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14 MAR 2016 | ISSUE 652 | TWITTER: @EXEPOSE | WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EXEPOSE | FREE
“We can’t be the NHS” • Head of Student Services hits back at Wellbeing criticism • Student perception of underfunding for Centre dispelled • Expansion “should be on the books” as demand continues to rise
Susannah Keogh News Editor
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Photo: Edwin Yeung
EXCLUSIVE Sarah Gough & Fiona Potigny Editor & News Editor
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HE Wellbeing Centre has defended its service provision following numerous student criticisms over waiting times, lack of appropriate specialist support and alleged “underfunding”. Speaking exclusively to Exeposé, Head of Student Services, Jamie Horsley, described the service as doing “very well in an impossible place”, as it is “being asked to provide services that were never quite the original intention”. “People are expecting us to be the NHS and better,” she commented, “That’s
Features: Interviewed: Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn Page 12
a whole next level of funding and provision, we’d have to have a replication of an NHS mental health surgery”. Commenting on current students’ attitudes, Horsley said: “It’s a bit disheartening to see the conflation between NHS and Wellbeing because it’s perpetuating the idea that we can be the NHS and we can’t be. “The original focus around Wellbeing is around support to study, low-level mental depression, anxiety, transition to university, problems with flatmates and problems with family.” She described the more “serious demand around very severe mental health problems” as “beyond [their] remit”. Following criticisms levelled in Exeposé’s coverage of eating disorder care, Mark Sawyer, Head of Wellbeing, ex-
pressed concern that “it may not even be safe” for the Centre to attempt to provide treatments for higher risk conditions as most of its current support services revolve around talking therapies and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). He continued: “Sometimes the kind of issues that people come with are fairly chronic presentations - they’re quite complicated mental health issues. In those cases, I think our role is to signpost or help students access more specialist support that they need from the NHS. We’re a first port of call.” Despite criticism over lengthy waiting times, the queue for Wellbeing is currently between 14 and 18 days on average - in line with and often beating the NHS, where the maximum wait is 18 weeks. Sawyer said: “I think there’s a myth sur-
Lifestyle: “We ended up getting wasted” Blind Date is back Page 17
Rent rage as prices to increase
rounding us that if you go to Wellbeing, you’ll never get seen. I don’t think that’s true. If we feel we can’t see you in six weeks, we’ll put you in touch with another agency.” Part of Wellbeing acting as a “first port of call”, however, means the Centre are more frequently having to deal with ‘crisis management’. Horsley told Exeposé: “We are struggling in the very severe cases, they are absorbing a lot of time and resources, I can count a few students who in two days probably used up their nine grand. “One recent Friday in the past month, Wellbeing had seven students with significant risks. People were called out and that was their whole day; they got nothing else done for any other students. Then...
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Music: Beats & Bass society celebrates a decade of raucous raving Page 18
NIVERSITY on campus accommodation rents have increased for the third year running, in a move criticised by the Students’ Guild with Freshers at Holland Hall set to pay over seven thousand pounds for a thirty two week let from September 2016. All of the University-catered halls, bar Moberly which has dropped by 30 pence, have increased for the 2016/17 academic year, in addition to increases across the self-catered sector. In response, the Students’ Guild have claimed Exeter students are facing a “growing cost of living crisis.” When the new rents are applied, students from a household with the national average income of between £42,000-£62,000 will only be able to afford to meet living costs and pay their rent on a choice of 42 rooms on campus, without having to run up a personal debt of any description. Although rents have been held at the existing rate for 778 beds in the upcoming academic year-equivalent to less than the population of Birks Grange Village, certain halls of residences, such as the self catered Duryard, have seen decreases but this is only by an ultimately insignificant nine pence. The largest increase in rent is for rooms in Holland Hall, where both standard and luxury rooms have increased at a rate of three per cent. Ensuites with a view have increased by £215.83, meaning yearly rent is now £7,415.19, compared to £7,071.68 for a standard room. There has been continual increase...
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NEWS
In brief
Calls for Brighton VC’s resignation
Students are calling for the University of Brighton’s Vice Chancellor, Debra Humphris, to resign following moves to close the University’s Hastings campus due to “financial issues”. In an angry confrontation at a demonstration last week, student Terry Manyeh confronted the Vice Chancellor as she met to discuss the site’s future. “How can you say this is a decision made on financial issues? And will you, because of your position to this decision, consider resigning? Will you resign?” he said. The University has since defended its decision, claiming that the new plans will “support the delivery of a more focused higher education offering in the town”.
UK leads European university rankings In a list of the 200 best universities in Europe, the United Kingdom has nearly a quarter of all places on the list. The University of Oxford comes top out of the whole of Europe, followed by Cambridge and Imperial College London. Exeter comes in at the top 50, placing at 38th, just above the University of Sheffield. Germany, Finland and Sweden, all of which have abolished tuition fees for their students, are featured heavily in the rankings. Despite the latter two countries having a smaller population, they both have about 11 universities in the top 200 per 10 million of the population. The Times Higher Education rankings editor, Phil Baty said for the first time international student numbers in the UK have stagnated, which coupled with increased popularity of European universities which are often cheaper to study at, could pose a problem for the future of higher education.
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Exeposé News
NEWS EDITORS Susannah Keogh Fiona Potigny
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University news from beyond Exeter Stories compiled by: Susannah Keogh and Fiona Potigny
Professor’s home life as a porn star
Pequeño sombreros Law graduate to spark investigation sue law school
For over a decade, a Manchester University professor has led a double life as a porn star, as well as teaching analytical chemistry. Featuring on global site PornHub, Nicholas Goddard has worked at the University for 25 years, having been educated at the University of Oxford. Under the name ‘Old Nick’, the father of three appeared in dozens of adult films, but retired earlier this year. “I don’t know what students or their parents would think but I for one certainly wouldn’t care if my children were being taught by a porn star” the professor said. His starring roles reportedly failed to be financially lucrative, with mainly travel expenses covered. The University of Manchester have undertaken an investigation.
A student birthday party had some unexpected consequences earlier this month, after a university offered counselling to students “injured and affected” by the small sombrero hats sported by some students. After photos of revellers at the tequila-themed party wearing sombreros inches in diameter were posted on social media, college adminstrators at Bowdoin College immediately informed students that they would investigate the possible “act of ethnic stereotyping”. The General Assembly of Bowdoin has since issued a support statement and “safe spaces” and counselling have been offered to those affected by the miniature sombrero party.
A law graduate has made a somewhat unorthodox court appearance - by sueing the law school she graduated from. Anna Alaburda, from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, class of 2008, failed to find paid employment following her graduation, despite passing the state bar exam and applying to one hundred and fifty law firms. Now aged 37, Alaburda claims the law school inflated their employment data in an attempt to get students to enroll. If she had known the statistics were misleading, she would not have chosen to attend the school. Alaburda’s case is not the first time law students have tried to take their former law schools to court- but it is the first to actually reach a court room. With student debt of over $170,000, she is asking for $125,000 from Thomas Jefferson in damages.
Students at Sussex Uni storm building
Alcohol in the air at ‘booziest’ Uni party
Revision tactics with a difference
Student parties may be notorious for excessive alcohol consumption, but one US university took the stereotype to a new level, after even the air tested positive for alcohol content. The riotous shindig, held at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house in Maryland, saw 200 students partying on the ground floor alone, while 75 were found in the garage. Reports suggest that the house was “trashed” and beer was “seeping through the ceiling into the basement”, while temperatures soared to 37 degrees - human body temperature. More alarming, however, was the revelation that a breathalyser test of the air alone was found to contain 0.09mg/alcohol per 100ml - higher than the drink-drive limit for drivers within that state. Two students have since been arrested.
Exams are always a time of high stress, but some students in East Asia have developed some unique coping strategies. Japanese students traditionally eat Katsudon - a warm bowl of rice topped with egg and a pork cutlet - before an exam due to the likeness to the word “katsu”, meaning “winning”. Meanwhile in China, the answer comes in the form of the humble apple. Pronounced as “ping guo”, which also means safety, it is believed that by eating one in advance, students will safely pass their exams. In another pronunciation-based foodie luck ritual, students are also encouraged to eat cashews, which sounds like the words “wish to pass”, and kiwis, which resembles “easy to pass exams”. For South Koreans, however, washing ones hair before an exam is a no-go, for fear that it may wash out the knowledge. All duly noted for May.
University of Sussex students have occupied a campus building in protest over the deportation of a seriously ill Nigerian student. Luqman Onikosi, a masters student of global political economy, faces deportation to Nigeria, where he faces the worsening of his serious health condition. The student was diagnosed with a chronic liver condition brought on by Hepatitis B following his arrival in the UK in 2007. Two of his brothers died from the illness. Protesting students stormed the building whilst chanting “Luqman is here to stay, let’s deport Theresa May”. A spokesperson for the University of Sussex said the University were sad to hear of Mr.Onikosi’s illness but stressed that the deportation was a Home Office decision beyond their control.
“The University let me down” EXEPOSÉ
EXCLUSIVE
Susannah Keogh News Editor
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HE University’s mitigation procedures have been accused of leaving students “in limbo”, with increasing concern being raised over their effectiveness. Numerous students have contacted Exeposé about their difficulties in gaining mitigation from coursework and exams, with one student’s photograph taken from his hospital bed moments before he was rushed into surgery labelled insufficient evidence by the University. John Chilvers, a third-year student, was rushed to hospital earlier this year suffering from appendicitis. His kidneys then failed, leading to a 14day hospital stay and almost daily hospital appointments since then. After missing two coursework deadlines and a presentation due to his serious illness, the Politics student tried to apply for mitigation from his hospital bed.
I got told I should think about whether my degree was ‘for me’ Becca Hanley, second-year Maths student Speaking exclusively to Exeposé, Chilvers spoke of how let down he felt by the University’s treatment of his case: “They added additional stress and worry at a time when I needed their support. When I called out to them to ask for help I felt like I was being treated as if I was a liar. I wasn’t treated as a student in need the whole process was dehumanising and lacked any kind of human compassion.
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“The focus of a college office should be to look out for the welfare of their students, not to bombard them with endless forms and threats when they are at their most vulnerable.” There is currently no central mitigation department, with applications handled on an individual basis by the student’s relevant academic college. The University’s Guidance to Mitigation committees states there may be “sound disciplinary or organisational reasons for variations in Colleges’ procedures.” Other students have also questioned whether the University is doing enough to help students. Second-year Maths student Becca Hanley was forced to interrupt her studies from March to September 2015 due to undiagnosed anxiety and depression. After suffering from a panic attack in an exam, in which she didn’t perform well, the University told Hanley that unless she received 80 per cent in her summer exams and performed exceptionally well on her summer resits, she would not be allowed to continue with her four-year Maths course, and would have to switch to the three-year BA. “I got diagnosed and the doctors said it was something I’d be suffering with for years - but the college didn’t care and wouldn’t let me apply for retrospective mitigation” Hanley said. University guidelines state that retrospective applications for mitigation will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where there are compelling reasons why the mitigation was not made at the time. However, Hanley told Exeposé that “there was no support”, leading her subsequently restart the year in September 2015. Since returning, Hanley has still found obtaining mitigation difficult.
“I got told by a member of staff that I should think about whether my degree was really ‘for me’. My personal tutor doesn’t care; he never asked how I was doing or checked up on me.” In a statement to Exeposé, the University said many students receive “considerable support” outside of mitigation from their personal tutor.
Confusion over support to students studying on a year abroad was also expressed. One anonymous third-year student claimed there is little recognition of how university systems may differ abroad in dealings with mitigation. After applying for mitigation following a close relative’s terminal cancer diagnosis, and the death of another family member, the student described the University’s mitigation process as “awful”. “Their general attitude to handling study abroad students is lax. Exeter did not get in touch with my host university at all; there are no institutions in place to accommodate for students abroad. “Several months later when my family member succumbed to their terminal illness, I did not even bother contacting Exeter. The University as a whole let me down.” A University spokesperson said: “We recognise students can sometimes suffer from illness or other adverse personal circumstances which affect their ability to complete an assessment. These mitigating factors are taken into account and any student needing help is treated with compassion, sensitivity and due
care, and given one-to-one support. “Mitigation is used for extraordinary circumstances only and the University needs appropriate, verifiable and independent evidence to be able to do this. This ensures students are treated fairly, consistently and transparently, and that any decision taken protects the academic standards at the University of Exeter. As part of its ongoing quality assurance procedure, the University is currently scrutinising its guidance on mitigation. Next term the Taught Faculty Board will be considering recommendations from a group composed of students, academics
and professional services staff. “We cannot comment on individual cases, but tutors and other members of staff would be happy to discuss with students any concerns they may have about the mitigation process.” Bethan Jones, VP Education, commented: “Mitigation is an important procedure to support students experiencing significant personal difficulties to manage their academic work. It isn’t always clear how each college operates its mitigation procedure and more could be done to signpost students to clear information.”
2005, when a similar UCU report showed that the average male academic earned £7,553 a year more than the average female.
the gender pay-gap in Further and Higher Education, and states that “it is not good enough for sector leaders, in either Further or Higher Education to say that tackling the problem is too complicated”. “Our colleges and universities promote equality as a core value, yet scratch beneath the surface and you find a sector bedevilled by shameful levels of inequality,” it continues, “If sector leaders adopt a clear policy position that the gap must be closed, the UCU will work them to achieve this objective.” Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “These colleges and universities should not have allowed such shameful levels of pay inequality to persist. “It’s nearly 50 years since the Equal Pay Act came into force and they’re still flying in the face of it. Exeter have disputed the findings
of the report. In a statement, a University spokesperson said: “The University of Exeter values its many talented female members of staff. The UCU report is misleading in that it claims to highlight that women are paid less for doing the same job. The data on which they have based their calculation does not compare work of equal value, but instead takes an average across a range of pay grades. “Our own analysis, based on 2016 figures, shows a far smaller pay gap across each pay grade, and one that has closed since 2013/14, but which we are working hard to redress. We recognise that, in line with the national picture, women are underrepresented in the more senior academic roles and we are taking proactive steps to encourage and facilitate career progression.” Photo: The Pool Another report, this time by the
Higher Education Statistics Agency, released in January 2016 found that just 18.2 per cent of Exeter professors were female, nearly five per cent less than the percentage of female professors across the whole of the UK.
Are the University’s mitigation procedures fit for purpose? Comment Page 9
>> The photograph John Chilvers sent the mitigation office from his hospital bed.
Exeter criticised for gender pay gap James Beeson Editor
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HE University of Exeter has been ranked 30th in the UK in a league table of the top UK universities for gender pay inequality amongst academic staff, it has been revealed. The data, released in a report by the University and College Union (UCU) to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March, disclosed that on average, male academic staff at the University of Exeter earn £8,361 per year more than their female counterparts. This means that the average female academic at Exeter can expect to earn just 83.3 per cent of the salary of a male academic over the course of a year. Furthermore, the gender pay gap at Exeter is actually higher than it was in
Our own analysis shows a far smaller pay gap across each pay grade University of Exeter spokesperson However, when the ratio of male to female professors and career level were taken into account in the rankings, Exeter performed more favourably, placing as the 64th highest Higher Education institution for gender-pay differences. The report, entitled, ‘Holding down women’s pay’, outlines the UCU’s intention to work with sector leaders to close
It is not good enough for leaders to say tackling the problem is too complicated University and College Union Nationally, in 132 of the 203 Further and Higher Education institutions investigated by the UCU report, men were found to be paid on average £1,000 more than women. The worst institution for pay of academic staff was the University of the Highlands.
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Wait for Wellbeing better than NHS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
...people are wondering why they have to wait - we can’t just leave someone in a very severe state, we have to take care of that.” Nonetheless, the Centre is conscious of how this may impact on waiting times and provisions for other students. “I think there is a question to be asked about how, for the students who are not in crisis, we obviously have fewer resources available,” commented Sawyer.
The doors of Wellbeing should remain open to all Leah Fuller, Mind Your Head President
Leah Fuller, President of Mind Your Head Society, echoed these comments. She said: “Their purpose is to support the wellbeing of all students and this should not discriminate against any issue a student is experiencing. Of course for more severe issues students may be referred elsewhere, to receive the best treatment, but the doors of Wellbeing should remain open to all.” With greater demand - there has been a 60 per cent increase in students using the Centre since 2012 - a widespread perception that the Service is “underfunded” has arisen. In 2013, BodySoc donated £2,000 of society money towards eating disorder support. However, according to Horsley, “throwing more money” at the issue “is
not a solution.” She confirmed that additional funding from the University has been granted year-on-year for the service and was unable to name another department which has had that same financial injection. Such investment has allowed for an increase in ad-hoc staff including externally-qualified NHS consultants and counsellors employed on temporary basis. Further investments have also been made into into CBT, a well-evidenced technique for dealing with depression and anxiety, which constitute the majority of the Centre’s admissions, and the creation of Individual Learning Plans, which outline guidance and recommendations for students’ academic schools in relation to their needs. Despite innovations in NHS outreach, the Wellbeing Centre continues to be constrained by limited space. Horsley acknowledged that expansion of the Centre’s physical presence “should definitely be on the books”. At present, services are provided from ten rooms at the Wellbeing Centre and six in the Hailey Wing on Streatham Drive, each with a practitioner providing at least five hours of delivery a day. Wellbeing has attempted to increase this provision by expanding appointments into the Forum, but this raised issues with anonymity and was eventually decided against. Acknowledging that “premises are an issue”, Wellbeing is trying to become
more accessible outside of teaching time, now using funding to provide a service three nights a week, although this has been met with varying levels of student interest. Sawyer explained that the increased demand for complex mental health support at university is a national issue, especially when fewer students disclose mental health as a ‘disability’ than the amounts seeking support making it difficult to plan. In Exeter, just 350 students disclose an illness, while nearly 1,600 students are using the centre each year. A recent NUS survey stated that eight out of ten students say they experienced mental health issues in the last year, while more than half of respondents who reported their mental illness said they did not seek support.
since “reached out” to Exeter, according to Sawyer, as they “like our model”.
A student reflects on the tragic suicide of a former Exeter student and friend Comment Page 9 As well as “building bridges” with NHS practitioners and local counselling services in the city, the new online SilverCloud system has been launched. This offers students concerned about their mental health an opportunity for self-assessment online while they’re waiting for an appointment. “We’re trying to be clever about how students
can help themselves,” said Horsley. Naomi Armstrong, VP Welfare & Diversity, shared Jamie Horsley’s sentiments that the Wellbeing Centre “can never provide the breadth and depth of services that the NHS and other agencies can.” She added: “I’m working closely with the Wellbeing Centre team to extend and enhance provision where possible and will continue to support both Wellbeing and the Students’ Guild Advice Unit to signpost students to appropriate support when required. “Details of on-campus and local support services can also be found on the Wellbeing Information Directory at wid. exeterguild.com.”
We can’t just leave someone in a very severe state, we have to take care of that Jamie Horsley, Head of Student Services
In February 2016, the government committed an extra £1 billion for mental health care provision by 2021, however this did not cover non-statuory services like Exeter’s Wellbeing Centre. Given that there is no government mandate for universities to even provide Wellbeing support, Exeter’s Centre developed its own framework. Other institutions have
Sexual assaults increase in Exeter Fiona Potigny News Editor
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HERE has been a dramatic increase in recorded rapes and other sexual offences in Exeter, data obtained from Devon and Cornwall Police has revealed. An Exeposé Freedom of Information (FOI) request discovered that there had been a 37 per cent rise in rapes since 2013, with those involving females over 16 nearly doubling.
I feel like #NeverOk took some of the stigma away Anonymous student
Sexual assaults have increased by a third according to the FOI, while recorded offences with male victims have tripled. A second-year Drama student, who recently reported being groped and followed back to her halls, believes that this is evidence of a growing issue. She told Exeposé: “It seems like sexual
assaults and girls getting followed is becoming more of a problem. Currently, the thought of walking anywhere and seeing [my attacker] makes me feel sick in the pit of my stomach, but it also makes me angry, upset and scared for others.” A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police disputed this view, commenting that the statistics were “encouraging” and evidence of “victims becoming increasingly confident in coming forward to the police”. Another student who reported being followed home by a stranger who was “basically breathing on [her] neck” attributed some of her confidence to report the crime to the #NeverOk campaign launched in October 2014. “I’ve discussed with friends about these kind of experiences, but I feel like #NeverOk took some of the stigma away. Now it feels more acceptable and reasonable to discuss sexual assault in a public forum,” she said. Devon and Cornwall Police have since launched their own campaigns #NoBlurredLines and the recent ‘Good
Consent Guide’ - to combat stigma and help educate on consent.
We have always said time is not a factor when it comes to crime and we will always investigate Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson
Nonetheless, one final-year student felt that the campaigns have been “limited” in their scope so far. “These campaigns have helped students to better identify instances of assault and view them more critically, but the unfortunate reality is that a lot of us are still struggling to report lower-level incidents, like being touched inappropriately in a club. “We might know that it’s ‘never ok’ to be felt up, but when people think this is ‘normal’ in a club environment, it feels stupid to say something about it.” Such a view appears to echo the national picture. A 2015 poll by YouthSight
>> Jamie Horsley defends the Wellbeing Centre. Photo: University of Exeter.
found that one in three students had been “a victim of inappropriate touching and groping”, yet almost half had not reported their ordeal. Meanwhile, six in ten men claimed that they had not told anyone about sexual assaults against them. Despite efforts to encourage students to come forward, one student, who told Exeposé of a shocking islamophobic sexual attack against her in summer 2014, which saw a group of males pull her headscarf and touch her upper chest, did not report her experience to the police and claimed that she would still not do so. “People I know who have reported it to the police say they have felt victimised as if they did something wrong so it would have been traumatising to have to recall all of it again. I think the better question is, what support would I have to help me make the report?” Devon and Cornwall Police assure students and members of the public that they have been doing “a large amount of work” to better assist victims of sexual crimes. “We have always said time is not a factor when it comes to crime and we
will always investigate... Be assured that we have dedicated sexual offences liaison officers, both male and female, who offer immediate support to any victim of a sexual crime. We along with the police and crime commissioner launched the Victim Support Unit which offers tailored support to help with recovery.” The Students’ Guild also has trained Harassment Advisors, though students have suggested that this support could be “better signposted”. In their #NeverOk pledge, the Guild encouraged students to sign for creating an “inclusive and welcoming campus Naomi Armstrong, VP Welfare and Diversity, commented: “The Students’ Guild is continuing to develop the #NeverOK campaign which will relaunch for 2016/17 to continue to provide students with both support and a voice against sexual crime, violence and harassment.” If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, the DevonRape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services can be contacted on 01392 204174.
