Issue 667, 20 March 2017 by Exeposé

E E FR ISSUE 667 20 MAR 2017 exepose.com

EXEPOSÉ Photo: Students’ Guild

A lecturer’s lies? Students wrongly kicked off course

Rachel Ashenden News Editor

Student “horriﬁed” to receive emails saying they had been removed from module Guild and University conﬁrm his actions are not in line with policy

Hannah Butler Editor

EXCLUSIVE

high-ranking lecturer in the College of Social Sciences & International Studies has been criticised for ignoring University policy, after wrongly telling students they had been removed from his course due to poor attendance. The lecturer - whom Exeposé has chosen not to name - emailed numerous students with a range of warnings over the past week. While some were told they would be removed from the course if they did not attend the next three tutorials, others were told that they were to be removed immediately from the course, regardless of their future attendance. One email shared with Exeposé saw the academic tell a student: “Because of your poor attendance in [x] tutorials, I have withdrawn you from the course. Obviously you cannot submit work or gain credit for it.”

FEATURES

No student should ever have to feel isolated or targeted by members of staff Harry Reeve, VP Education

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Interview with Channel 4 presenter Emma Woolf PAGE 10

“I was horriﬁed when I opened my inbox and saw the email” the anonymous second year student said. “To be told that that’s it, I’ll basically have failed a module with no prior warning at all - if I’d been a ﬁnal year student, it’d probably would have had an even greater severe impact on my mental health. “The lecturer had no idea of what could have been going on in my personal life preventing me from attending class especially in cases of ill mental health, it can be hard for the sufferer to reach out.”

“Far from encouraging me to attend, this has now made me really anxious about attending.” The student immediately sought advice from the college administration, who reassured them that they were still enrolled on the module. Saying they were..

EU student applications to Exeter fall after Brexit

Q&A with the VC FULL EVENT INFORMATION ON PAGE 3

INCE the referendum result on the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union last June, the University of Exeter has seen a plummet of 10% in the number of non-UK European students applying to study in the academic year 2017/18. This is a larger percentile decrease in comparison with universities across the UK, where the overseas applications from European students are down by a lower average of 7%. University ofﬁcials are worried that the decline indicates a trend where students from the european Union are less willing to come to the UK. On the matter, Sir Steve Smith, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, stated: “We think it’s very damaging because we need to be, as top universities, open to the very best students from all over the world.” In early March, the University had undertaken a week of engagement work with institutions from across the European continent in order to increase awareness regarding ongoing University links. On 6 March, over 90 Exeter alumni were hosted by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation in Moscow. Sir Steve told those in attendance that while the UK was leaving the European Union, the University was not leaving Europe. Moreover, he reassured students that the University intends to continue to build on its enduring relations with other European countries.

LIFESTYLE

Review of Exeter’s new speakeasy, The Book Cover PAGE 16

EXEPOSÉ

Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ

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

Editorial.

Photographers Sachi Minami & Wang Yong Yan photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Amy Batley, Jack Morgan Jones & Ashton Wenborn Proofers Jaysim Hanspal, Graham Moore, George Pope, Megan Davies, Maddy Parker, Evan Jones, Elly Angelova, Claudia Punt, Maya Belty

@ exepose facebook.com/exepose issuu.com/exepose Advertising Ross Trant R.Trant@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722607 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

Uni axes plans to vet speakers

Goodbye my lover

T'S the end of Exeposé as we know it... and we feel - well, pretty bloody knackered, actually. But it's been a blast too, and we like to think we've achieved a lot... There was the introduction of Exhibit you might have heard it, we've been shouting about it since day one - and the complete redesign, featuring what we will forever be referring to as our "stylish new logo". We've a lot to be proud of contentwise, too: especially what we'd call our work 'standing up for the little guy'. Once again, your comments have proved to be the most interesting aspects of the paper we can't emphasise enough how important it is for people to realise that you have a voice through Exeposé. 'Meanwhile, in Exhibit' (which is becoming a bit of a catchphrase now), we've consistently celebrated the best that Exeter has to offer. From the cute vegan Rabbit café to fancy new restaurants like The Terrace - via live music at the Old Firehouse and the Radio 1's Big Weekend - we've been lucky enough to see some incredible stuff ourselves. Starting out as keen proofers, writing a handful of articles, becoming section editors and then ﬁnding ourselves as editors of the paper: it's been a long journey, and we'll be sad to say goodbye... but we couldn't be leaving it in a more competent pair of hands, and Owain and

Emma have a lot to look forward to: not least, our 30th anniversary (ﬁngers crossed we get an invite to the party.) Owain has been a loyal representative of Exeposé from the get-go, and his dedication to Sport, and events like the US Election, was truly staggering. Meanwhile, Emma has rapidly progressed through the ranks, being drafted in at short notice to become an awe-inspiring Arts + Lit Editor... what a fortuitous decision that was! We'd also like to thank Orlando Murrish from the Guild for doing the thankless task of making sure we won't get sued, and Gareth Oughton too. It's massively appreciated, and we're glad we've made it through the year without seeing a court room (touch wood). That's it for the sentimentality, though - let's introduce our ﬁnal issue: Check out the current affairs offerings in News, Comment and Features: from a lecturer going rogue and kicking students off their module (ouch) to an interview with Emma Woolf, there's a load of stuff to catch up on. In Exhibit, Lifestyle run through the best places to take your friends to in Exe, and - in what is regretfully their last ever issue - the Games + Tech team take a look back through the archives... We're sad to see them go, but all good things must come to an end...

PAGE 3

COMMENT Tales from RAG's Jailbreak 2017 PAGE 6

FEATURES Conflict and controversy in Myanmar, South Asia PAGES 11

SCIENCE Antibiotic resistance PAGE 34

WRITE FOR US!

Join all of our writers' groups on Facebook to be ﬁrst to know about content calls and (free) press pas ses Then, just pitch your idea to the relevant section (emails in the left hand column)

P.S. Keep an eye out for an Easter egg in this issue

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

NEWS

send your comments to editors@exepose.com

Worldwide university news Calls for genderneutral bathrooms

Oxford wants EU academics' rights

TUDENTS at Boston College have been ﬁnding posters asking for ‘gender neutral bathrooms not by institution but by solidarity’ and advertising a ‘Bias, Oppression, and Hate Crime Reporting Form’ on university bathroom doors. This comes after an institutionalised form was criticised for not being trustworthy enough. The student behind the posters, who identiﬁes as trans, said that genderneutral bathrooms are ‘just one of the very, very basic steps to creating that environment where we don’t have to worry about survival, and we can actually concentrate on bettering our lives through education’. The University of Exeter already has gender-neutral bathrooms, which are located upstairs in the Forum.

XFORD University Colleges have recently told the Government that EU citizens must be allowed to stay in the UK even after Brexit is enacted, in order to prevent many top Universities losing valuable academic staff. If European lecturers and researchers lose the right to work in Britain, then many of these top institutions for higher education will suffer severe consequences. Oxford claims their EU colleagues are currently not reassured. The Government has declined to convert the assurance that deportation won’t happen into a law, and therefore the House of Lords have been urged to back an amendment to the Brexit bill, that would guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in Britain. Around a ﬁfth of UK academics are from the EU, and 22,800 EU citizens are working in Russell Group institutions.

Survey on The Degree German University Apprenticeship Scheme revokes eight doctorates

HE UUK study, launched during National Apprenticeships Week and based on a survey of 66 British Universities, discovered 60 higher education institutions are looking to introduce degree apprenticeships by September. By this date there will be over 7,600 students on degree apprenticeship courses. These courses are currently popular due to there being a need for an increase in certain key skills, particularly with chartered management, digital and technology solutions, and engineering. The Degree Apprenticeship Scheme shares the course fees between the government and employers that are involved, and therefore offers opportunities to those who previously may not have considered a degree.

IGHT medical graduates from the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster saw their doctorates revoked for plagiarism earlier this month. As a result, five of the students have filed a lawsuit against the university’s decision, however the first student was unsuccessful. Fourteen further students were reprimanded, as well as a sociology student, a psychology student, and a politics student losing their degrees earlier this academic year. Plagiarism hunting platform VroniPlag Wiki has unearthed a total of 90 cases of plagiarism by German medical students. VroniPlag Wiki has also, in the past, uncovered plagiarism in dissertations by German members of parliament and MEPs.

Stories by Megan Davies and Natalie Keffler, Contributors

News

20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

NEWS EDITORS:

Rachel Ashenden Natasa Christoﬁdou

Uni axes plan to vet speakers after staff concerns Hannah Butler Editor

HE University recently altered proposed anti-terrorism policies - after a professor raised concerns that plans to have every external speaker vetted would constitute a “serious infringement” on the University’s freedom of speech culture. The new “University of Exeter Curriculum Linked Speakers Policy” was developed in 2016, and set out guidelines for inviting external speakers to campus. But the policy – which would require every speaker to be vetted by Governance and Compliance staff before coming to the University – led to worries that staff discretion was being overruled. Dr John Heathershaw, Associate IR Professor and Convenor of Exeter’s MA Conﬂict, Security and Development module, took his concerns to the University - who were “very responsive” in agreeing to a compromised version of the policy. “The problems arose from the initial suggestion by University administrators to have every event formally approved and

Q&A to give students chance to grill Sir Steve

N Tuesday 21 March, the University is welcoming all students to a talk and Q&A with Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Smith. Hosted in the Forum Alumni Auditorium from 19:00PM to 20:30PM, the Guild website claims this is the “the time to put it to the man at the top.” All kinds of questions are invited, “whether it’s a question about your studies, welfare provision, value for money or campus facilities,” claims the Guild website. Along with Professor Sir Steve Smith, the panel on the night will include University Provost Professor Janice Kay; Registrar Mike Shore-Nye and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Tim Quine. A ﬁnal year student commented that they were “looking forward” to the event. “This is a really good opportunity to raise anything we might be concerned about when it comes to how the University is run,” they said. Ben Cam-Londesbrough, Editor

logged,” Heathershaw told Exeposé. “This would have been a serious infringement on the culture of the university where individuals are required to exercise good judgment in their freedom of speech and not to get it approved by a higher authority.”

Universities fearful of not being compliant with law ... may come up with policies that exceed the minimum legally required and chip away at core freedoms Dr John Heathershaw By December 2016, Heathershaw had helped form a new and improved version of the policy. The changes will “allow the individual academics to assess themselves whether a speaking event would need to be referred for approval,” he explained. The University’s initial policy draft came in response to the Government’s 2015 Counter Terrorism Act - which states that UK universities must ‘have due

of study or research, which now only requires a record to be kept if a potential concern is identiﬁed with an external speaker. Academics now consider three key questions when arranging speakers to help them assess the likelihood of any risk. These questions ask if the speaker has already been banned from this or other UK institutions, if they have a track record in conveying extremist or illegal views, and if the topic they are speaking about is likely to involve the conveying of extremist or illegal views. In the vast majority of cases, there will be no need for referral or paperwork. It is important to note that the full risk assessment process remains in place for external speakers booked that are not related to teaching or research.”

regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.’ According to Heathershaw, the proposals went over the top – but, he stressed, this is in part due to the “vague” nature of UK law when it comes to “non-violent extremism.” “This is a story about how universities and Higher Education bodies, fearful of not being compliant with law, and responding to the moral panic about radicalisation, may come up with policies that exceed the minimum legally required and chip away at core freedoms,” he told Exeposé. Heathershaw stressed that it is “important to be vigilant, not just about the risk of people being drawn into terrorism, but about the risks of expansive bureaucratic processes which place unnecessary constraints on liberty.” He also noted the need to “challenge simplistic ideas about ‘radicalization’ in some PREVENT training programmes and policy.” “In democracies it is not the dramatic removal of liberties that is the risk but their gradual corrosion by people who also claim to be protecting them,” he concluded. “Every individual academic,

student or administrator must be ready to defend such liberties.” A University of Exeter spokesman said: “All higher education institutions in the UK have to comply with the Prevent guidelines. At the University of Exeter we work hard to ensure this does not restrict our world-leading research. We do not seek to prevent speakers from being booked or topics from being discussed and our aim is to protect academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law.

