Exeposé issue 631, 24 November 2014.

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24 November 2014 • Issue 631 • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose • Free

Photos: Harrison Jones

As thousands of students march to Parliament demanding “no cuts, no fees and no debt,” we ask:

Should education be free?

SPECIAL EDITION: Reports and features from London and Exeter on last week’s free education demo, including opinion from our Vice Chancellor, student leaders and more Features “White, middle class and, well, rich.” We investigate the Exeter stereotype

Pages 14 & 15

Music Enter Shikari talk in�luences, history and their new album

Page 24

Games & Tech “How does one review perfection?”

Exeposé’s new free Exeposé App, available now

Page 41

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Email: editors@exepose.com Call: (01392) 723513 Editors Print: Harrison Jones & Gemma Joyce Online: Callum Burroughs & Meg Lawrence Deputy Editors Callum McLean & Vanessa Tracey depeds@exepose.com News Editors Print: Hannah Butler & Emily Leahy Online: Rachel Gelormini & Laura-Jane Tiley news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Callum McLean & Vanessa Tracey Online: Rachel Brown & Matt Wilcock comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Rory Morgan & Emma Thomas Online: Kayley Gilbert & Fran Lowe features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Eamonn Crowe & Jack Wardlaw Online: Alice Belton & Harriette Casey lifestyle@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Kate Burgess & Tristan Gatward Online: Pavel Kondov & Lewis Norman music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Josh Mines & Ciaran Willis Online: Will Cafferky & Emma Sudderick screen@exepose.com Books Editors Print: Natalie Clark & Chloe Glassonbury Online: Sophie Harrison & Christy Ku books@exepose.com Arts Editors Print: Sarah Gough & Bethany Stuart Online: Laura Christopher & Stephie Wilson arts@exepose.com Games & Tech Editors Print: Josh Creek & Adam Smith Online: Rosie Howard & Harry Shepherd games@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: James Beeson & Sophy Coombes-Roberts Online: Alex Bonner & Freddie Turner sports@exepose.com Photography Edwin Yeung photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Sabrina Aziz, Isobel Burston & Flora Carr

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University news from beyond Exeter

Leeds Rugby Club social controversy

Californian student Secret terror trial has sex with sheep for law student

Irish uni gender discrimination

Members of Leeds University Union’s Rugby Union Club caused a stir last Wednesday night at a social which involved them dressing up in army gear and taking part in the Otley Run, a famed local bar crawl.

The group threw eggs at the Headingly Taps, smashing one of Storm Jameson halls’ windows, and excreting in front of the Charles Morris Residence.

They also set off smoke bombs in Devonshire halls, triggering smoke alarms.

The club have previously faced criticism for their conduct at Varsity where they threw drinks at international students and some members chanted “no girls allowed.”

AN unnamed 23-year-old student studying at the Fresno State University in California was charged with bestiality and has admitted to having sex with a sheep.

He stated that his actions were motivated by ‘stress’ and told police that he had originally gone to the University’s barn where the sheep are housed to ‘beat up’ some cows. The �ifth year Computer Engineering student had been drinking beforehand in the lead up to an important midterm exam.

The anonymous male was reported to the authorities by a fellow student.

He was charged with the sexual assault of an animal which is considered a ‘misdemeanour’ in California, but has since been released from prison.

Oxford academic immigrant fears

EROL INCEDAL, a 26 year-old British law student, has been found guilty of the possession of a bomb-making document which is likely to be of use to a terrorist.

Controversially, more than two-thirds of his trial took place behind closed doors, though limited reporting by a small group of journalists was granted by three Appeal Court Judges.

The documents were found on an SD memory card when the police stopped the father-of-two in his car near London Bridge.

Mounir Rarmoul-Bouhadjar, also 26, was Incedal’s co-defendant and pleaded guilty to having an identical document before the start of the trial.

The verdict for Incedal’s case was reached last Tuesday after the jury deliberated for more than 23 hours.

THE National University of Ireland Galway has been told to immediately promote a female academic after being found guilty of gender discrimination.

The Equality Tribunal ordered the University to pay Dr Sheehy Skef�ington €70,000 in damages for its failure to appoint her as a senior lecturer in 2009 because of her gender.

The tribunal cited examples of direct and indirect discrimination against Skef�ington, a highly regarded botanist. It found that men working at the University had a one in two chance of being promoted, but the chance of a similar promotion for females was less than one in three.

Rise in UK students 25,000 posts for UK studying in the US students in India

THE Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast has stated in an interview that the level of pay for his staff is not very important as “pay is actually a very poor motivator in of itself.”

Patrick Johnston, who is paid £249,000 per year - making him the highest paid public of�icial in Northern Ireland - also said that “the greatest motivator is actually being able to develop yourself and develop those around you”.

A spokesperson from the University and College Union disagreed with Mr Johnston’s comments, saying that “worries about poor pay and job insecurity demotivate everyone and override other factors.”

In October 2013, Queen’s University Belfast was ranked the 31st most unequal university in the United Kingdom in terms of staff’s pay ratio between the lowest and highest salaries in a report published by the Young Greens of England and Wales in October 2013.

SENIOR academics from Oxford University have voiced their concerns about the detention of immigrants in an open letter to David Cameron.

The letter has seventy signatories, including nine college heads from the University.

It contains a request to halt the expansion of an immigrant detention centre local to the University and near the Prime Minister’s constituency.

The Home Of�ice plan to extend the capacity of the centre so that it can house up to 610 illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers.

The letter also calls for changes in wider government policy, insisting that immigrants should not be detained without trial. The University’s Amnesty International President, Jo Hynes, voiced concerns at the letter’s launch that immigration dentention “contravenes basic human rights.”

The open letter will be presented at 10 Downing Street at a later date.

FOR the sixth consecutive year, the amount of UK students choosing to study at US universities has risen by eight per cent.

The Institute of International Education found that the US had a record breaking 886,000 international students enrolled to start their studies in 2013, with 10,191 of these from the UK. These students applied for their places in autumn 2012, the same time that tuition fees of £9,000 were introduced in England.

The analysis suggested that these students were worth approximately £216 million to the US economy.

THE UK Minister for Universities Greg Clarke has announced plans to send up to 25,000 students to India for work opportunities in the next �ive years.

In partnership with the British Council, the campaign ‘Generation UKIndia’ will begin in 2015.

Three opportunities that will be initially available to students include a six month work placement, an opportunity to work as a teaching assistant, and a two week ‘cultural immersion’ trip.

The campaign aims to strengthen the relationship between both countries and foster global business and cultural awareness amongst young people.

Vice Chancellor: pay not important

Stories contributed by: Lucy Maguire and Kate Robinson, News Team

Weather

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Exeter’s outlook for the week ahead

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University to lengthen working day EXEPOSÉ

Rachel Gelormini Online News Editor

EXETER students, backed by the Students’ Guild, have expressed disapproval at plans to extend the teaching day next year, which will now begin at 8:30am.

Students and staff across the University will be affected by the changes, which will be implemented from September 2015 and will last for at least a year.

Classes will commence on the half hour, and will extend until 6:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Groups of larger students who study Biosciences, Business, English, Geography, History, Law, Mathematics, Politics and Psychology are most likely to be taught in the later time slot of 5:306:30pm.

The Great Hall is also being considered as an additional teaching space.

Later time slots are not expected to be used for students studying at Penryn or St Luke’s and are more

likely to be used for �irst year undergraduate and postgraduate taught sessions. It has also been con�irmed that the teaching day will continue to end at 12:30pm on Wednesdays for all undergraduates.

The University has acknowledged that the 8:30am and 5:30pm sessions may be dif�icult for some students to attend due to personal reasons, and have stated that provisions such as bursaries and travel plans will be available.

The move is not supported by the Students’ Guild or FXU. Rachael Gillies, Guild President said: “The Students’ Guild opposes the proposed extensions to the teaching day due to the detrimental effect we feel they will have on the student experience. Myself and colleagues will be working hard to press for mitigations to be put in place to minimise the impact on students, including those involved in societies and sport, students with caring responsibilities, students with speci�ic learning requirements and those with

long commutes to lectures.

“I strongly encourage students to attend one of the University’s open meetings on 25 November and 1 December where staff will be on hand to hear student concerns directly, or to contact the sabbatical of�icers.”

The University has proceeded to make changes to the teaching day despite generally negative feedback from the Teaching Day Consultation Survey earlier this year. The ‘least worst’ option was selected, favoured above two other proposals, which were to extend the teaching day until 7pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, or to teach until 9pm on a Thursday.

One third year History student said: “I think it will be detrimental to the students’ learning experience to make them extend their hours because their concentration levels will be effected and it will obviously impact lecturers commuting to and from the University. It seems like an unreasonable last resort to tackle the problem of ridiculous amounts of students

UCU marking boycott suspended until January Photo: The Independent

Emily Leahy News Editor ON Thursday 20 November the University College Union (UCU) and Universities UK (UUK) con�irmed the marking boycott had been suspended until 15 January.

In an email sent to all students, Janice Kay, University Provost said: “the UCU and UUK are working to jointly agree a way forward and to present to the Joint Negotiating Committee on 15 January 2015.”

The boycott was originally called

by UCU in response to the UUK’s pro-

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posed changes to the USS, a national pension scheme for academic and senior Professional Services staff at universities.

The UCU and UUK are working to jointly agree a way forward Janice Kay, University Provost Despite the suspension, the boycott of�icially began on 6 November, meaning some students will still be affected by the action.

A University representative said: “a small number of students may expe-

rience a slight delay to the usual three week turnaround in receiving results of any assessed work submitted during the marking boycott, however the University expects the backlog to be cleared very quickly.”

They added: “although at this stage we do not know whether the marking boycott will resume after 15 January, we will keep all students informed of any developments.”

Kay also wrote: “all assignments will need to be submitted by their due dates and, after the Christmas break, all exams will go ahead as scheduled so please do continue to concentrate on your studies.”

February 2014: -UCU, Unison and Unite boycotted marking in rejection 1% pay rise -UCU members threaten to refuse to mark final exams and dissertations if no arrangement is made by 28 April -2% wage increase saw boycott postpones until 6 May May 2014: - Boycott cancelled after 84% of UCU members accepted the offer of a 2% wage increase

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Photo: Edwin Yeung

being allowed into the University at the expense of others.”

A University spokesperson said: “As the University has become more successful and therefore popular, we now have a higher proportion of undergraduates. We are proud to be able to offer students a good choice of modules. These two factors have resulted in an unsustainable level of demand

on teaching spaces, especially the larger lecture theatres.

“The modest changes that will pilot in 2015/16 will allow us to continue to offer students signi�icant module �lexibility and ease pressure on large group teaching spaces.”

Additional reporting from Gemma Joyce, Editor.

70% of students think Exeter is socially elitist Gemma Joyce Editor

AN Exeposé survey has suggested that 70 per cent of students think the University is socially elitist, with 73 per cent of correspondents agreeing that it is economically elitist.

The survey, which had over 300 replies, was conducted as part of Exeposé’s wide scale investigation into student �inance in this edition.

Kate Hawkins, VP Welfare and Diversity, said on the �igures “I am keen to work with students to better re�lect the social, cultural and economic diversity of our University and city.”

The University would not provide a comment.

The results follow a recent roundtable discussion at the London School

of Economics in which the notion of elitism at the University was discussed amongst sabbatical of�icers and students, debating access to education for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and the sale of t-shirts reading “More intelligent than you since 1895” in their union shop.

An elitist university?

Features Page 14-15

Other survey �indings included more than 20 per cent of respondents admitting they have more than £5,000 in their savings account, while 13 per cent of respondents claimed their parents’ combined income amounted to more than £100,000 after taxes per year.

Photo: Edwin Yeung

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24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

EXEPOSÉ

Thousands of students attend free ed REPORT FROM LONDON

Harrison Jones Editor THOUSANDS of students from around the country marched on Parliament last Wednesday to demand free education and an end to cuts, fees and debt.

In what is thought to have been the biggest student demonstration since 2010, a group of Exeter students travelled to London, where at least 11 arrests were made amid scuf�les with police at the end of a largely peaceful event.

Having arrived in Westminster at around 3pm, some protesters broke through metal fences surrounding Parliament Square to join the Occupy Democracy movement, before more radical elements dispersed from the main body of the march. The breakaway group then clashed with police outside the Department for Business, Skills & Innovation, Conservative Party Headquarters, Starbucks and other local buildings, with 11 people being arrested. Earlier in the day protestors had also daubed paint on NUS property.

Had a �irm commitment to funding transport been made earlier, not only would it have attracted higher numbers but the cost could potentially have been lower Carlus Hudson, Socialist Students member Despite the incidents between riot police and protestors, and accusations of police brutality, there was nothing to match the violence of the student protests in 2010, when between 50,000 and 100,000 people demonstrated against the coalition’s tripling of tuition fees.

Estimations of last week’s turnout vary wildly between organisers, police and national media, but the true �igure is thought to be somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000, with over 5,600 clicking ‘attending’ on Facebook and a further 50,000 invited.

The demonstration begins an anti-austerity campaign from the student body to put pressure on the government in the run up to the general election, after Germany scrapped

tuition fees last month.

The march itself - organised by a coalition of student groups led by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts - assembled at Malet Street around midday, before leaving for Parliament to the sound of samba drums, chanting and singing.

At around 4pm the main body of demonstrators who had remained outside Parliament for a rally listened to a number of speakers, including the Leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett, Caroline Lucas MP and Diane Abbott MP. The demonstration took place amidst a climate of signi�icant antiNUS feeling, after the Union opted to withdraw their support - despite continuing to back free education with “huge reluctance and regret,” on Wednesday 5 November.

NUS President Toni Pearce’s statement, released two weeks before the event, read: “This demonstration presents an unacceptable level of risk, is not accessible and does not meet the minimum expectations our members would expect for an action that carries NUS support.”

But organisers blasted the Union for pulling their support, labelling the move “political” and “absolutely shameful.” Exeter students will vote on the Guild’s continued af�iliation with the organisation in Week 12.

Meanwhile, members of political societies at Exeter were left frustrated by the Students’ Guild decision not to fund transport to the capital. Socialist Students and individual donors eventually organised a coach which left Exeter at 6am, returning at 11.30pm.

Carlus Hudson, one of the organisers, said: “Had a �irm commitment to funding transport been made earlier, not only would it have attracted higher numbers, but the cost per head could potentially have been lower. While the demonstration was still an excellent way of getting education funding and what we want our universities to look like �irmly on the political agenda, Exeter’s contribution to that debate could have been greater with Guild funding.”

Students from other universities also highlighted the irony of being unable to attend a demonstration about free education because they did not have enough money for transport costs. Delegations from over 40 universities were nonetheless in attendance, while on social media blanket messages of support for #FreeEducation were sent out at midday, after many attendees signed up to a ‘Thunder Clap’ initiative.

40-42

Exeter at t Photos: Harrison Jones

Aaron Kiely, an organiser from the Student Assembly Against Austerity, told Exeposé: “We are here on this fantastic demonstration to start our campaign for free education and against cuts on education by the government. Politicians are coming up to our students and young people, trying to get our votes, and we’ve got to say loud and clear scrap fees or we’ll scrap you at the next general election.”

The national demonstration represented an important day for student politics. Our generation needs to make our voices heard Ben Street, VP Education He later added: “We don’t want a lifetime of debt, we want free education, EMA restored and education available to everyone who wants it.

If Germany, Brazil, Finland and Ecuador can have free education why can’t

we?”

Harry White, a second year protestor, said: “The demonstration had a lively, carnival atmosphere when we �irst set off. Once we reached Parliament Square it became somewhat fractured and there was less sense of purpose.

I still feel really positive about the protest, having got the chance to see so many passionate students take to the streets �ighting for such a worthy cause.”

Ben Street, VP Education, commented: “Whether you believe in the arguments for free education or not, the national demonstration represented an important day for student politics.

“Our generation needs to make our voices heard on the issues that matter to us at every opportunity, including next year’s general election.”

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Organisers estimate up to 10,000 students attended the demo, making it the biggest mobilisation of students since 2010.

EXEPOSÉ spoke to Niall Walker of Exeter Socialist Students, who said “the anger was palpable” at the demo.

He added that: “the anger was more towards the NUS,” and emphasised the “complete disillusionment” with the NUS that seemed to be prevalent among demonstrators.

The NUS had previously supported the event, but formally withdrew their backing on 5 November, just two weeks ahead of the demonstration. Walker commented: “regardless of whether you think the NUS should have supported the demonstration, the way they handled it was absolutely scandalous.”

“If the NUS wants to be an organisation representative of students, and then goes against students for such ridiculous concerns, students have the right to feel disillusioned,” he added.

Speaking of the demonstration in general, Walker noted that there was a “higher turnout than any of us expected, given that the NUS weren’t involved.”

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ducation demonstration in London Photo: Alice Lynch

Free education: Exeter has its say Hannah Butler and Emily Leahy News Editors AN Exeposé survey of Exeter students’ engagement with the recent ‘Free Education’ demonstration found that 60 per cent of students believe education should be free.

One student favouring free education commented: “Because there are many intelligent and ambitious people who are unable to apply, or discouraged from applying to university, it still has the stigma of a “middleclass institution.” A university education should be based on intellect and work ethic, rather than wealth and status.”

In a sample of 114 students, the survey also found that 54 per cent strongly supported the demonstration, with 16 per cent disagreeing/ strongly disagreeing and 14 per cent indifferent to the event.

Another student supporting the demonstration remarked: “the b******s are putting me in more debt in two years than a medic in four years would have been before the change!”

Another argued: “Tuition shouldn’t be free - why should taxpayers have to fund my university degree? It’s my choice, I’ll therefore pay for it.”

The b******s are putting me in more debt in two years than a medic in four years would have been before the change Student in support of free education Despite the support for the event, only �ive per cent of those surveyed believed the demonstration would lead to the abolition of tuition fees

and an overwhelming 95 per cent believed it would not.

More student opinion on free education Comment Pages 8-11

A student said: “Student fees are needed. It is a naïve view to think that all university education should be free. Clearly up to the age of 18 education should be free- but I see no use in forcing government cuts elsewhere just so even more students can go to university. If you genuinely have money problems then grants and special consideration is available.”

When asked if they thought the demonstration could lead to further action, 57 per cent said they thought it would and a further 63 per cent said they would have participated in a similar event if it were to be held in Exeter.

“Should a university education be free?”

the National Demo He branded the attendance “positive” for the student movement, which he said “hasn’t really had anything to grab hold of since 2010.”

Despite popular criticism that the demonstration lacked direction, Walker stressed: “the goals of the protest were good” and “the numbers were encouraging.”

However, he said: “The moment when the march lost its meaning for me was when it left Parliament Square,” referring to a “weird standoff ” that occurred when protestors turned on a local Starbucks, throwing eggs and shouting that the company should pay taxes.

“It was ridiculous,” said Walker, adding: “There were workers in there, and they were petrified.”

Asked about the Exeter turnout, Walker noted that it was “good given that the Guild weren’t funding travel.”

Praising the “dedication” shown by students at Exeter, he added: “It’s encouraging that a lot of people were getting involved.”

5% thought the NO (40%)

And can Exeter students expect to see any local action? “I’m almost certain there will be events happening here,” said Walker. Referring to a national day of action planned for 3 December, he predicted: “There will be action, not only here but across university campuses around then.”

Is Exeter an elitist university?

Features Page 14-15

With talks still in progress as to what’s next, Walker said: “we will be providing spaces where people can feel comfortable to come and find out more, and question the situation they’re finding themselves in.”

He stressed: “This is directly affecting all of us,” saying the campaign’s main aims are now to “increase awareness” and “push students to read up about it, and find out more.”

Reporting by Hannah Butler and Emily Leahy, News Editors

5

YES (60%)

demo would end tuition fees.. ...and 95% thought it would not

57% thought

Don’t know enough (6%) Disagree or strongly disagree (16%) Indifferent

it would spark further action...

...and 43% thought it would not

Support or strongly support (54%)

(14%)

“What are your views on the National Demo?”

63% would attend a demo in Exeter... ...and 37% would not

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COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 18-21 14-17 8-12

MUSIC 24-27

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24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

EXEPOSÉ

Xpression BLS Pres to go bald FM raises for Cancer Research £1,403 for Children NUS offical joins DebSoc in Need 40-42

Photo: The Students’ Guild

Jane Siryk News Team

Helen Packer News Team

ON Friday 14 November, Xpression FM took to the airwaves – and the Forum - to put on a fundraising showcase in aid of Children in Need, raising over £1,000.

The student radio station provided entertainment throughout the day, including waxing various parts of their presenters’ bodies and on-air ‘marshmallow karaoke.’ There were activities across campus, such as a kiss-a-gram outside the Forum and a Supermarket ‘Guild Shop’ Sweep.

Programmes Controller Ricky Freelove described the event as “a fantastic day of fun and activities for our presenters who were put through their paces.”

Radio host Frankie Clifton streaked through Amory Moot in just her underwear as part of the fundraising. Meanwhile, other presenters continued the antics, with one member having his nipple hairs plucked while reading 50 Shades of Grey.

THE PRESIDENT of the Bracton Law Society has raised £682* from sponsors after pledging to shave his head for Cancer Research UK. On 11 December, Neil Tanna is set to go bald in a bid to raise £1,000 for the charity and increase awareness

Watching mum struggle when she lost her hair was painful for me Neil Tanna, BLS President for cancer sufferers.

When asked about the cause, the third year law student said: “To me, this is personal. I could’ve done other things, like running a marathon or

jumping off a bridge on a bungee, but I chose to shave my hair. I know how important hair is to people, their selfimage and social life, and watching my mum struggle when she lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy was a painful experience for me.” Tanna’s mother eventually survived breast cancer.

Macmillan estimates that over 100,000 adults a year are diagnosed with cancer and over 700,000 UK adults are living with the disease.

When asked why people should support his cause, he added: “We will beat cancer, and I hope fundraising efforts such as this will help it come around quicker.”

Donations to support Neil’s effort can be made through the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/ stand-up-to-cancer-Neil-Tanna/. *Total correct at time of print.

Students vote to change NUS referendum rules Photo:Edwin Yeung

“SHOULD the Students’ Guild disaf�iliate from the NUS?” is the question being put to the vote by Exeter DebSoc on Thursday 27 November – with NUS of�icial Raechel Mattey controversially being including on the panel alongside student speakers.

Open to all students, the debate comes in the build up to this December’s student voting rounds, which will see Exeter students deciding whether the Guild remains in the NUS from September 2015.

Whether a two-thirds majority will be required to leave the NUS is yet to be decided, with a Student Idea challenging a current bylaw (see left.)

Arguing for disaf�iliation is Charlie Evans, second year Economics and Politics student and ‘Yes’ campaign leader, along with �irst year International Relations and Middle Eastern studies student Georgia Drinkwater.

Charlie Evans, Yes Campaign leader

Ricky Freelove, Programmes Controller

Photo: XpressionFM

Hannah Butler News Editor

This is the most important debate that DebSoc has hosted in years

A fantastic day of fun for our presenters who were put through their paces

The entertainment continued into the evening at The Grove Diner, with acts performing throughout the night, in addition to a charity raf�le.

These included Pole Dancing Society, Soul Choir and Shotgun Theatre amongst others. The event has been heralded as a huge success, raising £1,403 altogether and contributing to Children in Need’s highest fundraising total to date.

Freelove added: “the day was certainly entertaining for members and our listeners donated so much!”

for disaffiliation debate

Fiona Potigny News Team EXETER students are strongly in favour of amending the required majority in the NUS membership referendum, a Student Idea poll has found.

77 of the 103 participants selected the ‘strongly agree’ option when asked whether they would support a Student Vote to amend the Guild Constitution so that both sides in the upcoming NUS referendum need a simple 51 per cent majority in order to win.

At present, a ‘Yes’ vote requires a two-thirds majority in order to pass in accordance with the Legal Compliance Bylaw.

The Student Vote would propose to change the wording of this law, suggesting instead that a ‘simple majority’ – half, plus one of the voting

members – is decisive in future votes pertaining to external af�iliations, such as that of the Guild and the NUS. It has been advised that the Student Vote take place at the same time as the disaf�iliation motion and that it is counted �irst in order to determine the outcome of the latter.

Charlie Evans, who proposed the idea, told Exeposé: “A simple majority vote is supported by both sides of the campaign. However, Guild bureaucracy means that there is going to be two votes in the same week leading to an enormous amount of confusion across the whole student body. Surely the Guild should respect the democratic will of the students of Exeter?”

The hotly anticipated referendum will take place in Week 12, 8-12 December, while DebSoc will debate the issue this Thursday with NUS of�icial Raechel Mattey (see right.)

Meanwhile, the ‘No’ campaign will host Head of NUS Union Development Raechel Mattey - despite President Toni Pearce apparently being available to speak. Arguing for continued af�iliation, Mattey will be supported

by Elizabeth Jessop, a second year Accounting KPMG student.

“This is the most important debate that DebSoc has hosted in years as the result of the vote will directly affect students either way,” stressed Charlie Evans. “It is imperative that students get their views across.”

“The debates are an important part of the referendum campaign,” commented John Chilvers, leader of the campaign to remain in the NUS. He added: “It is a chance for us to challenge the opposition and hold them account for trying to signi�icantly damage the Guild.”

Chilvers noted that the debate is “not the be all and end all,” explaining: “the most important part of our

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campaign is going to be about having those one on one conversations with students where we show them how the NUS bene�its them.”

In the run-up to the debate, the ‘Yes’ campaign has raised doubts about the choice to invite Mattey rather than NUS President Toni Pearce.

The pro-NUS campaign are too embarrassed to let their President defend her organisation Liam Taylor, Ex President Freedom Society Liam Taylor, Masters Economics student, commented: “We know that the NUS President was available and was going to speak but out of nowhere the pro-NUS campaign blocked her. It speaks volumes about the NUS that even they are too embarrassed to let their President defend the organisation she leads.”

At the ‘Yes’ launch, campaign members asked: “how is the President of the NUS not the most appropriate person to speak?” adding “with a vote of such magnitude, you should get the highest of�icial available.”

Commenting on the choice, Chilvers explained: “Raechel Mattey was chosen as her portfolio is union development. We felt that she was best situated to come and speak,” insisting that Pearce was “not blocked at all.”

The Guild con�irmed: “as VP Union Affairs Rachael is the most appropriate person to speak at the debate.”

