Exeposé Issue 664, 30 January 2017 by Exeposé

E E FR ISSUE 664 30 JAN 2017 exepose.com

EXEPOSÉ

Gym gains: ﬁtness centre to expand EXCLUSIVE

HE University has set aside funds to extend its £6.5 million on-campus gym - as students complain that lengthy queues and “one-in, one-out” policies have made them question the value of their £200+ memberships. “We have been experiencing a high demand for the Russell Seal Fitness Centre over the past week,” the centre’s Business Systems Manager Andrew Fry told Exeposé, “which is fantastic when the University has an objective for 70% of students to take part in physical activity at least once a week”. 5,673 student members are currently enrolled at Russell Seal - a increase of 216 on last year’s membership figures. “Clearly we need to manage this and this places pressure on facilities,” he admitted, adding: “I’m sure you are aware a new year brings many resolutions and we always see a surge in memberships at this time of year.” “I was there on the first Monday of term at 6pm and it was unreal,” one final year languages student told Exeposé. “They had put signs over the self-service

machines saying that you had to be signed in at the desk and on top of it I was then told it was full!” The experience was “pretty much like a one-in, one-out policy at a club,” she remembered - adding: “after waiting around and ﬁnally getting into the actual gym it was so busy that basically no machines or ﬂoor spaces were free. “It hasn’t been quite that bad since,” she admitted, “but I do now make sure not to go at all in the evenings.” “At peak time (5-6pm) we have had to unfortunately temporarily restrict entry into the Russell Seal Fitness Centre,” Fry explained. This had only happened on three evenings, he continued - and the restrictions were “a temporary measure, with customers being asked to wait no longer than 10 minutes.” He apologised to members who had been inconvenienced by this, clarifying: “we have not turned anyone away, all have where possible been offered alternative training options.” These included opening up the Athlete Development Centre, Strength and Conditioning gym, providing 30 extra training spaces. Members have also been offered free circuits sessions on a Monday and Thursday at 5:15pm. But the alternatives weren’t welcomed by all members - who argue the gym should not take on more members than it can handle. “As with all gyms, their entire business model is based around....

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COMMENT

Catfishing on campus? An anonymous student’s story

PAGE 8

Giusy Urbano Contributor

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

Hannah Butler & Natasa Christoﬁdou Editor & News Editor

Uni funds scholarships for refugees HE University of Exeter is gearing up to offer one of the most comprehensive scholarship programmes to asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. The Sanctuary Scholarships are the result of a successful academic and student joint venture that saw activists from the university’s STAR branch Student Action for Refugees - liaise with members of academic staff, in an impressive grassroots attempt to make the right to education a reality for even the more vulnerable members of society. When it comes to education, Article 26 of the Declaration of Human Rights in unequivocal: “Everyone has a right to education (…) higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”. These words are ﬁlled with empty cruelty for the scores of asylum seekers and humanitarian protection recipients in the United Kingdom. Despite holding offers to universities, they are barred from receiving any ﬁnancial support from Student Finance England, which only provides loans for refugees. Left with no means to support themselves, their hopes of receiving an education in line with their abilities are shattered. As a result, different universities in the UK have set up different scholarships plans to give these individuals an education, still leaving many uncovered. The University of Exeter started offering fee waivers for refugees, asylum seekers and recipients of humanitarian protection in 2014, meaning they were...

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LIFESTYLE

Reviewing Tea on the Green, the home of Devon cream teas PAGE 17

EXEPOSÉ

Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ

Editors Print: Jeremy Brown, Hannah Butler, Susannah Keogh & Ben Londesbrough Online: Theodore Stone & Jessica Stanier News Editors Print: Rachel Ashenden & Natasa Christoﬁdou Online: Georgia Roberts & David Smeeton news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Bea Fones & Matthew Newman Online: Olivia Horncastle & Rowan Keith comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Georgina Bolam & Katie Jenkins Online: Samuel Fawcett & Kate Jones features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Jade Beard & Laurel Bibby Online: Alma Crespo & Lucy Ronan lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Emma Bessent & Tash Ebbutt Online: Anna Blackburn & Izzy Hilliard artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Rory Marcham & Helen Payne Online: Sam Norris & Harry Williams music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Mark Allison & Zak Mahinfar Online: Cormac Dreelan & James Hands screen@exepose.com Games + Tech Editors Print: Jabez Sherrington & Sam Woolf Online: Ben Assirati & James Freeth games@exepose.com

Editorial.

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Library fines: reasonable or ridiculous? PAGE 4

Gym is full: library instead? Oh...

EW year, new us. Well, those of us who’ve managed to get a spot in the gym, that is. For the hundreds of students whose 2017 #FitnessGoals ground to a halt after being struck with lengthy queues at the Russell Seal Fitness Centre, it’ll come as welcome news that the Uni is investing some dolla in expanding the gym over the coming years. They've promised us more information soon, so don't pack away those expensive new running shoes yet... Elsewhere in News, we're thrilled to announce that the University is putting its money where its mouth is and helping out students seeking refuge. Congratulations to STAR and Equal Access Exeter for their hard work in making this a reality - this is an incredible development and makes us proud to be studying here at Exeter. On a less cheerful note, students across the University are bemoaning the library's fines system. Obviously, if you ignore the "overdue" emails and get stuck with a fine, it's arguably your own fault... but that dodgy recall system definitely leaves a lot to be desired. 24 hours to return that crucial dissertation tome?! No wonder many students decide to suck it up and pay the fine rather than give up their books. It's concerning to hear how the quick recall system is affecting

Science Editors Print: Victoria Bos & Beth Honey Online: Rebecca Broad & Marti Marks sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Owain Evans & Lara Hopkins Online: James Angove & Ollie Lund sport@exepose.com

NEWS

students with disabilities, too. Maybe the University should look into making these more flexible... Elsewhere Comment hosts an extremely controversial standpoint on rape culture - one on which we felt obliged to comment ourselves - plus one student's chilling account of a Christmas catfishing experience. Meanwhile Features investigates domestic violence in Russia, as well as the stability of newly sworn-in President Trump. It's not all doom and gloom though: check out EXHIBIT for a range of indulgent content, including Lifestyle's review of that cracking 90% off deal at Tea on the Green. Screen looks at the good, the bad, and the ugly for the year ahead, whilst Music pools reviews on the most important recent releases. Oh, and you can finally fulfill your dreams of how a pillow fight between Slaves and Drenge would play out (no-one can say we're not a creative bunch...)* Need even more variety? Head to the back for Sport. As well as men's and women's rugby, we also have a Captain's Corner with American Football captain Jacob Keefe, and a Six Nations preview. What more could you want?! (Besides no library fines and space at the gym...) * And don't worry, Guild: we starred out the C-bomb in the end...

COMMENT Vegetarianism & veganism: more than a trend? PAGE 6

FEATURES Interview: Ryan Heath, Senior EU Correspondent of POLITICO PAGE 11

SCIENCE Are there benefits to drinking coffee? PAGE 34

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Worldwide university news London uni monitors No black academics in top roles at British unis students' emails

ING'S College London, one of the capital’s top universities, has admitted to checking up on what their students send and receive via email - as part of the government anti-radicalisation policy Prevent. The students' union slammed the University’s actions, saying “students who have not committed any crimes are being treated as suspects.” KCL was previously heavily criticised for allowing so called hate preachers and extremists to give talks on campus. A spokesperson for KCL said the University was not actively monitoring emails but was instead notifying users that it had the obligation and right to do so if required.

CCORDING to employment records, no black academics have worked in senior management at any British university for the last three years. The ﬁgures also reveal how universities employ more black staff as cleaners, receptionists or porters than as professors or lecturers. The Higher Education Statistics Agency recorded no black academics in the elite staff category of ‘managers, directors and senior ofﬁcials’ in 2015-6 - the third year in a row that this has happened. David Lammy, the former higher education minister, said: “This is absolutely shocking. I am appalled that higher education is so deeply unrepresentative."

Oxford student sues Harvard Uni to offer for not getting a First free architecture course

LANDMARK case suing the University of Oxford is set to go ahead after the High Court rejected the university’s appeal to dismiss the case. Oxford graduate Faiz Siddiqui is suieing the university for £1million, arguing that bad teaching meant he failed to get a 1st in his degree, instead graduating with a 2:1. Justice Kerr said: “I am satisﬁed that the University has a case to answer that is ﬁt for trial in relation to both limbs of the claim for damages; and that the claimant has a real prospect of succeeding in persuading the court to entertain his claim, either on the basis that it is not out of time, or by persuading the court that it is just and equitable to allow the action to proceed.”

WEB-BASED course is being launched by The Harvard Graduate School of Design in America, offering architectural education at no cost. The ‘Architectural Imagination’ course will allow students to ‘learn fundamental principles of architecture — as an academic subject or a professional career — from a study of history's important buildings’, according to the website. The programme is intended to be taken over 10 weeks, divided into 10 individual modules. The course will be taught using a series of video presentations and hands-on exercises, and a certiﬁcate of completion will be available to purchase for $99. Stories by Ben Londesbrough, Editor, and Susannah Keogh, Editor

News

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

NEWS EDITORS:

Rachel Ashenden Natasa Christoﬁdou

Library recall system under criticism Natasa Christoﬁdou News Editor

This is particularly unfair on less ﬁnancially well off students or ones with learning difﬁculties

Dominic Hearn, second year student

The 70% decrease in fees over the past two academic years is as a result of the Library’s adapted policy on borrowing. All students at the University are eligible to borrow library books at no charge and

reduced charge of £45 per book. “I could have bought them for less online, so it seems ridiculous that students don’t have the option of replacing the book for another copy, especially in the case of it being lost - seems more reasonable than giving them an arbitrary ﬁne.”

It can disproportionately affect disabled students who ﬁnd it difﬁcult to get to campus

Photo: Yong Yan Wang

TUDENTS have complained about the number of fines imposed by the University’s library - following a Exeposé Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealing the University collected over £60,000 in fines in the past two academic years. In 2015/16, the University collected £13,047 in library fines, a considerate decrease from an extortionate £50,307 the previous year. Nonetheless, students have expressed frustration towards library fees – in particular the Library’s method of “recalls,” which allows other students to request borrowed books to be returned within 24 hours. Jenny Morton, third year Classical Studies student told Exeposé that “It’s irrational how much added pressure we have to deal with through the fines, especially when considering that students are so busy and can’t make proper use of the book. It’s not fair how someone can request a book back from me even if I’ve only had it for one day and then they can keep it for 6 weeks after that.”

fees are no longer imposed on borrowed material that has reached the six-week time limit of a standard loan. Renewing a loan can therefore extend this period. However, in the case of recalls, the University of Exeter’s website states that, “to allow fair access to all materials for all students,” students are required to pay a 50p fine per day after the recall of a book. Former student Lucy Whitaker commented on the previous scenario circulating library fees: “I graduated two years ago and back then I had to pay a £1 fine for the first day and then 50p per day after that, if a book was overdue. But for high demand books, which were the ones I used for my dissertation, I had to pay 50p per extra hour on the day after it was due, so I’d end up paying £3 in fines even if it was only a couple hours late.” Second year History and IR student, Dominic Hearn, spoke to Exeposé about his experience with the library’s policy: “I think it’s outrageous to be honest, it’s really annoying that we have to pay extra money on top of our tuition. This is particularly unfair on less financially well off students, or ones with learning difficulties, such as myself, who might have a harder time remembering things like that.” The library encourages students to “post books back to the library” during university holidays in order to prevent charges. Johannes Neumann spoke to Exeposé about his “ridiculous” experience with library fines during the summer period: “I borrowed some books just before the summer, however I came back in September to a £900 fine. After a series of emails and discussions, I was able to return and renew the books with a

Kate Byard, Masters student

The University’s strict rules on the time frame required for borrowed books to be returned accommodates postgraduate students who need academic material for their research. When discussing this topic with Kate Byard, a postgraduate student studying for an MA in critical theory, she empahsised the necessity for fines, whilst also highlighting the need for increased flexibility. “I believe that library fines are arguably reasonable, particularly for postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students who need books at a quick turnaround. It is an important incentive to keep them coming back in time for our scheduled deadlines. “That being said, it can disproportionately affect disabled students who find it difficult to get on campus and return the books. It would be important to consider reasonable adjustments that also don’t have a knock on effect on other students.” Moreover, the demanding nature of returning books immediately through recalls acts as an added burden for

disabled students, who may be unable to satisfy the sharp deadline due to health complications. Bethany Payne, a second year Politics and Geography student spoke to Exeposé about her experience with the Library’s demanding nature for recalls: “as a disabled student, especially as one with a variable condition, it can make it hard to plan returning library books and you can easily end up with fines just because you’re having a tough week, with regards to your health. “Having more flexibility with recalled books would be an incredible improvement, especially for disabled students.” A spokesperson from the University of Exeter told Exeposé : “We have worked with the Guild to remove as many fines as reasonable. Fines are now only issued for overdue loans which have been recalled by someone else,

and for high demand items. The aim is not to be punitive, but to help remind students that the library is a shared resource and they need to consider others when using it. Books are recalled and the loan period reduced to one week, because another person needs to use the same item. Our consultations with students indicated that students want the fine system retained, to encourage borrowers to bring back books which other also want to read. “In the print environment, mechanisms such as short loans, recalls and fines are needed to help maximise availability of in-demand material. When lots of people need to read the same item within a specific time period, e-books can be a much more effective means of enabling simultaneous access. “Money from fines is invested back in student services.”

University helps organise LGBTQ+ festival for the South West Suzanne Barrett Contributor

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring different people together and celebrate diversity Jana Funke, English lecturer

The festival acts as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of male homosexuality

in England and Wales, as well as a celebration of the LGBT History Month. Dr Jana Funke from the English Department at the University of Exeter, who also helped organise the event, said: “The festival is a wonderful opportunity to bring different people together, learn more about LGBT history, engage in dialogue and celebrate diversity within our communities. We would like to invite everyone to come and join us!” The Lord Mayor of Exeter and Ben Bradshaw MP will open the Festival formally on Saturday, 11 February at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. Discussions about LGBTQ+ history, community art and research in the South West will be led by speakers such as, Dr Michael Halls, director of the Intercom

Trust, the largest support organisation for LGBT people in the South West. The University of Exeter’s LGBTQ+ Student Society have organised a ﬁlm screening of The Swedish ﬁlm Girls Lost (2015) at the

Exeter Phoenix. After which, Dr Felicity Gee, lecturer in English and Film, will be presenting issues faced by many such as bullying, confusion and anxiety at the University.

Photo: Flickr

XETER is now the ofﬁcial hub for ‘The National Festival of LGBT History’ in the South West. In February 2017, a variety of events will be on offer to celebrate, including ﬁlm screenings, talks, exhibitions and performances On Sunday, 12 February 2017 the main festival event will be held at Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre, offering a free program of talks all-day. The main speaker, Diana Souhami, an award-winning author and biographer, will be sharing some of her works on women’s and lesbian history, with a special focus on the British painter, Gluck.

Dr Jen Grove from the Centre of Medical History at the University, who organised the festival, said: ‘We are delighted Exeter has been chosen… We’ve worked with the LGBT community, as well as academics, campaigners and authors, to put together a really exciting program of talks and events.”

NEWS

New Year University funds asylum seeker scholarship Chinese coming to campus CONTINUED FROM FRONT ...to pay home fees (of approximately £9,000 a year) instead of the far more expensive international tuition cost. Nonetheless, left with no ﬁnancial support for living costs the project was far from useful. The Exeter branch of STAR –the Student Action for Refugees network actively sought to rectify the situation. In December 2016 an open letter was penned demanding to make equal access a reality. The letter, detailing the projects launched by other universities, was presented to the Vice Chancellor Executive Group, and was signed by an extensive number of students, staff members, unions members, Exeter City councillors and Refugee Support Devon volunteers. The letter also obtained the signature of the United Nations’ Geneva Ofﬁce. The letter immediately obtained the university’s

support and the research carried out by STAR members constituted an important framework to build Exeter’s scholarship programme.

This will help rebuild the lives of people seeking refugee protection Bhagya Silva, Exeter STAR

The main inspiration was Bristol University’s Sanctuary Scholarships, which was amended and improved. Bhagya Silva, co-president of Exeter STAR said: “Simply put, this will be the most comprehensive project to help rebuild the lives of people seeking refugee protection that has been realised, not only in the University of Exeter, but in any Russell Group university to date. The signiﬁcance of the Sanctuary Scholarships cannot be overstated”. The project, set to launch in 2018/19,

will provide three scholarships a year to complete a Bachelor’s degree at the University. The development shows that the University has agreed to an indefinite commitment to these scholarships Moreover, it will cover living costs, one of the main hurdles faced by these students by using the Living Cost Calculator to determine the set up by the Student Guild, instead of sums provided by Student Finance, which are often under fire for not being in line with actual living cost. Recipients will also be allocated an tutor trained to provide the specialist support needed after facing such dramatic hurdles. As a result, pastoral care for refugee students will be potentiated, making it adequate to deal with the difficulties faced by these individuals. Elena Isayev, a Classics lecturer who has been involved in the project is keen to underline the support the project received

from different staff members at all levels. It is crucial to state that the Sanctuary Scholarships will not be funded by the Widening Participation budget, but that the VCGE has set aside a separate budget. Donations from Alumni will also be a crucial means to fund the project, as there are future plans to expand this support to postgraduate level. A spokesperson from the University told Exeposé: “We want to help people with, or seeking, refugee status who would like to access higher education” The University already provides “support [to] asylum seekers through a partial tuition fee waiver,” however the proposed scholarships will improve current policies. They added: “during the ﬁrst year there will be support for three scholarships, and our ambition is to eventually provide this support for nine students.”

Photo: Equal Access at Exeter

Ethical Exeter prompts university to move £1 million into sustainable investments Benjamin Durston Contributor

OBBYING by student-led Ethical Exeter has successfully convinced the University of Exeter to move £1 million of its £33 million endowment fund to sustainable investments. Two new funds will be created from this £1 million which will be invested into industries excluding fossil fuels, tobacco, arms and gambling. The ‘Forever Fund’ - the name of the University’s endowment pot, is built on donations from alumni with the goal of investing to generate annual proﬁt. The

fund is currently managed by JP Morgan, however following pressure from the student lead group it will now be split. The decision was prompted by a report given to the University council by Ethical Exeter in July 2016. Ethical Exeter are a group comprised of students and staff from across both Streatham and Penryn campuses. They have campaigned for the last several years for the university to “fully divest its entire endowment away from its current investment manager, JPMorgan Chase, and into socially responsible ethical investment funds”. The decision is a considerable win for the campaign who hope to see further

action in the future. They are currently running an online petition to collect 1000 signatures to support their aim.

The University needs to divest away from its current investment manager, JPMorgan Ethical Exeter Chris Manktelow, a spokesperson for the pressure group said he was “very happy the university had taken that decision” but acknowledged that “the university could do more” suggesting that more of the

Photo: Ethical Exeter

endowment could have been put into the newly created sustainable portfolios. Long standing universities such as Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh hold endowments of £126.2 million and £342.8 million respectively. Whilst younger institutions such as the Universities of York and Warwick come in at £7.1 million and £4.3 million respectively. None of these stand in comparison to the University of Oxfords astounding 4.7 billion-pound investment portfolio. Ethical Exeter’s action is an example of what student groups achieve when they work with the university. Manktelow made clear that Ethical Exeter held a “continuing dialogue” with the university and said the decision to move investments to more ethical funds came about from “listening to them” and “cooperating rather than confronting” the university. Natasa Christoﬁdou, DVP Sustainability at the Students’ guild said: “Considering the University’s world leading environemntal research, it’s amazing to see both students and the University taking an active stance in divesting from businesses that are detrimental to the environment.”