“We work closely with academics to develop our policies, including recently with Dr Heathershaw to review guidelines on how we risk assess visits from external speakers. Dr Heathershaw has signiﬁcant expertise in this sensitive area and we are very grateful for his advice. As a result we have introduced a new policy for external speakers booked by academics in support

The Speakers Policy forms part of the University’s response to the 2015 Counter-Terrorism Act which requires higher education bodies to take measures to avoid students becoming “radicalised” or incited to extremism. In line with government policy, all Exeter staff must undergo “Prevent” anti-terrorism training

available. The remainder of positions have two or less candidates per role. Although the option to abstain remains, the lack of choice is apparent. There is concern within the student body regarding how disinterest in standing for representation affects the quality of student democracy at the University. Representation is an essential way of

ensuring continued - and indeed increasing - quality within the student experience. Elections are essentially competitive, and without other candidates to run against, it is difﬁcult for an individual to prove their unique aptitude for the role aspired to. Becca Hanley, one of the current Societies Executive Ofﬁcers, commented: “I think it’s a real shame that students aren’t actively

engaging with the non-Sabb levels of Guild democracy. I think there is an issue with visibility throughout the year - the wider population doesn’t seem to realise what we do on a day-to-day basis. It’s a complex problem with no easy solution.”

Dr Heathershaw has signiﬁcant expertise in this sensitive area and we are very grateful for his advice University spokesperson

Students’ Guild elections faced with poor candidate turnout Emma Bessent Arts + Lit Editor

N the wake of a record voter turnout of 43.5% at this year’s Sabbatical elections, the second round of elections have shown a disappointingly low number of candidates putting themselves forward for the plethora of other roles available within the Students’ Guild. Council Executive positions for Intersectionality, Liberation and Game Design received no approved candidates and will be joining Guild Council openings for Sustainability Councillor, Games and Campaigns Councillor and Student Ideas Officer in reopened nominations next September. Choice available across the board is minute, with only one position - Societies Officers, who run in pairs to co-chair the Societies Executive - receiving more than two candidacies per role. Every other role which comes under the Societies Executive is uncontested, and a further three roles on the Guild Council have only received enough candidates to fill the roles

It’s a shame that students aren’t engaging with non-Sabb levels of Guild democracy Becca Hanley, Societies Executive Offer

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Guild Elections webpage encourages active participation in the representative process: “Student Elections run three times per year, to elect student leaders. There are hundreds of posts, and hundreds more elected representatives you could be one of them, and you are also represented by them, and therefore can vote for them, and ﬁnd out who they are.” However, it seems that the choice-making element of this process is currently more in the hands of those who decide to run that those they will be representing.

NEWS

Uni defends lecturer who wrongly dismissed students CONTINUED FROM FRONT ...“sorry” that the student had received the email, they conﬁrmed: “This was not sent in line with the Unsatisfactory Student Progress and Engagement Procedure,” adding that the issue had been “brought up with the academic concerned.” However, when students followed up the email, the academic told them they would have to contact him to arrange an appointment if they would like to “discuss the possibility of returning to the course.” One student in the module, who wishes to remain anonymous and who

É The University website lists “four stages for dealing with unsatisfactory progress or engagement” when it comes to students:

Stage 1 - Warning(s) Stage 2 - Final Warning Stage 3 - Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of College’s Action Stage 4 - Referral to Dean of Faculty Yet one lecturer chose to ignore these stages, to students’ panic...

did not receive the email, told the paper that they were “not surprised” that the lecturer had taken these steps, citing a low level of attendance in tutorials, but that the methods used were “a bit daft”.

Although usual procedure was not followed, his intention was to encourage better attendance University Spokesperson

One ﬁnal year student, who did receive the warning, added: “I was very surprised and shaken to receive this email. “It came at a stressful time of term for me and was the last thing I needed on top of my dissertation and other deadlines. “I was surprised to see this come from a lecturer, especially as I had no prior warning,” he added. “I would have expected staff and the University to be more sensitive to student wellbeing at such a pivotal time.” VP Education Harry Reeve told Exeposé it was “very unfortunate” that the students concerned had found themselves in this situation. “In circumstances like this it is very important to raise this issue with the University as it doesn’t abide to their policy regarding unsatisfactory

01392 724000

progress,” he added. However, a University of Exeter response defended the lecturer’s actions. “All students have a responsibility to attend tutorials,” a spokesperson told Exeposé. “They support learning and allow tutors to accurately judge their progress and provide support.” “In this case the academic was concerned about extremely low rates of attendance from a small group of students, some of who had not informed him of their reasons for absence,” they continued. “Although usual procedures were not followed, his intention was to encourage better attendance. We apologise if this caused any student unnecessary anxiety or stress, but the vast majority of the those involved have since met with the academic, and plan to attend future tutorials.”

I was horriﬁed when I opened my inbox and saw the email Second year student

“No student should ever have to feel isolated or targeted by members of staff,” Harry Reeve stressed, “and if this is indeed the case, we strongly advise you to come to the Students’ Guild Advice Unit where we can support you.”

NEWS

Guild clears Malaka Shwaikh £500k to help BTEC of anti-Semitism allegations students into University

HE Students’ Guild has concluded that Malaka Shwaikh, a postgraduate student trustee recently elected to the position of Vice President Postgraduate Research, has “not brought the charity into disrepute” after allegations of anti-Semitism relating to tweets and statements Ms Shwaikh allegedly made in previous years. The released statement from the Students’ Guild concluded that they had completed a “thorough investigation into a complaint submitted regarding the social media conduct of a current student trustee.” “With the assistance of legal advice, the Guild has found that the trustee’s actions have not brought the charity into disrepute. The Guild ardently opposes all forms of discrimination and racism, and will continue to work with our members regardless of their different views and life experiences. In doing so, we will look to assist our members in tackling any bullying or harassment they encounter. The Guild looks forward to continuing our work with the current trustee and our newly elected ofﬁcer team for 2017-18.” Thanking staff and students who supported her, Ms Shwaikh reiterated that “I have not brought the Students’ Guild into disrepute as alleged by those who sought my dismissal, and so I

Ending food waste on campus

TUDENTS at the University of Exeter are joining forces to tackle food waste on campus and hunger amongst the local population. The Food Action Project was launched on the 22 February and coincided with the national Student Volunteering Week, that celebrates the positive contributions made by student volunteers. The project was Alec James’s initiative, the Student Guild’s 23-year old VP for Welfare and Diversity and geography graduate, who ﬁrst proposed the scheme as part of his election manifesto. The initiative rapidly garnered the support of students, who have now formed a 50-strong team of volunteers. The project focuses on collecting unsold food within the sell-by-date across University outlets and transporting it to homeless shelters in Exeter such as Gabriel House and Safesleep in order to be distributed every Wednesday and Friday by local charity Exeter Food Action. Main university food outlets involved so far are the Guild Shop, Comida, Pret a Manger, Roundhouse, La Touché, Terrace Restaurant, X-keys and the Market Place. Giusy Urbano, Contributor

project led by the University of Exeter intended to help students with vocational qualiﬁcations upon their entry to higher education has received £500,000 in funding. The money has been awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The HEFCE has carried out extensive research into differential outcome groups of students. ‘Transforming Transitions’ will seek to bring light to the potential challenges faced by students who apply to university with BTEC qualiﬁcations, and will seek ways to make their transition to higher education smoother and more enjoyable.

The Guild has found that the trustee’s actions have not brought the charity into disrepute Students’ Guild Media Statement

Ms Shwaikh maintains that “I will never be silenced by those who resort to falsehoods and misrepresentation. Campaigning for justice, for Palestine and globally, will always be a part of who I am… I hope that I will receive the support of all those who are true friends of the student community.” Yet the Union of Jewish Students asserts that “this outcome is further evidence of a distinct lack of action being taken against anti-semitism. It is clear that many of the comments made by Ms Shwaikh on social media were anti-Semitic and therefore warrant some form of action by the Guild. It is completely unacceptable that these comments continue to go unchallenged by campus authorities.”

It will help the transition from school or college to University Professor Myhill, Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean for SSLC

Photo: Wang Yong-Yan

Bea Fones Comment Editor

Jasmine Prasad Contributor

remain a member of the Trustee Board and continue to hold the positions I was elected to.” She continued, “I would like to thank the Guild for looking in a clear and unbiased manner at my case, and not being swayed by the campaign which a small number of individuals have waged against me on false grounds.”

The programme will be led by Professor Debra Myhill, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean for the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at Exeter, and will be conducted over two years, involving the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, and Queen Mary, University of London. It will also include Exeter College, Leicester College, Hereford Sixth Form College and City and Islington College.

Professor Myhill said: “We are very excited about this award because it will help up to better understand the transition from school or college to university and enable us to ensure a successful student experience for all of our students, regardless of their background.”

This will support real progress towards closing the unacceptable differences in outcomes between groups of students Madeleine Atkins, HEFCE Chief Executive

Transforming Transitions will attempt to benefit students of an ethnic minority, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, disabled students (including those facing mental health and specific learning difficulties), mature students, and those who study part time. The HEFCE will fund a further 16 projects nationwide with similar aims: to help with differences in outcomes for various student groups. Madeleine Atkins, HEFCE Chief Executive, said: “Funding this programme will support real progress towards closing the unacceptable differences in outcomes between groups of students. We look forward to working with providers to make sure this targeted, evidence-led investment maximises outcomes for students - contributing to improved productivity and social mobility and, of course, individual opportunities.”

Student launches start-up to tackle club queues Hannah Butler Editor

ECOND-YEAR PPE student Shaan Mangat is getting ready to launch his own start-up in the next few weeks – helping Exeter students in the face of lengthy nightclub queues. Mangat’s website “QTRKR” will help students and other revelers monitor the length of queues at most major venues around the city – including Unit 1, Timepiece, Rosies, Move, Phoenix and Hole In The Wall.

QTRKR aims to give students an expectation of how long the queue currently is Shaan Mangat, QTRKR foundert

“QTRKR aims to give students an expectation of how long the queue currently is,” Mangat told Exeposé. “The purpose is to reduce the gap in communication between the venues and students.” QTRKR will be completely free to use for students. Staff at the venues will

be able to input data on queue length through the website’s automaton service, providing visitors with live updates. The idea is to keep queues to a minimum: preventing wasted time; reducing the risk of anti-social behavior and helping venues keep queues under control during busy nights.

Currently in the ﬁnal stages of development, the QTRKR website will pilot later this month, with Mangat planning to promote the website on campus. This will be followed by a second pilot in Freshers’ Week 2017. Since starting development of QTRKR, Mangat has worked closely

with new initiative Best Bar None Exeter – who scooped “Best Innovative Scheme” at the national 2016 Best Bar None awards in February. BBN Exeter gained recognition for its afﬁliation with Mangat’s platform. For more information on Exeter’s new Best Bar None scheme, visit www.bestbarnoneexeter.co.uk. Image: QTRKR

20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Comment

THE SABB Alec James VP Welfare & Diversity

O what do you actually do all day? This is the question we probably get asked most by students as a Sabb team (alongside “What’s it like having your face everywhere?” – the answer to that is that it is a bit odd). The problem with the “What do you actually do?” question is that every day is completely different, and it’s the diversity of the job that makes it such a joy. One day we can be having meetings about University policy, the next we are putting up posters or washing up urns of coffee, or chatting to students about their ideas or concerns. Our role in theory is a strategic one. We sit on the management committee for the Guild and make sure that it runs in a way that represents you as best as we can. In some meetings with the university we are the only person in the room who is there on behalf of the 21,000 or so students we have on campus. This is a privilege, but also a responsibility. Ultimately it’s something we want to do as well as we can, so if you have concerns about the way the Guild or University do things, we love it when you come in and tell us: our office is permanently open for anyone. People often ask about manifestos and how we get on. About 20-30% of our time is manifesto related, while the rest of it is taken up with a range of other (equally important) things. Some time goes into pre-scheduled meetings. Harry particularly, as VP Education, has a diary that is so full with meetings with the University he rarely stops for breath. There are also some things that come up in-year which are time-consuming but not directly relevant to our manifestos. Fundamentally, our time is yours. For example, the #WeAreAllExeter campaign that has been running to celebrate and raise awareness of diversity in Exeter was a result of students telling us we needed a positive response to the white t-shirt social incidents in the first term. Similarly, we spend a lot of time in planning meetings for the new academic hubs (helping shape your new study spaces which will soon open). It’s not the easiest job. There are difficult decisions to be made, but I know the others well enough to say that they will make them with student interests at heart. We also (thankfully) get on really well as a team. I am grateful to be able to work alongside some of my closest friends and (hopefully) make a difference in areas that really matter to students. So what do we actually do? So many things - it’s a unique role and we love it, and each of the Sabbs would probably give you a different answer. If you want to find out more, come and chat to us, we’d be happy to talk you through it!

