newest kid on the block; Scott and Bailey enters the prized arena of British Detective Drama with poise, originality and, perhaps most shocking of all, with two women at the helm. What makes it even more spectacular is the fact that these two women are detectives first and women second. In a ground-breaking move, Scott and Bailey is a programme where gender battles and sexual politics don’t even feature. In the space of two very successful series, this newest po-

lice drama has managed to strike gold: balancing realistic storylines with compelling drama.

Together, the brilliant Suranne Jones and irresistibly likeable Lesley Sharp sparkle, adding depth and versatility to ambitious detectives, Rachel Bailey and Janet Scott. Add the extraordinary Amelia Bullmore as DCI Gill Murray (who deserves her own show, quite frankly) and we are introduced to three wonderfully dynamic leading detectives. Already, without saying a word, Scott and Bailey has blown its competition, namely Caroline Quentin’s Blue Murder, and Rosemary and Thyme, out of the water.

With consistently good dialogue and confident direction, this has become a programme which manages to bring vibrant, and often shocking, cases to interplay with long running storylines, inde-

pendent of the interview room. In a bold move, Scott and Bailey spends most of its time in the office, doing much of the dramatic detective work within the confines of the interview room, and, quite frequently, within the ladies’ loos. This is a show that doesn’t care for dramatic police chases or rapid gun raids. It is determined to display the raw emotion of crime and police logistics in a way which gives Scott and Bailey an emotional integrity not often seen within other detective dramas. In simple terms, this programme is successful for much more than the gender of its central protagonists; it has become a programme that engages with its audience in a way which illuminates and connects its storylines to the realities of modern British society.

is convinced that he is working for AlQaeda. Damian Lewis, as the returning solider, Brody, impossibly manages to gain the audience’s trust and compassion without giving us any clue as to what his true motives and feelings are. Claire Danes puts in an equally strong performance as Carrie – playing the role of someone who has almost no likeable qualities and behaves reprehensively at times, Danes manages to cultivate sympathy in the audience, which really pays off in the last episode’s final sequence.

The interaction and struggle between Carrie and Brody is the show’s centrepiece, but the more minor char-

acters are not neglected by the programme’s writers, the standout performance being Mandy Patinkin as Carrie’s somewhat reluctant mentor Saul. The other characters surrounding Carrie are also interesting and well-portrayed, but the action slows down during scenes involving Brody’s family. His teenage children are as irritating as any others on television, and Morena Baccarin as Brody’s wife feels like slightly strange casting; her character’s personality can be summed up as long-suffering and concerned. However, the way in which Brody’s domestic troubles suffer in comparison to the rest of the action is a testa-

ment to just how exciting the plot is. The show would be almost as good with a simpler plot but the writers strive to create a storyline which makes you realise how unusual it is to watch something entirely unpredictable. Unlike 24, to which Homeland is often compared, the characters themselves are as complicated as the plot, which makes their actions impossible to predict. Homeland begins as an intriguing and slow-paced drama, but in the second half of the season it gains momentum, making the show an extremely satisfying and exciting experience.

ANNA BEAR

JUST when you thought TV offerings from Scandinavia couldn’t get any better – they gave us Wallander, Forbrydelsen (The Killing) and Borgen to name just three – new Danish-Swedish hybrid drama The Bridge promises to be the next captivating offering from our European cousins.

The Bridge’s initial premise is most similar to Forbrydelsen. A body is found in the middle of the Øresund strait, the bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden. The gory twist, and the catalyst for the series, is that the body is in half. With the upper half of the body belonging to Sweden and the lower half belonging to Denmark, Detectives Saga Norén from Malmo and Martin Rhode from Copenhagen must collaborate on a case that appears to be years in the making. Nothing is what it seems, and the subplots, including a controversial journalist and a scheme intended to crack down on the homeless, work with the main thread of the show to create a very believable world.

The key to its appeal comes from the detectives. Saga Norén is smart, compelling, and also very odd. Although she initially appears depthless due to her emotional detachment, it soon becomes clear that Sofia Helin’s character is more complex as there are allusions to her having Aspergers. On the other hand, Martin Rhode, played

by Kim Bodnia, is a bear-like kindly guy and instantly likeable. Critics have seized on Norén as another addition to the likes of Sarah Lund and Birgitte Nyborg, but I think Rhode is going to be one of the most interesting characters to watch.

The show’s blending of a compelling murder investigation with politics, culture and modern intrigue creates a very watchable detective drama; it’s definitely not one to miss.

MEGAN FURBOROUGH

20

21 May 2012 |

Screen

Who Cannes do it?

Calum Baker predicts Commonwealth success at Cannes 2012...

The Dictator Director: Larry Charles Cast: Sascha Baren Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel THE next Sacha Baron Cohen film to grace the silver screen this summer is The Dictator. Based on a novel apparently ghost-written by Saddam Hussein, Cohen plays the Middle Eastern title character, with all the usual jokes that play on a hyped-up stereotype.

Usually, a Cohen film is at least half decent. If you liked Bruno and Borat, then this is definitely the third instalment - he even teamed up with the director of the previous two again. However, unlike

Exeposé

his previous releases, this is a ‘proper’ film - for a start most of the cast are actors rather than unwitting members of the American public. So it definitely comes across as more polished, and hopefully less crude to the point of gut-wrenching.

What did worry me is the music in the film which is clearly Indian, and not Middle Eastern in any way; a mistake?

Embarrassingly misinformed I’d argue.

And as much as I found it hilarious seeing Cohen with an Iraqi accent prostituting Megan Fox, if humour is playing on something, it does need to at least understand what it’s playing on.

JAMES CROUCH FEATURES EDITOR

Preview: Men in Black III

I RECENTLY read Don Delillo’s novel Cosmopolis in anticipation of the film adaptation, premiering in competition at Cannes this fortnight. Has anyone else noticed the amount of books on show?

The star-studded directorial lineup this year includes the return of Michael Haneke, his first film since 2009’s Palme d’Or-winning The White Ribbon, alongside the ever-reliable Alain Resnais, still going strong with a flick appropriately titled You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!.

It’s an interesting difference, the former placing at the top of the competition’s alphabetical list (Haneke’s film is entitled Amour) and the latter at the bottom. The mix becomes probably the most exciting of recent Cannes festivals, encompassing the increasing austerity of Haneke and the new wave form-pushing of Resnais.

Inbetween, we have the playfulness of Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom, which opened the festival) and Ken Loach, whose The Angels’ Share

promises a return to the magic realist humour of 2009’s Looking For Eric rather than the near self-parodic social commentary of 2010’s Route Irish.

The most interesting ones to watch, however, lie in literature: David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis and Walter Salles’ On the Road. Both are excellent books, and with Robert Pattinson in the passenger seat of Cronenberg’s latest ride into the human psyche (I do mean that literally – check out the limothemed synopsis) one of them should be destined to turn a just-above-average tale into a cult classic. But who trusts Salles with that Kerouac icon? The man behind The Motorcycle Diaries and the plodding Linha de Passe surely cannot have been given this, a jazzy and booze-soaked journey through ‘50s American counter-culture?

Several films here really could go either way; Pattinson is proving himself a fine dramatic actor, even blowing Reese Witherspoon out of the park in last year’s Water for Elephants, but his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, now

in On the Road, hardly has the same track record. Did anyone else see The Runaways? Blimey.

In terms of Palme d’Or victory, only a few can really be bet on. Jacques Audiard, previously of A Prophet fame, is returning with a love story showcasing Marion Cotillard’s ability to play a whale trainer. If he can apply his incredible talent to something slightly different, who’s to say he isn’t in the running? I’d strike out Haneke and Loach – each have won before, which isn’t usually a hindrance, but the subjects of their films? Nah. Haneke’s going too Euro-arthouse, Loach too whimsical.

A great deal of commentary on this year’s Cannes has focused on the amount of Americans in the running.

For my money, the best bets are from around the Commonwealth: for instance, Canada. Yes, Cosmopolis could be that great – and Toronto-born Cronenburg and Brit Pattinson have to be well in the running for success this year.

IT seems strange that we have been waiting over a decade for the next chapter in the MIB series. A drawn out production, as well as the ‘third instalment curse’ has left many sceptical.

After history has been altered, Agent J finds that his partner Agent K has been dead for over forty years. It is up to him to travel back to 1969 to save K and the world from the alien-criminal Boris.

On paper, MIB3 seems to have much in its favour. The return of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent J and K was always going to be essential. Throw in Josh Brolin as a convincing Young

K and we are sure to have the same entertaining exchanges between the two characters regardless of time period. On top of this, Jermaine Clement, of Flight of the Concords fame, will hopefully be at his hilarious best as antagonist Boris.