Exe graduate helps Ghana EXEPOSÉ
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Sarah Gough Editor
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NE year on from graduating, former Exeter student Rosie Watts has set up her own charity project, Helping Paul, caring for disabled children in Ghana. Rosie graduated Exeter with a degree in Psychology in 2015 and volunteered with disadvantaged children every summer in Ghana through organisation Thrive Africa. Now running her own initiative to help Ghanaian children with special needs, Rosie is looking for volunteers and sponsors to expand her charity further. Her self-led project was founded originally in order to help Paul (pictured right), a Ghanaian orphan with neurofibromatosis. He was abandoned after his condition meant that tumours developed on his face and head, covering his eyes and rendering him blind. Rosie met Paul in the summer of her first year and decided to help. Largely using her own money, topped up by fundraising efforts such as bake sales in the Forum, Rosie funded an operation for Paul and he is now at a special school for visually impaired children. She is currently in the process of getting Paul to America
for better care and medical attention. Working in the children’s home where Paul lives alongside other disabled children, Rosie set up a sensory room and her project is now working with staff there to create individual learning plans.
I want to work with locals to make Ghana sustainable in caring for children with special needs Rosie Watt, Helping Paul founder
Currently working at Exeter charity CEDA, which supports people in the city with disabilities, Rosie described being “heartbroken” about how children with special needs in Ghana were being treated. She told Exeposé: “There is a lack of knowledge over there on special needs and therefore they still believe in a spiritual explanation for these children, often thinking that they are cursed.” Rosie has now decided to broaden the focus of Helping Paul to reach more children within Ghana. Her next big fundraising project is for 11-year-old Stanley who suffers with Blounts Disease, a growth disorder of the shinbone. Unlike bowed legs, Blounts Disease is pathological and gets progressively worse.
Rosie has met with Ghanian orthopaedic specialists and investigated operation options. She is now looking to source 15,000 Ghana Cedi, equivalent to £3000, to fund Stanley’s treatment so he can regain full use of his legs and eliminate any associated pain. Helping Paul is also looking to support Ghanian children with cerebral palsy. Due to a lack of information and equipment, children suffering with the disease are often left in their houses 24/7. After contacting local specialised schools in England, Rosie has been donated a range of disability equipment, such as wheelchairs, walking frames, standing frames and orthotic shoes. She said: “I am currently looking into shipping this equipment to Ghana and will then distribute it to children in need and then spend time educating their parents on how to use the equipment, teaching physiotherapy exercises, and other ways that they can engage their children. Rosie added: “I want to work with the locals to make Ghana sustainable in caring for children with special needs and allow them the resources and knowledge to give these children the opportunities in life that they deserve.” Visit www.helpingpaul.com for more information.
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Size does matter, Guild slams rent rises Uni research finds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Rachel Ashenden News Team
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EING a shorter man or an overweight woman is detrimental to socioeconomic success, University-led research has confirmed. New evidence has both confirmed the well-established link between height and weight and how financially secure a person is, and explained how this is influenced by gender. Scientists at the University have analysed genetics to prove that shorter height in men and higher body mass index in women leads to lower chances in life, specifically income.
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In a world where we are obsessed with body image, are employers biased? Professor Tim Frayling, University of Exeter Medical School Using data from 120,000 participants in the UK Biobank, the scientists studied 400 genetic variants, with the participants’ height and weight, to discover whether being shorter or having
a higher BMI could influence success. This was measured by the information the participants provided, including earnings, education, postcode and job type. Findings revealed that if a man was three inches shorter for no other cause than his genetics, his income would be £1,500 less than his taller counterpart. If a woman was a stone heavier for genetic reasons alone, her income would also be reduced by £1,500 compared to her lighter counterpart. Professor Tim Frayling oversaw the study at the Medical School, confirming that this information cannot be applied to every case, given that there are successful shorter men and overweight women. Frayling asked: “Is this down to factors such as low self-esteem or depression, or is it more to do with discrimination? In a world where we are obsessed with body image, are employers biased? That would be bad both for the individuals involved and for society.” The authors of the study have acknowledged that the volunteers for this medical research do not faultlessly reflect the wider population, with UK Biobank volunteers generally possessing a higher level of education.
... of the private accommodation sector in the city as the University works with third party providers, such as the Printworks, to cope with the increased influx of students needing housing. For undergraduates, the cheapest on campus self catered accommodation remains Old Lafrowda at £105, with a standard room at off-campus Rowancroft Court, closest to St.Lukes costing 2016 freshers £95 per week- well above the national average.
We are continuing to invest and improve our facilities to cater for the changing needs of students Phil Atwell, Director of Campus Services
In 2015, the average student’s weekly rent was £85.31, according to the Natwest Student Living Index. Exeter’s average student can expect to pay £102.43 across the university and private sector. In their response, the Students’ Guild noted that the on and off campus rent rises would have far-reaching con-
>> Rosie pictured with Paul, who suffers from neurofibramatosis. Photo: Rosie Watts
sequences not just for undergraduates, but also for international students and postgraduates, with the former not receiving student loans. The prices put forward for next academic year will, the Guild believes, “create greater financial hardships for students than in previous years. “We felt we would be neglecting our duty as your representative body if we had agreed these rents for the coming year”, the statement, available for students to read on the Guild website, continues. Phil Attwell, Director of Campus Services at the University of Exeter, said: “The past year has seen a significant increase in the number and range of student rental options in Exeter, providing a wide choice of accommodation from the University and from third-party providers. “At the University, we are continuing to invest and improve our facilities, to cater for the changing needs of students, who have increasing expectations of high-quality, well-managed accom-
modation. After careful consideration, we have decided to hold rents at the existing price for 778 beds for the academic year 2016/17. In order to meet our commitment to paying staff the Living Wage, and to recent changes in pensions and employers’ National Insurance contributions, we will make some rent increases, mainly for beds in catered accommodation. “We will maintain the changes we have recently made to contract lengths, with many reduced from 51 weeks to between 32 and 40 weeks. Our accommodation is competitively priced, and we offer accommodation both on and off campus, as well as a range of accommodation types and contract lengths, room contents insurance, 24-hour security and welfare support from our Residence Life team. We will continue to work with the Students’ Guild and the Residential Strategy Group to keep rents as low as possible.”
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Onwards and upwards
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RITICISM upon criticism has been thrown at the Wellbeing Centre over the years, and we’ve definitely done our fair share of levelling concern. We thought it was time that we spoke to those leading the Service to see how such complaints are affecting them on a practical level. The response was nuanced, but it’s clear that no-one, really, knows what they’re doing. Wellbeing maintain that they’re not the NHS, the NHS are struggling to cope with demand and mental health sufferers are unsure where to turn. Somewhat dispelling the myth that Wellbeing is underfunded, the Head of Student Services maintained that the Centre is receiving a guaranteed increase in annual funding from the University. This does go some way to convince us that Wellbeing are doing their best with what they have, but with mental health increasingly on the national agenda, a large-scale communication effort is necessary. We hope this front page will have gone some way to help with that. In other news, after a seemingly endless wait, the University have finally revealed the cost of accommodation in their halls of residence for next year, and it doesn’t make for great reading. The Guild have expressed their disappointment after it was revealed that just 42 rooms on campus are affordable to students from average household incomes without running up personal debt. Despite the University freezing rents on nearly 800 rooms, affordable housing remains an elusive thing for many poorer students. A yearly rent at Holland Hall for a room with a view will now cost £7,415, a figure that for many is completely impossible to afford. With no student loans available for international students, more could be and should be done. The University have also come under fire from students this week, as a number of cases came to light in which students have struggled to receive mitigation in circumstances of personal nature. A student at Westminster was forced to produce
their father’s death certificate to get out of an exam, and it appears as if the situation is only marginally better here at Exeter, with one student having to send a selfie from their hospital bed just to get extensions on essays and coursework. As mitigation is handled by individual colleges rather than centrally, could the system be improved to ensure students wellbeing does not suffer in times of exceptional hardship? See page 3 for the full story. Elsewhere in the paper, we’ve bagged an interview with Labour heavyweight Hilary Benn. Among the topics up for discussion were his decision to back airstrikes in Syria, the shortcomings of labels such as Corbynite and Blairite, and his relationship with his late father (page 12). In Lifestyle, Blind Date returns after a depressingly long absence-find out how the date with Izzy and James went on page 17. It’s also the tenth anniversary of Beats & Bass this year, and Music have been chatting to founding member Nick Parkinson about his memories setting up the society (page 18). Finally, EURFC have gone one better than last year to reach the BUCS final at Twickenham, beating Durham 3610 despite the best efforts of the Exeter climate. See page 40 for the full report. Without wanting to get all sentimental on you, this also happens to be our last issue as editors. From biscuits to bouncers, we’ve tried to keep our readers informed on some of what we feel are the biggest issues Exeter students have faced in the last twelve months, and it’s never been short of drama. We’d like to thank Gareth, Orlando, Will and the rest of the Guild staff, all our fantastic editors and contributors and most of all Coca Cola and curly fries for getting us through those long nights in the office. Whilst we’re soon to be headed to pastures new, we’re confident that Hannah, Susannah, Jeremy and Ben will continue to take the paper to grand heights, and can’t wait to see what they have planned for next year. Au revoir Exeposé!
Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Ashton Wenborn, Jack Morgan Jones, Owain Evans, Rebecca Broad, Rachel Ashenden, James Woolcook, Bea Fones, the Exeposé copy editors and members of the editorial team.
Flora Carr Features Editor
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ONFESSION: I don’t like being in the University library. If anything, I hate it. And I find that fact somehow shameful. Perhaps it’s because I’m an English Literature student; I’m supposed to be cosied up in a well-lit corner, surrounded by books, with a latte in one hand and my Shakespearean quotes tote bag in the other. Perhaps it was because, before I came to university, when I pictured a ‘library’, it was the one in Roald Dahl’s Matilda, where the six-year-old heroine visits every weekend to be handed stacks of Hardy by a helpful, bespectacled librarian.
As a third year with a dissertation to write, the overcrowding is not ideal Now, however, the word ‘library’ conjures up a very different mental image. A sweaty, cardiac-arrest inducing mental image. When I go to the library,
I am on a mission. I don’t wander into the library to peruse the shelves. In the narrow lanes between shelves, there is no room for perusal. Things get tricky if a book you need is on the bottom shelf. Unless you want to be trodden on, or worse, endure the wrath of several other passive aggressive students trying to squeeze past, you must time the act of bending down to perfection. It’s like accompanying your housemate to their ‘beginners’ class in swing dancing, and discovering that everyone knows the choreography except you. If you want a seat in the library, prepare for more anguish. Unless you fancy rising with the birds and the rowers, you can kiss goodbye to those coveted window seats overlooking Forum Hill. Instead, your best bet is the Silent Study Space on the right. It’s full of people who, like you, missed out on the seat they really wanted, and are subsequently fuming in silence. Add to that the stuffy, oppressive heat and a room full of sweaty hairlines, and it’s a great atmosphere, I promise. As a third year with a 6,000 word essay and a dissertation to write, the overcrowding in the library is not ideal.
Yes, I know from the Sabbs’s posters and friendly emails that there is further available study space (‘Why not try the Sanctuary?’). I also know I’m not alone in the everlasting quest for a seat next to a power socket.
I feel sorry for the students returning next But I still find it deeply frustrating having to cart a DofE backpack full of books around Devonshire House. Following Exeposé’s investigation into overcrowding on campus last year, we’ve learnt that 80 per cent of students feel that the campus is over capacity. And the number of students admitted is still growing. Yes, at the minute the library is a stressful nightmare for third-years whose only waking thought is finding the perfect quotation for their chapter titles. Spare us a thought at this difficult time. But I feel more sorry for the students returning next year. In the library and across the campus, it’s only going to get worse.
The Walking Dead-line
Cartoon: Emily McIndoe
EXEPOSÉ
Mental illness kills: An obituary to Archie COMMENT
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One student argues for better services after the tragic suicide of her close friend and confidant Fae Krakowska
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RCHIE and I met whilst dancing on a table in an Exeter nightclub. I never would have imagined that one of the funniest and most kind-spirited people I have ever known would not survive his university career. A former student at the University of Exeter, Archie had transferred to Lincoln University before tragically taking his life last November. Many campaigns are doing a fantastic job of battling the stigma, but their efforts need to be paralleled by the NHS. I remember from my own experiences with depression, doctors turning their noses up at my attempts to describe how I was feeling: it’s just a feeling, they would say, before prescribing me a mild dosage of anti-depressants and telling me to stop guzzling alcohol and get some sleep.
Archie and I met whilst dancing on a table in an Exeter nightclub A conversation with Archie’s mother at his funeral revealed that on the morning of his death she had taken him to a counsellor, who had reluctantly diagnosed him with psychosis and then let
him go. To label a young and unstable student as psychotic and then to send them away is to say (albeit unintentionally) that their illness is not worthy of immediate attention.
To be taken seriously you have to create a persona that fits with stereotypes Where do you turn when the ‘professionals’ turn you away? It is a frightening situation to be in. It seems to me as though, to be taken seriously, you have to create a kind of quasi-persona that fits in with stereotypes of what a mentally unwell human is: obsessing over suicide, wailing uncontrollably, posing an “immediate threat to yourself or others”. Standardised terminology like the word psychotic often carries with it such an assortment of tragic misunderstandings and prejudices that can pigeon-hole sufferers into rigid categories and frightening selfconceptions. Whilst mental illness is very different
to physical illness, it can be just as deadly and should be treated accordingly. The first time Archie attempted to take his own life was in halls accommodation, which resulted in him phoning an ambulance for himself and spending a night in hospital. The very next day, still visibly shaken, he was back at our halls and expected to continue with his studies. His family weren’t called; the University wasn’t notified. My question is: just how did this student’s obvious and profound distress go unnoticed, and why was this situation overlooked?
With waiting times of up to two years for NHS psychological support, it is obvious to see how many people require these services and how little emphasis is being placed on catering for people’s psychological needs. Even at the Wellbeing Centre, emergency appointments require booking due to bureaucracy and high demand, a somewhat contradictory concept that results in prolonged suffering and deferring absolutely urgent pleas to speak with a professional. Although Archie’s father acknowledges the prompt responses from the Wellbeing Centres both in Exeter and Lincoln, he admits: “Mental health problems are widespread these days and the NHS system has simply not geared up to help people at the same rate as the rapidly growing demand which is a huge failing.” He also thinks that more could have been done by the Mental Crisis Unit at A&E at the hospital in Lincoln, which lacked “the real and timely help he needed”. I think it is essential here not to blame staff, who dedicate their careers to mental health support, but to encourage institu-
tions to take more responsibility in becoming better educated, equipped, and proactive in supporting young people, especially in the first few months of university.
I think it is essential not to blame those who dedicate their lives to mental health We are constantly reminded to reach out in crisis situations, but rallying the sheer energy to reach out in the dark and finding nothing to hold on to is worse for some than the horrifying alternative. The self-doubt experienced by many sufferers makes it incredibly hard to speak up in the first place and I think the death of one of Exeter’s students should suffice to awaken a newfound dedication to ensuring that all students receive the help that they need. Just as Archie’s Dad said, if he had stuck around for longer he eventually would have found the “star-shaped hole for the star-shaped Archie”, but eventually isn’t good enough. We need help now. Archie’s dry humour and infamous cheeky smile will forever remain in the memories of all who knew and loved him. There will be a tree-planting ceremony to remember Archie on Thursday 24 March on the grass near the steps leading to Costa. All are welcome.
Insufficient evidence or an insufficient system? An anonymous writer questions whether the University’s mitigation system is only adding to students’ stresses
Anonymous
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HE Wellbeing Centre at Exeter do a smashing job; it’s just a shame the same can’t be said for the mitigation system. Although those who qualify for mitigation seem to recieve sufficient support, qualifying itself can be an incredibly stressful process that only exasperates any given situation. Reports that a student at the University of Westminster was denied mitigation due to insufficient ‘evidence’ to support her ‘claims’ that her father passed away, prompted my own reflection on the experiences of myself and others here at Exeter.
Qualifying itself can be an incredibly stressful process ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ stressed the importance of supporting those who live with or are affected by mental illness. For many of those suffer-
ing with mental illness there is a legitimate need for mitigation, and not just for them, but for their friends who are dedicating much of their own time and energy to support them through their illness. Firstly, the way mitigation functions in the colleges themselves raises several questions, that I am sure have been asked frequently by students. For example, the way that the Humanities College works is extremely different to that of the Business School. Whilst they will tell you that it is a ‘fair system’, the current regulations seem more concerned with looking out for the colleges themselves as oppose to the individual in question. The Business School offers no form of pastoral care, unlike the Humanities College. From my own experience I could, and still can, knock on the Humanities Office door, speak to the mitigation officer and within a matter of minutes be granted an extension without the hassle of having to provide them with proof of everything from my bra size to my own name. Comparatively, the Business School put their students through several ex-
tremely formal procedures, and request various documents to provide ‘sufficient evidence’ of their illnesses. Apparently a folder full of Doctor’s letters, consultant letters and prescriptions are not enough. The process is so stressful how can anyone who is ill in the first place, or any stressful situation, be expected to engage with it.
Apparently a folder full of Doctors letters and prescriptions isn’t enough The weakness in the system here is not just damaging for the individual but also for the person who they are supporting through illness. Dealing with mental illness can be tiring for everybody involved.
To be forced to watch your friends suffering because of your illness adds guilt to an already fragile mentality. It is a vicious cycle that seems impossible to break when the waiting times for proffessional support from the NHS or the Wellbeing Centre are so long. Mitigation say the Guild is there to offer advice. The Guild say go to the Wellbeing Centre. When you eventually get seen by the Wellbeing Centre, they suggest applying for
mitigation. Do you see the problem? It appears that the ‘Elephant in the Room’ initiative by the Guild needs to be directed at the University itself rather than the students who are balancing these issues with their studies. There are instances when mitigation is wonderful. It helped me an awful lot, but it seems to me that it was lucky I do a Humanities subject. I watched my friends who supported me through the worst times suffer because of me. Their work suffered because the University does not offer support for these courageous people. Something needs to be donethere are too many flaws in this system.
EXEPOSÉ
I should probably finish my degree 10
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14 MARCH 2016 |
With third-year doom setting in strong, will procrastination win over productivity? Sarah Gough Editor
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ISSERTATION deadlines creeping nearer, graduation dates announced, exam timetables released – the end of U.N.I is nigh. The question is, will we make it? It’s not as if we haven’t been training ourselves for this moment for the last two and a half year. It’s the final stretch. But what if we fall at the last hurdle? What if our pole-vault snaps halfway up? What if… okay I’ve gone insane.
My University conclusion will most likely involve the consumption of alcohol I don’t know about you but as the days get longer, it seems my concentration span gets shorter. I am in a perpetual cycle of eat, sleep, scroll, repeat. Consistently perusing Yik Yak in a hopeless attempt to fill the
void that is my social life, I more often than not find myself down-voting every single thing out of sheer misanthropic spite. Before I know it, I’m in the cynical cycle of despair. Turning back to my work in an attempt to escape the exasperation, my Mac does the ‘wheel of death’ thing and I begin to forget what fun, or, indeed, life, is. What has driven this demotivation? Ah yes, I remember: “Whatever you do Sarah, don’t graduate.” A phrase I have heard more frequently than I’ve been to TP this year. Worryingly enough it’s mostly come out of last year’s Exeposé editors’ mouths. The future’s bright, kids. After all this work, the shining beacon of hope on the other side is a glistening graduate opportunity. Or not, as this cruel world would have it. Similarly battered around with equal intensity is the
age-old cracker: “a degree doesn’t get you anywhere anyway.” £50 grand’s worth of debt to come out with a piece of paper that now unfortunately means nothing to many. Publishing pros Penguin Random House this year decided to swap ‘degree required’ in their job summaries to ‘any old Dick and Harry who likes words’. As the likely career ambition for many an English student, this news was a low blow to us librarylurking elite. While we cry over our unfinished Works Cited, Russell Brand and Richard Branson (who do not work for Penguin, but probably own a few) run wild on their ‘rags-to-riches’ island of uneducated success.
£50 grand’s worth of debt to come out with a piece of paper that now means nothing What are we left with? A measly two letters on the end of our email signature, probably only
COMMENT ON CAMPUS Accommodation is rising every year and it’s not fair on students currently here or students who want to study here. Second Year, Maths
The University is really at risk of becoming a place for only those with lots of money. Accommodation prices are putting off students from coming here as they just can’t afford it, we have to remain an accessible place to study.
term theory’. Why summarise my over-arching and inevitably limp argument, when I could instead detail my impending alcohol abuse? The fact is, while we’re doubting our dwindling motivation now, we must power through. We must finish our degrees because everyone else already has - and we are nothing if not pathetic little sheep. We must finish our degrees in order to have a degree just like everyone else and go for the same degree-worthy employment opportunities where other people with degrees ask us what makes us different from everyone else (with a degree). What’s that you say? Postgrad loans? Oh, go on then.