COMMENT EDITORS:

Bea Fones Matthew Newman

Let’s not make assault acceptable

Anonymous Contributor

HE Chinese New Year celebration was coming up on campus, and I had been very excited for it. Having lived in Hong Kong myself, I was looking forward to reconnecting a little with Chinese culture. So after engaging with the various stalls, my friend and I made our way to the Alumni Auditorium to enjoy an hour of performances. The team had put in a lot of effort to present a lively show with various acts for us. Towards the end, we were to marvel at the skilled demonstration of some martial arts skills. I have always been a fan of martial arts and its teachings. After the performance had ended, the young man guiding us through the acts addressed the audience and referred to the email regarding cases of sexual assault in Exeter. He then asked the leader of the martial arts performance to show some self-defence tricks for women. So he approached the martial artist and put his arm around the

guy’s shoulder, laughing awkwardly, and pretended to grab his breast. The audience laughed. The martial artist used various techniques to defend himself. Since he obviously did not intend to hurt his attacker in this case, he lifted him only half way into the air and did not throw him to the ground. While his attacker was hanging in the hair, jokingly proclaiming his pain, the audience (again) burst into laughter. I sat there quite still. My friend, who was also laughing, turned to me, puzzled by my silence. “Why is sexual harassment funny?”, I silently asked. I found myself back in my Taekwondo studio a couple of years ago. After per-

sonal experiences of assault and abuse, I started to go to Taekwondo classes three times a week to gain control back over my body and strengthen my conﬁdence. It was a very long and healing process which improved my strength; both bodily and mentally. In the auditorium, I thought of my self-defence classes. Surely, we must have laughed sometimes at the awkwardness of the situation during practice. Also, sometimes satire seems to be necessary to deal with unbearable news and events. Yet, that little scene stood in a much wider and different context to me. Firstly, it was not practice or rehearsal, but a performance in front of a large audience. Secondly, they did not state that

sexual assault is wrong and focused rather on the prevention of harm; much like the email by the university. Apparently, it is the victims who above all need to look after themselves. But my self-defence classes have not prevented further sexual harassment. I get cat-called in broad daylight on a busy street. Taekwondo only helped me to deal with it, but it should not have been necessary in the ﬁrst place. Apparently, the university thought it to be common knowledge that sexual harassment is wrong. Why then, did a large audience laugh at the comic depiction of assault if it is so commonly known as wrong? Some might say that in a real situation they would not laugh, but I have seen that happening. Boys touching girls inappropriately, and it is being seen as a joke. Now, I am certain that it had not been the man’s intention to promote that message. But, it all seems so harmless until we see how all these jokes add up to create an environment where assault is acceptable and apparently even something to laugh at. It could have been a great moment, but unfortunately it left a bitter aftertaste.

Semantic antics: language ban hides real issues Sam Lynch Contributor

WO weeks ago, Cardiff Metropolitan University issued a list of 34 different phrases and word that were to be banned under their new ‘Guide to Inclusive Language’. The resulting backlash extended from University academics, both within and outside the university, to the foreseeably outraged Daily Mail comments section. The University responded by claiming that the policy was designed to foster “a broad approach to promoting fairness and equality through raising awareness about the effects of potentially discriminatory vocabulary”. The advisory list contained a mix of words ranging from the obvious suggestion that using “girl” to refer to grown women is condescending to the more bafﬂing inclusion of words like “homosexual/heterosexual” and “headmaster/headmistress”. Whilst I ﬁnd it hard to disagree with those slating the ridiculousness of this ban, it is important to consider that impact that the language we use has upon the ways we think and act towards others. The English language is sculpted by its roots in a patriarchal system, containing a pervasive

but subtle form of bias. If you look at the amount of words for a sexually promiscuous woman vs those for a man and the connotations of those words, then you can see some examples of this. The language also holds a compulsion within it to categorise and label which, as the university legislation notices, can often be exclusive or ‘othering’. It is therefore important for us to be aware of how we utilise language and to aim to do so in ways that are accepting and as free from prejudice as can be.

The English language is sculpted by its roots in a patriarchal system The problem, however, with applying a ban on words on a university campus is that it simply tries to cover up the attitudes the university disagrees with, rather than actually addressing them. By forcing people to obey a ban, you simply create an artiﬁcial sense of change; because you can no longer see the problem, it’s far easier to pretend it doesn’t exist. The ineffectual nature of such legislation is also coupled with the irony that it represents an organisation comprised of free thinkers attempt-

ing to limit freedoms. The accusations of stiﬂing free speech have been lain at many universities’ doors by Spiked magazine, who suggested that nine out of ten universities are restrictive of free speech with two thirds being labeled “severely” restrictive. This worrying trend indicated a growing tendency in British universities to combat offensive or bigoted opinions with a simple ban. Universities should be places for discussion; if someone believes something you disagree with, public debate seems a more obvious way to deal with it rather than censure. If people use language in a way that you deem offensive or exclusive, explain to them the effects of what they are saying so that they may understand and change their behaviour. Don’t just ban the words they use, or they will start using them with more conviction. Instances like this are contributing to a public image of universities which suggests not only conﬁnement but also misdirection. This focus on splitting se-

mantic hairs draws attention away from work addressing more important issues like rates of sexual harassment at universities. Though our use of language should be an essential focus in creating a more inclusive and fairer society, Cardiff Met and other universities must ﬁnd a more effective way to address the complexities of the problem they claim to address. It is also important to consider Exeter was awarded ‘Amber’ status by Spiked for its Safe Space policies and #NeverOk campaign (‘Red’ status indicates that a university has “banned and actively censored ideas on campus’), which seems like overkill for actions that are advisory rather than restrictive (they carry no threat of ﬁnes or punishment). According to Spiked, the ‘Amber’ rating indicates a University has “chilled free speech through intervention”; does this represent your experience at Exeter? Should the University be doing more or less to create an inclusive environment? And would a policy like Cardiff Met’s be accepted at Exeter?

COMMENT

Palestine, Israel and activism at Exeter Mateo Peyrouzet Treasurer - Friends of Palestine

T really is a shame that the situation had to get to this point. It is a real shame to ﬁnd myself writing these lines. This university still has a long way to go in terms of freedom of speech. Apparently, wanting to stage our visualisation of a disgraceful reality in an engaging manner goes against the university’s principles. At least, that is what the recent banning of the ‘Mock Checkpoint’ event planned by Friends of Palestine for Israeli Apartheid Week suggests, as well as the talks with university staff that followed this draconian decision. Although many reading this will have already heard about the ban, there is more going on, which I’ll explain. The checkpoint was supposed to be the main event in the biggest week of support for the Palestinian cause, whereby members of our society and fellow supporters of Palestine would have set up a theatrical performance outside the Forum. Some of us would have taken up the role of Israeli soldiers and others would have been enacting Palestinian civilians. Obviously, no reference to religion or ethnicity was to feature, as we strongly oppose any form of discrimination on such grounds. Our sole purpose is to raise awareness of the oppression of the Palestinian people by the settler-colonial state of Israel and its military forces, who discriminate against Palestinians on a daily basis through violations of human rights and international law, a disgrace characterised by the humiliating nature of the checkpoints restricting Palestinians’ freedom of movement

Jonathan Farrell President - Friends of Israel

S the President of a society that represents a small number of Israeli students at the University of Exeter, it is my view – regardless of rightness or wrongness of the University overruling the Students’ Guild - that the planned checkpoint demonstration was in danger of failing to highlight the nuanced and important context of the existence of the security barrier and the checkpoints that separate Israel and the West Bank. There are Israelis on this campus, and indeed non-Israelis, who have family members living in Israel, who have lived through, and in some cases, been harmed and even killed as a result of cruel acts of terrorism coming from the West Bank. Many can share experiences of them and their family members living through the First Intifada

within their own territory, which has been increasingly occupied by Israeli forces (and illegal settlements) in recent decades. The University decided to ban this performance, on the grounds of ‘campus mobility’ and ‘safety concerns’, after our very own Students’ Guild approved our risk assessment. Our appeal was rejected with vague arguments. However, the biggest sign of the University’s lack of rational arguments took place at our meeting on 6 March. For one hour, the Registrar and Provost constantly dodged one simple question, which was repeated over a dozen times to no effect. Our question was: “What are the ‘safety concerns’ that you have in mind?”

Student-led activism must be protected from crackdown With an honest answer, we would be able to edit our risk assessment to address these alleged worries. However, we came out of the meeting feeling powerless and with the impression that the University management is a very distant entity from the student and staff body, which is the true engine keeping this academic institution moving. Part of the problem lies here. The University is becoming more and more like a business, a corporation, and less of what it is supposed to be; a higher education academic institution devoted to intellectual freedom and engagement. It is worth remembering that under the Education Act, universities ‘have the duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the use of

(“Violent Uprising”) from 1987 to 1995 and additionally from 2000-2005, in the ‘Second Intifada’ in which over 293 Israelis were killed and 1900 injured as a consequence of the terrorist acts of a small, Palestinian minority. The wall was built amidst this turmoil in 2002, which led to the radical increase of checkpoints and security measures designed to protect Israeli civilians. Friends of Palestine, by seeking to engage in a demonstration which fails to highlight this crucial context, was, in my opinion, in grave danger of misrepresenting the conﬂ ict and ignoring the role this barrier has had in saving the lives of many innocent Israelis, including those who are part of our campus community and whose voices our society represents. This, however, does in no way negate the incredibly difﬁcult and yes, humiliating, nature of the checkpoints that Palestinians face on a daily scale;

any premises of the establishment is not denied to any individual or body of persons on any ground connected with their beliefs, views, policy or objectives.’ By banning the checkpoint, the University facilitated the perpetuation of the violation of human rights suffered by the Palestinians, since it is blocking an event that would increase awareness on the situation, an international awareness that is necessary to pressure Israel into ending its illegal occupation of Palestine. Ironically enough, one of the conditions by which the University reserves the right to ban an event is ‘the content of the event giving cause to believe that this may contain views that are in breach of human rights, equality or any other legislation’, as stated in the Event Approval Panel Referral Process. Well, the fact that Israeli checkpoints violate human rights, discriminate according to ethnicity and breach international law seems to be of little importance to the University, who would rather silence those who are ﬁghting for those values than condemn this unacceptable reality and side with the oppressed. Nevertheless, the University’s decision to ban the checkpoint has wider connotations than the checkpoint itself. What is the future of activism on this campus? Are we in the wake of an era of increased censorship of political opinions and activist devices to transmit these opinions? As students, we can’t let this happen; university student movements have been too much of an inﬂuential force for political change over past decades. Student-led activism must be protected from crackdown, and I am sure that all student societies, regardless of political ideology, can agree on this issue.

dividing families, denying equal work opportunities and separating Palestinians and Israelis even more.

Photo: Owain Evans

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Friends of Palestine should join us in opposing extremism The status quo in Israel-Palestine is a tragedy for peace. But instead of onesided demonstrations which deny other students the key facts needed to make a balanced judgement about the conﬂ ict, Friends of Palestine should join us in opposing extremism which harms both innocent Palestinians and Israelis and run events that help tear down walls, not put them up. We hope that in the next academic year both societies can come together in joint events to ensure that all sides of the conﬂ icted are represented fairly and equally, without the fear of intimidation.

Photo: Jonathan Farrell

Make or Jailbreak?