Guild President Rachael Gilles described the vote on disaf�iliation as “a fantastic way to round off a recordbreaking term of Student Ideas.”

“There is no question that membership provides numerous direct and indirect bene�its for students,” she continued. “It is important to uncover exactly what students want from the Guild’s NUS membership and whether the dissatisfaction that has led to this motion outweighs the bene�its the Guild receives.”

Gillies described the DebSoc debate as “a great way to introduce students to what’s happening ahead of the subsequent Student Vote.”

27 November: DebSoc debate, Newman A lecture theatre, 7pm 8-12 December: Exeter student vote on NUS affiliation

EXEPOSÉ

University makes £3,000 profit on ID card replacements Hannah Butler News Editor

THE UNIVERSITY made over £3,000 gross pro�it from replacing student UniCards last year, according to information released to Exeposé under the Freedom of Information Act. Students are charged £10 to replace the cards, which cost just £5.67 to produce* – meaning £3,087 gross pro�it was made from the 713 replacements charged to students during the 2013/14 academic year.

According to the University, money made from replacement cards goes towards “covering costs such as software overheads, staff time in replacing cards, improving the system and maintaining the current system.”

A second year student commented: “While the University may impose such high replacement costs as an incentive not to lose ID cards, they should not be making a pro�it of up to �ive pounds for each card.”

Describing the pro�its as “disgusting misuse of University power,” he continued: No one knows how the University’s �inances work.”

In addition to the 713 charged replacements, 700 cards were issued free of charge – for stolen cards, wear and tear on older cards, cards with no obvious damage failing to swipe, and extensions to course end dates.

A University spokesperson said:

É

OVER three thousand students, local residents and visitors are expected to attend the annual Exeter Christian Union (ECU) carol service. It will take place on 8 December at St James’ Park Stadium from 7pm until 8pm.

One of the biggest carol services in the UK, the event is free to attend and open to everyone. Mince pies will also be provided and there will be performances from a local primary school, the University Soul Choir, Semi-Toned and the Sweet Nothings.

Rachael Gillies, the Students’ Guild President, will be doing a reading and there will be a short talk from Lindsay Brown. The Lord Mayor Percy Prowse is also expected to attend.

In 2002, ECU staged their very �irst Christmas Carol Service in the Great Hall, with a capacity of 800. The �irst year in the stadium drew a crowd of 2,200, and this �igure continues to grow today, standing at around 3,000

“The £10 charge for replacing the UniCard applies equally to both students and staff.”

The University should not be making a pro�it of up to �ive pounds for each card Second year student They stated: “there is a cost associated with issuing a new card, which should in part be borne by those who have lost their original UniCards,” adding: “The University spends approximately £2,000 annually on replacing the equipment that produces the cards and any excess over and above that is re-invested into the SID desk which provides essential services to all our students.” *Not including annual hardware replacements.

The ID cards cost the University £5.67 to replace, while students are charged £10 to replace lost or defaced cards.

ECU aim for record numbers at carol service Laura-Jane Tiley Online News Editor

www.exepose.com

and affording it the title of largest carol service in the South West.

Chris Wells, �inal year International Relations and French student and ECU member, said: “This for me is one of the highlights of the student calendar, although of course it’s much more than a student event. What makes it so special is the whole city coming together to celebrate and enjoy the beginning of the Christmas season together.

NEWS

7

Exeter coaches chosen for national sports programme Jack Burne News Team TWO University sport coaches, Director of Badminton Helen Ward, and Women’s Rugby Coach Jo Yapp, have been selected for the nationwide UK Sport Aspire 2015/16 Coaching Programme.

The scheme, which is funded

by UK Sport, offers the opportunity for talented coaches, who are working with future senior international athletes, to develop their skills and expand their knowledge and insight.

Over a 20 month period, the coaches will be involved in a number of different workshops which look at the various features of coaching as part of the Aspire Programme.

In light of her selection, Ward, who is also the U15 National Age Group coach for Badminton England, said: “I am delighted to have been se-

lected for the Aspire programme […]

I’m also looking forward to bringing back new ideas to implement within the programmes I run here at the University to bene�it the students development and enhance the sporting experience at Exeter.”

Here at the University, Ward has overseen a fantastic start to the badminton season, with the Men’s 1st team undefeated in all except one BUCS �ixture while the Women’s �irst team are sitting third in the Primer South Table.

Jo Yapp is also England Women’s U20 coach. She said: “Working alongside others on development days, networking and sharing ideas with different sports is a fantastic and unique opportunity.”

The University of Exeter Women’s Rugby club continues to perform highly, and were BUCS champions in 2013 and BUCS 7s winners in 2012.

Students advised not to panic after Cardens housing queues

Photo: Edwin Yeung

What makes it so special is the whole city coming together to celebrate Chris Wells, ECU Member

“All are welcome, we would love to see absolutely everyone in Exeter there. You get a free mince pie on arrival, a rowdy sing-along to your favourite carols and a chance to get thinking about Christmas. We want to make this the biggest in the UK.”

Vanessa Tracey Deputy Editor STUDENTS have been advised not to panic about arranging housing contracts, after around 20 students queued outside Cardens Estate Agents upon the release of their 2015/16 listings this month.

Students queued for around 30 minutes before the agency opened on Monday 10 November, which according to Cardens was “busier than the same period last year” but wouldn’t be considered “a massive queue.”

The agency have let over 75 houses since 10 November, with 40 let within the �irst week of the list’s release.

Jon Carden, Director of the agency said: “the market has changed, accommodation is released earlier which creates less of a pressurised environment for the students and a longer

letting period for the agents. Much healthier all round.”

The agency released their housing list in mid-December �ive years ago, when students reportedly slept on the pavement overnight and queued to the top of Longbrook Street to ensure they could attain housing.

Although houses are now released

My strongest advice to students remains not to rush into commiting to a property for next year Kate Hawkins, VP Welfare and Diversity

much earlier, Carden commented that: “in general, the better houses in better locations will let pre-Christmas.”

Cardens have stated that they do

not release houses in batches and that all properties handled by the agency will already be on the current list, meaning that the choice they offer will be narrower as time passes.

Kate Hawkins, VP Welfare and Diversity, commented: “my strongest advice to students remains not to rush into committing to a property for next year. Exeter has a plentiful supply of good student housing and reputable landlords, while the Students’ Guild Advice Unit is able to offer information, support and free contract checking to all students.”

The Housing Fair will take place on 13 January, with local landlords and letting agents presenting properties to students on campus. The Guild’s Housing Campaign is already underway to support students when exploring different options.

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Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Isobel Burston, Sabrina Aziz, Flora Carr, Gareth Roberts, Octavia Cobb, Sophie Lawrence, Jeremy Brown, Bethany Baker, Alistair Heath and members of the Exeposé editorial team.

SPORT 44-48

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

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Harrison Jones & Gemma Joyce Callum McLean & Vanessa Tracey LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE Exeposé Comment

University must be funded

“I wholly understand that fees are far from being universally popular” THE recent demonstration through the streets of London once again highlighted just how engaged students are in the critical national discussion regarding fees.

Ensuring affordable, accessible routes into higher education for every student, no matter what their background or circumstances, is something I wholeheartedly support and have striven to uphold throughout my career.

In recent years, we at Exeter have experienced unprecedented success.

To keep progressing as we have in recent years – cementing our position in the UK top ten, working towards becoming a part of the global 100, attracting the very best staff and students and giving them world-class facilities – requires investment.

Yet the stark truth is that the English HE system ranks only 21st in terms of �inancial inputs out of the top 50 HE systems in the world something like half of the percentage

Cartoon: Emily McIndoe

Let’s not get bogged down in pragmatism and think big: if education is a right, then why shouldn’t it be free for undergraduate students? We are not going to pretend, as editors of a student paper, that we are capable of running the economy, but we are going to suggest that education should be a priority. Call us utopian radicals if you want, but undergrad education is free in numerous countries around the globe, so why not in the seventh richest?

The latest demonstration in London saw some violence (see 4 & 5), which the national media jumped on with inevitable relish. In reality, the protest was almost universally peaceful and good natured. Where violence occurred, protestors seem to have been angry at tax avoidance and general government policy, not the cause of free education which the vast majority attended for. As such, we have tried to engage with the actual issue, dedicating pages 8, 9, 10 and (some of) 11 to the debate and 14 and 15 to an investigation on the economic positions of students at Exeter. *** This edition includes some great interviews (pages 24 & 25 have some interesting lines from Enter Shikari and douchey ones from Asking Alexandria [some of which had to be cut to avoid offence]); features (an intriguing investigation of student economic situations is on 14 & 15); previews (see 44 & 45 for coverage of the upcoming Boxing Varsity) and reviews (see 41 for our tongue-in-cheek take on our very own App). On that note, the Exeposé App is out and available to download for free. So for more of our content, breaking news and access to the most recent and archived copies of the paper you can download the App on your smart phone or tablet now.

40-42

DEPUTY EDITORS

Sir Steve Smith Vice Chancellor

Education, Education, Education

GAMES & TECH

EDITORS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ExeposeComment

EDITORIAL

IN response to our front page headline, we believe the simple answer is ‘yes’ - education should be free.

The question is an idealistic one: in an ideal world should undergraduate students be made to pay for their degrees? The problem with Sir Steve Smith’s argument (see right) is that he does not engage with the word ‘should,’ but seems to think the �irst word of the question is ‘will’ (education be free for students). The fact that our Vice-Chancellor appears more interested in making sure that education is fully funded than where that funding comes from is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does frame the debate away from the interests of students.

This is exactly what happened at last year’s tuition fee debate, when the President of the NUS was inexplicably unable to convince a room of students that fees should not go up. She was beaten in a debate with our VC, who convinced a majority of Exeter undergrads that they should be paying more.

Quite incredible work, Sir Steve.

However, he only won because of his rhetorical abilities and because his argument was that fees will go up - not that they should. A poll of Exeter students this year shows that the majority of our opinions are actually contrary to that result (pages 4 & 5).

In a similar way, we have deliberately framed the question to ask whether education should be free - not whether it should be £9,000 or £3,000. That’s partly because last week’s demonstration called for an abolition of fees, but also because the more contentious issue is whether we should pay anything at all, not about what level bickering politicians think is most appropriate.

This debate should be purely about principle, not shrouded by endless talk of ‘economic reality.’

ARTS 36-38

of GDP that many of our competitors spend.

Instead, the main source of income for UK universities are student fees, and no matter what our personal view on this may be, I honestly do not see any government putting more public spending into universities in the immediate future.

I honestly do not see any government putting more public spending into universities in the immediate future The £9,000 fee, �ixed since 2012, will only be worth something like £8,200 by 2015, and £7,700 by 2017.

Against this background, a reduction or even removal of tuition fees is simply not a sustainable choice.

I wholly understand that fees are far from being universally popular. Many will perhaps feel that they are being penalised for wanting to undertake further education, compared to the days of “free” education

that existed until 1998. The perception still remains that fees prevent disadvantaged students from undertaking degrees.

Yet the reality is somewhat different. In fact, according to reports, students from poor performing schools and from the lowest socioeconomic groups are more likely to go to university than before the fee change.

More signi�icantly for me, it is fascinating to note that applications from 18-year-olds living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the UK have risen markedly in recent years – in England, the lowest socio-economic quintile is 94 per cent more likely to apply now than a decade ago.

Whatever my personal views may be on the moral rights and wrongs of tuition fees, Higher Education needs to be properly funded.

Universities cannot continue to be internationally competitive, provide a �irst-class student experience and offer generous support to disadvantaged students without a sustainable funding model.

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University on a shoestring Dolla dolla bill y’all COMMENT

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9

“Many of us are slipping through a safety net that only catches a fortunate few” “Compared to those in the US, UK students are lucky” Lucy Porter

WHEN I �irst came to Exeter on a post-offer open day a few years ago, �inances couldn’t have been further from my thoughts. It was an absolute cracker of a day: sun in the sky, sloping campus lawns, squirrels scampering, a buzz of students… this was where I wanted to be. I �igured I’d sort out accommodation later but paid a quick visit to the information fair at the end of the afternoon anyway to get an idea of my various options. It turns out that for students like me, there aren’t any. The cheapest room on campus was i m m e n s e ly more than my loan

could cover and that was before considering the general costs of existence.

Thank Christ for the Lafrowda development, which saw the rent for four dingy, bare-bricked walls go from extortionate to merely expensive. I found some solace in those halls by discovering that I wasn’t alone in scraping by, despite Exeter’s reputation. We got used to the noise and the builders outside our windows pretty quickly and, squirrel invasions aside, the location was ideal.

My dad was made redundant, which increased my loan he’s actually remained unemployed to help his children at university But things were still really hard.

The University advises students to budget £55 a week for food and social life costs but we (and most likely, many of you) were scraping by on about £15 after pay day. Meanwhile, other friends would invite me out for treats like manicures which would have knocked out two weeks of my food budget in one go. So I stayed at home.

Or, more likely, went to work whilst my peers went out and had fun.

COMMENT ON CAMPUS -

Carmen Paddock

LIVING in the UK has been a dream of mine since I was eight years old. At the time, I was drawn solely by the beautifully old, ‘traditional’ culture – completely lacking in the States – and the literary heritage of Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, and Wordsworth. In high school I decided that it was time to see this dream come true. Uni is one of the best ways to live abroad, since you’re just starting your life – you’re not tied down by jobs, families or the like. But what started as a dream soon became a necessity as I found out about the fee difference.

By studying at Exeter, I’m not only getting a fantastic education, but a nearly debt-free start to adulthood I am paying international rates at Exeter, which have increased ‘due to in�lation’ from £12,600 to £13,400 a year. While I �ind it unfair that my rates change and UK students’ rates do not – the year above me paid £3k each year for their entire degree – I have never had the motivation to argue it since my main frame of reference is the States, where such yearly

fee increases are common. Yes, tuition is expensive. I do not mind paying more than my UK counterparts since my parents do not pay UK taxes. But I am saving almost $100,000 (£63,812) by doing my degree at Exeter. A comparable university in the States would charge $50,000 a year for tuition alone. That’s about £31,900 - more than double what I am currently paying. Adding on an extra year for America’s four-year bachelor’s degree programmes and no debt forgiveness whatsoever, and I would be looking at debt that would cripple me my whole life. By coming to Exeter in the UK, I am not only getting a fantastic education but a nearly debt-free start to adulthood.

My parents had been saving since birth for my sister’s and my university educations – it’s a common practice in the States due to the enormous fees.

Even with that (and with being quite well off) we would have ended up in tremendous debt. Needless to say, as soon as they saw that my childhood fantasy matched �iscal savviness, they were practically pushing me out of the country. It has worked out fantastically for me, but for my friends back home with no desire to go abroad or fewer �inancial resources, the reality is much more grim. No one is denying that the £9k home students pay at Exeter is a huge amount, but compared to other parts of the world, they are extremely lucky.

Fuck degrees, get money. Is your education worth the cost?

I had a part time job in second year for the past two months because I was trying to sort my bills out, but I had to quit because my course was too much. I don’t think the government really take that into consideration.

The loan you get doesn’t cover everything you need, so unless your parents can cover it you’ve got to get a job.

Second year Law I do quite well out of it because I’m from such a low income family, I get a lot of bursaries and things but I think education should be free. I mean the people who decided that it shouldn’t be free now are the people that benefitted from a free education themselves so they’ve worked their way up and kicked the ladder down.

Third year Economics

I’m ashamed to admit, but it bred incredible bitterness on my part as the stress of balancing my studies with three jobs turned me into a bit of a grumpy bugger for the �irst two years of my degree.

What changed? I worked abroad through Erasmus which paid well enough for me to put some money aside. My Dad was made redundant too which increased my loan - to the detriment of my family still living at home, he has actually remained unemployed to help his children at university. I’m also trying to keep a positive outlook; this will hopefully be the poorest we’ll ever be. It can only get better from here.

The loans system is meant to make university a possibility for all. Unfortunately, the �laws in the system mean that many of us are slipping through the holes in a safety net that only catches a fortunate few. I am just one in a sea of millions across the country who knows what it is to panic immeasurably when your hours get cut, to worry over tins of baked beans and to feel utterly hopeless at times.

University is meant to be an opportunity and an experience for all. The current state of things has stripped the latter term of any positive valence for many of us and had it not been for that accommodation development, it would have taken the former from some of us as well. We were the lucky ones.

I don’t know really….

You just take out a loan.

I’ve never really thought about money in physical terms. I guess if it was cheaper you’d have to cut money elsewhere which causes a shit storm... Yeah. I don’t know, I was just going to buy a chocolate bar when you asked me all these questions!

Third year English

I pay £17,500 per year. The normal fee for an international student is £14,900 but I pay more for lab access and I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t think it’s fair because I have older siblings who went to different unis around the UK and paid a considerable amount less than what I pay right now. I don’t think it’s fair but at the same time, I kind of see why they would charge international students that much. It is what it is.

Second year Psychology, international

I don’t think university should be free but fees shouldn’t be anywhere near as high as they are now.

Maybe the quality of degrees needs to go up or a degree should be seen as something better rather than the generic badge that every single person our age comes out of university with. The nine grand a year figure seems to have been plucked out of nowhere with nothing to compare it to.

Third year History I don’t mind the money because I think the loan system allows you to pay that back. But I do law, and I only have eight hours a week, so I think what we actually get for what we are currently paying is not that good. I now spend over £300 on books per year plus the £9k. I think with more lecture time, more workshops and more books supplied, then it would be of more value. Currently I think it’s bare minimum.

Third year Law

#FreeEducation: Exeter’s campus 10

COMMENT

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 18-21 14-17 8-12

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ARTS 36-38

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SPORT 44-48

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

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“If it isn’t paid for by us, it’ll be paid by other hardworking people” Caroline Elsom Conservative President

WE all remember, back in the good old days of UCAS, trawling through the university league tables to decide where to go. The status of Exeter as a world-ranking university re�lects the value of our degree when we leave the uni bubble and enter the real world.

It’s time to dispel the myth of so-called ‘free education’ It’s a simple fact that for this value to be maintained, a high level of our tuition fees must be spent on improving Exeter’s teaching and research, nearly half of which comes from tuition fees.

If this money does not come from us

as direct bene�iciaries of having a highvalue degree, then there is little alternative than for taxpayers money currently spent in other key areas, such as primary and secondary education, to be diverted to fund our studies.

Whilst I recognise that the tuition fee and maintenance loan system is not perfect, we are lucky at Exeter to have an extensive bursary scheme. £8.6 million is paid out each year in bursaries to help our students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, Exeter is one of just three universities in the country to give contextual offers of one grade difference to those from the lowest 40 per cent of schools.

Indeed, across the country there has been no mass disincentive effect that the left scare-mongered about prior to the tuition fee rise, with a massive 52 per cent increase in applications to

Exeter over the past two years.

It is also important to remind the proponents of lower tuition fees that in real terms, if fees are held at £9,000, then this will only be worth £7,160 by the end of the next parliament. Hence, year-on-year tuition fees are effectively being cut. With this in mind, Labour’s conveniently uncon�irmed pledge that tuition fees would be cut to £6,000 would signify (yet another) huge black hole in the Red Eds’ public spending plan.

So it’s time to dispel the myth of so-called ‘free education’. If it is not paid for by us, it will be paid for by other hardworking people who may not have bene�itted themselves from a university education, or our children who will be left with paying off more national debt if public spending increases. Nothing in life is free.

age cost for gym memberships this is simply not acceptable for a student gym to be pricing itself amongst private institutions. In the city itself the cost of general goods are kept down by chain brands having standard pricing, but the bars in town are often not bound by such and charge extortionate rates due to the high demand.

My second, and major concern, is the way in which tuition fees and maintenance loans are calculated. A simple form saying your brief background and family earnings is just not enough to make judgements upon.

Take for example my family; we currently live in the middle of a council estate, we have had some quite serious monetary issues, yet I barely qualify for extra maintenance. My family are lucky

enough to be earning a lower middle class wage, yet due to the culture of banking before and after the crash we have been left with extraordinary amount of debt; thus there is very little expendable income. The fact of the matter is that whilst a tiered grant system does work best, one which does not account for the mechanics of the current capitalist structure is inef�icient.

“The very concept that knowledge has a price is outrageous” Hayden Cooper Socialist Students Vice President

THE very concept of tuition fees is one that should incite anger within the general population; the concept that knowledge has a price, and the implication that only the rich deserve it, is outrageous. But it is not so much the fee of your course you should be angered about, but rather the system it lies within.

My �irst major issue is the price in�lation within Exeter due to the fact it is a university city. I’d like to start off with a comparison; a very close friend of mine lives in the centre of South Kensington in the most expensive accommodation Imperial has to offer. In this deal he pays £5,700 a year and gets free gym membership.

London is famous for it’s high property prices, yet he lives in one of the most expensive areas and pays one hundred pounds more than a Lafrowda ensuite.

But the in�lation does not stop at house prices, look at the campus gym which charges around £300 for a years membership.

Whilst some may claim this is under the aver-

A simple form saying your brief background and family earnings is just not enough to make judgements upon Many people talk about their student debt as a looming shadow, yet due to the way we pay it back it is not that ominous; we should worry more about the very real debt of living costs which are ultimately inescapable. As a student body we need to push for a more acceptable system to live in; both in terms of cost, and in terms of the allocation of money. For many students they are left with minimal government help and caught in Exeter’s high price world.

“Free education is an investment in the future” Joe Levy Green Party Publicity Of�icer

THE majority of us will pay at least £27,000 in tuition fees. In Europe we are alone in charging so much - other countries either pay fees of less than £4,000 a year or nothing at all. There is then the maintenance loan and living costs to consider, with Exeter the eleventh most expensive city in the country.

As a member of the University’s Green Party Society, I am opposed to tuition fees. In fact, the Young Greens co-organised the Free Education movement, whilst Exeter’s Green Party supported the 2010 student occupation of the University. A Green government would abolish tuition fees and maintenance loans, replacing the latter with Citizen’s Income, a fully costed policy that provides a basic income to our whole society. We are often accused of utopianism, but there are some important reasons why this policy makes sense.

Tuition fee justi�ications highlight that those who can afford to will pay and those who cannot

don’t have to. The reality is that 73 per cent of students will be unable to pay off their average £44,015 debt. Then people point to Exeter’s wealthier students as justi�ication for means-tested fees. The assumption made is that they will always be wealthy enough to pay.

However once their income drops below £21,000, they stop paying and after 30 years it is cancelled, with the government losing its returns. Perhaps their parents will pay off their debt, but perhaps not – policy should not be made on the basis of fortune telling.

Taxation on corporations is crucial for funding education Instead, why not have positive policy? Our society should incentivise people to do well, not demanding payment before they can afford it.

The Green Party believes that taxation on corporations and wealthy individuals is crucial for funding education. Those who bene�it from a free system by succeeding in life can hand prosperity to future generations. This isn’t punishing success, but de�ining the way in which we understand our role as citizens. Free education gives a chance for young people to be invested in and in turn to invest in the future.

politicos talk fees and living costs EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

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>>Students from across the country march to Parliament Square to rally for free tuition fees

“The effect of higher fees has been negligible” Charlie Greig Freedom Society Vice President

FREE education is one of those ideas that, like Labour’s �lagship policy of a free owl for all British citizens or Community somehow getting renewed for a sixth season, in principle everyone agrees with. The problem is that until we create robot lecturers who maintain and power themselves which teach in a virtual environment removing the need for university buildings there is always going to be a cost to education. The pertinent question is who should foot that fairly signi�icant bill.

We’re not going to be winning any awards for diversity, but the fee increase isn’t making things worse

“If students want to change things, they should start by voting” Nick Sutton Lib Dem President

AS a Lib Dem and a student, it is nearly impossible not to be involved in debates about increased fees and cuts.

It has touched every university in the country, and Exeter is no different. My parents and many others, particularly those making decisions relating to higher education, paid nothing to go to university, emerged debt free and were nearly guaranteed a high paying graduate job. On the other hand, we are expected to be burdened with debt for decades for reduced contact hours and little guarantee of a future job. It is no wonder there is a degree of frustration and anger amongst students.

I do personally believe that there should still be the gradual phasing out of fees for the long term. Education, particularly higher education,

brings money and investment into the UK economy and should be treated as right, not a privilege.

However, this is something that we should work towards, not something that can be done overnight; unlike my parents’ generation, nearly half of 18-21 year olds attend university, not the meagre ten per cent of thirty years ago. I believe that we currently have a system that, for me and most of my friends in Exeter, has not prevented us from attending university to complete our degree.

The extensive bursaries and loans system has guaranteed that my friends from a range of backgrounds can afford to go to university. The narrative that fees would put off students from disadvantaged backgrounds has not been born out in reality, certainly not here in Exeter. This is not to say the system is perfect; it charges too

much and leaves students in large amounts of debt. However, at the moment it is unfair to suggest you should be put off attending university because of it.

For many in Exeter, the Free Education demonstration in London seems distant and removed. Most of the headlines produced from it are negative and do not re�lect the real debate that is taking place. If students really want to change political decision making, they should start by voting, rather than throwing paint at Starbucks. Young people and students will continue to lack a real voice in politics until they can be taken seriously as a voting block. This can be seen very clearly by the in�luence of the ‘grey vote,’ pensions and bus passes having been protected, whilst EMA has been cut. The real way to make politicians take notice is to get out and vote.

If students can do that in 2015, then there may well be change.

11

The left cry out that education is a public good and the cost should be on the tax-payer. In turn the right respond, somewhat disingenuously but no less accurately, that such taxes would be regressive as it is it puts the cost on tax payers as a whole, rather than the wealthier subgroup: university graduates.

Full disclosure: as a fourth year I am part of the jammy lot who are not faced with £9,000 tuition fees.

Furthermore, I worked full-time before coming to university and saved

enough that I have a decent safety net should my maintenance loan �ind its way down my gullet after one too many nights at Arena.

Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, one thing is clear: the effect of the tuition fee increase on Exeter University and her students has been negligible. Year on year, applications and admissions have been increasing, Timepiece queues get longer and it gets harder to �ind a computer in the library after 9am.

If the combined forces of The Tab and Exeposé are to be trusted (your mileage may vary), we have seen an increase in state-school intake over the last few years. We still aren’t going to be winning any awards for diversity (which if they exist would be pretty weird), but the fee increase doesn’t seem to be making things worse.

That said; tuition fees are not the problem for normal people (that’s to say people not involved in student politics) – which is hardly surprising.