“Are accommodation prices in Exeter fair?” The amount of more affordable accommodation in Exeter for students is appalling. They keep building more and more luxury studios, we can’t all afford that! Second Year, Economics
I’m in Holland Hall and for the price you are paying you get enough, maybe it could go up a bit more. If people will pay it then the University should charge it. First Year, Engineering
The great thing about having a balcony is being able to look down and spit on the peasants below. First Year, Art History & Visual Culture
Third Year, Politics
No one’s forcing people to opt for the more expensive options. People want Holland luxury at Moberly prices and they need a reality check. They claim it’s too costly yet most students opt for an en-suite anyway. Second Year, English
They are way too high considering we already have to pay £9,000 per year. Students can’t afford to keep taking on more and more debt. First Year, Spanish and French
I think the high accommodation prices are putting off students from coming here from more disadvantaged backgrounds. First Year, History
used in a desperate attempt to gain employment. Of course, Brand and Branson success stories are few and far between. A degree does set you up for many things: it teaches you how to think critically, work to deadlines and never do things in groups ever because everyone else is a selfish, lazy arse. (Can you tell I could only think of two bullet points for my CV?) And, well, it’s fun, isn’t it? The social side of Exeter has been just as worthwhile and meaningful as my academic pursuits, so much so in fact that now all I can think of is dropping the latter and fervently focussing on the former. If only my dissertation conclusion could merely be a comprehensive list of everything I plan to achieve after its handin. I’ll call it my ‘third
Photo: University of Exeter
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14 MARCH 2016 |
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Exeposé Features
FEATURES EDITORS Flora Carr Katie Jenkins
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Hilary Benn, Shadow Foreign Secretary, speaks to Samuel Fawcett about airstrikes in Syria, the 2015 General Election and the uncertain future of the Labour party
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INCE 1999, Hilary Benn has been the Labour MP for Leeds Central. While some may know him primarily for being the son of Tony Benn – the standard-bearer for Labour’s left throughout the 1970s and 80s – Hilary is very much a politician in his own right, having served as Secretary for International Development under Blair, Environment Secretary under Brown and, most recently, Corbyn’s Shadow Foreign Secretary. I was able to interview him after a talk he gave at the University, hosted by Exeter’s Labour Students, in which he defended Britain’s membership of the EU and fielded questions on Syria and national security. Benn shot to fame in the closing months of last year for his impassioned speech supporting the use of airstrikes in Syria. The power of his oratory was praised by many and caused Telegraph journalist Dan Hodges to remark: “He did not just captivate the House, he inverted the House. Hilary Benn did not look like the Shadow Foreign Secretary. He did not look like the leader of the opposition. He looked like the Prime Minister.” Unsurprisingly, Benn’s decision to back airstrikes was questioned by some listening to his talk and it became apparent that his resolve has not weakened since the vote last December. “Two weeks ago,” Benn responded, “I spoke to a Yezidi woman, Nadia Murad, in the House of Commons. She told us of how her family were murdered, all of the men in her village killed, and how she was sold into sexual slavery and raped repeatedly.” He urged his critics to realise that the Syria vote was not a case of “a virtuous position of refusing to bomb on one side and then a bunch of murderers on the other; there were consequences for doing nothing also”.
As an opponent, Benn is clearly sharp and formidable. When a student argued that the blame for terrorism can be placed at the door of the West and British society, Benn retorted: “You tell me what social causes make you decapitate an 82-year old man.” However, Benn’s sharpness is matched by his graciousness, with him making a beeline for the aforementioned student after the talk, shaking his hand and thanking him for advancing such an articulate question.
As an opponent, Benn is sharp and formidable When I got the chance to interview Benn alone – in the back of a Land Rover Discovery, it was all very The Thick of It I reminded him that in 2013 the Labour Party (including Benn) voted against air strikes against President Assad in Syria. I asked him if he still believes this was the right decision. “You need to go back and look at the Labour resolution we voted for in 2013,” Hilary responds. “It could have led to us taking military action in Syria, but it set certain conditions… being shown that the Assad government had been responsible for the chemical attack, the UN looking at it, etc. So there were various stages that had to be gone through and we voted for that motion, but it was defeated. We then voted against the government’s motion because it didn’t have all of the conditions that we’d attached in the Labour motion. People have slightly forgotten what was on the table at the time.” The result of the 2015 election was a shock to pretty much everyone – not least the pollsters – and I asked Benn if he had any inkling that Labour would do
as badly as they did, and what his recollections were of that night. He laughs in a way that says, ‘Oh God, don’t remind me’, and answers, “Well, I think, like everyone, I remember sitting at home and watching the exit poll appear on the screen… I think we were all expecting a hung parliament but it wasn’t to be”. He then begins ruminating on the defeat. “Why did we lose? I think principally because we were not trusted on the economy,” he declares. “I remember one particular conversation during the election. I knocked on a woman’s door and she said to me, ‘Ah, I voted for you in 2010’, and I thought, ‘Well, if you voted for us in 2010 we’re in here.’ She then continued: ‘But I’m not going to vote for you this time.’ I asked her why that was and she said, ‘In 2010 I voted Labour because I was afraid of what David Cameron would do to the economy. And this time I’m voting for David Cameron because I’m not sure about what you’d do to the economy.’” Factions and labels are pervasive in the Labour Party, with everyone feeling the need to identify as a Blairite, Brownite or a Corbynite. I asked Hilary if these terms had any use, and he immediately started groaning. “No! I… urgh… Down with labels!” he exclaims. “You know why? Because… actually, what do they mean? I’ll tell you a story. We were voting to ban fox hunting, and I walked into the division lobby, and there was Teddy Taylor, who was regarded as a very rightwing Conservative MP. I said, ‘Teddy? I’m surprised to see you here!’ and he said ‘You know what, Hilary? I’d never really thought about fox hunting until I was invited to visit the local hunt in my constituency; it was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. I resolved there and then to vote if I got the chance to stop it hap-
pening.’ Now, in that case, how did the label that people attach to Teddy Taylor tell us anything?” He observes, “I think labels get in the way of addressing the argument someone is making, the positions they are making, and are usually just used to say, ‘I don’t have to listen to the points they are making because they’re a ‘whatsitite’. Whatever colour it is, it’s not terribly helpful.” In a similar vein, I mentioned to Benn that I have friends who are thinking of leaving the Labour Party due to feeling utterly disconnected with it, and asked him why they should remain. “Because we’re a large family and although we have arguments in the Labour Party – indeed we’re rather good at them – what unites us is much, much more important than what may divide us at a particular time. I’ve been a member for coming up 45 years. I’m Labour through-and-through. You could say I was born into the Labour Party, but I will certainly die in the Labour Party. So, my plea would be: ‘Stick with us. Join the debate. If you’ve got views, express them! Become a delegate to conference, get elected as a councillor. Do your bit; play your part.’ That’s what I would say.”
We were all expecting a hung parliament As I mentioned, Benn is the son of Tony Benn. During the 1980s, the split between the hard-left Bennite faction and the Labour Party’s right led to a decade of bloody infighting within the party, culminating in the eventual rise of Tony Blair and New Labour. One may well imagine that part of Hilary’s hatred of labels stems
from the fact that he frequently had to assert he was “a Benn – not a Bennite”. In one of his diaries, Tony Benn relates that Peter Mandelson – a key architect of New Labour’s ascension – told Benn that he must stop sounding so much like Tony when speaking if he wanted to succeed in the party. I put this to Benn and asked if his heritage had helped or hindered his career. Benn laughs and comments wryly: “Well, all I will say about that conversation is that I didn’t pay any attention to what Peter Mandelson said, and as you can see it clearly did me a great deal of harm.” He continues, “I happened to grow up in a household where we would talk about, and were encouraged to have an interest in, what was happening in the world. I have memories of holding my parents’ hands when I was this small and marching along to some protest in Trafalgar Square. Then, as you grow older, you gradually become aware of why we’re campaigning against Apartheid or Franco in Spain, or whatever it was.” The conversation ends on a reflective note as we talk about his father. “Our principal responsibility as parents is to do two things. One is to love our children and the second is to encourage them. Both of my parents encouraged me, my two brothers and my sister enormously, in everything that we did.” He reminisces: “We laid my dad’s ashes to rest in September last year and his name, what he did and his dates are inscribed in stone under my mum’s. He said to us when he was dying: ‘I want you to put three other words on the bottom of my gravestone’ and the three words are: ‘He encouraged us’. Lots of people he met say he encouraged them in his political life… he certainly encouraged me.”
Chaos in Calais camps
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Bea Fones, a former volunteer in the Calais refugee ‘Jungle’ camp, discusses the French government’s decision to demolish the area, and the devastating effects on its inhabitants
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VEN as world leaders meet in an emergency summit to discuss what is being recognized as the worst refugee crisis since World War Two, refugees in the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp are being evicted from the fragile structures they have made their homes, as French police move in with bulldozers and riot shields. The refugee crisis is something we are all aware of, but rarely seems to touch our lives as students, and is all too often dismissed as not our issue to solve - even though the largest refugee camp in Europe touches our borders. Video clips of the eviction show French police blocking off areas of the camp in order to raze it to the ground by way of burning and knocking down the structures. The authorities continually have a water cannon on hand, despite the fact that there has been little active protest. The police have shown their willingness to crack down on the refugees having, in the last couple of months, taken to regularly using tear gas to quell what they deem as violent protesting. However, videos and testimonials from volunteers tell quite a different story.
I have spoken with the refugees who cling to hopes of a better, peaceful life in the UK Clare Moseley, of Care4Calais, is one of the main coordinators of the relief work taking place in the Jungle. I had the privilege of meeting Clare and chatting to her as we worked on food distributions when I visited Calais in September. Like many others, Ms Moseley was shocked by the vehemence of the force used by police when clearing the targeted area of the camp. “There was no need for the police to go in in such numbers, or to use so much force… Standing in the middle of the crowd earlier this week, the only thing I was afraid of was the police. Yet all the media want to talk about is “migrants rioting,” she said.
I have visited the Jungle camp, I have worked with other tired, but enthusiastic volunteers who only wish to contribute however they can, and I have spoken with the refugees who cling to hopes of a better, peaceful life in the UK. They yearn to make the crossing to England because, by now, they are well aware that they will not find this peace in France. The French media paints an unfavourable image of the refugees, reporting that about 150 people, wielding sticks and iron bars, attempted to block the vehicles. With any opposition being quickly quelled by the riot police on site, the demolition continues, with refugees being given only a couple of hours to evacuate their makeshift homes, or face arrest. French authorities have moved to begin “clearing” the overpopulated refugee camp, using bulldozers and setting fires to destroy the makeshift shelters, which in many cases are the only homes the refugees have been able to build for themselves since arriving in France. A French court gave the go-ahead for the demolition process to begin, after lawyers argued that policing the camp posed a drain on resources which are needed to address the state of emergency announced after the Paris attacks in November. Julie Bonnier, a lawyer for the refugee charities, argued that the Jungle offers, amongst other things, medical and psychological support by providing schools, churches, and other social structures. Having seen this support first-hand, I can attest that the community feeling of the Jungle is integral to ensuring the survival of those stranded in Calais. Despite the fact that the court ruling stated that common areas like schools, medical centres, churches and mosques would not be affected, with only the makeshift shelters being evicted, the area targeted for eviction was comprised not only of the shelters used for accommodating the refugees, but several religious structures. French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, had claimed that the eviction would be gradual.
“We intend to proceed by finding shelter for all those who are in the southern zone at Calais, particularly unaccompanied minors.” But it has fallen upon the shoulders of volunteers to offer other arrangements for the many unaccompanied children left stranded after the eviction. L’Auberge Des Migrants, one of the main organisations supporting refugees in Calais, expressed concern at the lack of safeguarding provisions for the estimated 305 unaccompanied children in the camp. According to their census, 3,455 refugees will be evicted over the course of the demolition. French authorities have recommended that the refugees move to one of 98 reception centres around the country, or into a contained facility in the northern section of the camp. Residents of the camp are understandably reluctant to move into this fenced off, fingerprint-access only area. Many have begun to move to Dunkirk, where numbers in other camps continue to grow exponentially, despite the fact that the main camp has its own eviction date set within the next couple of weeks. This is not the “humanitarian operation” which the authorities claim it to be. Frequent clashes with the police in Calais have set the refugees far apart from the French citizens who live less than a mile from their makeshift homes. During my visit to the city, I could see for myself the apathy of the French people regarding the humanitarian crisis unfolding on their doorstep. Perhaps now, the citizens of Calais will be forced to take note of the refugees’ plight, as refugees are forced to disperse across the town.
There’s concern about the estimated 305 unaccompanied children in the camp Last Thursday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that unsuccessful asylum seekers from Afghanistan would be deported from the UK after the capital of Kabul was deemed safe enough for their return. Despite the fact that travel to the country is heavily discouraged by the Government, and that last year was the bloodiest on record regarding civil-
ian casualties, the Home Secretary won a significant legal battle to reopen flights returning migrants to the country. Even the Afghan government, according to leaked documents obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, pleade d
for t h e UK not to resume deportation. Afghanistan’s Minister for Refugees and Repatriation expressed the view that as former child asylum-seekers have lived in the UK for so many years, their relative inexperience with the situation in Afghanistan will put them in serious danger when returning to the country. Last year, over a million people arrived in Europe by sea, many starting the journey in Turkey, which is home to 2.5 million Syrians. The influx of illegal immigration to Europe continues, despite the significant chance of not making it across the seas safely. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, warned those considering migrating from Syria and Iraq to look for work in Europe, against the attempt. “Do not come to Europe. Do not risk your lives and your money. It is all for nothing,” warning that Greece, and in fact the whole of Europe, will no longer be a viable transit zone for refugees. European authorities are taking an increasingly hard line regarding the influx of asylum-seekers, with borders tightening and only a tiny portion of those seeking refuge being awarded it in the UK. With more Schengen countries introducing border controls, the refugee crisis has prompted a crackdown on free movement within Europe. Most recently, Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Denmark, and non-EU member Norway have reintroduced controls. Sadly, the actions of the few have contributed to a gross misconception of the many refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and many other countries in the Middle East, and consequently, sympathy
seems hard to come by amongst the UK public. Fear-mongering by tabloid stories and the spread of misinformation regarding the intentions of migrants to Europe has not improved the situation. After the New Year’s Eve sex attacks in Cologne, public opinion turned from wary to outright hostile. Numerous retaliatory attacks have taken place across Germany; after Ralf Jaeger, interior minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia announced that “people with a migration background were almost exclusively responsible for the criminal acts”, the backlash was strong and immediate.
After the New Year’s Eve sex attacks in Cologne, public opinion turned from wary to outright hostile The violent response from far-right groups has targeted migrant communities and asylum seekers across Germany, a blanket response to what appears to have been an isolated set of attacks. It appears that the attacks in Cologne were the trigger many had been waiting for to launch a campaign against migrants in Germany. This spike in xenophobic feeling and behavior is the physical embodiment of a dangerous mood which is swelling in Europe, and one which we know from history can be extraordinarily destructive. Migrants and asylum seekers penned an open letter to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to disassociate themselves from the attackers and express their gratitude in being allowed to live in Germany. They wrote: “We are asylum seekers in Germany who have fled from war, terror, political persecution and sexual attacks… We were appalled by what happened on NYE in Cologne and other towns nearby. We abhor the sexual assaults and petty thefts which took place.” The majority of the refugees are not dangerous. In Calais, I met so many people who came to Europe in search of a better life, fleeing from poverty or war, and instead, they have found only hatred or utter apathy. The destruction of the Jungle camp is one step further in alienating those who have come to us for help. The longer the people of Europe continue to ignore the plight of the refugees, the more we contribute to the suffering and death of millions. And that is something which not only Europe, but humanity, cannot afford to do again.
Strictly Conservative 14
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14 MARCH 2016 |
EXEPOSÉ
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Former Conservative politician, Ann Widdecombe, speaks to Katie Jenkins, Features Editor, about Brexit, sexism in Parliament and the changing face of the Conservative Party
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O the minds of many, there are two Ann Widdecombes: one is the Strictly Come Dancing queen whose salsa stomps won the nation’s hearts in 2010; the other is the fierce Conservative politician whose 23 year career has never fallen short of controversy. Her views on abortion, the death penalty and LGBT rights have all received plenty of provocative airtime over the decades and indeed are clearly still hold prominence in our interview today. Upon tentatively suggesting that gay marriage was one of the reasons for Conservative success in the last election, I’m immediately met by a verbal barrage: “You are joking aren’t you? That absolutely was not the reason! You only have to look at Ed Miliband to work out what the reason was!” She protests vehemently: “I certainly don’t think that gay marriage was a positive force. All the polls suggested the opposite, they suggested it didn’t make any difference to the gay community but that it made a difference in a negative way to a lot of [David Cameron’s] own supporters… So no, I don’t think that had any impact at all on the election result; if anything I think it distracted the Party horribly in the run up to it.” Indeed, the Conservatism which Widdecombe represents is such that is firmly rooted within the Thatcherite days where she initially made her mark. First elected to the House of Commons in 1987 as the MP for Maidstone, she went on to become the Minister of State for Prisons in 1995, the Shadow
Health Secretary in 1998 and the Shadow Home Secretary in 1999. Indeed, the more Centralist approach recent Conservatives have adopted is one which she recognises as being “bland”. “Oddly enough, until the arrival of [Jeremy] Corbyn, one of our great difficulties over the last 20 years in British politics has been that both parties are occupying pretty well the same ground, and therefore it’s very hard for Joe Public to distinguish between the two,” she acknowledges. “Argument over the central ground, well, I mean, I’m sure it’s all very worthy but it doesn’t exactly enthuse the electorate. No wonder there’s apathy; all I ever hear on doorsteps is that it doesn’t make any difference. They can’t say that now they’ve got Corbyn.” However, Widdecombe’s motive for visiting the University of Exeter is not political, but religious. Christianity is a concept that has certainly defined many of her career values and, indeed, her conversion from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism following the ordination of women ruffled numerous feathers in 1993. Within her talk about the benefits of Catholi-
cism, she stresses that this opposition is purely “theological” rather than sexist. Indeed, she cites Mother Teresa, (one of her inspirations) as a woman who made a significant religious contribution without the need of a ministerial title.
I’m sick to the back teeth about hearing about sexism in Parliament Certainly, the issue of sexism within this country is one that she holds little sympathy for although she concedes that some “fine tuning” is necessary. “People are now scraping the barrel for any old grievance that they can come up with; I’m sick to the back teeth about hearing about sexism in Parliament!” She laughs, “Take it from me, there isn’t any! I was there for 23 years. When I came in there were very few women in Parliament but the quality was enormous: Margaret Thatcher, Shirley Williams, Barbara Castle… These people were giants and they hadn’t got there through positive discrimination, they’d got there because they competed with the men and they won… Just look at other parts of the world and dear heavens, you see what it really means to have equality. In poorer parts of the world, women would think they were in paradise if they had the rights of women over here.” However, the position of Christians within Britain is one that she finds especially concerning. Although she jokes that she’s “always disagreeing with Cameron over one thing or another”, she states that the treatment of Christians is “very, very poor indeed”. More than this, however, is what she brands the “thought police” which has grown under the recent government: “This week, we’ve had a child who was reported to the police because he accessed a UKIP website. The child was 15 years old. I mean, UKIP? Are they Islamic State?” She scoffs, “Then we had a mature student at Sheffield University who was sent down and robbed of his place because he wrote on his private Facebook site that he disapproved of gay marriage. This is thought policing on a scale that the Soviet Union used to do whereby if you express a view in private, you can actually be penalised at work. That to my mind is the
biggest thing that is undermining British society.” When I ask if she feels that the rise of more right-wing politicians has somewhat loosened these restrictions, she argues that these figures have “neither undermined nor contributed to freedoms. I think [freedoms] are consistently being undermined by government and nobody is shouting loudly enough”. She cites Nigel Farage as a figure who came to prominence, not because of his views, but “on the basis that he wanted a referendum. Well he’s got his referendum so you could say he’s achieved his objective. But, like most politicians, once you’ve done the thing you’ve set out to do, you don’t quite want to let go of the power and the position.” The referendum is, of course, at the forefront of British politics for the foreseeable future. With Boris Johnson’s recent decision to support Brexit, Widdecombe admits that she is beginning to reach a similar conclusion: “I haven’t wholly decided but I am moving towards a point where I will probably vote for Brexit,” she confides, “Largely because I think it’s going to be our one and only chance to actually see if we can do something better. We’re not going to get this chance again and I feel that if we pass up this opportunity, we will never know… I’m actually for taking the risk.” It seems somewhat ironic, however, that a woman who so passionately advocates the “forgiveness” and “acceptance” of the Catholic Church still holds such intolerant ideals. Within the last few weeks, she published an article for The Guardian opposing Pope Francis’ defiance of the death penalty, promoting its efficiency as a “deterrent”. It is an interpretation which, I mention, is not necessarily correct in America where capital punishment has had little effect in many states. “No, it’s not a deterrent in the States,” she agrees. “I still think the major reason it’s not a deterrent there is because people spend 11 years on death row. In this country, if you were found guilty and you lost your appeal, there would then be a further appeal to the Home Secretary and that was it. Within months (sometimes weeks) that was it; it was done, delivered. So there was always a straight-forward connection between the crime and the penalty paid. People spend – I mean it’s a barbarous system – people spend 11, 12 years on Death Row! Well by the time you’ve actually come to execute them, all the sympathy’s with them because of the time they’ve spent there and the connec-
tion with what they actually did has more or less disappeared… Well, that’s no deterrent either to you or to anyone else.” Rehabilitation, however, is what she deems “a necessary tool of public protection. It’s not some soft, wet, liberal option as some people seem to think; it’s actually crucial,” she asserts, “I’ve said for a long time now that every single convicted prisoner, (you can’t do it with remands) should have to spend every single week day doing a full day as you and I understand that to mean, either in the prison education department, or in the prison workshops, or in a combination of the two. The work that comes into prison should be real work; the prison workshops should be allowed to make profits, let the profits expand and then you would have a much more focused nature of imprisonment. At the moment all we do is warehouse the person.”