Should Jailbreakers fundraise for ﬂights or just hitchhike? Two participants share their experiences Bea Fones Comment Editor

’VE wanted to do a charity Jailbreak for a while, but in my first couple of years at Exeter I was either bogged down with work at the time (silly fresh), or too wary of the unforeseen return costs to take on the challenge. But this year, I decided it would be different. My boyfriend and I thought about it for about ten minutes, signed up and took the leap (bravely or perhaps stupidly, considering we’ve only been together a few months…). After all, I’m going on a year abroad soon, and when I return for fourth year, I’ll probably be a) too jaded and b) too busy to do Jailbreak. Anyway, there’s one thing that bugged me. Well, other than the on-and-off rain, the scornful looks of some passers-by and the 12 hours we spent stuck at Cobham Services on the M25. What I wanted to talk about, is just how much money is wasted through fundraising for flights, and the sheer number of teams who do that rather than truly hitchhiking all the way and using no money at all. I think that out of 56 teams, perhaps 10 of those committed to hitchhiking and raising money solely for the charities, rather than for their travel. Consider this; a team hitchhikes to London, spends a few hours raising money in a busy area, uses the raised money to buy flights to Europe, makes their way to one of the London airports and ta-dah,

Heledd Wilshaw Contributor

ITTING in the Library. Four hours down and four more to go. Naturally I’m procrastinating, and daydreaming about a weekend away; a beach holiday maybe? I sigh, and turn back to my work. “As if that’s ever going to happen, dream on...” But through Jailbreak, I quite literally said ‘screw it’, dumped my work and my classes and went hitchhiking for a weekend, like any normal student would. I signed up to Jailbreak with my two friends, and I don’t know what I expected, but I was dead set on getting out of the UK; and no, Scotland was not good enough. We got stuck on the ﬁrst hurdle: picking a team name. It’s harder than it looks and we went through so many potential names, some admittedly offensive and decided, after much deliberation, on “Antarctica or bust”. And we were going to dress up as penguins. Get the joke? Yeah, we thought it was hilarious too. We planned what we could and even set up a Twitter account to get us started, but then it was just waiting for the big day.

they’ve managed to get hundreds of miles away without, technically, spending any of their own money. But is that really in the spirit of the challenge?

Money spent on flights could make such a difference to the charities A couple of hundred pounds for ﬂights? That money could make an enormous difference to the charities we were raising for: Balloons Devon, Cancer Research and our own Exeter Student Volunteers. Spending it on getting somewhere for a nice weekend away doesn’t sit quite right with me. My boyfriend and I hitchhiked all the way from Exeter to Rouen, France, without raising money for our travel AT ALL. We relied solely on the kind strangers who picked us up at service stations en-route, and onwards from Calais once we’d gotten onto the ferry. We made it onto the ferry as foot passengers when someone offered to buy us tickets; we didn’t ask people for money to do this! Hitchhiking in Dover or Folkestone is, to put it mildly, a headache. W e ’ v e raised nearly

£500 as a combination of donations to our online page and donations along the way; we probably didn’t focus as much as we could have on raising money en route, because we were concentrating on getting lifts and keeping our morale up; probably a slightly harder task than just raising enough money to buy a flight. Some will disagree with me. And to be honest, the trials and tribulations of the journey probably did a great deal more for my relationship than just hopping on a flight. You learn a lot about how you get on with someone when you’re trapped at Cobham Services with them for 12 hours. Would we have gotten a lot further if we hadn’t gotten stuck? Definitely. Was it our fault? Nope. Just the luck of the draw. If RAG continue to allow people to fundraise for flights, I think there should be two competitions, because really there’s no chance that someone who’s only hitchhiking is going to make it as far as someone who has the whole destination board at Heathrow Airport to choose from. For all the highs and lows, I wouldn’t change a second, and I would recommend it to anyone! However you do it, Jailbreak shows you the very best of people, and I’d jump at the chance to do it again.

I welcomed the I wake up break from work. ﬁlled with dread. We ate well and reToday is Jailbreak Photo: STA Travel laxed, full knowing day. I’m so nervous that despite not having paid that I’ve forgotten somemoney to get there, we deserved a thing, and I’m thinking about the worst that could happen. I ask myself why break. I won’t lie to you; it was bloody hard I signed up. More than once. And then I work. I remember being sat in Trafalgar pick up my bag and leave the house. Square, ready to cry, as yet another person Despite not having ignored me. Though I tried to stay positive, I was tired, my bag was heavy, it was paid money to get there, cold and I hadn’t properly eaten all day. We we deserved a break were told that we had to leave multiple locations because of fundraising restrictions, When I (eventually) got over myself, and I was growing more frustrated as time I had an amazing time; we were pretty wore on. But then every time someone put amazed that, whilst some people ignored us and others gave us contemptuous money in the pot (one guy gave us 6p, but looks, the majority of people were kind still, it’s the thought that counts) we felt a and friendly, and it’s those people who burst of energy, and we became more positive as we stood in Victoria Station and helped us in getting as far as we did. We hitched lifts with some amazing we were reminded that not all people are people, even a student at Exeter helped us awful. I wouldn’t trade this experience for along the way, and we fundraised in Lon- the world, and all the stress was worth it don and Exeter to eventually get ﬂights to in the end. Jailbreak? Yeah, we completed Lanzarote! My friends were so jealous that it, mate, and we got 2,729 km from ExI’d swapped an uncomfortable library seat eter, all through the kindness of complete for a towel on the beach in the sun, and strangers.

COMMENT

Are student elections fair? Theodore Stone Online Editor

EMOCRACY. You can never have too much of a good thing, right? The constant and unending argy-bargy of election season hit us once again last week, when we were asked to select people to take up more Guild positions. This time around, the positions included Guild Chair, Shadow Councillors, and Subject Chairs. In light of this, what did students think about these goings on? I asked around. Nothing. With the exception of a happy (or stressed) few, nobody knew what the Council did. Nobody outside of the core of a few society committees and student groups. Students don’t really know about their own representatives, nor do they really want to. Speaking as a former Subject Chair of Sociology, Philosophy & Anthropology, amongst other roles, I am well aware of the epistemic void between students and student politics. Most are pedestrian towards it. It doesn’t matter because people will never do anything/what they do do is unimportant, because they hold no power. I’ve had to personally convince people to join the SSLC.

Students don’t really know about their own representatives One of the major problems that exists within this is how many candidates campaign. A good number of positions from every single academic year have been ﬁlled by people who won simply because there was no-one opposing them, or through a very (very) large friendship group. Both are, to say the least, mildly problematic. Firstly, it means that you can have terrible or even no idea, and still beat R.O.N., in spite of Mr. Weasley’s best efforts. The cycle will then probably continue, since, because the incumbent isn’t exactly great, there is no reason to believe that their successor will be.

The latter, on the other hand, probably has more of an impact on student politics at large, since it’s most prevalent in larger elections. In Sabb Week, you don’t really have underdogs. The underdogs are almost inevitably doomed to fail. Top-ofthe-range video content, hundreds of supporters and t-shirts galore line Forum Hill, all likely worn by people from a select few, all with extremely large circles of friends. Want proof? Just look at the results and compare a few of the manifestos. Having a top-of-the-range, fully researched manifesto that would make even Gordon Brown blush is not, it seems the way to go. Smiles, giant circles of friends and colour is. Maybe it’s because I’m a naturally grumpy person, but this doesn’t sit right with me. When we elect students, we should be voting for who we believe will do the best job, not the one who gave me cupcakes. The latter will probably, in the end, get more votes, and then we’re back to square one, because we’ll later ﬁnd out that the cupcake candidate had done a middling job and hasn’t made any progress, so we won’t have any faith in democracy reinforced, because there will be nothing to reinforce. Technically, the Guild Council have the ability to scrutinise elected students. If memory serves me well, they have only ever done this once, and that was just over a fortnight ago, and was only levied after protestations were made from people outside of said Council. In other words, people who are failing to perform the job tasked are let off the hook by people failing to perform the job tasked. It’s a vicious circle and, speaking as somebody required to keep a close eye on student politics, immensely frustrating. What’s more, it’s a detriment to the amazing work other elected students have done over the year, due to the fact that, at the end of the day, you receive the opportunity to place it on your CV without actually earning/doing anything, whilst potentially denying other students who would perform the task ﬁfty times better the option of doing so. But hey, that’s student democracy for you.

20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

“We are people. We are not just bodies.”

Photo: pri.org

Georgina Bolam Katie Jenkins

Daphne Bugler meets Channel 4 presenter Emma Woolf to discuss the destigmatisation of eating disorders

ATING disorders can affect anyone, across any age or gender. Many of us have been affected by them at some point in our lives, whether through supporting a friend or experiencing it ourselves. However, discussing eating disorders openly still seems to be taboo. It almost seems as though these struggles have been pushed behind closed doors. This is what has driven Emma Woolf, a successful writer and journalist, to write and campaign to increase the discussion about eating disorders.

I had hidden [my eating disorder] for so long, all through university As a writer, critic and journalist, Emma Woolf has had a distinguished career. She has not only worked for The Times, Times the BBC and Channel 4, but has also written four bestselling books. The main focus of her writing has been on her

struggle with an eating disorder, with the aim of inspiring others to be more open about their mental health. I managed to chat to her before she spoke to Exeter University students during BEAT week, leaving me inspired by her confidence, openness and strength. The aims of her talk and her writing was our first topic of discussion. “The aim of the talk today is to tell the truth about eating disorders, and to de-mystify it for people who are going through it”, she explained. “You often think they are serious illnesses, but you also have to remember they are incredibly common. What I found with writing my first book An Apple a Day, in 2012, and since then travelling around the country and the world talking about this, is that so many people are affected by it. It doesn’t need to be that you are dying or have serious anorexia, it can

just be every day guilt or anxiety about food. It is a lot more common than we think. It’s not just teenage girls or beautiful women. It’s men, people of all ages, middle-aged women, grandparents, teachers, professionals, scientists, I have met so many people in so many walks of life who have struggled.” She emphasised the importance of her argument that it is “the more we talk about it, and debunk the myths and misconceptions” the easier it will be for people to be open, and explained how “these illnesses can look very physical, but we have to remember they are mental illnesses.”

On the female body there are so many expectations of perfection Noticing her confidence, I asked how she had built up the courage to be so open and brave in talking about her experiences. “Oh God, I had hidden it for so long, all through university and all through my 20s I just hid it. You get to the point where you’re just tired of it, and I’ve now realised, what is there to be ashamed about? It is just a problem that so many people have. I have always found I am a writer and that’s how I deal with everything, and I suppose I tried to write my way out of another problem.” Thinking back to a moment where she could tell her work had made an influence, Emma described how “when my first column came out in The Times back in 2010, it was the first

time I had said, “Oh I have anorexia.” The first week I was so terrified that I actually fled the country, because I couldn’t believe it had come out. I had told everyone this really private shame, and I had gotten so many letters and emails and online messages in response, so I would say that is the moment.” Emma also discussed her views on how social media can affect our own perceptions of health and our bodies. She recognised that social media does have its positive side as “it’s amazing that BEAT are doing all of this, that we can tweet about events like this and that everyone can find out about it, and that we have amazing support groups and people can talk.” However, the dark side of social media and its effect on body image are clear. “There is so much more visibility around bodies now, so much more body scrutiny, so much more junk online that includes retouching of images, unbelievably posed selfies. Especially on the female body, there has been so much more scrutiny. I will be talking about men and women, but on the female body there are so many expectations of perfection. When you look back at the 1940s or ‘50s you just didn’t see thousands of bodies every day. We are just used to it now. Looking at The Daily Mail website on the train, I probably saw about a hundred women’s bodies being criticised for how they looked at the Oscars.” With the recent trend for girls to use fitness apps, or health campaigns to get ‘bikini body ready’ I thought it would be interesting to see if Emma thought they were positive, or just another way to evaluate our bodies. “They’re all meant to be really positive, like they say strong not skinny, but when you look at it its just another version of get the perfect body. I don’t want women’s bodies to be

commodiﬁed in this way. This season its all about being curvy, next season its about being strong, we’re people. We are not just bodies. In a way it just annoys me, and winds me up that yet again women’s bodies are being used to sell something, and if you don’t have that body you are meant to feel bad, and you do feel bad.”

When you’re wanting to see a friend who is illl... arrange a coffee University can be a challenging time for people suffering from eating disorders. Being away from home and in charge of your diet and health can be difﬁcult, and having good support from friends really makes a difference. I asked Emma about what advice she would give to students trying to support friends that they know or think may have an eating disorder. “Try and get them to be open about it,” she advised. “Be really, really sensitive and remember that it doesn’t change them as a person. Remember that they might not be ready to talk about it, just let them know that you’re there when they do want to talk about it. But also this is something that I tell people a lot. When you’re wanting to see a friend who is ill or you think might have an eating disorder, arrange a coffee. I found that everyone would say do you want to come for lunch, and I wouldn’t be able to do that, so I lost friendships because everything was about food. I know when you’re ill you need to eat, but don’t let that get in the way of friendships. If someone isn’t comfortable or isn’t at the stage where they’re ready to get better yet, ask them for a coke or a coffee or a walk, and don’t let food get in the way of everything. They still need friends, in fact they need friends even more.”