I can’t help but feel cynical about the fact that Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are listed amongst the cast and that Pitbull, not Will Smith, will be providing the soundtrack. For now of course we will not know exactly where the film stumbles until its release on 25th May.

ROBERT J. HARRIS

Films to see before you graduate: A.I. Artificial Intelligence A.I. Artificial Intelligence Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Hayley Joel Osment, Jude Law and Frances O’Connor

WHEN two of cinema’s greatest directors, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg, collaborate on a film, the result can only be spectacular. This is certainly

true in the visuals of a post-apocalyptic future wherein global warming has severely reduced the human population and Mecha (robotic humanoids) take on many of their organic counterparts’ roles. Haley Joel Osmont stars as David, the first Mecha programmed with the capacity to love. In the first act of the film, we see his obsessive, artificial love imprinted on his parents, while the question of whether a human can love a robot back lingers in the background.

It seems the answer is no, in a heartbreaking scene of child abandonment, and the film becomes dark and menacing, with the apathy of the Orga towards the Mecha manifesting itself in a Flesh Fair of robotic carnage. Kubrick’s sinister projection of David’s plight in a brutal environment combines with Spielberg’s warm emotional touch to create a modern Pinocchio, as David longs to be turned into a real boy and receive the same love he gave to his mother.

Osmont strikes a fantastic balance between artificial and human, creating a complex character with complete unconditional love, yet without the human rationale to recognise the hopelessness of his situation. He is aided by Jude Law playing a bizarre tapdancing Mecha gigolo, an interesting creation which you may or not feel adds to the story. A.I. certainly divides opinion on whether the ending is too sentimental for what has gone before

As Hot As... the hot or nots of this week’s film news

THE British public - Entrusted to choose the most talented person in Britain, to perform in front of the Queen... they chose a dog. Terrierable.

Jim’s dad

JAMES Buckley - James has quashed rumours of a return for The Inbetweeners.

Teenagers everywhere can no longer boost their self-esteem by consoling themselves that they’re not Will McKenzie.

RICKY Gervais - Clearly buoyed by the success of Derek, Ricky spends his whole time baiting Christians on Twitter.

Slightly annoying, but, to be fair he crucifies most of them with his comic wit.

BOUNCY-HAIRED star of The IT Crowd and hipster glasses pioneer, Richard Ayoade starts filming his new comedy next week; The Double features Jesse Eisenberg, madness, and some unpronouncable Russian words.

and whether the Pinocchio-parody is too self-indulgent, yet at the centre of the film is the unsettling problem of what is love? This flawed masterpiece questions whether it can be created, whether it is only applicable for humans and what happens to one’s identity without it, themes that you’ll be contemplating long after the final scene.

MATT BUGLER

FILM 4 - The studio responsible for the word ‘clunge’ have announced £1million worth of funding to help promote new British comedy films. We’ve already started our screenplay.

Stifler’s mom

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Books Playlist We asked for your favourite nostalgic reads to escape the exam season. Here are our top five: 1. The Famous Five series. Another

oldie that got me as a kid was Robinson Crusoe. Really captured my imagination as a child. I think I was far too up for being stuck on a desert island.

SAM OSMAN

2. My mum reciting We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. It’s comforting when faced with the pressures of work to think that whatever the obstacle, there’s always a way through it!

MEGAN FURBOROUGH

3. My nostalgic/comfort read is Wuthering Heights. It totally engrossed me and I’ve never loved a character more than Heathcliff. There’s so much depth to it and I haven’t found that in many newer novels.

LISS TERRELL

4. The Magic Key series with Biff, Chip

and Kipper is where it’s all at on the nostalgic comfort read front. I’ve also always loved Goodnight Mister Tom or a good re-visit of Jacqueline Wilson’s The Lottie Project.

TORI BRAZIER

5. The Harry Potter or Anthony

Horowitz books. They’re gripping, full of captivating characters and the best page-turners I’ve set eyes on. I also like to read a hidden gem of a book called Matt’s Millions which is Junior School level difficult but a rewarding and genuinely profound book every time.

TOM BOND Books was saddened to hear that Maurice Sendak passed away on the 8 May 2012 from complications following a stroke. The author and illustrator was most well-known for his groundbreaking children’s book Where the Wild Things Are.

Exeposé

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Tom Bond & Emily Lunn books@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Books

Short fuse for classics? Let’s fire the canon Is it really worth torturing yourself with boring classics? Tom Bond, Books Editor, Leah Devaney and Megan Furborough discuss TB: I THINK a book is only truly revered when it fits the literary stereotype of a ‘classic’. I’d like to illustrate this idea through a nostalgic recollection. Last summer I read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, and the title was beautifully true.

The problem was, when I finished the book I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I loved the book, I

thought it was hilarious, touching, insightful, brilliantly written but at the same time, because it didn’t feel like a ‘serious’ book I was reluctant to rate it highly. I remember feeling like I was being taunted into conforming to the English student stereotype and sneering down my nose at it.

MF: The English student stereotype is something I know and despise – I frequently feel embarrassed that my reading tastes aren’t highbrow enough to conform to what I think I ‘should’ be reading. Elite authors still dominate the syllabus and this is great to some extent – I don’t think I would have ever picked up Paradise Lost if it hadn’t been part of my module but it increases the notion that only some books are worthy of reading.

Just because a certain name is gracing a book, we feel we should read it. Two of my favourite novels, for example, are A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, and Paper Towns by John Green.

Without even asking I know which one would be deemed ‘worthy’ of reading, and which would be deemed the type of book to read in the bath.

LD: There’s one very good reason why I’m not an English student: because I love books. I think the moment you start studying literature all the fun is taken out of it. Every level of a novel should be acknowledged, and the snobbery we feel towards books today doesn’t really allow this to happen.

I absolutely cannot stand Jane Austen, and the moment I say that, I’m immediately ostracized from literary circles.

There is no other art form where a personal opinion about a work is instantly deemed wrong because it goes against the

accepted norms of society, yet with literature if you don’t like something then it’s assumed you just don’t properly understand it.

MF: My general philosophy when it comes to reading is that life is too short to be slogging through worthy but boring novels – if you enjoy it, read it and take pride in it. That being said, at the time of writing my personal statement, I was reading the delightful but utterly awful Mr Almost Right by Eleanor Moran. I left it out of my application.

“I know which one would be deemed ‘worthy’ of reading, and which would be deemed the type of book to read in the bath” TB: Your emotional response to a book should be the only thing that matters when you judge it. Give me a paragraph of trashy but thrilling prose over a tome of tedious grandstanding any day.

Still, I’d like to defend the classics. They have their status for a reason and generally deserve to be lauded for generations to come. Part of the problem is that they can take a lot more groundwork to get into, and most people can’t be bothered to read a complex text several times before they can actually enjoy it. Reading such literary texts is an often mindnumbing experience: I wonder if people do it for the social brownie points.

MF: I think that you’ve summed up reading classics as a whole – they often take a lot of effort and study only to be turned into something to get a one-up on someone. I’ve learned to love some classics on my own, but literature is still an elitist thing, and some schools have the resources to give students a more classical education, rather than trying to interest students enough for them to scrape a pass at GCSE. For many, not understanding the language or structure will turn people against classics, and they will choose to read something that they understand, as a means of escapism.

LD: Literature, like music, is the ultimate form of escapism. At the end of the day, reading is about sitting down to a good book at 10pm and losing four hours to reading because you just can’t put it down. No one should be ashamed of that, no matter what it is they’re reading.

TB: I also think humour is undervalued in all forms of entertainment: funny books are viewed as tolerable oddities rather than stunning pieces of writing in their own right. I recently read Work! Consume! Die! by Frankie Boyle. The book does what the best comedy has always done: highlight the uncomfortable truths that people would rather forget. You can get away with a lot in comedy because hey, it’s a joke, it wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. But the reality has been exposed, which is why comedy is an invaluable aspect of literature and life.

Nothing else can dig quite so deep and at the same time be so entertaining.

MF: I completely agree, I think humour is the hardest form of literature to write, but ‘funny’ books nearly always end up being advertised as the perfect stocking filler – they’re rarely appreciated for what they are. I think it’s because humour is such a divisive and personal thing, and often works better off the page.

“Give me a paragraph of trashy but thrilling prose over a tome of tedious grandstanding any day” LD: I think humour is an almost criminally overlooked genre in fiction, and the snobbery surrounding it means this is unlikely to change soon.