An average graduate salary would see you paying back just a bit over £30 a month for tuition fees. Scarcely a crippling debt. There are certainly real concerns with maintenance loans and grants not necessarily being suf�icient for everyone, however.

I have a lot time for those willing to engage in the student demos – too many of us are guilty of talking a good game but doing nothing – but I remain unconvinced of their cause.

“The grad tax is a fairer way to pay for uni than the current system” Anonymous Labour Students member

IT’S all well and good calling for an abolition of fees but there is no clear plan for doing so. Labour have clearcut priorities concerning education: we want to focus on getting funding to those individuals whose parents didn’t go to university, who are in the lowest income bracket, who are put off by a university’s £9,000 price-tag.

A number of Exeter students went to the Labour Students political conference last week, where they discussed the �irst step: lowering of tuition fees to £6,000, therefore widening access to education.

Liam Byrne, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Universities, has supported such a move for Labour’s next government. He has more ambitious plans than a simple decrease in fees:

the long term aim to move students onto a graduate tax, which is only levied on students after they graduate.

This would not dissuade individuals from lower-income families, or without �inancial backing, from attending university. This would bene�it all students, regardless of whether you lived in Holland Hall (as I did) or anywhere less expensive. The idea is simple: if you pro�it from university, it’s fair that you should give a little back.

If you pro�it, it’s fair that you should give a little back The grad tax would do so in a fairer way than the current system: it would tax the success our education provides us, not charging us for access to it. That’s the sort of progressive politics Labour students are proud of.

The Market Place: tills and tales 12

COMMENT

Anonymous former Market Place Cashier

THERE’S a reason I don’t work in the Market Place anymore. Actually, several. First of all, there are the people.

Not the staff (they were lovely) but a certain kind of customer you got in there: the one who would be halfway through an all-day panic study session for their International Finance exam tomorrow that they hadn’t started revising for yet. They’d come in, girls with messy topknots, clutching their purses like you might a newborn, with leggings, an old, moth-eaten jumper and shiny new Nikes; guys favouring

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copious amounts of sports stash and �lip-�lops. I wouldn’t have minded all that while I was serving them, if only they would acknowledge me as, you know, another human being...

Oh! You want some Imodium?

But they didn’t. Even if they weren’t talking on their phones - not even bothering to say hello before jamming their card into the machine to pay the 79p for their peanut snaps they wouldn’t even bother to make eye contact with you, instead preferring

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to pretend to check their phones as if their social life had exploded monumentally in the past 30 seconds.

Obviously, this kind of customer either lives or has lived in a certain block of accommodation that shall remain nameless, and this does not represent the entire customer base that frequent the Market Place. Some were actually rather nice. Some didn’t buy the ridiculously overpriced sweets (my guess is that to make them so expensive, they’re made using the congealed Sourz shots spilled on the �loor of Mosaic on Monday nights) or the random ‘Exeter gifts’ that are stocked there. Some just bought essentials like medicine.

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To this day, I remember one poor girl who I accidentally embarrassed in front of the entire queue. She came and, very quietly, whispered to me that she needed some Immodium. We all know what that’s for. Unfortunately, it was a busy day and I wasn’t entirely sure what she’d said, so I asked her to repeat herself. She whispered slightly louder, enough for me to half-grasp what she’d said. Instead of being discrete, however, I decided to check that I’d got her request right and proceeded to say, loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Oh! You want some Imodium?

Hang on,” so destroying any attempt on her behalf to be discrete and leave with dignity.

In truth, the Market Place wasn’t too horrible to work in, the odd wanker of a customer aside. The hours were �lexible, and �itted nicely around lectures during term time. The staff there are all lovely, and if you think otherwise because one has been off with you, it’s probably because you’ve done something to piss them off during their six hour shift, like trying to pay for a 17p lollipop on your card. I would urge anyone who goes in there to remember that it is just a shop, and the people in there are just doing their jobs. They go back home or back to their accommodation at the end of the day just like you do.

soft male voice from the speaker: “**** ***** to Room Five please.” I bagged a bloke - limited chance of accidental erection, I thought. I calmed slightly, but it was still a daunting task.

two weeks later during an operation. I cycled in again, but was calm. The doctor had already seen my bollocks once; second time surely would be okay.

Not the case. The anaesthetisation of my scrotum was potentially the most painful experience ever. However, I drew comfort by listening to the GP’s wonderful story of a Bristol students’ gonorrhoea problem. But still the fear of an awkward boner remained with me. There was a nurse to contend with this time and she was grasping my Willy Wonka and bowling balls tightly as she tried to allow the doctor to make an incision. The operation was a great success, the doctor proclaiming that the cyst was the “size of a grape.”

Men, if you �ind something on your balls, go and get it checked even if it means getting an unintentional stiffy.

Also, never cycle to such an operation.

The ride home isn’t a pleasant one.

Bloody locals “He saved my balls” Josh Gray Recent Exeter graduate

IT is a truth universally acknowledged that, unless you’re one of those strange Guild employees who started a degree at some point in the late 90s and never left, the strange yet exhilarating period of life spent at university must come to an end for everyone.

This happened to me the summer just passed: I donned my gown, systematically burnt every surviving note on the economic globalisation of Europe circa 78 BC, left my worries at the doorstep and headed off down the sunny side of the street.

Exeter is still all up inside me like a leftover doctor’s glove

and get snuf�ling around for pennies in the grand trough that is life, am now in the privileged position to offer you the lowdown on what to expect if you decide to stay in the big Ex:

Rent is cheaper. Like, a lot. I hear that over in Exwick landlords accept magic beans as legal tender.

Current students will think you’re strange. And you’ll think they’re strange for thinking you’re strange. Your best bet is, when you inevitably end up at a second-year house party unintentionally, convince everyone you’re doing a masters in Geotechnics. This will confuse them, allowing you to steal their schnapps and get out of there sharpish.

Time forsakes you faster than a one night stand who has lacrosse training to get to. Sayonara hopes of ever watching Mad Men, those �ive day weekends seem a long time ago…

Except I didn’t. Over our three year relationship Lady Exeter and I Exeter locals are easy to get had become intimately acquainted.

Together we’d shared secret whispers along with. Just praise the Chiefs and less tangible than a spider’s gossamer insult the Cornish. Golden. dreams, rejoiced in pleasures mental, physical and morning-after residual, Slightly mo’ money slightly mo’ drank up the beauty of the world problems. You end up getting unnecthrough an open book and thrown it essary luxuries like haircuts for the back up on the cash machine outside �irst time in three years and suddenly The Monkey Suit. By the time it came you’re as poor as you ever were. to choose where to spend my �irst year of ‘freedom’ I realised that this town You will miss your degree. Acwas all up inside me like a leftover tually that’s a lie. The next one isn’t doctor’s glove. Also the vast number though… of people I genuinely liked are still here (and the people I didn’t genuYou will miss your student card. inely like? Are unlikely to be reading I had to take out a small loan to go and Exeposé so screw them and their blos- see Interstellar. Thankfully I’d pay far soming career prospects). more to see Matthew ‘the man who I currently work nine-to-�ive put doubt in the minds of a million (what a way to make a living) in an of- heterosexual men’ McConaughey ex�ice job and, as just another post-grad plore mankind’s small place in an in�i>> Moray eel, a distant cousin of Colin, the late conger eel happy to shove his BA deep in a draw nite universe for three hours.

Anonymous Student

EXEPOSÉ sent an email around asking for ‘campus opinions’. All the DH1 debate and pie-gate drama has simmered down so I thought I would write a piece about the Student Health Centre. And my bollocks.

Let me set the scene. It was a scorching day in Mallorca in 2007.

Classic family holiday: a few board games, a bit of shite Spanish TV and my father wanting to see every castle on the bloody island. I was enjoying a lukewarm shower, scrubbing all areas of the body and when having a look downstairs I noticed this alien object on the left side of my developing scrotum. I worried. I panicked. I thought ‘cancer.’ I turned to my father instantly and showed him the affected area but to my relief he dismissed it, saying ‘nothing to worry about.’ I respected the diagnosis as if he was Dr Christian.

The doctor had already seen my bollocks once Seven years later, I still had this horrendous-looking thing on the scrotes. Thankfully, due to a lack of sexual action, no female could really bring me up on this. I developed this really intense cough in Freshers Week which I had for �ive weeks and this, combined with some emotionallyintense stories on Channel 4’s Stand Up to Cancer and a small teaspoon of hypochondria, made me think ‘enough is enough. Let’s get checked.’

I cycled into the Student Health Centre. Sweat leaking from all parts of the body, anxiety levels maxing out.

Checked in with that �ine receptionist (what is her name?!) and then heard a

Men, if you �ind something on your balls, get it checked out I undressed behind a curtain, he made some gag about scaring off Birks Grangers making their way to campus. I lay against the bed, exposed the lump, and within a split-second he said, “Okay, I’ve seen enough”, as if it was the most horri�ic thing he had ever seen. I redressed and he proceeded to draw a diagram of my nads. Inside, I was screaming, “STOP DRAWING PICTURES, JUST TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG.” Turns out, it was just a cyst.

But I still had to go through it all again

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS • EXPERIENCE NEW CULTURES • ENHANCE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY • FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

where will a

degree at Exeter take

Study Abroad...

This stunning photo of Lake Matheson and the reflections of Mount Cook is the winner of the 2013-14 Study Abroad photography competition.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Remfry who spent a year in New Zealand as part of her Flexible Combined Honours degree. If you want to experience studying overseas, visit www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/

14

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FEATURES We asked students of the Uni: Is Exeter elitist?

“I shouldn’t feel ashamed for not owning a Macbook, a gilet, artfully scruffed Nike Airs and a head of full highlights but I do (I don’t).”

-Kate Burgess “I think that the University is far more diverse than people realise, but that the press focus on stereotypical Exetah students.”

-Eammon Crowe “I lived in Holland Hall last year… my room was sadly without a view, but I still saw it all! Some of it is unfair stereotyping, but you will meet the odd person who summered on Daddy’s yacht...”

-Sophie Harrison “There’s a big difference between economic and social disparity.

I wouldn’t say Exeter’s socially disparate but all students face financial struggles.”

-Tristan Gatward “Exeter has a reputation, and I think it’s exaggerated.

Nonetheless I think there is a bit of reality behind the stereotype.”

-Will Cafferky “Surrounded by people who have their tuition fees, maintenance costs and holidays paid for, you hardly feel like you’ve started uni on a level playing field.”

-Gemma Joyce “When I was applying, the cheapest rooms on campus were more expensive than my maintenance loan. When I asked what the options were for students like me, I was told there are none.”

-Lucy Porter

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FEATURES EDITORS

Rory Morgan & Emma Thomas features@exepose.com

An elitist university?

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The Burning Question

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Flora Carr, Copy Editor, investigates the perception of class divide at the University and whether it’s all true...

THE comment that �irst made me want to investigate the economic situations of Exeter students was actually pretty mundane. Chatting to some friends, a girl’s name cropped up in the conversation. Although I won’t state it here, let’s just say that it was stereotypically ‘upper middle-class,’ with a doublebarrelled surname. After hearing it, one friend burst out laughing. ‘That’s so Exeter!” they said. It’s a phrase I hear more and more these days. Just over the last couple of weeks, I’ve heard it being applied to gym leggings, the queue at Costa and a row of Fiat 500s. It implies the existence of some kind of student ‘type,’ an Exeter everyman who we can all relate to. In this case, it seems that this ‘everyman’ is white, middle-class and, well, rich.

It seems that this ‘everyman’ is white, middleclass and, well, rich You only have to look at the numerous Facebook pages dedicated to the Exeter everyman to get a sense of them: “Freshpants trying to pay for a packet of wine gums with a £50 note… #OnlyAtExeter.” It’s an extreme case, obviously - several students I know pay with 2p coins emptied onto the counter straight from their piggy bank. And every university has their own stereotype, from the too-coolfor-school Bristolians in their vintage trainers to the fake-tanned party animals at Newcastle.

But my question is this: just how far is the Exeter stereotype correct? In most cases, a stereotype is based on a very small group of people - how many Frenchmen do you know who don strings of onions as scarves and twirl their moustaches Poirot-style? But at Exeter, is it the other way round? Does our stereotype represent the majority of students here, and are the minorities who diverge from it simply forgotten?

Firstly, I’d like to say that I am by no means writing this with �irst-hand

knowledge of any dire �inancial dif�iculty. I come from a nice home and did my exams at a private sixth-form. No complaints.

Does our stereotype represent the majority of students here, and are the minorities who diverge from it simply forgotten?

On the other hand, I have a parttime job and I rely on it for my upkeep at university. Again, no complaints, but you’d be surprised how many people seem to view my job as some kind of hobby, or else use it against me when I can’t afford that fourth drink or new Topshop dress. “What’s the problem?

You have a job!”

Of course, there are those who know far better than me just how valuable a part-time salary can be. I was recently shamed into silence whilst complaining to my friend Kirsty, a second year Business-Economics student, about a six hour shift. She then told me how one week in this term alone she did 30 hours, including night shifts. This is on top of her degree and her extracurricular activities, including a club committee position as a Social Sec. I asked her how she manages it.

“It can be hard sometimes juggling my time,” she says.

“I work at least three days a week, volunteer twice a week, I’m a Social Sec and I climb twice a week; plus somewhere in between that I have numerous deadlines and presentations to complete. This isn’t all about the money though. Yes I am �inancially independent as my family don’t support me, but I enjoy work-

ing.” She added: “I may not be able to afford everything ‘Mummy and Daddy’ can for a lot of people at Exeter, but I would much rather pay for something myself than rely on others - but maybe that’s just me.” Maybe it is just Kirsty.

Elliot Delahaye, a Philosophy student, thinks that Exeter campus itself re�lects the Exeter student stereotype: “All you have to do is look at the prices in the Market Place to see that there’s a degree of economic elitism (here at Exeter). Many students have a degree of disposable income over basic subsistence.” With pies priced four pounds something at the new Pieminister, is it any surprise that pro�iteers have picked up on the existence of, as Kirsty put it, ‘Mummy and Daddy’ funds?

Then again, the existence of these funds is hardly surprising given Exeter’s ‘privileged’ reputation. In a 2010 survey by The Guardian, it was revealed that just four per cent of Exeter students came from ‘low-participation neighbour-

hoods,’ i.e. underprivileged areas where few residents attend university.

Exeter scored poorly even amongst

A 2010 survey by The Guardian revealed that only four per cent of Exeter students came from ‘low-participation’ backgrounds

the rest of the Russell Group universities, faring worse than, for example, Durham.

Reading �igures like these, I was

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What is your parent(s)’ annual income after tax?

Do you receive maintenance support from your parents?

Yes

How often per week do you have to limit your extraneous spending to afford essentials?

No

100

Over £100k [43] £51 - £100k [85] Unknown [33]

Under £10k [20]

0

£26 - £50k [81]

15

48

96

144

192

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£10k - £25k [58]

If you have a savings account, how much money is in it?

Do you have a part-time job during term time?

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£3001 - £5000 [28] No [183]

More than £5000 [67]

£1001 - £3000 [63]

£501 - £1000 [40]

inspired to create a survey assessing solely Exeter students. I think perhaps, too, I wanted to check that I wasn’t going crazy, that I wasn’t alone in thinking that the privileged Exeter everyman wasn’t too far from the truth.

Focusing on students’ economic situations, the questions ranged from parents’ salaries to the number of times students went out in a week. The results? Well, at least I’m not crazy. A shocking 73 per cent of the 322 surveyed believed that Exeter as a university is ‘economically elitist.’ And whilst that �igure alone doesn’t prove that Exeter actually is economically elitist, the survey also found evidence that pointed towards that conclusion.

The highest percentage of answering students opted for the parental income bracket of £51£100k When asked about their parents’ annual household income after taxes, the highest percen t -

of

age of answering students (26 per cent) opted for the parental income bracket of £51k-£100k, with 13 per cent opting for over £100k. And those students who stated that

they had a part-time job, when asked to rank how essential this income was on a scale of one - �ive, the majority opted for two, with just nine per cent ranking it as a �ive. The blasé attitude to money that came across in the #OnlyAtExeter posts is there in black and white in the survey too: students frequently going on shopping sprees and spending on extraneous items such as clothing and accessories.

I admit though, I’d have expected most of the statistics listed above.

What I didn’t expect, however, was that 70 per cent of students saw Exeter as socially elitist too. It’s one thing to say that many Exeter students have a nice chunk of pocket money, but it’s quite another to say that those who don’t face social exclusion. An anonymous second-year Law student who attended a London state school before Exeter, agrees.

“It is hard, going from a state school where money didn’t matter (and believe me my school was very diverse – there were some who lived very well off and others who lived in council estates) to somewhere where you feel like you don’t really have a right to be there.” She cites her background as the reason for this lack of inclusivity towards her.

“When I arrived [at Exeter], I was immediately surrounded by the ‘public school club’ where every other discussion was ‘well, at my boarding school’ or ‘oh, I didn’t realise you knew so-and-so,’” she says. “For most of �irst term, I felt a bit like a monkey at a zoo. I admit I don’t sound like the most prim and proper of people, but I de�initely don’t think I sound like a ‘commoner,’ something someone genuinely said to me. I didn’t realise

20

1 Less than £100 [27]

Yes [136]

60

£101 - £500 [39]

having a slight London accent automatically made you a character from Eastenders or The Only Way Is Essex.

Apparently it does, though.”

Private school elitism and class prejudice are still huge issues for universities throughout the UK; last year Times Higher Education reported that the rich-poor higher education gap is now wider than it was in 1963. Of those Exeter students surveyed, 50 per cent ranked themselves ‘middleclass,’ with the next most popular class being ‘upper-middle-class.’

Meanwhile an Independent report from earlier this year found that teens from wealthy backgrounds were ten times more likely than their less well-off counterparts to get into top universities. With statistics like these, it’s hardly surprising that the public are baying for change. And �inally, universities are responding to it. Last year The Telegraph reported that Exeter was amongst 11 of the 20 ‘elite’ universities to have agreed to government targets to offer more places to bright state school students.

Private school elitism and class prejudice are still huge issues for universities throughout the UK Despite the discouraging results from the survey I undertook, changes to the levels of economic and social disparity should take place (theoretically) within the next few years. Society’s relationship with higher education needs to change - fast. And whilst Exeter isn’t at the forefront of this change, the University has shown evidence of shifting towards more inclusivity. Society will change, and the Exeter everyman will have to move with it.

2

3

4

5

See Comment Pages 8, 9, 10 and 11 for opinion on students’ �inancial situations in Exeter

Exeter average living costs

The average annual costs for an Exeter student according to the official University website: Accommodation £5,760 Books & equipment £300 Social life £1,120 Clothing £270 Clubs & societies £270 Telephone & Internet £270 House deposit £370 Food £640 Total annual costs £9,000

The Russell Revolution 16

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The UK’s most contentious comedy lefty is setting out on another revolt in his latest ‘Booky Wook.’ Sarah Gough, Arts Editor, discusses whether or not we should join him

IS politics just show business for ugly people? Not any more, it seems. Not now oh-so-symmetrical Russy Wussy has �inished his Booky Wooky and is onto his revolution solution.

Infamous smack head to some, comical genius to others and inspirational rhetorician to the rest Russell Brand, infamous smack head to some, comical genius to others and inspirational rhetorician to the rest, has decided to capitalise on his own commercial success by protesting against its very foundations.

Left-wing revolutionary in stance, Brand has made it clear that voting is a waste of time.

He argues that the current capitalist system is failing us all, privileging the elite and ignoring the deprived. Instead of a society acquiescing to the greed of transnational corporations, he advocates a communist re-structuring: all debt to be cancelled a n d

nationhood to be broken down into small, collectivised communities independent of government or monarchy.

Optimistic? Idealistic? Utopian?

Perhaps, but that’s because hearing my passive description isn’t half as convincing as watching an impassioned Brand rant. He’s gone from

rule-breaker to peacemaker, and I, for one, am enjoying it.

Brand’s anti-capitalist views are not breaking news. His YouTube channel ‘The Trews,’ where he articulately relays his opinions to the masses, has been active for eight months and at the time of writing he had recently posted his 190th video. Discussing everything from UKIP to veganism, he is at his most powerful when confronting the American television giant Fox News, not only because he does an amusing impression of its bigoted, belligerent presenter Sean Hannity, but because his analysis of this propagandist corporation is truly enlightening.

In his channel description, he claims: “After The Revolution ‘The Trews’ will be Fox News.”

Indeed, the release of his new book, the candidly named Revolution, has landed him back in the regularly frequented limelight once more. He loves it there of course; the limelight is Brand’s happy place. His bank balance probably enjoys it as well, with Revolution tipped to be this Christmas’ hardback bestseller.

He’s gone from rulebreaker to peacemaker; and I for one am enjoying it It’s this �inancial fact, together with his illustrious past, that has largely provoked the media backlash. “How can Brand be a Communist? He’s rich!” “How can Brand be Mayor? He’s funny!” Speculation about Brand’s Mayor of London ambitions (something never even touched upon in his book, mind you) has been lauded and laboured over by journalists and political commentators alike.

Everyone has seemed to have a bash at Brand, deriding him as an idealist, hypocrite and/or fool. Everyone, that is, apart from current London Mayor, Boris Johnson, who is “thrilled” at the prospect of a potential Brand coup, despite predictions that his policies would most likely end in “total global chaos.” Clarity fails you yet again, Boz. I love this country. Only in Britain would we be having a serious discussion about Boris vs. Brand, two men who are more well known for their hair and hilarity than they are for their political prowess. Brand acknowledged this insanity on Xfm’s breakfast show: “We’ve already got a comic in the job.

If you want a daft comedian running London, just leave things as they are.

What I’m interested

in is real change.” Whilst in his responsive ‘Trews’ episode London Mayor: Good For Business, Brand attacks the hegemonic powers that be - politicians and the Murdoch media empire - for turning the London Mayor rumour mill. It’s all a conspiracy against him, he claims. He’s made to look the fool whilst the powerful continue to protect their authority. Brand has made it clear that he has no intention to lead or to head a party, especially when vapid campaigns and empty promises have become the norm in our current political system.

On Newsnight, when Evan Davies managed to squeeze a sentence out and ask Brand if he would stand for Mayor, he was absolute in his distrust of the government and the fact he is only there to “provide ampli�ication” for the under-represented. Those words “Don’t vote? Don’t complain” have taken on a new resonance for Brand: if you’re not voting, if the revolution occurs, you won’t be complaining. Or at least, not complaining quite as much. We’re British; we’ll probably �ind something to complain about. The point remains, however, that far from encouraging apathy, he is advocating an honest re-evaluation of society.

Brand attacks the hegemonic powers that be - politicians and the Murdoch media empire for turning out the London Mayor rumour mill Yes, there are a number of �laws in his vision. What would happen to the NHS, for example, if we all lived in small, collectivised communities of harmony? What happens to democracy if we abandon the vote? There are a number of unanswered questions.

However, what remains certain is that it’s not all just ‘happy hippie horseshit,’ nor is it utter hypocrisy. Brand epitomises the rags to riches story, and as such is fully aware of the fact that he is a rare victor within corporate Capitalism. Granted, he may well be preaching equality from his limousine, but at least he is using his voice, so listened to in this celebrity culture, to highlight injustice and disparity.

So if it’s a Brand bandwagon that’s required to shake up our faltering political system, I’m hopping on it.

Let’s get satirical EXEPOSÉ

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17

Exeposé Features rounds up the news with a humorous twist

College of Humanities testing on God Alistair Heath

FOLLOWING a recent issue’s news concerning animal testing on campus, an Exeposé follow-up investigation has discovered that the College of Humanities has been conducting tests on God. The Judeo-Christian deity is believed to be stored in the Amory building, where testing on him provides important information for a variety of disciplines, especially Theology and Philosophy. It is unknown at this time whether the god is being stored as the Father, Son, Spirit or a con�iguration not conforming to contemporary Christian theology.

A spokesperson for the University told us that the research was important and ongoing. Professor Farnsworth stated that: “God has been stored in our research facility since the founding of the University in 1955.

This is really interesting since it was around the mid-1950s that Christian values and church attendance went into decline in Britain. It would seem that without access to the outside world God is no longer able to in�luence religion.”

While the bene�its of the study are

The Judeo-Christian deity is believed to be stored in the Amory building evident, Divine Rights campaigners are concerned about the welfare of God. One of the campaigners told us that they were worried as to whether God was being fed well enough and whether cosmetic testing on the deity was taking place.

We put these concerns to Profes-

sor Farnsworth. “The God has ample access to bread and wine, though he is never that hungry. Indeed, we have documented evidence that in the wild God has survived without sustenance for up to 40 days.”

On the topic of cosmetic testing we were told by the College of Humanities that: “The God that the University has in storage, has never and will never be used for the purpose of testing cosmetics. However, we believe that such testing may be requested by the deity since he seemed to enjoy having a jar of perfume poured over him in Matthew 26:7.”

For the time being the University is defending its actions, but with pressure from Divine Rights campaigners and a vote taking place next month in the Guild to determine the student stance on the issue, a shadow of doubt has been cast over the programme.

Forum bake sale gives UKIP ‘a joke that got out of hand’ students the shits Benedict Lane

Gemma Joyce Editor THE Forum was �illed with chaos, and poo, last week, when people eating cakes sold at a society bake sale became very unwell indeed.

The society, which will remain unnamed while investigations are underway, had been selling cakes to raise money for their annual Christmas event. Sales were brought to an end, however, when students began complaining about stomach aches and running towards the toilets.

It is suspected that one clueless committee member was responsible for sabotaging the bake sale. One of the Social Secs claimed: “Our dictator of a president made us all bake even though we don’t know how. If the Guild had just approved our Annual Fund bid for £500 for our Christmas booze up we’d never have had to do this shitty bake sale in the �irst place,” she added, “if you’ll pardon the pun.”

“I’ve never seen such a mess,” said one member of cleaning staff, emerging from the Forum toilets holding a

mop. “I’m going to have to call in backup.”

One student, affected by the disastrous bakes, later tweeted: “They looked delicious, the icing had a nice swirl to it. It’s unfortunate that the after product had a similar �inish.”

It is suspected that one clueless committee member was responsible for sabotaging the bake sale An anonymous member of the society has expressed dismay at the negative effects of the controversial incident: “I just think it is a grave shame that such an important cause has been overshadowed by a bit of poo. We all do it, our cakes just helped people get to the loo faster than they usually would.”

Students are urged to think twice before consuming cakes made by total strangers.