[Brexit] is going to be our one and only chance to see if we can do something better It is somewhat surprising that in spite of such contentious views, in recent years she has become a national icon. Undoubtedly, this success can be traced back to Strictly, an experience that she describes as “marvellous!” “I expected to last three weeks, I really didn’t expect it to do the things in my life that it did. But instead of that, I lasted ten weeks; I did the tour; I then did panto with Craig; then I was on at the Royal Opera House… So it goes on!” “So it goes on” is perhaps the best, if not the only way, to sum up Widdecombe’s career trajectory. From politics to writing to dancing to charity work… They’re all sectors which she dominates – if not with grace – then certainly with strength. Indeed, I can’t say I agree with many of her ideas, but nonetheless there is something admirable about what she represents. When girls are consistently encouraged to look towards photo-shopped, sexualised starlets, it’s all too refreshing to come across a figure who has not only overcome such obstacles as age, marital status and gender but actively dismantled them. She may not be the most liberal but one can’t deny her intellect. Indeed, with society’s obsessive desire for political correctness, such outrageous controversy is sometimes necessary if only to remind us of our individuality.
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Most likely to... The American Elections are hotting up, so we’ve asked our Exeposé Features writers to imagine the Republican and Democrat candidates’ high school yearbooks. What would they have been ‘Most (or Least) Likely To...’?
Iran: a political pioneer?
In light of the Iranian elections, Helena Bennett evaluates if the event will offer sustainable change, and the potential repercussions for the Middle East
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N 26 February, Iranians took part in two parallel elections, voting for new members for both the national Parliament, and the Council of Experts. The results of these elections have been hailed as a victory for the country’s moderates, as well as its pragmatist President, Hassan Rouhani. Given that this is the first election to have taken place in Iran, the global press has been keen to try and understand what Iranian voters are saying about the direction their country will take over the next few years. However, it is important to remember that Iranian politics has certain specific characteristics which make it difficult to analyse based on election results alone. What, then, can we say about what’s going on in the Islamic Republic after last week’s voting, and what might it mean for the Middle East and the rest of the world?
60 per cent of those nominated were disqualified for personal or ideological reasons First of all, there are no political parties in Iran. This means that, when reports say that “moderates” have gained a large proportion of seats in both the Parliament and the Council of Experts, they are referring to individuals who fall within broad, unofficial coalitions based around shared values. As such, the fact that a candidate is called “moderate”, “pragmatist”, or “hard-line” does not tell us an enormous amount about the policies they hope to see implemented, or about which prominent politicians they support. Certainly, there are candidates in the “moderate” grouping who advocate the kinds of
reforms of which many in the West approve, but we must not fall into the trap of assuming that they represent the bringers of huge political change to Iran. All electoral candidates for both bodies were vetted by the Guardian Council, which has the role of ensuring that Parliament conforms to the Governmentapproved interpretation of Islamic law, before being allowed to run. About 60 per cent of those who nominated themselves were disqualified for personal or ideological reasons. Anyone who makes it as far as being listed on a ballot paper therefore falls broadly within the remit of what the regime establishment considers acceptable, meaning that a vote for a moderate candidate can be interpreted as a vote for a moderate version of the status quo. Furthermore, to call the results a victory for moderates and reformists suggests they now dominate Parliament, which they certainly don’t. Rather, there are now about as many of them as there are hard-line conservatives, which means that, if they side with the pragmatists who align with President Rouhani, the centre will have the upper hand. Although the pragmatists, who have much lower ambitions for reform, may reward their new parliamentary allies with some slightly more progressive legislation, there is little to suggest that enormous change is imminent. Perhaps the most important aspect of Parliament’s apparent shift towards the centre-left is that it will strengthen the President’s position in disputes with more conservative bodies like the Guardian Council and the Revolutionary Guards, both of which have proved resistant to Rouhani’s attempts to fight corruption and conciliate with Western Powers. He may well take last week’s results as a sign that his struggles have been worthwhile,
and that the Iranian public wishes to reward him for the conclusion of the Nuclear Deal with the P5+1 countries, and for the minor successes of his economic policy. It is at least clear that conservative rhetoric has failed to convince many Iranians that Rouhani’s presidency has been a failure up until now. Certainly, it is not seen as such by Iran’s growing middle class, which hopes to benefit from the foreign investment which has already begun to trickle in since international economic sanctions were lifted.
Iran is a theocracy... but at least it hasn’t become the plaything of a particular important family So much for Parliament; what is the significance of the elections to the Council of Experts? This body’s main purpose is selecting the Islamic Republic’s Leader when the current one, Ali Khamenei, passes away. The Leader, only ever referred to as “supreme” in English, presumably to make the Iranian regime sound even more nutty than it already is, sits for life. There have only been two since the Revolution of 1979, so there isn’t a huge amount of precedent on which the Council of Experts can base its decision. As such, its members have to pass rigorous tests of their knowledge of the Quran and the Iranian version of Islamic law, set by the Guardian Council, before the public can vote for who they want. One interesting quirk of the most recent elections was that Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic’s first Leader, failed to pass this test, and so could not be nominated for election. His
grandfather is still venerated as a great cleric and leader by the regime, so the fact that Hassan Khomeini was subject to the same vetting as all other candidates is actually quite positive. Yes, Iran is a theocracy with some pretty unusual ways of doing things, but at least it hasn’t become the plaything of a particular important family. The Council of Experts has an incredibly important job to do, especially given the fact that current Leader Khamenei is looking increasingly frail as he approaches his eighties. The idea that it may have become slightly more moderate is therefore very interesting when considering Iran’s long-term future. The next Leader will have to be a Muslim cleric with views acceptable to the Iranian establishment, but this does not mean he could not be more moderate or reform-minded than his predecessor. Of course, it is not possible to do more than speculate about this, as we have no idea when Khamenei will die, or who will be considered to fill his position.
Despite elections, democracy continues to be limited Meanwhile, despite elections, democracy in Iran continues to be limited. The run-up to last week’s polling was accompanied by the continuation of ongoing crack-downs against trade unions and other oppositionist organisations. Anyone who speaks out against the regime will face repercussions, of varying degrees of severity. Iran’s status quo might have shifted last week, but we mustn’t assume that it is going to move any time soon.
VICTORIA BOS “Trump: Most Likely To *This caption has been removed due to threats of legal action*” OWAIN EVANS “Cruz: Most likely to be a serial killer” FLORA CARR “Trump: Least likely to win a spelling bee” JEREMY BROWN “ ‘Drumpf’: Most likely to get a small loan of a million dollars” JACK WARDLAW “Hillary: Most likely to have a happy marriage...” PAVEL KONDOV “Rubio: Most likely to dispel once and for all this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing - he knows exactly what he’s doing” JOSH MINES “Sanders: Most likely to beat up the school bullies for stealing your lunch money” ANDREW HOLLAND “Jeb Bush: Most likely to be second favourite child”
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LIFESTYLE Tweets of the week These people have clearly been having an enriching and productive term... Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Zak @zakalac Adding Meghan Trainor’s album to my compilation of unashamed bangers to make me feel like a strong independent woman; young, wild and free x Susannah @susannahkeogh Philosophy = paying £9 grand to basically use your mind and use google. Great value Jack @jackwardlaw94 It’s always fun when you’re sitting in a bar and at the next table is a previous Grindr hook up enjoying a drink with his girlfriend... Ben @nebnaizlev Hell hath no fury like a middle aged woman trying to get her preferred bike at a spin class Sarah @sarahgoughy Hole in our washing up bowl. Race against time to clean plates. What a thrill. #adrenaline
Exeter Strikes Yak •
Man’s biggest fear: having to use the only one remaining urinal in a busy toilet and then getting ‘stage fright’ which renders all efforts to pee useless
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Adulted really well by making extra pasta for lunch for a day working on campus. Then I left the fork at home. FML
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I’m the best looking person I know... cause I never leave my room and have no friends That great feeling when you go from a shaky 6 in Exeter to a solid 10 when you go home to the Midlands for the weekend Perks of dating me: I can fit my arm down a Pringles tube
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14 MARCH 2016 |
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Exeposé Lifestyle
LIFESTYLE EDITORS Sabrina Aziz Jack Wardlaw
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Made in Exeter
Eamonn Crowe, Deputy Editor, shares some of the most dramatic spots on campus for you to air out your dirty laundry a la Made in Chelsea
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AVE you ever looked at your group of perfectly tanned and toned Exeter pals and thought, we really should be on TV? With all the drama surrounding the status of Annabel and Hugh’s relationship and the fact that Monty now wants to be known as M Dot, you’re practically screaming out for your own reality show. Alas, MTV’s producers have yet to realise the goldmine that is Exeter University, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own soap-worthy moments. Here is my list of the five most dramatic spots on campus, to ensure maximum exposure for you and your friends’ dramz. The stairs just outside The Loft These stairs are the ideal setting for a dramatic phone call. Sit there looking pensive and stare into the distance, as you call your housemate to ask if she ate your last avocado. Bonus points
for a heavy sigh and single tear gently rolling down your face.
MTV’s producers have yet to realise the goldmine that is Exeter University Costa balcony Any basic bro knows that coffee shops are the only appropriate place to discuss last night’s antics. Grab your extortionately-priced hot drinks and sit outside in the freezing cold (with your Raybans on obvs) and tell the lads all about that drunken snog in Timepiece. Don’t forget to take a squad selfie for Instagram, with the caption ‘TP aftermath #hanging’. The big round tables in Law Library
King Arthur and his pals may have had the round table, but you’ve got the Law Library for all your important activities. Deliberately invite two people that you know actively dislike each other for a study date and watch the awkwardness unfold. As friend one goes to the toilet, tell friend two how you really didn’t want any drama. Make sure to perfect the art of ‘loud whispers’ for this one and pretend not to notice everyone staring at you. Remember, the first rule of being a BNOC is to never acknowledge it. The balcony outside The Forum The perfect spot to have your next argument with bae. You get to make sure your relationship issues are the centre of attention
students rocking up to campus look up at you admiringly, like you’re Queen Liz at her Jubilee. Make sure to take lots of dramatic pauses and gesticulate wildly as you argue over why they didn’t pay for your VK’s in Moz last night. Don’t forget to have the Made In Chelsea theme playing on your phone. Steps outside Reed Hall Picture the scene: you’ve spent the night posing for selfies in your ball gown, a glass of bubbly in hand. Just as you’ve perfected the duck face, you catch sight of bae in your camera, getting it on with that bitch from Mardon- your sworn nemesis. You go to confront him, but he plays dumb (he is a rugby lad), so you throw your champagne on his face and storm out. Your dress splayed over the white stone steps, you break out into uncontrollable sobs. If the place is good enough to host weddings, then it’s sure as hell good enough for your postbreak up bawling.
Deadline doomsday as all the
Jade Beard tells us how to handle the pressure of deadline season
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HE end of term has suddenly crept up on us (wasn’t it Christmas just yesterday?!), and that can only mean one thing: Deadlines. Yes, the bane of every student’s existence is fast approaching once more. Just yesterday you were living it up in Top Top, and now suddenly your Friday nights are looking bleaker than an episode of Dickensian. Let’s face it, deadlines suck. You’re tired, cranky, and if anyone steals your study spot again, you are ready to turn savage. But alas - don’t panic! Because there’s plenty of time left for tears, meltdowns and a pint (or ten) of
Firehouse’s famous cider to drown your sorrows in. But seriously, don’t lose hope (Leo didn’t and twenty years on, look where he is now!).
You’re tired, cranky, and if anyone steals your study spot again, you are ready to turn savage Lifestyle has a few tips for you on how to beat those deadline blues. So without further ado:
Firstly, get organised. Your strewn, stationary scattered desk is only a reflection of your life right now. Regular breaks are also essential, both for the sake of your sanity and your housemates’ safety; you’re beginning to look at them the same way Nicki looks at Miley #whatsgood. Also, don’t punish yourself for leaving the pit of disparity i.e. the library. Seriously, when all you’ve eaten for the past week are Market Place’s “really cheap meal deals”,
it’s time to go home. Lastly, and most importantly, don’t panic. Yes, it’s easier said than done, but take relief from knowing that every student would most likely run naked though Forum rather than face that dreaded blank page. But just remember, that celebratory Cheesy’s is just around the corner; one word, is one step closer to freedom.
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This week Exeposé Lifestyle sent James Beeson, Editor, and Izzy Hilliard on one of our infamous blind dates, but was it a fairytale or more of a nightmare?
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AMES, how were you feeling before the date? Apprehensive. It was all very last minute so I didn’t have too much time to think about it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have the butterflies walking down to Artigiano. I was half expecting Jack and Sabrina to have set me up with a bloke if I’m honest! Have you ever been on a blind date before? Nope, never. A couple of awkward Tinder dates but that’s about it. Desperate times call for desperate measures though, and with graduation looming I thought ‘fuck it.’ What were your first impressions of Izzy? Really good. She was really chatty and appeared to be female, which was a definite bonus. Most of my friends will attest that I’m not too picky when it comes to the ladies! What did you guys talk about? All manner of things: Lots about Exeposé; my favourite topic of conversation for obvious reasons: live music, our tastes didn’t overlap much; her volunteer work at a local school; my beer brewing - I won a competition last year, plans for after graduation etc. The conversation flowed excellently (as did the beer). Any awkward moments? She thought I had a girlfriend, which made things a little embarrassing, but apart from that not really. I’d like to think I’m not a particularly awkward person and we both had quite a lot to drink…
She was really chatty and appeared to be female, which was a definite bonus Was there anything that you didn’t like or that really annoyed you about Izzy? Not really, although one of her favourite nights out is Cheesy Tuesdays, which does sort of repulse me… oh, and she likes Taylor Swift and The 1975 (ew).
Do you remember what Izzy was wearing? Or were you not focused on their clothes… She looked nice… I think? Nothing too fancy or extravagant but nicely understated. Who am I kidding? I don’t remember! How was the chemistry between you two? It was mostly positive. The alcohol probably helped keep things ticking over nicely, as did the pizza we went on to have in Firehouse. We ended up getting really wasted, eating loads and not leaving till gone 2am so I guess that’s a good sign? I was a bit worried she wasn’t going to make it home after all those beverages to be honest. How did you end the night? An awkward hug, a fist bump, a kiss? A gentleman never tells… Do you think a second date is on the cards? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out. How would you rate your date out of ten? A solid seven, maybe an eight at a push. I had a great time. Snog, marry or avoid? Definitely not avoid. I’m a bit of a commitment-phobe so marriage is probably out of the question. I’m going to go with snog.
I
ZZY, how were you feeling before the date? For most of the day I was feeling a normal amount of nerves but nothing too bad. Just apprehensive, and not sure what to expect. I only got nervous as I walked to my date and everyone was texting me to wish me luck. Also my whatsapp groups were very busy, asking many questions about the date. It was all just too much. Have you ever been on a blind date before? Nope. I’m not even sure I know anyone who has been on a blind date. I guess with social media they are almost impossible to achieve successfully. If you know someone’s name you can find out what they look like and probably a smattering of their interests. Is there anyone who is a regular blind -dater? That would be a very brave person. What were your first impressions of James? I had met James very briefly before at an Exeposé event, so I was mostly just relieved that he wasn’t a complete stranger. I knew he wasn’t going to be shy and awkward so I was pleased. What did you guys talk about? We spoke about Exeposé during the first hour as I guess it was the only thing we both knew we had in common. When James tried to move it to music, he found out I was a Taylor Swift fan and he quickly moved it back to Exeposé. Other than that we didn’t really stick to any specific topics; friends, uni life etc. We also spoke about beer for a while. And by that I mean James spoke about beer very passionately and I pretended not to be confused. Any awkward moments? The look on James’ face when I said I liked Taylor Swift. He quickly tried to conceal his unhappiness, and I tried to play down how much I actually love her whilst backpedalling away from music conversations. A very similar situation when I said I really enjoy Cheesey Tues-
days. I like to think I won it back by mentioning Frank Turner and Friday Timepiece afterwards. Was there anything that you didn’t like or that really annoyed you about James? No. Can someone really annoy you in just one date? Do you remember what James was wearing? Or were you not focused on their clothes… James helpfully texted me before the date so I would know he was the guy in the green and burgundy checked shirt. And I’m pretty sure he was wearing jeans. I was more relieved I hadn’t been stood up, which didn’t leave much time to critique his outfit. How was the chemistry between you two? Typing about this in a café makes me very uncomfortable. I think it improved as the evening went on. Maybe. I don’t know.
Can someone really annoy you in just one date? How did you end the night? An awkward hug, a fist bump, a kiss? Well I ended the night trying to remember where my accommodation is actually located in the big city of Exeter. My sense of direction was slightly (very) off after a few beers. Do you think a second date is on the cards? I have been too busy celebrating the fact that the blind date wasn’t an awkward disaster to think about a second date. I’m allowing more time to congratulate myself on not falling over or spilling my drink before I think about it. How would you rate your date out of ten? A solid seven. Snog, marry or avoid? Has anyone said marry after one date? That would be intense. The options are very limited. I’m going to say it would be the awkward wave and hug.
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MUSIC
NEWS 1-5
MUSIC Gig Listings
Monday 14 March Wooden Indian Burial Ground Cavern, Exeter
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-15 16-17 8-10
MUSIC 18-20
SCREEN 22-24
ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32
GAMES 34-35
14 MARCH 2016 |
SPORT 38-40
Exeposé Music
MUSIC EDITORS Jim Atherton Katie Costello
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@ExeposeMusic
music@exepose.com
Beats & Bass turns 10 Photo: Beats & Bass
Thursday 17 March Ramonas Cavern, Exeter Saturday 19 March Mad Dog Mcrea Phoenix, Exeter Sunday 20 March 51st State & Human Cull Cavern, Exeter Tuesday 22 March XY&O & Native People Cavern, Exeter Thursday 24 March Purson Cavern, Exeter Friday 25 March Tracer Phoenix, Exeter Hannah Wants Lemon Grove, Exeter Saturday 26 March Design Cavern, Exeter Sunday 27 March Gemfest Phoenix, Exeter
Exeposé Recommends...
Nick Parkinson,, one of the founding members of Beats & Bass, Bass, looks back to the first year of the music society on its tenth birthday
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HE Beats & Bass Society was, and still is to this day, about uniting people with a shared passion for dance music and hip-hop. Back in 2005, the musical landscape in Exeter was patchy at best for students who loved raving. The society that preceded us, “Beats & Breaks” was dead in the water and fromage was the dish of the day, every day. There were a few good, local club nights on weekends, but literally nothing in terms of midweek student raves. There was very little hip-hop or dance playing on the radio airwaves (internet radio was only just emerging), few avenues for students to practice DJing/MCing/ Beatboxing etc. and no way of knowing who was even into this stuff!
The Beats & Bass Society was, and is to this day, about uniting people with a shared passion for dance music and hip-hop
Ramonas @ Exeter Cavern Thursday 17 March The Ramonas are the number one all-women Ramones tribute act in the world and they’re bringing their exciting show to the Cavern this month! Go down to the best punk venue in the south-west and pogo to some of the greatest punk rock songs ever written whilst drinking snakebite.
Despite this backdrop, a close group of mates, enthusiasts and aspiring DJs/ MCs began to emerge through house parties, halls and local weekend club nights. It started out as a group of us just going raving together, but pretty soon MC Si and DJ Darkstar and I began rocking up to house parties with decks and a mic. By early 2005, there was a good vibe going. It soon became obvious that there were loads of student ravers on campus, hungry for an alternative to the cheesy nights on offer. Something had to be done! Together we started doing a regular radio show on XpressionFM called ‘The
Mystery Sessions’ showcasing mixes, inviting guest MCs, DJs and producers and plugging the local scene. ‘The Mystery Sessions’ were such a hit that by the summer of 2005, we put on a little gig at The Badger, obviously titled ‘The Badger Set’, and played at the summer Ram Music Festival. It wasn’t exactly selling out the O2, but there was definitely a lot of momentum. Georgie G had the brainwave of starting an official society at the University and got the ball rolling with the paperwork and getting the University to support the idea. After a few nights burning the midnight oil (as well as the mic!), everything was in place. Beats & Bass was officially welcomed into the Students’ Guild in September 2005. Things really took off from this point! The founding committee set to work creating the logo, building ties with local clubs and businesses for nights, vinyl & merchandise, getting the word out and making a big entrance at the 2005 Freshers’ fair. This took the form of a heavy rig with live DJs & MCs, relentless flyering, a welcome pack containing mixes from your friendly neighbourhood DJs, discounts on cool stuff and, most importantly, concessions for Beats & Bass nights. Suddenly Beats & Bass was the
biggest music society on campus in terms of membership and this set the scene for some great nights! Beats & Bass started putting on fortnightly parties at Amber Rooms, now Monkey Suit, mainly playing hip hop and drum & bass, with a bit of garage, jungle and breaks too. The breakdancing society used to come out and bust some moves too and everyone had a blast! There was a real buzz about the nights and the 180 capacity club was soon packed out and groaning under repeated noise complaints. Beats & Bass needed somewhere to grow, so the Wednesday Windup Night moved to the Cavern, which has been its home for many years since. Despite not booking any big headliners that year, Beats & Bass was a great platform for integrating into the local scene and giving student artists a chance to showcase in front of decent crowds at friendly, professional nights. They were a great way to share the music everyone loves, meet new faces, and get everyone together for a rave! By the summer of 2006, Beats & Bass was regularly selling out the Cavern, playing sets in the Ram beer garden at Arts week, hosting a Saturday night radio show on VibraphonicFM, and even did a little free party near Dur-
yard. It was incredible. Beats & Bass wasn’t just about big nights though, they stood for a lot more. As part of ExTunes it was about promoting music at Exeter University at a time when the music department had just closed. Despite countless slaps on the wrist for fly posting around campus, we were miraculously still given a generous budget. Along with reinvesting profits from the nights, this enabled the committee to build up an impressive collection of vinyl and merchandise. Now as DJs/music collectors, buying society vinyl with someone else’s money was a bit special!