One of my all time favourite authors is Douglas Adams, and anyone who’s read even one The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book will know just how brilliantly witty and funny his writing is. Despite Adam’s brilliance and obvious talent his books will never be as lauded as those of his more serious peers. All the rules seem to change when it comes to humour of any sort, no matter what medium it’s in.

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

BOOKS

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Will too much Shakespeare leave you bard to tears?

With the cultural Olympics featuring 70 Shakespeare productions from across the globe, Antonia Hawken asks: how much is too much?

YOU may have noticed over the Easter period, or not, depending on your levels of procrastination, that there was only one name on the literary lips of the nation:

SEAL Team Six Howard Wasdin and Stephen Templin St. Martin’s Press ISBN: 031269945X THE world of SEAL Team Six is dark and forbidding. Its members are few in number and vast in capabilities, frontline warriors of the highest order, striking with precise brutality and lethal versatility. It is the tip of the spear in America’s worldwide covert war on terrorism and Howard Wasdin was one of these elite operators. Co-authored with SEAL survivor Stephen Templin, Wasdin details his life from the early years, where his abusive step-father unwittingly trained him to ignore pain and control aggression, to his passing into the highly prestigious Black Team of SEAL Team Six. SEAL Team Six is unlike most war memoirs, as Wasdin appears to dislike the grandstanding that is preva-

Skagboys Irvine Welsh Jonathan Cape ISBN: 0224087908 THERE’S kicking junk, and then there’s kicking Trainspotting. Whatever shortcomings in Welsh’s prose style, there’s a reason his motley crew have endured to this, their third literary outing – a prequel to the 1993 original.

We open here on Mark Renton’s hand-scribbled journal, an account of a peaceful unemployment protest he went on with his father which soon descended into police violence. That’s right, it’s the 1980s again, the height of Thatcherism, and Welsh has a point to make. Well, actually he has a few: many factors are seen here as contributing to an ongoing Scottish discontent, one which Welsh’s debut novel spoke to and which is

William Shakespeare. Take a peek at BBC iPlayer when your exams are done, search Shakespeare, and a list of programmes appear including performances of Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet. Even Sky Arts allowed us into the mind of the playwright with a one-man performance by Simon Callow entitled Being Shakespeare. If Shakespeare be your food of love, then enjoy this celebration of his work.

Is it too much though? Personally, I’d say no. However, I come from a dramatic and rather creative family, and so to utter the bard’s name in vain is considered sheer blasphemy. How dare one suggest that too

much Shakespeare is a bad thing, the plebs. Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination, and give them a copy of his complete works, that’ll do the trick.

His words have become almost second nature to me, I’ve grown up with Mr S, and for most of my undergraduate degree, I’ve devoured his texts like a hungry fresher with a Firehouse pizza.

For many, however, Shakespeare is foreign and alien, and should be left well alone.

I agree that his lines can appear daunting when you’re not used to his phrasing or language. Anyone can be, and at some point everyone has been, tongue-tied by the bard. I thoroughly endorse the theory that Renaissance works

lent in similar books. It is concise, open and honest, which is remarkable for someone who worked in an environment that prioritised secrecy. The descriptions of operations he was involved with are contextualised and detailed thoroughly, bringing the reader into the very heart of the battlefield.

but few have experienced: the brutality and extremes of training, what it is like to operate as an elite SEAL Team sniper, the pain of recovery from injury, and the exhilaration of operations.

However, this is not a guts and glory account, or one where America can do no wrong. In fact, there are points where Wasdin is extremely critical of the American military and government.

This book is a fine example of how military accounts should be written. It is honest, concise, detailed, and it neither glorifies war nor damns it.

Instead, Wasdin conveys that war is a regrettable fact of our modern world, and that people like the SEALs are sadly necessary to protect civilisation against those with anarchistic intentions to destroy democracy or those who use the cover of warped religious interpretation to enslave and control entire populations for their own gains.

“There is also no desire to glorify war, or give an account full of jingoistic ‘America, f**k yeah’” Perhaps what sets this book above other Special Forces recollections is how it describes the taking of a life. There is no glorification of killing nor is there a sense of regret, it is a fact that Wasdin has accepted, and so must the reader.

There is also no desire to glorify war, or give an account full of jingoistic ‘America, f**k yeah’ attitudes. The book is more a look at the human side of warfare, and a side that many know about reflected in this prologue as Renton’s proper English prose soon segues to that infamous Scots vernacular.

See, skag here is a symptom moar than anything – it’s a propir metaphor fir aw those things thit pushed the whole Scottish folks intae disillusionment, likesay. The yooves specifically.

And Welsh could not be more blatant in his intentions, littering the damn text with brief details of UK political history – unemployment numbers, bills the Tories passed, etc. It’s cloying, though not entirely unexpected from a writer who, Trainspotting aside, has always needed cutting down. His sequel, Porno, was physically concise but had long tracts of bore; and this book has 550 sodding pages.

Skagboys has stretches of brilliance – not so much any

hugh blackstaffe lyrical flourishes, but the reliable hilarity of these so-familiar characters shines through in any situation and Welsh has always had a good mind for stories.

Highlights include the discovery of Renton’s relationship with his deceased brother ‘Wee Davie’, and the particularly grim final encounter between Sick Boy and his young girlfriend. Oh, and anything involving Francis Begbie.

Only problem is, these are sometimes offset by relentlessly dark chapters which offer no relief or trademark wit – it took 190 pages, but I put the book down and couldnae be ersed to pick it up again after Renton quit uni in a skag haze.

No, too much, too unbalanced. Better writers have emulated the frenzied confusion of a junkie through their very form; Welsh’s best moments in this scrappy novel are taken one at a time, lest the reader overdose.

Calum Baker

are far better understood when heard, indeed, this was how playwrights of the era intended their pieces to be known, via performance. Therefore, it’s wonderful to see Shakespeare’s plays broadcast to an audience far larger than any theatre could handle, allowing so many to witness the power of his words at home.

“I come from a dramatic family, so to utter the bard’s name in vain is considered sheer blasphemy” He is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers this country has produced, and it is right to recognise this. But what about Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson or John Webster? At times their pieces can

The Incomplete Tim Key Tim Key Canongate Books Ltd. ISBN: 0857861182 UPON picking up this hefty volume, the potential reader is greeted with paragraphs of praise from comedy stalwarts such as Charlie Brooker and Adam Buxton, proclaiming it a modern masterpiece. Against this is an amusing blurb of sorts which declares that you may prefer either the “new Rankin or Nigella Lawson cookbook,” or to put it back on the shelf. Sadly, I’m not a huge fan of crime fiction and am currently without a kitchen, so I put my faith in Brooker and Buxton, paid my £12.99 and began to read.

The Incomplete Tim Key is not the sort of book that should be read straight through. It is a collection of the Perrier Award winning comedian’s poetry on subjects ranging from “Friends, Acquaintances and Worse,” through to “The Thorny Issue of Jobs.” It will often raise a smile or a stifled chuckle, though it will sometimes fail to amuse.

Many of the 300 poems contained in the book have a suitably hilarious punch line at their close, but others fall flat and seem like a collection of pointless lines on a mundane observation.

be pushed aside and this may be because they didn’t produce as many works as Shakespeare, died young, or were a bit before their time. Perhaps a Renaissance dramatist season is in order?

What makes Shakespeare truly wonderful is his ability to encapsulate what it means to be human into language still used today. Search ‘On Quoting Shakespeare’ and it’ll become apparent just how influential his works have been to the English language. Each of his plays invites us to explore a new world that lurks within our own, and it’s never a bad thing to be stretched beyond everyday thinking. So, is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Perhaps this lady doth protest too much, but I believe the play’s the thing.

Yet it’s not really the poetry which gives the book its value but the footnotes Key attaches to most of his poems, and the entertaining introductions to the sections. It is here that Key’s alternative sense of humour comes through most distinctly and gives a sense of what his live performances may be like; reasonably comical poetry interspersed amongst far wittier observations on the performer’s poetry and life. On top of these great anecdotes the book contains various indexes that order the poetry in interesting ways and transform the collection into an experience in which Key wants to actively involve the reader.

“Key’s alternative sense of humour comes through distinctly giving a sense of what his live performances may be like” In one sense The Incomplete Tim Key is a little hit and miss. Still, I’m glad I didn’t follow the advice of the blurb, return the book to the shelf and search out a cookbook instead. Anything that will raise a smile during these dark times of revision is definitely worth the investment. emily tanner

Any Last Words?

We asked: which country produces the best authors, and why?

RHYS LAVERTY: Japan: rafts of great comic book and anime writers, screenwriters for phenomenal studios like Studio Ghibli and Haruki Murakami, the most innovative novelist of the past 25 years.