The Stats The number of people suffering from an eating disorder vary from between 600,000 and 725,000 The number of people being diagnosed and entering in-patient treatment for eating disorders has increased at an average rate of 7% a year since 2009 Sufferers who seek help within a year of developing symptoms have a relapse rate of only 33% compared to an average level of 63% for those who seek help after a year BEAT offers support to sufferers of anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS or any other difficulties. Call 0808 801 0677 Image: Emma Woolf

All data from “The costs of eating disorders: Social, health and economic impacts”. PwC on behalf of BEAT.

FEATURES

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Mayhem in Myanmar? Katie Jenkins, Features Editor, discusses discrimination, conﬂict and controversy in Myanmar, South Asia

OVEMBER 2015, and the promise of change flows freely through Myanmar. To international audiences, it’s a country that has never lurked far from controversy. Dominated by an oppressive military rule throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, and frequently peppered by the threat of civil war and terrorist intervention, it seems a change of name has done little to exorcise the demons of its former Burmese identity. Yet for civilians and international critics, 2015 contains the first hopeful blooms of democratic evolution. The landslide victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has offered one of the first opportunities for democratic sustainability. Guardian journalist Maung Zarni commemorated “Myanmar’s Mandela moment”, while Suu Kyi – speaking at the United Nations a year later – celebrated the result as a demonstration of the people’s “support, not just for a political party, but for a political culture founded on the belief in their right and their capacity to fashion the future of the country in the shape of their dreams and their aspirations”.

Myanmar remains shrouded in bloodied conflict Yet just over a year since her triumph, Myanmar remains shrouded in bloodied conflict. While Suu Kyi has pledged to pacify the divided country, Myanmar’s Rohingya minority remain subject to “definite crimes against humanity”. Often described as “the world’s most unwanted people”, the last five months have seen a significant increase in violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims. Following an attack on police checkpoints by Rohingya militants, Burmese security forces have waged an “indiscriminate” counter-insurgency campaign, with martial vigilance escalating into gored persecution. Figures from the UN have suggested that more than 1,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by armed forces since October, while 70,000 have fled to

neighbouring Bangladesh. A UN report released last month detailed mass gang rapes, killings, beatings, disappearances, and other human rights violations committed by security forces against the Rohingya people. One mother recounted the murder of her ﬁve-year-old daughter, who was trying to protect her from being raped when a man “took out a long knife and killed her by slitting her throat”. Almost half of those interviewed said a family member had been killed, while almost half of female interviewees reported sexual violence at the hands of the military.

More than 1,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by armed forces since October “The army, they tell their troops, ‘you can do whatever you like.’ They can kill anybody, they can rape anybody, they can rob, they can burn,” says Tay Tay, from the Shan Women’s Action Network in Myanmar, speaking to BBC’s Our World. “It’s a political rape. You rape the woman, you rape the whole ethnicity.” However, Burmese officials have refused to confirm the figures, and one NLD spokesperson dismissed the numbers as 'exaggerated'. “We don’t believe they’re crimes against humanity." Footage from Myanmar’s state TV depicts an interview with Jamalida Begum, a Rohingya civilian who saw a group of women forced into bushes by soldiers. Asked if the women were raped or not, Jamalida says she can’t say for certain, but gestures towards her vagina, exclaiming, “They were bleeding directly from here!” “Don’t say that, don’t say bleeding, just say whether you saw the rape or not,” pressures the interviewer. The exchange was later broadcast as evidence that sexual violence was not being utilised by armed forces. Meanwhile, speaking to the BBC afterwards, Jamalida reveals that although promised she would face no repercussions for the interview, she was beaten and gang raped by soldiers, and has now fled to a refugee camp in Bangladesh. For many Rohingya people, the

overarching sentiment is one of prodigious disillusionment with a ﬁgure once revered as a democratic icon. “[Suu Kyi] is doing nothing at all for us. If she was good, we wouldn’t have to suffer so much in that country. Since she’s been in power, she has been useless for us,” condemns Jamalida. “[Suu Kyi] does not care about us. At ﬁrst, we thought that she is the one who can change this country, but it has been a year and we do not see any sign of it. So our hope is fading away, and we dare not hold any hope for her,” agrees Zaw Zaw, a Rohingya community leader in one of Myanmar’s Muslim ghettos. “Suu Kyi has only position and no power at all.” Indeed, for many critics, Suu Kyi – although viewed as the de facto leader of Myanmar – is ultimately only the democratic pin-up for a regime still entrenched in military privilege. As The Guardian warned following her electoral victory: “With a constitution that safeguards its immense power and wealth, the military […] doesn’t need a crackdown to keep its regime intact.” Indeed, the 2008 Constitution has served to elevate core military interests above parliamentary and legal insight, authorising the commanderin-chief to appoint and control leading cabinet members. Proposals to amend it in June 2016 were rejected by a militarydominated Parliament. Meanwhile, martial legislation curtailing “online defamation” has been used extensively since Suu Kyi’s rise to power. Between April 2016 and January 2017, 38 people were charged for criticising the regime; by contrast, it was only used seven times between 2013 and 2015. 23-year-old poet, Maung Saung Kha spent six months in prison after posting a satirical poem on Facebook in which he wrote: “I have a tattoo of the president’s face on my penis”. Likewise, Myo Yan Naung Thein, secretary of the NLD’s central research committee, has been detained since November after criticising the army’s treatment of the Rohingya Muslims. “[The government] dismiss reports of rights abuses as ‘fake news’ […] yet at the same time are not allowing independent journalists full and unfettered access to the area,” says Laura Haigh, Amnesty

International’s Myanmar researcher, speaking to The Guardian. “Those who do report on the situation face threats and intimidation which has had a chilling effect on press freedom.”

The deafening blows of silence that look set to drown it Although government ofﬁcials have claimed that the military crackdown against Rohingya civilians has ceased over the last few weeks, ethnic tensions are still potently visceral. At the entrance to the Buddhist village, Thangutan, amongst the houses and the greenery, there poses a bright yellow sign: “No Muslims allowed to stay overnight. No Muslims allowed to rent houses. No marriages with Muslims.” Various other villages across Myanmar have followed suit, alongside numerous towns in the state of Rakhine, which, in 2012, became a violent battleground between Buddhist and Muslim neighbours. Speaking to BBC journalist, Jonah Fisher, two Buddhist locals in the town of Sittwe, assert their opposition to further Muslim integration, stressing: “It would be best for all the Muslims to be sent back to Islamic countries.”

Ethnic tensions are potently visceral Where Suu Kyi was once praised as “Myanmar’s Mandela”, she now stands at the forefront of its apartheid. Where she once endorsed democratic activism, she is now a model of submission. “At the end of the day, it is the government, the civilian government, that has to answer and respond to these massive cases of torture and very inhumane crimes they have committed against their own people,” says UN official, Yanghee Lee. Myanmar’s fling with democracy is flailing, yet it is the deafening blows of silence that look set to drown it.

What is happening to the Rohingya people? The Rohingyas are an ethnic Muslim group in the Rakine province of Myanmar, numbering roughly 1 million. They face persecution from Rakhine Buddhists who outnumber them roughly 2:1 and who view the Rohingya as “Bengali” or as “illegal immigrants.” An estimated 66,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 9 October 2016. Interviews with 204 Rohingya refugees by the Ofﬁce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that: - 134 (65%) reported killings - 115 (56%) reported disappearances - 131 (64%) reported beatings - 88 (43%) reported rape - 63 (31%) reported sexual violence - 131 (64%) reported burning or other destruction of property

Appreciation or appropriation?

FEATURES

Georgina Bolam, Features Editor, analyses the cultural trends inﬁltrating the fashion industry

O to any festival this year, and you’ll be confronted by hordes of white, middle-class youth rocking bindis and faux-Kente-printed shirts. The vast majority have probably never been near India or Ghana. I doubt they’re clocked on to black history or pan-Africanism or are well versed in Hinduism. But does that matter? Well, increasing numbers of people say that it does. In recent years, we have seen the rise of cultural and religious representation with brands such as Topshop selling cultural items including bindis, and most recently the Nike sports hijab. Even Debenhams have announced that they will be the ﬁrst British department store to sell a range of clothing, including hijabs and abayas, that are speciﬁcally targeted towards Muslim women.

Is the fashion industry actually moving forward? For many, this highlights that the fashion industry is finally starting to appreciate and cater for people of different races, cultures and religions. However, others are criticising it for taking trends too far, raising the issue of cultural appropriation. Is the fashion industry actually moving forward, or is it taking advantage for their own benefit? Cultural and religious items first started to become popular at the same time celebrities started to wear them at music festivals. Vanessa Hudgens, Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez were all spotted wearing bindis at the popular American music festival, Coachella. This instantly started a trend and consequently saw brands like Topshop fill their shelves with these "trendy" items. Some will say that it is simply festival-wear, but others would argue that they’re taking advantage of items that are central to certain lifestyles and find these fashion statements offensive. Will it ever be appropriate to take items or styles from a culture or religion and make them your own? In 2016, the Kardashian-Jenner family loved appropriating cultures that are not their own more than Britney Spears loved sleeveless turtlenecks in the '90s. They might have even loved cultural appropriation more than Kanye West loves Kanye West. Although many tried to inform them of why them wearing cornrows and dreadlocks as an accessory is offensive to some people,

Image: Wikimedia Commons

they keep on doing it. What is even more shocking to the people that they have offended is, that most of the time, they don’t think that they have done anything wrong. Kylie Jenner has even been accused of putting on blackface for a photoshoot. What made matters worse is that magazines and the media described her looks as ‘new’, ‘edgy’ and ‘bold’. However, in a time when locating and isolating cultural appropriation has gone above and beyond its common efforts, we mustn’t forget the importance of what this represents for the fashion industry as a whole. Gigi Hadid, wearing a bejeweled hijab on a recent Vogue cover, captioned her Instagram post: “I think the beautiful thing about there being international Vogue is that, as a fashion community, we are able to celebrate and share with the world, different cultures. Being half-Palestinian, it

means the world to me to be on the ﬁrstever cover(s) of @voguearabia, and I hope that this magazine will show another layer of the fashion industry's desire to continue to accept, celebrate, and incorporate all people & customs and make everyone feel like they have fashion images and moments they can relate to... & learn and grow in doing so.” Sounds like a pretty fantastic sentiment… and yet, people were quick to slam her for it. Twitter screamed accusations of cultural appropriation against someone who comes from a Middle Eastern, Muslim background. Was the problem that she’s not Muslim enough to wear this piece of clothing, or that we don’t want to promote our individual cultures – diluting and opening them up to the general public through accessible, white-looking celebrities?