THIS week, the nation was stunned as the controversial media �igure Nigel Farage, real name David Reilly, has come out apologising for his party, which he claims was a just a joke that spiralled out of control. “We didn’t think anybody would seriously believe that someone like Farage could exist,” said Reilly in a recent interview with Newsnight, whose an-

tics he described as a “practical joke gone terribly wrong.”

Reilly’s character Farage was the leader of fake political party UKIP, which was set up as a prank to satirise the increasing levels of political correctness in modern day Britain. UKIP was known for its extreme views on immigration, climate change, and the NHS. “It’s wrong, but I didn’t see it as me who was saying it, I was creating this character and I was really pushing the boundaries because it was popular,” added Reilly. “I just think it’s a shame that there are people out there who didn’t get the joke.”

“I thought that the people who were viewing UKIP thought it was ridiculous and were laughing at it,” the 50-yearold said, “but when we won all those seats in the EU elections we knew something was wrong.”

The media has hit out at the character of Farage recently and the possible implications he might have on public attitudes. One journalist has accused David Reilly of creating a “Racist’s Almanac” in Farage, whose actions he claims trivialise the serious issues of discrimination and racism in the modern world.

A practical joke gone terribly wrong Defending his actions, Reilly admitted that he didn’t think so many people would catch on to UKIP and take the party seriously. “In the end it became very popular and I kind of got a bit carried away with it, to be honest with you. Everyone loved Farage, and I suppose I got caught up in the media frenzy.”

Implications for British politics could be severe now it has been revealed that UKIP never really existed. A full scale investigation is to be launched into how this party of practical jokers who “were just having a laugh” managed to win 24 seats in the recent EU elections.

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Lifestyle gets physical Sabrina Aziz, Copy Editor, gives us her totally serious and helpful guide to working out this winter

COME winter, when the leaves start falling and a bitingly crisp chill lingers in the air, the last thing you want to do is leave the toasty warm sanctity of your bed in order to don a pair of trainers and go for a ‘run’ (or, in my case, a ten minute sprint followed by an hour of walking and wheezing). So, here is a list of alternative exercise methods to help burn off those mince pies we’ve already started cramming into our frost bitten mouths.

1. Go outside wearing

minimalistic clothes. Shiver. Burn calories without even having to break a sweat. This is my favourite method as it involves absolutely no attempt at exercise whatsoever. If you’re struggling to burn calories this way, simply carry on removing layers of clothes until you can really feel your body convulsing.

2. Stop using your remote control. When winter beckons, so does my TV. Going outside becomes a battle against the cold and staying inside watching

ARE the staples of student life – i.e. alcohol, curly fries and Domino’s – taking their toll? Is the cost of the gym membership making you want to crawl under your duvet and eat another cheeseburger? These routine student tasks will help you keep �it without breaking your bank - or hopefully, your back. I accept no responsibility for injury sustained during these activities.

1. Tackle THE HILLS. No, I’m not talking about the TV show. Exeter is renowned for its hills, and the chances of completing your degree here without walking up one are basically nonexistent. The hill up to the Forum will be enough to get you working up a sweat, but, if you’re looking for something more extreme, Cardiac Hill will never fail to meet those expectations.

Cardiac has such a steep gradient that, from the bottom, it practically looks like you’re walking up a wall. And, if you’re lucky enough to live in Birks

Grange Village, you’ll experience the resulting ache in your legs, the regular rest breaks and the shortness of breath almost every day!

If you’re wanting something more, try running up it without stopping, or, if you’re really looking to turn up the �it factor, try riding a bike up it. You’ll certainly feel the burn when you fall off, tumble down the hill and break both your legs.

3. Don’t eat soup in winter. I know

this one’s tricky, because soup is such a staple winter dish, but just think of all the chewing you miss out on through this slurpy, scoop-able liquid dish.

And the more you chew, the more muscles you work. So ditch that vegetable soup and invest in a nice bit of steak instead. Cook them well done for some extra chewable goodness.

4. Take care of your lips. We have all suffered the incomparable nightmare of chaffed lips in winter. But did you know that slathering on lip balm

765 times a day burns 100 calories?

Get slathering people.

5. Go to the gym. No, I don’t mean go in, that would require far too much energy. Who can afford that kind of strenuous activity these days anyway? Just walk up to the sports centre and stand outside it for a while, regaining your breath. Surely that torturous walk up Forum hill to the sports park is exercise enough for one day? Now pat yourself on the back and walk back home. And don’t worry, it’s downhill.

difference?) Stairs are practically an LBT workout, and the higher you live, the more you’ll have to climb. Even if you walk down them, you might burn one extra calorie than the number you burnt taking the lift (which was zero).

The fall risk does come into play once again, however, if you’re drunkenly stumbling up them after a night out.

3. Carry bags of shopping. Got two carrier bags, a desire to tone your arms and a weekly shop to do? Buy your stuff in town, take a bag in each hand and you’re good to go. Admittedly, that Tesco delivery might seem all the more appealing when you’re struggling along the main road, but you can call it “practical weightlifting” to give yourself a boost. “Mate, do you even lift?” “Yes, mate. Yes, I do.”

4. Dance it off. I’m not talking about those Zumba classes which carry that pretence of “everyone mucking around and having a laugh” when really, everyone’s dancing like the profes-

sionals on Strictly whilst you look like the celebrity at the bottom of the scoreboard. The great thing about jumping around on the dance �loor drunkenly on a night out, looking like an idiot, is that it burns calories. Think you need to do “proper dancing” for this to happen? Whether you’ve just done a rumba or a running man (poorly), what your body will have recognised is that you just got those cheeks off the seat. Unfortunately, the calori�ic content of the alcohol you may have drunk to enable yourself to do so means that you will probably leave the club exactly the weight you were before.

5. Clean up. Ever watched that TV programme, How Clean is Your House?

That’s what your student accommodation looks like right now. Think how beautiful it will look when all those dishes are done and you can actually see the carpet – and you’ll be �itter afterwards. Housework has been found to be just as good as a workout, so haven’t you now got a fantastic reason to do it? Just be sure not to collapse on the sofa with a chocolate bar afterwards.

BBC News (jokes - Don’t Tell The Bride) becomes a much safer prospect. So, how to exercise whilst watching TV? Simply stop using that remote and get off your arse to change the channel the old fashioned way. Think of it as doing the world’s slowest squat routine.

Did you know that slathering on lip balm 765 times a day burns 100 calories?

For those who want to step it up, Kate Jones shares her equally useful and in no way endangering workouts

You’ll certainly feel the burn... when you fall off, tumble down the hill and break both your legs 2. Live on a high �loor. Even better, if you live on a ground �loor, move.

As well as paying for your �ifth-�loor accommodation, you’ll be getting a massive set of aerobic steps thrown in (because let’s face facts: what’s the

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Girl, do you even lift? Um...yes, actually LIFESTYLE

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One Exeposé Lifestyle writer talks shredding...the gender divide at the gym

Emma Pudge

“COME to Spinning!”

“Oh, spinning’s not really my thing…”

“How about Insanity?”

“Well the truth is, I don’t do any cardio. I only lift weights.”

In that moment, I accidentally take on one of the biggest cultural notions of this generation: the idea that women workout by doing cardio, and men workout by lifting weights. Fitness gender stereotypes are perhaps the most polarised form of social discrimination still in existence.

The weights room is only male dominated because not enough women are going in there We have been conditioned to see �itness and gender in a series of clichéd binaries, where dumbbells produce obscene muscle growth, cardio melts fat, and hundreds of crunches can coax hibernating abdominals to surface. In choosing low fat yoghurt, we are somehow choosing a low fat

level for our bodies, and in eating protein, we’re ingesting ready-made muscle to slap onto our quads or hamstrings or shoulders. And so people look at me with my “Abercrombie body” and jump to the conclusion that I am a faithful fruitarian who attends spin classes and follows the Instagram 30-day Squat Challenge.

But what happens when I say that I lift weights and aspire to compete in female bodybuilding? That I eat six times a day and take protein supplements? How can I shake off the image of bulging biceps, lightning bolt veins, anger management issues, steroid-induced desexualisation and masculinity (none of which I have ever encountered as a female in the weights room) that accompany the sport which is so integral to my identity as a young woman?

S o m e times I wish my re�lection alone could be testimony to what stereotypically male training methods and male eating habits do to the female body, but I have the sense that those

around me are still waiting for body to erupt into a mountainous muscu-

Weight lifting has taught me to not be de�ined by my gender lar spectacle. They continue to grapple with the idea that I can train, eat and supplement in the same way as my male counterparts and maintain my femininity. For me, this is ‘everyday sexism’ to a T. What’s more, in being so prescriptive about how women should train and eat, we exaggerate the caricatures of women eating fruit and yoghurt for breakfast before attempting to burn 800 calories in an hour’s spinning class, and men wol�ing steak and eggs before a workout of eight excruciating deadlifts and

testosterone-fuelled bicep curls.

Neither paints an accurate picture of how we should train (whether for a beach body or optimal performance).

Where men may need reminding that lifting platforms are not podiums upon which their masculinity is judged, women often need convincing that there is nothing unfeminine about lifting weights. The weights room is only male-dominated because not enough women are going in there. If you subscribe to the female aspiration of wanting to look like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, unsubscribe to the current female culture of cardio and calorie-restriction.

Well-structured shoulders that skim tightly into a well-de�ined waist and are balanced by strong, shapely legs achieve the epitomised hourglass �igure. You will NOT become big or bulky. Lifting weights elevates metabolism for hours after you �inish working out, unlike cardio, whose cortisol (stress) response actually suppresses fat burning. You only have to Instagram #girlsthatlift to see just what I mean.

If you ask me what it is I love about lifting weights, it’s not just

the lean athletic feminine body I’m working on, the roaring metabolism I take advantage of, the rush of endorphins I feel after every training session: it’s the incredible sense that physical muscular strength is empowering, as a woman, on an entirely mythological level.

If you refuse to accept the idea that women belong in the kitchen, you should refuse to accept that they belong on cardio machines Where conventional female �itness ideology is almost oppressive (making the female body smaller, in starker contrast to male strength, even less of a physical imposition), weight lifting has taught me not only how to sculpt my ideal body, but how to stand up for myself as a woman and not be de�ined by my gender.

If you refuse to accept the idea that women belong in the kitchen, you should refuse to accept the idea that women belong on cardio machines. This is the real test of female strength.

Dashing through the (cold, wet Exeter) snow Hannah Butler, News Editor, has a go at convincing us that winter runs are actually rather fun It was always going to be a hard sell, harping on about the bene�its of running in the winter months. What – going outside voluntarily? Without a snood? I know. It sounds like crazy talk. But before you all run for the hills (which, by the way, I thoroughly recommend) hang on a second. Let’s ponder why venturing out for a jog on a chilly December morning might not actually be as dire as it sounds.

Transform yourself from a shivering wreck into a �iery goddess Being typical tight-arsed students, we’ve yet to switch our central heating on regularly. But you know what I’ve found the perfect cure for those mornings you can’t seem to shake the chill? Going out and transforming yourself from a shivering wreck into a �iery goddess.

Let’s face it – your body is the cheapest central heating system you’re ever going to have. Throw

yourself out there, get your blood racing, and come home basking in the warmth radiating from your glowing limbs. No utilities bills required (except for all those KitKat Chunkys you’ll need to refuel.)

On a less virtuous note, running in winter makes you look bloody impressive – and the more diabolical the weather, the better. You can see it in the eyes of those you pass: “Kudos to you, my friend,” they’re thinking.

See those students walking to the Sports Park in gilets, bobble hats and scarves? Wimps. Pounding the pavements in torrential downpours is nothing for a spunky sprinter such as yourself.

In all honesty, though, rain just isn’t an issue when you’re not battling with an umbrella, shielding your laptop while �ighting to keep your straightened fringe in place. In fact, rain is now your BFF, hiding all manner of sweat-related issues.

Embrace the elements and feel free as a bird, not fretting about the hair plastered to your face.

You can shower when you get home.

And your housemates are going to love the smell of your trainers drying on the radiator for the next week – serves them right for leaving you with the washing up for the past four nights, doesn’t it?

Back on the vanity wagon, now - we’re sadly reaching the end of the season when it’s socially acceptable (and medically

advisable) to wear shorts outside.

But hold up: no-one said anything about ditching the running shorts! Shaved your legs for that party you ended up wearing tights to? All is not lost. Parade those pins now. Just don’t let anyone get close enough to spot the goose bumps.

A windproof jacket is almost de�initely a wise move. Frostbite isn’t �it, ladies and gents All jokes aside though, exposing yourself to freezing temperatures isn’t always conducive to healthy extremities - with the major problem areas I’ve identi�ied being ears, nose, �ingers and knees. Now, there’s not much you can do about the nose situation – I’d just embrace the act of becoming a snotty mess.

But investing in a light pair of gloves, some belowthe-knee leggings and a windproof jacket is

almost de�initely a wise move. Frostbite isn’t �it, ladies and gents. Now get out there and face the storm.

Top Five Running Tunes

1). Dexy’s Midnight Runners -Come on Eileen 2). Rizzlekicks - Mama Do The Hump 3). Woodkid - Run Boy Run 4). Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks 5). Imagine Dragons - It’s Time

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LIFESTYLE

Tweets of the week The best of the Lifestyle Twitterati’s musings and wit this week Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Heather Robbins @McInHeather my lecturer is ill again so my 9am is cancelled tomorrow YES SOMEONE UP THERE LOVES ME #needsleep Anna Bonet @_annabonet out of the ten essay titles i’ve been given to choose from i’d say I understand a good minus one of them Luce Herring @LucyHerring93 There must be more to my life than watching TOWIE reruns Sarah Smith @smmmithy Apparently I was crowd surfing in Timepiece last night. Shit got wild.

Alicia Loe @AliciaLoe Going to hibernate for the winter, this weather is a joke Poppy @PoppyHarrison2 Sorry the hoover smells , it’s cause we hoovered up the remains of the pheasant after we plucked it. #Exeter Josh Mines @MinesyJosh Thank god I have snapchat, don’t know how else I’d know what the weather was like without it Sarah Gough @sarahgoughy Bombenerfolg. New fave German word. It’s ugly and it knows it #respect Tristan @tristangatward too many rolled up green jeans/ boat shoes/blazers/briefcases/ umbrellas come walking sticks to make me ok with this train back to Exeter Fran Lowe @fran_lowe94 Scrolling through my recent Tweets, I realise that 9/10 of them have been about the library and/ or essays. This is what my life has become.

James Beeson @jdbeeson I’m actually such a tool.

Hanz @Hannah_Butler94 Some guy rolled down the window to offer me Skittles on my run today. See, THIS is the kind of attention I’m after. Sweets over shoutouts.

Harriette Casey @HarriCasey Got me ear pierced #spontaneouswednesdays

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Octavia Cobb shares her de�initive list of good and bad practice in the sweat-box I WOULDN’T consider myself an athlete. My sporting highlights have so far consisted of scoring the �irst and only goal in our U11 netball season, and recently running a half marathon dressed as a chicken, having signed myself up – drunk - on Boxing Day, with a glass of wine in one hand and my extra roll of kneecap fat in the other. But to admit to hating exercise at this University warrants the equivalent disapproval of committing an arson attack on an animal shelter. After a while, I caved in to the pressure to get sporty and joined the gym. While the rowing-machine romance is yet to be realised and my new set of abs are still awaiting the planning permission, there are a series of select rules among the gymnasium elite with which I have had to gradually familiarise myself.

I would thus like to offer some advice to those stepping over the ‘nonmember’ threshold to Sports Park stardom, because you should exercise with caution!

What not to do: 1. DON’T rock up in your brother’s pyjama top from ’92 and your mum’s trackie bum castoffs from pilates. Here is where the indiscriminately fashionable reside. Be it looking virile in Vans or active in Adidas; it’s the logo, not the bod being showcased on the crosstrainer.

2. DON’T attempt to have a conversation with the person on the machine

next to you. Either one of two things will happen. They’ll either be in ‘the zone’ and frankly couldn’t care less if you’re having nachos for supper while struggling to breathe on the bike machine, level 12.

My new set of abs are still awaiting the planning permission Or, it’ll most likely incur a shouting match when the pair of you forgets your headphones are still in. The rest of the gym apparently doesn’t appreciate being informed that “�ive more minutes of this and I swear I’m gonna be airlifted out of here!”

3. DON’T stare gormlessly at the ridiculously chiselled torso over your right shoulder on the pull-up bar. This will most probably result in walking absent-mindedly into a piece of apparatus or appearing to be some sweaty stalker on day release. There are mirrors everywhere. And they can almost always see you doing it.

4. DON’T spend equal amounts of time casting envious glances to the sheer goddess doing innumerable squats in your peripheral vision.

The key is to remain focused on your own goal and ignore the prying voice in your head telling you that whole treadmill thing is futile and you’re most likely going to die alone anyway.

5. DON’T express just how much pain you’re really in, or let anyone in on the reality that you would gladly welcome being hit by a truck.

Screaming “motherfucker!” after your sixth sit-up is apparently socially unacceptable.

What to do: 1. DO know what the heck you’re signing up for in advance. Being greeted by some ex-of�icer gym supervisor in a room of high voltage monkey bars, multi storey step blocks and 80 lb weights when all you really wanted was a wee stretch can turn gymming into a really daunting, if not entirely traumatic experience.

2. DO familiarise yourself with the equipment beforehand.

We all skip jovially over

the initiation video (what’s the worst that could happen?) before realising that our arms are where our ankles should be and somehow we’ve ended up selecting Mount Everest as a gradient setting on the runningmachine. If you’ve shot off the back of the treadmill after an ambitious sprint start, it’s probably too late to adjust the speed.

3. DO remain patient with the scanning machine. Although waiting in the interminable queues only aggravates the sense of impending doom, you will still feel like an absolute boss whenever that little red light beeps its approval with an authority that MI5 could only aspire to.

4. DO stock up on blue paper towelling. Leaving a small swimming pool on the mats is met without glee and always by some maniac with a disinfectant-dispersing contraption in your wake.

5. DO go and have a laugh and burn off some steam with some mates.

There will also be someone running in�initely longer than you and somehow still managing to look as though they could grace London Fashion Week. Whether you’re drenched, crying or already eye deep in a packet of crisps before you’ve reached the sliding doors, remember, you actually went. You now have the ability to declare unto yourself and anyone in earshot that, “Oh yeah guys, I’ve totally just been to the gym.”

Take to the kitchen to keep warm this winter

Carmen Paddock shares her best recipes for healthy and filling winter warmers

IT seems that the chilly winter weather sends everyone straight for the comfort food, and who doesn’t love that cosy, warm feeling after devouring a rich, �illing plate of carbs and cheese? Unfortunately such regular indulgences might not be the best idea for feeling healthy and �it. If you’re looking to lighten some classics, try these recipes – comforting and delicious with fewer calories than their traditional counterparts!

Mac and Cheese Casserole: This deliciously cheesy, carby, yet relatively healthy dish (seriously - no butter or oil!) can be enjoyed hot out of the oven, reheated as leftovers, or even cold - but who wants that during the winter? Leftovers keep well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, but they probably won’t last that long after.

•250g uncooked macaroni pasta, penne, or fusili (use wholewheat if

you’re feeling virtuous) •2 tbsp �lour •500ml milk (soya milk works equally well, just make sure it’s not sweetened or vanilla �lavoured) •125g sharp cheddar cheese, grated (reduced fat works equally well) •2 tbsp chopped onion •freshly ground black pepper to taste •6-8 tomato slices Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain, leave in the pot. While it’s cooking, place the �lour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in the milk. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until the milk begins to thicken. Immediately add the cheese, onion, and pepper; stir until cheese is melted. Pour mixture over pasta and stir to combine. Pour it all into a casserole dish (20cm by 20cm is usually good) and top with tomato slices.

Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, or

until bubbly. It should not be very browned if at all.

Hot Artichoke Parmesan Dip: Another sinful party classic made lighter. It’s still excellently indulgent, creamy, and comforting on these long winter nights. Leftovers can be served cold or reheated and it typically keeps for 2-3 days in the refrigerator (again, will it really last?).

•One 400g can artichoke hearts, drained and �inely chopped •125g grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese •200ml plain cottage cheese (use low or non-fat to make it lighter) •200ml plain Greek-style yoghurt or fromage frais (use low or non-fat to make it lighter) •Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste •Optional: fresh spinach, chopped sundried tomatoes, herbs of choice…

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl (alternately, use a blender if you’re a very lucky student who has one). Pour into an ovenproof dish and place in a preheated 180°C oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve with crisps, tortilla chips, pitas, breadsticks, raw vegetables, crackers, baguettes… the possibilities are endless!

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Why climbing rocks

Jessica Stanier writes about her experience of rock climbing GROWING up, I was always envious of the boys in my class. They seemed to have been born with a football between their feet or a cricket ball in their hand. I couldn’t even properly throw or catch! My only friend who played football had to quit when the boys in her team discovered she was a girl - they stopped passing the ball to her. Discouraged from joining team sports, I dabbled in dance, running and hiking, all of which I enjoyed. But I still just couldn’t understand how those boys had become so engrossed by a single sport. Then I found climbing.

A few sessions in and you quickly �ind yourself in positions that you didn’t know were possible There’s a lot more to climbing than most people �irst realise. It really isn’t as simple as scrambling up a wall, hand over foot, to reach the top. Climbing is a physical and intellectual challenge; each route requires a unique strategy combining strength, stamina and balance as well as sheer grit and determination. A few sessions in and you quickly �ind yourself in positions that you didn’t know were humanly possible. What’s more, you can have all the strength in the world, but thundering up the wall at your local centre isn’t going to win you any respect in the climbing community. Technique really does trump power when it comes to climbing and I suppose that’s what re-

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ally appealed to me.

I’ve been climbing for three years and love how inclusive it is. Anyone can start climbing; men and women can climb together without a second thought. Inevitably, at an elite level, there will be a gender disparity in climbing ability but it’s just not the case at the local crag.

The camaraderie in clubs is much like that of a team in any other sport Neither is climbing the solo sport that it might seem at face value. While it’s about achieving your individual goals and projects, there are all sorts of complex interactions with the climbers around you. Your climbing partner (belayer) is responsible for your physical safety on the rope but they’re also your personal coach, knowing when to push you for the next move or pat you on the back and assure you that you’ll make it next time. The camaraderie in clubs is much like that of a team in any other sport.

There are still pros and cons to training with guys and girls. It’s always advantageous to train with someone who climbs differently or better than you - there’s more to learn. However, the success of events such as the Women’s Climbing Symposium demonstrates that women still bene�it from gender-speci�ic climbing forums.

From dealing with the physical height difference to sharing personal experiences as female climbers, women-

only training sessions are enormously popular. Until recent decades, climbing was a somewhat male-dominated sport. There are inevitably some lingering prejudices amongst a minority of climbers. It’s always great to meet people who agree that “climbing like a girl” really isn’t an insult!

The feminist in me loves the way the sport celebrates strong female climbers. With the likes of Michaela Tracy, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Molly Thompson-Smith and Shauna Coxsey (second best female boulderer in the world) as role models for the sport, there’s hardly a lack of recognition for elite British female climbers. The only photos of them you’ll �ind in magazines show them doing what they love - they are climbers �irst and foremost.

I only wish their level of self-ef�icacy could translate to women in other positions across society.

I’ve never been more comfortable in my own skin I still can’t really throw or catch a ball, but it really doesn’t matter to me anymore. I’ve never been more comfortable in my own skin.

We’re in the midst of shooting the climbing club’s naked calendar for charity. You won’t �ind any particularly racy photos in there, but what you will �ind is a mixed group of students con�ident enough to show their bodies, and their sport, to the world. I think that’s pretty telling.

Written in the stars

21

Lucien Fulcher, our resident astrologist, rubs his crystal ball(s) to predict what’s in store for Lifestyle readers this week...

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) Essay catastrophe may well be looming, but do not lose heart. All-nighters are proven to be good for stress and tiredness levels.

Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22) Never assume that things are over without definitive, categorical proof (such as death for example). There may be another avenue to explore, or a previously untried option.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) Make use of your burst of newfound energy and do something productive, such as purchase a Christmas tree, make an advent calendar for a friend, or go for a walk.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) Pride before a fall cometh.

This week you may possibly be well-placed to witness someone fall very far and very quickly. Metaphorically, that is, not off a bridge or anything.

Hopefully.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) As December descends like an unsatisfying simile, keep prancing undaunted through the meadow of life like a happy pony. You can do it.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Do not get agitated by anyone playing Christmas music, simply harass and harangue them regularly but gently until they stop. Lucky herb: mint.

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19) A stranger in your life may be perplexing, intriguing or aggravating you. Keep your cards close to your chest to avoid getting yourself into a situation best avoided.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20) “Cry ‘havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war” is an appropriate quote to sum up the carefree yet rambunctious attitude you should adopt in order to have a brilliant week.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20) Your telepathic skills as an enigmatic Gemini will come in handy this weekend during popular beverage-imbibing games such as ‘Fives’ and ‘Never Have I Ever.’

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) ‘Tis almost the season to be jolly, but not quite yet, so you don’t have to stop being party-poopingly miserable for at least another week. Lucky tree: maple.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) If you followed your heart and it didn’t work out as you may have planned, do not despair.

Love, as life, is a game of give and take – to which you, as a Librarian, are well accustomed.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) You look great. As you will tomorrow and the day after.

You’ll have a bit of a wobble on the weekend though, so stay in, but you’ll be looking mighty fine again by next Wednesday.

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Tuesday 25 November Mahatma Music: SW Edition Cavern Wednesday 26 November Black Tambourines + Guests Cavern Thursday 27 November Ruarri Joseph Phoenix Thursday 27 November Hacktivist + Guests Cavern Thursday 27 November The Ordinary Boys Bristol Louisiana Friday 28 November Our House: Star Slinger Phoenix Monday 1 December Gnarwolves Cavern Tuesday 2 December Flute & Clarient Choir Christmas Concert St Stephens Church Thursday 4 December Spiro Phoenix Friday 5 December Sigma Lemon Grove Saturday 6 December Beans on Toast Phoenix

Spotlight

HACKTIVIST + GUESTS

@ Exeter Cavern Thursday 27 November “...thunderous riffs and quick-fire grime rhyming in a fashion poised to take this obscure scene overground” - Guardian

Enter Shikari

Lewis Norman, Online Music Editor, talks to Chris Batten from post-hardcore icons Enter Shikari about in�luence and history before the release of their new album HOW has the reaction been so far for your �irst single ‘The Last Garrison’?