Tom bond: Russia: a hotbed of unparalleled genius in the second half of the 19th century, with authors like Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov.

Notoriously long, but some of the most rewarding you’ll ever read. tori brazier: The Ancient Greek Empire. Homer’s The Odyssey is the whole package: monsters, treacher-

ous gods, a splash of sex, and an appealing hero. The ancient Mediterranean can cater for any type of reader (Translations matter- get a good one!)

Emily Tanner: Britain: all my favourites (Hardy, Orwell, Woolf, Wilde) were born and bred on our little island. There must be a reason that many of us study specifically English literature. megan furborough: America: Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, Plath, Bukowski - there’s no other country that has produced such interesting and divisive work.

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ARTS 25

Arts

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Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner arts@exepose.com

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Arts Diary Art Andro Semeiko: Le Grand Charmer @ Phoenix 25 May - 7 July Arts Week @ RAM Beer Garden 2 June - 9 June

Comedy Simon Amstell @ Northcott: 25 May Buttercup by Tom Wainwright @ Bikeshed: 25 -26 May

Drama Taming of the Shrew @ Cygnet New Theatre: 28 May - 1 June Travelling Soldiers @ Bikeshed: 21 - 24 May

Dance Made in Heaven @ Northcott: 23 May

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‘The Horror! The Horror!’

Man-eating plants, Sherlock Holmes and the horror of war: this week Exeposé Arts confront their fears.

Little Shop of Horrors Kay House 5 May 2012

IMAGINE a plant which attracts the attention of a budding florist. Then imagine that the plant brings him, and the shop, great renown. Now imagine this plant has an unquenchable thirst for blood, is able to speak, and seduces and manipulates his owner with a silky-smooth singing voice. The herbaceous horror proceeds to consume the world around it (literally). This is Little Shop of Horrors.

The musical tells the tale of Seymour, a timid nerd who works for Mr. Mushnik in his flower shop. Seymour pines for fellow worker Audrey, a young downtrodden woman who is too frightened to end her relationship with sadistic boyfriend, Orin. The florist struggles financially on Skid Row, where all those who have failed to fulfil the American dream appear to have been dumped. Until Seymour finds the answer- a green mutation whose unique appearance brings the shop more business and publicity. With the benefits it brings, sacrifices must be made. Human blood, to be more precise.

Shotgun Theatre’s production had a strong and unified cast that gave the show tremendous energy, engaging from the very first note. Rhys Laverty is hilarious as the motorcycle-riding Photo: Northcott Theatre

dentist and boyfriend of Audrey, who gets his kicks from pain and laughing gas (ironically, it is this gas which results in him laughing himself to death).

Lewis Irani, as the voice of the plant Audrey II, executed the role perfectly with an eclectic mix of menace, comedy, and seduction. As well as the larger parts, the members of the chorus were all given moments to shine, where excellent cameo performances were met with much laughter from the audience.

It is in the big musical numbers where the show comes to life. The Ronettes, the dynamic and talented trio of backing singers, ensured that the songs remained the backbone of the musical. They provided entertainment with their choreography and catchy tunes, as well as crucial narrative input. Claudia Campbell stood out with her charisma and confidence within the trio.

What is so refreshing about the musical is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the cast’s theatricality played up to its overt humour through their well-executed comical performances. With its farcical plot and comical musical numbers, such as “Dentist” and “Mushnik and Son”, it was hard not to stop grinning and laughing throughout the production

ELLIE BUSBY

Hound of the Baskervilles Northcott Theatre 8-12 May 2012 ONE of the most enjoyable of the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles is always a challenge for any theatre company. In fact, with any Sherlock Holmes piece, the list of brilliant pre-eminent performances that any new work will be compared to, creates a very daunting task for the producers.

Nevertheless, the Oldham Coliseum Theatre rose to the task.

With an ‘old’ story, a strong new cast was utterly fundamental to this performance, and they were not lacking.

“With an ‘old’ story, a strong new cast was utterly fundamental to this performance, and they were not lacking”

Dr Watson carried his role as narrator and real-time character well, breezing between conversing with Sherlock one minute to breaking the fourth-wall the next. Mr Holmes’ character was also conveyed well, and strangely enough with a hint of Hugh Laurie in his voice - after Jeremy Brett’s masterly hold of the role in the 1980’s, any performance which isn’t cringe-worthy is to be praised.

Not to be forgotten are the fantastic visual effects, which literally constructed the scenery around the cast as they went along. The dog is to be congratulated, since the task it undertook could so easily have gone wrong. Good visuals can detract, just as much as they can add to a play, and the fact that it complemented the cast well is a testament to them. It also, at times, contributed to some of the humour at the heart of the performance, with well timed changes and a wonderful part where Mr Basker-

ville and Dr Watson play (virtual) pool, where the obvious trick isn’t in fact the best one they pull!

“Not to be forgotten are the fantastic visual effects” Serious complaints are few and far between. A slightly anti-climatic end, perhaps hindered in part by the squished staging, was a shame. While the play itself took a little time to get off the ground, once it did one did not look back as you enjoyed the ride.

Despite these, it was undeniably a good play, and it was undeniably worthwhile watching!

JAMES CROUCH, FEATURES EDITOR

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Exeposé

Behind the scenes at the Bikeshed Ellie Bothwell chats with Fin Irwin at the Bikeshed Theatre about performance spaces, funding cuts and inspiration in hard times.

“I’VE always wanted to make a mark,” Fin Irwin divulges. “I’ve always been an ambitious person but never with specific ambitions in mind.”

I meet Irwin, lounging on a plump armchair, scarf hung loosely around his neck, in what could be mistaken for a vintage furniture store; mis-matched sofas, a bright green piano and pin-up posters line the floor and walls of the dimly-lit basement. Welcome to the Bike Shed Theatre.

“It’s a difficult time but on the flip side it’s quite an inspiring time. People are having to make do with less” Founded in 2010 with David Lockwood, the venue hosts the only producing theatre in Exeter. With an intimate 60 seat auditorium, the aim was to make small scale theatre as exciting as large scale theatre. “People can

Exeter Blitz Project Bikeshed Theatre

1-9 May NOW that I’ve been in Exeter for nearly 4 years, the place feels a bit like an old friend. Occasionally a friend will tell you something that makes you see them in a different light, like my gentle, introverted friend who one day revealed that she is in fact a black belt in karate, to my continued surprise.

That’s how it felt going to see the Exeter Blitz Project; it revealed a side of Exeter that I hardly knew existed.

The Exeter Blitz Project brings together the stories of people who lived through the German raids on Exeter between 1940 and 1942. 20 Exeter residents were interviewed about their memories of life during the Blitz, and their stories are brought together and retold to create this performance, a patchwork of oral histories that form a picture of Exeter in another time.

Ballet Black Northcott Theatre 2-3 May 2012 BALLET Black, a company aiming to increase the number of black and Asian dancers in mainstream ballet, graced Exeter’s Northcott Theatre. The first performance, ‘Together Alone’, performed

by Cira Robinson and Damien Johnson and choreographed by Jonathan Watkins, wowed an excited audience. The ballet, which portrayed the relationship between two very different, strong individuals, struggling to become wholly connected, was brilliantly charismatic. Assisted by Alex Baranowski’s quirky yet roman-

still feel a bit threatened about sitting this far away from an actor on stage,” Iriwin gestures, “but it’s a completely unique and equally worthwhile and exciting experience.” Yet, despite receiving national recognition, Irwin admits it is a challenging time to be entering the arts world: “We’re trying to figure out how we can carry on being creative without having to worry about just getting bums on seats.”

Arts Council funding cuts do nothing to help, as Irwin knows only too well; this year the Bike Shed was refused funding to set up a development programme for aspiring artists. “Devon has a huge creative pool of people,” Irwin remarks. “What now needs to happen is opportunities for these people to show their work here.” Yet, a combination of few theatre spaces and poor transport links across the county, on top of the lack of funding throughout the UK, makes the situation here that much more difficult. Despite the gloomy cir-

cumstances, Irwin is keen to remain optimistic: “It’s a difficult time, but on the flip side it’s quite an inspiring time. People are having to make do with less and find ways of making quality work without big budgets, and that’s exciting.”

Irwin’s eagerness to work with students and help local emerging artists can perhaps be explained by his own onerous journey. After graduating from the University of Exeter in 2005 with a degree in Drama, Irwin began teaching the subject at Exeter College, which he admits re-inspired him to work in theatre. In between organising a small music festival in the county, he tried to open an arts café, but failed due to lack of funding for the project.