ITH the Chinese New Year nearly upon us, more than 2,500 local residents, staff and students are expected to attend the New Year celebrations across the city on Saturday 11th February, organised by the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA). The celebrations will see traditional dragon dancing, martial arts demonstrations, culinary delights and ﬁrework displays to mark the Year of the Rooster. Vice-Chancellor Sir Steve Smith remains committed to the importance of the Chinese New Year in the University Calendar, commenting how the “familyfriendly celebrations are a fantastic opportunity to welcome local people to the University” as well as enhancing Exeter’s ability to offer an international experience. With the Chinese New Year having a long, rich history spanning back thousands of years, traditionally known as the ‘Spring Festival’, marking the end of the winter season, the University’s celebrations promise to be an opportunity for students to share in such a rich culture and history. Hugo Tuckett, Contributor

Exeter’s biologists make cell discovery

TEAM of Cell Biologists from the University, led by Dr Michael Shrader, have discovered how different compartments of human cells interact. Their research has shown that two compartments (or organelles), peroxisome and endoplasmic reticulum are able to interact on a molecular level. This interaction leads to the creation of essential lipids that help to reduce damage to nerve cells and the effect of too much oxidation, infamous for leading to cell mutations. The study has also shown that a peroxisome defect, where interaction can no longer take place so no vital lipids are produced, is linked to serious damage to the brain and the eyesight. This breakthrough could be the ﬁrst step to protecting cells from conditions such as blindness, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Alicia Rees, Contributor

Free coffee for students with 8.30s

STUDENT Idea has gained attention on the Guild’s website, demanding that a university scheme designed to reduce student frustrations over 08:30 lectures be reinstated. The scheme, popular with students during the 2015-2016 academic year, stipulated that any student with four or more 08:30 lectures in a single week would be compensated with a free coffee. The university later discontinued this arrangement, which prompted angry reactions from some students. Some have used the Student Ideas platform to propose a free beer for those with contact hours ending at 17:30. Nick McAlphin, Contributor

NEWS

Extension in store for “super overcrowded” gym CONTINUED FROM FRONT ....assumptions,” third year Sports Sciences student Richard Johnson told Exeposé. “They literally count on people not showing up” “Overcrowded classes are the reason I stopped my gym membership,” another student added. “I don’t want to pay so much money to be in a class where I can’t even do the moves without worrying I’m gonna whack someone else!” Students have spoken of having to plan their day around gym availability. “The gym is basically full during lunchtime, and then again it’s even more packed in the evenings,” explained second year Law student Christopher Grozdoski. “So I have to plan to go early in the morning.” “Most people can only go after 5pm,”

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

Johnson added, “but then it becomes so busy you can hardly move.”

It was pretty much like a one-in, one-out policy at a club Final year gym member The gym is “super overcrowded,” one third year Maths student just returning from her workout told Exeposé. “Literally every single bench downstairs was in use today,” she said. “People are doing their weightlifting on the ﬂoor because there’s no room on the mats.” “You end up having to change your workout a lot to ﬁt around people,” she explained. Adding that the downstairs gym is “very male-dominated,” she said: “a lot of the girls I’ve spoken to have said there’s not enough space upstairs, but they don’t want to go downstairs because they’re too intimidated.” “I think what they’re hoping for is that after January, everything will calm down and go back to normal,” she said. “They don’t see it as too much of an issue - but so many people in there have said it’s busier than they’ve ever seen it.” “The guys who work in there are lovely,” she said. “It’s a great place, but at the moment it’s just overcrowded.” Fry was keen to emphasise what the centre has been doing to improve issues of overcrowding. As well as investing in new equipment, the team has “re-

organised the equipment to try and create an easier ﬂow and heighten experience for our members,” he said. Opening hours at St Luke’s Sport Centre have also been extended. Meanwhile the gym is working with iExeter to introduce live updates on how busy the centre is, so students can plan visits accordingly. “We plan for this to go live in the next couple of weeks,” Fry said. In a further piece of “fantastic news,” Fry revealed: “in recognition of the growing demand for the facilities the University has committed through its Capital Investment Strategy an extension to the Russell Seal Fitness Centre.”

The University has committed an extension to the Russell Seal ﬁtness centre

value for money, some members have claimed. Students who join in September can currently choose to split their fees (£314 for inclusive memberships, £250 for gym-only) into two separate payments. Meanwhile staff, alumni and external users can choose to set up monthly direct debits - something unavailable to students. These limited payment options mean the gym “becomes totally unaffordable for many students,” Johnson said. Between this and the £24 ‘pay as you go’ membership with added costs per use, “access to the gym becomes ﬁnancially impossible,” he added. “The standard membership is just plain extortion.”

É Fitness at Exeter: the stats

Andrew Fry, Business Systems Manager The plans are still in the very early stages, he explained - and the University hopes to release more information soon. This January, the gym has seen a boost in membership numbers slightly outstripping those of January 2016. “The drive has been for more Gym Memberships rather than Pay-as-you-go,” Fry said, “which has translated to more regular gym users.” But even without overcrowding, the gym’s high membership fees offer little

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

5,673 student members are currently enrolled at Russell Seal.

This is 216 more student members than the gym had this time last year. This year, students pay... ...£314 for all-inclusive usage from September... ...£209 from 9 January... ...£157 from 20 February... ...and £105 from 1 May.

Guild introduces three-year strategy University forced to bring Rachel Ashenden News Editor

N 1 February, the Guild will be launching its three-year strategic plan, to enhance student experience whilst at the University of Exeter. A spokesperson for the Guild has stated that “After much consultation with students over the past year the Students’ Guild has shaped its vision, values and priorities for the next three years. With changes in education nationally and at Exeter, we have aligned our 2016-19

plan to the things that most impact us as students here.” The Guild promises to develop leaders who serve as spokespeople for student voices, dedicated to delivering “meaningful change to the Exeter Experience.” In the Students’ Guild plan, the way to execute this will be through creating a ‘Bill of Rights’ which will indicate what students are entitled to. In May 2016, the Student Idea proposal ‘The Guild should pass the Student Bill of Rights’ failed as the idea did not reach the thresholds for large ideas, adding that consequently, “there

will be not be a Bill of Student Rights.” From the 1st February, however, the Guild will introduce the Bill of Student Rights until at least 2019. Other priorities of the Guild’s plan include: investment in campus services; the inclusivity of all students, accommodating to all their needs; fun Guild activities; and, providing support for mental wellbeing. Under the ‘Support’ section that is in the plan, the Guild have stated that they aim to “universalise and improve the mitigation system” for students when they hit times of crisis. This objective speaks in response to the mass of students who complained to Exeposé, claiming that the mitigation system was ineffective and traumatising in times of personal crisis. The call for the mitigation system to be universalised is due to the discrepancy of policies varying from department to department. VP Education representative Harry Reeve stated he wanted to universalise the mitigation system across all colleges of discipline, in his manifesto. More information regarding the three-year strategy will be published online, in conjunction with its launch on Wednesday 1 Feburary.

forward NSS campaign Hannah Butler Editor

HE University was forced to launch its National Student Survey (NSS) campaign early this year – after an unexpected all-student message from national market research company Ipsos MORI. Open to ﬁnal year students at 357 institutions, this year’s NSS launched on 9 January. However, universities across the country can choose to launch their campaign at varying times.

We had planned to launch the survey in early February University Spokesperson “This year, we had planned to launch the survey to our ﬁnal year undergraduate students in early February,” a University spokesperson told Exeposé, “once the exam period had ﬁnished and before the Guild’s sabbatical election campaign begins.” But on Thursday 19 January, all eligible students received an email from

Sami Benyahai, Research Director at Ipsos MORI, inviting them to “help future students and make your voice heard” by filling in the survey. The following Monday, Exeter finalists received a personalised email from Vice Chancellor Sir Steve Smith acknowledging this email. “Ipsos MORI are an independent research company who will be communicating with you directly by email, text message and telephone,” Sir Steve explained. “Once you respond to the survey, Ipsos MORI will not contact you again.” A spokesperson confirmed that the University has “brought forward our communications to eligible students” following the Ipsos MORI email. “The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and we would encourage all final year undergraduate students to take part by going to www.thestudentsurvey.com,” they continued. “The University will be donating £1 for each survey completed to the Guild’s student fundraising group RAG which will go to their chosen charities.” The NSS 2017 closes on 30 April.

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Comment

Alec James VP Welfare and Diversity

INCE before last year’s SABB elections, I’ve been told time and time again “Diversity? We don’t have any!” The more time I spend in this job, the more I know that this is simply untrue. Every day, I get to meet people from different places, with different passions and unique perspectives. The stereotype of what an Exeter student looks like paints over and undervalues the experiences of countless members of our community. It is such a shame to see such a range of cultures, beliefs and stories homogenised into a white middle-class mass from Surrey*. We are so much more than this, but the stereotype can make those of us who don’t relate feel like they don’t belong here. We can do better! It’s time we stopped painting Exeter with one brush and celebrated our differences. The Guild, led by a representative group of students, is rolling out a campaign called #WeAreAllExeter across February. “#WeAreAllExeter is a campaign committed to making Exeter an entirely inclusive place. Through events, asking questions and giving people space to meet and tell their stories, we aim to create an environment where, no matter what our background, everyone feels at home and welcome.” Now, this may sound very fluffy and impractical, or just plain unrealistic. We need your help to make sure it’s neither of those things! Firstly, we have some really exciting events planned (see exeterguild.com/ weareallexeter); get involved, speak to new people, ask questions and break down some barriers. Secondly, you’ll probably know Humans of New York. Expect something similar. Every day we will be uploading pictures and stories of our community. We would love you to take a selfie in front of our selfie wall with a short bio saying something about yourself, and put it online with #WeAreAllExeter. I’m excited to see what comes of this. Finally, if you’re reading this, and you feel excluded, isolated or let down, I’m sorry that’s the case. Please let us know what we can be doing better. Help us shape an Exeter that everyone can feel like they belong in. *There is nothing wrong with being from Surrey. Our students from Surrey all have their own stories and experiences.

Bea Fones Matthew Newman

Vegetarianism and veganism: more than a trend?

THE SABB #WeAreAllExeter

COMMENT EDITORS:

Abigail Coley Contributor

’VE been a strict vegetarian for nine years now, and have never looked back. Immediately after watching Jamie Oliver’s controversial BBC programme “Fowl Dinners” one evening in 2008, my mum and I decided to try vegetarianism; something that seemed so foreign to us at the time as a family of near-carnivores. It was much easier than either of us anticipated, as we enjoyed experimenting with new recipes and ingredients (and felt much healthier for it!) Fast forward nearly a decade, and vegetarianism is just part of my daily life. The thought of eating meat is actually quite repulsive to me for various reasons, but the main one probably being that it would now be such an unnatural thing for me to do. I have dabbled in veganism over the past few years, but nothing has ever stuck as for me, it is much more difﬁcult and restricting than vegetarianism. This is particularly true when eating out at a restaurant or, if you’re very strict, even

having a few drinks at the pub! As with most things, it’s all about taking small steps towards an end goal and doing your best. I am quite strict with myself with regards to which toiletries I purchase, only buying from vegan and cruelty-free brands like Body Shop, and supporting major animal rights activists like Kat Von D by buying her makeup line (rather than most highstreet brands which don’t hide that they test on animals). I only use dairy milk in my tea, but soya otherwise, and restrict my intake of other dairy products. I’ve never been one to preach about my diet, as I’m aware that most people don’t want to hear it. Only close friends who would ﬁnd out be-

cause we eat together, for example, would know that I don’t agree with raising life just to slaughter it for the ﬁve minutes of pleasure that a burger brings. But nowadays, there is a tendency to ‘brag’ about being a vegan or vegetarian, because it is a trendy label to have. This is great, to a certain extent, because it obviously promotes a compassionate outlook, makes people much more aware of the issues surrounding factory farming or animal testing, and obviously reduces the demand for meat, no matter how temporarily. The only issue with a diet being a ‘fashion-statement’ is its longevity. I just hope that the people walking around campus with Lush’s ‘Fighting Animal Testing’ tote bag and biting

Olivia Horncastle Online Comment Editor

AST January, I had never heard of Veganuary. If you had asked me about it, I would have told you that all I knew was that it was something to do with vegans and January - probably whilst I was shoving some chicken into my mouth. Fast forward one year and I am now a vegan for life; quite a change! Last March, I discovered this weird concept called ‘veganism’ and for the ﬁrst time ever, I actually looked at and thought about where my food came from. The girl who adored four cheese pizzas and chicken breasts was now a converted tofu lover! This year, I am looking at Veganuary with a very different perspective. Last year, I would have assumed that everyone trying it would probably die of protein deﬁciency after a month with no animal products. This year, I think that many people will feel amazing after January, and will hopefully continue eating vegan the rest of their lives. At Exeter, we are all very sporty and health conscious, and so part of me does wonder if the Veganuary phenomenon here is just

people trying to be hip (and consume as many avocados as possible). But part of me doesn’t really care why people are doing Veganuary. If it’s for “selfish” health or weight-loss reasons, that’s fine. If it’s for the environment, that’s fine. If it’s because you’re bored and want a challenge, that’s fine too. I don’t really care why people decide to spend a cold winter month with no animal products; all I care is that people are doing it.

My whole family have now all gone vegan themselves! Having once been the person to make fun of vegans, I actually went vegan my-

self after watching several documentaries one night which uncovered my eyes to the health benefits of being vegan. So I went vegan for purely selfish reasons, when I realised that I would not die of protein deficiency, and would actually be healthier if I went plant based. It was only after I had given up all animal products that I really researched the ethics and animal welfare side of it. I now stay vegan for ethical reasons and for the animals. My whole family, seeing how I have thrived after the transition, have now all gone vegan themselves! Who would have thought that a 60-year-old Yorkshire man, a junk food-lover and a chocoholic would go vegan? But we love it, and will never look back. What I am trying to say is that vegans are no longer the weird hippie stereotype society sees them as. Trust me, I used to think that they

into Pret’s vegan sandwiches are in it for the right reasons, and not just to follow the trend.

The thought of eating meat is actually quite repulsive to me For me, it’s all about doing your bit and taking steps towards a more caring world. Just as Vegan Outreach president, Jack Norris, said, “People say, ‘I’d go vegan but I can’t give up cheese.’ Then go vegan except for cheese!” Whether taking part in ‘Veganuary’ or not, just cutting back on one piece of meat or drinking one pint less of dairy milk per week will aid this ﬁght for compassion and mercifulness. were as well! The current strongest man in the world is a vegan, Serena Williams is a vegan, Miley Cyrus is a vegan. Really anyone can make the change. I never thought I would be a vegetarian, never mind a vegan. Most vegans probably once thought that they would never do it until they realised why they should. Veganuary might be popular in Exeter due to us all wanting to look good in our stash, and eat lunch at Pret every day, but I think the best way for getting people to discover how amazing this lifestyle is is to actually try it. If I can go nine months without dairy cheese (look for non-dairy alternatives) then I promise that you can survive one. Veganuary is a wonderful challenge, and even if people decide not to stay vegan, I hope that it will make those participating consume fewer animal products, whether that’s for their own health or for the animals. If I haven’t bored you to death with my little vegan rant (maybe some vegan stereotypes are true) then please have an open mind, and you can even take a look at some documentaries (Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives, Earthlings etc.) to learn more about veganism, and why it isn’t as crazy or extreme as people ﬁrst think it is.

COMMENT

SENIOR EditorS’ note: To deny rape culture exists is a very contentious opinion, which we realise some readers might find distressing. However, we believe that by acknowledging views we don’t agree with, we give ourselves the tools to construct informed and justified counter-arguments. Needless to say, this denial of rape culture does not reflect the views of the senior Exeposé editorial team.

Content notice: rape, attempted rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault

Rape culture in the UK: non-existent... Charlie Pointon Contributor

AST week, Alastair Cooke, a Durham University student who was accused of rape, had all charges dropped against him. The judges could not agree on a verdict, stating they could “offer no evidence on these counts”. This is not the ﬁrst time accusations of rape have come from Durham University. These accusations follow a prominent trend in recent years which forwards a belief that rape is normalised and ignored within society. This has been called “rape culture”.

Of course, even when one rape occurs it is too many Feminists have pursued campaigns which attempt to tackle the problem by educating men about how rape is wrong, and that it should never be normalised. This belief is troubling for one simple reason. There is no “rape culture” in the UK. It is statistically inaccurate. Rape is not normalised in the UK. And it detracts

from the existence of real rape cultures across the world. The first step to solving a problem is recognising what the problem is. Unfortunately, if we believe false statistics, we’ve failed at the first hurdle. According to Rape Crisis, 97,000 men and women are raped every single year in the UK, meaning that 11 rapes occur every hour. In reality, according to the Office for National Statistics, the actual figure from 20152016 was 37,813. This means that the real figure is 4 rapes occur every hour, not 11. Of course, even when one rape occurs it is too many. Rape is an appalling and horrific crime that destroys people’s lives, often to an irreparable extent. But if we want to establish any possibility of tackling these problems effectively, then we must begin to recognise the reality of what is actually going on without allowing a particular narrative to take precedence over fact. Another critical aspect of the “rape culture” myth is that rape is normalised and dismissed as an irrelevance. This is completely nonsensical. The UK has one of the highest conviction rates for rape in Europe, with 60% of cases resulting in conviction. The average sentence for convicted rapists has also increased to more than eight years. Sarah Green, Acting Di-

rector of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, has explained that British law on rape is “clearer and more progressive than many other countries”, a clear dismissal of the idea that rape is ignored in the UK.

There is no “rape culture” in the UK Socially, there are a multitude of outlets to assist victims of rape within society. There are 56 rape crisis centres in England and Wales with the sole purpose of making sure that victims of sexual harassment and rape are properly cared for. Thus, the idea that rapes are dismissed is ludicrous. We actively condemn rape for what it is: a horriﬁc and life-destroying crime. The most illogical aspect of “rape culture” is the way the concept of consent is discussed. If someone has the capacity to commit rape, telling them not to do it solves nothing. The exact same way telling a murderer not to murder is a waste of time. This brings us back to the central point that feminists still believe that men are incapable of understanding consent. This is why consent classes remain widespread in universities. Small wonder, therefore, that

often these consent classes are never actually attended. Indeed, in the Alastair Cooke case, his lawyer stated, “young men need to learn that if a woman is drunk, she is not ﬁt to consent”. So despite all charges being dropped, and the case dismissed, the myth of men’s inability to comprehend consent persists regardless. Unsurprisingly, the University of Exeter also contributes to this stupidity. The #NeverOk campaign intends to “help to create a society where nobody feels ashamed to engage in or reject sexual activity”. And to strongly reinforce this, a threeminute video is provided which compares the crucial importance of consent with… asking for curly fries from The Ram. This is plain dumb. Its only achievement is contributing to the idiotic belief that consent is an unknown phenomenon, whilst simultaneously belittling consent’s importance. But a far more damaging impact of the western “rape culture” myth is that it detracts from real rape cultures across the world. In Lebanon, any man who commits a kidnapping, rape or statutory rape can’t be prosecuted, as long as he marries the victim afterwards. A man in Afghanistan can legally restrict his wife’s right to leave the house. In the Bahamas, it’s legal for a husband to sexually assault his wife if she

is over the age of 14, while in Singapore she needs to be over 13. In fact, there are 36 countries in the world were marital rape is still legal. So to say there is a rape culture in the UK belittles the existence of actual rape cultures around the world. If we truly wish to tackle this issue, we ﬁrst need to recognise that there is no rape culture in the UK. We have one of the most progressive legal systems in the entire world and society - in no way, shape or form - dismisses the seriousness of rape. The only achievement of this belief is to undermine our ability to effectively tackle it. This needs to end. Fact must come ﬁrst.

FACT CHECK

We always try to check that our writers’ statistics can be verified. We’ve had a look at the original reports, and think there’s a bit of confusion here: The 97,000 figure represents the total number of rapes and attempted rapes committed, from a January 2013 ONS report quoted by Rape Crisis. But 37,813 represents the number of legally-defined ‘rapes’ in 2015-2016. The total number of rapes and attempted rapes committed in 2015-2016 was actually 112,021 (ONS).

... or dangerously pervasive? Bea Fones Comment Editor

WON’T insult anyone’s intelligence by assuming you don’t know what rape culture is, in its broadest sense. If you’re claiming it doesn’t exist, you’re part of the problem. By erasing the experiences of so many people, you’re actively encouraging a trend in society which teaches women that others are entitled to their bodies before they are. Neither am I willing to explain the ins and outs of feminism, or any kind of activism, to those who are not willing to listen, and who can quite frankly ﬁnd that information elsewhere. And you know what? I’m tired. It’s not fun anymore to debate about feminism, to argue with some hot-head, who’s convinced they’re going to prove me wrong about whether or not I deserve basic human rights. I deserve to be safe. I’ll admit without hesitation that I hold far more privilege than most, as a white cisgender woman. If I’m tired of talking about this, how much more ex-

hausted - even despairing - must those be who are wilfully ignored, whose identities are denied and pushed to the fringe of society on the basis of an intersection of race, class, gender and sexuality? If someone tells me rape culture doesn’t affect us in the UK, I could only look at them with incredulity. I’ll respect your opinion, sure. But not when it’s disrespecting someone else’s lived experience.