We're only just entering a period where racism isn't endemic in Western society

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why we’re all cautious these days. We’re only just entering a period where racism isn’t endemic in Western society (although who knows how long that’ll last with Trump and various far-right movements throughout Europe). In a bid to keep it in check, we self-police to ensure that we aren’t overstepping any lines. You cannot disassociate Black and Asian identities in Europe or the States with systemic racism and historical abuse. And there’s no ignoring that – regardless of how 'pretty' the ‘costumes’ might be. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why people of colour might be put out seeing white people we a r i n g c e r t a i n significant and traditional garments as fashion Image: Instagram/Gigi Hadid symbols without any acknowledgement of the Image: wikimedia.org culture behind them. Recently, Vogue provoked

outrage over a photoshoot which featured and the aforementioned Debenhams have white American supermodel Karlie Kloss both recently announced collections that dressed as a geisha, complete with a black are aimed specifically at Muslim women. wig and white make-up. Critics claim These collections have been highly praised, that Kloss has participated in an act of as Muslim women are finally starting to racism, that Vogue is guilty of ‘yellow-face’ have more choice in colours, fabrics and for casting a white model for a Japanese- prints from mainstream retailers and themed shoot. Kloss has since apologised, designers. Undoubtedly there are many issues tweeting: "These images appropriate a culture that is not my own and I am truly with representation and beauty standards sorry for participating in a shoot that was within the fashion industry, but recent years have shown us that there is some not culturally sensitive". High fashion is ostensibly about being hope for a brighter future. Stereotypes different and pushing boundaries. Vogue’s are being challenged, and Fashion Week willingness to take risks and spark trends is has shown us that brands and lines are what has made it a household name. The recognising that they are there for people of all different idea that a shoot should be constrained to whatever cultural heritage a model was born into Image: Instagram/Vanessa Hudgens undermines creative exploration. In fact, in many ways, models’ backgrounds a r e irrelevant – their job is to let the clothes take centre stage and perform the character assigned to that shoot; we mustn’t ignore the importance in growth of representation. backgrounds. Importantly, New York But we can’t assume Fashion Week recently saw a more diverse range of shows, designers and models that just because the fashion industry is than ever, with cultures and religions from starting to become more open to diversity, all over the world being appreciated and all the issues with cultural appropriation given the attention they deserved. This are solved. The hope is that by the fashion most recent New York Fashion Week was industry opening up to the rest of the definitely one to remember – the week world in a representative way, everyone will saw the celebration of different cultures, perhaps be able see the difference between religions and groups in their shows, models representation and appropriation. If we and collections. Perhaps most notably, insist on keeping our cultures exclusive, Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show during where do we draw the line? The UK is a the week included Halima Aden, a Muslim melting pot of cultures, races and creeds, model who is committed to wearing a and our cuisine, music tastes and fashion hijab. She most definitely made an impact, trends mirror this. as well as challenged the beauty standards that we usually see in Fashion Week. This wasn’t the only focus on diversity Progress is giving during the week, as Muslim designer people the freedom to Anniesa Hasibuan, who had already made explore... new cultures history last year by being the first designer to showcase a collection that included So perhaps before we call people hijabs, again impressed everyone with her beautiful collection. Not only that, all of out for cultural appropriation, we should the models that walked in the show were check ourselves. We all need to stay woke immigrants, making her a name in the but we shouldn’t let that stand in the way industry not only for her designs, but also of appreciation. Progress is giving people the freedom to explore and to forge their for her emphasis on the importance of own relationships with our cultures – not diversity in fashion. Diversity in the fashion industry goes denying them access to them. beyond Fashion Week. Dolce and Gabbana

lifestyle

ARTS + LIT

E X H I B IT MUSIC

GAMES + TECH

screen

Photo: Pexels

32 Photo: Alpha Coders Photo: Pexels

the boat shed on the quay

Photo: Pexels

Photo: w-dog

Photo: publicdomainpicures.com

Photo: Wood Awards

Photo: The Bike Shed

the matter of live music

28 Photo: pexels.com

save some money: instant coffee

Disney’s Pride

my opinion is better

Photo: Pexels

16 - 18

20 - 22

24 - 26

28 - 29

32 - 34

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Jade Beard Laurel Bibby

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Emma Bessent Tash Ebbutt

MUSIC EDITORS Rory Marcham Helen Payne

SCREEN EDITORS Mark Allison Zak Mahinfar

GAMES + TECH EDITORS Jabez Sherrington Sam Woolf 20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle

Don't judge a book by its cover Katie Jenkins, Features Editor, reviews Exeter's brand new Speakeasy

O the untrained eye, The Book Cover is (no pun intended) exactly what it says on the cover. Bookish, elusive; antiquated-to all intents and purposes, it’s a book shop only Dickens himself could have envisioned. However, cloaked behind the bookshelves, the curtains, and enigmatic librarian Mrs Lebowski emerges a cocktail bar plucked straight from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel: a 1920s-themed speakeasy bar, and the latest in Exeter’s burgeoning cocktail scene. Boasting an array of cocktails, gin and tapas, the options are diverse and versatile, yet come with a hefty price tag. With drinks ranging from £6-12, it’s hardly the prime location for liver-destroying, pre-pull fodder. Yet, if you’re hoping for a classy drink with the girls, or (in the experience of one group) a nunclad stag do, the staff are perpetually friendly, chatty, and (with a little bit of charm) willing to

offer you an exclusive off-the-menu drink. Indeed, if you're looking to share, the Trap Room punch has the chic veneer of a white wine, with the strength of a liquefied Mike Tyson.

A COCKTAIL BAR PLUCKED STRAIGHT FROM AN F. SCOTT FITZGERALD NOVEL Nestled on the corner of Longbrook Street in the former home of Base + Barley, it’s only a stone’s throw away from The Old Firehouse, while sufficiently isolated from the hustle and bustle of the centre of town. It’s this sense of exclusivity which is perhaps so unique to The Book Cover: don’t think you can lollop on in if you don’t know the password. Other rules include not bringing anyone who "you would

not bring to your parents’ house for Sunday dinner", and to the gentlemen, "no brazen come ons". Featuring a range of entertainment, The Book Cover boasts live magicians, jazz musicians and burlesque dancers to name but a few. A quick scour of their website reveals their latest events, from lindy hop and tapas, to burlesque and electro swing. ‘20s dress is not obligatory, but is more than encouraged by brace-clad waiters, suited magicians and the jazz musicians crooning over the speakers. For Head of Marketing, Sarah Lacey: “What makes The Book Cover so special is how unique it is. It’s the only proper speakeasy in Exeter, with the added twist of the password. Everyone is in character, even Mrs Lebowski [your host librarian] in authentic 1920s dress. The cocktails, the musi; they’re all authentic with a twist; nowhere else is using

live burlesque dancers or magicians. People will leave feeling like they’ve had an experience, not just been out for a drink." Although perhaps not the cheapest place in Exeter to knock back a gin and tonic, The Book Cover is quirky, classy, and – in a landscape of chain restaurants and uniform pubs – overwhelmingly unique. Perfectly combining a decadent aesthetic with extravagantly friendly service, be you on a first date, a girls’ night out or simply hoping to escape for an evening, The Book Cover is unequivocally inimitable. To contact The Book Cover, call 01392 279393, ﬁnd their website at thebookcover.co.uk, or message them on Facebook. Their address is: The Book Cover, Portland House, Longbrook Street, Exeter, EX4 6AU

Photos: Oli Pestell

EXHIBIT

LIFESTYLE

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

Exe-ploring

20 MAR 2017

| 17

When friends come to stay, Rowan Keith, Online Comment Editor's got you covered

friend from home coming to visit is always a tricky situation to navigate there’s the concerns about them getting on with your housemates, avoiding getting so drunk that you can’t make sure they get back to your house safely, and managing to show them as much of your uni as possible even whilst nursing a hangover. Exeter may not be as big as London or as edgy as Manchester, but it has its own little charms. Follow this guide to make sure your friend sees Exeter in its best light.

The arrival If your friend is also a student, it is very unlikely that they are going to wake up early enough to arrive in Exeter before lunchtime. If your friends are anything like mine, they’ll probably arrive tired and starving because they woke up twenty minutes before they had to get their train and didn’t have time for breakfast. Pick them up from St David’s and head down to arguably one of the cutest spots in Exeter, the Quay. As students, the train fare alone prob-

ably blew the budget (thanks for that by the way, National Rail) so Mill on the Exe or On The Waterfront are a little bit out of reach. Pick up a picnic at the Co-op on the walk, taking advantage of your 10% NUS discount of course, and sit by the river with your lunch. It’s practically impossible to spend any time in Exeter without visiting a Co-op, so you might as well get this out of the way as soon as possible.

The afternoon From the Quay, walk up into town via Fore Street. Fore Street is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated places in Exeter. Take your time exploring all the independent clothing shops, vintage stores, comic book stores and other hidden gems around there, showing your friend that there is in fact more to Exeter students than Topshop and Urban Outfitters, despite what our puffer jackets may suggest. After this, take them to your house/halls, introduce them to the housemates, potentially sneak in a nap and get ready to go out.

The evening There are couple of options for the evening. If you’re going to eat out, I highly recommend Las Iguanas - the food is great, the tapas allows you to share and the cocktails are two for one. Also, if it’s a Tuesday, any tortilla based dish is two-for-one. Then, if you’re feeling fancy, head out to cocktails at any of the number of cocktail bars Exeter has to offer (or just Wetherspoons you can’t beat the Impy). My favourite place for cocktails is Urban Underground, and with two-forone cocktails every night you cannot beat that value. If you’re feeling less fancy, just head to wherever pres is that night.

The night out This may be a bit cringe, but the best night to take a home friend to is Cheesy's. Exeter may not have clubs that offer free breakfast at 6am or have five different floors, but we can do cheese like no one else. Other clubs may

have cheese rooms, but unless you’re willing to dedicate a whole night to it, why even bother. Dance the night away, do your thing, and try and make sure you don’t lose your friend.

The morning after After a heavy night out, you'll be needing a solid English breakfast. There are obviously tons of incredible brunch spots in Exeter but my favourite is No. 1 Polsloe. It’s small, friendly and the food is incredible. If you’re looking for somewhere a bit cheaper, again, Impy is a classic. The fry up is only £3, and although it’s greasy, it’s delicious. From brunch, head to campus and give your friend the tour and show them all your favourite spots. Of course, no visit to Exeter is complete without a trip to the Ram and a basket of our famous curly fries - the perfect lunch for a hungover stomach. From campus it’s just a short walk down to St David’s, say your farewells and then head home to sleep it off.

Instant classic

Ben Londesbrough, Editor, outlines the best instant coffees for the worn-out student

ET'S face facts: instant coffee is shit. Taste is subjective, but instant coffee is objectively bad. There are no two ways about it, it just doesn't taste very nice. I’m sorry if you think it’s okay, or if you actually quite like it, but you’re wrong. However, as a cash-strapped student, I can’t afford several delicious shop-bought coffees every day. I’ve been spending too much money on campus for coffee, so I’ve bought myself a flask (really cool hammertone Thermos), and I’m going to suck it up and have instant coffees. Okay, yes I could make some filter coffee everyday and put it into my flask, but who's got time to do that? Not me. I want to save money, but also time. So, if you have to drink instant coffee, this is what to go for and what to avoid.

Generic own brand coffee We’ve all been there, because its cheap, or you've run out of nice stuff and you have to pinch your flatmate's ‘Co-op Instant Freeze Dried Coffee’. That’s just one example from

one shop, but they're all the same. Avoid this stuff like the plague. It may look good on your bank balance as 100g will set you back less than £2, but if won't taste nice in your mouth. At least sometimes it's fair-trade. Pros: Cheap. Cons: Disgusting, tasting notes of assholes.

Nescafé Classic This is a standard classic instant coffee that you always see in offices, or in places where they’re trying to keep the costs down, but not look like they are stingy. It claims to be ‘unmistakably full-flavoured’, and it’s true - if you like the full-flavour of burnt wood shavings. This is barely passable at best, and is actually quite harsh. A minor step up from own brand, but for 100g for £3.27, it's a fine line. Pros: Fits in well in the workplace. Cons: Harsh, tasting notes of cigarette ash..

Kenco Millicano Okay, this is where I’ll stop slagging instant coffee off as much. If you have to drink it, Millicano is not a bad place to start. The granules look exactly the same as the two previous products, but the taste is better. It has slightly more depth than generic instant coffees, but its still very much a home instant coffee. 100g for £4.38. Pros: On a new level, just not a great one. Cons: Can be too strong, tasting notes of something like coffee.

Nescafé Azero This is the only instant coffee that I’ll advocate for. It doesn’t come in the same freeze dried granules as the previous three, and instead a finely ground powder. It claims to be a ‘barista style coffee’ with ‘an irresistible layer of velvety coffee crema.’ Whilst it is resistible, it's not bad really. You can get it in dif-

ferent types, like Americano, Espresso, Latte, or Cappuccino, but at £5.50 a tin it's not the cheapest option (but it's often on offer). Definitely better than a cup of farts though. Pros: Actually tastes okay. Cons: More expensive, tasting notes of coffee. There may be some nicer, more expensive ones out there, but I’m not made of money.

exhibit

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

lifestyle

20 MAR 2017

Scones at home

| 18

Paige Evans shares how to eat your way through Easter stress

Photo: pixabay

ARCH 20 marks the first day of Spring, and the ever approaching Easter holiday. The words ‘Easter’ and ‘holiday’ used to bring a sigh of relief. Normally, I would be elated to know that a break is around the corner. Easter used to be the time for spontaneously booking holidays with the blanket of the overdraft, and baking with my Grandma in her retro kitchen, and the first glimpse of spring green. Yet now, we are bombarded with enough stresses to make anyone want to make a nest, and hide in it. Go and eat an Easter egg and comfort yourself now. But, as students, we use any excuse to celebrate. As the weather is brightening up, we don’t need to dampen down. Okay, maybe going out isn’t the way forward - but you can still have fun whilst staying in. Why don’t you relieve the stress through indulging in comfort foods, mounted in a tiered tower in front of your eyes, in your own kitchen? The answer: The Easter Afternoon Tea.