Then, Lockwood asked him

The 20 interviewees are played by just 5 cast members who do an incredible job of portraying the different personalities, with their various accents and quirks. The characters are presented with warmth and humour, and a simple set incorporating 1940s uniforms gives the performance an authentic feel without taking the focus away from the stories.

fondness, such as the man who went on to marry one of the girls who was evacuated to Exeter from London. The backdrop of normality made the stories of the bombings all the more poignant; I felt I really knew something of the lives that were destroyed.

Walking around Exeter now, I feel like I’ve uncovered some of its secrets; I now know that Mount Pleasant Road, my second year home, was once inhabited by American soldiers, and that on Sidwell Street, where I get my postArena chips, there used to be an underground toilet that was used as a bomb shelter. The Exeter Blitz Project has made me see a place that had become so familiar in a completely different way; although I will leave the city in a few weeks time, I have no doubt its stories will stay with me.

“It revealed a side of Exeter that I hardly knew existed...

I have no doubt its stories will stay with me” I was expecting a performance focusing on the destruction of Exeter during the war to be a fairly depressing experience; however, the Exeter Blitz Project doesn’t focus solely on the bombings, but presents the fullness of life in 1940s Exeter, with all its joys and struggles. Many of the stories told were obviously remembered with great tic composition, Robinson and Johnson somehow managed to portray their bolshie and egotistical characters whilst maintaining poise and elegance. Robinson was particularly memorable, and performed so naturally that I completely forgot that she was en pointe until three quarters of the way through.

Sadly, Sayaka Ichikawa’s solo performance of ‘Running Silent’ by Jonathan Goddard did not connect with the audience in the same way, if at all.

Though her talent is undeniable, the lack of story line or character development – it is a solo about an imaginary collapse death – was lost on the audience. The ballet failed to correspond to the music in a fresh way, and as an art form which

to produce and direct a new play and Particular Theatre Company was born. After a successful run at The Hour Glass pub, the pair began looking for new spaces to display new work. Finding promise in an abandoned restaurant, they ran a pop-up theatre for another three weeks.

“It worked and people were excited about it,” remembers Irwin. “We spoke to the landlord and he agreed for us to have a trial period of four months just to try it out.” Almost two years later, and the pair are still here.

Listening to the

Art Attack THIS week’s Art Attack is Salvador Dali’s “War”. Do you believe that Dali has succeeded in representing a sense of horror or do you think it’s too abstract to mean anything at all?

Should all our focus be concerned with the main image or is there something going on in the corner?

MEGAN FURBOROUGH: I think

that this is all about how we create and consume death/horror/fear... I think it suggests a kind of eternity to suffering...

REBECCA LODDER: I think it evokes

a sympathy for this person who has lost their faith in what it means to be human.

ZOE BULAITIS: It is interesting that

Dali has chosen to focus on natural forms and objects when representing war, which is often associated with machinery and man-made things.

JESS LEUNG: Is that a handprint in the corner? if so, this is even more creepy than I first thought!

REBECCA LODDER: Just read somewhere that apparently Dali insisted it was a handprint left by his own hand...

BETHANY FULLER heavily relies on a strong relation to music, this was quite damaging.

‘Storyville’ by Christopher Hampson was the greatest triumph, showing the theatrical side to dance – one which proves that words are not always necessary to convey complex plots and emotions. Nola, danced by Ichikawa, arrives in Storyville as a girl but becomes corrupted by nightclub owners, Lulu and Mack. She finds love, but is continually haunted by Lulu and Mack, and this eventually leads to her self destruction.

Ichikawa’s ‘drunk’ dancing maintained an element of grace, and the ghostly appearances of Lulu and Mack were exquisitely synchronised and truly freaky.

Though Nola and her lover end the story

story of the Bike Shed, it becomes clear how true Irwin’s self-confessed brand of ambition really is. However, as our conversation unfolds, he seems more goal-oriented than he gives himself credit. Talking to him about his obvious enthusiasm for live art and event management, Irwin reveals the similarities between his projects and why the Bike Shed fuels his ultimate aspiration: “I think the theatre is the driving passion behind a talent and an interest in venues and creating a space to make things happen.”

Finally, before I leave the theatre, there is one more thing I want to know.

What advice does Irwin have for aspiring theatre artists? “Be proactive, go out there and talk to people. People are willing to help someone who has got a passionate idea, and who has got a clear idea of what they want to do.”

on a heartfelt, painful note as he holds her, the ballet, which also included burlesque dancers, was extremely exhilarating and entertaining, as the seven dancers had great fun with the jazzy music of Kurt Weill.

Overall, Ballet Black impressed, and they deserve to be remembered as a ballet company with a very unique aim. Ultimately, they want to make the role of their own small company ‘wonderfully unnecessary’. For now, they are still a company to watch out for.

CLARA PLACKETT ARTS EDITOR

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28

21 May 2012 |

GAMES

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Veni Sancte Spiritus

Photo: Tobit Emmens

Making history in Exeter Cathedral as Marcus Beard, Games Editor, reports on Flower being used as a part of worship “HISTORY is being made in Exeter Cathedral today,” I am told by Canon Missioner of Exeter Cathedral, Anna Norman-Walker. The ambient orchestral score of thatgamecompany’s Flower fills the knave as people have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist on a Sunday evening in mid-May. “For the first time, we are going to be using a videogame as part of Holy Worship.”

There’s some squirming from the mostly over-40 congregation, as we watch a single yellow flower blow in the wind on a giant screen. Andy Robertson, editor of gamepeople.co.uk, takes hold of a controller, and as the bud unfolds on screen to start our communal game of Flower, a collective gasp can be heard. History has been made.

In late August, Andy gave a talk at the TEDx conference in Exeter. Speaking on sustainable perspectives on videogames, Robertson commented on the ethical, social, psychological and spiritual contribution to human life games can make. He spoke of creating a new “priesthood” of videogame players and writers to appreciate games in a broader sense than just entertainment value.

This was when he was approached by Anna, and the idea of using a videogame as part of a service at Exeter Ca-

thedral took hold.

“Most people associate video games with teenage boys shooting and killing people. We’re not going to be doing any of that today” - there’s a disappointed sigh, followed by laughter as Anna explains how the service will run. “Hopefully we can get rid of some of those associations today.”

“As our communal game of Flower begins, a collective gasp can be heard from the congregation” Holy Ground is Exeter Cathedral’s bi-weekly service that gathers people in the act of contemplative and creative worship. It was a fitting place to experiment with such digital media. Speaking to Robertson, he said he had initially planned to use Jason Rohrer’s critically acclaimed pixelated PC title Passage, a side scroller that takes the player from birth to death in five minutes. “When the theme of environment and conservation came up, Flower seemed the obvious choice,” Robertson explains.

As the service continues, the controller is passed to the first member of the congregation to continue the jour-

ney of our petal. Almost immediately the controller has made its way to the end of the first row, the majority of people passing up the opportunity to take control of the game. As the Liturgy of the Word gets underway, the whole congregation seem to relax, and appreciate Flower’s visuals as a compliment to the gospel readings.

“It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” the reading from Luke concludes. By now the controller has made its way through several rows.

Flower is a game that requires almost no explanation to play. Pressing any button moves you forward, and you navigate by tilting the controller.

The goal of the game (while not explicitly explained by Andy) is to collect other petals, and bring colour and life back to a barren landscape. As the readings continue, the congregation are reminded of the harm caused to our world.

“O God, open our eyes to see,” we are prompted to respond.

As Holy Communion is distributed, the service draws to a close. Yet, we’re nowhere near finishing the first level of Flower. Andy takes up the controller, giving us a little debrief of what we’ve accomplished. What started as a single

yellow bud has grown into a flurry of multi-coloured petals, and grass which used to be brown and scorched is now green and full of life. If players were experienced, we would have reached across a hill, and used our petals to rejuvenate a bare tree, thus completing our goal. “I think Andy’s trying to tell us - in the nicest possible way - that we can’t even get past the first level,” Anna adds.

“When the theme of environment and conservation came up, Flower seemed the obvious choice” People in the crowd after the service seemed to appreciate the inclusion of Flower as part of worship. “I thought it might be distracting, or take the focus away from the service, but it didn’t at all,” says Chris, regular Holy Ground attendee and Exeter University alumnus. “Even the older guys were getting in to it,” adds Phoebe, another former student.

While some people were left out of the experience, as the controller didn’t make its way round to everyone, Andy was thrilled by people’s reaction to the

service. “I think it went really well,” he says.

He goes on to comment on the press coverage of the service. “All the headlines say ‘Playstation 3 played in Cathedral’. I tend to think to myself that they’re missing the point. I think this is more of a victory for videogames.”