If you’re claiming it doesn’t exist, you’re part of the problem Whilst the UK’s legal system is undoubtedly more successful than that of many other countries in dealing with rape cases, it has innumerable ﬂaws. We can’t, however, claim to be better than other countries solely on the basis that rape is illegal here, if our treatment of the subject and the victims still perpetuates dangerous attitudes. With only 15% of instances of sexual violence being reported to the police, how can we claim any moral higher ground? And of course, concerning rape

cases, a “not guilty” verdict does not always guarantee innocence. Hear the words “rape culture”, and what do we think of? Being groped in a club? Trump’s boasts of sexual assault being dismissed by millions as “locker room talk”? University sports clubs encouraging members to get girls drunk during a social, in order to sleep with them? It’s dangerously pervasive but it isn’t always so obvious. Rape culture is your ex-boyfriend greeting you with an unwanted kiss on the mouth in a crowded club before you get a chance to push him away. It’s a friend breaking down in tears when her close (male) friend walks her home, then tries to persuade her to sleep with him. He calls her a bitch when she turns him down. Rape culture is her saying the next day: “He was just drunk. He didn’t mean it.” Because society has convinced her that it’s just what happens, that she must have led him on. That he’s “a good person, really.” Rape culture is another friend pressuring you into sleeping with him because “I know you want to, really.” It’s those times you just sort of… gave in? It’s too often overlooked that most rapes are carried out

by someone known to the victim. Rape culture is looking back on instances where you were drunk, going home with someone you barely know, or conversely someone you thought you trusted, and waking up after sex wondering: was that consensual? If you were so drunk that you don’t remember parts of the night, surely you were too drunk to consent? But you wanted it… Didn’t you?

Rape culture is “He was just drunk. He’s a good person, really.” This is not an excuse. The responsibility for a sexual assault lies with the person who makes a conscious decision to pursue sexual contact with someone who is unable or unwilling to consent. The Guild’s #NeverOk campaign has made steps to address these issues. But a short promotional video about getting curly fries at the Ram, a near-identical copy of another one circulating the internet shortly beforehand using the metaphor of making someone a cup of tea, isn’t enough

to tackle the problem. We’re all aware of it, but have we really taken heed? Those who truly understand the concept of consent, and the dangers of writing it off as a “grey area”, are the ones who will understand the rationale behind holding the classes. By refusing to educate ourselves, we put ourselves in a position where we could do serious harm to others purely by not understanding the situation. By assuming that even if someone’s had a few drinks and you’re sober, it’s perfectly ﬁne to carry on. By persuading your partner to have sex when they’re tired and really don’t feel like it. Each choice we make has the potential to make a difference. Rape culture is real. It’s our responsibility to break it down. If you’ve been affected by these issues, we would recommend the following helplines: Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Exeter 01392 436967 Devon Rape Crisis Helpline 01392 204174 (Mon & Fri 6-9pm, Weds 10am-1pm) Victim Support 0808 168 9111

COMMENT

“He was the bait and I was hooked”

One student’s warning after a Christmas catﬁshing ordeal

Anonymous

ATFISHING… I never really knew what this word actually meant until very recently. And it’s not exactly a common term either. I think it can be quite easy for people to laugh at the prospect of somebody being “catﬁshed”. After all, you would have to be a total fool to be tricked into believing that a person was genuine on their social media proﬁle, wouldn’t you? Especially when they seem to pay so much attention to you. Particularly when you are glued to your WhatsApp conversation and call one another every couple of days, sometimes for hours on end. I guess my story starts like any other in the grotesquely digital society that we live in… with a happy match on Tinder.

I’m no Hugh Jackman, so when I matched with a Greek God, I was of course sceptical Now, I’m no Hugh Jackman, so when I matched with somebody who was vaguely reminiscent of a Greek God, I was of course sceptical and in some disbelief. It would be fair to say I was punching well above my weight, but I suppose his interest in me only made me swoon further. Like all good fisherman, they line their bait well and for him, it was his effortless charm. After immediately messaging one another, he quickly took my number to transfer the conversation over to WhatsApp. Perhaps this was to demonstrate his sincerity and gain my trust, perhaps it was to distract me from any falseness in his profile – I do not know. What I do know is that after less than five minutes of talking via WhatsApp, he called me and we spoke until the early hours of the following morning. I will not deny that I began to feel attracted to him more because of this. There was something in the spontaneity of his actions and the tone of his voice that had me invested. The following day, I noticed he had deleted his Tinder profile and I very much regret not picking up on these signs at the time. He was the bait and I was hooked. He had no need to pursue anybody else as I was under his spell. We continued to talk for the rest of the Christmas break – my phone constantly vibrating with his messages. As time progressed, it only intensified and we spoke about our feelings for one another, where we wanted this to go, our insecurities, and everything entirely personal that you wouldn’t want to

share with someone you did not trust. For all I knew, I was developing feelings for someone who I thought was the man of my dreams. However, of course, this man never existed. And that’s what makes it all the worse – the emotional manipulation to get me to a level where I could let my guard down. And what was this all for? He invited me out to dinner late one evening in central London, and living in the Greater London area I would have to either cut the evening short by catching an early train, or I would have to stay at his. Naturally the latter was what he suggested and of course I agreed. His generosity extended further to an offer of him driving me back to Exeter the following day. This is perhaps where I should tell you that he is a student here. He walks these halls as I do and for all I know he could be sitting in the library directly behind me as I write this article. His plans were of course not as he claimed. I have some very loyal friends in my life. If it wasn’t for them happening to

recognise the images that he had been using on his Tinder proﬁle, where he had assumed the identity of an Italian model on Instagram (I told you I was punching), I would have gone to the date completely unaware. For a man with such charm, he had an odd and dark sense of humour. Suddenly, his jokes about the prospect of him “cutting me up into little pieces” seemed a little more sinister.

He could be sitting in the library directly behind me as I write this article My friends and I called up the restaurant where I was supposed to be eating to check the reservation, where there was nothing under the name he gave me, nor the name of the true owner of the photos. Fuelled by anger and confusion, I called and asked him who he really was and why he had been posing as somebody

else. Hearing the panic in his voice, it was obvious that he knew he had been caught out. I asked him to FaceTime me straight away to show me his face. We haven’t spoken since. He deleted his WhatsApp, diverted my calls, rejected my texts and the man I thought I had been talking to had now disappeared. You may have come up with your own theories at this point. What if he is just terribly insecure in his appearance? What if he hasn’t yet come to terms with his sexuality? I have asked those things myself and still reﬂect on them now. After all, as a gay man you’re not always dealt the easiest hand to be yourself. But that doesn’t explain his complete self-eradication and silence, leading

For all I knew, I was developing feelings for someone who I thought was the man of my dreams...

me to think there might have been a little more to it. Had something happened were I to go on this date, my parents would have thought I would have just returned to Exeter, and my friends would have thought I was still on holiday. While I’m fortunate that nothing has happened, this individual may be still a student at the University of Exeter. Adding to the frustration of this whole endeavour is the considerable lack of power in the hands of the Police. In a society that is so focused on combatting cyber-crime, I have never felt less safe because catﬁshing isn’t technically an offense. From now on I’ll always be second guessing who I talk to on dating apps.

I have never felt less safe because catﬁshing isn’t technically an offence It’s clear now that this kind of experience isn’t something we can just isolate to a television programme. It happens everywhere and can affect anyone. What I’ve learnt is that it couldn’t be more important to be careful on dating apps. If you use them: always meet the people you talk to in a public space, and tell your friends where you are going. Catﬁshing isn’t something to be laughed at, but to be taken seriously. Guard yourself against it; it really can happen to anyone.

The Students’ Guild Advice Unit offers a range of support whether you need someone to listen or are looking for support. Phone: 01392723520

....Suddenly, his jokes about the prospect of him cutting me up into little pieces seemed a little more sinister

Email: advice@exeterguild.com

To respond to these articles, contact us at: comment@exepose.com

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30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

Georgina Bolam Katie Jenkins Photo: pri.org

“We can change the world in many ways”

Natasa Christoﬁdou, News Editor, discusses Brexit and modern populism with POLITICO’s senior EU correspondent, Ryan Heath

LUTCHING onto my newly bought copy of POLITICO, I couldn’t decide which was more intimidating: the fact that I’d be interviewing the senior EU correspondent of the paper, or that Donald Trump’s face was staring me right in the eye. America’s newly elected president has been on the highlights of every newspaper and social media platform out there, so this wasn’t going to be yet another interview on the rise of populism, Brexit, Trump, or the unavoidable realisation that we live in a society that thrives under fear and uncertainty. However, in the midst of it all, we had to succumb to the political reality of what is starting to shape our future society. Interviewing Ryan Heath at a time in history where Western powers are so internally divided enabled us to explore the inﬂuence of social media. He doesn’t shy away from calling out people who bark on social media, but doesn’t necessarily take the initiative to engage in the very practices that they criticize: “I know from people that I‘ve been speaking to that many of them had the opportunity to vote and chose not to, despite being very vocal on their Facebook page.”

You won’t affect the Trump presidency or convince people of a different viewpoint Considering that POLITICO reports on a constant inﬂow of both European and international news, whose effects have a global inﬂuence, the consequences of political apathy are far more apparent to him than the average voter. Heath expresses disappointment towards people who allowed “a minor logistical issue” such as their location or the time frame of elections to prevent them from expressing their thoughts at the polling station both in the case of the Brexit referendum and the American presidential election. Furthermore, Heath points out that

the youth of today is engaged in politics through different means. Despite the low turnout in both Brexit and the US election, Heath draws attention to the “youth being prevented from voting if they were under 18,” despite their arguably more educated and open-minded perspectives. Interviewing Heath in the immediate aftermath of Trump’s election feels like a privilege, as we speak about the driving factors to such a controversial election. Even though Heath avoids explicitly stating his opinion on the outcome itself, he nonetheless addresses the circumstances of politically tense repercussions. When the outcome is approached in a practical manner, one would ﬁnd it hard to disagree with Heath when he claims: “Trump shows people the consequences of your vote.” Regardless of whether such consequences are positive or negative, they’re nonetheless radical and present an alternative to a status quo that many people feel disengaged from. When addressing the issue of political apathy, he recognizes that not voting, essentially equates to “giving up on a major part of what constitutes society.” “We can change the world in many ways, but the core of it is who governs you and how.” Nowadays, he claims “media is so fragmented” as he emphasises the effects of both softer versions of media sources such as Instagram, and internationally recognized newspaper outlets. The growing absorption of media is understood as a positive aspect by Heath, arguing we should not hesitate to welcome the changing nature of our society. However, he highlights the dangers of being exposed to an “echo chamber” of opinions on the internet. Cosnidering that we choose what we’re exposed to, this could lead to the acceleration of an already “divided society”. The content we’re exposed to on the Internet will tend to legitimize our views and “divide us from becoming a uniﬁed community.” He then continued to say how “not reporting on certain things” is not as “scary” as the

realisation that “media might not reach the whole population” due to our ideological ﬁlters on social media. Distrust for large institutions is not unilaterally apparent in Britain and America, but there are widespread implications of a possible fragmentation of European politics. Similar right wing political movements, aiming to challenge the socioeconomic foundations that exist within a Western European culture can be observed through the campaigns of both Marine Le Pen in France and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. Apart from referring to the success of movements that have gained an intense amount of both approval and disapproval from the masses as a “wake up call”, Heath described his job as one that is responsible for helping “readers understand why others in society are turning to these movements.” A sharp turn away from mainstream politics is also accompanied with anger towards institutional frameworks that govern society, an area that Ryan aims to explore in order to realise “why people are so angry.” He explains that a more plausible approach to such events would be to understand the underlying dissatisfaction that populist movements address, rather than just framing them as “racist and sexist.” Whether or not such claims are true: “You won’t affect the Trump presidency or convince people of a different view point.” Therefore, in order to avoid isolating people and “pushing

The POLITICO Launched in 2007 to cover the US Presidential election Founded by former Washington Post journalists, John F. Harris and Jim VandeHei A European edition was launched in 2015, with Matthew Kaminski at the helm POLITICO Magazine launched in 2013

society apart”, views expressing disagreement should be embedded within conversations with others. At the same time, we must “acknowledge that Trump did win under the electoral system” despite his effectiveness in “unleashing hateful emotions.”

Not voting equates to giving up on a major part of what constitues society Living in Brussels, arguably the capital of Europe, has allowed Heath’s exposure to the peak of political debate. He did not shy away from addressing the dangers of the ‘Euro bubble’ in Brussels that, according to him, primarily consists of educated individuals or those who can afford unpaid internships. Drawing from this, he

highlights the visible divide amongst white and non-white immigrants who are not integrated into the decision-making process. This unavoidable trend can be recognized and tolerated at the start of a multicultural melting pot, but if it occurs “generation after generation, then we end up in difficult situations,” presumably an entrenched segregated society. Heath’s willingness to address unpaid internships reflects back to the risk of accommodating for a system that fosters elitist interests. On the topic of unpaid internships, I couldn’t help but question whether he thought they were exploitative of young, ambitious individuals. Heath didn’t hesitate to agree and even go as far as comparing them to “slavery”. “It’s not okay to make people work for free. That’s called slavery.” The intention of internships was characterized to “start with the right idea”, but still requires the support from employers so it can “escape a negative cycle” of feeling pressured to constantly comply. Heath’s strong use of the word “slavery” in characterizing the graveness of the need for work experience was very fitting when reflecting on a society where many individuals are willing to accept internships, regardless of the consequences. The issue of high demand in the workforce came to an end with Heath’s proposal to “help manage peoples’ expectations” by directing them to other sectors away from large metropolitan cities, which in turn allow employers to take advantage of the excess demand for work. As our interview comes to an end, it feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders due to the soothing tone of Heath’s message. His advice for most situations we’re faced with, not just political events, is “don’t make assumptions”. Despite the cynical nature of this message, the undertone is ultimately one of reassurance.

FEATURES

President Trump is in the building... Daphne Bugler discusses the safety and stability of Donald Trump's presidency and what effect he'll have on policy

T seemed like a bad dream, watching Donald Trump take to the stage on Friday to become the President of the United States. In most movies, Trump would fit the role of a villainous character perfectly, and the rain that flooded down as he spoke was the perfect pathetic fallacy. But this isn’t a dream. Donald Trump is now, arguably, the most powerful man in the world, with the ability to wage wars, drop nuclear bombs, and influence international thought.

Trump suggested that he would turn America's focus inwards Throughout history, inaugural addresses have set the tone for the type of leadership the new President will provide. They send a message, not only to the American people, but also to the world about what type of country America will become. Messages of friendship and hope are often portrayed, with clear plans to inspire and change the world for the better. This was not the case with Trump. For some American people, his speech was potentially inspiring. He made it clear that he was a move away from the establishment, arguing that politicians have protected themselves in the past at the cost of improving the lives of the average citizens. Thought-provoking as this may be, it is worrying that Trump is unable to see the clear improvements in civil rights, gender equality and healthcare that past presidents and governments have put in place. Rights, equality and the availability of healthcare are crucial to a modern day country, and it is worrying that they may be lost in the United States.

They send a message not only to the American people, but to the world Indeed, The Washington Post has stated that Trump’s speech has no factual basis in regards to his claims about politicians. There is no evidence to suggest that presidents protected their own wealth at

ut Let's talk abo TRUMP!

the cost of the nation. When discussing immigration, the new President appeared to contradict himself. He claimed to be promoting a uniﬁed country no matter how long the citizens had lived in America, yet highlighted an incredibly nationalist viewpoint. His constant references to jobs being lost in America to foreign countries are actually based on questionable evidence. The amount of manufacturing jobs in the United States increased by over a million under the Obama administration.

economies now acting as a barrier towards conﬂict. Trump’s promotion of this ideal is worrying. The concerning nature of many policies promoted by the new President has led many to question his safety. Whether you love or hate Trump, his safety is important. If anything were to happen to him, it would be very

Trump would ‘regret’ the next four years of his Presidency. Anonymous called to their followers via Twitter to use their hacking skills to expose any potentially compromising information they could ﬁnd about Trump. Strangely, this was ignored by Trump before his inauguration, despite how he often uses Twitter to rebut such threats. The group had declared war on him last year. As much as Trump has said and done things which are against modern values, it would be against the principles of democracy for any

candidate became President, despite the extensive opposition he faced. Therefore, I would suggest that we should now judge Trump based on the type of government he runs, rather than what happened in the campaign.

The internet hacking group 'Anonymous' issued a warning This is not to say there is nothing to worry about. Because clearly there is hypocrisy, racism, sexism, lies - the list is endless. But the next four years cannot be lived in anticipation of the next controversial act of the President. Whether or not Russia intervened in the campaigns, Donald Trump has become President through the democratic system. He has spouted endless ideas of what he plans on achieving, and has contradicted himself on numerous occasions. He also would have to gain the support of Congress if he actually plans on making such controversial changes, with their full support being unlikely.

Peaceful protests send important messages to those in power

Furthermore, Trump products themselves are manufactured in at least 12 different countries, according to The Washington Post. Trump clearly suggested that he would turn America’s focus inwards, which threatens the global trade system and seems to evoke values against those of the modern world. Whilst these may seem appealing to Americans themselves, from an international perspective it is the opposite. Nationalism has often posed dangers in history, with our interlinked

dangerous, as America could become even more divided. However, a different type of threat has also grown against President Trump. The internet hacking group ‘Anonymous’ issued a warning ahead of the inauguration. The group, who have taken on enemies such as ISIS in the past, claimed that

a Republican, he doesn't “He doesn't appear to be tage out issues.” - Richard Armi appear to want to learn ab

"Disrespect invites disres pect, violence incites violence... When the powe rful use their position to bully others, we all lose." - Meryl Streep

“Maybe he’ll be different from who he was and always is.” - Stephen Colbert

external body to get involved. He has been elected by the American people as their President, and therefore President he will be. The threats against him, especially those online, challenge democracy and the will of the American people. Their political system may indeed have ﬂaws; he gained fewer overall votes than Hillary Clinton, but within the rules of the American Constitution he ran and won a successful campaign. To look at it positively, his inauguration was a celebration of democracy. An unexpected

Whilst we must therefore accept his Presidency as legitimate, it is important that the signiﬁcance of the values that he threatened in his campaign are made clear. The various Women’s Marches that took place around the world following the inauguration displayed the extensive support for gender equality around the world. Peaceful protests like these send important messages to those in power, that the people will not stand down to their right being removed. They can crucially rally support within Congress to oppose any radical plans Trump suggests, and are an effective means of making sure the Trump administration takes into account the voices of the American people. For a man who runs on unpredictable judgement, it seems impossible to know what he could do, but hopefully it will be less damaging than many have hypothesised.

“You can't spend m onths insulting alm ost every group imaginable and th en expect everyone to suddenly sing kumbaya together .” - Kevin James Sh ay “I am a descendent of a wh ole bunch of Black folk who couldn't be broken. ” - Darnell Lamont Walke r

FEATURES

Russia to decriminalise domestic violence

Rebecca Broad, Online Science Editor, investigates the Russian Duma's desire to decriminalise domestic violence, and the patriarchal culture legitimising it

IOLENCE affects about one quarter of Russian families; 14,000 women die from injuries caused by their husbands or relatives. It is estimates like these, quoted by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2008, that hint at what a Russian Exeter student calls “a serious problem in Russia.” The 2010 report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which included the ﬁgures above, recommended that in line with Russia’s international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), that “the state pass a new law… and thus ensure protection for life, health and safety of women”.