The three tiers: Traditionally, an afternoon tea is comprised of a three tiered tower: a layer of sandwiches, a layer of cakes, and a layer of teacakes and scones. However, you don’t need to stick hugely to this composition – as food is the centre piece to this event, and probably to your sanity at this present time, you can really have whatever you fancy. Here are some classics for inspiration, if you’re struggling to be creative and/or all your brain power is going into those deadlines.

Sandwiches • Egg and cress (vegetarian) • Roasted vegetables and hummus (vegan) • Ham and mustard, or beef and horseradish • Salmon and cream cheese

The art of the perfect sandwich combination for an afternoon tea is to satisfy everyone, ensuring there’s enough variety, but also that they’re light. Out with the stodge that accompanies winter and the Christmas dinner, Easter brings with it an element of freshness and life. By offering a selection of meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options, the ‘boring’ stigmas around the sandwich melts away, along with the worry of your degree and the pressure of pleasing everyone.

Cakes • • •

Carrot cake Lemon drizzle Coffee and walnut

Now, as we ascend the tower, things get sweeter and sweeter. In general, cakes and desserts are the sugar kick that makes the tensest person feel better. Yet, it’s best to go for fluffy, airy, spongey cake as we get closer to the heavier scone layer. Flavours such as carrot and lemon are key to the seasonal feel of this particular tea party, whilst coffee and walnut are a perfect marriage with a warming beverage. Still, this isn’t to say that you can’t go more adventurous and introduce shortbread, biscuits, or cookies to dunk in your tea instead!

Scones and teacakes • • •

Hot cross buns Classic, fruit, or cheese scones Earl Grey teacakes

Grab the cream. Grab the jam. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. Any form of scone is a classic at this stage, and they’re super rewarding in satisfying the stomach and giving a smile. Homemade scones are the dream; still warm and slightly misshapen in appearance, baking is a therapeutic activity for all the flat to enjoy, as well as

their consumption. Again, you can please everyone by going plain, fruity, or more savoury, keeping up with the seasonal positivity. It’s not really Easter without hot cross buns, and they’re extremely simple to make. Right out the oven, with a splash of butter or spread alternative, and then feel it crumble and melt in your mouth. A way to reminisce about Easters back home with your parents, caring only about how many eggs you got that year. But we don’t have to go fully traditional. If you want to showcase your hosting and win star baker among your flatmates, try doing an infused tea-cake. Earl Grey infusion is a personal favourite, but you can try any flavour that you feel will be the best chick of the coup – and be creative! With all the restrictions the coming months are going to impose, you might as well think outside the box.

The beverages: Whilst food is at the forefront of our minds at this point, we can’t forget its key partner – the drinks. It’s a tea party, an afternoon tea. It can’t be ignored. However, there’s an array of beverages that can enjoyed here rather than your usual instant coffee or PG Tips. Here’s some thoughts, if you want to try something to flow with the season…

Tea My housemates are massive tea-drinkers. Asking for a cuppa is not as simple as ‘do you want milk and sugar?’, but variety, loose leaf, what kind of milk… the list goes on. However, if you want a suggestion for some amazingly fragrant and quality tea, then my first suggestion would be the T2 range. If any of you go to Artigiano as much as I do, you’ll know what I mean. A brand of both bagged and loose leaf tea, T2 offer quality and flavour in abundance. From your breakfast and earl grey to fruit teas ranging from 'Strawberries and Cream', 'Packs a Peach' and 'Turkish

Apple', you really would be spoiling yourself, and making this a real occasion of celebration. Just search them into Google, and have a browse yourself. Personal fave – 'Toasty Nougat'.

Coffee On the other hand, coffee is the fuel for most of us. Students drink a lot of it; it’s the nectar of productivity. Nonetheless, why don’t you try something that you don’t associate with the working slog, but relaxing and appreciating good coffee with your nearest and dearest? Whittards is always a good shout; same goes for their hot chocolate range. Their flavoured ground coffee is of a high standard, and can be found on Exeter’s very own highstreet. However, a little gem that I got introduced to through my sister’s blog (Hev with a Bev check it out), is a company called Pact. For those who like to work their caffetieres, Pact do amazing coffee, and in some flavours which really compliment the Eastery feel – such as Peaches and Cream. It’s also extremely affordable. I got some Dark Chocolate Truffle and Cherry ground coffee for about £6-£7 at the beginning of the year that I’m still making my way through. Have a look; have a try.

Soft drinks We all know that one person who isn’t a fan of hot drinks. Crazy, I know. We don’t have to completely exclude them, though. Fruit juices and flavours such as elderflower and raspberry cordials make tasty alternatives. Get some lemonade, ice, lemon and limes in, and you could be adventurous and make some form of Easter Mocktail – unless you want to drink in the afternoon… Maybe splash out on some San Pellegrino rather than Tesco’s own, and add the sophisticated flair that we’re all secretly craving.

arts + lit Aboat Time

Emma Bessent, Arts + Lit Editor, rhapsodises about The Boat Shed - sailing from Exeter Quay this summer...

HERE is something truly magical about the Quay on a bright, clear evening. After winding your way down through the hustle and bustle of town, there is a certain purity of air and light which glints flirtatiously off of the quiet water, daring you to relinquish the tension and speed which the modern world demands of us. Everything seems to flow at a gentler pace; people are quietly satisfied with themselves as they trickle in and out of the gorgeous converted warehouses and cellars, exchanging money for handcrafted products and attentive services which come with a quality assurance unique to independent businesses. It is a space which encourages you to think and feel rather than say and do, an ethical atmosphere which cannot help but foster creative brilliance.

will return every year until the official opening of the space. This short time aspires to draw in the public and collect yet more fodder for the drawing board; it is intended as a crucial stage of creative development which will ideally see the fledgling establishment break even financially and make a profit culturally. They want to know what they’re doing right, and they aren’t afraid

the intense and genuine drive to create a space which enriches the local community rather than just taking their cash. When we met to discuss his ideas, David expressed indignation at how a fifth of the city’s population lives on the west bank of the Exe with only a ten pin bowling alley and the now burnt down recreation centre, whilst we on the east side have three cinemas,

A HUGE EXPANSION PLAN, INTENDED TO PUT EXETER’S CULTURAL SCENE ON THE MAP No wonder that David Lockwood, creative director of The Bike Shed Theatre, has chosen the Quay as the backdrop to his bold development ambitions. In the early summer of 2015, The Bike Shed announced a huge expansion plan intended to put Exeter’s cultural scene on the map, merging the products of local artists and entrepreneurs with innovative creative work from across the globe. Having acquired the financial support of Exeter Town Quay Trust - a body driven by charitable objectives, including the production of culture - David and his team christened their new acquisition “The Boat Shed” and set to work with architectural practice Howarth Thompkins to begin dusting away the cobwebs of the old Maritime Museum. This summer, the first fruits of their labour will be offered up to the public as £25,000 is raised and invested into a pop-up programme which will see the semi-derelict warehouse brought back to life. The sprawling building will host a theatre, a gallery, an ice cream parlour, a mini golf course, a music festival, a craft market and a cocktail bar for just a few blissful weeks this summer - a test run for the final, permanent fixture which is anticipated to open in 2021. The vision for The Boat Shed is complex to say the least. Although eventually it will be a modern day agora, with fifty small businesses listing it as their address and a (six-configuration!) 251 seat theatre, this development will cost a phenomenal £6 million. The project team are unwilling to plug so much capital into the venture until they are absolutely sure that their vision is shared with and loved by the local community - hence the pop up programme this summer, which

performances developed within a thirty mile radius and work produced by creatives worldwide would help to continue fostering local talent whilst encouraging refreshing exterior engagement. A three year limit on subtenancies will preclude stagnation of resident creatives’ products and keep fresh talent coming through the door. The building and its contents will be inspired by Exeter’s trading history, drawing on the concept of globalisation and the incredible results that cross-continentally sharing ideas, materials and skill can yield. On a structural level, Howarth Thompkins will employ their trademark “scrape and reveal” approach to bring the warehouse back to life with as much loyalty and respect for its original features as is possible in creating a modern and workable space. There is plenty of work to do - the currently dark and dour top floor, intended as a rehearsal space, will be revolutionised with skylights and balconies; hazardous, uneven floors will be smoothed; doors and openings will be made in walls to create an open plan flow for footfall through the building; rotting shutters over full length windows will be replaced with weather and child-proof fixtures; rickety stairs will be renovated and a lift fitted for access purposes - but the structure will retain its history, dignity and originality. It will be transformed without being made unrecognisable.

THE BUILDING AND ITS CONTENTS WILL BE INSPIRED BY EXETER’S TRADING HISTORY

Photos: The Bike Shed Theatre

to be told what has failed. As they see things, it’s impossible to create a space that is both original and useful without making a few mistakes along the way. It’s difficult to imagine a business with better ethical and social intent than The Boat Shed. From sourcing their hard furnishings from a local ex-offenders initiative - Landworks, who use reclaimed scaffolding planks from the Dartington Estate to construct their products - to

five theatres, endless restaurants and artisanal shopping opportunities, all often within walking distance. The Boat Shed, it is hoped, will be the first step in fostering a similarly diverse cultural experience on the other side of the river. Exeter used to be the third richest city in the world, and David is heartbroken by the escalating process of interiorisation which he sees as closing doors for our little city. His intention to see The Boat Shed’s theatre programme split evenly between

As much time, energy and money as this new venture will swallow up, David is by no means neglecting his foundational project, The Bike Shed. He promises that The Boat Shed will work symbiotically with The Bike Shed; the hope is that the larger, more diverse space on the Quay will provide a financial stability which will allow the 54 person max capacity space in town to become a more adventurous space to incubate new talent and take artistic risks. The Boat Shed will also mimic its parent venture in certain aspects; for example, fronting the house with a bar rather than a formal space for the box office. It will attempt to replicate the organic practices and spatial management David and his team have so successfully instated in The Bike Shed. In terms of up and coming ventures, The Boat Shed is without doubt the most innovative and unique work in progress Exeter currently boasts. In a few years’ time, it will be the place to eat, drink, shop, play, educate and - well - be merry.

EXHIBIT

ARTS + LIT

EDITORS: Tash Ebbutt and Emma Bessent

20 MAR 2017 |

A jolly good show Victoria Bos, Science Editor and Ellie Cook review the highlights of our on-campus theatre’s spring programme

who, which meant no one person could get exactly what they wanted. This corresponded with areas of the brain and is the brain’s natural state, however when all areas corresponded with another, or all family members agreed on what was going to happen, a seizure occurred.

BEYOND MY CONTROL Northcott Theatre, Exeter 9 March

AAbAbAa

ATHEMATICS and theatre, to many, would appear to be as different as chalk and cheese. Whilst the former revolves around certainty and logic, the latter favours flexibility, creativity and emotion. So, it was incredibly interesting to see the announcement of Beyond My Control, a collaboration between the Northcott Theatre and The University of Exeter Mathematics Department. Performed on Thursday 9th March, the one act show promised an examination of “epilepsy, excitability and all things neurological” and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Upon entering, the audience was met with an intimate setting, with four of the five actors already on stage. As the show began, we were played testimonies from those who suffered from epilepsy and seizures. A technique used throughout the show, this was incredibly effective as it gave a human element to the otherwise alien concepts being explained to us.