Beats & Bass has come to represent much more than the founders could have possibly imagined It was with these (and our own records) that we started teaching new members to DJ. At first, just one-to-one tuition in halls and bedrooms, but by the end of the year we did a few day time open sessions in the Lemmy. The society continued to go from strength to strength, signing up more and more members each year and getting more organised. When the time came to pass the baton to the new committee, Beats & Bass had come to represent much more than the founders could have possibly imagined. The way the society has lived on and grown from strength to strength over the years is a testament to the passion and energy of the members, and is nothing short of humbling.
Off the Spector-um EXEPOSÉ
www.exepose.ex.ac.uk
Katie Costello, Music Editor, talks to Fred Macpherson of the electro-indie group
“W
E started writing the second album straight away, but then we got a bit busy living life,” Spector’s frontman Fred Macpherson explains. “And I was busy growing my hair.” With longer hair and a slower sound, Spector returned last summer with their new album Moth Boys, three years after their initial success. They may not be one of the biggest bands, but Spector have had a fair few songs which have gained a cult following. They’ve always enjoyed moderate success, so why the long wait for the second album? “The second album had to be good,” Macpherson stresses, “So, we weren’t in a rush to produce anything”. When their first album came out in 2012, Spector’s electro indie pop was in good company. Bands like Wolf Gang and the Naked and Famous were treading on similar ground, and all of them had 16 year old me convinced that they would be the next big thing. Since then, electro has taken more of a back seat and there has been a resurgence of rock, with indie guitarists like Catfish and the Bottlemen and Circa Waves filling up airtime. So, can a band so heavily reliant on electric guitars and keyboards still find a place today? “There definitely seems to be a taste for rock and roll, and less electronic elements,” Macpher-
son acknowledges, “But it depends what you like. We have a pop element, but also an ideas element.” It’s that which gives Spector an edge. Whilst their cohorts may have fallen to the wayside, Spector’s albums are packed full of raw, honest lyrics, adding a personal touch, which makes them stand out from the crowd. Listening to ‘Bad Boyfriend’ or ‘All the Sad Young Men’ feels like you’re eavesdropping on a private conversation, but Macpherson doesn’t see this lyrical exposure of his private life as an issue. “Well, fans don’t know who we’re talking about, and friends don’t tend to listen to lyrics,” he explains. “It’s quite a good way of getting to say things you don’t get to say in real life. It’s like the ultimate therapy.” Therapy is a good way to describe Moth Boys. Not only are the lyrics centred on heartbreak and failed relationships, but the melodies seem to follow this more de-
pressing tone. “Everything was a bit more upbeat on our first album,” Macpherson admits. “I think it was the mood we were in when we were making that record. I was living life in a bit of a rush, and this album came from a slightly more composed place.”
I’d like it to sound a bit more analogue, I want more of a human swing to it That doesn’t mean that Spector can’t produce a decent ballad. “The tempo of the songs make sense, and there are a few up-tempo tracks on the album,” Macpherson caveats. “We
tried ‘All the Sad Young Men’ as a rock song, but it just didn’t give the lyrics the emotion or the space that they needed. It felt like we were rattling through.” There’s plenty of room for change, since recording their second album, the band have regained a drummer. “Danny [Blandy] was our drummer on our first album, but he decided he’d be more suited to playing keyboard. So it’s ended up that we’ve made a new album without a drummer.” The band used drum-programming software to make up for the missing percussion, but Macpherson wasn’t entirely satisfied with the result. “The thing we’ve felt with the new album is that it doesn’t sound that lively. I think I’d like it to sound a bit more human, a bit more analogue, I want a bit more of a human swing to it.” But a new drummer doesn’t guarantee a return to the pace of Spector of old. “As far as whether it will be faster, slower, happier… A lot of that depends on what happens with life.” Macpherson explains, “I’d say 95 per cent of our songs are based on personal experiences.” Spector’s music isn’t anything radical or wildly new, but each album shows a strong batch of new material. There’s a reason Spector are still around. Their personal lyrics are what push them apart from mediocre indie pop, and provide them with a longevity that looks set to last.
Songs to be resurrected to
As Easter rolls on and you can finally stop pretending you’ve given up something for lent, Exeposé Music has gone all spiritual, taking a look at the soundtrack to Jesus’ resurrection.
‘I am the Resurrection’ - Stone Roses - Georgie White ‘The Show Must go on’ - Queen - Sabrina Aziz ‘Stayin’ Alive’ - Bee Gees - Phoebe Davis ‘Jesus Walks’ - Kanye West - Alex Brammer ‘Bring me to Life’ - Evanesence - Jack Wardlaw ‘Wake me up Before you Go Go’ - Wham! - Lewis Norman ‘Lazarus’ - David Bowie - Theo Stone ‘I Will Survive’ - Gloria Gaynor - Hannah Butler ‘I am a God’ - Kanye West - Eamonn ‘Eeezus’ Crowe
MUSIC
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Hot / Not / Long Shot / Forgot Helen Payne and Rory Marcham are about to take over the reigns as Music Editors, so they give us their views on what new tracks are hot, what’s not, what’s a long shot and what has been forgot(ten) HOT– Poliça– Lime Habit Released last week, their new album is full of the smooth, intriguing electro-pop of producer Ryan Olsen, and breathy vocal prowess of Channy Leaneagh. Incredibly catchy and very dreamy. NOT – Jake Bugg – Gimme the Love What happened to that gritty teenager who wrote Bob Dylan inspired folk songs about life on a Nottingham council estate? Clearly trying to emulate some sort of 90s era acid house sound, this track is an odd attempt for Bugg to try and crack the mainstream. LONG-SHOT – Inheaven – Baby’s Alright Released on the record label The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, this South East London quartet, are onto something. A fuzzy indie-rock anthem with political undertones, this is the kind of track that longs to be screamed by disillusioned teens in a tent at Reading and Leeds festival. FORGOT - Metronomy – The Bay Those opening, childlike bars and funky bassline have been somewhat forgotten. Having not released anything for almost three years, its time Metronomy get started on more of their pleasant, funky material akin to ‘The Bay’.
Kendrick’s surprise 20
MUSIC
NEWS 1-5
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-15 16-17 8-10
MUSIC 18-20
SCREEN 22-24
ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32
GAMES 34-35
SPORT 38-40
14 MARCH 2016 |
EXEPOSÉ
On untitled unmastered., a mixtape consisting of off-cuts and new verses dropped out of the blue last week, Alex Brammer is reminded why Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest rap artists of our time Kendrick Lamar untitled unmastered. 4 March 2016
W
HAT is it with rap albums and sex skits? When was the last time that someone heard ‘Pause 4 Porno’ off of 2001 and thought “Fantastic, nothing puts my flatmates at ease like extremely loud moaning out of nowhere?” When was the last time someone played the Ken Kaniff skit from Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP just to hear the Insane Clown Posse giving a blowjob? When was the last time I played ‘These Walls’ from To Pimp A Butterfly without fastforwarding the first minute? I’ll tell you when... never.
The mixtape is a totally different beast to the studio album, though, and for what it is, it’s fantastic
never listen to the first minute of untitled unmastered. again. It opens with the worst kind of all sex skits; male moaning. But move past a guy whispering in your ear that he wants you to push it back on daddy (I’m not joking), and you’ve got one of the finest mixtapes of the past five years. And we’ve got to talk in terms of mixtapes, because that’s exactly what it is – a paid-for mixtape. It’s just a compilation, no overarching story like in Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City or To Pimp A Butterfly. The approach seems to be much more similar to Mac Miller’s Faces, with the mixtape filled with the best offcuts from the album and a couple of loosies. The fact that untitled unmastered. is pretty cohesive seems to come second. The mixtape is a totally different beast to the studio albums, though, and for what it is, it’s fantastic. It’s difficult to talk in terms of individual songs because all of them are untitled, but track three is probably the best on the tape – examining a cross-section of American society, Kendrick totally deconstructs race-
relations and lays out those power struggles like gun parts on a check tablecloth. It’s a beautiful deconstruction, and one which is totally offset by track seven, which sees Kendrick rap over a straight
up trap beat. It’s an interesting hint of what Kendrick could have been if he’d submitted to the pressure to make an album full of m.A.A.d. City reruns, but it doesn’t deal with the issues it’s trying to nearly as deftly as the rest of the tape. This song is a disappointment; after hearing Kendrick tear up beats, like on his J. Cole remix ‘Black Friday’. Track seven just reminds us that even the best rappers around are capable of dropping bricks. Why follow up by far the worst track on the mixtape with a selfindulgent jam session? The three-minute outro is meandering, pointless and offers a glimpse of what To Pimp A But-
terfly could have been, if it had sucked. But then track eight, originally titled ‘Blue Faces’, comes on, and that bad taste is washed immediately out of my mouth. This, along with track three, and maybe track five (which doesn’t need commenting on past the fact that it deserved Pitchfork’s Best New Track award), really should have been on To Pimp A Butterfly. It’s simple: they’re just that good.
Kendrick totally deconstructs racerelations and lays out those power struggles untitled unmastered. is the logical conclusion of the paid-for mixtape. After disappointments like Drake and Future’s What A Time To Be Alive, we finally have one which is worth the time and money. This project is undeniably all-around amazing, and in the light of its standouts, I can even forgive Kendrick for that trashy skit.
Field Music fail to impress Speaking of the word never, I will
James Beeson, Editor, heads to Phoenix to catch the brilliant, yet occasionally infuriating Field Music Field Music Exeter Phoenix 4 March 2016
“C
RITICALLY acclaimed” is a phrase that is thrown about an awful lot in the music business these days. It’s also a phrase that has rarely seemed better suited to a band than Field Music, whose six albums have almost spectacularly failed to propel them to the industry’s mainstream and success, despite being widely praised by critics such as BBC 6 music DJ Mike Riley and The Guardian’s music guru Alexis Petridis. It is fitting, therefore, for the band’s set at Exeter Phoenix to be somewhat a hit-and-miss affair; pleasant enough and slickly executed, yet lacking in that wow-factor which the very best artists and bands have in their locker ready to bring the punters in in their droves.
Ably supported for the evening by folk pop three-piece The Drink, brothers David and Peter Brewis take to the stage with their touring band, accompanied by a deliciously inviting saxophone intro. The band kick things off with a nearperfect rendition of ‘The Noisy Days Are Over’, taken from their latest album Commontime. Curiously upbeat for a song written about the sacrifices of fatherhood, the track seems highly appropriate with a great many 40-something males in the on-looking audience. “Baby, we’re going for broke,” drawls Peter during the prog-pop inspired ‘I’m Glad’, “we’re heading for the red, but isn’t everyone?” It’s far from the only nod to the band’s relative lack of commercial success, of the evening, with David later jokingly asking if there were “any experts on the new workplace pension scheme” before launching into the aptly named ‘Who’ll Pay The Bills?’ Despite the confident quips, however, there is a sense that this isn’t quite
Field Music at their very best. David struggles to cope with a voice that has seen better days on the infectiously buoyant ‘Disappointed,’ whilst it’s hard to escape the feeling that some of the delivery is rather formulaic. ‘A House is Not A Home’, in particular, lacks passion and has a kind of polish that smells somewhat of ‘going through the motions.’
animation from the audience throughout the set. The same, however, cannot be said of ‘Just Like Everyone Else’ off the band’s fourth EP, Plumb, which drips with reverb and borders on psychedelic at times. The set highlight is the delightfully eerie charm of ‘Stay Awake’, which flits between soft dream-like vo-
Field Music are much like their music; something of an enigma Better are the tracks when Peter leads on vocals. “We tried to stand for nothing, now there’s nothing to stand for,” he offers poignantly on ‘Them That Do Nothing’, which oozes with a sharper and more visceral sound lacking on some of the band’s newer material. There is something almost ‘Up The Junction’esque in the spiky intelligent lyrics and catchy guitar riffs that provoke the most
Photo: louderthanwar.com
cals and funky, almost jazz-like bass lines in harmonic fashion. All in all, Field Music are much like their music; something of an enigma. They are at times brilliant, and at others exceptionally frustrating. Their talent is glaringly obvious, but the execution is lacking.
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NEWS 1-5
SCREEN
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-15 8-10
SCREEN Newsreel
MUSIC 18-20
SCREEN 22-24
ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32
GAMES 34-35
14 MARCH 2016 |
SPORT 38-40
Exeposé Screen
SCREEN EDITORS Akash Beri Ben Londesbrough
EXEPOSÉ
@ExeposeScreen
screen@exepose.com
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Photo: Hull Independent Cinema
Ghostbusters reboot trailer released The trailer for the all female reboot of Ghostbusters has been released online, with the film set to be released on 15 July 2016. Reaction is mixed, but with a blend of obvious homage and new elements, it will be interesting to see how the finished product ends up.
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On the matter of cinema Ben Londesbrough, Screen Editor, considers the relevance of cinema in today’s society and urges you to visit your local big screen
C 23 Jump Street and Men in Black 4 crossover back on In a strange move, the Jump Street and Men in Black franchises will crossover. James Bobin, who helmed The Muppets, is set to take the job on, with Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill already in talks too to reprise their roles. It looks like there’s going to be fresh casting for the MIB side, with neither Will Smith nor Tommy Lee Jones confirmed for the thus-far unnamed film.
Zootropolis earns Disney Animation’s biggest ever box-office openings Zootropolois has stormed the US box-office over the weekend to become Walt Disney Animation Studios’ best three-day opening ever, also riding high on critical acclaim with a 98 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, currently holding the title as the best-reviewed film of the year so far. The family-friendly film about a mammal-only city earned $73.7 million in its first three days – the ninth largest animated opening ever.
REDITS roll. Lights come up. Nine times out of ten you get straight up and leave the auditorium, passing a comment or two about how that film was ‘really good’ or ‘really shit’. You move on with your life, having been entertained for several hours. However, occasionally, at the end of the film, you are glued to your seat and your mind is racing, and you’ve been affected by what you’ve just seen. These experiences are readily available to cinema-goers, but I think only properly within the actual cinema. We ingest content completely differently to how we did ten years ago, unable to sit through a film at home without playing Candy Crush, or tweeting along our opinions on our favourite shows, I argue the cinema as an institute is more important than it ever has been.
The cinema is so important in providing a spectacle Going to the cinema provides, in my eyes, two type of experience, both of which are equally important. Some films serve the purpose of mindless escapism, this most common type of cinema we pay to see. Buy your ticket, sit down, guzzle some popcorn and shut up. Let the flying people and explosions take you out of your mundane life for a while. ‘LOL the Hulk is cool when he throws stuff huh?’. You watch it, you enjoy it, but you don’t necessarily think about it. This is great if it’s what you’re after - a bit of nothing. Maybe you’ll see it again on Blu-ray or Netflix, but the way you’ll watch it will probably be completely different. You’ll watch it on your 32 inch TV in your bedroom, maybe with your dinner on your lap. You will not be transported
out of your reality for two hours of entertainment, you will remain in your cold student house, multi-tasking by halfwatching the film, trying not to spill your dinner and waiting for that (hopefully) flirty Snapchat response. This is wholly different to the cinema. The cinema is so important in providing a spectacle, in the way only cinema can do. Unless you’re lucky enough to have your own cinema in your house (I’m sure a lot of people at Exeter do), going to your local multiplex is the only way to get this spectacle. And with the screens being so big and so loud now, why wouldn’t you go? However, the other type of experience is arguably far more important. Since its conception, cinema has provided visual materials for the reflection on the human condition. Every film, even those which champion spectacle over subject matter, reflects something about society. It continues the tradition of literature by offering an insight through an audiovisual feast, engulfing you in a sensory experience that can af-
fect your thought process. Cinema-going is a unique means of preserving the past, as well as looking forward. The environment of the cinema offers a rich medium for reflection on our current society, past societies, and possible future societies. The right film, in the right environment, will give you something that is going to challenge your perceptions or inform you of something entirely new, turning the cinema into a Mecca for thought. For instance, world cinema can provide us with a valuable window into what makes people tick in other places, and also what makes those people the same as us. Psychological films help us to understand how the mind works, and how it sometimes doesn’t. Even silent cinema of the early 1900s gives us an insight into how people viewed the world 100 years ago, and where we’ve come from in terms of technology. In this way, cinema becomes a way in which we can each develop a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It facilitates learning and motivates thought, all the way from the young
to the old, and I truly feel that that this experience is dampened if removed from the cinema.
Why wouldn’t a huge sensory overload provoke a strong reaction? Now, this is not to say you wont have the same type of experience and provocation when watching a film at home, but it will be diminished. A film’s ability to leave us speechless until the credits have ended and the lights have come up is rare. It is obviously incredibly subjective, but why wouldn’t a huge sensory overload provoke a strong reaction? I remember having this feeling recently with the film Room, a harrowing story about a woman and her son being kidnapped and imprisoned in a Joseph Fritzl style situation. However, the delicacy of Lenny Abrahamson’s direction, coaxing the type of performance out of young Jacob Tremblay that he did, turned the type of subject matter that would want to make you gouge your eyes out, into something quite life-affirming and thought-provoking. The film presents the narrative, but also provokes ideas of how we function as family units, child development, and how society treats victims (amongst many others). At home, your attention will probably be elsewhere, Tinder maybe, and you won’t appreciate the tenderness of the piece of art on your telly. The cinema as a place to go is therefore vital to film. Netflix and Amazon Prime are great, and they fit the purpose of mindless watching, but they cannot provide the same type of experience as the big screen. If you haven’t been in a while, put off by the admittedly large prices, then I urge you to go again and chase that feeling of awe.
SuperBat v IronCap
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Akash Beri, Screen Editor, gives his thoughts on the upcoming super-powered movie showdown between DC’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
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T appears 2016 is the year of comicbook movies, a year of costumed crusaders fighting for the greater good against impossible odds. However, 2016 in particular will see two colossal franchises go head to head: namely, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice for DC against Captain America: Civil War for Marvel. Which movie will come out on top? In order to figure that out, we have to look at their track records. Marvel has, so far, established a solid
legacy of great movies, kick started by Iron Man way back in 2008. Since then, an entire roster of heroes has been introduced, each with numerous sequels under their belt that have amassed both huge fan bases and huge box office bucks. In particular, The Avengers (2012) grossed over £1.5 billion at the box office, putting it in the top five grossing movies of all time. The introduction of new characters like Ant-Man, Black Panther, Dr. Strange and yet another Spiderman clearly show that the Marvel machine has not run out of gas yet. Civil War will be the culmination of tensions laid down as far back as the first Avengers, as over ten heroes go head to head. The trailers promise a spectacular smack down with the fam o u s
Marvel emotional core: Steve Roger and Bucky Barnes’s friendship, and the conflict with Tony Stark. Things for DC are not looking as rosy.
Obviously, in terms of legacy Marvel has the upper hand After a very successful Dark Knight franchise from Christopher Nolan, Man of Steel (2013) was intended to springboard a new cinematic universe for DC. However, though the movie earnt a solid $668 million, it divided audiences and DC executives scrambled to revive their investment. Man of Steel 2 was canned, and instead Dawn of Justice was created to capitalise on Batman’s popularity, as he remains the only DC character to have faired well critically and commercially (unlike Green Lantern). Obviously, in terms of legacy Marvel has the upper hand, with a loyal fanbase that spans numerous characters and films. DC has to rely on its Batman fans to prop up Dawn of Justice, which had already annoyed fans with its second trailer (spoilers: Doomsday is in the movie,
and looks like a troll from The Lord of the Rings). Modern movies rely on their trailers and hype to sell their product, and Civil War was certainly in the lead. Yet, DC executives realised their mistake and promptly released a third trailer, which won back support and looks very promising. Ultimately, from discussion online I can safely say that Dawn of Justice is dominating the hype train, especially as it is released first. Also, this will be the first time that we have seen Batman and Superman on screen together, so I would wager that audiences will be more drawn to it; Civil War looks good, but we have seen plenty of Cap-
tain America movies and Marvel films in general, so it lacks the same appeal. For many, the most exciting elements are actually Black Panther and Spiderman, which are minor elements in the film. Commercially, Civil War is likely to do better due to Marvel’s good track record. Critically, Civil War probably takes it as well, as it is rumoured that test audiences disliked Dawn of Justice. However, I think audiences are more excited for Dawn of Justice simply because it is something new, and I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. Either way, it’s going to be a blast to witness these titans clash, and to see who will be crowned king.
The Mist: the worst ending
Jack Devoy discusses the ending of The Mist, a horror film with a very contentious ending
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F you have any intention of watching The Mist, which I would strongly advise against, do not read this article! You have been warned. The Mist, for the most part, is a perfectly run-of-the-mill horror film. After a large storm, mist begins to roll down from the hills where a military base is situated, and terror ensues after a creature hiding in the mist starts attacking people. There’s gore, a mad religious zealot claiming that this is God’s reckoning and a good old American hero trying to save his son. Nothing that we haven’t seen before.