Yeah, very positive. We’re just coming into a new album campaign because people haven’t heard anything new for a while. We like to see that people still care and appreciate what we are doing! So yeah, we’re very happy.

The music video is more stripped back than ‘Arguing with Thermometers.’ Is there any reason for this?

The director just had a really solid idea of what he wanted to do and thought that the two different emotions in the song were best presented this way.

There wasn’t really any thought on whether it should be stripped back or not. The next one we plan on doing will probably be very different too.

Where did the album title The Mindsweep come from?

Well, we decided to call the �irst track on the album ‘The Appeal and the Mindsweep.’ Once we had sat down and collected our ideas about the album and knew what the different themes were, we realised that the album was very much about ‘looking outside of the box,’ in terms of how society is today. Most importantly, we feel it isn’t working and we need a complete overhaul or shift in the way that people think about it. So really The Mindsweep is basically that. It is a new way of looking at these problems.

A Flash Flood of Colour touched on a number of issues including climate change and social injustice. What direction have you opted for in The Mindsweep?

A lot of the songs in this album have

a single theme to them really. There is one song which really looks more at the scienti�ic explanations of race and how it is completely unjusti�ied to judge someone on the basis of skin colour. Really, the overall theme is what we have always stood for: unity and coming together, trying to inject positivity into talking about these issues.

You also recently tweeted that you were writing essays on each of the songs to accompany the album?

It is going to part be of one of the different album download bundles you can pick up. We’re also planning a lyric book providing a little explanation on what the songs are about, where the inspirations come from etc. It is really for those who are wondering what the lyrics are about because often it isn’t obvious what the songs are actually trying to say and what they mean to us.

You’ve probably been asked this question a million times but has time changed your in�luences?

Yes, de�initely. When we �irst started writing music we were actually heavily in�luenced by our local scene. We were lucky to live near London so we had the chance to see a lot of up-and-coming bands. In terms of major bands we were always in�luenced by the Prodigy and Rage Against the Machine. As time has gone on we have gotten into more electronic music, particularly dubstep and drum & bass.

You’ve said before that you are in�luenced by classical music, in what way exactly?

When I listen to classical music I always appreciate that the person writing this has so much going on in their

head as there are so many parts and such an intricate arrangement. The instrumentation and the textures are also exceptional so we take a lot of in�luence from that aspect of it.

Does The Mindsweep draw heavily on these in�luences then?

Yeah, normally when we have string or brass parts they are sequenced and pre-recorded samples but for the �irst time we actually brought a string quartet in to play the parts. So that was really exciting, and it made such a difference – it actually feels real.

We are big fans of Greek history It has been a relatively quiet year, but what has been the highlight?

Making the album, writing and recording were de�inite highlights. Once you get there and it is all mixed with a �inished product, it is just a great feeling to have a completed record in your hand. We were also lucky enough to play Reading & Leeds this year and had a really great time there. We got to go to some places we have never played before too; Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Greece. We played in Athens which was amazing. We are big fans of Greek history.

How do home crowds compare to other countries?

Well it all comes down to how people react to them, really. Across Europe and America there isn’t really any difference in the way people react, although obviously we get more people at some gigs, which makes for a more exciting vibe. Japan is the one we re-

ally miss the most though. They are so respectful there. Normally, in between songs, people from England will sort of chat amongst their friends but in Japan you could hear a pin drop because they are watching you so closely and taking it all in.

Aside from Japan and Athens are there any particularly memorable live performances?

Going back a long time ago I remember our �irst Download performance was one of the best gigs we have ever played. Even though we were on at about 1pm we managed to play to a packed out tent. A year or so back we got to headline the second stage at Download which was an amazing thing to do because we got to incorporate production and lights and really put on a show. All the Reading & Leeds stuff is great too.

And, lastly, will your new tour be focused on new material or will we hear more of the old classics? Also, are songs such as ‘Sorry, You’re Not a Winner’ still interesting to play?

The new tour won’t just be new stuff but obviously there will be new material in there. We know that people that go to gigs want a bit of everything.

Yes, I guess you could say that the old songs aren’t as fun for us to play but we often deal with that by remixing things and doing slightly different versions. In a live sense we want to keep them fresh. It really re�lects how we have developed over time and how we can demonstrate where we are now in our older tracks.

The Mindsweep is set for release on January 19, 2015

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Interview

25

ging me though!

CL: Well James doesn’t need to know that.

SB: And that’s why you’re not the loyal one.

Do you think the rock/metal world is oversaturated with bands now?

SB: There are de�initely a lot more bands now than there were. I think so, yeah. There are a lot that sound the same and do the same things.

What are we Asking Alexandria?

Gareth Behn and JJ Owens talk to Sam Bettley and Cam Liddell of Yorkshire’s answer to metalcore, Asking Alexandria, who didn’t get the memo that it’s not cool to be a dick anymore.

YOU just came off the Mayhem Tour supporting Avenged Sevenfold, and last year supported Bullet For My Valentine. You’re now headlining your own tour; do you prefer playing bigger gigs as a support act or smaller gigs as the headliners?

SB: That’s a tough one. We love playing with big bands because you meet loads of new people and it’s a great experience to see how the bigger bands do it, but I love headlining because you get more room on stage, and the show is really our show. If you were a fan you’d come to our show, because when we’re supporting we’re limited sometimes on those big tours, but I love touring with those guys.

I think people are even more stoked over here because they don’t get as many chances to see us CL: It’s good to have those big runs though, and then you get used to playing to those huge crowds, but they’re not really yours. It keeps headlining fresh, because on those big tours you get bored.

SB: Yeah we get people saying ‘We saw you on the Bullet Tour, it was awesome,’ but they’ve never been to a show before.

Do you prefer playing old or new songs live?

CL: I prefer playing new songs because musically we feel like they’re better and they play better, but it’s good to see kids going crazy for the old stuff

too. When ‘Not The American Average’ comes in people just go insane, but the new stuff is so different and so fresh.

What’s the craziest show you’ve played so far?

SB: I’d say Manchester, but we’ve still got six shows left. London will be crazy - who knows, tonight might be insane!

Cologne in Germany was also insane though.

And where do you prefer touring: here or the US? SB: I love to come back here. We’ve played America so much. Some places in America are still insane and awesome but I think people are even more stoked over here because they don’t get as many chances to see us.

On the back of the successful album and subsequent tour, what are the next goals for Asking Alexandria?

CL: We’re going to go back and do America and Canada, and then next year we’re looking at going into the studio at some point.

And you’ve been writing whilst on tour?

SB: Yeah, we have a studio bus with cabs and kit built in, which is awesome.

When can we expect new material?

SB: Soon. Next year probably. Still really early days. I’d love to tell you but there’s nothing to tell as yet.

Reckless and Relentless was written in a truly mental period in your lives: do you think it’s better creatively to be writing in that state or

more relaxed?

SB: You can never tell. You can never plan it, you know? We never planned to write in that state, and here I speak for Danny. Some amazing albums have been written while in that state.

CL: I think at that time it probably was better creatively. The album that came out of it was sick, but it wasn’t planned at all.

SB: But you can’t plan it. We wouldn’t go back into the studio and say “Let’s do another album in exactly the same way as we did Reckless and Relentless.” Every album has been recorded and written differently. Stand Up And Scream was written in a basement in Jersey, Reckless and Relentless was written in a cottage in the middle of nowhere in England, and From Death to Destiny all over the place, while we were touring. It’s really a question for Danny, because he’s all over the place like a rollercoaster.

I won’t be shagging other dudes while I’m on tour Three bands, dead or alive, you’d want to tour with?

CL: Metallica tour would be insane.

Ben would want to go up with Ozzy, Danny with Motley Crue. I think it would have been so sick, back in the day, to go on tour with Led Zeppelin, because they were insane.

What about your favourite band you’ve already toured with?

SB: Avenged Sevenfold are good friends of ours, awesome dudes.

Favourite album?

SB: The White One.

It’s easy for a band to get big, but it’s harder for them to get bigger than the rest Nice.

SB: Slipknot is another band we’ve toured with a few times, those guys are awesome too and they were one of your [Cam’s] favourite bands growing up, weren’t they? It’s just really cool to be in the loop with all these bands that you look up to, I had to pinch myself for the �irst few times.

So, within the band: shag, marry or kill?

CL: We’d shag each other.

SB: He’s speaking for me! As to who I’d kill… If Ben’s on a rant I’d probably go for Ben. CL: Yeah me too.

What’s the other one, marry? I’d go for James, because he’s loyal. That’s the only reason.

SB: He’d treat me right!

CL: I won’t be shagging other dudes while I’m on tour.

SB: You’d be shag-

So you think it’s harder for a band to get big even if they’ve got something special?

SB: It’s easy for a band to get big, but it’s harder for them to get bigger than the rest. There are so many big bands, but it’s hard to get even bigger. There are so many ways to get big now, like the internet and networking and stuff.

CL: Compared to when we took off, it’s now a lot harder for bands to do it, because what the fuck is original now?

There are so many bands.

SB: There are so many bands that are touring and sound the same so I think it’s harder to get bigger and take it to the next level.

CL: It’s so hard to be an original band these days; there’s so much competition out there.

Who is the most annoying band member? (Might get in a bit of trouble for this one).

SB: No I don’t fucking care. Shall we say it together Cam? I’ll count to three.

CL: Ben. SB: You know! Yeah Ben’s like a little kid sometimes. You know when it’s starting because he starts to tap, and then he does this, [taps on Cam]. Oh, you can’t see what I’m doing. I’m playing with Cam’s balls.

Any advice on how a budding band can make it?

SB: You need to be different. Everyone has to be as dedicated as each other, it has to be 110 per cent all the way.

I was 17 and we left home and we’ve never really been back.

You have to give it your all and not be scared to push the boundaries. Also, if someone tells you you can’t do something, that’s bullshit, you totally can. There’s a massive ‘fuck you’ to so many people now.

CL: College.

SB: Yeah, fuck you college.

CL: Did we just end on ‘fuck you college?’

Asking Alexandria played Bristol Academy on 4 November with support from The Ghost Inside. They start their US tour this week.

26

MUSIC

Old New Borrowed Blue Against their better

judgement, Exeposé Music have afforded me a slot to spill my musical musings. In the interest of structure, I have drawn influence from that most bizarre of rhyming wedding traditions. The first two are self-explanatory. My ‘borrowed’ track will be anything from a cover, a remix or maybe even an obscure sample. Finally, I’ll lovingly present you with a gem from the suprisingly extensive back catalogue of everybody’s favourite noughties band, Blue.

Old: Nick Drake - Parasite

Nick Drake died at the age of 26 as one of the most underappreciated musicians of his generation. Posthumously he has gained somewhat of a cult following, especially amongst those of us who enjoy a bit of an existential mope. This track, from Pink Moon, is hauntingly beautiful.

New: Yesterday Swim Mountain

This track was released a couple of months back on Soundcloud, and came to my attention more recently when it got air time on the radio. It’s a great piece of indie-pop, and their eponymous EP is definitely worth a listen.

Borrowed: Plantains - I Feel Love

Plantains manage to take what was originally an innocent piece of Donna Summer disco and make it oddly sinister.

It’s commendable, really. So here’s my commendation.

Blue: Blue - Supersexually

In this track from 2001’s ‘One Love’, Blue are upset. There’s a girl in the club who is ignorant of the fact that she could be having sex with Blue.

Presumably not with all of them at once, though this is unconfirmed.

WILL CAFFERKY

SPORT 44-48

EXEPOSÉ

“You mind if I change that?”

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 18-21 14-17 8-12

MUSIC 24-27

SCREEN 30-33

BOOKS 34-35

ARTS 36-38

GAMES & TECH

40-42

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

Ben Roberts and Hannah Butler offer a defence for heavy music in our Bogus Debate “YOU mind if I change that? Not to something better… just different.”

This was the response I got after only two songs of my iPod on shuf�le. When you look at it, it’s logical: music is a thing of preference and taste so the ideas of better and worse only apply in your own little world; it was my iPod, so in my world, for me, there isn’t anything better. Anyhow, I had no qualms about it being changed, no vehement retort; but changing after only two songs!?

That’s annoying.

Now, heavier music is seldom given a chance; it’s already approached with prejudiced ears. The moment even the slightest indication of harsh vocals, blast beats, breakdowns, semiquaver drop D riffs can be detected people start to cover their ears. At least give it a go �irst!

And it’s not even like what was playing was super-heavy, there was no Whitechapel etc. on my iPod to be played. The band that got abruptly shut down was merely Enter Shikari! To me, that’s not really heavy, it’s my middle of the park stuff but, to others it’s evidently a territory that can never be explored.

Heavier music is seldom given a chance I would, however, struggle to coherently explain why I prefer the style of music I love. I guess it was how I was brought up, listening to AC/DC as a ten year old rather than whatever all the others listened to; my memory can’t serve me well enough here. I’m not saying I was “oh, so different.” I remember my

friend loaned me Slipknot’s �irst album – I was 11 years old; that was far too heavy at the time.

My point here is mainly preference and I totally understand. What I struggle to comprehend is why heavier music genres are shunned to a point where people refuse to listen to them. People will say “Oh, are they a screamo band?” which apparently seems to mark the divide between heavy and soft and bad and good.

What? Does everyone else listen to singo? When a band only uses harsh vocals the phrase “anyone can do that; all they are doing is shouting” is brought out. Not anyone could do it; the same as singing, it’s a skill - the same skill in fact, just differently executed.

Actually playing, not just hiding behind production Heavier music is powerful and raw, yes, but it can also complete with the ‘intricacies’ of the other genres. It can contain swooping guitar solos, groove-laden riffs, memorable choruses and contrary to popular belief it can get people moving, dancing, even singing (yes singing) along.

I don’t think there is as wonderful a place as a live metal gig. People literally come together as one, when you can’t move as an individual just as one surging crowd. Actually being able to see your musical idols playing the songs you hear, and I mean actually playing, not just hiding behind a production like some pop acts. There’s a uniqueness to heavier genres, so don’t shun them. Let them live.

BEN ROBERTS

Architects were full-on metalcore, no doubt about that. But when Enter Shikari waltzed onto the scene, things took an even stranger turn. They screamed, yes – but they spoke too. And the things they spoke about… well. Politics, innit.

There was de�initely something in this, and more than simply having found a music genre my dad absolutely couldn’t stand. Shouting along to Juggernauts at prom, I wasn’t just giving myself a sore throat: I was making a statement. All that

The disaffected many

Metal has good lyrics? You can say Nicki Minaj’s lyrics are good, that doesn’t make it good.

Jack Wardlaw, Lifestyle Editor It’s okay, if you can hear the actual music.

Emma Thomas, Features Editor Muuuuuuhh.

Niklas Rahmel

The things they spoke about... Politics, innit.

stuff about empires, and colonising, and community - it was just soooo revolutionary.

And there’s something about Shikari’s music that always creates goosebumps. It’s exciting, it’s crazy, it’s dangerous – so when Chris Batten yells “countries are just lines, drawn in the sand with a stick,” you bloody well listen.

I wasn’t giving myself a sore throat: I was making a statement For me, hardcore music was a revelation: listening to Architects and Shikari was a way to get boys in skinny jeans with stretched ears to fancy me. It’s exhilarating, too, having absolutely no room for anything else in your head. It’s also fantastic workout music – mostly due to the comfort gained knowing your thighs cannot possibly be burning as much as that guy’s throat.

Aside from all this, there’s a de�inite attraction in having earned your place in hardcore-fangirldom.

Because this isn’t something you’ve been guided into with warm welcomes and words of encouragement.

You’ve had to work to �ind meaning in the noise, and can now revel in the smugness of understanding something that others “just don’t get.”

So maybe this love was founded on vanity. But it’s lasted, unlike those teenage crushes – and no matter how old and wise I become, there’ll still be moments when Shikari’s eloquent advice: “calm the fuck down.

Ghandi, mate: remember Ghandi” is just what I need to hear.

HANNAH BUTLER NEWS EDITOR

That thing that makes my ears bleed?

Rory Morgan, Features Editor

The only heavy metal I like is lead. It’s good for pencils.

Will Cafferky, Online Screen Editor Just noise innit.

Sarah Gough, Arts Editor

LET’S face it: anyone’s �irst steps into the cacophonous world of hardcore music are going to be tentative.

No. Scratch that. They’re not going to be steps at all. After your initial introduction to this ear-splitting rage, friends will likely �ind you rooted to the spot, too shell-shocked to venture any closer, yet too curious to turn back.

For me, it started with a boy I fancied sending me a copy of Architects’ ‘Heartburn.’ Oh wow, this was powerful. Bursting at the seams with adoration, and desperation, and angst… he was de�initely in love with me.

Naturally I searched for the rest of the album – but I was in for a shock. The Here and Now wasn’t an expressive throng of power ballads: it was screamo music. As ‘Day In Day Out’ attacked my ears, I was �labbergasted. But teenage crushes are strange things – and after a week of dutiful listening, I began to think there might actually be something here I liked.

War is evil. But it is the lesser of the evils.

George Orwell, Books Editor

Let me eat this sandwich, then I’ll give a shit.

Chris Filsell Aggressive noise whose lyrics can sometimes be quite meaningful - not that you can understand them.

It’s the music of the devil.

Arabella Comyn Eamonn Crowe, Lifestyle Editor

I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.

Meg Lawrence, Online Editor

The musical equivalent of racism.

Adam Smith, Games & Tech Editor Disclaimer: not all quotes are (fully) accurate

EXEPOSÉ

Pink Floyd // Shine on you crazy album MUSIC

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

27

Emma Thomas, Features Editor, �loats away down The Endless River on Pink Floyd’s swansong to Rick Wright

Pink Floyd The Endless River 7 November

PINK FLOYD’s The Endless River came as a surprising resurgence when it was leaked via Polly Samson’s twitter (Floyd lyricist, and wife of guitarist David Gilmour) to a musical body of water that we have all been under the impression was very much plugged for the past 20 years.

The band’s �irst release since the seminal The Division Bell of 1994, The Endless River has been described as everything from a “swan song” to a “�itting footnote to their career.”

What was initially 20 hours of unreleased material from the recording of The Division Bell has been crafted into their 15th studio album.

It is something of a homage to the late pianist and founder, Richard Wright, whose posthumous in�luence permeates the release, creating a work of understated beauty.

It is hardly surprising that such a highly anticipated work should receive mixed reviews. After becoming Amazon UK’s most preordered album ever (knocking One Direction, of all people, off the top spot), The

Endless River has debuted at number one in the charts, their �irst charttopper in 19 years. Whether it is curiosity or pure nostalgia prompting so many of us to listen in, it is clear that Pink Floyd’s in�luence, at the forefront of progressive rock over their six decade career, remains.

Bizarre that so many people I have spoken to about the album feel so nostalgically connected to the work. Most of us were mere tots when Floyd’s last album was released. But I can still remember vividly quite literally spinning out running in circles around the living room in my pyjamas - in the evening whilst my dad listened to The Dark Side of the Moon on his record player.

It is this cross-generational legacy, perhaps, that gives Floyd fans such high expectations of the surprise addition to the band’s discography.

It’s a slow burner, you can feel yourself being carried along this fucking long river Tracks such as ‘Calling’ and ‘Surfacing’ are ethereal, radiating the

band’s early style; whereas songs like ‘Louder than Words’, one of the few tracks featuring vocals, build to powerfully resonant heights.

Call me sentimental, but I don’t think the modesty of the album is problematic. It’s a slow burner, beginning with ambient instrumental tracks and building up with layers of bass and rhythm. Listening to the album, you can feel yourself being carried along this fucking long river at the exact pace intended. And thus,

to enjoy the work, the listener must take the album as not anthemic, not a sentimental goodbye to Wright, but a gentle whisper, bringing Floyd’s work full circle.

The Endless River is not a grandiose affair, but it is an incredible body of music from a band that will be remembered not only for the iconic tracks such as ‘Another Brick in the Wall,’ but also for this �inal “echo,” whisper, whatever you want to call it – of the complex, atmospheric and

effortless musical prowess that embodies their career.

And at a time when so many of us are feeling the pressure of essay deadlines piling up, what could be better than listening to an album that soothes the senses so subliminally? So, record player or not, light a few candles, turn off your noti�ications, and listen to The Endless River.

Just don’t expect to feel provoked into beginning a revolution.

Circa Waves make a splash in Bristol

Adam Capstick catches indie-rock newcomers Circa Waves as they board Bristol’s favourite boat on the water

FOR a band who haven’t released an album yet, there’s a real buzz around Circa Waves, and fresh from supporting the Libertines at Alexandra Palace and a brief jet off to the States, the indie-pop quartet are back in the UK for their biggest headline tour to date. I had the pleasure of catching them at the unusual maritime venue of Bristol’s Thekla.

Bloody Knees kick off proceed-

ings, rocking and head-banging their way through a raucous set. Elements of Nirvana and Don Broco are present as the band enjoy themselves thrashing out to tracks such as ‘Daydream’ from their latest EP. The arrival of Public Access TV onstage represents a change in direction as we head towards calmer, bouncy guitar riffs that can’t help but bring a smile to your face. I had

high expectations of the New Yorkers from my limited prior knowledge of their material, and they far exceed even these. Initially held back slightly by an audience unfamiliar with much of their music, it takes singles ‘Monaco’ and ‘In The Mirror’ to bring some real energy to the venue, brilliantly capturing the scuzzy New York sound which The Strokes helped blow up.

Soon Circa Waves trot casually out, but waste no time in belting out opening number ‘Young Chasers,’ the song that launched them onto the British music landscape after a precious Zane Lowe recommendation.

The high-tempo opener immediately engages the crowd, who quickly become a sea of bouncing bodies.

There’s hardly time to catch your breath before they rattle out ‘Good For Me,’ another high-octane hit riddled with a killer chorus, indicative of the night to come.

Despite their growing success, the band don’t neglect their debut record with the typically boisterous and restlessly energetic ‘Lost It’ and ‘Fossils’ mixed in amongst newer material. They then attempt to “slow it down a little” with ‘Talking Out Loud,’ though this is still played with more vigour and energy than most bands would typically muster from a grand �inale.

Frontman Kieran Shudall urges the crowd to “go crazy” as they break into their latest single ‘So Long.’ The crowd duly oblige, transforming into a vast array of jumping, arm-waving

�igures. The band are just as enthusiastic as their captivated audience – Shudall swinging round his mic and Falconer teetering on the edge of the stage as he ruthlessly strums his guitar.

Best gig I’ve ever been to on a boat After teasing the expectant crowd with the feverishly catchy guitar riff, the Liverpudlian four piece break out into ‘Stuck In My Teeth’ much to the delight of the adoring masses who eagerly chant the monstrously infectious tune right back at the stage. The night is then brought to a close by the suitably emphatic ‘Get Away.’

Already armed with several indie-pop anthems and propelled by fast and furious rhythms with more memorable choruses than you can �it on an album, Circa Waves are destined for great things.

Shudall shared my sentiments after; best gig I’ve ever been to on a boat.

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SCREEN

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SCREEN Newsreel

biopic Dumb and Dumber To Danny debuts Boyle’stop latestat project boxon office the life of the Apple founder has been dealt a bIIlow It’s taken Di Caprio two announces decades tohismake, resigbut the wait almost over says as the nation from theisrole.

The actor he sequelaway opened the US iscomedy taking a period frominacting inbox office last weekend. The film starring anddrops Jeff Daniels defi nitely. Jim Di Carrey Caprio out took $38.1 million in its first weekend, fighting off competition from of Jobs biopic the likes of Interstellar and Danny Boyle’s latest project onDisney the life Hero has 6 tobeen claim thea ofanimation the Apple Big founder dealt top spot. blow Di Caprio announces his resignation from the role. The actor says he is taking Drunken a periodDepp away from presents acting indefinitely.

Hollywood awards The Pirates of the Carribean star was this week spotted presenting the award for ‘best documentary’ at the Hollywood Film Awards, after having one too many at the bar beforehand. The actor was said to be unsteady on his feet, slurring his words and making comments like: “that’s the weirdest microphone I’ve ever seen”. Though reactions to the incident have been mixed, it’s safe to say that this fiasco won’t be remembered as one of the finer moments of Johnny’s career.

Jude Law in talks to join cast of King Arthur film Jude Law’s name, should he sign the dotted line, will be the latest to be added to the growing ensemble for Guy Ritchie’s big screen epic Knights of the Roundtable. He joins a plethora of stars including Charlie Hunnam and Astrid Berges-Frisby for the project, which may be made into a six movie franchise. Though early reports are unclear, it is likely that Law will play the villain in the film.

Fast and Furious series to have three sequels That’s right, three. As if seven films of testosterone fuelled street racing wasn’t enough, this week it was announced that another trio of movies have been given the green light for production. Questions have been raised as to whether the franchise can remain fresh in the wake of Paul Walker’s tragic death, but the producers say they are still confident of commercial and critical success.

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Carmen Paddock reviews Christopher Nolan’s cosmic masterpiece Interstellar Director: Christopher Nolan Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway 2014, 169 minutes

THE �inal instalment of Christopher Nolan’s personal ‘trilogy’ had a lot to live up to. Not only did it follow on from The Prestige and Inception – two highly acclaimed and popular �ilms – but its release had been hotly anticipated throughout the year leading to the premiere. Between Nolan’s in-

Interstellar is a meticulous, beautifully crafted personal tale set against a global catastrophe sistence on a 35mm release, the initial posters and trailers which revealed little about the actual plot, the A-list cast, and the director’s renown, there were many areas where the sci-�i adventure could have failed. The hype, however, proved worth it; Interstellar is a meticulously, beautifully crafted personal tale set against a global catastrophe – intimate, intense, and life-af�irming.

In a world where environmental disaster has wreaked havoc on the food supply, humanity faces extinction within one generation. Cooper, an astronaut turned corn farmer, seemingly stumbles across the coordinates to a top-secret NASA base – one bent on

The detailed world created feels complete and all encompassing �inding a future for humanity far beyond this solar system, let alone this planet. Aside from a few places where it feels that important story elements were left on the cutting room �loor of this 169 minute epic, the plot is unfailingly gripping and surprisingly poignant. The �ilm follows his intergalactic explorations while his daughter on Earth �ights for the people left behind.

The actors portraying the immense cast of characters deliver masterful, nuanced, completely believable performances across the board; Matthew McConaughey (who largely carries the �ilm), Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, and especially Jessica Chastain deliver standout performances.