He then clarifies “it was to show that [games] can be appreciated in a spiritual way, not to get a bunch of gamers in church.” Anna adds, “I think we’re disassociating video games from the idea that it’s just teenage boys shooting and killing people”.

Andy is taking this service to Greenbelt Christian music festival in Cheltenham this August. Just as the organ was introduced to services hundreds of years ago, videogames have made the first step into being used as a widely accepted form of worship. Like hymns, instrumentals or artwork decorating the interior of the Cathedral, videogames are just another art form that can remind beleivers of their God’s teaching.

When will we see a Portal playthrough replace a rousing rendition of ‘Jerusalem’?

Watch this space.

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

games 29 all of the levels without fully utilising your ‘arsenal’. By the end of it you’ll be quite attached to your character, Emmett Graves, even if the narrative he travels through is pretty thin. He’s an absolute tank, and has a suitably epic voice – think young Barry White with a hint of menace. Electrifying.

Starhawk Lightbox Interactive PS3 Out Now IN 2007, the PS3 was just a baby, and in all honesty it didn’t have a lot going for it. That is, unless you wanted to play Warhawk, a third-person shooter complete with jeeps, tanks and fighter planes. The dogfights really were a lot of fun, and I’ve no doubt that somewhere, a few people are still barrelrolling their way through life, gleefully crushing the rare poor soul that picks it up preowned. Now, a successor of sorts has arrived in the form of Starhawk, Sony’s latest first-party title. Set in an entirely new universe and with a ton of gameplay changes, it’s still a brilliant online game at heart.

Understandably, you’ll want to jump straight into the 32-man mania online and start levelling up, but honestly, I wouldn’t if I were you. Unless you’re one of the 12 Warhawk vets still left out there, you’ll be reduced to tears after five minutes of spawning and being instantly mown down by Starscream from Transformers. After complaining bitterly (to myself) how he shouldn’t be right in my base, I quit and started the campaign. Far, far more sensible.

introduced to the various vehicles and weapons found in the game, as well as the real key to Starhawk: Build and Battle. By holding triangle, you can choose from a wheel of options, from walls, turrets, or launch pads for various vehicles. The campaign really stresses how important using this is and you’ll struggle to get through almost

“It’s refreshing to be playing a game online again because it’s fun... not because levelling up gets me a new title” Once you’ve completed it you’ll be more than ready to Build and Battle with the big boys. Five maps and four game modes should satisfy your thirst for blood and Rift Energy for a good few months, and there are guaranteed map packs on the horizon free

of charge. Regardless of game mode or map, however, it’s the gameplay that keeps you playing for hours on end.

Look left and your allies are building walls, look right and there’s a jeep full of enemies heading for your flag, look up and there’s futuristic jetfighters chasing each other across the sky… it’s immersive, frenetic and at times hilarious. It’s refreshing to be playing a game online again because it’s genuinely fun… not because levelling up gets me a new title.

Starhawk, then, is a top-class exclusive and fully deserving of both your time and money. Whilst its campaign may be too short and simplistic for some, try to see it as training for the months you’re about to spend online getting killed by Transformers knockoffs.

Jonathan Jenner, Games Editor

Web Out Now EXAM season means only one thing: I need to find a new way to procrastinate to keep myself sane. Whole days in the library tend to get pretty boring when all I have with me is a copy of Dead Sea Scrolls and my laptop. Much to my dismay, my review copy of Street Cleaning Simulator decided not to work, so in my attempt to find something else to do I discovered Drawception, a free browser-based game!

Drawception is like the hipster version of Draw Something (you may have forgotten all about this super-famous and awesome game, it seems to have dropped off the radar – humans are so fickle) – it is essentially the love-child of Chinese whispers and Pictionary.

“What sets Drawception apart from Draw Something is that you are playing with random people” It is very simple to play: either you’re the one doing the drawing, or you have to describe someone else’s drawing. Let me demonstrate: the first player draws what the description says,

CAMERON WARD: “The Voice (meaning Skyrim, not the power of judging).”

RORY THOMAS: “Gravity Gun from Half Life 2 - never run out of ammo, constant hilarity.”

RHYS LAVERTY: “The R.Y.N.O (Rip You a New One) from Ratchet and Clank! Fires seven targeted missiles at a high rate of fire and THINGS GET MESSY.”

CALLUM MCLEAN: “Tanya from Red Alert would be very handy, automatically slaughtering anyone that comes within 50 metres accompanied by saucy remarks and very short shorts.”

JON MINTER: “Time Strike Arm from Serious Sam GBA. It warps a piano from the year 2004 and then drops it on the enemy’s head. One hit kill.”

The game is aware that it’s all about the online play, and the campaign essentially trains you up for it.

Over a fairly short adventure, you’re

Reed

What videogame weapon would you arm yourself with to face the impending zombie apocolaypse?

JESS LEUNG: “The Penetrator.”

“Think young Barry White with a hint of menace.

Electrifying”

Drawception

Sandbox

Each week Exeposé Games asks Facebook and Twitter to get creative.

Look out for our question next week! the second player guesses what it is, the third player draws the second player’s description – and so on and so forth until fifteen random players have participated. When the chain has finished you can see your creation and normally the results are hilarious with the end result not resembling the initial drawing in the slightest. ‘Batman’ can become ‘Garfield,’ ‘Hulk’ can become ‘a space cookie’ – the possibilities are endless!

“It is very simple to play” What sets Drawception apart from Draw Something is that you are playing with entirely random people. Oh, and also that people can actually draw!

You get points (upvotes, if you will) for your imagination, ingenuity, and wit in your drawings, rather than accuracy. I was very bored of people writing the words in Draw Something, yet if you did that in Drawception you would be downvoted into oblivion.

Even if you don’t decide to play (why the hell not!?) then at least have a look at some of the creations on the website - I guarantee it’s more interesting than your revision.

Find it at drawception.com

Jess Leung

Sniper Elite V2 Rebellion Developments Xbox 360/PS3/PC Out Now YOU would certainly be forgiven if the recently released Sniper Elite V2 has dipped under your radar. Admittedly, shooting bad guys in wartime Europe doesn’t exactly scream ‘play me’ nowadays, but I must say that a carefully placed high-velocity sniper bullet to the grenade on a Nazi’s belt can be strangely therapeutic after a bout of revision.

It is of course the sniping which takes centre-stage, and it does not disappoint. From the start you will be able to personally adjust the realism of the

game, taking wind direction, bullet dip and other factors into account. Regardless of your settings, once the sniper is in your hands, you feel simply badass.

The feeling of nailing a headshot from across the map is only made more satisfying by the kill-cam system – think Mortal Kombat’s X-ray attacks but stepped up a notch. Regardless of the entry point of the bullet, the damage done is shown in all its wince-inducing goodness. Eyes pop, pelvises shatter, testicles… best not to say. While this does not happen with every kill, eventually it does lose some – but not all – of its edge.

Unfortunately, despite the core sniping being fantastic, it does come with several problems that hold it back from being great. On some occasions

you will be forced to navigate buildings that require you to use your secondary weapons. Once this happens it becomes rather obvious that the game was not made to deal with over-theshoulder action and you will be craving to switch back to long distance sniping.

Additionally, the AI can be pig-headed, the graphics murky and the story is pretty much non-existent outside the opening cinematic and pre-mission textboxes.

If you can look over its shortcomings, Sniper Elite V2 has a stellar sniping mechanic that stands out from other shooters on the market. It may not be worth picking up at full retail price, but it should be worth a play in the future.

Robert J Harris

30

8 May 2012 |

SPORT

Double wins for EUCC Cycling

Peter Medhurst, Oscar Hutchings and George Humby EUCC Team Members UNIVERSITY of Exeter Cycling Club (EUCC) is a small, yet strong university cycling team. It has riders that cover all disciplines, from BMX racing through to unicycling and time trialling.

The main focuses of the club are currently downhill mountain bike and road riding. This year EUCC has an incredibly strong road team, and are having a fantastic season so far.

Here’s just two days in the life of the road team.

The first event was the Bath Criterium which took place on Wednesday 2 May. Peter Medhurst travelled home on Wednesday to compete in the first of the series of criterium circuit races in Bath that take place around Victoria Park.

“The celebration was premature as his hands came down to his face as he could not contain his disbelief” Last year, the fast and technical course resulted in a crash and permanent scarring down his leg, so he was a little apprehensive this year.

The circuit consisted of a short steep climb before the 250m finishing straight. At the top of the climb Peter saw a fellow rider accelerate fast and

made the snap decision to follow him.