No uplifting, hopeful ending, reinforcing your faith in mankind However, to quote the poster from the final Hunger Games film “nothing can prepare you for the end”. The film is directed by the same person who gave
us The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont. It’s even based on a Stephen King story, yet there is no redemption to be found here. No uplifting, hopeful ending, reinforcing your faith in mankind, it’s just bleak and dark. Our American hero has managed to get away with his son and three other survivors but they are unable to escape the mist, it seems to stretch forever and more monsters appear as they carry on down the road. It seems to be the end for them, the monsters will eventually come and a painful death will ensue. They decide, therefore, to take matters into their own hands. Our protagonist takes a gun from the glovebox and as the camera pans away, four flashes of light come from the car. He has shot his son and the three others and gets out of the car to wait for the monsters to
kill him. Pretty dark stuff right? The film doesn’t end here. Moments later the army
comes out of the mist, their saviours are here, just a bit too late. As our lead real-
ises what he has done, he lets out a long, piercing scream. As film endings go this is about as dark as it gets and I’m certainly not saying that all films should have a happy ending, but this seems slightly excessive. The guy shoots his own son! That’s pretty awful, but then he gets saved, meaning he has to live with the knowledge of what he’s done for the rest of his life. It’s one soul crushing thing after the next, unless he proceeded to shoot a puppy it’s hard to imagine how it could get any worse. This film made me lose all hope. Why did I have to see this? What kind of sick mind would inflict this on people? Some people may get sadistic pleasure from watching this film, but if you do, you may want to seek professional help. There is no joy to be had with this film - it should come with a warning that crushing despair will ensue.
Having had the deep misfortune of watching The Mist I feel like the director owes me some emotional compensation. Apparently he felt the ending to the book was too ambiguous. Well, he solved that problem, there are no ambiguities here, just a man shooting his own son and three innocent people.
This film made me lose all hope. Why did I have to see this? This article was written in part as a cathartic exercise, to release the anger I have towards this film. However, hopefully it can serve another purpose: to save those who have not seen it, which I urge you not to do at all costs! To those unfortunates like me who have, maybe a support group should be set up, to help the healing process after the trauma that is The Mist.
All hail, Hail Caesar! 24
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Carmen Paddock reviews the Coen Brothers’ latest comedy outing, starring George Clooney
Hail Caesar! Cast: George Clooney, Scarlet Johannsen, Josh Brolin Director: The Coen Brothers 2016, 106 minutes
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OLLYWOOD loves films about Hollywood. In this case, the Coen Brothers’ latest effort ticks all the boxes; glamorous 1950s setting, nods to classically corny genres, and larger-than-life characters both in and out of their onscreen roles. It also delivers laughs at every turn and a tremendous love for its characters and the industry they serve.
The pacing is brisk, the script is witty and the performances are on point This love, dancing between the tongue-in-cheek and sincere, celebrates what is best about the industry: its ability to endlessly entertain. Hail, Caesar! might not be the Coen’s tightest film, but
there’s never a dull moment in the chaos. The story plays a bit like a series of sketches, which may not reach the narrative brilliance of some of the filmmakers’ previous works. However, this storytelling style plays exceptionally well to show the fast-paced, manic life of a studio-era producer dashing between sets, meetings, and a manhunt for his star. The plot follows big-time studio executive Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) and his many confession worthy stresses he dumps on the local priest. Over the course of a few days his blockbuster prestige picture (also ti-
tled Hail, Caesar!) runs into catastrophe after catastrophe: notably, the somewhat dim-witted leading man goes missing, and the ransom note is from ‘The Future’. If that isn’t enough, hijinks ensue after his attempts to re-shape the image of his top Westerns actor and find a husband for a free-spirited leading lady. While the film’s ending is more rushed than the characters deserve, the pacing is brisk and capti-
vating, the tone both light and self-deprecating, the script witty, and the performances are on point. The cast is packed to the gills with stars, some of whom only end up with a few minutes of screen time, but their appearances make each scene memorable. Brolin strikes a perfect balance between Mannix’s façade of control and composure and the stress (comically) eating away inside. George Clooney is flawless as Baird Whitlock, the star who goes missing. He nails both the character’s overlapping stage and real-life personas – one over-confident and over-exaggerated, the
other absolutely clueless. Boston-accented Scarlett Johannson is a force unto herself as the fiery starlet DeAnna Moran. Ralph Fiennes provides another excellent comic turn as the posh director Laurence Laurentz, Channing Tatum is all dramatic turns and flying feet as musical star Burt Gurney, Tilda Swinton pulls a humorous double-act as twin journalists Thora and Thessaly Thacker, and Frances McDormand cameos as the accident-prone film editor C. C. Calhoun. The ultimate scene-stealer, however, is Alden Ehrenreich as the screen cowboy, hilariously and hopelessly miscast in a period intrigue. His performance would be pure caricature were it not for its warmth, honesty, and self-deprication. Hail, Caesar! is a wonderful, riotous celebration of everything which makes the movies great. It is a shame it’s released in such a dead window; as it is a consistent delight. While the Coens have not been met with universal praise for this endeavour, the film is another strong foray into the realms of comedy. And even though it may not be one of their great works, it is still better than most filmmakers could hope for and is certainly worth a watch.
The actors without Oscars Emily Harris, Online Screen Editor, takes us through the deserving actors without awards
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WAS more invested in Leonardo DiCaprio getting his Oscar than getting fair to decent grades for my January exams. Facebook events littered my newsfeed, with titles such as ‘MEET IN LEICESTER SQUARE IF LEO WINS!’ and ‘LEO CELEBRATION OSCAR PARTY!’ Who is going to meet in Leicester Square if I secure my 2:1? Maybe some unaware pigeons.
Many actors have been snubbed over the years, like poor old Leo
tions including Best Actor, our favourite pirate/chocolate factory owner has never managed to scoop the award. It’s a shame really. The role of Edward Scissorhands had really prepared him for holding metal things. Amy Adams, known for her performances in films such as American Hustle and The Fighter, has been nominated five times, but Hollywood’s premier redhead has never quite stolen the show. Now stop.
Wait. Samuel L. Jackson has also been snubbed by the Academy. In fact, he has only ever received one nomination, for his role in Pulp Fiction. He’s had it with the mother fucking snakes in the mother fucking film awards industry. And so have
I. One lady I won’t be rooting for is Michelle Pfieffer. Nominated three times, she has never quite made the cut, losing respectively to Geena Davis, Emma Thompson and Jessica Tandy. But sometimes you just have to think, fair enough. Try harder Michelle. She did get a namedrop in ‘Uptown Funk’ though, so that’ll tide her over, hopefully. Et tu, Liam Neeson? Taken has taught us that he’s pretty deft at finding things. Just
never his way onto the Academy Awards winners list.
JOHNNY DEPP 3 Nominations - No wins
WILL SMITH 2 Nominations - No wins
So what does it mean to have never won the film industry’s greatest accolade? Many actors have been snubbed over the years, just like poor old Leo who recently left the ‘Oscar Losers Anonymous’ club. So, therefore, we all need to find someone new to root for. Johnny Depp could be at the top of our lists. With three nomina-
To not have an Oscar is not to have your film career undermined Everyone’s favourite man with a nose, Ralph Fiennes has only ever received two nominations and never had the big win. However, he does seem to only get Fienner with age, and I’m confident he’ll have one on his shelf within the decade.And who else? Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Will Smith and Mark ‘Marky Mark’ Wahlberg to name a few. Along with Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Sigourney Weaver and Annette Bening, there are many screen favourites who have never quite made it. Nevertheless, to not have an Oscar is not to have your film career undermined, it’s just an empty space on their shelves which may never be filled.
Notable Oscarless actors PETER O’TOOLE 8 Nominations - No wins
RICHARD BURTON 7 Nominations - No wins
SIGOURNEY WEAVER 3 Nominations - No wins
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Comedy 20 March Mark Steel Corn Exchange 10 April Mark Watson Corn Exchange
Theatre 24 Feb - 2 April Billy Elliot: The Musical Theatre Royal Plymouth 22 - 26 March This Land Bike Shed Theatre
4 - 9 April Legally Blonde Northcott Theatre 5 - 8 April Barber of Seville Theatre Royal Plymouth 11 - 12 April The Odyssey Northcott Theatre
Paul’s playhouse
Sarah Gough, Editor, interviews Paul Jepson, Artistic and Executive Director at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre, about his plans for big audiences and even bigger ideas
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AUL Jepson moved to Exeter to be beside the seaside, and then he accidentally found himself running a theatre. Still termed the ‘newly appointed’ Artistic and Executive Director of Exeter Northcott, Jepson has now been in the role for over a year, and has managed to turn the theatre around from what was a cripplingly poor mid-scale venue to a burgeoning cultural hub. “It’s been under-run and under-ambitious for quite a long time,” Jepson describes, “I think that I was able to take some decisions that my predecessors perhaps couldn’t have taken because there was really nothing to lose.” Drawing upon his 24-year directing experience, Jepson’s distinct decision is the return to in-house productions. Planning to have at least four self-run shows each year, Jepson has made a “strong and immediate commitment” to producing his own work. His first outing as Artistic Director was his reimagining of Dickensian classic A Christmas Carol last December. Playing to over 16,000 revellers and exceeding financial targets by 25 per cent, the show was a triumph for the new boss. Next came a take on Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, which finished its run a couple of weeks ago. A four-hander, staccato in pace and comedic in tone, similarly brought in hearty revenue for the building, but seemed an unconventional choice to kick-start 2016’s repertoire. Jepson says his offbeat picks are deliberate: “I didn’t want to do a play that was designed to be a popular play first, I wanted to show people that we do a broader range of work.” His next project is led by the same logic: a one-woman play about human trafficking, This Is My Body runs next week and is an exciting, edgy addition to the
theatre’s calendar. Written by Martin O’Brien, it won the Best Stage Production at the Anti-Slavery Day Media Awards in 2015 and Jepson describes it as “a very fine piece of writing by a playwright who is widely respected but a relatively new voice. He’s written an extraordinary play about a woman’s reengagement with the memory of what’s happened to her; in many ways it’s a rather brutal play, but it’s also quite strongly spiritual.”
I am not a snob, and I am not a snob about the way I programme Variety and balance are Jepson’s driving aims in commissioning and creating, and it’s largely to embrace all aspects of the Exeter audience. “I am not a snob,” Jepson asserts, “and I am not a snob about the way I programme”. He’s right: taking a quick glance at the upcoming What’s On, you have your Pam Ayres, your Jimmy Osmond, but you also have... human trafficking. Nothing snobby about that. There is something for everyone, from the edgy to the mainstream, and he’s hoping us youths appreciate the changes: “The young, precious cultural champions of the future don’t touch commercial stuff with a bargepole, because they might be infected with the dreaded grain of boulevards and the bourgeoisie. That seems to not be a factor anymore. People are noticing that there’s stuff in the programme now which is not about that, just as there’s stuff in the programme which is most definitely about that.” It’s not often that you get a theatre so utterly immersed within one demo-
graphic. As we watch students milling around beside us, Jepson found himself asking the age-old question: how do you get students to see shows? “Student attendance when I took over was really pretty pathetic,” he admits, “there is this mantra that students are very difficult to get to the theatre unless you give them something free and there’s comedy at the end of it. I’m sure that students are very motivated by cheap booze and comedy but I’m not only going to give them that. I want to connect to the student population and I want them in here more.” There are a number of ways Jepson plans to get us student scumbags off YikYak and on seats. New writing and fresh ideas is the key. The themes and impact of This Is My Body is a case in point, Jepson says: “I want students to care about modern slavery and I want them to come and show me that they care by sitting in my theatre and watching what is going to be a damn good play about it.”
The young cultural champions of the future don’t touch commercial stuff with a bargepole It’s also about letting students know that they’re wanted, he says; despite the fact that ‘Northcott Theatre’ is splattered in capital letters in plainview, visible to us all every time we attempt the hike up Forum Hill, often students simply don’t know what’s on offer. Student-staff engagement is the answer, thinks Jepson: “Betrayal is the first time that members of staff actively told students that they should come and
see the show, and that’s something that I encouraged. I think it did make quite a big difference.” With the student takeup on Betrayal higher than ever before, Jepson feels “emboldened” to “establish a bit more of a theatre habit in this most inhabitable of audience groups”. It’s not just the students that Jepson has to get on side. Working with, or indeed against, the University bigwigs has somewhat contributed to the Northcott’s tumultuous financial past. Costing £15,000 a week to run, ticket sales do not keep the theatre afloat, it is an operation that relies heavily on subsidy and University investment. “I don’t think [the University] would always say I’m a pleasure,” laughs Jepson, but with the building now used for lecture space twice a week and the Uni top-dogs spending significant amounts of money improving its infrastructure, he’s optimistic about a new “pragmatic” partnership with the landlords. Jepson has a number of innovative ideas. He’s in talks with Exeter College and the University to create a Northcott Performance Academy. He also plans close interaction with Exeter’s research projects, and his ‘Impact’ initiative already has two academics on board; Jepson hopes to work with Psychology Professor Linda Clare, a dementia specialist, to create a show from her firsthand accounts of those suffering from the disease. Similarly, he’s hoping to forge a play out of Exeter mathematician Professor John Terry’s work on epilepsy. Rather than being constrained by his University environment, Jepson is impressive in how willing he is to embrace it. “Long-term theatres,” he tells me, “aren’t about bricks and mortar: it’s about what happens in them”.
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Exeposé Arts & Lit decide to pit Shakespeare and Dickens - Britain’s literary giants - head to head William Shakes our world
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HEN choosing a favourite writer, William Shakespeare often seems a clichéd choice; especially for an English student, as we’re taught about all the writers that have been overlooked due to the Shakespeare craze. Yet it’s undeniable that Shakespeare dominates both academic and popular culture, and there must be a reason for this – perhaps because he is one of the best writers of all time. Dickens is a genius, but let’s face it: he’s no Shakespeare. The bard has been making people laugh, cry and gasp for centuries now, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be out of favour any time soon. Shakespeare’s writing, particularly his plays, are accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and genders. Most ten-year-olds would struggle to plough through one of Dickens’ tomes, but they would almost certainly enjoy an antic-filled production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with fairies and a donkey-man. His plays are
almost always onstage and onscreen; you can’t miss them, and you definitely shouldn’t. Dickens’ novels are sometimes seen as too difficult for any “nonliterary” people (I find them hard work to be honest), but people in the mood for something lighter will find plenty of jokes (many of them crude) in Shakespeare’s comedies, and even in his tragedies. Conversely, if you are in the
mood for a cathartic weep you have plenty of choices, ranging from Romeo and Juliet to King Lear. His plays are filled with everything: battles, crossdressing, sex jokes, magic, the Oedipus Complex, insta-love (caused by a magic potion), dastardly murder, betrayal, mistaken identity, witches; and that’s
just a small selection. Also, Shakespeare’s themes are timeless, such as racism, jealousy, war, unrequited love, and forbidden passion. His continuing relevance is demonstrated by Shakespeare’s presence. There are adaptations of his stories to modern-day scenarios, such as She’s the Man and Ten Things I Hate About You. You These films are hilarious, and show that beneath Shakespeare’s intricate language, there’s something for everyone. Even when the language is sometimes hard to understand, the slapstick humour of plays such as The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be universally appreciated. Shakespeare is a huge part of everyday life, not just high culture: his works have spawned an impressive number of phrases and expressions that most people don’t realise were originally his (or popularised by him), including: “all’s well that ends well”, “star-
crossed lovers” and “green- eyed monster”. There’s another unforgettable reason for Shakespeare’s popularity: he’s a really clever guy. Both his poetry and his plays comment on and critique literary devices and trends. His sonnets, while being poignant love poetry, are also intricate parodies of the Petrarchan sonnet. He is also self-reflective. One of his last plays, Cymbeline, offers a humorous mash-up of some of his best-known plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Othello and King Lear, but in a kind of parallel universe, as his characters make
Murder, betrayal, mistaken identity, witches; and that’s just a small selection different (i.e. more sensible) choices, leading to a happy ending. To sum up, then, I’ll say this: Shakespeare’s power is in his ability to appeal to everyone, from people looking for entertainment to academics who can find a wealth of meaning in his works, and this is why I believe that Shakespeare is deservedly one of the Kings of English literature. RACHEL STUBBS
ICKENS is so often misunderstood, disparaged, underappreciated, or rejected as “too difficult”, and I am always ready to try and challenge any “non-believers” to change their mind. I love Dickens, I’m even writing my dissertation on him: almost three months in, and I’m not tired of him yet! He certainly challenges a reader’s stamina, but that deserves a round of applause in itself. Dickens published his novels in serial form, as many of you probably know, and often had no idea where a plot was going when deadline-day came round; to be able to coherently pull together a novel of often more than 500 pages without a plan strikes me as a sign of an extremely agile brain. Makes those 2000 word essays look like a piece of cake, right? Lengthy novels mean plenty of room for plenty of characters. There is such an eclectic mix that it is really hard to pick a favourite (if anyone was
wondering, Wemmick from Great Expectations might just take that title for me) but this in itself makes Dickens’ works so enjoyable. It is hardly ever the case that it feels as if he is just cutting-and-pasting characters that he has used before. Yes, of course there are the same recurring types, such as the sneaky villain, the wistful orphan, the jilted woman, but each one takes on a completely different vitality of their own. The recent television series Dickensian is testament to the persistent attraction of his characters. While creating characters that hold sway in the popular imagination even over a century later, Dickens was also on the warpath against the social problems of his day. Sanitary disasters, class prejudices, legal corruption: Dickens strove to eliminate them all, and his novels were his greatest weapon. What we now all know and love as A Christmas Carol (even if you haven’t read
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Chris Ramsay accidentally handcuffed after hotel room stormed by police
Great Expectations for Dickens
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Dickens I am sure you will have seen the Muppets’ version!) originally started life as a serious journal article about the plight of the urban poor, but Dickens swiftly realised that he had to really pull on people’s heartstrings. What bet-
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Georgia O’Keeffe set for Tate Modern Exhibtion
ter way to encourage reform than to make us fall in love with Tiny Tim and then drag us to the brink of his grave? And all of this from a man with little formal education, who spent a traumatised childhood working in a warehouse. That’s right, Dickens is not one of the Oxbridge crowd, which makes his status and success in his own era even more impressive. I am running out of space, and I haven’t even mentioned how Dickens has shaped our impression of London as a bustling city, his popular book readings, or his creation of a refuge for women who had fallen into prostitution. Dickens is truly remarkable: there has never been a novelist quite like him, and I doubt there will be one again. If you’re still not convinced, he made the first ever reference to potato crisps in literature. Enough said! RUTH BAILEY
Ralph Fiennes to play Richard III at the Almeida in June
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Fiona Potigny, News Editor, celebrates the life lessons and love lessons of writer Louise Rennison
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HEN Louise Rennison’s Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging was released, S Club 7’s chirpy feel-good hit ‘Bring It All Back’ topped the UK Number One slot – a fittingly optimistic ‘love yourself’ tune for the post-feminist masses. “When the world is on your shoulders,” they beamed, “just smile and let it go”. And no one taught us to do that better than gawky 14 year-old Georgia Nicolson. After all, who else could inaugurate their teenhood with a farcically rotund olive costume and still giggle their way to getting the guy in the end? Such a message may seem clichéd now, but it was more relevant than ever for the mid-noughties teen, as the road to self-acceptance became an everrockier terrain with the increasing proliferation of Photoshopped images of scantily-clad size zero models and the porn industry’s tightening clutches on the internet. Whilst sketching ourselves a new identity with Natural Collection eyeliner and Barry M eyeshadows, we sought answers to the bodies that betrayed us with their new spots, hair and breast mass in the Agony Aunt and puberty problem pages of Mizz and Shout magazines. But this could only go so far. What self-confessed “accidental novelist” Louise Rennison created in Georgia Nicolson was a human voice, face – not an impossibly perfect Lizzie McGuire or Cher Horowitz one either – and friend, to share our every struggle. She, too, worried about her over-sized and overly porous nose and managed to hack off half an eyebrow in a miscalculated preening attempt, leaving her feeling “very ugly and need[ing] to go to an ugly home”. (Been there, done that.) Of
course, body image was just one small paragraph of the ‘Cringe Confessions’ page constituting a teen girl’s life. There was then the business of sinister siblings – check – a crazy cat (oh, Angus) – check – and problematic parents – check. Georgia had them all, somehow making my own petite day-to-day embarrassments – watching my parents dance the Macarena at a wedding or spilling juice over my floppy-haired, longboarding ‘crush’ (I still wince at the thought) – pale in comparison.
It was more relevant than ever for the mid-noughties teen Best of all, however, were the furtive discussions held with my own “Ace Gang” – all clad in Tammy Girl tops screeching something about ‘attitude’ from the pattern melted onto their bally cotton – over Rennison’s plentiful and somewhat risqué references to “sex-gods” and “snogging” – pretty 50 Shades for a bunch of 13 year-olds. Of course, the Georgia series may not have taught us to be “boy-lingual”, knowing how to effortlessly segway from “wuu2?” to casual flirting via MSN, but did teach us to be unapologetic about our hormonal boy-related melodramas. “I will not have him in my brain; there is no room for anyone else in the crowded cake shop of agony,” Georgia wrote. For all their hyperbole, never once did the books falter in their candid realism. After all, the Georgia Nicolson series was a “true-
Pencil on paper
This week, we’re featuring the artwork of Emily Kerr, outgoing Arts & Lit Editor (cry)
Goodbye from a couple of sketchy editors! We know that the next editors, Tash Ebbutt and Emily Wheeler, will draw upon what we’ve done here at Arts & Lit and continue the *ahem* masterpiece....
to-life hilarious retelling of [Rennison’s] life at 15” – but with the crucial added value of retrospect. Through her writing, Rennison highlighted the aspects of adolescence we would later come to appreciate, but just hadn’t realised yet (“[it’s] the best fun known to humanity… All boys, makeup, laughing and, er, that’s it”). More importantly, however, she opened up a dialogue – translated into 34 languages, no less – about the female experience, whilst creating a unique and accessible vocabulary with which to discuss it. ‘Nunga-nungas’: need I say more? “My books get young girls talking. They talk about what they like and don’t like, what they want to do and don’t want to do. It’s not left up to other people, particularly men, to decide.” Louise Rennison’s passing is a heartbreaking loss to the teen fiction community, but I have no doubt that her stories will continue to guide future generations through the trials of girlhood, keeping them laughing along the way “like a loon on loon tablets”.