The production design, however, is

perhaps the �ilm’s crowning achievement. The detailed world created feels complete and all-encompassing, and this commitment allows the futuristic technology, parallel universes and time-collapses to seem entirely plausible. Nolan’s cinematography relies heavily on models (instead of CGI) and long shots of space, while Hans Zimmer’s dramatic organ music is starkly contrasted against scenes of complete silence, each serving the speci�ic situation. Both of these owe a great debt to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The effect pays homage to classic cinema and the unfathomably vast expanses beyond our solar system.

A haunting reminder of our small fragile space in the universe Overall, Interstellar is a powerful piece of cinema – a thrilling adventure; a haunting reminder of our small, fragile space in the universe; and a testament to humanity’s will to survive.

Just what The Doctor ordered

Bethany Baker gets in her Tardis and looks back over the last series of Doctor Who DOCTOR Who is, and always has been, a lot of fun to watch. It’s in the show’s job description: whose inner child could possibly resist the intergalactic time-traveling meanderings of a 2,000 year-old alien with a blue police box and a screwdriver? Beats The X Factor any day.

The new series of Doctor Who was met with a great deal of anticipation, not least because we’ve had a regeneration. Joining and heading the cast as the Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi brings a fresh maturity and seriousness to the role. A cooling balm to the often overly-feverish enthusiasm of Matt Smith’s

Doctor, Capaldi’s performance perfectly captures the character’s complexity. His new Doctor is blunt, oblivious and classically eccentric – ‘don’t look in that mirror. It’s absolutely furious!’

– yet carries a solemn gravitas reminiscent of the interpretations of Christopher Eccleston and (unders t a n d a b ly, since Capaldi’s a selfconfessed Doctor Who fanboy) the �irst Doctor, William Hartnell.

There’s no doubt Capaldi’s a keeper. But more than ever it feels like the legendary show

around him is unable to keep up with its own global expectations.

Peter Capaldi brings a fresh maturity and seriousness to the world Series Eight showcases a wide range of episodes, in both senses. On the monster front there’s something for everyone: the invisible 2D foes from ‘Flatline’, newly-christened ‘the Boneless’, strike a particularly creepy chord, whilst a journey ‘Into the Dalek’ offers an alternative view of a classic.

However, the series is a mixed bag in terms of story-telling quality. A number of the grand, ambitious plot lines fail to satisfy by simply running out of time to explain themselves, caus-

ing corners to be cut, detail smoothed over and far more questions raised than answered.

Although it’s full of witty one-liners (‘You have iPads in the afterlife?’) and fantastic conceptual work, the eye-candy of Doctor Who’s hyperbolically cinematic promo material is worryingly representative of the series itself; too much glossy promise, too little ful�illment.

That said, watching Doctor Who is still very entertaining, when viewed with a certain willingness to suspend your disbelief – in this it does its job, and does it well. But for a dedicated �ifty-year fanbase, all prepped with magnifying glasses, �ine-toothed combs and nostalgia for the ‘old times’, Doctor Who’s increasingly shiny veneer seems unlikely to satisfy.

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Blinding Brummies Review: The Imitation Game Joe Shrimpton takes a peek at the gang drama Peaky Blinders: Season 2 Cast; Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Helen McCrory BBC Two

IT has been a week since the �inale of Peaky Blinders season two graced our screens and I’m still left with Thomas Shelby’s shivers as he, I, and half the nation thought it truly was the end.

Fortunately a third season had already been con�irmed, and too bloody right.

Cillian Murphy once again never fails to impress; he brings a cool, cold and calculated intelligence to an otherwise angry and damaged protagonist who drags us through the dark underworld of early 20th century British gang cultures.

The camera work is something to be envied and results in beautiful cinematography Since the show’s inception I’ve been gripped, but not just down to a good script and a star cast – a recent welcome addition being Tom Hardy - but down to the production value.

The dock and street scenes with the dingy corners and the arduously

manned furnaces, billowing all matter of pollutants and �ire, were all �ilmed in Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, a perfect industrial wasteland which the Shelbys call home.

Fortunately a third season has already been con�irmed, and too bloody right Everything from the accents and the blacksmith’s grimy, collarless shirt to the WWI era pistols wielded so freely, are spot on. This creates a saturation of authenticity; repeated viewings are needed to even scratch the surface.

The camera work is something to be envied, the recurrent shallow depth of �ield coupled with the use of low light and re�lections results in some beautiful cinematography.

When combined with a fantastic soundtrack from the likes of Nick Cave and even the Arctic Monkeys, you have a very well-produced piece of British programming - a standard we should be constantly striving towards. If you haven’t already… indulge.

Samantha Gillies

The Imitation Game Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley 2014, 114 minutes

THIS year marked the centenary Remembrance of World War One. I therefore found it especially appropriate to be sitting in cinema waiting for this �ilm to start on a rainy November evening with (somewhat damp) anticipation for Cumberbatch’s newest project. The subject of the �ilm was Alan Turing, the �irst man to invent what we know today as the computer.

The original Turing-machine was built to crack the German Enigma device, which had been thought to be impossible. The decoding ended up saving millions of lives and shortening the war by two years.

an excellent, moving job of bringing this true-story back to life.

As charming as Knightley is as the smart, sympathetic female protagonist, I found her to be lacking in delivery on more than one occasion; her performance was stiff and in some cases frankly unbelievable. This could be down to the somewhat clichéd writing - with unlikely lines pushed into the script to dramatize the events to Hollywood’s standards.

Turing’s sexuality was portrayed respectfully and in context with the times, having him ultimately shown to be charged for “gross indecency” and chemically castrated as reward for his heroic war efforts.

Overall, the �ilm was heart wrenching and thought provoking, particular-

ly due to the 100th anniversary of the First World War taking place this year.

What captivated me was the blunt intelligence of Turing portrayed by Cumberbatch With mostly strong performances, it was a thoroughly watchable �ilm that makes one truly appalled at both the war conditions and the treatment of LGBT people only �ifty years ago. A story of friendship, war and problem solving – de�initely recommended.

A story of war, friendship and problem-solving Though watching Mark Strong play a suave MI6 agent is always enjoyable, what captivated me was the blunt intelligence of Turing, portrayed by the ever-more-likeable Cumberbatch.

Familiar to the social outcast, slightlyout-of-sync genius role, Benedict did

Top five: science-fiction movies

Nicholas Porter explores the movie stratosphere and chooses the best of the past and the future 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001 isn’t easy viewing, and plenty of people have walked away not understanding or even outright disliking it. Yet thematically rich, deliberately paced and designed with almost mathematical precision, Kubrick’s masterpiece is still as impressive today as when �irst released. He explores the entirety of humanity’s ambition, evolution and legacy. An absolutely staggering achievement.

Alien

INTERSTELLAR makes space beautiful, and 2001 made it sterile; Ridley Scott, however, made it chilling. This is nothing like your modern horror movies, riddled with jump scares and painfully inept characters; this is a deliberate, paced exercise in true terror. The Alien (H.R. Giger’s masterwork) remains to this day the scariest movie monster ever, bar none.

Back To The Future

THERE is literally nothing to dislike about this �ilm: the story, characters, direction, tone, soundtrack and performances are all magni�icent. It might not be a philosophical examination of humanity’s place in the universe, but it is entertainment in its purest and most delightful form. It’s absolutely sublime from start to �inish – if you don’t like this �ilm, you’re a bad person and should feel bad.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

JIM Carrey and Kate Winslet star in this unconventional sci-�i choice. The premise is straightforward – man wants to erase his ex-girlfriend from his mind – but the �ilm uses this as a springboard for one of the deepest and most remarkable explorations of love and relationships ever seen on screen. Bleak, beautiful and achingly human.

Blade Runner

THE future isn’t so bright, according to Ridley Scott in his classic neo-noir thriller. The world in Blade Runner is ugly, seamy, and morally obscure.

Its protagonist – conscripted to hunt down and destroy several escaped “replicants” – is even more so. Our society, morality and humanity are all under the microscope in a �ilm positively dripping with style and subtext.

Also, hovercars.

PADDON AWARD

THEME: TRANSFORMATIONS CATEGORIES: MUSICAL COMPOSITION,

FILM, CREATIVE WRITING AND VISUAL ART

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: 16 FEBRUARY 2015

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ARTS COMPETITION

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OPEN TO STUDENTS, STAFF & ALUMNI OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Stand out from the crowd The Exeter Award is an achievement award for current undergraduate and taught postgraduate students. It is designed to enhance the employability of students by providing official recognition of extracurricular achievements and activities.

With around 300,000 graduates entering the job market each year, a degree is no longer enough to get you started in your career.

Employers are looking for candidates who have developed their skills, abilities and ambitions.

Make sure you stand out from the crowd. Register for the Exeter Award now.

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In defence of: Geordie Shore EXEPOSÉ

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Abi Polding defends the perma-tanned Northerners, and tells us why the show is her guilty pleasure GEORDIE SHORE is de�initely up there with the ‘trash’ TV shows that everyone loves to hate. Let’s face it: the premise of watching a group of young people get drunk every night and have the odd �ight or romantic encounter with each other isn’t exactly intellectual or ground-breaking.

If anything, a lot of us can just head to Arena on a Monday night and watch the same kind of events unfold.

However, I challenge anyone to watch a few episodes of it and not �ind it highly amusing.

It makes you feel slightly better about your own life Once you get past how unbelievably trashy it is, it’s genuinely quite funny. Yes, the characters have incredibly loose morals. Yes, one of the main characters introduces himself with

the line “I should have a degree in pulling women.” But the observations they make are often hilarious, and their drunken antics are so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. As my housemate once said: “I used to slam it, but now I �ind it thoroughly entertaining.”

Secondly, it gets you ready for a night out. We’re all familiar with the pre-pre-drinking stage. Sometimes you’ve had a long day, you’re having a post-dinner slump on the sofa and the prospect of having to pour yourself a vodka squash and eventually leave the house to go to a club seems a bit much.

However I’ve found that if you stick on a quick episode of Geordie Shore, you’ll immediately �ind that lost enthusiasm reach you, and you’ll be completely up for going out and getting mortal.

Finally, it makes you feel slightly better about your own life. It’s fair to say that a majority of us will have

woken up after a night out and felt slightly ashamed of what we’ve done the previous evening. However, Geordie Shore takes this to a whole new level, and as you watch the characters face the repercussions of their actions on screen, you can feel comfortable in the knowledge that you’re not nearly as bad as them. Sometimes you just need something that doesn’t require much thinking.

Their drunken antics are so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh If you’re having a stressful time of it then the last thing you want is to switch on to a TV show that’s intellectually challenging. Luckily, Geordie Shore requires little to no use of your brain, and is the perfect show to have on in the background if you want some down time.

The Apprentice: a welcome revival

Chloe Forsyth reviews the newest series of the BBC’s hit reality TV series, and how she’s become invested in it IT’S reality TV season at the minute.

We have I’m a Celebrity, X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, and The Apprentice. We’re on the tenth series of Lord Sugar’s never-ending search for employees, and thought the last few had started to feel stale and unimaginative, this one seems to have picked up - thank God.

We’ve had wearable technology, coach trips and viral videos The production team have found some gloriously deluded ‘business’ men and women (including Exeter alumnus, Solomon Akhtar), and the tasks have been ingenious this year.

So far we’ve had wearable technology, coach trips, and viral videos to name but a few. It’s hard to pick a favour-

ite moment from the series so far: how can you choose between Daniel telling potential buyers he wouldn’t wear his own product in public, the infamous “fat Daddy”, or the atrocious coach trip to Canterbury?

The remaining contestants are still a gold mine of stupid comments This year, we started with 20 contestants, giving Lord Sugar the chance to �ire as many people as he wants in an episode. This lead him to �ire three incompetentant contestants in one hefty go. As we head past the halfway mark, Sugar has supposedly �ired all the ‘dead wood.’

Usually, in other reality shows, this is when it gets boring as all the interesting contestants have

left. Thankfully this is The Apprentice, and the re m a i n ing contestants are still a gold mine of stupid comments and

back stabbing.

If you can’t get enough of The Apprentice, (and let’s face it, who can?) you can watch Dara O’Brien on The Apprentice: You’re Fired with behind the scenes clips, celebrity guests, and a �inal humiliating interview for the �ired contestant before they go back to their day jobs.

Historically, since the format change of the winner getting a £250,000 business investment, the last half of the series becomes a bit disappointing, with Lord Sugar focusing on their business ideas rather than their performance in the task.

But with the improved standard of this series, I hope the last few episodes will live up to the rest of the series.

Who knows, maybe we could even have another famous Exeter alumnus on our hands?

Who knows, maybe we could even have another famous Exeter alumnus on our hands?

What’s hot and what’s not in this week’s news?

Johnny Depp - the swashbuckling actor had one rum too many, turning up drunk at the Hollywood �ilm awards. Please Johnny, at least have some grace when you turn up pissed.

Cans of Stella

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - though looking forward to J. J Abram’s new installment coming out next year, well, the title makes us snooze. Plus we’re worried we’ll wake the force prematurely from its nap.

Quentin Tarantino - has con�ided that he’d like to retire after his tenth �ilm, as that would leave a ten �ilm �ilmography. ‘It’s not etched in stone’, though. Fair enough, I mean just retire whenever you want mate.

Suicide Squad - this Warner Bros comic adaptation where villains band together is a cool antidote to all the heroes. And with Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) set to star as Harley Quinn, we’re looking over our coffees.

Toy Story 4 - Disney CEO Bob Iger has con�irmed that a new Toy Story �ilm will come out on June 16, 2017 and will be directed by John Lasseter. So put it in your diary and keep playing with your toys.

Interstellar

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BOOKS

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 14-17 18-21 8-12

BOOKS Gone With The Wind Margaret Mitchell (1936)

Gone With The Wind is a classic romance novel, without many of the genre’s traditional tropes. Scarlett O’Hara is frequently a detestable heroine, there is no standard hero and the notion of “the one” is blown out the water. Throughout the novel’s thousand pages the American Civil War destroys civilisation as the Southern characters know it. Slavery is abolished, lives are lost and Scarlett somehow manages to marry three different men, but never for love. Gripping, funny and tragic, the novel remains a popular classic, responsible for the quote “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”, one of cinema’s greatest one liners.

ISOBEL BURSTON

Oliver Knight The Sleeper and the Spindle Neil Gaiman

NEIL GAIMAN’S newest illustrated novel, The Sleeper and the Spindle, expertly intertwines themes from the classic tales of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to coalesce a fantastic step forward in modern literature. Controversy, while completely subjective, potentially exists at the heart of this story; a tender moment where the queen of a kingdom kisses a princess, awakening her from a cursed slumber.

Displaying what could be con-

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Gareth Roberts argues that the Potter franchise needs to bow out gracefully POTTERMORE is JK Rowling’s online hub for all things Potter. On October 31, she released a new article based on the novels. It reveals more about the much-disliked character of Dolores Umbridge, including a full backstory.

Pottermore is an extraneous mass of junk material “Well, my dear, take heart.

Some day, I will kiss you and you will like it. But not now, so I beg you not to be too impatient.”

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The continued release of content onto Pottermore by J.K. Rowling has, predictably, been greeted with ecstasy by many of her ardent fans, and with increasing indifference by almost everyone else. The Harry Potter franchise, an already bloated creation, is increasingly metamorphosing into a dense, impenetrable mass of background lore for fans to half-remember for decades to come.

The release of a full backstory for Professor Umbridge is not likely to prove the straw that broke the camel’s back in this regard - the camel in question had, after all, been ground to dust beneath the sheer weight of straw years ago - but it is symptomatic of the increasing death-byfranchise that Harry Potter has begun to suffer.

Simply put, neither fans nor Rowling herself seem to be able to realise when enough is enough. We

sidered the peak of his career in literature, this illustrated novel is a marvellous display of magic between Gaiman and his artist, Chris Riddell, that treads new, unexplored ground. The Sleeper and the Spindle is in no way a story of homosexual relationships, as it is more a darklyhumoured fantasy. We have been presented with works by graphic novelists questioning childhood novels and fairy-tales, with important �igures such as Alan Moore displaying his erotic fantasy Lost Girls, as well as Malinda Lo’s Ash. However, Gaiman brings this to uncharted territory with unexplored characters.

Retelling, rehashing, reviving – whatever you want to call it, this is an incredibly thought-provoking story.

are now forced to witness as a series of enjoyable, if under-edited, children’s books are buried beneath a weight of extraneous material that has no impact on the story or anyone’s ability to enjoy it.

Expanding the backstory of minor characters like Umbridge exempli�ies this problem perfectly. The character in question was nothing more than a poorly sketched caricature, but she never needed to be anything else. She did not need a backstory to ful�il her role as a loathsome authoritarian for the characters to rebel against, and her backstory does not make her any more or less loathsome.

Neither fans nor Rowling herself seem to be able to realise when enough is enough Pottermore is increasingly turning into an extraneous mass of junk material which was cut from the books by Rowling herself because it was irrelevant, something which shows its complete lack of bearing on absolutely anything. Proof of how bad an editor Rowling is can be found in the last books of the series, particularly the plotless mess that was The Order of The homosexuality between the two protagonists differs in no way from

a relationship between male and female protagonists, only replacing “queen” with “king” and “he” with

the Phoenix and the massive amount of padding in The Deathly Hallows.

Thus, if she herself opted to remove it, then it is clearly material that lacks any discernible point whatsoever.

More than anything though, this is all profoundly rather sad. All that the expansion of Harry Potter does is indicate that fans are incapable of letting go and accepting when enough is enough. Pottermore allows a few

hard-core fans to cling on desperately for new content, whilst Rowling releases or even writes new material for the purposes of apparently settling scores with individuals she seems increasingly unaware are her own creations.

“she.” Gaiman understands this perfectly and uses it to his intelligentlycreated advantage; it is not used as a political tool, nor a podium to voice an explicit opinion. It is as genuine as it is exquisite on depth, and it is the indirect result of Gaiman’s subtlety that excels his expertly-guided messages to his readers.

The importance of this kiss far surpasses the effects it has within this novel, as it echoes out to Gaiman and literature fanatics everywhere; its signi�icance will not go unheard.

Displaying themes that challenge a large portion of society’s culture, it is disappointing to understand that the problem is that there is a problem in the �irst place. But Gaiman is as subtle as he is incredible at pen-

ning a wonderful title, so its charm is not surprising. Gaiman and Riddell portray such a beautiful work that it’s astonishing to �ind out this isn’t directed at young children.

While Riddell’s art, quite heavily detailed but holding back from grotesque can pull in any keen art appreciators eye, it gives the novel a dark feeling, displaying on whites, darks and golds; there’s an eccentric feel in every brush.

Whether he meant to show aspiring authors that there are no limitations for certain themes or that homosexuality has no bounds, readers will de�initely be thinking about this novel for a while to come yet.

Beat the block: top 5 tips EXEPOSÉ

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Natalie Bartrum offers advice to tackle writers’ block this deadline season LET’S face it, we’ve all had those horrible moments when we’re staring at the computer screen with bloodshot eyes, �ingers slightly trembling from a heavily caffeinated morning, just gazing at an essay title or an unwritten journal page and asking “Where do I start?” Before you consider quitting university in despair, here are my top �ive tips on overcoming writers’ block....

Go outside!

There’s nothing more demotivating than staring at the same four walls of your bedroom.

Before long, they start feeling like the four walls of an imposing cage.

For me, my work desk can become a sti�ling environment, making me feel disconnected from the outside world.

So pack up your laptop, grab a water bottle and head out the door.

Find a new location that suits your study needs.

If you are looking for a quiet, caffeine-�illed, cakes-at-the-ready type of environment, Costa in the forum or Queen’s Café is for you. This is where I head to on a tricky-essay writing day;

Jennifer Borland

The Cement Garden Ian McEwan

IAN MCEWAN allows us a glimpse into the grey, macabre world of The Cement Garden through a murky veil of mould and decay. From the perspective of 16-year-old Jack, we are given an insight into the disturbing goings-on of his family, consisting of him and his orphaned siblings: his sisters Jane and Sue and his brother Tom.

The hot smell of rot seems to seep through the pages With the narrative rarely transcending the crumbling walls of the house in which the family live, a sense of claustrophobia permeates through the novel. McEwan’s grotesque imagery makes the claustrophobia almost unbearable, with the hot smell of rot seemingly seeping through the pages. The reader feels trapped within Jack’s mind as he relates his perverse thoughts, and his

fellow struggling students are located all around, you can get comfortable among the plush sofas, and not risk insanity from the deathly silence of some other spots. Plus, sociable areas on campus are great for people watching, and for those creative writers out there you could soon �ind character models in your very own campus.

A l t e r n a t i v e l y, there is of course the library that allows you to have a range of sources at your �ingertips - from archives, videos, and articles. Who knows, maybe the sheer amount of brain activity and intellectual energy may rub off… eventually.

Tap into Google and books Both the internet and books will allow you to look up what critics, scholars and other people have already said about your essay title. I am by no means encouraging plagiarism or academic dishonesty, but research can lead to

own physical uncleanness leaves an almost tangible stench.

A tale of incest and death, this one is not for the faint-hearted. However, despite the shocking events that occur in the novel, McEwan manages to maintain a concrete sense of realism, which only intensi�ies the bleak tone of the text. Awkward and uncomfortable aspects of adolescence are conveyed through Jack’s typical teenage troubles, including acne and sexual frustration, and issues of gender are raised by the six-year-old Tom’s cross-dressing, who “said he was tired of being a boy and he wanted to be a girl now.”

Nevertheless, this is far from your everyday coming-of-age story.

McEwan never shies away from the disturbing themes of the novel, describing scenes of death and abnormal sexual relations with un�linching conviction.

This one is not for the faint-hearted The book is written with a kind of raw beauty that simultaneously contrasts and emphasises the grisly

fast inspiration. It’s worth bearing T. S. Eliot’s quote in mind: “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.”

Fresh air and exercise If perfectly �lowing prose is still evading you after the �irst three steps, then my best advice is to avoid hurling your laptop at the wall in a �it of violence and utter frustration. Instead, ‘Let it Be’ - as the Beatles famously sang. Stop typing, back away from the ink-pen and go outside. Go to the park, plug your ears in and escape to another world whilst embarrassingly shaking your booty to ‘Anaconda,’ forgetting you are in a very public place - or is that just me?

Or, if you’re the sporty type, head to the gym (the heart will de�initely get pumping after the trek required just to make it to the Sports Park), or don the running leggings and

content of the plot. Through McEwan’s compelling narrative, we are paradoxically drawn to the repelling world he creates.

Haunting, disturbing, yet strangely enchanting, you may be glad when you �inish The Cement Garden and escape from its dark and dingy world. But be warned, like the “sweet, rotten smell” of death that clings to Jack’s unwashed skin, it will stay with you for some time afterwards…

head to Exeter’s beautiful quay. On your sweaty return, revisit the essay and let the endorphins and your exercise break do the talking.

Hit the bottle (desperation) It isn’t always recommended, but both myself and friends (don’t worry, I won’t name names) have had a little tipple, be that a pint of beer or a couple of buckets - I mean glasses - of wine to help the writing situation.

Alcohol can most de�initely loosen those creative writer’s fears, and knock down some barriers. Drunken strands of thought and never-beforeconsidered ideas can pop up with a little “dutch courage.”

Beware, do not not submit any work in a tipsy state. Be sure to check the next day for those potential and likely grammatical errors or blurred handwriting, just to be safe.

And beware, never head to a club and then try to write your essay. This will inevitably end in you turning into a puddle of drunken failure on the �loor, a very desperate albeit hilarious sight to your fellow �latmates.

Helena Leslie Too Long in the Business Tim Todds

DEALING with the creation and expansion of a student insurance company, this novel is easily among the most gripping I have ever read.

It is a �ictitious novel which draws and expands on the author’s own experiences as an intelligent yet intriguingly naïve Oxford student, who is pulled unwillingly into politics far beyond his comprehension.

Set in post-war Britain, the protagonist’s fantastic mix of English patriotism partnered with Cold War suspicions make the narrative thoroughly entertaining. Through Tim’s meetings with potential investors and partners, we see an enterprise develop with incredible complexity. The story also features gripping hooks such as blackmail, espionage and romance.

We witness Tim’s lifelong dreams become a reality, and feel as they dim slightly when he realises the consequences of his chosen profession. From the outset, Todds

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Any Last Words This week we asked for inspirational quotes to get us through the dismal essay season…

“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.” - J. R. R. Tolkien.

EVAN JONES “Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications are not your life.” - J. K. Rowling CARMEN PADDOCK “If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . . And follow your star. . . you’ll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy.” - Terry Pratchett.

THOMAS DAVIES “I wanted to show you what real courage is… it’s when you’ve been licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird SOPHIE HARRISON “Much of writing might be described as mental pregnancy with successive difficult deliveries.”- J.B. Priestley.

GARETH ROBERTS interweaves current affairs into Tim’s conversations, which at �irst appear only to show his good-education.

However, these slowly become more crucial until it is revealed that Tim has unwittingly become part of dodgy dealings related to British Secret Service Operations. We experience the adult world with him and are wholly taken aback by what is revealed.

Easily one of the most gripping novels I have ever read Tim is a wholly convincing character and is witty enough to not bore readers. Coupled with this are the beautiful descriptions of his friends and enemies, making the story even more absorbing.

Overall, the novel aptly reveals a man’s developing maturity in a way that is both entertaining and clever. A fantastic read!

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ARTS DIARY Art Paper Persuaders: First World War posters @ RAMM Until 18 January 2015

Comedy Exeter Revue Stand Up@ M&D Rooms 29 November The Last Laugh Open Mic Night @ Phoenix 24 November

Dance Tavaziva Ten @ Northcott 2 December

Radio Xpression Presents Union Road - 5:30pm Wednesdays

Theatre Antigone @ Northcott 26 - 29 November

Theatre Club Icarus in Love @ BikeShed 26 November 7:30pm For more details and discounts join our Theatre Club Facebook group or email us at arts@exepose.com

The beautiful game Bethany Stuart, Arts Editor, talks Christmas, football and the dethroning of Monty the John Lewis penguin as king of the ad break IN this month of remembrance, where we’ve seen the areas surrounding the Tower of London coming to a standstill as a result of the poignant poppy display that has attracted thousands, WW1 has become the focal point of many creative ventures.