If he beats you, it means he loves you Six years later, Vladimir Putin signed a law making it clear that family violence was equal to a criminal offence. This meant domestic violence was to be investigated to the same degree as hate crimes (though other forms of violence not causing actual bodily harm were decriminalised). The code came into force early July 2016. But last week saw a step in the opposite direction from State Duma, Russia’s parliament – a second reading of a bill aiming to decriminalise domestic violence. Anna Kirey, Deputy Director for Campaigns for Russia and Eurasia at Amnesty International, stated that Russia “must halt these plans and instead put together a comprehensive package of measures, in line with the recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, to address the vast scale of domestic violence in Russia.” In the ﬁrst reading, 368 MPs approved of the law to have familial battery removed from Russia’s criminal code (one abstained and one opposed). “You don’t want people to be imprisoned for two years and labelled a criminal for the rest of their lives for a slap,” said the MP spearheading the proposed changes. That MP is Jelena Mizulina, described by The Moscow Times as an “ultraconservative senator”. She sits at the head of the Duma Committee on Family, Women, and Children’s Affairs and was a key supporter of the “gay propaganda” law, which makes

culture sees parents as being correct, and responsible for guiding children – even if that means using light physical punishment to reinforce a point. Mizulina told the Duma: “In Russian traditional family culture parent-child relationships are built on the authority of the parents' power... The laws should support that family tradition”. The Russian Orthodox church agrees – in July it stated that “if reasonable and carried out with love, corporal punishment is an essential right given to parents by God”. Even in the UK, for a parent or carer to smack a child is lawful if it amounts to “reasonable punishment”. A key point was overlooked by many news sources in the administrative versus criminal punishment debate. The Image: flickr.com Image: flickr.com bill states that if the domestic abuse is not the first instance in the family, or if it causes injuries requiring treatment, it illegal to spread material on gay rights. A Russian University of Exeter the punishment would be elevated student who spoke to me in confidence from administrative to criminal. highlighted the need for balance – both Therefore, criminal charges would within law and in the media’s reporting still be brought against anyone of the debate occurring in Russia. They committing familial battery of a stress that the situation is “very sensitive certain force, or more than once a year. and complex”. According to the Congenial At its essence, the bill seeks to make violence towards family members and Home Centre (also quoted in the non-family members equally punishable. report to the UN), 60-70% of women Following Russia’s 2016 amendment, suffering domestic abuse don’t go to violence towards a non-relative is treated the authorities. “The problem,” says my as an administrative offence (receiving a Russian contact, “is not only with the law”. fine or community service punishment). There is not yet the show of strength and That towards family is immediately a support from various aspects of society criminal offence (punishable by jail). for an average woman to feel able to stand What has been dubbed 'the slapping bill' up to her abusive husband, for example. If he beats you, it means he loves is attempting to define the difference between administrative and criminal you. This is a Russian proverb, confirms the student I spoke to. They say Russian offences. women rarely desire the consequences The student I spoke to caused by reporting violence to the pointed out that police – “women are victims Russian of their own hopes”. A friend of the activist Alena Popova was hospitalised after a severe beating, but “she responded by telling me: ‘He is perfect; he is my future. Perhaps this was all my fault.’ This is a powerful woman, an entrepreneur who runs her own business, Image: wikimedia.org and her response was not unusual. Most women don’t go

to court. They feel shame; they blame themselves.” 59% of respondents are in favour of softening the current domestic violence law, found a survey by Russia’s state polling agency.

Women are victims of their own hopes The CEDAW UN report cites a number of case studies which reveal not only general societal opinions, but also those held by people in authority. A woman who was periodically beaten ran away to a shelter and reported to the police, but the senior inquiry ofﬁcer – who was female – refused t o instigate

Image: wikipedia.org criminal proceedings. The officer’s report describes the defendant as “provoking him to commit these acts” and claims the couple’s child “could have prevented the conflict”. The journalist Anna Zhavnerovich remembers her experience of reporting abuse, back before domestic violence was a crime. The police asked her if she was married, why she didn’t have any children, and later dropped the case. When she looked into a private law suit, the police had lost her files. Her article on the “unmentionable subject” gathered huge public interest and Zhavnerovich received thousands of messages from other victims. “Women have been emancipated since the Soviet Union, but they have never been feminists; that movement is beginning now”, she told The Guardian in 2015. Popova began a Change.org petition which now has nearly 200,000 supporters. She disputes the second-chance idea of the bill. “Imagine it: a woman is beaten up by her husband, she makes a complaint, and the husband is given a fine, which he pays out of the family budget. He then comes home and shouts at her for complaining,

and you can be 100% sure that next time she’ll just try to hide the bruises and won’t complain”. Reducing familial battery from criminal to administrative would also increase the reporting burden on the victim. Under current law, police should investigate reports of violence. If the amendment passes, it would require victims seeking administrative punshiment to collect evidence themselves. The Russian student I spoke to stressed that no law has yet been changed. The bill needs to be passed a third time by the Duma, and then signed by President Vladimir Putin in parliament’s upper house. He is under pressure from powers worldwide, including the Council of Europe’s Secretary General who described the potential move as “a clear sign of regression”. Putin has said it is better to avoid all violence, and that “there’s too little distance between a spanking and a beating”. “Punishments [for offences] can not contradict the system of social values that society holds on to,” said Mizulina in her opening statement for the bill’s ﬁrst reading. Yet this is in conﬂict with the CEDAW, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly nearly 40 years ago. Article 5(a) requires that states “modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices”.

Women... have never been feminists The decision to reduce the ﬁrst instance of domestic assault from criminal to administrative is being debated across the world, but it is up to Russia alone to decide how it will balance traditional societal values, the making of laws, and its international obligations.

If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed here, you can contact: 24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline 0808 2000 247 For more helplines, visit: www. gov.uk/report-domestic-abuse

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lifestyle

ARTS + LIT

E X H I B IT MUSIC

GAMES + TECH

screen

Photo: lizafinn.co.uk

Exeter’s tea on the green review

interview with former student liza finn Photo: flickr.com

the progress of the sims

Photo: flickr.com

Photo: simsonline.com

The year ahead in cinema

in favour of non-fiction Photo: theknockturnal.com

16 - 18

20 - 21

24 - 26

28 - 30

32 - 33

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Jade Beard Laurel Bibby

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Emma Bessent Tash Ebbutt

MUSIC EDITORS Rory Marcham Helen Payne

SCREEN EDITORS Mark Allison Zak Mahinfar

GAMES + TECH EDITORS Jabez Sherrington Sam Woolf 30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle

"We need body positivity more than ever" Char Srahan examines how women can stay body positive

MONGST the frenzy of social media, magazines, television, and the increasing emergence of the Kylie Jenners of the world, it’s often hard to forget that the “perfect” bodies we’re exposed to everyday don’t reflect reality (Black Mirror anyone?). Yet there are exceptions to the rule; brands like Aerie Real are breaking with marketing traditions by featuring unphotoshopped models, and bloggers such as @bodyposipanda are subverting the idealistic nature of social media, by challenging the way society continually critiques our “imperfections”, alongside the sound advice: “don’t sacrifice a healthy mind in the pursuit of a healthy body”. Lifestyle writer Char Srahan investigates the uprising of body positivity.

to swipe the badge, had to demonstrate body confidence and improved self-esteem; a stellar move towards spreading the body positive message to impressionable youngsters. Sport England too were irked by the fact that 75% of women

women and the hashtags multiply by the second, now taking precedence as a buzzword on social media. Thanks to small steps, showing off the “undesirable” parts of our bodies is becoming less of anathema. Plugging the diversity of women’s bodies is bringing about ac-

In 2015, the Girl Guiding Association began to bolster power and potential over flaws with the introduction of the ‘Free Being Me’ Girlguiding badge, a new addition to aging badges such as cooking and circus skills. For girls aged 7-14 in Brownies and Girl Guides alike, girls celebrated their individuality and

WE DO NOT NEED TO BE PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER Before you slate your body, ask: “Would I say that to my best friend?”; buy new clothes (Depop and eBay are your go-to as students) if you’re still holding out hope for fitting into year-11 jeans; move on and become content with yourself. Plough the energy you’ve spent worrying about your image, calories or weight into others, and into becoming more selfcompassionate. We do not need to be pitted against each other: we need to advocate together! Plus-size model, Ashley Graham, who is taking the media by storm, says that 2017 is about “boldness, excitement and confidence”.

A growing focus on body positivity is important, especially so in a high-pressured university environment (especially one that unofficially generates at least 81% of Nike’s annual revenue - the sea of skin-tight leggings we must all wade through every day does little for one’s hyperconsciousness of lumps and bumps). We need body positivity more than ever, and luckily, the movement is gaining traction.

WE NEED BODY POSITIVITY MORE THAN EVER

make all the difference: stop engaging in ‘fat talk’, claiming that “you know you shouldn’t” when biscuits are passed round, shooting down compliments, or kneading your thighs in changing rooms. Instead, positive affirmations must come into force.

ceptance and claimed they strength, and long were too inhibPhoto: mlapp.org may it continue. ited by a fear of being The Women’s March showed judged on their appearance or us that women can rally together, and now is ability to engage in sport - one of most the the time to put that prowess to use. Constant most liberating practices for women and their comparison to strangers on social networks, bodies. Cue #ThisGirlCan, a nationwide camsilicone-saturated celebrities and people paign to get women and girls moving whilst pushing the boundaries of Photoshop beshaking off the distorted notion that only the comes insidious, but making small changes most toned of us may exercise. The flagship to our individual and national psyche can film has now been viewed by over 13 million

WOMEN CAN RALLY TOGETHER This is the year to come to terms with the fact that happiness is not size specific and to reject the bombardment of one thin, white, non-disabled body littering the media. It’s unrepresentative and well due its demise.

@issym william s

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@bea_ thecha nge

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@hann ahrebu tler

EXHIBIT

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

LIFESTYLE

30 JAN 2017

Small but might-tea

| 17

Laurel Bibby, Lifestyle Editor, reviews Exeter's treasure Tea on The Green Photo: Laurel Bibby Photo: Katalina Karamani

ESTLED between Ask Italian and St Martin’s Church in central Exeter, Tea on the Green is a local culinary classic. In the summer months you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea sat outside in the sunshine admiring Exeter’s impressive cathedral or, if it’s slightly chillier, there is plenty of space inside in the cosy two-floored tea room, complete with quirky décor and stunning window views.

I'VE HAD MY FAIR SHARE OF FRY-UPS IN THE PAST, AND THIS ONE IS PRETTY DARN GREAT Following the devastation of the fire that destroyed the Royal Clarence Hotel last Octo-

ber, just across from Tea on the Green, it’s easy to understand how business has suffered for the local tea room. After being forced to close for three weeks while safety was restored to the area, the café now has a new neighbour in the form of a rather strapping orange digger. The quality of its food and service, however, has remained strong, so I took a little trip to Exeter’s favourite tea room to remind myself just why Tea on the Green is so well-loved. After much deliberation (the breakfast menu is seriously extensive), both my friend and I went for the classic full English, complete with sausage, bacon (in her case, at least – I’m veggie), eggs, baked beans, griddled tomato, hash brown, mushrooms and toast. I’ve had my fair share of fry-ups in the past and, let me tell you, this one is pretty darn great. If you’re not in the mood for breakfast food, the menu also covers a range of snacks, lunch, afternoon

tea and a wonderful array of locally baked cakes. I’ve been lucky enough to experience the cream tea on more than one occasion and there really isn’t anything much better than enjoying scones and a good pot of tea overlooking the cathedral.

THE CAFÉ HAS A LOVE OF LOCALLYSOURCED PRODUCE Tea on the Green has clearly considered the demand for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options; I was particularly impressed by the choice of Linda McCartney sausages, which any self-respecting vegetarian knows to be the king of all veggie sausages. The café also has a range of gluten-free items and a

couple of vegan options too, such as the Lebanese panini, mixed seasonal salad or roast butternut squash wrap. In addition, the café has a love of locallysourced produce. All of the meats and eggs used are free-range and locally produced, while much of the fresh produce and cheeses are also sourced locally. Even most of the drinks are from the West Country, with the beer, lager and cider all made in Devon and Cornwall, and some wines from Exeter itself. The business also donates 1% of their profits to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), an international humanitarian organization. Let’s face it, good food is always going to be the most important factor for hungry students like ourselves, but at Tea on the Green you can enjoy their extensive, high quality menu safe in the knowledge that your custom is also supporting local produce.

Tea on the Green is located next to Cathedral Green in the heart of Exeter Open 8am-6pm on Monday to Saturday, and 9am-5pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays Photo: Emma Bessent

Photo: Bea Fones

Photo: Laurel Bibby

EXHIBIT

Stress-free skincare

| 18

Katherine Watson shares her top tips on student skincare

ISCLAIMER: If you’re a rich, super clued-up beauty blogger, this is not the article for you. I spend no more than five minutes a day on skincare, and have never spent more than £15 on any product. But if you want a few quick, easy ways to change up your daily routine and help keep your skin looking and feeling healthier, here are some simple tips.

1. ��S t�� y�� m��-�� of� �ef�� e�

I know we’ve heard it a million times, but sleeping in make-up clogs your pores, attracts bacteria leading to breakouts, and can cause eye irritation and infections. But did you know it can also cause fine lines and wrinkles (something to do with ‘free radicals’ apparently, whatever they are) and stops your skin from renewing itself at night: who wants to wake up with ‘old’ skin?

30 JAN 2017

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

LIFESTYLE

2. U�� m�is��i��

Putting on a moisturiser after washing all the natural oils from your face stops it from drying out, and should be an essential part of your daily routine. I highly recommend Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser: it’s inexpensive, not too heavy and very effective.

3. Te� ��:

Tea tree is a recent discovery, but I have genuinely been amazed at the difference it has made. The Body

Photo: pixabay

Shop has a whole range of products: toners, gels, cleansers, scrubs and more, so there really is something to address every problem and to fit every routine. I use the Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution twice a day, and whilst initially sceptical about its claims predicting visible results in just one week, it really does work.

Devil-may-hair

4. B� ��n��

Three little things with a big effect: water, diet, and suncream. You need to drink a lot of water before it really starts hydrating your skin as it goes to organs and cells first, while eating foods like carrots, broccoli, squash and spinach can give your skin a ‘healthy glow’ within six weeks. Even without burning, longterm UV exposure can make skin look dry as well as causing wrinkles and ‘age spots’, so make sure you put on some suncream even if you don’t think you’ll burn.

5. G�� y�� i� � �r�� LC

Every now and then, take more time to treat your skin. Go make-up free and let it breathe, and make time for exfoliating, cleansing and applying a facemask. Think of it as a thank you to your skin for dealing with everything you put it through. It deserves it!

Barbara Balogun gives her advice for those bad hair days

E have all looked in the mirror one morning and thought “what am I going to do with this hair?” University is a place where most of us would rather go out the night before our 8.35am classes and sleep until the last minute. But if you’re not slaying then what are you saying? Life is too short to have boring hair so fear no more, because here is a list of remedies that will make you forget about bad hair days FOREVER. First, it’s all about the dry shampoo, the purpose of which is to save you from the days when your hair decides to make your life hard. Lift your hair, spray, brush, and slay. This will leave your hair oil-free, fresh and ready to go. Your second-best friend is your curling iron. It is a good way to get some volume right

away. Flip your hair upside down and blast your roots with hot air to add some life back, and no one has to know that your hair looked terrible at first. Your curling iron will add a bit of volume to your hair, making it harder to see your parting and helping you to hide any mismatched roots. You can also try a simple twist-back that will make everyone think that you have as much control over your hair as you have over life; again, no one needs to know that it’s a complete lie. Just grab two sections and twist it to the back. Now, let’s talk about the braids. Did you know that braids look better with unwashed hair as it makes them hold better? Spray some hairspray on a brush and run it over your hair

to tame your flyaways and start braiding. Turning your hair into a statement also seems to be a solution as you’ll forget how frustrating they can be. Grab bobby pins and do a cross design, or twist it back and hide it underneath your hair.

YOUR SECOND-BEST FRIEND IS YOUR CURLING IRON You can also do a simple ponytail. If you’re running low on time because you decided to oversleep, go for the double ponytail. Leave the top section out while gathering the back

into a pony, secure with elastic, then add in the front section and secure with a second elastic. For the afros, don't worry, I’ve got your back too. We all know how difficult it is to deal with an afro when it has decided not to cooperate. And to this, I answer three simple words: cream, beanie, and head-scarf. Put cream in your hair because this will help detangle and loosen the curls, and will already make you feel more comfortable. Now rock your head scarf: leave some hair out, do a flower, twist it - you know the deal. After reading all that, you might just be thinking, “why would I bother”, and decide to cut your hair in a pixie cut or go bald. Whatever you do, you will look beautiful, and don’t forget to slay the day.

WHO WANTS TO WAKE-UP WITH 'OLD SKIN'?

Photos: Barbara Balogun

arts + lit Absolute classic

Graham Moore unveils the forgotten world of classical literature

Mary Shelley – Frankenstein Sometimes, when deep in the depths of procrastination, I like to remind myself that by my age Mary Shelley was publishing Frankenstein. Daughter of influential women’s rights activist and writer Mary Wollestonecraft, Mary Shelley has a flair for true literary genius. Frankenstein is a fantastic examination of human nature and ethics. ‘Compared to this ground-breaking work of gothic-style speculative fiction, a cornerstone of the science fiction genre, what have I achieved?’, I ask myself whilst sipping on my twelfth cup of coffee. Or something like that.

ing over him in the form of an early death to tuberculosis, Keats poured his soul and his anguish into his poetry, with peerless result. Keats turns Romantic imagery and style to his own ends, perfectly capturing raw and unbridled emotion. When he died aged 25, he did so believing that his life and work had amounted to nothing, his work criminally disparaged by contemporary critics. Now he is recognised as one of the brightest stars of his era.

presidency?), and perhaps also with Wagner’s Ring Cycle. However, you may be less familiar with the original tale of magic and backstabbery which inspired them – the Saga of the Volsungs. Written down in prose form during the 13th century, this Norse epic tells the story of Sigurd, his battle with the dragon Fafnir, and the nefarious passage of the ring Ardvaranaut.

Sappho – “Fragment 94”

The works of Virginia Woolf are a humbling reminder that no matter how clever you might think you are, there is always someone sharper than you. Woolf’s other works excel in their own right (A Room of One’s Own is similarly iconic), but To The Lighthouse is so quintessentially modernist that it deserves mention as a truly definitive classic. For a book in which next to nothing happens, this novel has so much going on.

It was a close call between this and the ‘Ode to Aphrodite’, but in the end this emotional account of two lovers parting won out. Sappho, whose love poetry remains to us only in scarce fragments, holds a key place in classical poetry tradition and in the development of Western poetry as a whole. Much lauded in her own millennium, her sexually charged work and oft-debated sexuality (she was gay, okay) has made Sappho a controversial but never forgotten figure. On top of that, her poetry is beautiful.

The Völsunga Saga

Alexandre Dumas – The Count of Monte Cristo

I take it you’re familiar with The Lord of the Rings (if you’re not, may I join you in your impressively insulated bunker for the duration of the Trump

This is one of my all-time favourite novels, and not least because someone once described it to me as “the best revenge story ever told, starring

Virginia Woolf – To The Lighthouse

nineteenth-century Batman”. Dumas – who also wrote the similarly excellent The Three Musketeers – spins a timeless tale of romance, wrongdoing, and retribution. You like prison breaks? Dumas has you covered. Secret love affairs? You got it. Subtle Bourbon Restoration political commentary? Well, maybe that’s just me – but be assured, if Monte Cristo looks lengthy, that’s just because it has a lot to pack in.

WikiCommons

classic is a work of literature that is so powerful, revolutionary or genre-defining that it withstands the test of time, becoming a key part of our literary culture. Not all classics have to be old, but like fine wines, some of the best are – and here’s a small taster…

John Keats – “Ode to a Nightingale” ‘I have been half in love with easeful death’, writes John Keats, who was – if you’ll permit me an understatement – not a particularly cheerful guy. With the shadow of his own mortality hang-

Non-ﬁction fallacy

Mubanga Mweemba argues for the commendation of nonfiction works

had considered myself to be a democratic lover of books; my romance novels sat alongside my paperweight fantasy books that neighboured my growing poetry collection. I had it all, and favourites would abound from varying genres. But they all hinged on this common foundation - they’re all fiction. Not real. Make believe. It never happened. The only non-fiction books on my bookshelf were books I was required to read for school and really required reading almost always takes the fun out of it. Thus non-fiction was doomed to never possess my favour. Non-fiction gets a bad reputation, one I prescribed to because why would I want to read something that happened in the world I know over dragons. It’s hard competition where the endless possibility of fiction transcends our world of limits. But there is merit and, dare I say it, enjoyment, to be found in non-fiction, if you understand its scope. If I were to make a pros/cons list on fiction, its cons would be it’s not non-fiction. I enjoy the blatant paragraphs of news articles, I revel in the forthright explanation of facts in history books, I feel like I’m listening to a writer directly talk to me, as if in conversation,

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

when I read letters, journal entries and autobiographies. Essays hold a lovely place in my heart for their immediacy, which is lacking in novels, and their

transparency, which is lacking in poetry. To put it simply, reading non-fiction gave me

amazon.com

the instant gratification that I didn’t get with novels. Reading literary fiction meant that there was a hidden meaning that I had to decode on top of reading the story. Whilst these meanings are fascinating it requires all your attention. But let it be known that the solutions, the answers and the revelations of humanity are not limited to novels and poems, t h o s e things exist in almost everything: From biographies to scientific journals to travel guides. It encompasses everything from movies based on true events to YouTube

vlogs. There is a piece of non-fiction for everyone, they just haven’t read the right book or watched the right documentary yet.