Digging deeper than he ever had, into reserves he was not even sure were there, Peter managed to stay with him As they got towards the line the other rider held his arms aloft to celebrate as Peter finished his sprint and lunged for the line. As they crossed the line together, pushing 35mph, it appeared the celebration was premature as his hands came down to cover his face, as he could not contain his disbelief.

It wasn’t clear Peter had won, but using timing chips he had won by the nearest of margins - 0.004 seconds - about two inches on the road!

Naturally everyone was overjoyed at Peter’s performance representing EUCC, especially as Bath Uni CC had fielded a strong team of six riders. This was Peter’s second win of his cycling career, and the second win for EUCC this season. Wins are incredibly hard to come by, when there are up to 100 other riders per race to compete with, so the team wasn’t really expecting another one so soon.

The second event was the Castle Combe Criterium, which took place on Thursday 3 May. The next night EUCC headed over to Castle Combe to race in another criterium. We had a small but strong team in this race: Oscar Hutchings, Peter Medhurst, and Theo Brumhead.

Having won the night before Peter was content to work for Oscar and Theo, sacrificing himself for his team mates.

This meant that Oscar and Theo could rest more during the race while Peter made sure no one rode away from

Exeposé Photo: EUCC

the main group so that they could conserve their energy for the sprint.

“Oscar inched past him, the speed going up and over 40mph, and shot across the line into first place” With about three laps to go Oscar found Pete’s wheel and they stayed comfortably in the top five riders.

Pete set a brilliant pace in the last half lap, finally moving to the side on the finishing straight so Oscar could sprint past.

Oscar jumped on another rider’s wheel with about 300m to go, went round him, and ended up head to head against a very strong rider from another team, one of the favourites to win. Oscar inched past him, the speed going up and over 40mph, and shot across the line in first place, whilst the other rider screamed in anger, pain and desperation.

This was Oscar’s second win this season, after he won a very similar race at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth over the Easter holidays.

Two wins in two days for Exeter Uni is a fantastic achievement, and our team is very strong at the moment.

The BUCS road race is coming up soon, and we are going to be fielding a very strong team, and have high hopes for it.

EUCC would like to thank Double Locks pub for their sponsorship this season

>> Peter Medhurst, sponsored by Double Locks, screams his way to another victory at Bath

Life in the Fast Lane with Ted Kravitz

Tom Bond, Books Editor, interviews Sky’s F1 pit-lane reporter and Exeter alumnus...

SO far this year’s Formula One Championship has been one of the most exciting and competitive in recent memory. With five different drivers winning the first five races, things are shaping up for a truly gripping battle. Commentating for Sky Sports every race amidst the screeching tyres and howling engines is Exeter alumnus Ted Kravitz.

When I caught up with Ted his thoughts were far from the simple matters of racing. He had just returned from Bahrain and he admits “it was just a relief to survive really.

It was certainly the most controversial race I’ve ever attended, and opinion is very much divided on whether it was the right thing to do.” There was of course the lure of approximately £78 million waiting for the F1 organisers and teams if t h e y went

ahead with the race but was the payday worth risking people’s safety? Either way, Ted was full of praise for how security was handled, saying that “if you went looking for trouble, then you were going to find it.” Despite the prospect of ‘trouble’, Ted said “it was the wish, of certainly the majority of Bahrainis that I met, that the race went ahead.”

Ominously, Ted thought the winner would be decided by “who is going to step up and take a stranglehold in this championship and I rather fear that might be Sebastian Vettel again.”

Speaking before the Spanish Grand Prix, Ted praised Button, Rosberg and Vettel for their wins but singled out Fernando Alonso, calling his drive in Malaysia “absolutely stunning”.

With Massa out-of-sorts and holding only two points to his name, Alonso is “single-handedly saving Ferrari’s season”. Despite sitting in third place in the championship, Ted was also disappointed with Lewis Hamilton, saying “I don’t think I’ve seen a fighting drive from him, like we’ve seen so many times in the past,”

something he would have been glad to see remedied in Spain.

There are a lot of potential obstacles in Formula 1’s future: it’s one of the most extravagant and expensive sports in the world during a double dip recession and it runs in direct opposition to recent increases in environmental awareness.

When I asked Ted how it had survived against these obstacles he dismissed my fears: “it’s entertainment and it shouldn’t take itself too seriously or try to be seen as anything other than that.” Whilst he acknowledged the importance of addressing environmental concerns he said that trying to restrict the sport would be “a complete waste of the tremendous brains that are involved in Formula 1.

These are the best engineering brains in the country, and in war time these guys would’ve been cracking codes in Bletchley Park.”

“F1 is entertainment and it shouldn’t take itself too seriously or try to be seen as anything other than that” Ted believes that these brilliant minds are turning F1 into part of the

solution, not the problem. He assures me that soon “there will be direct technology transfer from what happens on the racetrack to road cars”, benefitting not just elite drivers but the average person. It’s clear that Ted himself is protective of the reputation and future of F1, attacking “the irritating marketingled stuff that everyone has to deal with which has no impact on the racing.”

He’s strongly against “people coming in and wanting to use F1 for their own reasons, or to make more money for themselves by exploiting the sport.”

Instead he advocates a simple purist’s approach to improving the sport: “If teams just concentrated on what makes the car go faster, if they applied that test to everything they do: ‘Does this make the car go faster?’ If the answer is no, then don’t do it.”

When I asked Ted about being Sky’s pit-lane commentator, his love of the job was immediately apparent. “The best part is being involved in the live broadcasts in the middle of the action.

That’s what I get a kick out of. People want to know something: you’ve got to go and find it out. You know if I was at the circuit and I just had to watch the race on TV, that would kill me.”

Ted moved to Sky with a lot of his BBC colleagues this year and it is

obvious the move was motivated solely by a desire to do his job as well as he could. “It would have been nice to stay at the BBC because we had a great team, but 10 of their races, they’re not producing any live programmes. To go all the way to Australia or Malaysia as they did and just produce edited highlights wouldn’t have been very satisfying for me.”

“Learn how to use your voice and learn how to broadcast and how to sum up a story in a few words” Finally, Ted had some salient words of advice for Exeter students wanting to get into sports journalism. As well as the familiar theme of practice makes perfect he advised students to follow in his footsteps: “do what I did, go and enrol at Xpression FM, and do sports reports and learn how to use your voice, and learn how to broadcast and how to sum up a story in just a few words. Then go to XTV and do the same thing on TV. Different skills but the same ultimate goal: communicating a story to your listeners or viewers. Do that for at least 2 years; then you’ll be ready to go into broadcasting at the end of it.”

Exeposé

| Week twenty-SEVEN

SPORT

Despite injuries EUSK achieve highly in BUCS

Photo: Vanthien Nguyen

Karate

Rebecca Evans Reporter

OVER the weekend of March 17 and 18, Exeter University’s Shotokan Karate (EUSK) team met at the annual BUCS at Sheffield. The Squad competed across the board for both Kata (pattern/ routine performance) and Kumite (sparring) categories, with Exeter’s Sian Scott winning Gold for the Intermediate Women’s Kata. This was a further success after that morning’s Bronze medal achievement by Scott, Jasmine Gardosi and Tom Collier for their Team Kata performance.

Despite 10-12 years experience in martial arts, Scott has not competed for several years. This BUCS was, for her, a return to the national standard with promising results. She deeply believes in the competing experience thanks to its ‘character building’ qualities and advises it for all karate students.

The appearances of notable England squad members and the huge turnouts from Nottingham and Edinburgh Universities demonstrated the high standard of this year’s BUCS. The competition team’s captain, Gardosi, commends her squad’s success in ‘putting Exeter on the map’ despite minimal competition experience, as well as their dedication to regular training in the run-up to the competition.

She was also impressed by the teamwork shown in the face of hardship. Two of the squad’s members were injured during the Women’s Team Kumite. Gardosi’s jaw was

firstly dislocated during her bout, after which the reserve Thien Nguyen stepped in to take her place despite no prior competition experience. With the aid of team-mates Shu Jia and Scott, the team managed to qualify for the Repêchage (competition for Bronze).

Unfortunately, they were not able to take part as Scott also needed medical attention after suffering concussion due to the build-up of blows to the head without any further reserves to take her place.

Gardosi was proud of the way in which the entire squad dealt with the situation, including several hospital visits. ‘The squad pulled together in quite a remarkable way. Injuries are pretty undesirable but one thing it did was prove we have an amazing team spirit.’

The squad found it unfortunate that the order of the day was reversed with Team Kumite taking place before Individual Kumite, as it rendered both injured competitors unable to take part in potentially medal-winning categories.