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By Victoria Bos
Inventor of emails dies Internet pioneer Ray Tomlinson, credited with including the ‘@’ symbol within email addresses, has died at the age of 74 on Saturday 5th March. Before 1971, email was only available in a limited capacity, before Tomlinson revolutionised the system by allowing a direct person to person messages at a specific address. Though personal computers would not become common for another decade, the first message sent through the ARPANET system would lay the foundations for all emails to come.
Peculiar prototypes
Lewis Norman, Science & Tech Editor, and Rebecca Broad team up to present their thoughts on history’s strangest inventions
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Science identifies Banksy A team of UK scientists have analysed the location of more than 140 of Banksy’s artworks around the UK, and used an algorithm to determine how likely it was that a leading suspect could have created them, based on where he was living at the time. This has led the team to determine the prime suspect as one Robin Gunningham.
Facebook fixation Psychologist Professor Bruce Hood has claimed the increased domestication of the human race has pushed us from being hunter gatherers, to ‘natural gossips’. The introduction of social media has allowed us to indulge this need. Professor Bruce states “The fact that many people have a compulsion to engage with lots of people via social media isn’t really that surprising” as we are “social animals”, explaining the satisfaction we feel when engaging with other people’s news and updates.
ECHNOLOGY really does make you look at the human race and go, “WTF?”. Take, for instance, the recent unveiling of the circular phone to help women, whose feminine hands apparently struggle with rectangles. On the other hand, some inventions wow us – Highways England will next year start testing the idea of roads that charge electric vehicles fitted with wireless charging technology. Interestingly, humans have been coming up with weird and wonderful technologies for as long as civilisation has existed. Let Science & Tech walk you through the WTFs and wows of tech throughout history.
Despite looking like a fat seagull trying to fly, the Rotabuggy glided at 45mph on its first flight Let’s start way back in the Viking Age. Just how did they undertake their thousands of kilometre long journeys across the dark Northern Atlantic seas? An item known as a Uunartoq disc was found in Greenland in the 1940s, and researchers at a Hungarian university reckon the Vikings used it for navigation. Interpreted as a kind of medieval compass, it is believed to have been paired with a wooden slab and a pair of crystals. These calcite sunstones polarise UV rays to produce patterns, the orientation of which can pinpoint the position of the sun even when it’s hidden by
clouds or below the horizon. It might all sound a bit too airy-fairy, except crystals have been found in a shipwreck by the Channel Islands and parts of the system are referenced in medieval records. The coolest part? When trialled in field tests the accuracy of the Uunartoq disc, when combined with a sunstone and a central pin to create a “twilight compass”, is comparable to today’s magneticallydriven pocket compasses. I think all students agree with comedian Carrie Snow at some point when she described how technology “brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other”. For every self-indulgent “oh go on then” of letting the Netflix countdown pass zero, we can’t help but think that the time might’ve been better spent on our dissertations. However, she probably wasn’t referring to Leonardo da Vinci’s robot, which people at the time thought might literally stab you in the back. Worked by a combination of cables and pulleys, the automaton fashioned in GermanItalian medieval armour was able to move its arms, raise its visor, as well as stand and sit. It is thought that da Vinci built it around 1495 to be displayed at the court of Milan. Several sketchbooks detailing the design were rediscovered in the 1950s, and fully functioning models based on these notes have been created since. History has proven that there’s nothing like a bit of good old-fashioned warfare to test out your brand new military technology. The Second World War was particularly disastrous for trying
out new technologies, but this piece of junk actually proved to be reasonably successful. The Rotabuggy: half jeep, half helicopter. Right.
Have you ever wished that your cane could do more than just be a cane? Despite looking like a fat seagull trying to fly, the Rotabuggy glided at 45mph on its first trial and managed to fly at speeds of 65mph for ten minutes. It was also incredibly robust; it managed to survive falls from the dizzying heights of seven feet and come away unscathed. Alas, like anything that strives to be different in this world, the Rotabuggy was overlooked and not put into mass production. Some historical tech however, not only looks and behaves peculiarly, but actually bears no real useful function at all. Take the Goofybike, for example. The machine was created by Charles Steinlauf and paraded in Chicago in 1939 carrying all of his family. At the back was Steinlauf’s son who pedalled the contraption forwards; his daughter perched on the front, and in the middle sat Mrs Steinlauf on a sewing machine. Above them all was Charles himself, who guided the bike by use of a steering wheel. When still, the sewing machine’s legs kept the bike upright. Your parents may have put you in some embarrassing situations, but I doubt they were as weird or as public as the Goofybike. However, when it comes to bizarre
inventions, the Victorians take first place for creativity. I’m perplexed as to why this particular invention didn’t take off, compared to the embarrassment of the Goofybike it’s a piece of technological genius. I present to you the multipurpose cane. Have you ever wished that your cane could do more than just… erm… be a cane? The multi-purpose cane caters for all of your gentlemanly (and gentlewomanly) pastimes in one handy stick of wood. Various designs included the cane doubling up as a flute, an umbrella, a butterfly catcher and a horse measurer (yes, seriously). Measuring horses has never been so stylish. Victorian obsession with horses didn’t end with the multi-purpose cane either. A mechanised horse washer was created in order to scrub down your stallion, so you don’t have to. So there’s a lot of odd tech out there, we get it. But if this one isn’t the weirdest, then it is definitely the most pointless... Man had only just set foot on the moon and one technological genius named Rowland Emmett made certain that Armstrong and Aldrin had a means of transport for their outings up there. The Lunar Cycle had it all: a mechanical dustpan and brush for clearing up ‘moon dust’; an oxygen pumping system and a robot cat. That’s right, a robot cat. The metal feline’s only purpose on the rickety apparatus was the curious role of ‘moon cheese preservation’. I can only imagine that it is thanks to Emmett that we no longer have a cosmic mice infestation on our moon anymore.
The Smaug of Slovenia EXEPOSÉ
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Photo: Lucasfilm
Becca B ‘s science for students
Victoria Bos tells the tale of Slovenia’s real life dragon species and their upcoming arrivals
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‘BABY dragon’ living at the Postojna Cave in Slovenia has laid 60 eggs, some of which are now showing signs of growth. However, these are not dragons as we traditionally think of them. Instead the nickname refers to the Olm, a blind Salamander which lives in the caves and rivers of the Balkans. The Olm is believed to have been living in this part of Europe for millions of years. Due to its unique hab-
its it has acquired a long, almost snakelike, body with the white translucent skin, external gills and skin covered eyes. They also have a life span of 100 years and can go ten years without a meal as well as possessing an ability to sense electronic and magnetic fields in order to orient themselves, something comparably mysterious to their fantasy cousins. Due to the Olm’s extended life span, they do not become sexua l l y m a ture for approximately 14 years and even after this will often only breed once or twice a decade. This,
combined with their well-hidden natural habit, means it is normally difficult to observe the creatures and how their eggs progress and it is for this reason that scientists are excited to get the opportunity to observe the growth period. Olm’s and their eggs are extremely sensitive to changes in the water they reside in. As such, to avoid a disaster similar to what they saw in 2013, when the eggs one Olm produced all failed to hatch and were eaten by other Olms, scientists have blacked out the tank and removed all other Olms bar the mother. Due to the difficulty in finding Olms in their natural habitats, it is difficult to establish how many of the creatures exist, however due to declines in study samples the species is now listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union on the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species. The Olm is well loved in its native
homeland in Slovenia, appearing on coins before the Euro was introduced to the area. Hundreds of years ago, when floods and storms would occasionally wash the creatures out, they were regarded with wonder and believed to be dragons, with the nickname being used to this very day. The cave serves as a tourist attraction in the area, and those monitoring the eggs have set up an infrared camera in order to allow visitors to see what is happening within the tank. However, for the moment there is little movement with the mother occasionally going to check on the eggs, but little else, and it is unlikely that anything will really occur for the next 120 days, when the eggs are predicted to hatch. At this stage only three eggs are showing signs of growth, however they will continue to be monitored over the next few months. Indeed if an egg fails to grow, the mother Olm, due to the lack of food in their natural habitat, will often eat it. So, we clearly have some time to wait before we’ll know if the next generation has survived and, as the cave’s website states, “The dragons will keep us waiting for a while”.
Bathing in bacteria
Tired of your washing routine? Natasa Christofidou provides a refreshing organic alternative
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F you’re someone who would do anything to avoid showering and the repetitive, tedious and time-consuming pattern behind the process, you might be in luck. Recent studies are defying conventional hygiene routines that are blindly followed by most in society as they claim showering isn’t even necessary. These revelations came into the public scope after scientist David Whitlock announced that he hadn’t showered in the past 12 years. When asked, the average person would probably agree that showering is generally seen as a necessity. It wouldn’t be surprising if people even admitted that this ever so relaxing activity was their favourite part of the day. After all, the consumerist world we live under tends to constantly advertise ‘soothing’ bath bombs, ‘detoxing’ shower gels, and even ‘energising’ body scrubs. Of course, having to actually get into the shower can be an internal battle in itself, especially for women with long
hair. They don’t only need to anticipate the cold before and after the process, but they’re also aware of how much time it takes for their hair to dry afterwards. Most of us know that daily hair washing does more harm than good, yet why don’t we apply that logic to our bodies? Boston dermatologist, Dr. Ranella Hirsch claims that most of us tend to overbathe, mostly because we’re conforming to societal norms that are maintained through advertising. Showering too often has proven to dry out our skin and wash away the good bacteria that lie on our bodies. Similarly, scientist David Whitlock agrees that our natural bacteria should be preserved. He takes this to a more extreme level, as he sprays himself with the stuff: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). This controversial decision was triggered when his girlfriend asked why horses rolled around in mud. As a result, Whitlock was intrigued about the power of microorganisms that
live inside the earth, such as the soil, and the ocean. The scientist discovered that animals tend to roll around in the soil to ensure they get enough bacteria on their bodies, which would prevent sweat from having a bad odour in the hot seasons. Apparently sweat works in exactly the same way; the bad odour that’s derived from the breakdown of ammonia can be neutralised by the presence of AOB.
We’re conforming to the societal norms that are maintained through advertising This unconventional practice of spraying bacteria onto one’s body becomes more gruesome when he explains where the bacteria was sourced. Whitlock picks up soil from the pigsty, cowshed, and chicken coop at a local organic
farm, in order to develop his AOB spray. Despite expected skepticism about Whitlock’s form of hygiene, he ensures users that the method’s benefits include softer skin, and a smoother complexion. Nevertheless, his form of hygiene does consist of a few mainstream practices. Before touching food, and after going to the toilet, Whitlock makes sure to wash his hands with soap. Also, for societal expectations, he claims to even uses a refreshing cosmetic mist. It seems like the perfect solution has been found for lazy washers who avoid showering, yet expect glowing and smooth skin. The bacteria containing spray has been on sale for the past two years, and immediately went out of stock as soon as it was marketed. What we should be asking ourselves here is, does the general public actually believe in the power of ‘good bacteria,’ or has our generation become so lazy, that we jump at any opportunity that gives us an alternative to getting off the couch?
It seems the Exeter community has limited resources when it comes to bra information. The Uni library search shows up just two resources with the word “bra” in the title, one of which is a film about a notorious Australian surf gang. Unhelpful. But why are you researching bras? I hear you ask. Well, I asked my housemates what they thought my last column installment should be about. “BRAS! Give me the latest on bras,” came the answer, weirdly quickly. Five science(ish) facts on bras it is.
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A 15 year study by Professor Rouillon showed that women who went braless for a year developed significantly perkier boobs (i.e. their nipples got higher). It was thought that this was probably due to increased collagen production.
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Professor Rouillon’s findings also led him to hypothesise that improved posture from being braless can reduce back pain, and that bras reduce circulation in chest tissue (which could explain why taking your bra off at the end of the day is one of the best feelings ever).
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A staggering 100 per cent of the women measured in Greenbaum et al.’s study were wearing the wrong size bra.
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Sports bras actually do the trick. Professor Scurr found that sports bras reduce movement by at least 53 per cent, therefore reducing the pain that around half of women experience while exercising.
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Boobs are more variable than you’d think. Even if you have the same fitting, differences in breast tissue composition means that your favourite bra probably isn’t the same as your mates’. Cool story, bra.
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SCIENCE & TECH Photo: Lucasfilm
Bunsen burner banter
We asked Exeposé Science & Tech writers to give us their best, and arguably worst, science jokes. What do you do with a sick chemist? Well if you can’t helium, and you can’t curium, you barium! Sabrina Aziz A photon walks into a hotel and books a room. The receptionist asks if it wants help with any luggage. It replies “No thanks, I’m travelling light” Evan Jones If you’re not part of the ssolution, you’re part of the precipitate Esther Docherty
This is humerous Sally-Ann Dunn My father always told me not to trust atoms - they make up everything Eamonn Crowe Schrodinger’s cat walks into a bar. And doesn’t Josh Mines A neutrino walks through a bar Matt Turner I would but all the good jokes Argon Dave Hardy What does a subatomic duck say? Quark Catherine Heffner
A neutron walks into a bar and asks how much for a beer. Bartender replies “For you, no charge” Sally-Ann Dunn What do you call a dinosaur with one eye? Doyouthinkhesaurus Emily Kerr
Cheese and crack-ers NEWS 1-5
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Matt Turner asks whether cheese could be as addictive as narcotic drugs
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HEESE is as addictive as hard drugs, a study has found. Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale, scientists at the University of Michigan were able to investigate what it is about certain food items that make them so alluring. Topping the list as most addictive food was pizza, a fact as shocking as “the sea is wet”. But what about pizza makes it so addictive? Apparently it’s those shreds of pressed milk curds that sit on top: cheese.
Milk provides all the nutrients that babies need, getting them hooked on the white stuff is nature’s way of getting them enough Casein is a naturally occurring protein that is found in all mammalian milk. Essentially, cheese is the product of lots of condensed and bacterially cultured milk, meaning cheese has a high concentration of casein. During digestion, the casein proteins break down into casomorphins – opiate protein fragments that bind to opioid receptors in the brain - which are
directly linked to pain control, reward and addiction. This means that similar chemical reactions occur within the brain after smoking a rock of crack or smoking a rock of camembert. Effects that occur include calming, euphoric sensations that your brain eventually begins to crave. So the question is, why does milk naturally contain opium? Considering the calming effects of casomorphins, it isn’t surprising to see a bottle of milk appease a once irritable and stressed infant. Milk provides all the vital nutrients babies need, getting them hooked on the white stuff is perhaps nature’s way of making sure they get enough of it. Junkie babies may also be the physiological reason behind the mother-infant bond itself – they don’t love their mothers, they love chasing the dragon.
viduals. Those individuals displaying food addiction also had supressed activity in areas of the brain responsible for stopping cravings after eating. This means that not only is it a slippery slope for the affected, but also that Babybels are gateway drugs. Not only does this explain why the average person scoffs down just shy of 16
kilograms of cheese a year (a figure that I, embarrassingly, thought was quite low) but it also gives us further insight into the understanding of addiction and obesity. Bearing in mind that around 62 per cent of England’s population are overweight or obese (costing the NHS in excess of £5 billion every year) I think it’s time we open some cheese-rehab centres now. Photo: Greem Rover College
Babybels are gateway drugs Researchers at Yale University were able to show that people with high food addiction tendencies have the same brain activities as substance-dependant indi-
Painting with pupils Alina Ivan introduces the technology that allows artists to draw with their eyes
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MAGINE drawing with no arms, no pencils, no brushes. Sat in front of a screen, you move your eyes and in next to no time, your artistic vision starts taking shape. More or less, this is what multimedia artist Graham Fink has been doing over the last year. He has been using a new eye-tracking software that he developed himself in conjunction with Tobii Technologies to draw detailed portraits using his eyes alone. And his recent live-drawing exhibition at London’s Riflemaker Gallery has received a lot of favourable reviews.
One look away and the drawing takes a different shape It’s not only the novelty that makes his work unique, but also the amount of concentration and precision required to reach that level of detail. One look away, and the drawing takes a different
shape. But it may be for the best. Hands act as a mediator between the brain and the hand, and cutting out the middleman may “simplify drawing right down to its purest form”, as Graham puts it. He explains, “I draw the lines in my
pear on the screen as thin lines. Let’s dig into this. A microprojector emits an infrared beam that enters the pupil and reaches the retina or the cornea of the eye. These reflect the beam outside the eye, and the patterns a r e
around for nearly a century, being originally developed to study how reading takes place. They have subsequently been used to advance knowledge about other cognitive functions such as attention. Recently, they have helped to develop more user-friendly software interfaces, and to figure out which ad is more ‘eye-catching’ (literally). They have also been used to aid people with limited hand dexterity to navigate web pages by allowing their gaze to do the job of the mouse.
mind’s e y e and that is what develops. Sooner or later a face appears. I work with this trusting my unconscious.” How does this technology work? The eye-tracker device records pupil movements and feeds them into the software. These movements then ap-
picked up by a set of sensors. By monitoring the pupil’s position, the eye-tracker device can tell which location on the screen you are gazing at. Then algorithms work to translate these patterns into lines. Eye-tracking devices have been
Cutting out the middleman may simplify drawing right down its purest form Now the time has come for eyetracking technology to make inroads into art. Could this be a powerful enough statement about the relationship between visual art and technology in the future? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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G MES News for N00bs by Jack England
Microsoft shuts down Lionhead Creators of the incredible and critically acclaimed Fable series, Lionhead, have been shut down by Microsoft. In a press release, a Microsoft representative said; “We have nothing but heartfelt thanks for the members of Lionhead and Press Play for their contributions to Xbox and gaming. We are committed to working closely with those affected by today’s news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or partnering with the broader development community to help place them in jobs elsewhere in the games industry should they desire.” Here at Exeposé Games we wish those at Lionhead all the best with their future endeavours.
Overwatch release date leaked An advert for Blizzard’s newest 5v5 first person combat arena video game leaked the other day, featuring the release date for the highly anticipated game. Overwatch will, according to the advert, be released on May 25 although we do not know if this is a worldwide release or not. The advert also promised early access to those who have pre-ordered the game, allowing you to play from May 3 if you chose to buy the game before launch. Blizzard had not yet mentioned anything regarding a release date before this leak.
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To be released later Sam Woolf investigates the common occurrence of delayed games
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ECENTLY it was announced that Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and BioWare’s Mass Effect Andromeda have both been delayed; and to be quite honest I wasn’t even the least bit surprised. A few years ago, I may have been a bit shocked had this news of two major games being postponed in the same week reached me, but not anymore. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that this is just business as usual for the gaming industry nowadays. Game delays are everywhere. Tom Clancy, Kingdom Hearts, The Witcher, even The Legend of Zelda; no game is safe. But why is this so, and why does it seem to be happening more and more as each year goes by?
Fundamentally though, games are delayed because the developers need more time to work There is certainly an aspect of corporate influence with regards to when games end up being released. During the last generation of consoles for instance, the FPS (First Person Shooter) genre was dominant. Particularly around the month of November: it was likely that the latest Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honour games – as well as other games of the genre – would all have very close release dates. As such, if a brand new shooter game had an initial October or November release date, it was likely to be delayed. Fundamentally though, games are delayed because the developers need more time to work on them. There are a lot of jobs that contribute to the whole process of making a game; art design, level design, graphics, assets, sound, motion capture, and voice acting just to name a few. Effectively this is why big AAA games take around two to three years to create; there is a plethora of design elements that need to be considered before consumers can get their hands on the final product. As a result, it can be very difficult for publishers and developers to accurately predict when a game
will be ready for release, and then to nail down a release date that won’t be pushed back at some point down the road.
With the massive open worlds, intricate mechanics, and life-like graphics For a game to be functional upon release it has to go through a rigorous glitch testing programme as well. In the past, this rarely led to serious complications with regards to release date as games were simple enough that any serious bugs could be removed relatively quickly. With the massive open worlds, intricate mechanics, and life-like graphics of the modern gaming industry however, this is not necessarily the case. It can literally take years to get a Triple-A game functioning properly, and even then the developers are only human. The PC version of Batman Arkham Knight for instance – despite having
been delayed over six months from its original December 2014 release date – was so broken at launch that for many it was unplayable. The vast majority of game delays do come about because of these issues. However, let’s imagine a situation in which none of these issues come up. You’re a developer that has set a deadline for a game’s completion. You manage to stick to the schedule, work out any serious technical problems, and have just announced a release date for the title; things are going pretty well. When all of a sudden: a brand new idea or development comes up. This could be a concept that would improve the game ten times over, it could be the release of a brand new console that would better suit the game, whatever the case may be, it transpires that the game needs a lot more work than was initially expected. You have a choice here: you could either
continue working on the game to meet the current deadline and knowingly release an inferior product, or you could postpone the game to accommodate for the new situation. This scenario is actually more common than you might think. GenDESIGN’s The Last Guardian for example has been in development for over nine years now. The game was initially planned to be a PlayStation 3 exclusive during the early stages of development, but since the launch of the PlayStation 4 in 2013, the title has moved platform, and seen numerous delays as a result.