READING NON FICTION GAVE ME THE INSTANT GRATIFICATION THAT I DIDN’T GET WITH NOVELS Fiction is life organised with aesthetic genius in the forefront of its creation. But real life is not organised and fiction whilst a reflection of real life is not reality. Mirrors can shatter, the illusion dissipates, but the world it emboldens does not. Eventually we must all return to our day-to-day lives. Fiction provides a means for escaping ourselves, for what is ‘escapism’ if not the escaping of the unavoidable—reality. Material that animates our own lives does not always let us leave our realities, but it can bring clarity and understanding. One does not read Anne Frank’s diary to make one feel better. But we do consume and create art in order to make us feel a commonality between both genres. And in that both are equal.

EXHIBIT

ARTS + LIT

30 JAN 2017 |

EDITORS: Emma Bessent and Tash Ebbutt

From pauper to prince A

Tash Ebbutt, Arts + Lit Editor, argues for the underappreciated in the artsy sphere

RT is, and always will be, subjective. One person will think that a piece of art is amazing, practically the eighth wonder of the world, whilst another would happily screw it up and toss it into the fire, never to be seen again. But occasionally an artistic phenomenon occurs. Sometimes art that was once unsuccessful, left to burn in the fiery flames of criticism, becomes wonderful from the modern day perspective. Eyes that were once clamped shut at the sight of difference open bleary eyed, finally observing the art that is centuries old, that is now deemed a success story. A couple of my personal favourites have entered this sprawling list of underappreciated artists. The first, Vincent Van Gogh, is a name that acts as a prominent beacon of light from the art world. Ask someone to list a few artists on one hand and you are sure to hear Van Gogh’s name. Despite his mainstream status in our culture, Van Gogh in his time was very unsuccessful. A post-impressionist painter who spawned 2100 pieces of artwork, 860 of those being the infamous oil paintings. Yet this vast amount of work did not impress society with its bright, brash style; it was controversial amongst artists of the time. But here we are in 2017, and the appreciation of Van Gogh continues to grow. I personally adore his work, with the famous ‘Starry Night’ being displayed above my bed. Despite its arguable overuse, I love the depicted scene,

Arts in the news

the expressive colour that is strewn across the canvas, the unique shapes that reflect the complexity of nature and the ways in which such intertwines with civilisation. It always reminds me of the brilliance of the night sky glittering with the stars of the universe (as that’s the title of the painting there is no surprise there, but still). The paintings ‘Olive Trees with the Alprilles in the Background’ and ‘Irises’ are also worth note. For me, it is the colour. The vivid nature of the colours used signify the intensity which trails life. A feature that is so often missed when one is trying to capture reality. Van Gogh takes that brightness of life, the wonders of it all and encapsulates it onto a canvas. In addition to this, the bold shapes used only further emphasise Van Gogh’s unique style, making it even more attractive to the eyes… or at least my eyes anyway. Furthermore, I would not be a literature student without commenting on the ways that words are in themselves an art form.

My underappreciated author of choice is Edgar Allan Poe: a horror writer who during the Victorian era was stomped down into the ground like a spider underneath a shoe.

THE EXPRESSIVE COLOUR THAT IS STREWN ACROSS THE CANVAS His tales were seen as morbid and full of sadistic human impulse. And I love it. Admittedly, that does not show me in the best light but I can promise you I am definitely not a sadist. If you want to run for Print Arts + Lit, I can assure you I will not torture you into conforming to my artistic demands, but Edgar Allan Poe is a brilliant writer. His tales are creepy and sinister and that’s what makes them so intriguing. Short stories that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention. If you’re an avid Stephen

King fan like myself then I suggest you give Poe a try. Stories that I recommend include ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘Hop-Frog’, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ and ‘The Masque of the Red Death’. In fact, just read them all! Poetry wise, the famous poem ‘The Raven’ is an absolute classic that is definitely worth a peruse. All in all, I highly recommend Edgar Allan Poe; forget his tarnished Victorian reputation and focus on his popularised revival. An underappreciated artist no more! (If it had made grammatical sense I would have written ‘Nevermore’ because Poe puns, but alas…) Remember that phrase, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover?’. Well, point one: don’t ever judge a book by its cover. Point two: never judge an artist by their reputation; bringing a dead artist’s work back to life could be the best thing you ever do. Widen your artistic horizons and open your eyes to something that could be the next Van Gogh.

WikiCommons

“Wicked” musical announces UK tour!

JG Ballard’s billboards speculated to be coded Salvador Dalí paintings

London branch of Leon fast food to only hire performers

Read it and weep Emma Bessent, Arts + Lit Editor, mulls over the power of grief in literature

HERE’S something incredibly therapeutic about having your heart broken by the deaths of people who have never existed. It may seem a ludicrous concept to the removed reader, but a life spun from imagination, caught up and bound in black lettering on white pages, can genuinely crush those of us with a more, shall we say, impressionable disposition, simply by coming to an end. Tragedy in literature is exquisitely beautiful when handled by an emotionally intelligent writer, designed to anchor its reader in the mass of collective wisdom which forms the human experience. Death is, after all, the great leveller.

DEATH IS, AFTER ALL, THE GREAT LEVELLER David Nicholls’ One Day is an excellent study in sensibility. I was given a copy as a Christmas gift, and I’m not even sure it lasted til Boxing Day. For the whole novel, you an-

ticipate St. Swithin’s Day boxing up the most precious and horrific moments of the protagonists’ lives, and it’s inevitable that one of these days will be marred by the ultimate tragedy. The completed memory of Emma and Dexter’s first ever day together follows the darkest moments of the book; the first anachronistic snapshot which retrospectively refocuses the material on the wealth of joy shared by the protagonists, a demonstration of hugely accomplished pathos on the author’s part. This last glimmer of hope and tentative love offers the perfect amount of consolation for the sensation of loss without spoiling the sanctity of the grief itself. Tess of the d’Urbervilles is considerably more crushing. There is something about the purity of her hope in the face of traumatic adversity which makes Angel’s destructive rejection even more horrific. When, too late, he finally manages to peer through the veil of nineteenth century misogyny and sexual militancy, I think Hardy meant for us to suffer even more

than the unintended antagonist as we watch him put his arm around Liza-Lu and turn her away from Wintoncester prison’s raised black flag. After all, Angel has someone to console him for his lost love as the novel flickers to its finis; we are left alone on the hill to watch the bleak herald of Tess’ execution flicker in the sky.

A DEMONSTRATION OF HUGELY ACCOMPLISHED PATHOS Not all tragedy holds such bittersweet pleasure. Gratuitous deaths utterly undermine everything precious about fictitious life. I have long loathed stories such as John Green’s widely adored and totally self-indulgent treatises on the beauty of destroying young lives. George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire creates a sumtuously rich world, diverse, brilliant and horrifying characters, and then sets

about destroying the lot without any pattern of reason or artistic finesse. The entirely unnecessary death of Tris, the protagonist of Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy enraged me. It is so easy to be klutzy and careless with the lives of characters and then wave one’s hands about in the airy manner of an artiste, claiming sacrifice is necessary to artistic integrity. I honestly can’t wait for everyone to realise that, actually, you don’t have to kill someone off to make a point.

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music

Another alumna, another life Georgie White chats to Liza Finn, former Exeter student, about her new release, living as an up-and-coming artist in London, and the music scene in Exeter

So, your new single ‘Another Day Another Life’ was released recently. Tell us a bit about it. It’s a song that I wrote back in 2013, and ever since then I’d wanted to record it. It explores the prospect of how different our lives would be if we’d done things differently, taken an alternative path. It’s a change of direction for me as it has a more dance-like sound to it, but I set myself a non-acoustic challenge. It has a Sliding Doors-esque atmosphere about it: what would happen if we tried new things or took new roads. Writing it was mainly a self-reflection about the directions I’ve taken since I graduated, but it’s also about new beginnings and how you can change the course of your life at any point. As a creative person, it’s important to be always evolving rather than sticking with the familiar. The single is about taking different routes and having the courage to do something new. How does this idea fit in with your music career more generally? In music, you are encouraged to talk about your inspirations, who you want to sound like and be compared to, but that’s really only important if you’re a performer rather than a self-driven musician. Managers in the past have encouraged me to have a set genre or sound, but I am constantly experimenting and I never worry about what genre it fits into. So the song in itself is an analogy for any fulfilling musical career. Let’s talk a bit about the process of going from the songbook to the finished single and video. For a year we gigged the song in 2014, which was the culmination of hours of rehearsals and tweaks. Then you have to book in the studio time, which was for us a 9-10 hour day. We recorded all the parts of the band and the vocals and harmonies separately. Then comes the mixing process, and the final mastering process that prepares it for radio play and downloads. It’s a complicated process that can often take years to complete. We had a videographer with us in the studio and used the footage for online promo, because you only have one moment to get that raw, real footage. How do you manage to fund all this as an upand-coming artist, and make sure your music gets out there to the widest possible audience?

I’m lucky that I have a lot of supportive people around me, many of whom help me for free. Also, self-promotion is easier now with Soundcloud, Facebook etc., and this has changed a lot over the years. When I first started out, YouTube was only starting up and the main place for self-promotion was MySpace. Musicians have to constantly adapt to advances in technology; you have to be very tech-savvy and up-to-date with equipment and jargon in order to make the most of free promotion. What’s it like being an up-and-coming artist in London, are there lots of opportunities for you? It’s a very overcrowded market, but you can find your niche; it’s all about finding the right venues for you with promoters who are supportive of your style of music. I’ve never had anyone heckle me, but at the start of my career I took too many gigs in random venues that just turned out to be a waste of time. I haven’t actually performed in London in well over a year, because all the time and effort that’s put into rehearsing isn’t worth it for a 30-minute slot unless you can really work with promoters to find the right direction for the gig, or take a big cut of your sales. I’ve been focused on writing and recording, but next year I’m planning on taking on a lot more gigs.

What advice could you give to anyone wanting to take a similar path out of uni, starting from scratch? Rehearse! Focus on getting a handful of good, finished songs. Play to friends and groups of people you feel comfortable with and ask for feedback. Record on your phone or a small device, self-promote on social media, plug to your friends and get a good group of support. If you want to invest in anything, I recommend this handbook called The Unsigned Guide, which gives you some contacts in the music industry that could be helpful to you. I’ve used this since the beginning to check out some local venues and try and get some gigs. You have to be very pro-active; it won’t just come to you, but it is so much more rewarding when you’ve worked hard for something. Also, treat your current fans well, rather than always trying to find new ones to build up a massive fan base. Let’s talk about Exeter in terms of music. You studied Music at Exeter before the department was shut down. What was it like to study here? I was at Exeter in 2004-2007, and it was a very musical place when I was there. The course that I did was one of the top music degrees in the country, and it was very difficult to get into. We were based in Knightley, a little con-

verted house. There was some form of concert/music event happening almost every night, and a huge variety of ensembles like orchestras, brass bands and choirs. We played a really key function at all the major events like the Christmas balls, even as a really small department. How did you feel when you were told your course was being shut down? Our biggest worry at the time was what it would mean for our degrees, whether they’d be worth less. We were such a small department and essentially weren’t getting enough funding, and the university was leaning towards becoming more business-like. We held demonstrations and protests across the university and people were really angry and upset. In my final year, two thirds of my year transferred to Bristol University, who offered to take us all on. We thought we’d be able to overturn it and, when we didn’t, lots of people felt they had no other option than to leave, so there were less than 10 of us in my final year. I think this has had a detrimental effect on the nature of the university in terms of its vibrancy, as universities can overlook the importance of the arts. What were some of your live music highlights in Exeter during your time here? Did you have any favourite venues? I really liked the Angel pub on Queen Street, and of course the Cavern. There was always great live music going on in Exeter, and we had a lot of well-known artists despite not being a big city like Bristol. Live music was also really affordable. And finally, any advice for current Exeter students? I remember there being an enormous amount of pressure to decide what career you want to go into. I wish someone had told me not to worry so much about it. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do while you’re at uni, lots of my friends from Exeter and I have changed jobs in the last 10 years and many of us aren’t even doing things related to our degrees. Especially if you want to go into a creative career, there is no set path: part of the fun is carving it out for yourself. So enjoy your time and the countless opportunities at Exeter and don’t worry too much about what you’ll be doing afterwards.

EXHIBIT

MUSIC

EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

Review roundup

30 JAN 2017

WILEY

THE XX I See You 13 January

Godfather 13 January

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EW chart-topping groups today are fronted by a duo of male and female vocals. Even fewer of these duos and fellow band members, I suspect, have been close friends since secondary school – and beyond. And yet this seems to be an appropriate history for a group as intimate as The xx, who this week released their first LP since 2012, the mystically named I See You. Three albums in, it’s easy to spot a distinguishable signature with this group. Jamie ‘xx’ Smith’s gentle yet powerful and rhythmic electronic instrumentals, perfectly partnered with the soft vocals of Romy Madley-Croft and the deep, smooth-singing Oliver Sim shine through once again on this long-awaited release from the alternative, dream-pop favourites, who sing breezily but leave a deep impression on the listener. In recent interviews, the group have spoken of the four-year break between their second and third albums, a break which saw Smith delve further into producing and releasing his solo house album in 2015, In Colour, and developments all-round in maturity, love, and loss. It’s as if this album has been coming for a while, and finally the group have found the confidence to make it. This is clear from the off in opening track ‘Dangerous’, which launches into brassy notes and house percussion amidst reflecting lyrics from Madley-Croft and Sim, including the powerful “your love’s been my favourite mistake”. ‘Say Something Loving’ follows up, instrumentally perhaps more familiar to fans of the group’s earlier work. In terms of subject, the group have previously spoken of their attempt at being accessible, resulting in the use of ‘I’ and ‘you’, universally understood and related to (especially given the title of the album); this is evident in track three. ‘Lips’ features a melody of electronic beating notes blended with the familiar gentle vocals which tell a tale of two people in love, intertwining with each other. ‘A Violent Noise’ seems to follow its predecessor in terms of musicality, as it sees Sim battle with his coming to terms with constant partying as he matures, reflecting the theme of growth. The interestingly named ‘Performance’ marks the album’s halfway point, a track which blurs the lines of performing as an artist and performing as a character in daily life.

DEVELOPMENTS ALL ROUND IN MATURITY, LOVE, AND LOSS If the group’s electro signature wasn’t obvious by now, it certainly is from the first few notes of ‘Brave for You’, an evocative piece from its tone, even more so upon hearing the creation of the song comes from Madley-Croft singing about her parents’ deaths and facing up to her fears in order to make them proud, something which is clear to see from this track. Penultimate ‘I Dare You’ is the smooth piece which follows, with its catchy repeated chorus as it deals with infatuation, a fresh example of the intimacy in The xx’s music and their effortless ability to convey such strong feelings. ‘Test Me’ closes the album; the group have cited the inspiration as being previous struggles in their friendship and dynamics, something which might surprise a listener. Yet it seems to show progression, and is a defining note to end on. The xx are back, evidently stronger and even better than before.

Chloe Edwards

BONOBO Migration AAAA BONOBO’S sixth album, Migration, is as impressively well-produced as you would expect from such an established genre artist. From a technical viewpoint, the album is masterful throughout – no element is overdone, resulting in a harmonious and balanced sound. However, whilst all here is pleasing to the ear, it is in the second half of the album (‘Surface’ onwards) that Migration truly shines, showcasing the keen eye for musical cultural fusion which is really marking Bonobo as unique. Performances from Innov Gnawa and Nick Murphy (previously Chet Faker) are also not to be missed; Migration lives up to its name, a true journey from the comfort of your headphones.

Graham Moore

ARELY do records suit their artists in such a way as Wiley’s allegedly final studio album suits the grime Godfather. Notoriously reclusive and famed for shading journalists and no shows at gigs, the East London grime originator had seemingly given up on the project. “Pointless I reckon” he took to social media to post back in July. Now, six months later, any tension surrounding Wiley’s blistering latest album has been long forgotten. Grime’s genre defining aggression and intensity permeates throughout, particularly evident in the ominous, pulsating base of ‘Pattern up Properly’ and the breathlessness of ‘Bring Them All /Holy Grime’. Arguably, Wiley has kick-started what is sure to be another monumental year for the grime scene. Grime as a genre would be unrecognisable without Wiley’s unparalleled influence. The genre’s origin can be traced to the housing estates of Bow in the heart of East London. Here Wiley was instrumental in fusing elements of electro, garage and drum and base, crafting a distinctly raw and aggressive sound that remains culturally relevant sixteen years later.

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Further Listening

Delmer Darion

Arcade Fire

‘Reﬂections (ft. Halcyon)’

‘I Give You Power’

Loyle Carner

La La Land

Yesterday’s Gone

OST

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// GORILLAZ ‘Hallelujah Money’ aAAAABSonf AFTER weeks of anticipation, Gorillaz drop their first new song in five years on the eve of the inauguration of President Trump, a deeply political song (as you can probably tell from the title) featuring the delicious dark baritone of Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine. An experimental splurge of warping synths and foreboding lyrics, which come to a head in a creepy music video. An interesting listen!

Rory Marcham, Music Editor

Photo: Radio X

THERE IS NO DOUBTING WILEY’S ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY CRAFT CHARMINGLY COMEDIC ONE-LINERS The vacuous commercialism of past singles ‘Wearing My Rolex’ and ‘Heatwave’ is a far cry from the nostalgic, eskibeat reminiscent instrumental of ‘Speakerbox’. Skepta frames the track, “There is no money these record labels can offer us no more, it is dead” he asserts, illustrating the disconnect between corporate record labels and real, urban music. This skit, and the track as a whole, serves to showcase that Godfather is raw and personal. The majority of Godfather’s tracks possess distinct and interesting nuances. ‘Can’t Go Wrong’s’ ferocious drop will light up club dance floors throughout the year. Jamakabi and Flowdan’s verses in ‘Pattern up Properly’ pay credit to the importance of Caribbean accents on grime vocals. All-star features from fellow Boy Better Know members JME and Frisco steal the show. Frisco’s distinctive flow works particularly well over the pacey, electronic beat gaining momentum as he delivers his sixteen bars. JME delivers the catchiest and cockiest of the albums hooks as the MCs confidently assert that they’re ‘a name brand just like Nike’. Having played a major part in kick-starting the careers of grime superstars Skepta and Chip, Wiley thrusts newcomer J2K into the limelight with a promising verse, not appearing out of place in the company of grime royalty. The album does have its problems. There is no doubting Wiley’s ability to consistently craft charmingly comedic one-liners “I’m not a lager lout but I’m still throwing bars about”. But his lyricism never quite matches the nimble wordplay that peppers JME’s Integrity> (2015) or the sophistication and social consciousness of Skepta’s Mercury Prize winning Konnichiwa. At 17 tracks, the album begins to feel bloated towards the latter half. ‘Bang’ and ‘Baitface’ both possess incredibly similar repetitive and forgettable beats, and are included at the expense of the scorching previously released freestyle ‘6 in the Morning’. While Godfather is in no way a genre-defining album, Wiley’s eleventh album is his most cohesive and lives up to his legendary status within the grime scene.

Tom Murphy

EXHIBIT

EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

MUSIC

30 JAN 2017

Slaves vs Drenge: pillow ﬁght Harry Williams and Sam Norris, Online Music Editors, take opposing sides, speaking for each of these grotty two-piece rock revivalitsts

HERE are some music questions that will always inspire discussion. Elvis or the Beatles? Oasis or Blur? Is rock dead? Since 2015 one question, more than these, has troubled the greatest minds. With the benefit of historical distance we can finally pitch this politically charged and metaphysically resonant question. So... who WOULD win in a pillow fight, Slaves or Drenge? Let’s begin:

Sam: Look, Slaves are pissed off about 96.5% of the time. They’re consistently failing to alert the middle classes to their brain-numbing “9 to 5” oppression and they still haven’t found Debbie’s Car. The days of punk may be largely over, but social discontent ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. The political elite are sapping our lifeblood. The media is brainwashing us all, capitalism is starving us of our humanity... gah, doesn’t it just light a fire in your belly? Slaves are bloody furious, and, what’s better, they have a cause. They love the world so much they’re genuinely outraged at the injustice and maltreatment in it, and they know how to express it. I think it’s therefore quite clear; these guys would be absolutely savage in a pillow fight. How could anyone not be with the tailwind of anticapitalist revolution behind them? Drenge are a pair of whimpering wusses compared to Slaves, too bland to make a difference, too apathetic to pick up a pillow.