In the other Kumite groups, Jon Lee made it through three rounds whilst Tom Collier made it to the Repêchage. An honorary mention is needed for Drew Pearce, EUSK Captain, and his father for their constant care for the squad, particularly for its injured members.

It is vital to note that the increase in the size of the squad that attended this year’s BUCS Championships, seven members in total as opposed to the previous year’s two, is helping to make the competition an annual centrepiece for the society rather than a background event.

EUWRFC’s Golden Girls

Photo: Emma Quarteman

Women’s Rugby

Yueli Ang and Jessica Ho EUWRFC Team Members

EUWRFC have won BUCS Gold after a thrilling tournament on 12 May. Having qualified for the nationals the girls travelled to Broadstreet Rugby Club for a shot at the title of BUCS 7s Champions.

Upon arrival, the girls were ready for some serious rugby after hearing that their first game was against rivals Loughborough. Within seconds after kick-off, fly half Lucy Demaine made an incredible break, scoring the first try of the day. Loughborough was not about to give up at this point; the opposition kept the ball well in the first half. However, EUWRFC’s defence proved hard to crack, only conceding a solitary try and eventually coming to the fore late on with some brilliant tries in the second half. EUWRFC-24 ,Loughborough-5 With wins against Northampton and a tough Birmingham side, Exeter advanced into a semi-final clash with Durham after only 30 minutes rest.

EUWRFC played very well as a unit, with ever improving support play Some superb team work and an almost unbeatable defensive line allowed Exeter to progress to the championship final against what was thought to be the favourites to win the

tournament, Leeds Met. Final Score: EUWRFC 28 Durham 5

“With great support play and a stellar defence EUWRFC were crowned champions of BUCS 7s” Loughborough’s surprise victory over Leeds Met, however, meant the girls would be seeing their previous group competitors in the final. Playing the longest game of the day, EUWRFC pulled out all the stops in this gripping contest.

Playing a team who had improved just as much as the Exeter girls had

in this tournament was going to be a challenge and Loughborough’s resilience forced Exeter to play their best 7s rugby to date. Everyone gave it their all in their final match as a team, the last ever for some girls. With great support play and a stellar defense, the final whistle was blown and EUWRFC were crowned champions of the BUCS 7s. Final Score: EUWRFC-42, Loughborough-17.

Winning the BUCS 7s Championships is possibly the best way for these beloved team members to end their journey with the club. EUWRFC were the underdogs that came out on top. A great end to a great season.

Crossword

Across

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1. Lancashire town; England rugby coach (9) 8. Hindu god (6) 9. Rapid decline (8) 10. Red wine variety (8) 11. Noble gas (4) 13. Narcotic derived from poppies (5) 17. Persuade (4) 19. Native of 5. & 22. Down (8) 20. The movement of a group to various places (8) 21. Recommendation (6) 23. Unusual (9)

Down

1. Madness (6) 2. Used to feed horses (7) 3. Directors of The Royal Tenenbaums and There Will Be Blood (8) 4. Occurrence (5) 5. New England state (abbr.) (2) 6. European river (5) 7. University of Exeter building; possible gay club name? (6) 12. Food of the gods (8) 14. Small flute (7) 15. Actor played a Ghostbuster (6) 16. Histories (6) 18. Exotic fruit (5) 19. Poet, first names Wystan Hugh (5) 22. Pacific coast state (abbr.) (2)

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Strong performance by EUAC at BUCS Photo: Rick Green

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Whittaker explodes out of the blocks in the 4x100 metres at the BUCS Outdoor Championships

Athletics

Becca Jones

EUAC Team Member

EXETER University Athletic Club ended their track and field season in style with the highest number of personal bests attained by any University represented at the BUCS Visa Outdoor Athletics Championships, held in the Olympic Stadium from May 4-7. As an event in the ‘London Prepares’ series, it was a once in a lifetime experience for those who competed with 40,000 spectators watching in the stands.

Friday evening saw a strong start to proceedings by Exeter, with Chris Tucker in the 400m hurdles and Tyler Johnson and Becca Jones in the 100m.

Tucker and Johnson attained season’s bests and Jones achieved a personal best. Johnson qualified for the semifinals in the 100m where he ran just outside of his time set the previous evening. Continuing his success in the 200m, Johnson replicated his BUCS indoors performance and qualified for

the final, securing a lifetime best in the process and further improving the university record. Monday saw Johnson finish 7th in a closely contested final, where there was less than a second between all the athletes.

“EUAC showed that you do not have to be the most well-known to achieve great things” Representing Exeter in the 800m, Helena Corbin and Steve List both qualified convincingly for the semi-finals, with List running a personal best and showing promise for even greater performances in the future. Kate Kaye mirrored their success in the 1500m where she qualified for the semi–finals and battled with other athletes to be rewarded with a new personal best, narrowly missing out on the University record. Beth Hampson kicked off the field events, competing in both the long and triple jump over the weekend, whilst Ian Whittaker attained a

personal best in the triple jump, in his third ever competition in the discipline.

Will Cullen and Ollie Garrod tackled the men’s 5000m and 10,000m races respectively, with both being rewarded with a personal best upon completion.

Saturday evening saw the relays, which were ran within the packed stadium. The atmosphere was amazing with UKA races ran between the University races, giving the athletes a taste of what athletes like Usain Bolt and Jess Ennis will experience this summer. Abbie Rudd, Laurence Thill, Jemma Neate and Kate Kaye ran well in the women’s 4x400m against tough competition, whilst Laurence Thill, Beth Hampson, Hannah Gladstone and Becca Jones held their own against Brunel and Birmingham in the 4x 100m. The men’s 4x 400m quartet of Tyler Johnson, James Clayton, Steve List and James Meadows put in a brilliant performance in the men’s 4x400m beating EUAC’s club record by four seconds, narrowly missing out on a place in Monday’s final. Finishing up Exeter’s relay squads were the men’s 4x100m which consisted of

Andy Boulding, Ian Whittaker, George Derisley and Tyler Johnson, who ran a skilful relay.

Other notable achievements over the weekend came from Laurence Thill in the women’s 200m, Kate Stockings in 2000m steeple chase and Abbie Rudd and George Derisley in the 400m, who all ran personal best performances. Alex Warna, Exeter’s national hero, ran a decent 1500m, running ever closer to the Sri Lankan national record, whilst JJ Blackstock was a valuable member of the team.

Overall, despite the sometimes less than ideal conditions, Exeter University Athletics Club showed that you do not have to be the biggest or most well-known university to achieve great things at the BUCS championships, but it’s down to the training, and the hard work both we and our coaches put in.

So many thanks to Sonya Ellis, Mike Hawkins, Dave Morgon-Owen and Rob for their coaching this year.

This was a fantastic experience and achievement for Exeter University Athletics Club.

Luke Treharne, a first year student from the University of Exeter has been making waves in the rugby union sevens world after representing Great Britain students over Easter.

Having applied online; providing information on current representative status, weight and 40m sprint time. Luke was selected for the Wales student Sevens team. Luke was one of five Welsh players and one of three first years to get through to the GB squad.

The squad was put straight into a tournament and Luke felt it was “a very professional set up.” GB played four matches, beating Esher, Kamikaze, Apache in their first ‘Super Sevens’ series tournament, ensuring them a quarter final place against the Northampton Saints first VII; “they had a couple of their big players like Noah Cato.” Luke relished the opportunity to play against professional and international players.

Unfortunately for GB the Saints won in a tough, physical game.

Luke has previously played for Wales students in fifteen-a-side and when asked about which he felt was a higher level he commented “I felt it was a step up, especially in sevens. It’s much harder in terms on one-on-ones.”

He also noticed physically, the size and speed of the other teams meant he found it more demanding “its nice to push yourself further.”

Over the summer the GB squad plans to get more focused, with training camps and more tournaments., including a tournament in two weeks in Worthing, 9 June in Cardiff and again after that in Corby, to bring a close to the ‘Super Sevens’ series. These tournaments are a chance for the coaches to have a look at the players ahead of selection for the World University Championship in Brive in June.

Luke is hoping to use the GB set up to push for international honours, and with more players returning to the squad for future tournaments from international teams and the squad training with the Welsh squad, there is a very professional feel and Luke is hoping to play for these sides in the future.

Following on from the experience, Luke has aspirations to play for Wales Sevens team, choosing to focus more on his sevens, after being in the Scarlet’s academy, he is enjoying the “party atmosphere” of Sevens. He enjoys training with the Welsh set-up aiming to build on his current experience over the next few years. It is a set-up that he “fitted into quite well, I am glad I’m at that level as it gives me something to aim for.”