Delays can be frustrating for gamers, but they are necessary so that the games run well Delays can be frustrating for gamers. When the release date is close, you can practically feel the controller in your hands as you prepare yourself to get lost in the highly anticipated title, and then a delay comes along and ruins it all. But delays are necessary; if games never got pushed back then the industry would consist only of technically broken, and conceptually underwhelming experiences that would disappoint on all fronts. As developer Shigeru Miyamoto once said: “A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”
Beginning of the end EXEPOSÉ
Evan Jones, Games Editor, tells us his thoughts on video game endings
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S you start up a brand new game, you begin a journey into another world; a whole new dimension just waiting to be explored. You go through the usual rigmarole of finding out what your aims are, what the X button does, or what flimsy pretence Nintendo has concocted this time for yet another run-around of the Mushroom Kingdom. Once these prerequisites are done, you’re off: shooting zombies, scoring goals, finding your princess is in yet another castle and wondering if Peach suffers from Stockholm Syndrome, and so forth. But, sadly, everything ends (except Minecraft) and developers are presented with the task of summarising your entire experience and leaving a lasting impression that lingers on your mind for many weeks after. But how does one achieve this? The classic way to cap off a video game is with a good old-fashioned final boss. Arguably the very best ones are not only a wondrous spectacle to behold but also push your gaming skills to the very limit. Whether it’s fighting Bowser to your last breath in Super Mario Galaxy
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or ascending to the top of the Citadel in Half-Life 2, a great boss fight provides the ‘wow moment’ you need to finish an amazing game.
However, more games today are telling us fantastic stories, which all need a satisfying ending to pay off your investment in the narrative. Telltale Games are a studio who manage to really manipulate your feelings after you make difficult ingame choices; The Wolf Among Us posed thought-provoking questions about morality in its final act whilst The Walking Dead left me on the verge of tears as the credits scrolled away before my eyes. Some smaller-scale narratives might catch you by surprise such as indie-de-
does a wonderfully understated job of drip-feeding the backstory of the abandoned space base you explore throughout the game before delivering a succinct and sudden ending that seemingly creeps out of nowhere; the element of surprise helps make this a memorable ending. Some video games provide you with multiple endings, usually determined by whether you choose a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ path in the story. Papers Please,, a title that sees you working at border control of a fictional communist state, deftly handles this idea with twenty possible endings ranging from imprisonment to sabotaging the Government based on how hard you work and which opportunities you take. On the other hand, Mass Effect 3 saw severe backlash after the moral choices boiled down to ‘picking a favourite colour’. Perhaps the best exploration of video game endings is provided in The Stanley Parable,, a game that flirts with the idea of having an ending, multiple endings, in-
light, The Swapper, an ingenious puzzleplatformer that involves you swapping souls with clones of yourself. The title
finite endings and none at all simultaneously. As the narrator responds to every choice you make, you begin to question
You go through the usual rigmarole of finding out what your aims are and what the X button does
what an ending actually is as the layers of meta-narrative unfold before your eyes. After several hours of play it finally became too much for me. So I locked myself in the game’s infamous broom closet and declared my journey through this headache-inducing labyrinth over, despite the narrator’s continual insistence, and switched off my computer. over.
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The Orange Box We asked writers to suggest the final boss of University LEWIS NORMAN Depression, alcoholism and impending responsibility WILL BROOKES Dissertation is definitely my final boss. It’s a long drawn out battle EAMONN CROWE Crippling debt THEODORE STONE Sir Steve Smith, riding on the back of a dragon of student debt
Legend of the Lycan
EVAN JONES Final Boss? I’ve just bought the Masters Expansion Pack XIN LAU Life
Free Game of the Week
Jack England, Games Editor, heads back to Hyrule, this time in HD
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Nintendo Wii U Out now
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EN years after it’s original release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been remastered in HD. While it may not have been the game we expected after the fantastic Wind Waker update a couple of years ago, it definitely does justice to the original and unsurprisingly, makes the game look nicer. Twilight Princess is your staple Zelda game: Hyrule is in trouble and Link must don his green cap to save it. The twist this time is the slice of lycanthropy added to the mix, as Link transforms into a deadly wolf he must join the imp Midna to bring balance to the light and dark side of the land. Compared to other games in the series, Twilight Princess is pretty dark. It’s not dark in the sense that there’s blood and gore flying everywhere, but due to the overwhelming feeling of dread and
despair that looms over it. This is beautifully captured in cutscenes that regularly reward the player for their progression, and showcase the gloomy feeling covering Hyrule. Midna is a perfect companion as well, especially compared to the silent and stoic Link. Midna is cheeky, sarcastic and has her own brilliant brand of humour that brings a laugh or two when needed. Unsurprisngly, Midna plays a huge part in the game and
eventually comes to outshine even the main character himself. This isn’t a bad thing though, as she’s a wonderful character and definitely deserves her time in the spotlight. It’s not surprising either that Twilight Princess was always a fan favourite. It’s in-
credible dungeons and plethora of items give an incredibly in-depth experience. Added to this, the Kingdom of Hyrule looks better than ever, which is even more impressive considering its size. Players also travel between both the light and dark world, adding even more locations to the mix. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD doesn’t just bring graphical improvements though, as many quality of life improved are included too. The game now features controller support and amiibo support, allowing you to access bonus content through the use of the Wolf Link amiibo bundled with most copies of the game. The HD remaster does make Twilight Princess look gorgeous, but unfortunately, the look will never be the timeless beauty that comes with something like Wind Waker. There are also a few incidents where it seems like there are a few shadowing issues, that make the game feel like it’s missing something important. Despite this, the game deserves its rating. It might not be the masterpiece made ten years ago, but it is a beautiful tribute and deserves to be recognised.
Tiny Clusters After crashing on an unknown planet, John meets a powerful friend. A friend who could bend time and space for him, a friend who could help him escape loneliness and a friend who could bring him home... Scan the QR code to download your free copy
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Not fit to be employed - one of us (anagram) (2,2,3)
A part-time web developer is required for a start-up company in CEMPS to create its main website. This involves the creation of the website using appropriate technologies & development of innovative visualisation and animation.
wings (4) 13
(Scottish) ice sport (7)
ANSWERS: Down: 2 Aquatic, 3 Lie-in, 4 Reader, 5 Servant, 6 Incur, 7 Titlark, 8 Bird, 13 Curling, 14 Of no use, 16 Enlarge, 17 Appeal, 19 Bathe, 21 Raven, 22 Yolk.
WEATHER
Across: 1 Tailor, 5 Swift, 9 In use, 10 Apricot, 11 Détente, 12 Aorta, 13 Cuckoo, 15 Streak, 18 Robin, 20 Parsley, 23 Intrude, 24 Viral, 25 Grebe, 26 Linnet.
Exeter’s outlook for the week ahead
Mon 14th Tues 15th Wed 16th Thur 17th
High Low
9°C
2°C
11°C
5 °C
10°C
2°C
SCP 3469 Web Developer Closing Date: 21st March 2016 Salary: £9.48 per hour Location: Exeter
10°C 3°C
Fri 18th
Sat 19th
Sun 20th
10°C
10°C
10°C
4 °C
-1 °C
6 °C
Data accurate at time of print
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PUZZLES BY ALFRED
WORDS OF WISDOM... It really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass Donald J. Trump
Cartoon by Katie Learmont
SCP 3467 Global Chums Co-Ordinator Closing Date: 14th March 2016 Salary: £9.27 per hour Location: Exeter A student is required as a Global Chums Coordinator by the International Student Support Team. The role involves matching new international students with mentors and arranging social events. This SCP role is part-time between AugustMarch 2017. SBP 3470 Sustainability Intern Closing Date: 21st 2016 Salary: £7.85 per hour Location: Exeter A Sustainability Intern is sought by Willmott Dixon, in Exeter. This Summer 2016 Internship is part of the SBP scheme.
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NEWS 1-5
SPORT
EUNC lose to Southampton NETBALL
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-15 8-10
MUSIC 18-20
SCREEN 22-24
ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32
GAMES 34-35
SPORT 38-40
EXEPOSÉ
EUMBC slam-dunk success 14 MARCH 2016 |
Owain Evans Sports Team Exeter 2s Southampton
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UNC 2s fell to Southampton 28-58 to cap off a regrettable season in the Western 1A Division. This game was never going to be an easy one for the home side. Exeter languished in fifth place, knowing that even a win would not be enough to save them from relegation. Meanwhile, Southampton had already won the league. The hosts got proceedings underway, but Southampton recovered the ball almost immediately. The visitors would storm ahead in the opening exchanges, scoring four unanswered goals within the first three minutes. Katy Lynch scored to get Exeter off the mark, and this began a period of both sides trading blows. From the sixth minute, despite trailing 2-6, Exeter began to take control of the game. Still, though, they couldn’t find the goal. Eventually, Kat Arthur and Lynch both managed to score, bringing the hosts back into contention and only two points down. However, this momentum wasn’t to last. Southampton quickly added to their lead, and despite one additional goal from Exeter, the teams went into the break at the end of the first quarter with the score 5-13. The second quarter started just as the third had ended. Southampton scored four quick goals to extend their lead even further. Again, there was little the hosts could do, as their sloppy play left them unable to mount any serious attempts at a comeback. The score at the half time interval was 9-27. Exeter’s third quarter showing was markedly different to those from before. Both sides looked fairly equal, and the scoreline reflected this; both teams added 12 goals to their tallies, with Arthur and Lynch dividing them equally at six goals apiece. Their much improved play, including better shooting and far less sloppy passing, left the home crowd hopeful that their side could at least end in a respectable fashion. Unfortunately, the hosts couldn’t keep this momentum up. Southampton scored five unanswered goals in the first two minutes. Between the fourth and tenth minutes, the visitors then scored nine goals without any reply. Although Exeter managed to score a few before the end, it wouldn’t be enough to make the score respectable. With the score at 28-58, the final whistle sounded, signalling a disappointing end to EUNC 2s’ season.
>> As Patrick Wright and David Nash look on, Nick Higgins lands another basket for EUMBC. Photo: Sachi Minami
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ing a quite special game. It proved to be a crucial score as it put EUMBC 24-17 up going into the first interval.
Emmott Leigh Sport Editor Exeter 1s Cardiff
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N a crucial match which had serious relegation implications for each side, Exeter came through a wildly entertaining match with a magnificent 82-70 victory over a Cardiff side that were left to rue missed chances. In a notably fast start, Exeter found themselves with opportunities aplenty. Although David Nash did not score his first penalties, Exeter quickly got onto the scoresheet when Patrick Wright scored a couple and Jamal Shaw netted two penalties. When Nash grabbed another basket with three minutes gone, EUMBC were level at 11-11. At this point, the ever-present Joel De-Lara-Bond scored for the first of many times, and Nash not only produced a wonderful block in defence but also proceeded to run up the other end and score another. Shaw’s power and speed certainly told as he then charged up the court, legally bowling defenders over, before slamming it in. The first quarter ended with an absolutely delicious three-pointer scored by Wright, who was already hav-
Nash not only produced a wonderful block in defence but also proceeded to run up the other end and score another Two incredible scores occurred straight after the break: firstly, Evan Leung stormed into the area and flicked it to Nash, who gleefully slam-dunked, and then Wright (again) performed a spin in the area before pushing it in. Not only that, but De-Lara-Bond grabbed himself another stunning basket to increase the lead to 37-24. It seemed as if everything was going well as De-Lara-Bond and Nash merrily continued to earn themselves baskets. At the end of the second quarter, and going into half-time, Exeter were 44-33 up. Cardiff came out into the third quarter with everything to do and they were quick to change the momentum. They started to score a few impressive baskets themselves, and it was a nervous period for Exeter. EUMBC were still scoring plenty themselves, but with four minutes of the third quarter left, Cardiff had prop-
erly eaten into Exeter’s lead - enough, in fact, that they took a 51-55 advantage. Just as it looked as if Exeter were crumbling, however, they fought back with Shaw and De-Lara-Bond netting from close range. It started to get a little feisty at this point, with replacement Henry Austin visibly infuriated by one decision and the Cardiff bench up in arms about the award of a couple of penalties in the favour of the home side. However, Exeter set up an incredibly exciting final quarter with the score at 62-59 in the home side’s favour.
Special mention should be given to Wright for one of the most perfect performances he could have given There were no scores in the first three minutes of the final quarter, reflecting the tension, as both teams considered what it would mean for their hopes of staying in the league if they were to lose. It started to look worrying for Exeter as Cardiff pulled away for a 63-66 lead and the players were getting more and more fired up. However, it was the contribution of Nils Boremann, who had been quiet up until then, who might have
turned the game around for Exeter as he coolly converted two penalties to pull them back to 67-68. When De-Lara-Bond also held his nerve a moment later with two penalties of his own, Exeter were back in the lead. Cardiff managed to score a basket one more time to go 69-70 up, but EUMBC prevented them from scoring any more points as they revelled in the pressure and took the lead again. It could only have been the MVP, Wright who gave them the comfort of being six points up at 76-70, making it seem as if the lead was unassailable, and it was also appropriate that De-Lara-Bond got himself a last couple of points. Austin brought up 80 points soon afterwards, and the end of the match came soon afterwards, with whoops of delight and a team celebration as they considered the significance of what they had achieved. Special mention should be given to Wright for one of the most perfect performances he could have given and the other two main scorers, De-Lara-Bond and Nash. Before this match began, Exeter, Cardiff and Plymouth were all tied for league points on 12 with nine matches played. One of those three teams had to go down along with Bristol, who were already relegated. However, the victory for Exeter means that they have avoided relegation and will be looking forward to a great season next year in the Western 1A Division.
SPORT
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Frisbee become Regional Champions www.exepose.com
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Catherine Pope Women’s Captain Outdoor Regionals Winners
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N the weekend of 5-6 March, the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee 1s went to Western Women’s Outdoor Regionals in Cardiff. This year marks a milestone for Women’s Ultimate; it is the first time that there has been a Regional qualifying event for Outdoor Nationals, and the first time that this division of the sport has been a BUCS competition. Indeed, they had never entered a Women’s outdoor team before, and had only narrowly missed out on qualifying for Women’s Indoor Nationals back in November. The team were cautiously hopeful of a top-four finish, which would qualify them for Division 1 Nationals. As this was the first Exeter Women’s outdoor team they were seeded below expectations, at eighth place.
Emma Pickens took the final score, making Exeter Regional Champions On the Saturday, they faced regular South West rivals Bath and Cardiff. Both games were hard-fought and ended
in convincing wins for Exeter, with the scores 10-6 and 8-4 respectively. Following this were matches against Plymouth and Southampton, both of which ended in 9-1 victories. This meant that they topped the pool and advanced straight to the quarter-finals. Sunday began with a match against Swansea. Exeter broke through their zone defense expertly and ended the game at 11-1, putting them through to the semifinals against Bangor. In that match, Exeter were on the offense from the first point and clinically scored it in under thirty seconds. Bangor put up a fight, but Exeter’s clean passes and connections won them the game 11-1. The semi-final was a crucial game as victory would guarantee a spot at the Division 1 Nationals. After Bristol beat Birmingham in their semi-final, Exeter prepared to take on regular rival Bristol in the final. In true Exeter versus Bristol style, they were trading points all the way through the half, which Exeter won 6-5. The scores included visionary throws from Canadian pick-up Helen Thompson, and impressive grabs from Molly Arnett. After the buzzer sounded, the score was 8-6 to Exeter. Both teams were fighting hard, but after an incredible interception from Helen Thompson, the disc was in Exeter’s possession and Emma Pickens took the final score, making Exeter Regional Champions, and making history for Exeter Ultimate. Special mentions go out to Catherine
>> The Ultimate Frisbee Women celebrate their history-making performances. Photo: Ash McInnes Pope and Helen Thompson for playing every point all weekend without subbing. The MVP was Helen Thompson and the fresher of the team, Caz Brand, got Most Improved Player. Meanwhile, the Men’s were required to finish in the top three in
the highest division in order to qualify for the Division 1 Nationals. After losing to Bath and Bristol, Exeter proved their skill in the matches that followed against Cardiff, Swansea and Southampton, which all ended in wins for the Green Army so
lapse in concentration saw Durham hit back immediately, scoring in the corner and finally getting points on the board. The men in purple had their tails up, playing a good grubber kick which forced a line out of their own. With 20 minutes left, George Beale was sent to the sin-bin, giving Durham a man advantage at a crucial time. They made the advantage count, and touched down after a scrum to take the scores to 31-10. Tom Edwards had been effective since his introduction, pulling down Durham’s fly-half and halting their momentum. Exeter had weathered the
storm well, and Jacob Knight was released onto the wing for the final ten minutes. A long Durham line-out was caught by Lawday who spun it to the left wing where Worth was tackled into touch. Exeter finally had some ball in hand and Waltier was recycling it quickly. Matt Eliet pummelled his way down the left wing, and when the ball came back across to the right clever offloads allowed Knight to score in front of the home supporters. Although the result was looking inevitable, the men in green and white were working hard to avoid any more conceded points. Rapturous celebrations started at the final whistle as the prospect of a Twickenham final began to dawn on the players. Speaking to the exceptional Gavin Parker after the game, he paid tribute to the three years of work which have culminated in this BUCS final.
they were able to qualify for the Division 1 Nationals and make history. The Nationals take place on 16-17 April in Nottingham, where the Exeter girls will join the Men’s team in competing in their respective Division 1s.
EURFC defeat Durham in BUCS semi-final CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE
After the game restarted, Exeter maintained the pressure in Durham’s 22, looking to capitalise on their one man advantage. Owlett and Harry Ledger made good ground before Claxton fed Parker on the overlap. The fullback slid in to score and duly added the extras. Exeter were forcing Durham back, turning the ball over. Tom Lawday advanced on Durham’s line before offloading to Claxton who added a try of his own. The pressure was relentless. A fine line-out to Skinner led to a powerful maul forming. When the ball emerged at the back, Claxton used his
pace, skipping past several defenders before touching down in the corner with the last play of the half. The second half restarted at 23-0, but Exeter soon had a chance to extend their lead, Parker adding three points after consecutive collapsed scrums. Shortly afterwards, quick ball distribution to the wing saw Ledger break through and after Brown won the foot race with Durham’s defender, Waltier was on hand to pick up the scraps and touch down for try number four. With the score at 31-0, a
Player Ratings (Top 3) By Freddie Eastwell
1. Ollie Claxton – 9.5
The fly-half was outstanding and earned his man of the match performance with two fantastic tries. He carved open the Durham defence and orchestrated his backs in sublime fashion.
2. Gavin Parker – 9
The fullback kicked exceptionally throughout the game, despite the windy conditions and kicked some tough conversions and penalties. He made some good darting runs and did well to score the opener.
3. Tom Lawday – 9
The number 8 made a number of fantastic carries and broke through Durham’s defence on a number of occasions. He tackled well and tidied the ball up from set pieces.
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SPORT
NEWS 1-5
SPORT
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-15 8-10
MUSIC 18-20
SCREEN 22-24
ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32
GAMES 34-35
SPORT 38-40
14 MARCH 2016 | Exeposé Sport
SPORT EDITORS Rob Cross Emmott Leigh
EXEPOSÉ
@ExeposeSport
Twickenham awaits MEN’S RUGBY Rob Cross Sport Editor Exeter 1s Durham
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XETER’s 1s battled with nature en route to a comprehensive 36-10 victory over Durham, securing their place in the BUCS final at Twickenham. In a match which was halted for 40 minutes due to a collapsed tree, Exeter did fantastically to retain their poise in the distracting circumstances. Up at the blustery Rubber Crumb, Exeter were quickly on the offensive; hooker Paul Davis pushing the Durham defence back before Ted Landray off-loaded to Adam Worth. Although he was tackled into touch, it was deep into Durham’s 22, putting Exeter’s northern opponents on the back foot.
Sam Waltier played a brilliant ball over the top, putting Durham under pressure The first chance at goal was Durham’s, who looked to seize the initiative after a collapsed scrum. It was a bold attempt from half-way in the windy conditions and the number ten had neither the length nor accuracy. The game was fairly even up to this point; Durham’s outside centre was showing his pace but Exeter’s defensive work was fantastic, forcing the turnover before Jack Owlett knocked on. Indeed, Durham soon had another
sport@exepose.com
chance for three points when Exeter were penalised for failing to release the ball after a solid line-out to captain Sam Skinner. It was another opportunity which Durham’s fly-half skewed wide and they were soon made to regret this mistake. A lucky bounce from the subsequent 22 metre drop-out was well caught by Skinner who made yards up to the visitor’s 22. Good handling from the hosts kept the ball alive, with Alex Brown almost bursting through. Hands in the ruck gave Exeter a penalty of their own which proved no trouble for Gavin Parker, giving Exeter a slender advantage. Exeter were straight back into Durham’s half after the restart. A good dummy by Pete Laverick released Freddie Hosking who helped recycle the ball quickly. With no penalty advantage won, Parker had another chance at goal and duly converted. A lapse in concentration then gave Durham the best chance of the game, stealing the ball on their own five metre line and breaking down the right flank. With only one man to beat, the centre slipped, failing to off-load to the winger outside him and leaving Durham’s coach fuming on the sidelines. Exeter came back hard, with Ollie Claxton running fantastic lines and George Beale also making valuable ground with ball in hand. Sam Waltier played a brilliant ball over the top, putting Durham under pressure and winning a penalty and a sin bin for obstruction. With the momentum in Exeter’s favour, their progress was halted by a falling tree which flattened the perimeter fence and landed on the side of the pitch.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 39
>> Exeter celebrate Sam Waltier’s try in the second half. Photo: Edwin Yeung
In this issue of Exeposé Sport...
Basketball defeat Cardiff in thriller Page 38
Frisbee Women secure first regional title Page 39
For the latest BUCS news head online