[It’s] impossible not to appreciate the power of a game that can unite the most unlikely of people for 90 minutes Whilst Monty the Penguin and his tear-jerking solitude had their 15 minutes of glory in John Lewis’ annual Christmas campaign, the battle for Christmas supremacy has undoubtedly been won by Sainsbury’s. The supermarket has worked in partnership with The Royal British Legion, delving 100 years into the past, to bring us a moving depiction of that famous moment on Christmas morning 1914 when two armies ceased to be enemies and joined together to play football right in the centre of no man’s land.

I am no sports fan, I certainly don’t know the offside rule and my hand-eye coordination is quite frankly laughable, however I �ind it impossible not to appreciate the power of a game that can unite the most unlikely of people for 90 minutes. It would seem that I’m not alone either. An exhibition entitled ‘Crossing the Field: WW1, Football & The Christmas Truce’ is currently on display at the Pitzhanger Manor Gallery in London and showcases a selection of European photographs and artworks that capture the moments, just as in 1914, when football has brought people together in the bleakest of circumstances.

For example, Jurgen Vantomme’s photograph taken at A.S Chaelineau F.C in Belgium - a country whose lands were at the very heart of WW1’s trench warfare - shows a football match being played in a setting of bitter conditions and surrounding poverty. It depicts the modern footballer as the modern soldier and the football �ield as a battleground, arguably alluding to the normalisation of war in contemporary society through video games like Call of Duty, where the player employs tactics and weaponry just as a manager

directs their team. The bleakness of the image, however, brings the viewer right back into reality; he succeeds in instantly removing the glamour of war and, just as Sainsbury’s advert does, returns us right back to the trenches.

Sorry Monty, maybe there’s a spot for you in the next season of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

The Christmas Truce is one of those beautiful - and seemingly rare - moments in history when mankind shares a sense of fraternity, when one individual recognises themselves in another from a totally different social, racial and political background. To be horribly cliché about it, it wholly sums up the entire crux of Christmas, something often forgotten in the madness of the bright lights and sparkly gift-wrapping of the usual consumer push that characterises retailers in the rundown to the 25th. I’m not a Christian, but I wholeheartedly buy into the premise

of Jesus’ agape love: that redemption and forgiveness are utterly necessary to forge long-lasting relationships with people. If Jim can forgive Otto for trying to mutilate him with a machine gun across a trench, then I should sure as heck be able to get over whatever my cushty Exeter life throws at me.

Whilst I may never feel the urge to watch the next Manchester United game on the big screen down the pub, my perceptions of the sport have certainly warmed and I will endeavour to refrain from likening the players to “over-paid hairdressers” as I have done in the past. The exhibition is testament to how anything can become art when we think about it even just slightly differently and consider how it affects us.

So Sainsbury’s, I applaud you, and suggest your advertising team should get a huge bonus despite the claims of some that the advert glamourises war. Sorry Monty, maybe there’s a spot for you in the next season of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

The ‘Crossing the Field: WW1, Football & The Christmas Truce’ exhibition is running from 8 November 2014 to 10 January 2015.

EXEPOSÉ Essie Dennis

[roland: a collage] The BikeShed Theatre 6 November 2014

IT is never an easy feat to create an in-depth world using minimal props and a sporadic timeline – The Molino Group achieved it, however. Initially, I was a little dubious of [roland: a collage]. I’m always sceptical when I see dismembered mannequins, a bathtub and ripped sheets strewn about the place. I had expected some strange, absurdist theatre with a storyline I couldn’t follow for an hour and a half.

I was not just pleasantly surprised, but inspired and almost shocked at how involved I became with this play and its characters. It was witty, cinematic and full of artistic expression.

Carmen Paddock

‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London 15 November 2014

THE GLOBE’S new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a recreation of an indoor Jacobean theatre, has only been open for less than a year but has already become one of the country’s leading venues for Early Modern drama. The works performed in this beautifully decorated, 340-seat wooden auditorium feature those by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and successors including Webster, Ford and Beaumont.

This late Renaissance atmosphere is heightened by the sole use of candles for lighting; the aisle safety lights go off the moment the performance begins, but the hanging candelabras and carried torches and candles amply illuminate the space. And if the lights are put out, the darkness is impenetrable. Lastly, live musicians in the gallery above provide a score to the dramatic actions played out beneath them.

Due to its raw passion, provocation, and brutality, John Ford’s explosive melodrama ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore was ideally suited to this performance space and style. Extinguished candles set the space for mysterious nighttime scenes, where the audience discovered the bloody body with the torch-bearing characters. Low, throbbing music underscored dangerous proclamations of love.

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The play follows the life of Roland Penrose, a surrealist painter and his wife Lee Miller, a photojournalist. As they travel between Spain and London, their relationship sustains across wartime Europe. Interspersed between these two characters there were soldiers, ghosts, war widows and friends: people who were directly affected by the political and social unrest in Europe at the time.

At �irst I found myself a little nonplussed, as I couldn’t see how the scenes themselves �itted together.

But there came a point where suddenly everything clicked completely, the ‘collage’ was created. Despite the non-linear action, I still felt as though I got to know the characters in a coherent order. I certainly felt as though I was being taken on a journey through different times and places. The music and props created such contrasting atmospheres: they take you away from serenity on the Côte d’Azur and thrust you into an unsettling, surreal dreamlike

state within a matter of minutes.

And true to the Globe’s reputation, the performances delivered were powerful, unwavering portrayals of characters caught in disastrous relationships with deadly results.

According to popular legend, Ford wrote ‘Tis Pity as a parody of Romeo and Juliet. If this is true, he had a sick sense of humour. The plot follows Giovanni and Annabella, a brother and sister who fall desperately in love… with each other. And they do not �ight it. In a matter of scenes their relationship is consummated and Annabella is bent on rejecting her many suitors. This preempts a ruinous downward spiral complete with illicit pregnancy, an abusive forced marriage, and

bleeding bodies littering the stage. The memorable climatic scenes feature one of the most squirm-inducing murders in dramatic literature and a heart skewered on a dagger.

This is neither a play nor a production for the faint of heart – stage hands regularly had to mop pools of blood before the next scene could commence.

lievably wrong in context, was delivered with such heartfelt honesty by the two lead actors that it was hard not to root for the doomed lovers. Max Bennet was an idealistic, �laming Giovanni, clearly showing his struggle between his reason and emotion. The graceful, delicate Fiona Button was a mesmerising Annabella, with a keen intelligence balancing the �ire behind her eyes. Her confrontation with Soranzo was a virtuosic display of passion and strength which commanded respect and heightened her tragedy – of all characters, she gets the worst deal.

The fully-packed audience’s standing ovation is perhaps the greatest testament to this production’s ferocious passion.

Record breaking £536 million contemporary art sale in Christie’s NYC

Neither a play nor a production for the faint of heart Despite the grim, problematic subject matter, the production did not drag or moralise. There were moments of comedy to break up the relentless passion. This was both of the farcical and twisted kinds, which made the aud i e n c e guffaw and groan in turn. Ford’s beautiful love poetry, which was unbe-

Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series 2008-2014 exhibited @ Castle Galleries

I’m always dubious when I see dismemembered mannequins The acting from the Molino Group’s three-person cast was superb: all three performances brought the story alive from the blank canvas of a set. Lucy Farrett, playing Lee Miller, was particularly captivating. I became so fascinated by her character that I had to �ind out more once I left the theatre. It’s rare and wonderful to get so emotionally affected by a performance but the writing, directing and performances came together to create a very moving piece of theatre.

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Artistic Licence This month Made in Dagenham the musical opened on the West End stage. Gemma Arterton leads the women at a1960s Ford factory as they fight for equal pay. We asked you: What would ‘MADE IN *INSERT YOUR HOME TOWN HERE* THE MUSICAL’ be like and who would star?

“Made in Guildford (see Made in Chelsea, with less money, but just as much sense of entitlement, possibly fewer smiles)”.

KATE BURGESS “Made in Bude - Hot Fuzz gets nautical: a seaside town populated by the elderly, surfers and disillusioned teenagers who the police drive around in riot vans to stop loitering in the park (or anywhere visible). Sporadic canal surfing in floods, men biting each other’s ears off and chefs chasing customers down the street with meat cleavers keeps inhabitants on their toes until the tourist season hits”.

EMMA THOMAS “Made in Tenterden, The Musical, starring poorly parked Range Rovers, self-righteousness and Lee Mead (of Joseph fame, because he actually lives in the area and I saw him in Cafe Nero once). The dramatic point would be the uproar that happened when Waitrose ran out of parsnips in the week before Christmas (true story).”

FRAN LOWE “Made in Pershore- a small town continually contemplates its own lack of importance whilst being vaguely aware that not only does no one outside the town care what happens there, no one living there cares either. Starring Toyah Wilcox (who inexplicably chose to live here) and a vague sense of existential despair.”

GARETH ROBERTS

Artist spent 48 hours looking for a needle in a haystack in a Paris gallery

Comedian Tig Notaro performs topless to show mastectomy scars

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ARTS

Jessica Knight

The Exeter Revue present On the Spot M&D Room 15 November

EXETER Revue’s On the Spot recently captured both the nervous energy and laughs of the infamous comedy sketch show Whose Line Is It Anyway? There’s nothing quite like live comedy, especially improvised live comedy, to keep an audience captivated. However, it also has the greatest chance of being embarrassing or noticeably bad! It was a relief, then, that from the get-go this was a funny and relaxed performance.

The success of the evening was largely down to the con�i-

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COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 18-21 14-17 8-12

dent tone set by both performers and Ricky Freelove as host. Considering this was many performers’ Revue debut, nerves were alleviated by Ricky’s con�idence. He chose suggestions from the audience astutely and timed the ends of games accurately, allowing the laughs to reach their peak.

In a similar vein, the �lair of the most established performer, Oli Gilford clearly gave the o t h e r s heart. Cons i s t e n t l y, pairings of

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Oli and another were the most relaxed and funny.

Other pairings also stood out.

Jack Smail and Lara Garrett’s impersonation of Northern gingerbread men was genius and if I had my way, would be a regular at every performance.

The really enjoyable part about an evening where they moved quickly from one game to another is that each performer’s strengths worked well at different points.

Marco Roberts and Ed Tebbutt worked well together, especially in their German Porn scene in the “Foreign Film Dub” game, as Marco thrusted along the �loor Beyoncé style. Whilst Jonny Ainslie slightly overplayed the Oscar Pistorious gags in “World’s Worst Athlete,” he was endearingly funny when milking a cow.

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Meanwhile Alice Palmer had a real natural humour; sometimes I was laughing without even really knowing what it was that she had said! Her efforts in “Sing Prov,” a game where the performers improvise lyrics about an audience member, were commendable.

Her and Jack Smail made for quite a disturbing rap duo.

My one criticism would be the stereotypical tropes the Revue occasionally fell i n t o .

Whether it was in their portrayal of the Welsh or the Bollywood genre, the laughs dropped in these moments. Improv is funny because

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it’s off the cuff and exciting, whilst stereotyping, sometimes at risk of being offensive, is often boring – as is the nature of a stereotype: I’ve heard it before. Yet these rare moments were hard for the performers to avoid as they were a result of audience suggestions.

I’d pay to see the show again Overall I’d have to agree with one audience member who said she’d pay to see the show again. Certainly I’ll be going to another performance, and next time who knows, I might be con�ident enough to volunteer to go up on stage myself.

Catch The Exeter Revue’s stand-up show on Saturday 29 November in the M&D Room.

EXEHIBITION : Society spotlight

Sarah Gough, Arts Editor, interviews the directors from Shotgun’s The Wild Party and EUTCo’s The Crucible to find out what’s in store on stage this December

With a cast of 15, The Wild Party includes a massive 40 musical numbers. “There’ve been a few hairy rehearsals, but it’s going well. Kate Lines, our choreographer, is great and the actors continue to impress me.”

The Wild Party’s action centres on

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l ive j a z z band, not to mention the occasional distorted jazz hand, will accompany the show.

It’s not often that a wild party is elusive, however this one is. Boasting a successful Broadway run, The Wild Party is one of few musicals that has not been adopted into public consciousness. I wondered whether this has made Beth’s job more dif�icult.

“Am I able to put my own stamp on it?

Inevitably. There’s no �ilm version so

IN Arthur Miller’s centenary year, it seems only right that both the RSC and EUTCo should honour his brilliance. The Crucible, a drama based upon the 17th Century Salem witch trials, is one of his most admired works. I spoke to Madeleine Allardice and Annie Hammond who are codirecting EUTCo’s production of The Crucible this term.

Aside from justi�iably jumping on the Arthur Miller

Shotgun will be bringing the party on 3, 4 and 5 December in Roborough Studios. Tickets available from the Guild website now

EC

A GCSE text for many, Madeleine and Annie are planning on staying true to Miller’s superb script. “We’re both history geeks,” Madeline explains, “we’re using puritan music and a simple set to really do justice to the play,” and they have chosen to abandon the American accent so as not to detract from the poignancy of Miller’s dialogue.

Whilst Madeleine had experience directing at school and Annie directed part of EUTCo’s re:play series last year, I asked them how they have found their debut co-directorship. “It’s a pleasantly mad experience. There’s a lot of logistics and organisation involved but the cast are so dedicated and the support from EUTCo has been incredible.”

So why should we �lock out of our warm homes to see their The Crucible, I ask. “It’s very audience friendly. You will �ind at least one character you relate to and that makes the script really hit home.

Without wanting to sound clichéd, it’s an emotional journey. If the audience don’t leave crying, or close to tears, or with goose-bumps at least, then we haven’t done our job.”

RU CIB

bandwagon and garnering a greater understanding of what is a canonical work of American drama, I wondered what drew them to The Crucible speci�ically. “Every character is fantastic,” they concur, “but the women are particularly strong. Unlike a lot of plays, where women are restricted to maid or femme fatale, in The Crucible the action is carried by the females.”

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there’s freedom. I think the cast feel that as well, the characters are their own. It’ll be nice not having any audience expectation and surprising everyone!” It seems this wild party is fully under control and promises to be an evening of dramatic debauchery.

T

It’s dark, raunchy Gatsby

a dysfunctional couple, Queenie and Burrs, who attempt to overcome their relationship issues by throwing one massive party. We’ve all been there, right? Well, maybe not, as it just so happens that all their invited friends are performers in 1920s Vaudeville.

“It’s Gatsby!” Beth exclaims, “It all goes horribly wrong and you see their lives unravel before you. It’s dark, raunchy Gatsby.” To ensure those Vaudeville vibes, a

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THE WILD PARTY is a musical with might: it’s eccentric, �lamboyant and ambitious. You only need to listen to its most prominent track ‘Let’s Raise The Roof’ to work that one out. Say the words ‘ambitious’ to Shotgun however, and you’re, well, shot down. Nothing is too ambitious. I chatted to Beth Cowley, second year Drama student, who is tasked with directing said wild party, intrigued as to how she’s planning on raising Roborough’s roof come December.

Despite having never directed a musical before, it is clear that Beth is well quali�ied to do so. A member of Footlights, Sweet Nothings and Shotgun, she is a seasoned singer and has taken on the role of both director and vocal coach for The Wild Party. “There’s no bones about it, it’s a stressful job,” she admits, “but I feel so attached to the show. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a project through from beginning to end.”

The Crucible will run from 3-6 December in the M&D Room.

How will you replace your phone if it gets lost, damaged or stolen?

Your tech is a link to your whole way of life, so what would you do if it gets lost, damaged or stolen? Luckily you can insure your stuff, including your bike, from £10.77 a month.** And, we’ll even replace them in just 24 hours of your claim being approved.* Now there’s something no student should be without.

For lifestyle tips and tricks from the No. 1 student insurance provider visit hub.endsleigh.co.uk/security

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Protect your possessions and always remember to Check, Lock, Leave.

*If your item is lost, stolen or unrepairable we’ll replace it within 24 hours – 1 working day of your claim being approved. **Price based on insuring a laptop up to the value of £500, an iPhone 4s and a bike up to £200 for a student living on campus.

Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting their website at www.fca.org.uk/register. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited, Company No. 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.

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Assassin’s Creed is going rogue

Get your ass(assin) in gear with Ubisoft’s latest last-gen release Alexander Roberts

Assassin’s Creed Rogue Ubisoft Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Out now

SO the Assassin’s Creed series has now of�icially moved entirely on to the new console generation with the launch of Assassin’s Creed: Unity. However, for those of us still trapped in the past, Ubisoft has gracefully gifted us with one last hurrah in the form of Assassin’s Creed Rogue.

The title is rather apt, as this time around you play as a villainous Templar, Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish (if you couldn’t tell) immigrant to America in the 1750s. He joins the Assassins but becomes disillusioned with their obsession with precursor technology and decided to change teams. If

you are new to the series and words like ‘precursor’ seem confusing, that is rather unsurprising; this is a game then that seems created solely for previous Assassin’s Creed players.

You’re going to be getting a very strong sense of deja vu The game starts in media res with Shay already into the swing of things with some new faces to the series as well as the return of some old friends.

Even the tutorials are rather rushed, with the game assuming that the player already knows the basics of land and naval controls. While this is by no means a bad thing, if you have played Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, you’re going to be getting a very strong sense of deja vu.

To say Rogue and Black Flag have a similar feel is an understatement; Rogue may have swapped the Caribbean for the North Atlantic, but if you’ve seen one 18th century colonial settlement you’ve seen them all. The sidequests of Rogue feel very familiar to those of Black Flag while your ship, the Morrigan, is not dissimilar to the Jackdaw. The weapons are the most similar, with much-touted new toys (like the air ri�le) being little more than replacements for similar weapons in Black Flag.

The modern day sequences are back, and the addition of new characters and a new hacking mini-game can’t disguise the almost copy-pasted environment and gameplay. It should be stated that Rogue is by no means just a cheap knock off of its predecessor, all that was fun in Black Flag is just as fun, if not more so, in Rogue. The

The LEGO Gotham deserves

sidequests and investment have really improved - you get the sense that you are developing something with actual progress, helping the British win the Seven Years War, rather than just doing pirate things for the sake of being a pirate.

It’s also nice to see the British portrayed as the good guys for once The game’s story is designed to be a prequel for both Assassin’s Creed: III and Unity and it executes this perfectly; not only creating a sympathetic and engaging protagonist in Shay but in effectively tying up any loose ends the series has before it moves on to pastures new. The game revisits characters and locations and adds to them in surprisingly enjoyable ways. However,

“I guess we’ll just have to wing it ... that’s a bat pun”

Matthew Jones

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Warner Bros.

Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita, 3DS, Wii U, iOS, PC, Mac Out Now

LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM is the third game in the LEGO Batman series, a sequel to the 2012 game LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

Right off the bat (pun intended), the attention to detail that this game has to

offer is impressive. For example, when Robin walks in a puddle of toxic waste, he leaves behind slimy footprints that gradually fade. This may not seem like much, but it’s really quite surprising how many big releases don’t get this level of treatment and it’s what makes the LEGO franchise so charming.

At its core, this game is puzzlebased with many of them inspired

by The Legend of Zelda games (some of the characters have similar tools/ weapons). Unfortunately, as the game progresses, some of the puzzles become repetitive and tedious.

The game’s controls are for the

most part well-de�ined, but there are a lot of functions mapped to a relatively lesser number of buttons. This means that multiple functions can share the same button, often causing you to do things that you didn’t intend. As you could imagine, this can be incredibly annoying at times.

From �inding elusive gold bricks to saving Adam West There are, of course, many characters to unlock in the game and plenty collectables to collect: a series staple.

F r o m �inding elusive gold bricks to saving Adam West in every level, t h e r e is a lot of potential gameplay pletionists

for the among

comus.

the best part of the story is the way the game thoroughly turns the tables on the series’ established prejudices; the Assassins are portrayed as ruthless fanatics who seem to care little about the lives of those not involved in their struggle, while the Templars are portrayed as honourable and caring individuals who are trying to create a better world for all. It’s also nice to see the British portrayed as the good guys for once!

If you are new to the franchise I cannot recommend Rogue since it is very much a fan game. However, if you are a long-standing Assassin’s Creed player I can certainly recommend it.

The game may be almost exactly the same as Black Flag but if you had fun there you’ll have even more fun now and the story itself, although rather short, is certainly worth the price.

I would de�initely recommend this game to any fan of the LEGO series or anyone who enjoys puzzle games; its humour and artistic direction are up to the standards set by previous entries in addition to reinventing itself as an individual title. If you can overcome some redundant gameplay, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had!

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Letting it go with the cold shoulder GAMES & TECH

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Why Double Eleven’s new game is giving off the wrong signals Jim Miller

Frozen Synapse Prime Bethesda Softworks PC PlayStation 3, PS Vita Out now

FROZEN SYNAPSE PRIME (FSP) is the new turn-based strategy game from Double Eleven. It is also a turn-based strategy game that doesn’t work.

I have always been a fan of turnbased strategy games, but when I received my copy of Double-Eleven’s new turn-based title I was expecting a refreshing indie take on a very wellestablished genre.

What I found, however, was a cumbersome interface, a lacklustre storyline, and evidence that the design team tried just a little too hard to be edgy and innovative – a strategy that did not, as it turns out, pay off.

Before delving into all that fails with FSP, it is worthwhile noting that this is based on the Steam-distributed PC version of the game. This version is clearly a bad console port; even

unplugging my Xbox 360 controller from my computer did not prompt the game to display hints, tutorial instructions, or the menu’s control scheme in PC-friendly terms.

Fortunately, with a bit of trial and error you should easily be able to determine what keyboard shortcut replaces the “Y Button.”

H o w e v e r, even knowing what the equivalent button is on the keyboard doesn’t solve the outdated camera system or the design �laws inherent in the most basic aspects of the levels.

The player’s view can be zoomed in or out, and moved

In pursuit of appiness Hannah Butler News Editor Despicable Me: Minion Rush Gameloft iOS, Android Out now THINK Temple Run but in�initely more whimsical, colourful, and focused on achieving your �ive-a-day.

Minion Rush combines all of the things I love most in this world: bananas (my favourite fruit), Dave (my favourite animated character with the same name as my dad) and running – or even better, feeling like I’m exercising while curled up snug on the sofa.

You get to harvest stars on the moon, for goodness’ sake.

And ride a �luffy unicorn. And transform into the Mega Minion to destroy everything in your path (does some sadistic part of me want to adopt this move on busy days in Devonshire House? Nah. Of course not).

Your minion runner is tireless, never tripping over his laces or getting a stitch – although knocking back this many bananas over a 2000m sprint has to be playing havoc with his digestive system.

The best part about the app, though? The cute little messages it sends me when I’ve not played in a few days. “Come back! The longer you stay away the less despicable you become!”

– Now, some would call that needy, Minion Rush, but you de�initely know how to make a girl feel loved.

up/down/left/right in the plane, yet cannot be rotated or have its angle relative to the ground manipulated.

When windows, doors, and solid walls often look exactly the same from the angle that one’s viewpoint is locked on, this makes it very dif�icult to plan

a strategy based on the current environment.

Why does this matter, you ask?

Simply put, FSP �inds you in control of “Tactics”, a group of soldiers �ighting against a maniacal corporate empire, and you can only maintain a link to your little army for a limited amount of time. There are differently equipped soldiers, ranging from simple machine gunner (the grunts) to snipers and even grenadiers.

All of this speci�icity is useless, however, when the level design has virtu-

ally no differentiation between a bulkhead and a glass window, rendering all troops but the machine gunners and snipers fairly ineffective.

Additionally, you have a variety of different movement and aiming options for each of your troops, yet all of these unique orders seem to ultimately accomplish the exact same thing: run and gun.

scented love letters or press �lowers in an 100-year-old book, now you can do the same with your most cherished Exeposé articles.

You can even access your copy of the paper with the inbuilt Issuu viewer. Just slide to the left to view the menu and scroll down the current and archived editions of the paper are there at your �ingertips.

The Exeposé App is available in an impressive range of languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portugese, Simpli�ied Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.

The App is available for iOS and Android phones, so everyone can have the joy of walking with a tiny version of Exeposé in their pocket.

Windows users will have to await the next update before being able to access the App, but rest assured - it is well worth it.

I have never seen an

app so beautiful, so calm, and so secure in its own existence. In a world of trauma and heartache, this App is a shining beacon unto humanity.

It would be nice if the thing had a search bar though.

Clunkier than tap-dancing with a peg leg FSP comes from a fairly respected franchise, yet I feel the developers have slacked. Maybe these issues spring from being a PC-port, yet when the most visually enticing bits are the murals that �lash during cut scenes, and the interface is clunkier than tapdancing with a peg-leg, I would wager that there is no saving grace to be found even on a PS3. That said, FSP is in early access, so I am staying hopeful that these issues will be addressed.

Exeposé’s gone mobile Adam Smith G&T Editor Exeposé App Blappsta iOS, Android

REVIEWING the Exeposé App is something of a philosophical mine�ield how does one review perfection? It seems that Steve Jobs designed the iPhone with this App in mind.

Just as one might keep scented love letters ... you can do the same with your most cherished Exeposé articles

The interface is beautiful, mirroring the Exeposé website that Exeter students have welcomed into their lives and, for some, into their hearts.

With a quick slide to the left of the app, you can access all your favourite Exeposé sections. A simple tap will bring the category up, much like tapping the shoulder of an old friend you haven’t seen in months.

By pressing the icon in the top right corner, you can check your bookmarked articles and the recent noti�ications that the Exeposé App can send to you. Just as one might keep

42

GAMES & TECH

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 14-17 18-21 8-12

MUSIC 24-27

SCREEN 30-33

BOOKS 34-35

ARTS 36-38

GAMES & TECH

40-42

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

SPORT 44-48

EXEPOSÉ

Welcome to the How the anonymous strings below the World Wide Web get pulled

You name it, the darknet has it, from guns to gore-porn If you have no idea what the darknet is (i.e. you’re one of those �irst

drugs delivered direct to their doors.

Targeting the ‘net is like declaring war on the sea

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that most of those 20 folks who know what the darknet is (welcome to the club, by the way) will agree that it’s probably no bad thing that a bunch of sites are being hunted down and taken out by the recently-founded National Crime Agency, or NCA, and their friends. However, this is where our annoyed �ive from earlier come into play.

Two of these �ive know the dark-

net pretty well, and they know that it’s not all drugs and guns. They know that in fact, a lot of it is made up of anonymous networks and forums for whistle-blowers, undercover journalists, and other things that make Big Brother sweat. ‘Ah,’ say some of the 20, ‘but we needn’t worry! Our good NCA would only take out the bad guys and druggies!‘ Would they really now? That list of who’s getting busted hasn’t been released, and what do you think the odds are that it will be?