Photo Credit: ACL Music Fest, BBook.com Photo Credit: ACL Music

Harry: You want anger do ya? Don’t get me wrong, Slaves are obviously livid, but my Derbyshire darlings take the cake in a subtle way. Drenge may not have Isaac’s bellows, with bulging neck-veins that threaten oncoming aneurysms, but Eoin and Rory Loveless are nihilistically angry; they have the metaphysical high-ground, completely stripped of anything except a potent residual fury. Drenge songs pound with an unfaltering urgency, and where Slaves champion a twee, dated, 80s form of protest, Drenge drip with distilled resentment in its purest form. Their very name is a coarse onomatopoeia of their raw amorphous sound; nothing separates them from their most primal urges. The Slaves boys will just use the pillow fight like they use their Facebook page, as a vehicle to make ironic comments about middle England, with Lynx Africa and Ant and Dec based satire. Geordie presenters won’t help you here, you c*nts. Drenge have abandoned any preconceived morality that would stop them achieving plump pillowy domination. They’d batter Slaves with sacks of downy feathers without a flicker of compassion. Sam, you’re kidding yourself.

Sam: I’ve got one word for you, mate. Physicality. It doesn’t matter how much of a nihilist you are - you can’t do the damage without the weaponry. My boys have a honed arsenal, the whetstone of

which is the raw, sweaty live act they pump out with such ferocity. Isaac pounds the drums like he’s pummelling two sorry little villagers with battle-axes akimbo. He’s jacked. And don’t get me started on Laurie - you know that spider’s web tattoo on the side of his face? Well, according to Urban Dictionary, that kind of tat signifies a person is “doing time”. Oh my golly, I hear you yelp, doing time for what? Did he shank someone with a mattress pad? I’d say. These guys are natural born aggressors and they know how to stick it to the enemy.

AN ONOMATOPOEIA OF THEIR RAW AMORPHOUS SOUND Harry: I’ve got two and a half words for you, and they resonate biblically: David ‘n’ Goliath. It don’t matter how meat-headed those Tunbridge dorks are, Drenge are nimble, and they’re fight-smart. Laurie’s spider’s web will only serve as a target for his sorry bonce. Laurie and Isaac may have stormed a few villages a long time ago, but these days they’re all over Live Lounge being noshed off by the likes of Clara Amfo and reaching for street cred by covering Skepta. They’ve sold out. Being hand-fed grapes by corporate lackeys makes you soft -- doughy. Whereas

the Drenge lads have chosen to relocate to Sheffield, and they’re still in touch with their roots. Drenge are aware they may still get into a fatal pillow fight whenever they walk out the door, but Slaves can’t even remember the last time they laid hand on the cotton.

Sam:

Drenge are so pathetic they couldn’t even remain a two piece, they had to call for reinforcements because they “just needed to… like... flesh out the live sound, man.” You think you can phone a friend in a battle for soft and fluffy domination? Get real. If you can’t produce enough bass frequencies then you’re out of the game, there ain’t no two ways about it.

Harry:

As if bassman Rob Graham would qualify, the Loveless brothers are all the might required. Born of the same womb, they’re attuned to each other’s fighting instincts like scrapping jackal puppies.

Sam:

Well, I suppose we’re going to have to do the inevitable here and “agree to disagree”. Feels like a bit of sellout for such a contentious issue. But I think it’s safe to say that Royal Blood would colossally clobber all these chumps. Fancy a pillow fight of your own? Just send a concept to music@exepose.com and we’ll pair you up, or else find a mate and argue until you’re red in the face...

screen

The year ahead Callum Newens looks at the best and worst films hitting cinemas in 2017 From 2016 to 2017 To call 2016 unpredictable is perhaps an understatement. Cinema in 2016 decided to throw us a few curveballs too. Who would have expected a movie with both Batman and Superman in the title to be beaten at the worldwide box office by The Secret Life of Pets? Who would have expected a movie about Angry Birds to do better on Rotten Tomatoes than Suicide Squad?

Does anyone even play Angry Birds anymore? So it is with great trepidation that I attempt to look into to the murky abyss of the future and offer some predictions for what I believe 2017 will hold in the world of movies. Be warned though: in this Trumpian era it seems anything is possible, so who knows how accurate these predictions will be…

Quickfire Predictions Cars 3 will make people forgive Pixar for Cars 2. Just about. It, Baywatch and Jumanji will all do moderately well, once again telling Hollywood that remaking something from the 20th century is far better than originality. Expect all the films and TV shows your dad liked growing up to be remade in the next few years.

The Bad Power Rangers With a trailer that looks like a funhouse mirror version of 2012’s excellent Chronicle, with clichéd American high school students, bad CGI, and the already much-malined new suits, this film looks like it will settle in the 30-40% range on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet my inner seven-year-old is overjoyed. I predict this film will be terrible, but will probably pull a decent profit, mainly from people like myself who’ll be there on opening night, ready for morphin’ time…

The Good War for the Planet of the Apes Following on from the fantastic Rise and Dawn, War could be equally excellent. With some of the most stunning motion capture CGI recorded on film, and a genuinely compelling story that makes the somewhat ridiculous premise feel grounded, this could be one of the most wellreceived blockbusters of the year. Dunkirk With a CV consisting of the Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar, and Inception, to name a few, Christopher Nolan knows how to make high concept blockbusters. This time tackling the historic evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, the film should deliver a compelling story with fantastic practical effects and epic scope. Even Harry Styles’ inclusion isn’t enough to make this film off-putting… Blade Runner 2049 Director Denis Villeneuve, cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Jóhann Jóhannsson are a trio to be reckoned with. With Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival under their belts, this long awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s Sci-Fi classic has phenomonal potential.

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Justice League Oh DC, how I want you to be good. Oh Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad, what great trailers you had and what massive disappointments you turned out to be. I really really want Justice League to succeed - but with Zac Snyder once again at the helm, Jesse Eisenberg’s phenomenally annoying Lex Luthor returning, and an ensemble cast of heroes we know very little about, this film may turn out as another overly long, jumbled mess. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Transformers 5 will be terrible. Beauty and the Beast will make so much money that Disney will continue to remake their entire catalogue of classic animated films. Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver will be this year’s The Nice Guys. Funny and original movies that barely anyone will see.

Billion Dollar Babies In 2016, Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory and Zootopia all crossed $1 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. My picks for the films crossing the threshold this year are:

The Ugly World War Z 2 Hey, does anyone remember the very average Brad Pitt zombie movie a few years back? The one with those CGI zombies that ran fast? I think there was a plane crash, maybe? And I think a load of zombies climbed a wall? Or was that another film…? Anyway, it supposedly has a sequel coming out this year, except it hasn’t moved past the script stage. If it ever does see the light of the day, expect a bomb. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets SciFi can be big business, but this film, starring model turned ‘actor’ Cara Delevingne and the least memorable Green Goblin, Dane DeHaan, looks more Jupiter Ascending than Interstellar. Top it off with the fact that director Luc Besson’s last big flick was the widely panned Lucy and things don’t look positive.

Spiderman: Homecoming No Spiderman movie has ever made $1 billion, but with the character back in Marvel’s hands after some missteps from Sony (read: The Amazing Spiderman. And The Amazing Spiderman 2), this may be the first. With Tom Holland’s Spiderman gaining a lot of fan love from his appearance in Captain America: Civil War, a genuinely funny first trailer, and the inclusion of Iron Man, this movie has the recipe for success. Despicable Me 3 With Minions the 11th highest grossing film of all time (and the characters themselves unrelentingly omnipresent), and The Secret Life of Pets being the 6th biggest film of 2016, Illumination Entertainment certainly know how to make a kids film that rakes in a mountain of cash. Expect big business from this one and to constantly overhear young children in Sainsbury’s yelling ‘BANANA!’. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi It’s Star Wars.

Geostorm To explain why I think this will bomb, let me simply quote the official IMDb description. “As a man heads into space to prevent climate-controlling satellites from creating a storm of epic proportions, his brother discovers a plot to assassinate the president.” Oh, and it stars Gerard Butler. Will it make money? I’m saying no. Is it going to be a cult classic in ten years due to the balls to wall ridiculousness? Absolutely.

EXHIBIT

SCREEN

EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

30 JAN 2017

Does Netﬂix need to chill? Zak Mahinfar, Screen Editor, asks if streaming services should hold fire on original content

HE likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime have revolutionised the small screen both in terms of production and viewing culture. Having tempted the crème de la crème of Hollywood, from Robert De Niro to Woody Allen, and produced a string of mainstream hits that parallel the success of network television, this relatively new medium displays little sign of losing momentum. The insurgence of these streaming platforms has responded to the gap in the market left by outdated physical box-sets and pricey satellite and cable subscriptions, offering an economical and bespoke alternative. They have prospered in their ability to expose new audiences to the preexisting back catalogue of great television and cinema, which has enabled the renaissance of many a hit gone by from Prison Break to The West Wing. But by far their biggest triumph has been in the success of their original content, which has established Netflix’s own original series as perhaps even more highly anticipated than the likes of HBO’s. This content has provided a long-needed antidote to a television market riddled with virile reality TV and a Hollywood that refuses to invest in meaningful narratives. However, the streaming services risk digging their own graves if they overwhelm audiences. My fear is that the great television, which

ordinarily would receive top-billing if broadcast by the BBC or Sky, is not receiving due diligence nor fulfilling its market potential on streaming services. Take Amazon, for example, who have lavished their streaming service with astronomical investment. Their current trigger-happy state has seen them releasing more high-end content than even the most avid of cinematic appetites could consume. Most notably, The Grand Tour guzzled a £160 million budget. This was obviously a strategic manoeuvre, calculated to raise the profile of their streaming service in general and to confront Netflix with some worthy competition, rather than simply elicit a quick financial return. Nonetheless it places a phenomenal pressure to return that investment, or otherwise disincentivise prospective original content. If Amazon’s gamble does not pay off, confidence in other original content will waiver and they will likely begin to shy away from creative risks. So far, this relatively new industry has derived curb appeal from its ability to make exciting, innovative television and film that simply would not have been made within a conventional television production framework. We don’t want this creativity to be stunted by the premature ejaculation of original content that risks rendering streaming services in the same catastrophic predicament as Hollywood: devoid

of originality and as dependent on pre-sold franchises as junkies to heroin. Original series have become the USP of streaming platforms, around which they centre their advertising campaigns and attempt to build their individual sense of brand. Competitors entering the market seek to prove their credibility in the quality of their original content, and meanwhile Netflix and Amazon engage themselves in a fierce contest to see who can offer the best value for money. But quality always trumps quantity.

CONFIDENCE IN OTHER ORIGINAL CONTENT WILL WAIVER Streaming platforms’ reluctance to release audience viewing figures suggests that there is still a considerable gap to be bridged between them and their traditional network rivals, who can still outrank them in their brutish ability to attract mammoth audiences in prime time slots with big-budget productions. This disparity seemingly hinges on the difference in marketing approaches; streaming services have perhaps become over-reliant on hype and word-

A sea view

of-mouth to attract audiences. Of course, this is symptomatic of the very nature of streaming, which is obviously not contingent on a oneoff time-slot around which all efforts must be foused. Streaming is founded on an entirely new economic model that has borne a viewing culture which offers customers the freedom to tailor their viewing experience, to binge or not to binge. Their aim is seemingly to be all things to all people, to cater to all tastes and all audiences. But this objective neglects that the best television and cinema transcends individual taste. Netflix’s flagship original series Orange Is The New Black was proof of this; a shot in the dark that exceeded the platform’s humble expectations by captivating mainstream audiences, and demonstrating the potential of the “hype” culture. Whilst this “hype” culture remains an effective means of propelling new series to prominence, the more crowded the marketplace of original content becomes, the hotter the competition and the more challenging it will be to manufacture out-the-gate hits. So far, original content continues to be fresh, exciting, and push the boundaries, but streaming services should remember to err on the side of caution: no one likes an anti-climax.

Ben Londesborough, Editor, gives his verdict on the drama tipped for Oscar glory MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Director: Kenneth Lonergan Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams 2017, 137 minutes.

THREARSAAAA

ANCHESTER by the Sea is a film about dealing with grief and wrongdoing in one’s life. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, a 54 year old playwright and theatre director, the film concerns a Boston janitor played by Casey Affleck. Lee is a cynical pessimist who is seemingly haunted and tormented in his life, often clashing rather humorously with the tenants of the properties he maintains. After the death of his brother, Lee has to return home to care for his nephew, for whom he is now the legal guardian. This is difficult for Lee because of the memories that his home town holds, a traumatic story which explains his all-consuming grief. Whilst this kind of dramatic material often

attracts a heavy handed approach, with characters screaming, shouting, and trying desperately to break our hearts, Lonergan’s film is subtle, nuanced and honest. Manchester by the Sea is a classic awardseason poacher, given a limited release at some film festivals, aiming for critical acclaim, and then extended towards a wider release just before the awards season really kicks off. However, this doesn’t feel like the classic Oscar-chaser, and instead paints a simple and honest portrait of a troubled man and his process of grief. This is the first film I’ve seen by Kenneth Lonergan, and only his third behind the camera, but Manchester by the Sea shows all the markings of a seasoned auteur. For instance, in certain sequences Lonergan opts to isolate the soundtrack, removing dialogue and diegetic noise in favour of capturing a moment and a feeling. Similarly, Casey Affleck’s performance is just as brilliant and nuanced as Lonergan’s direction, creating and carrying the film’s emotional weight. Throughout the film, you expect him to explode,

but instead the pain of his character is seen through his delicately balanced performance.

THE FILM SHOWS ALL THE MARKINGS OF A SEASONED AUTEUR The grief and horror of the narrative is counterbalanced by some genuinely touching and funny scenes between an uncle and his nephew, with Lucas Hedges giving a brilliant turn as Patrick, the grieving teenager who is also trying to carve his place in the world. It’s not often that you come across a film that is so thought-provoking, horrifying, and funny all at the same time, but Manchester by the Sea is all of these things and more. Afterwards, I overheard a woman saying she hated it as it was ‘too slow’ and ‘too sad’. Slow and sad it may be, this is arguably a masterpiece and more than worth your time.

EXHIBIT

30 JAN 2017

EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

SCREEN

Has Sherlock lost its touch? T

Thomas Evans weighs in on the comeback that has divided critics

HE phrase ‘jumping the shark’, is a muchoverused criticism levelled at shows which appear to have ventured into the absurd, but there really is no other way to quite describe the fourth series of the BBC’s formerly great detective drama, Sherlock. When Sherlock first burst onto screens back in 2010 it quickly cemented itself as one of the best dramas on TV. It was smart, quietly funny, original, inventive and topped off by a fantastic A-list cast and superb screenwriting. It pioneered new storytelling techniques and felt slick and smart. The re-imagining of Conan Doyle’s stories managed to cast itself as new and distinct while remaining surprisingly close to the source material. It’s success, if distilled, boils down to this main point: it knew exactly what it was – a show comprised of intelligent, feature-length detective stories, neatly wrapped up by the end of each episode. It used the classic detective show format and built upon it, but always remained identifiable as a part of the genre from which it emerged. Compare that to the fourth (and hopefully final) series of Sherlock. It barely resembles its predecessors and appears to have morphed into a politely British 24. The idea of Sherlock investigating and deducing crimes by his wit and intui-

the next don’t work because of the weakness of the episodes themselves, leaving us with a raft of unanswered questions and making the episodes feel rather hollow. It’s not just me that has a problem with the recent Sherlock. Most viewers have also lost interest as demonstrated by the finale having the lowest viewing figures in the show’s history. What makes it so disappointing is that there have been frustrating hints of what the show could have been, as manifested in the second episode that managed to combine a genuinely unsettling villain (wonderfully portrayed by Toby Jones), a solid story-line, and a great performance by Una Stubbs. But by the final episode we were back to Sherlock and friends running away from grenade-carrying drones in an episode that can only be described as the lovechild of Saw and some nightmare version of Jungle Run. So, what next for Sherlock? Hopefully nothing. The show appears to have reached its end and, with Cumberbatch and Freeman leading successful careers in Hollywood, there appears to be little reward for returning to the show after a series so panned by critics and viewers alike. I suggest that we take a leaf out of the book of Sherlock Holmes himself in episode three: let’s just forget it all happened.

tion has been replaced by episodes containing bizarre scenes like Mr Holmes fighting an ex super-spy who is trying to kill his best friend’s wife (also an ex super-spy), in a swimming pool, after attempting to retrieve a memory stick with all their super-spy credentials on them from a bust of Maggie Thatcher. We were treated to Mr Holmes and Dr Watson constantly reacting to events in real-time rather than solving a case. The series has been big on explosions and not so big on detection, which is a pretty bold step for a show about a detective.

IT HAS BEEN BIG ON EXPLOSIONS AND NOT SO BIG ON DETECTION The main issue appears to be a complete abandoning of the form and genre that had previously served it so well. Gatiss and Moffat (the show’s creators and writers), haven’t focused nearly enough on the plot of individual episodes themselves, but rather on the ‘bigger themes’ that attempt to tie all three episodes together. But these links from one episode to

Television domination

Rory Marcham, Music Editor, wonders if TV remakes are about more than money

O a good 17 years after Guy Ritchie’s influential crime caper Snatch took to cinemas it appears to be being reimagined for the smaller screen. The streaming-service boom has seen the viewership and quality of TV shows grow exponentially and forced other networks such as HBO to up their game considerably. But do we really want to see a rehashing of an already great film, starring Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) from Harry Potter? Of course, this isn’t an entirely new phenomenon - for the last few years the big-budget TV studios have wheeled out various ‘reimaginings’ and ‘spin-offs’ of much loved films. Michael Crichton’s sci-fi western was brought to new audiences with last years hugely popular Westworld, alongside the likes of Bates Motel acting as a contemporary prequel to Hitchcock’s seminal Psycho. There also seems to be a current trend for returning to nostalgic British 90s/early 00s films, as seen by the recent Trainspotting 2, a mere 21 years after Danny Boyle’s enigmatic and stylish original.

THE QUALITY OF TV SHOWS HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY Has the Hollywood dreams factory run out of steam? It does appear that way, with many

of the big studios looking to feed into these already existing worlds (often created first on the screen) rather than take the risk of investing in something new and original. With endless sequels and prequels plaguing the cinema box offices and sucking the originality out of the long tradition of the ‘summer blockbuster’, is the land of TV heading in a similar direction? H a v i n g never seen Westworld nor Bates Motel, it’s hard for me to comment on their merits, other than to state that both shows have gathered positive reviews and accrued large audiences. However one show I can talk about with more authority is the recent TV reinvention of one of my favourite films, the Coen Brothers’ 1996 classic Fargo. Whilst at first apprehensive, this series really grabbed me to such an extent I’d even openly admit I preferred it to the original film. Upholding that dark sense

of humour and hosting some of the finest, most stylish cinematography I’ve seen in a television series, Fargo was mesmerising. Its casting was on the nail in both its seasons, with some stunning performances from big-screen heavyweights Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and Kirsten Dunst. For anyone with doubts as to whether these “indulgent vanity projects” preserve the legacy of such classic films, I urge you to watch Fargo. That’s also not to defer from the merits of TV studios that have brought us some great original TV shows in the last year. Charlie Brooker’s haunting and intelligent Black Mirror series was original small screen filmmaking at its most poignant, whilst Netflix’s Stranger Things won the hearts of millions with its nostalgic nod to 80s era pop culture, whilst still maintaining an original and engaging story. Even in terms of lowerbudget TV-offerings last year saw the BBC take a

punt at Edinburgh Fringe winner Phoebe WallerBridge’s off-the-wall black comedy Fleabag, which garnered immense critical acclaim.This prompts the question: what is the need for such TV derivation? Especially when there’s already such a rich abundance of ideas out there, waiting to get a shot at the big time. Is it really about a return to worlds and characters we loved the first time around, or is it more studios looking to ride another big paycheck off of the back of something they already know to be popular?

IS IT REALLY ABOUT A RETURN TO WORLDS AND CHARACTERS WE LOVED? Instinctively, I am inclined to believe that originality should prevail over sequels, prequels and reimagined interpretations. However with the likes of Fargo and Westworld raking in awards nominations and the hearts of many a critic, perhaps this method of transferring films to the small screen is an effective way of allowing new writers to give these worlds a fresh lease of life. Although in the case of Snatch my expectations are very low, with the trailer looking more like a rough night down the Queen Vic than the cockney capers Guy Ritchie used to champion, I’m prepared to be surprised.

EXHIBIT

30 JAN 2017

STUDY BREAK

STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD # 94

SUDOKU # 31

Down

Across 1 3 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 17 19 21 23 24 25

Snow runner (taken on a 21, say?) (3) Large aeroplane (5,3) Peer - lame Bonn? (anagram) (8) Stick (used doubly by a 1 Acrosser?) (4) Breaded prawns (6) Holiday destination (where one goes to 1 Across?) (6) Facial cover (worn by a 1 Acrosser?) (4) Sticky substance (slang) (3) Unpleasant odour (4) Form of physical exercise (4-2) Place for learning how to 1 Across? (6) Elevator (4) Plot (8) Shiner (5,3) Course (known as the 18 to a 1 Acrosser?) (3)

1 2 3 4 5 6 11 13 15 18 20 22

Dawdler (or a delayed bus?) (9) Muslim religion (5) Taking a leap (on the 1 Across 18?) (7) Insigniﬁcant (5) Adversary (7) Slippery ﬁsh (3) Keyboard instrument - orange-red (anagram) (4,5) Nice kit (anagram) - due to motion (7) Witness (7) 1 Across trail (5) Furious critic (on social media?) (5) Sick (3)

ANSWERS

SPOT THE TEN DIFFERENCES

Photo: Sachi Minami

Spot the Difference: 1 Missing player on the right, 2 Red stripe on right player’s arm, 3 Missing line on ground, 4 Football not a rugby ball, 5 Sock now green not blue, 6 Bottle now in players hand, 7 Missing stripe on kickers sock, 8 Missing crest on kickers kit, 9 Top hat on left player, 10 Hood in background now yellow Down: 1 Slowcoach, 2 Islam, 3 Jumping, 4 Minor, 5 Opposer, 6 Eel, 11 Reed organ, 13 Kinetic, 15 Observe, 18 Piste, 20 Hater, 22 Ill. Across: 1 Ski, 3 Jumbo jet, 7 Nobleman, 8 Pole, 9 Scampi, 10 Resort, 12 Mask, 14 Goo, 16 Reek, 17 Chin-up, 19 School, 21 Lift, 23 Strategy, 24 Black eye, 25 Run.

games + tech

SIMple but effective

On the run

Victoria Bos, Science Editor, looks at how The Sims 4 has developed since launch

Jabez Sherrington, Games + Tech Editor, reviews four of his favourite running apps

HE fourth instalment of The Sims series originally launched back on 2nd September 2014, in the form of The Sims 4. With the improved ‘Build-a-Sim’ system, newly announced emotions and a more cartoon-like style, hopes for the new iteration of the game were high amongst fans. The game delivered on these promises, but as per usual with Electronic Arts (EA), they gave to gamers with one hand and took things away with the other. Gone were the open worlds of The Sims 3, replaced by small restrictive neighbourhoods, where every visit to another lot required a loading screen. The ‘Create-a-Style’ tool from The Sims 3, a fan favourite which allowed any piece of clothing or furniture to be mixed with any pattern or colour, was also scrapped. Basements, swimming pools, burglars, cars… the list of things that didn’t make the final cut goes on and on. By far the biggest loss, which garnered the most anger, was toddlers, which had been a staple of the games since The Sims 2. In previous titles a baby would grow into a toddler, who had to be taught skills to live a healthy fulfilling life. However in The Sims 4 the baby suddenly jumps up into a fully grown child; very life-like content from a life simulation…

GONE WERE THE OPEN WORLDS OF THE SIMS 3 A few months after the games’ release swimming pools, basements and some other features were released in free patches, but toddlers were nowhere to be seen. Though fans continued to rage on the forums, the general consensus was that it was never going to happen and if it did, as per EA business practice, we would all have to pay through the nose for it.

Fast forward to 12th January 2017 when, having managed to keep fans completely in the dark, a patch is released. A big patch. A toddler patch. Providing the toddler life stage with a whole host of items to accompany them, and the biggest shock of all; it was free to all players! Though the new features have some glitches (it’s an EA game, that is to be expected) the event served as a wonderful PR opportunity for The Sims 4 and for many - all appeared to be forgiven. When announcing this toddler patch, the production team made a big point of wanting to accommodate fans’ wishes, and though the cynics may say this is just the company wanting to end the constant moaning it appears they may at least be trying to keep this pledge. Following the last two update patches there has been some code buried within the game relating to future expansion packs. For example, back in December, data miners discovered coding for drinking ‘plasma’ and dying from sunlight within the game, which suggested the introduction of a vampire life-state. This is something many fans were disappointed was not included in the previous ‘City Living’ expansion pack and had been requesting. Lo and behold, it is then announced that we will be getting a ‘Vampire’ game pack. Anyone would think EA had hidden it in the game on purpose to show us just how much they are listening to us… Code has also been found for dogs and cats within the game, suggesting that a pack with pets might be on the horizon. This again is something a lot of fans have been begging for. Whether this trend continues, who can say? It appears that, for the moment at least, The Sims 4 developers are actually listening to their players, which may to some extent redeem them after their disastrous start.

BYTE-SIZE blast from the past by Jabez Sherrington

RESIDENT EVIL Capcom PlayStation, 1996

AAAA

HEN you type in 'Running' on the Google Play Store, you won't be struggling to find results - you'll be absolutely swamped. I made it my personal little mission to test out a bunch of them, rather than rely on some random list. Here's the four best ones I found, in no particular order:

Strava - I'd heard a lot about Strava, and certainly wasn't disappointed. The app takes the social interaction you would expect from Facebook, and combines it with a dedicated running, swimming and cycling app. Using the app on your lonesome is OK, but other apps have clearer navigation, statistics, etc. Strava truly comes into greatness when you use it alongside a bunch of friends once I got my flat on board, we were following our progress, getting productively competitive and trying to outdo eachother in a way which is much healthier than trying to outdo eachother on Overwatch. Seeing all of your friends achieving certain things and comparing your life to them can be dangerous on social media, but here it is a positive experience of health.

Nike+ Run Club - Nike's running app is really slick, with good map navigation and it seems to be the best at actually recording your individual runs. It has good support for treadmill-users, which is quite hard to come by on these kinds of apps. Some issues do arise, however - the app works best if you buy specific Nike products and sync them with your phone, and it is clear from the start this is the main focus of the app. Still, if you're wanting to record your runs neatly and concisely, then compare statistical data, Nike's app might be for you - just remember that grabbing their products will yield a much better and more accurate experience.

Endomondo - A running app that also incorporates a full calendar training regime and multiple other sports, I would suggest Endomondo if you are active across a range of sports. The running aspect is certainly not shabby, and provides a sense of long-term planning/training for marathons/etc that other apps lack. Other apps let you view your past progress, but Endomondo takes the idea of an end goal and pushes you towards it.

Zombies, Run! - Truly unique, Zombies, Run! is a great app, with a very unique design. It goes beyond the usual old bright motivational fitness app, and thrusts you into a very intense video game. Sounds of zombies sync with your Spotify playlist, as each run you undertake a new mission, filled with flavour - a run down Fore Street, through the Quay,and back up towards town, turns into you delivering vital medication to a trapped family in On The Waterfront, as zombies are charging at you from Move. Truly immersive, you forget how bloody knackered it makes you, and I actually found myself performing a lot better with this app than the others; worth a look, even if zombies aren't really your cup of tea.

Resident Evil has grown into a vast franchise, with years of installments spanning games, movies and novels. With Resident Evil 7 looming on the horizon, it is all too easy to forget where it all began... Resident Evil was a groundbreaking game from the moment it was released. It redefined horror, introducing the now-established survivalhorror genre to the world. The clunky movement and mechanics still hold a charm that is hard to find beyond the original PlayStation, with the struggle to turn and run, or stop and shoot, providing a very real sense of tension to every moment. The graphics add to the overarching macabre scenes you experience, although this is hindered by voice-acting that is still as goofy as ever. See beyond these aged properties, fully immersing yourself within them, and you will have a genuinely unforgettable experience that still retains the ability to scare even the most seasoned horror fan. Go treat yourself to this joy of a title, that is as fun as it is important to the history of not only games, but media as a whole. I, for one, look forward to seeing how the new titles stand up to this classic.

EXHIBIT

GAMES + TECH

EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

30 JAN 2017

Should we demonise fake news? “P

Gerard Murray questions the latest social media headline

OST-TRUTH,” the Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year 2016, is defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. “Fake News” has been a fundamental aspect of the post-truth trend. Over the past few weeks, it has been impossible to open any popular social media site or news outlet without being inundated with the term. From the launch of an inquiry into Fake News by a cross-party committee of MPs in Westminster to the introduction of regulatory third party organisations by Facebook in Germany, all media attention on the phenomenon has been focused on methods to eradicate it. You would be forgiven for thinking that Fake News is the nadir of everything that humanity has ever produced.

Due in part to the President of the United States’ liberal use of the term in recent interviews and on his Twitter account, there is widespread confusion as to what it actually means.

FAKE NEWS SHOULDN’T BE CONFUSED WITH SATIRE Firstly, Fake News must not be confused with inaccurate reporting. Bad journalism has existed, and will continue to exist, for a very long time. These are cases where recognised media outlets have published pieces that may present misleading statistical or factual information, or use unreliable sources. In these instances, the journalists are called out, apologies are made, and the world keeps moving. Nor should Fake News be confused with satirical pieces. From the The Borowitz Report by The New Yorker to popular news site The Onion, these outlets primarily publish humorous articles. Looking at an example closer to home, the site Water-

ford Whispers News can often attract tens of thousands of Facebook likes and shares of their posts. Headlines range from innocent examples like “Trump calls on congress to investigate why his tweets aren’t getting more retweets,” to those which are slightly more controversial, such as “Obama hailed for torturing Chelsea Manning and then releasing her”. These expressions of the absurdity of news stories across the world serve an important purpose: they challenge and provoke us, and sometimes force us to develop an alternative view of our society. The only stories which actually qualify as Fake News are those written solely to misinform. They are published by sites which fabricate articles specifically to attract web traffic and social media shares for their own financial gain. Famous examples include “Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for President”, and the Hillary “pizzagate” conspiracy theory. The problematic nature of these latter examples cannot be doubted. However, this does not mean that Fake News is a clear-cut issue. Melissa Zimdars, associate professor of communication and media at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, recently published a list of warning signs to detect fake news. Among her list of indicators, Zimdars includes vague descriptions like “odd domain names” and “lack of author attribution.” If anything, this document only emphasizes how difficult it is to de-

tect and define Fake News. Allowing governments and third-party agencies to start censoring what we can see and access is problematic enough in its own right—never mind giving them free reign to block anything that does not conform to a vague set of criteria.

IT’S DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND DEFINE FAKE NEWS While there are certainly some simple and obvious examples of truth violation on the internet, more often than not there can be an overlap between bias, satire, opinion, and fabrication. The line between preserving truth and soliciting a political witch hunt is a fine one. More poignantly, by instigating an attack on Fake News at a national level, we are admitting that the inhabitants of our country are too stupid to discern what is real and what is false for themselves. By demanding third-party regulators, we are stating that our internet users need to be sheltered from making their own judgments. Until the day that we forbid people from speaking false or biased information in their coffee breaks, we must not do it on the internet. Fake News should not be ignored. Discussions about it, however, should be measured and careful. Thoughtlessly demanding that Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other sites should begin censoring their content is not protecting democracy: it is threatening it.

iHistory

Theodore Stone, Online Editor, looks back at the iPhone’s history

HE iPhone turns ten this year. Scary, right? For ten years we have been at the mercy of this tiny, handheld device, subject to its battery life and its limited wi-fi capabilities. Indeed, this device, and its competitors, have become such a fundamental part of our daily lives that an attempt to live without one is, for many, a near-death sentence. The personal computer was just as much a necessity ten years ago as it is now, but to be able to carry something with the array of features the iPhone offered, in a way that was both stylish and durable, was revolutionary. In many ways, its introduction into the market, and into society, was not just a milestone for the world of personal technology, but a cultural milestone as well. The irony here is that, conceptually, not a lot of this was really that revolutionary. The smartphone have been in existence for a good number of years before Apple stepped into the arena. The Motorola A760 had been around since 2003; likewise, the Nokia N-Gage

had already attempted to take the gaming market by storm in 2003, albeit with extremely poor results. Where the iPhone succeeded was in design and in name. Apple had, by that point, already established itself as a brand with an aura of premium quality to it. With a user-friendly (yet extremely scratchable) touchscreen, and access to an app store which placed usability above all else, it’s not hard to see they had a hit on their hands - especially when competitors like Motorola still relied on stylus technology. Likewise, Samsung’s online stores

were almost impossible to use, and any and all of my attempts to download ringtones were met with failure. The Apple store was streamlined, simplified to the point where even your most Luddite of friends could use it with ease, and filled with official apps to satisfy all of your needs. The slogan “there’s an app for that” carried with it the idea that the iPhone was a universal tool, an almost deific product which represented the very end of history, for

portable technology, at least, any person, any app, any time. Fashion met appliance. Following the release, our discourse changed. Other phone manufacturers amped up their game, marketing themselves as playing above and beyond the strengths of Apple, faster processing speed, more responsive touchscreen, you name it. Likewise, upgradable software, made popular by Sony and Nintendo but consumed in name by Apple, became a battleground for tech giants, with Google’s Android coming to eventually dominate most of the remaining market. Of course, the contemporary smartphone market is by no means what it was back in 2007. The Apple iPhone’s latest upgrade, although still an event, is becoming less of an event. Their hold on the crown appears to be a temporary, with many manufacturers capable of producing phones of similar, if not superior, quality. Still, it would be hard to argue that the current crop would be here if wasn’t for the 29th June 2007.

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Science 34

SCIENCE EDITORS:

Victoria Bos Beth Honey

A latte for your heart, eh?

Emma Bessent, Arts & Lit Editor, looks at the health beneﬁts of coffee and what it means for students

ARLIER this month, Nature Medicine published a study on inﬂammasome gene modules which found tenuous but suggestive evidence that coffee could be good for your health, and not just propelling you through that brutal 8.30am seminar. Sandford University scientists found that expression of a speciﬁc set of these modules is closely tied to the risk level of cardiovascular disease and coffee, rich in caffeine, can help to offset the process.

The consumption of caffeine may well help to offset the deterioration in inflammation, as well as blood pressure The impact on our student population might be negligible for some time; despite part of their test group being composed of 20-30 year old adults,

the study at Sandford was principally organised to explore the decline in and possible causation of cardiovascular health experienced by their 60 years and older participants. The study comes at an essential time as the world’s ageing population continues to challenge modern medicine. Very little is known about age-related cardiovascular disease - certainly not enough to create a feasible strategy to target and prevent such conditions from forming. The Sandford study analysed data from 100 people over a 10 year period, looking closely at blood tests, surveys, medical and family histories in the attempt to determine the causation of age related cardiovascular disease. What they found were two clusters of genes, notably more active in some individuals, which enabled heightened production

of the circulating inﬂammatory protein Il-1-beta. When increased levels of this protein were tested on mice, the animals experienced a massive surge in systemic inﬂammation, high blood pressure and renal pressure.

The conductors of the study then progressed to researching how

these proteins might be counteracted through medical intervention. They found that, when incubated with caffeine, Il-1-beta’s actions were very effectively countered by the metabolites in the added substance. This indicates that the consumption of caffeine may well help to offset the deterioration in inflammation, as well as blood pressure and renal pressure which can contribute to the development of cardiovascular conditions. This study is not the first to indicate coffee’s health benefits. A study conducted by researchers at the Canadian institute University of British Columbia published in the Journal of N e u r o l o g y, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry last year, found that test groups in the US and Sweden benefited from a considerably

lowered risk of multiple sclerosis when they consumed six or more cups of coffee per day - and this study worked with participants as young as 15, so that has to prove that our Costa-centred diet is healthy, right? Well, actually, maybe. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death all over the globe. Surely anything proven to offset it must be good for you. Just try to steer away from the creamy, sugary, syrupy products that endear the bitter brew to even those possessing a demanding sweet tooth. Overindulgence in these high fat and processed side products might well counteract any good work done by the beans themselves. So, next time you’re pulling an allnighter with an essay that just refuses to be completed any more than an hour before the deadline, don’t feel too guilty about reaching for the Nescafe. It’s no real substitute for sleep, but it might just be doing untold amounts of good to your insides on the quiet.

Life on Mars

Rhys Davies discusses the technology being developed for the possible manned mission to Mars

ANCY a trip to Mars? Perhaps you’ve had quite enough of the housing situation in Exeter? Would you mind the 141 million mile commute to uni? Or maybe a change of scenery is in order? Not to worry, NASA has the answer. Since they sent up their first rover, the famous Pathfinder in 1997, NASA have been orchestrating and planning the first manned mission to the red planet. Their most recent development is your new potential holiday cottage: the “Mars Ice Dome” or the slightly more appealing “Mars Ice Home”. What we have here is an intriguingly simple concept, a large inflatable fabricated torus (like an inflatable rubber ring) that is completely covered by water and ice. The idea is that you get a very large circular cottage, made from PTFE and FEP (space polymers), that is covered in ice; it’s that simple. As you

can imagine, there are countless problems with living on Mars, aside from getting there and working sustainably, but where and how you’re going to live might not be a problem anymore.

The biggest problem for the living arrangements is the formidable presence of radiation Contrary to what you might think, the weather on Mars isn’t really the problem, the temperature varies between a minimum of -125 degrees Celcius at the poles and a maximum of around 20 degrees Celcius at the equator. The biggest problem for the living arrangements is the formidable presence of radiation.

On Mars, astronauts would be protected from the types of radiation you might be aware of, such as direct solar radiation and even galactic cosmic rays. Solar radiation is heat, light and an unimaginable number of protons and electrons being spat out from our sun, capable of passing through your skin and generally misbehaving with your molecular integrity; they’re a problem. Cosmic rays are bigger. They can be amassed of anything from high energy protons up to the largest of atoms and come from other Suns in the Milky Way or even from galaxies far, far away. They are capable or knocking apart atoms in whatever they strike, able to rupture spacecraft and shower high energy sub atomic particles (like protons and electrons) into whatever they strike. That’s a serious problem! As you can imagine both types are very dangerous, and would be more of

a concern than a lack of a washing machine if you were to move in. But fear not, the good folks at NASA think they have the solution. Here, safe on earth and even up in the international space station, we are protected by the magnetosphere and, to an extent our relatively robust atmosphere. The magnetosphere deﬂects the radiation and the atmosphere ﬁlters the leftovers. Mars has neither of these defences.

The dome can be built easily with rudimentary robotics before you arrive This is where the ice dome comes in, and why it is so clever. The reason ice can combat solar rays and cosmic

rays is that it is made out of H2O, and the hydrogen atoms in ice are just the right size such that they block, quite effectively, incoming protons, electrons, neutrons and anything else around its own size. This means that it can easily shield your new martian home from solar radiation and large, dome sized quantities will be able to endure galactic cosmic rays. Furthermore, ice is ideal! It’s light weight, so the dome can be built easily with rudimentary robotics before you arrive. In fact it was recently discovered that there is potentially large amounts of the stuff hidden beneath the surface of the red planet. In addition, ice is of course translucent, so you would still get all of the natural sun light that so many student houses are lacking. Just remember not to go outside without your space suit on. I hear the air is a little lacking...

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

SCIENCE

Leah Crabtree takes a look at some of the strangest creatures currently walking the Earth, and where they reside. Platypus

Red-lipped batﬁsh

Blanket octopus

Ragworms

Hispaniolan solenodon

PERHAPS the most-well known in this list of fantastic beasts, it isn’t only this mammal’s egg-laying ability or bizarre morphology that makes it quite the intriguing character. Its beaver-like tail, furry body and flat bill meant that the first samples brought over from Australia were thought to be fake, created by tricksters sewing multiple animals together. This intriguing appearance is probably due to its five pairs of sex chromosomes, the highest number found in mammals to date. We humans have just a single pair, and many other mammals have the same number. The large number of platypus chromosome pairs has been suggested to be the link between sex determination systems of birds and mammals. The hypothesis would certainly explain the webbed feet and egg-laying! Breaking out of typical mammalian characteristics once more, the platypus is one of very few venomous mammals. Males have inwardly-directed hind limbs with hollow spurs full of venom strong enough to kill a dog.