Then there are the other three guys. These folks order their pickme-ups from the darknet. Two are annoyed, because their supply

Puzzle Corner

might get a little tight for a while.

And one is a long-term darknet shopper, because he’s an addict.

These three aren’t that annoyed, because they know the online drugs market will surge back to life very soon, and they know those that run it haven’t been arrested, even if the sites are down for now. This is the problem with targeting the ‘net: it’s like declaring war on the sea. Nobody’s going to be wiping either out anytime soon.

There’s something we can get rid of though: this last guy’s addiction. So why are taxpayers’ pounds going into the NCA’s futile operation instead? We should be tackling the issues we can actually deal with.

Across:

Down:

1) Weightless (like

1) Make-up for the

port - it explodes in

19-winning 2013

16 in 2 scenes?) (5) 4) Form of 9 trans2 (7)

8) Bandage (for a wound) (7)

9) Room - the setting for most of 2 (5)

10) Large family (5) 11) Celestial body -

Earth is the main one in 2 (6)

13) Prairie wolf (6) 15) Small stone (6)

18) Programme (of lectures) (6)

Answers:

Across: 1 Light, 4 Shuttle, 8 Plaster, 9 Space, 10 Tribe, 11 Planet, 13 Coyote, 15 Pebble, 18 Course, 20 Split, 22 Accra, 23 Cartoon, 24 Karaoke, 25 Ankle.

THIS last fortnight, the long cyberlimb of the law has been closing in on the enigmatic ‘darknet,’ also known as the ‘deepweb.’ Tell this to a room of 100 students and 75 will have blank looks on their faces, 20 will nod with quiet ‘hmm’ noises and look at each other knowledgeably, and �ive will look rather annoyed.

75) then fret not, because most of those 20 don’t actually know either.

A crash course: darknet is like the internet, but it’s designed to make everybody who uses it anonymous.

The darknet is frequently used by some to order [insert name of illicit good here]. Seriously, you name it, the darknet has it, from guns to gore-porn.

The most famous of the sites on the darknet is ‘Silk Road’ (now in its 2.0 incarnation due to a previous bust), which really is like Amazon for drugs.

Narcotics do make up the majority of darknet commerce. Using anonymous currencies such as the (in)famous Bitcoin, people can and do get

Down: 1 Lipstick, 2 Gravity, 3 Title, 4 Scrape, 5 Upstage, 6 Tease, 7 Even, 12 Sentence, 14 Tornado, 16 Bullock, 17 Rescue, 19 Oscar, 20 Syria, 21 Walk.

Josh Rotchelle

Sudoku #5 and Crossword #68 by Alfred

20) Divide (5)

22) The capital of

Ghana (5)

23) Comic drawing (7)

24) Public singing of songs (in a bar) (7) 25) Joint in the leg (5)

mouth (8)

2) Importance -

sci-�i �ilm starring a 16 in 9 (7)

3) Name (5) 4) Grind (6)

5) Draw attention

away from someone (7)

6) Pull someone’s leg (5)

7) Flat (4)

12) Verdict (of a judge) (8)

14) Hurricane (7)

16) Ox (who appears in 2?) (7)

17) Save (6)

19) Film award - 2

won seven in 2014 (5)

20) (Con�licted) Middle East nation (5)

21) Go on foot - after 9, an event in 2? (4)

FreshersExposeAdvert.pdf

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1

09/10/2014

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Boxing Varsity 2014: 44

SPORT

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 14-17 18-21 8-12

MUSIC 24-27

SCREEN 30-33

BOOKS 34-35

ARTS 36-38

GAMES & TECH

40-42

SPORT 44-48

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

EXEPOSÉ

With a sold out crowd expected at The Lemon Grove on 26 November for EUABC’s showcase event,

The Boxers

The bouts

The following Exeter boxers have been confirmed to fight (opponent dependant) at the time of going to print:

Richie Goulding (Heavyweight) Alex Molyneux (Bantamweight) Ike Ogbo (Super Heavyweight) Olufemi Fagbemi (Super Heavyweight) Ben Cartwright (Welterweight) Jack Price-Draper (Welterweight) Simon Islam (Middleweight) Ed Frost (Welterweight) Rob Hibbs (Middleweight) Ryan Ferguson (Light Heavyweight) Richard Fitz-Hugh (Light Welterweight Tina Salvesen (Featherweight) Olga Zyuzina (Flyweight) Mashud Rahman (Middleweight

The coverage

É

Exeposé Will be tweeting the event from @ExeposeSport, as well as posting a report and photos online XTV Will be broadcasting live footage of the event from their website: www.xtvonline. co.uk/boxing XpressionFM Will be commentating live on the night both on 87.7 FM frequency and online

EUABC Club Captain Richie Goulding

EUABC Vice Captain Olufemi Fagbemi

EUABC club member Ike Ogbo

EUABC club member Tina Salvesen

Degree Programme: Sport & Health Sciences

Degree Programme: Engineering & Management

Degree Programme: Medicine

Degree Programme: Business & Management

Year of study: 4

Height: 6”3

Weight: 83kg

Speciality: Effective jab, good footwork

How long have you been fighting?

Year of study: 3

Height: 5”11

Weight: 100kg

Speciality: Switch hitter

Year of study: 2

Height: 6”1

Weight: 94kg

Speciality Volume puncher

Quickfire questions What attracted you to start boxing?

RG: I guess there was a sigRG: I started boxing at 13, and had fought in around 13 nificant family influence, but at the end of the day I just bouts before university. like hitting people!

OF: I had never boxed before OF: I wanted to try a new coming to university, but sport, and it was only 35 started in my first year. pounds to join, so I thought I’d give it a go.

IO: I used to Kickbox for fun, but only started boxing IO: I really enjoy the physical seven weeks before last nature of martial arts, and year’s Varsity. love the sensation of getting TS: I’d never boxed before I into the ring! came to university, the Varsity TS: It’s good for fitness and fight will be my first ever turned out to be really fun! bout!

What are you looking forward to most about the Varsity?

RG: Rectifying the fact that I lost in my bout in the Varsity last year!

OF: I just want to drink afterwards!

IO: I just really want to prove to myself that all my hard work over the last year has paid off.

TS: I can’t wait to get into that ring for the first time.

Year of study: 3

Height: 5”4

Weight: 55kg

Speciality: Agility and technique

Who is your favourite current or all time boxer?

RG: Probably Sugar ‘Ray’ Robertson.

OF: Definitely the one and only Mike Tyson.

IO: It’s kind of cliché but probably has to be Floyd Mayweather.

TS: Cecilia Brækhus. She’s a Norwegian boxer and former kickboxer.

your definitive guide EXEPOSÉ

SPORT

www.exepose.com

45

James Beeson, Sport Editor, guides you through everything you need to know about Varsity 2014

The Club

The Varsity

The University of Exeter Amatuer Boxing Club is becoming one of the fastest growing sporting societies in the Athletics community. With membership levels in the hundreds and the current UK BUCS champion Richie Goulding leading the team, the club, which is less than five years old, has never been in better shape.

The Boxing Varsity will take place on 26 November at The Lemon Grove. Doors will open at 7pm, with the fights commencing at 8pm.

EUABC welcome new members of all ability levels, and with two of their rookie boxers (Ben Cartwight and Olufemi Fagbemi) delivering two first round knockouts in their recent trips to Bude, Truro and Coventry, it’s clear that experience is not a pre-requisite for success at the club.

EUABC also have a great partnership with local boxing club Exeter MKO, who coach the squad and provide training for the rest of the amateurs. Boxers from MKO will also be fighting in the Varsity’s junior bouts, enabling the club to showcase the full range of Exeter’s boxing ability.

Membership to EUABC costs £75 for the academic year. Anyone wishing to receive further information can contact Club Captain Richie Goulding at boxing.captain@exeter.ac.uk

EUABC’s squad will be competing against boxers from a selection of other universities from across the south of England and Wales, as well as supporting junior bouts from Exeter MKO Boxing Club. The official list of competitors confirmed at the time of going to print can be found on page 44.

This is the first year that EUABC have hosted a Varsity fixture, although a similar event, entitled ‘Fight Night’ was held at a sold out Lemon Grove last year and was a huge success, with over 550 people attending. With seven out of nine Exeter boxers gaining victories last year, expectations are high going into this years’ event.

A very small number of tickets remain unsold at the time of going to print. Any remaining tickets can be bought from the AU office at the Sports Park and cost £7. For details on how to keep up to date on news from the Varsity, see ‘The Coverage’ section on page 44.

Refreshments wil be available to purchase on the night.

A baptism of fire: EUABC boxers warm up for Varsity B����� Liam Monsell

EUABC Publicity Secretary EAUBC Camborne & Truro BEHIND the scenes, EUABC’s preparations for the annual Boxing Varsity are going extremely well, with three of their boxers making their competitive debuts on Saturday in some thrilling contests.

The squad travelled to Truro to compete in Truro Amateur Boxing Club’s annual home show, where they faced opponents from Camborne Boxing Club and Truro ABC. For the club’s rookie �ighters, they certainly got the baptism of �ire they were hoping for.

Jack Price-Draper was up �irst for Exeter. Both boxers traded shots in the opening round and set a furious pace

to begin with. Price-Draper seemed to have the advantage in terms of �irepower in the opening round, darting in and out with quick combinations that kept his opponent on the back foot for much of the match and taking the �irst round on all three judges’ scorecards.

Ferguson forced the pace; pushing his opponent back The bout turned into a war, with both boxers standing in the centre of the ring refusing to back down, trading leather. Unfortunately Price-Draper tired the most, and his Camborne opponent took the majority of judges’ cards in the second round.

The bout went into the �inal round.

Not long in, a strong barrage of straight

punches caught Price-Draper and left him reeling, forcing the referee to step in and give a standing-eight count. The referee allowed him to continue but a further attack from his opponent forced the bout to be stopped, with his opponent taking a TKO victory. Not many boxers have such a hard contest in their �irst bout, but Price-Draper showed enough grit to prove that he deserves his place in the Varsity squad.

Next up was light-heavyweight southpaw Ryan Ferguson, again making his debut against a Camborne opponent. Ferguson faced off against an opponent who undoubtedly had the advantage in height and reach, but he wasted no time in putting his opponent on the back foot. His adversary struggled to cope with Ferguson’s awkward southpaw style, and was frequently caught by long, raking left hands down the middle.

Ferguson forced the pace; pushing his opponent back with straight shots and cutting the ring down with intelligent pressure. Showing skills beyond his experience in a composed, relaxed performance, he cruised to a unanimous points verdict, taking every round on all three judges’ scorecards.

Cartwright backed his opponent up towards the ropes before launching a devastating left hook The last Exeter boxer to compete on the night was welterweight Ben Cartwright, boxing against an opponent from Truro.

The home boxer had a large following in the crowd, but they were soon silenced once the bell sounded.

Cartwright wasted no time in going to work, throwing hard shots right from the start. Both boxers traded shots but it was clear that the Exeter man had the advantage in terms of strength and technical ability.

About 30 seconds into the �irst round, Cartwright backed his opponent up towards the ropes before launching a devastating left hook that sent his opponent crashing towards the canvas. There was no sign he was going to get back up. Cartwright was ecstatic with the victory, beginning his boxing career with a �irst round knockout. A great way to �inish the night for Exeter’s boxers.

EUABC have started the season well and hope to improve on their recent successes in future competitions.

The squad are now undergoing their �inal week of training for the Boxing Varsity on 26 November.

46

The best of BUCS Selected results from BUCS matches played on 19 November Football Men’s 1s Bath

1 0

Men’s 2s Bristol

3 0

Hockey

Women’s 1s Bath

3 0

Women’s 5s UWE

8 0

Lacrosse Men’s 1s Bath

14 4

Women’s 1s Bath

20 2

Women’s 2s Bath

15 4

Netball

Women’s 2s Bournemouth

61 56

Women’s 6s UWE

52 5

Rugby Union Men’s 1s Hartpury Women’s 1s Oxford Women’s 2s Bournemouth

20 15 7 0 17 17

Rugby League Men’s 1s Oxford

54 0

Men’s 2s UWE

26 22

Badminton Men’s 1s Bath

Volleyball Men’s 1s Warwick

Tennis

Women’s 1s Bath

Captain’s Corner NEWS 1-7

SPORT

3 5 3 0

6 6

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 18-21 14-17 8-12

MUSIC 24-27

SCREEN 30-33

BOOKS 34-35

ARTS 36-38

GAMES & TECH

40-42

SPORT 44-48

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

EXEPOSÉ

This week we tested out our sea legs with EUSC’s team racing Captain Tarra Gill Taylor HOW does it feel to lead the team this year?

Obviously I feel a certain amount of pressure and responsibility to do well given the club’s history of success, but I am quietly con�ident the teams will excel this year.

What are your aims and expectations for the season?

I would love to get two teams into the BUCS �inals and improve on our 4th place last year.

C������� Will Robertson Boulder Secretary

Bristol Climbing Competition Winners THE Exeter University Climbing Club built on their already successful winter season last week, producing yet another inspired performance and �inishing in with a gold medal in Bristol.

The event saw a large number of universities in attendance competing at the new state of the art Bloc Climbing Centre in Bristol. Competition for the title was �ierce, yet every participant relished the opportunity to climb in this state of the art facility.

The Exeter team came out on top, doing the double, �inishing in gold and silver medal positions Despite tough competition, the Exeter team came out �irmly on top, doing the double over their competitors and �inishing the day in the gold and silver medal positions.

The club’s star man Jonny Kydd

Who are the sailors to look out for on the team this year?

With a very small �irst team of just six people it is very dif�icult to name names, but that being said my crew Ellie Gadd is playing a crucial part this year.

Which races are you working towards at the moment?

The 1s have the Oxford Magnum and the Bristol Brew coming up which we have been working hard for, and

emerged victorious producing a climbing master class that was impressive even by his incredibly high standards. Club captain Keiha Dhruev was close on his tail, �inishing behind him in second position.

These results back up the team’s previous victory at the London Universities Bouldering Event (LUBE) earlier in the month, and undoubtedly con�irm that Exeter have the best university climbing team on the circuit at the moment.

Not only did the Green Machine �ield the two strongest competitors of the day but they also boasted a strong and diverse squad.

For many of the team this was their �irst competitive climb yet the team still produced a vast array of excellent performances to outshine the competition.

This depth within the Climbing Club should ensure that Exeter will continue to dominate the university Climbing scene this season, but also in years to come - an exciting prospect to say the least.

The team is back in action at the end of November. Competing in the next round of the LUBE tournament they will hope to replicate this performance and should be con�ident of their chances of securing yet another victory for the Green Army.

the squad is preparing for the Cardiff Welsh Dragon event. Also our top three teams have the BUCS quali�iers in early January, which is the most important event of the season so far.

What is your favourite part about the sport and EUSC? I love the highly tactical and technical side to sailing, with the need for quick decision making on the water. On the club side, the socials are awesome and also we get a lot of support from

James Pratt EUGC member Exeter 3s Plymouth 2s

G���

the University with our high performance funding.

Who is your role model?

My idol is Nick Rogers, he won two Olympic silver medals at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 and he went to the club I grew up at. Being in such close proximity to someone with that much talent really had an in�luence on me.

What motivates you to train?

Obviously the drive to win.

Harry Judd EUGC member 5.5 0.5

THE EUGC 3s kept up their unbeaten record with a 5.5-0.5 demolition of Plymouth 2s at Dawlish Warren.

The Exeter players coped better in the blustery and rainy conditions on the Devon links course. First to step up was captain Alex Marine who led by example delivering an exceptional performance overcoming his opponent 6-4.

The team are top of the table and in a good position to take the Western 2A title

Marine’s performance set the tone for the day as James Beck produced an impressive win, pulling through 5 & 4.

Back from injury, Welsh International Katie Bradbury was a real asset to the team and completed a comfortable round beating her opponent 5 & 3.

With another win in the bag, EUGC 3s are top of the table and in a good position to take the Western 2A title.

Exeter 4s Exeter 5s

G���

2.5 3.5

THE inevitable Exeter head to head was set to be an exciting match, with the newly formed EUGC 5s taking on the higher ranked 4s.

Although 4s captain Georgia Hall was caught out by an on-song Ally Haines, who secured a 5 & 4 victory, her team took the early advantage in the match.

4s debutant Ed Davies snatched an unlikely half in the �irst game against the experienced Jack Ravenscroft and Huw Consitt made a dramtic comback beating 5s captain Tom Foot. 4s player Molly Haslam also secured a win.

However, an assured performance in the �inal match from 5s golfer Jeremy Man captured a 3 & 1 victory and squared the score line – with one game still live.

The �inal outcome was a nail biter decided on the last hole of the last match. Harry Judd came from behind to beat Yuan Min on the 18th, securing the points for the 5s and clinching an unexpected but highly deserved victory.

EXEPOSÉ

SPORT

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47

EURFC 2s win in style at Topsham Exeter’s Rugby second team continue their �ine form, scoring seven tries to defeat Cardiff Met R����

Tommy John Sports Team

EURFC 2s Cardiff Met

>> George Kimmins prepares for a crucial kick - photo: Daniil Orlov

45 25

A GLUT of tries at Topsham saw a superb Exeter out�it outmuscle Cardiff Met in all departments, securing a handsome 45-25 triumph for the Greens.

A powerful Cardiff side could not keep up with Exeter’s impressive blend of running rugby and dominant forward play. Yet ultimately Exeter’s expansive play prevailed, carving up the Cardiff defence in the latter stages of the match and displaying why this side are a force to be reckoned with.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the home team as a resolute Exeter defense conceded three tries and had to survive a few late scares.

The poor conditions early in the �irst half left both teams hesitant to exhibit their worth. Fortunately, props Guy Sullivan and Ben Higgins had the upper hand in the scrum all afternoon and constant pressure on the Cardiff pack paid dividends. A patient buildup in the mid�ield saw scrum-half

James Bath dart through the pillars of the ruck and slide in for the �irst points of the game.

A downpour of rain resulted in handling errors, allowing the Cardiff winger to capitalise on Exeter’s missed opportunities, making the score 10-5 to Cardiff after the conversion.

This proved to be the catalyst Exeter needed and their game was elevated to new heights. Number eight Tom Edwards led the assault for the Greens, bombarding his way through Welsh tacklers and building the platform for James Bath to dictate proceedings.

Cardiff could not survive on the back foot any longer and tremendous work from George Kimmins allowed Fred Wheadon to squeeze into the corner following smart handling from the home team.

The onslaught continued for the hosts, as the always-elusive James Bath continued to snipe through the fringes and force a penalty, where Edwards powered over from close range.

This then inspired back row partner George Shirlaw to bully his way through the Cardiff back line, eventually leading to Wheadon demonstrating his eye for the try line as he ran in his second of the match.

Following successful penalties from both sides, Exeter went into the second half with a 25-13 lead. It seemed Cardiff had learnt little from the �irst 40 minutes, as they continued to force unsuccessful feeds straight into fullback Dave Scupham which were swiftly turned into devastating counter-attacks.

However, Exeter could only extend their lead to 28-13 before Cardiff turned the pressure up and after receiving a yellow card Exeter were on the back foot. A Cardiff grubber kick was soon met under the posts to make the score 28-20 going into the dying stages of the match.

Exeter had �lankers Shirlaw and Angus Wilson to thank during this period as exceptional work in and around the breakdown kept the away side to a single score.

An excellent lineout drive from the Greens was too powerful for Cardiff, as Elliot Moss touched down after a tremendous team effort, shortly followed by another from Vince Young.

Despite a Met try towards the end, Exeter held out as Jacob Knight pounced on a loose ball to score and cap off a wonderful performance for EURFC 2s.

EUNC 1s fall short in tight encounter

EUNC 1s succumbed to a disappointing home defeat at the hands of local rivals Bath, which leaves them languishing dangerously near to the bottom of the BUCS Premier South league table N������

Freddie Turner

Online Sport Editor EUNC 1s Bath 1s

41 47

FRESH off the back of their �irst BUCS win of the season last week against UWE, EUNC were hoping to gain momentum and begin their much needed march up the table after three previous defeats. This was always going to be a tough proposition against a strong Bath side, who are placed third in the table, and Exeter fell just short.

The game began well for the Green Army, who were dominant in the early phases. Katy May began the game with tenacity in the centre and she was able to feed the ball to the attacking pairing of Ellie Gibbons and Katy Lynch. The game was played at a frenetic pace and Exeter were in the ascendancy, as they

hassled their opponents to good effect.

Goal attack Gibbons was particularly impressive, displaying silky skills to score, assist and ultimatley create points. At the end of the �irst quarter, the score was 12-10 to the home side.

Greater passing precision and more intensity in their defence allowed them to regain parity with the Green Army The second quarter began in similar fashion to the �irst with Exeter dominant and Bath struggling to keep up. The gap extended to �ive points at 15-10 and once again at 18-13, with Gibbons and Lynch continuing to demonstrate impressive linking play.

Goalkeeper Holly Wilson was also impressive, pouncing on any rebounds and keeping close tabs on the Bath attackers.

However, as the quarter progressed the Bath side soon began to �ight their way back into the tie. Greater passing precision and more intensity in their defence allowed them to regain parity with the Green Army and they gradually came to the fore. Indeed, a series of four consecutive goals shifted the whole feel of the game and closed the gap to a meagre point.

Despite three shots from Gibbons before the break, Bath were able to score just before the buzzer to head into the second half at 21-21, a remarkable effort considering Exeter’s early dominance.

The pivotal third quarter began evenly, with Lynch this time impressing for Exeter, �inding the net twice in a row to give Exeter a 25-23 lead… or

so the fans were beginning to believe.

However, Bath had other ideas and launched a substantial counter-attack.

The game was played at a frenetic pace and Exeter were in the ascendancy as they hassled their opponents to good effect This began with �ive unanswered points, allowing the visitors to take the lead for the �irst time in the game. The momentum had yet again shifted and Bath were rampant. They exploited gaps in Exeter’s defence and were clinical with their chances. Exeter began to give away more fouls and struggled to retain the possession. Their potent attacking duo were not seeing enough Photo: Jay Stone

of the ball and Bath were ruthless in punishing any mistakes. The third quarter ended 36-28 and the game was all but over.

The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern to the �irst two, with the two teams sharing possession and the points. In fact, the home side were able to win the quarter by two points, as the margin was cut to six points before the �inal buzzer sounded.

Overall, it was a very tight game and a stellar spectacle of netball. Exeter stayed with the strong Bath side for more than three quarters of the game but a brief lapse in play proved decisive. If they can retain their performance levels over an entire 60 minutes and create enough chances for their two attacking options, then an upturn in form will follow. However, it does not get any easier for EUNC 1s who travel to table topping Cardiff Met 1s next week.

48

SPORT

NEWS 1-7

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 14-17 18-21 8-12

SPORT

MUSIC 24-27

SCREEN 30-33

BOOKS 34-35

ARTS 36-38

GAMES & TECH

40-42

SPORT 44-48

24 NOVEMBER 2014 |

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James Beeson & Sophy Coombes-Roberts sport@exepose.com

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money in Olympics Josh Callander AU Participation Of�icer PRIDE, honour, reputation. The stature of your club can be determined by your performance in the annual AU Olympics. He who �inishes last, �inishes last. She who �inishes second, �inishes last. Only those who �inish �irst, shall be victorious.

This year’s games took place on Friday 14 November with the likes of Hockey, Netball, Lacrosse, Athletics and Squash competing for the title.

Divided into male, female and mixed clubs, Netball were hoping to rectify their wooden spoon from last year, whilst Men’s Hockey were looking to build on their second place �inish.

Only those who �inish �irst shall be victorious >> Clockwise from top left: Nicole Kendall running for Exeter, the starting line of the Women’s 60m, Michael Papanicola competing in the Men’s Long Jump, Dennis Voronin taking first place ahead of Edward Pillai, Tom Beckett leaping to success (Centre). Photos: Edwin Yeung

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Emmott Leigh Sports Team Exeter Gloucestershire Plymouth Bristol UWE

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EXETER’s athletes won their annual Winter Varsity, defeating the likes of Plymouth, Bristol, UWE and Gloucestershire in a dominant performance at Exeter Arena on 19 November.

EUAC were represented in every event over the course of the day, including the 60m sprint, 800m, long jump and 3km long distance race. The

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

points tally was decided based upon the top-scoring competitor from each university, with ten points awarded to the winner of each event, eight for second place and six for third.

If two runners from the same university took gold and silver in a track event, ten points would be awarded to the winners and only six to the the third placed university. This added a real incentive for the underdog athletes as they had the opportunity to reduce the tally of the other universities.

The day began with the 800m which was dominated by the hosts.

The women’s race was won by Exeter, with the men narrowly missing out, coming in a close second, third and fourth. This gave Exeter 18 points

from the opening event.

It was clear from the 60m heats that Exeter’s Kelly McMahon was going to take some stopping when she accelerated well beyond any of her opponents. Her form continued into the �inal, as she sped away to a convincing win to bring home the 10 points. Exeter females were leading the team by example, as the men were kept at bay

by Plymouth, who clinched the win.

Steph McCall was the standout performer Club Captain Steph McCall was the standout performer in the long

EURFC 2s triumph over Cardiff Met Page 47

distance event, managing to a leave a couple of the men in her wake as she won the 3km in a new women’s university record time of 10 minutes and 8 seconds. Further success came in the form of Chris Churcher who excelled in the 200m racking up another 10 points for the Green Machine.

Exeter also tasted success in the �ield events, including the high jump and long jump with Exeter’s Liza Keleynova producing an impressive performance.

The day �inished with Exeter being announced as the overarching winners: a fantastic result for EUAC. This win will give them con�idence as they look to tackle tougher competition in their upcoming season.

Disciplines ranged from the six second watt bike to the seated javelin.

All clubs competing were optimistic about their chances of glory.

Highlights include the 88 pressups in a minute mustered by Men’s Hockey, EUTWRFC’s (a combination of Tennis and Women’s Rugby) performance on the rowing machine and Women’s Cricket endeavours on the cycle machine.

Men’s Hockey claimed an emphatic victory in the men’s event, the Athletics Club pipped Lacrosse to the post winning the mixed event, and Netball atoned their wooden spoon by claiming gold in the ladies this time around.

It was a great event raising money for the Movember foundation. Congratulations to all individual and team winners.

The Boxing Varsity 2014: preview For the latest BUCS Pages 44-45 content go online