AS their name might suggest, a fantastic feature of these strange-looking fish is their fluorescent lips. Thought to be an evolutionary trait used by males to attract a mate, even Kylie Jenner would be jealous of the intense lip colour these fish achieve. With lips fixed into a permanent frown, their angry expression and long, sharp noses make this fish a front-runner for ugliest ocean-dweller. In fact, their lip shade isn’t even the most unusual fact about this bottomdwelling batfish. Batfish, like many other anglerfish, are terrible swimmers and so must use alternative methods to get about the ocean floor. Altered pectoral fins act as “legs” to allow them to “walk”. Unlike many other unusual beasts, the red-lipped batfish has no major predators, probably due to its ability to walk along the ocean floor. As such, the ocean floor will remain fabulous for the foreseeable future!

THEIR most obviously striking feature of the blanket octopus is their long, transparent webbing that connects two long dorsal arms on either side of the octopus. Used as a defence mechanism, this extraordinary octopod can extend its blankets to appear larger to predators. It can even detach them to entangle predators. This isn’t the only defence mechanism the octopus employs. Immune to the deadly toxins of the Portugese Man O’ War jellyﬁsh, the blanket octopus has been known to rip the arms and tentacles of the jellyﬁsh to use as its very own octopus sword. Another fantastic feature of this octopod is its exhibition of sexual dimorphism. Blanket octopi exhibit the most extreme degree of sexual dimorphism in any non-microscopic animal. Females grow to over 6 foot, 10,000 times bigger than the males who only grow one inch long.

THOUGH not outwardly attractive or interesting-looking in the slightest, these amazing invertebrates have an unprecedented love for horticulture. Initially thought to just consume the seeds of cordgrass, a tough plant found in coastal habitats, scientists were puzzled how the worms could get through the tough exterior to the nutrients within. In a study just last year researchers discovered that ragworms bury the husky seeds in the ground to wait for their germination. This is the ﬁrst time any animals other than humans have been seen cultivating food in this manner. The sprouts are far higher in nutrients than the seeds and so the change of behaviour is thought to be a sophisticated adaptation to improve survival. Researchers think it might not just be ragworms who grow plants in this manner. Earthworms also supplement their diet with seeds and so may require extra nutrients during the summer months.

SOLENODONS are nocturnal, burrowing mammals resembling large, long-nosed shrews. They have often been dubbed “living fossils” as they have remained virtually unchanged for over 76 million years- a frankly fantastic feat. They spend most of their time in bushy forest areas, seeking refuge in caves or burrows during daylight hours. They possess terrible eyesight and so use a combination of echolocation and a heightened sense of smell to seek out prey in the darkness. Neither cute nor particularly ugly, these animals hide a deadly secret. Solenodons possess modiﬁed salivary glands that can inject venom into victims they bite. Their incisors possess saliva similar to the neurotoxic venom that many species of snake employ. Extremely temperamental by nature, they will often ﬂy into rages of biting and screaming when provoked. While the poison is unlikely to have serious effects on humans, it has been shown to kill laboratory mice in large enough doses. Not so cute now…

WHERE TO FIND THEM: In the oceans of the Galapagos Islands and the coast of Peru

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Surface to mid-waters of subtropical and tropical oceans

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Sand and mud in the north-east Atlantic

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Freshwater areas in Eastern Australia

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Only found on Hispaniola, an island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic

MRI vs. Biopsy

T has been recommended that every man with suspected prostate cancer should have an MRI scan, which is almost twice as likely to identify the presence of dangerous tumours as an invasive biopsy, doctors say. Researchers publishing in the Lancet medical journal have shown that an MRI scan picks up 93% of aggressive cancers, compared with 48% of a biopsy. Biopsies, which remove a sample of tissue for lab testing, have been found to often miss tumorous areas of the body altogether. A major trial, which could inﬂuence a fundamental change of practice in the NHS, will lead to “the biggest leap forward in prostate cancer diagnosis in decades, with the potential to save many lives,” according to the charity Prostate Cancer UK. The Prostate MRI Imaging Study (Promis), led by researchers at Uni-

versity College London, have demonstrated that around 27% of all men with suspected cancer could avoid a biopsy altogether. MRI scans were found to be better at ruling out cancer, as well as identifying tumours that are not dangerous, because of their slow growth without the need for treatment. In the trial, the number of people wrongly diagnosed with a cancer that needed treatment was reduced by 5%. Avoiding a biopsy also removes the chance of men suffering from a lifethreatening sepsis - a bloodstream infection - as a result of the standard biopsy. Prostate Cancer UK is now working to introduce MRI scans into prostate cancer units. Some hospitals are already offering MRI, with machines now in high demand for other types of cancer diagnoses.

Mental Viagra

ENTAL Viagra is on the horizon, following the discovery of a hormone that surges during puberty that can activate lust signals in the brain. The hormone, kisspeptin, switches on the desire to reproduce and is similar to feeling sexy, romantic, and turned on. It is thought to be responsible for the voracious sexual appetite of young people. Scientists at Imperial College London found that an injection of kisspeptin can trigger chemicals in the brain which occur when people feel aroused. It is believed that pills containing the hormone could one day be used to treat sexual problems that are psychological - rather than physical. Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates the release of other reproductive hormones inside the body, and

kicks off puberty. In the study, 29 healthy heterosexual young men were given injections of the hormone and asked to look at pictures of sexual and romantic couples, as well as control images which contained no people. MRI scans indicated enhanced activity in regions of the brain linked to sexual arousal and romance. The same effect did not occur when the volunteers viewed the non-arousing images. It is believed that kisspeptin boosts brain circuits associated with sex and love, triggering reward centres and increasing desire. Subjects also reported a reduction in negative mood in a post-scan questionnaires, which has led to the team questioning whether the hormone can be used for treating depression. It is hoped that further studies will shed some light on this.

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Six Nations 2017 preview

SPORT

Harry Lock checks out each of the sides and makes his pick for the title

Scotland

This will be Vern Cotter’s third and ﬁnal Six Nations in charge of Scotland, and there is an air of disappointment that he hasn’t managed to mould

Six Nations 2017

Scotland into a side like that of his 2013 Clermont

Opening Fixtures

side. Yet, he has brought a sense of stability and consistency to a team that has found its feet, and comes off the back of a successful Autumn, winhas managed to bring in some bright new talents. With Gregor Townsend taking over in the summer, it will be interesting to see how Cotter sets up for his final five matches. It is difficult to imagine victories over England, Ireland or Wales, as there still remains a gap in quality.

Prediction: 4th

Scotland v Ireland

Ireland

ning two and losing to Australia by one point. He

Saturday 4 February, 14:25

If any team should look back at the Autumn, and be ﬁlled with conﬁdence, promise and ambi-

England v France

tion, then it's Ireland. Their staggering victory over

Saturday 4 February, 16:50

New Zealand in Chicago laid down the benchmark for all teams to aspire to. Irish fans can further be

Italy v Wales

spurred on by domestic success – Leinster and

Sunday 5 February, 14:00

Munster seem to have their old swagger back, sitting 2nd and 3rd in the Pro 12 respectively. Conor Murray is probably the best scrumhalf in the Northern Hemisphere right now, and with World Player of the Year nominee Jamie Heaslip, and C J Stander in the back-row adding

Wales

Three successive victories in the Autumn

bulk and ﬁnesse, it an impressive and balanced team.

Prediction: 1st

mean Wales carry some momentum in, but an obliteration by Australia showed they are still lagging behind the top teams. It could help facing Italy ﬁrst, meaning Wales can get their traditional

England

slow start out of the way. With much of the pre-tournament attention focusing on Alun Wyn Jones taking over as Captain from Sam Warburton, Welsh fans will just want to see Warburton rediscovering his 2011 World Cup form. This year will be also the ﬁrst time a bonuspoint system will be used, which Wales, as top tryscorers last year, will look to proﬁt from.

Prediction: 3rd

Eddie Jones’ men begin 2017 against France as they look to extend their unbeaten run to fifteen matches, buoyed by the return of several players who were injured for the Autumn Internationals. There are still some key men missing, most significantly the Vunipola brothers, yet such is England’s depth of squad that this should be of little concern. With talismanic figures such as Itoje (hailed the “LeBron James of rugby”) Owen Farrell, James Haskell and Mike Brown, this is still a side with winners throughout. Fixtures away to both Wales and Ireland both offer potential slip-ups.

Prediction: 2nd

France

France’s Autumn Internationals provided some source of hope for “les bleus”, with a destruction of Samoa, and two contested matches

Italy

against New Zealand and Australia. This will be Guy Noves’ second Six Nations in charge, and he will be hoping they will fare better than last year’s, where his side were defeated by England, Scotland and Wales. He can rely upon Louis Picamoles, a stalwart of French, and now Northampton, rugby. Yet with other teams faring better during the Autumn, and coming up against England in their ﬁrst match, momentum will be hard to gather, and any title ambitions might have to be put on hold.

Prediction: 5th

Has there ever been so much pressure on Italy to perform in the Six Nations? The idea of relegation gets more suitable every year Italy fail to make any advances, or offer anything other than the occasional upset. But there is cause to look up for the Italians – this is Conor O’Shea’s first Six Nations in charge, and the Azzurri recorded their first win ever against South Africa in the Autumn. If Italy aspire to anything more than the wooden spoon, it is imperative that their captain and talisman Sergio Parisse remains fit throughout – they are a completely different team without him.

Prediction: 6th

Exeposé Sport gets the latest from Jacob Keefe, Exeter Demons captain

MERICAN football - there are few sports that capture quite the same attention at university level. Of course, that would be in the United States; it isn't quite such a big thing over here. Or is it? In fact, American football is considered to be one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK. Spearheaded by growing coverage from across the pond, the university game has really taken off, becoming a BUCS sport in 2012. Exeter's side, the Demons, compete in the South West 1A division. It's been a reasonable season for the club so far. "We're currently on three wins and one loss," Keefe begins. "So we've got a good chance of going to the playoffs."

It's worrying that a lot of the guys are starting to enjoy their new haircut! With American football still in its infancy in this country, university is often when people ﬁrst encounter it as

Men's Football Exeter 3s ..................................... 2 UWE 1s ....................................... 1 Owain Evans Sport Editor

TOUGH re-arranged cup clash at Topsham saw EUAFC 3s proceed into the quarter finals after defeating a UWE side by two goals to one. The visitors got the game underway in cold yet sunny conditions, passing the ball into their own half and launching an early attack. It was Exeter, however, who found themselves the beneficiaries of most of the early chances. Michael Ayer proved to be a handful, with his corners asking significant questions of the away defence - unfortunately, the Exeter strikers could not take advantage. Ali Lyon also proved a headache, with an early curling shot that went just a little over the crossbar. Throughout this early phase of the game, it seemed to be all EUAFC. UWE failed to get a great grasp on the match, and any spectator would have expected the

a player. "95% of people have never played it before. I didn't even know the rules when I started playing." Keefe doesn't feel that this is such a problem, though: "Our season starts late, so it's a good opportunity to learn things off of each other and build as a team." Whilst most people aren't too familiar with American football when they arrive, not too many were introduced to it under the same circumstances as the current captain. "It was a bit random - I came to uni not really knowing what sport to do," he begins. After a week of failing to go to any of the taster sessions, "I got to the last day, and I checked what was on, and it was American football. The guys who were doing the taster session seemed really cool, it just seemed like fun, and here I am now on the committee!" Recently, the side found their way into the headlines

a f t e r several members shaved their heads in

support of charity. "This started quite early off in the year," Keefe says. "One of the guys on the team found out that his mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer." From this, an idea was born to raise money for a chartiy that had helped the family through such a tough time. "All of the credit goes to our health and safety ofﬁcer Jordan Robertson who came up with the idea of the head shave and managed to get 20 of the guys behind it." Having secured the help of Prest i g e Cuts, w h o shaved their heads

for free, the club managed to raise a lot of money. "Our original target was £500, because we weren't really sure how much interest it was going to garner from outside of the club, but then eventually people's families and friends' families gave and we got

Up for the Cup

hosts to break the deadlock ﬁrst. On the half hour mark, they would do just that: a quick counter saw Arthur Amble play the ball across to Lyon near the goal, and he made no mistake in dispatching the ball into the back of the UWE net. The remainder of the half was fairly uneventful, although one thing that could be noticed was the spilling over of passion as the game progressed. A late challenge by Ayer went unpunished, leading to strong protestations from the UWE players and bench, and there were several other incidents on both sides that only served to inﬂame the competiting sides further. Still, as the half-time whistle blew, the hosts held on to their 1-0 lead and were in pole position to progress. As the teams came out for the second half, an air of change hung over the ground. Exeter seemed to struggle much more in this passage of play, and found themselves under the kosh in what was becoming an increasingly physical match. UWE's plethora of chances helped them to keep their heads held high despite trailing. It became apparent that EUAFC were unlikely to add to their lead - instead,

it became an operation in clinging on. The host's chances were helped out in no end by an inspired performance in goal from Mark Roberts; without him between the sticks, it is likely that Exeter wouldn't have hung on for as long as they managed. However, as almost all teams that ﬁnd themselves backed up often discover, it's extremely likely that a breakthrough will eventually occur for the attacking side. A low ball into the box found a UWE stirker, who ﬁnally managed to deny Roberts his clean sheet with 15 minutes remaining. UWE tried building on their momentum, and it certainly seemed as though EUAFC were set for a tense ending to the match as they tried to cling on and force the game beyond 90 minutes. When Ayer was booked for a foul

'S IN A ER PT N A R C O C

From across the pond...

SPORT

up to £3,119 and another £496 of Gift Aid." Still, not everything is quite so positive about the whole situation; as Keefe jokes: "it's worrying that a lot of the guys are starting to enjoy their new haircut!" Next up around the corner for any American Football fan is the biggest game on the calendar - Super Bowl LI. With the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons facing off in Houston. For the Exeter Demons, that means one thing: their annual Super Bowl party at Hole in the Wall. "We'll be selling tickets in the forum next week, and all of our club members will have them on them. We've even got a Tilt link up on our Facebook page and we'll be selling tickets on the door as well, so there's no excuse to not come." It isn't just the game that provides a good reason to go: "we've got the usual rafﬂe that we do at half time...a lot of NFL merchandise, even a few gold cards going about. It should be a fun night as usual." Tickets for the Super Bowl party cost £5 and include a free drink. Doors open at 9pm.

not far from the penalty area, UWE were handed a perfect opportunity to bag a place in the next round. It seems that the boys in green had read a different script, though. The free kick was wasted, and within a matter of seconds Exeter were out to punish the visitors on the counter yet again. Amble led the charge up the ﬁeld, before knocking the ball across to Tyler Cooke with a wide open view of goal. Cooke buried the chance, and in doing so gave the home side a lead that would prove insurmountable as the match entered its dying moments. EUAFC 3s are now into the quarter ﬁnals of the Western Conference Cup, where they will face Bath 2s.

BUCS Roundup: Wednesday 25 January Women's Badminton 1s........6 Southampton 1s.....................2

Mixed Golf 1s..........................5 Buckinghamshire New 1s.......1

Men's Rugby League 1s.......40 Loughborough 1s.................16

Men's Squash 2s....................4 Bristol 3s................................1

Women's Basketball 1s........74 Bristol 1s..............................64

Cardiff 1s................................0 Women's Hockey 1s...............2

Durham 1s............................17 Men's Rugby Union 1s.........50

Men's Tennis 4s....................10 Plymouth 1s...........................2

Easy victory for EUWRFC CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE The sun had disappeared from view by the time the players restarted, and on a bitterly cold afternoon both sets of players can be forgiven for a rather slow start to the second half. It didn’t take long for Exeter to warm up though, as Nielson made good ground deep into the Oxford 22 before it was worked wide for winger Frere to go over for her second. She was unable to convert her own try in what proved to be difﬁcult kicking conditions, but she would more than make up for it later in the half. Tuesday Platt helped herself to a try after McNaney worked the two-on-one well to make it 51-7, but this was to be overshadowed ﬁve minutes later by a stunning solo effort from Frere. Having snuffed out any Oxford pressure by collecting a dangerous chip forward in her own half, the winger burst down the left wing as four defenders tried in vain to haul her down before cantering under the posts to wrap up a superb hat-trick and make it 58-7 after the easiest of conversions.

Huge gaps began to appear and Exeter exploited this perfectly with several long kicks Frere nearly repeated the trick as the game approached the hour mark against a tiring Oxford side, and though the girls in blue covered well to stop her progress, the offload was perfect for Gascoigne to take Exeter over the sixty-point mark. The Exeter girls were turning on the style as wave after wave of green swarmed into Oxford territory, the visitors hanging on resolutely to at least hold up the rampant hosts. Platt was denied another score by a knock-on in the build-up, but there were no such problems for Izzy Clarke as she joined the long list of try scorers after Kate Simon was stopped just short. McNaney, now on kicking duties, converted and it was 70-7 with fifteen minutes to play. As the Oxford defence fell away, huge gaps began to appear and Exeter exploited this perfectly with several long kicks up field into these spaces. This very tactic provided two tries in two minutes as first Rowena Squires and then Hannah Gascoigne helped themselves to further scores as Exeter moved the scoreboard to 80-7. It would be up to Kirsten Chesterman to put the icing on the ever increasing cake with the final try of the game, showing great hands to collect a chip over the top before having the pace and power to bundle over. 90-7 was the final score as both sides exchanged pleasantries at the final whistle, with Topsham witnessing an imperious display and hopefully one that starts off a special 2017 for EWRFC 1s.

Sport

30 JAN 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Who will take the crown: Harry Lock previews the Six Nations

Football 3s head to the Western Conference Cup quarter ﬁnals

Page 38

Page 39

SPORT EDITORS:

Owain Evans Lara Hopkins

Photo: Yong Yan Wang

EUWRFC run riot Women’s Rugby Union Exeter 1s .................................... 90 Oxford 1s ..................................... 7 Matt Verri Sport Team

NEW year brought more of the same dominant home displays, as EWRFC 1s returned to BUCS action in style by putting an earnest but comfortably second-best Oxford side to the sword with a rampant 90-7 triumph at Topsham. In their ﬁrst match after Christmas, Exeter started with aggressive intent, immediately pinning Oxford in their 22

straight from the kick off. Strong play at the breakdown won the hosts a penalty, and having kicked for touch and won the line-out, they were inches away from getting an early score. Hannah Gascoigne was held up over the line, but the ensuing Oxford scrum would provide only momentary respite as Clara Nielson set up Rowena Squires beautifully to go over in the corner with four minutes on the clock to make it 5-0. However, Oxford replied straight from the restart after sloppy play from Exeter, winning a scrum and forcing the home side back. Oxford’s ﬂy-half found space after a good drive from her park to go over and provide the visitors with their only points

of the game. Any hopes of using this as a platform to push on from were soon swatted away though as captain Nielson again led from the front to burst through the desperate Oxford tackles, this time going over herself for a try converted by Nikita Frere. It was 12-7 after a breathless opening eight minutes, and the girls in green were ready to put that minor blip ﬁrmly behind them.

It was 41-7 at halftime, and the game was all but won Superb counter-rucking from the Exeter forwards ensured Oxford possession

was limited, and any penalties that came the way of the home side were kicked to touch to keep Exeter deep in the Oxford 22 for much of the half. Nikita Frere ran a great line before showing enough power to beat her opposite number, going under the posts for the first of her three tries. The momentum was firmly with Exeter now as Oxford struggled to get hold of the ball, and just three minutes later it was 24-7 as Sian Jeffreys found Gascoigne out wide for her to finally get the try she deserved. The Exeter pack were dominating the scrums, and another strong effort enabled them to turn the ball over and get it to Cat McNaney, who was dictating everything at fly-half. The ball was recycled well, and

Kayleigh Armstrong bulldozed her way through the fruitless tackles for an easily converted try to make it 31-7 after just 25 minutes. More relentless work at the breakdown from Clara Nielson produced yet another turnover, and Frere attempted the drop goal from just outside the 22. The ball defied the increasing wind to sneak over the posts and further improve the jubilant mood on the Exeter bench. There was time for one more try at the end of the first half, Nielson capping off a superb 40 minutes as she went over again with the help of a superb offload from Scotter. It was 41-7 at half-time, and the game was all but won.

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