THE ONE ACT SHOW PROMISED AN EXAMINATION OF “...ALL THINGS NEUROLOGICAL” We then launched into the core of the show, which analysed the causes of seizures and the mathematics surrounding them. Whilst the scientific basis was examined, more so a simplified method of explanation was used; the brain family. This was a theoretical family made up of a father, mother, daughter and boyfriend. All four parties had different desires, and set paths of who could influence

Arts in the news

THE SHOW WAS SURPRISINGLY HUMOROUS This simplified method proved extremely effective, meaning even those who had never come into contact with the biological processes could understand the workings. The audience were later told the performance was to be toured around local schools, and I have no doubt even younger audiences will understand what is going on. For such a serious subject matter the show was surprisingly humorous, with the family dynamics being used to their full potential to leave the audience chuckling. The show also made use of some audience participation, however I would question whether this was necessary. It involved an audience member “playing the game” and selecting which family member’s desire should be increased. However, this disrupted the pace of the overall show and didn’t offer anything which couldn’t have been instigated by the ‘host’ character who was leading us through the performance. However, in all, Beyond My Control definitely exceeded my expectations. Providing entertainment and education, the production was simple, but effective. In the Q&A session which followed the show the organisers confirmed they were going to try and further the partnership between the University and the Northcott, exploring more topics through the medium of theatre. If these future projects are anywhere close to the quality of Beyond My Control, it is definitely something to keep an eye out for in the future.

WOW festival cancels contraversial talk with Thordis Elva and her rapist

LEVIATHAN Northcott Theatre, Exeter 6 March

AAbAbAa B

XETER Northcott Theatre welcomed James Wilton Dance on Monday 6th March to a captivated crowd; this was obvious from the start. Having very limited experience myself with dance, the conversations being struck up around me- that dripped with technical terms that, frankly, bemused me- was an intimidating start to the performance. I was worrying unnecessarily, however, as you don’t have to be a dance or choreography aficionado to be enthralled by LEVIATHAN.

A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE The performance has its roots in the Herman Melville’s famous tale of Moby Dick, and crafts a beautiful story of the antagonism between man and nature. What the dancers succeed in conveying from very early on in the performance is the power of both forces; there are too many nuances of the performance, and the spectacular fashion in which the dancers moved around the space, to comment on them all, yet a few really do stick in the mind. The supposedly evolved human, bathed in orange light, was filled with such aggression that what the audience may certainly see as a primal beast in a human skinthat thinks itself superior- is far less noble than the majestic creature that is the interpretation of Melville’s whale. What is almost painfully clear from the pursuit of the whale is that any comment the performance makes on humanity is not necessarily complimentary. Even the light-

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie criticised for comments on transgender women’s experience

ing used to illuminate the dancers hammers home this message: the orange used for the humans, alongside their dark and unremarkable clothing, seems to contaminate the purity of the whales dressed in white and drenched in blue light. The entire production was a showcase of shape and impression; the narrative unfolded without any kind of dialogue, and to be able to chart its progression is a real testament to the talent of the dancers. Props were scarce, yet the use of ropes to further the narrative and the message within it deserve a mention. The humans and whales being entangled in them couldn’t be a more blatant statement; seeing the whale cocooned and struggling in these binds with the human a stoic and unyielding presence to its suffering is almost a direct translation of the images we are all familiar with: the devastation that human influence wreaks on the ocean. Symbolically, one of the most memorable moments must be a section involving one of the most charged metaphors possible: the noose. The energy of how the human pursues the whale with the noose cannot be anything but food for thought, and had the entire audience watching in sombre enchantment. The production remarked upon the age-old conundrum of what it means to be human. One of the most potent images is that of Ahab, the tireless captain, standing tall on the right side of the stage. From him, in a descending staircase of evolution, come his crew. Positioned this way, James Wilton Dance presented us, the audience, with a challenging exposition of the inner core of humanity, whether we choose to see it as a condemnation of humans having evolved so far to still be inherently cruel, or as something else entirely. A clear consensus emerges: it is an arresting and pertinent physical reimagining of the novel, and in our controversial world of global warming and animal rights, it is hard to think of a piece that would have more social resonance.

All-female ‘Posh’ to open at Pleasance Theatre this month

EXHIBIT

ARTS + LIT

EDITORS: Emma Bessent and Tash Ebbutt

Free the nipple

20 MAR 2017 |

Bea Fones, Comment Editor, bares all in the name of art

HEN I first considered modelling for a life-drawing class, I was pretty gung-ho about it all, and emailed into the University’s Art Society to get a slot. Some of my friends had done it, I pride myself on being body-positive, and who am I really, if I can’t practice what I preach? I got an email asking me to come in that week, so naturally I… chickened out. Yep. I I emailed in saying I didn’t have enough time. Lies. My neighbour at the time was the coordinator for Life Drawing at the Art Society, so I felt pretty bad for bailing, but then again, I felt kind of awkward about running into people on campus who would have seen the parts of me I’d usually rather keep covered.

I BIT THE BULLET AND SHRUGGED OFF THE ROBE The next time I heard about it, a friend had modelled for a life-drawing group in Alphington, and I decided to give it a whirl. Getting in touch with the group was fairly simple, and before long I’d arranged to go for my first session a couple of weeks later. I banished it from my mind with little more than a cursory mental assertion that I’d need to make sure I went to the gym a fair amount before then. We can credit ancient Greek civilisation with much of the early development of life drawing. With a religious tradition based on the human body and humanistic principles, artists were required to study the naked human form and underlying anatomy. The image of nude bodies almost completely disappeared from western art for the whole of the Dark Ages, other than when required by the demands of Christian iconography. The Church and artists only depicted nudity if presented as shamed or damaged, as with Adam and Eve

being driven from Paradise. More positive representations of the human form returned with the Renaissance masters such as Masaccio, Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Raphael. The rest, as they say, is history! Throughout the nineteenth century, study of the female nude was not encouraged due to a number or reasons; perhaps most significantly the Victorian view of it being “un-Christian” for a woman to expose her nakedness before unmarried male students. That the female nude was so revered in association with beauty and divinity, but the model posing for these paintings became shunned by Christian society, is typical of the sexual hypocrisy and misogyny of the times. Back to my experience. The day came. I had not been to the gym. I was, putting it mildly, shit scared. I met the coordinator of the group who gave me a lift to Alphington, and after a bit of awkward chat, I went to change into my robe in a room off to the side of the studio at the community centre. My heart was in my mouth when I came out to face the circle of artists, and lovely though they all were, the novelty and strangeness of the situation was making me nervous.

I bit the bullet and shrugged off the robe after testing a couple of sat positions for the session. The Alphintgton class runs their sessions for two hours with short breaks in-between (much needed, as I’ve found that some positions are particularly cramp-inducing!) The first twenty minutes or so were… challenging. I’d been warned by a friend about this, but for some reason I started shaking uncontrollably (weird) and sweating (ew) only a couple of minutes into the sitting. I imagine it was nervousness and the unfamiliar exertion of staying absolutely still for longer periods of time. It’s also fairly… How do I put this? Well, boring. You’re sat for two hours, essentially doing nothing. But you soon get used to letting your thought process run away with you and so the time doesn’t drag quite as much. Also, word to the wise for anyone considering it, try not to make eye contact with the artists; rather fix your eyes on a spot on the wall above their heads. If you lock eyes with someone who is scrutinizing your unclothed form, it’s just a bit awkward for everyone involved. That said, part of the odd nature of the experience of life-modelling for the first time is

that to the artists, you might as well be a plant or a piece of fruit. We associate nudity with sexuality, but that honestly couldn’t be further from the case with life-drawing. I’m shaking, my left foot is in agony, the guy to my right has been trying to draw my profile for the last twenty minutes, broken his charcoal and looks like he might cry. It’s not as elegant and romantic as you may think, folks. But there’s a certain beauty in looking at the output afterwards; that a group of strangers could create such amazing and creative pieces based on my body, which I’ve often been at war with, something I’m sure a lot of people would empathise with. And some of those paintings and drawings really managed to capture me. I’d really recommend the Alphington Sunday Art Class to anyone considering giving life modelling a go. It’s not the easiest thing, but I’ve modelled a couple of times since, and intend to continue! It’s a new experience, and one which will make you more aware of yourself and accepting of your body and it’s poential! And after all, being paid £30 for a couple of hours of sitting still isn’t all bad.

Artist: Andy Morley; Model: Bea Fones

Take a much needed break from deadlines... Arts + Lit reveal some of Exeter’s thrilling perfomances! Dracula: The Bloody Truth The Northcott Theatre 30th March -1st April

Be warned, this is something you’ll want to sink your teeth into...

Wail Theatre Royal Plymouth 28th March- 1st April Get in touch with your musical side this break!

Samuel Beckett’s End Game Exeter Phoenix 4th April - 5th April A plethora of dark, macabre comedy

YOUR EVERYDAY EXETER ESSENTIAL

£12

YEAR

£32

£22

YEARS

BUY NOW AT NUS.ORG.UK OR GUILD INFO POINT

music

Goodbye Exeposé my old friend Coming to the end of their tenure, the Exeposé Music team reflect on their time spent at the paper’s best section

RORY MARCHAM

HELEN PAYNE

SAM NORRIS

HARRY WILLIAMS

1. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run 2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver 3. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan 4. Radiohead - Kid A 5. Aracde Fire - The Suburbs

1. The National -Boxer 2. Arcade Fire - Funeral 3. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid 4. The Antlers - Burst Apart 5. - James Blake - James Blake

1. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells 2. Beck - Odelay 3. Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album) 4. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles 5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

1. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 2. Johnny Hobo + the Freight Trains - Love Songs For The Apocalypse 3. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo 4. DARKSIDE - Psychic 5. The Microphones - The Glow Pt 2

Highlight from being on Exeposé Committee:

The Laura Marling press conference at Goldsmiths, University of London. Rummaging around the treasure trove that is the Exeposé Music email I came across the opportunity to take part in the fairly unique and exclusive event (by far my most professional journalistic endeavour to date).

So many to choose from! I‘ve done a couple of cool interviews, but probably the best thing was somehow blagging a press pass to Latitude Festival last summer,managing to see The National, The Maccabees, Beirut, and SO many more in exchange for a write up.

Highlight from being on Exeposé Committee: Running around exhausted after Slaves played the Great Hall, trying to find themto interview them having failed to secure anything formally, getting patronised and shot down by every bored bald bloke left in the building, leaving with the knowledge that we got close.

Favourtie Exeter Venue:

Phoenix

Cavern (RIP)

Firehouse

Best Exeter Gig:

Best Exeter Gig

Michael Kiwanuka @ Phoenix

Muse @ Great Hall

Favourite Local Band:

Favourite Local Band

Psychopomp

Flaws Above

Black Foxxes

Highlight from being on Exeposé Committee: We did a competition with HMV to win a record player. It was a careful negotiation of integrity: originally HMV wanted to give away 10 shit albums and for us to include a whole pre-written article. We denied like scrappy little heroes - they let us do what we wanted while still enjoying corporate power. Delicious.

Favourtie Exeter Venue: Kay House (lol)

Best Exeter Gig Jack Garratt @ Cavern

Favourite Local Band Lipstick Jumpsuit

EXHIBIT

| MUSIC

EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

Album closers

20 MAR 2017

Samuel Fawcett, Online Features Editor, and Theo Stone, Online Editor, have their say on the best album closers. ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’ Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home ‘Bringing It All Back Home’ is one of Dylan’s most underrated albums, so it’s only fitting that it closes with one of his most underrated songs. It perfectly fits the surrealist tone of the album with lyrics such as ‘the sky, too, is folding under you’ while weaving in spectacular imagery: ‘crying like a fire in the sun’. Not only that, but the chord progressions and bassline are perfectly crafted and the vocals, for Dylan, are good. So ‘strike another match, go start anew, and it’s all over now, baby blue’.

‘Saturday Sun’ Nick Drake Five Leaves Left I’m something of a philistine when it comes to Nick Drake, as I still prefer Five Leaves Left to Pink Moon. It is such a deceptive album, as it’s frequently jazz-inflected, sometimes jaunty timings can give tracks an upbeat feel that hide their inner tensions, and Saturday Sun is the prime example. With the laid-back piano and brush kit, it would function perfectly well as an easy-listening track, but once you hear the ominous closing lines ‘but Saturday’s sun has turned to Sunday’s rain’ you can never listen to it again without hearing the notes of forlorn longing and loss that haunts every Nick Drake track.

‘Supper’s Ready’ Genesis Foxtrot I’m cheating a little bit here. This 23-minute epic isn’t so much a closing song as almost an entire side of vinyl. Nonetheless, ‘Supper’s Ready’ represents the very peak of progressive rock as a genre, and acts as a defining statement of its potential. Beginning as a gentle twelve-string ballad, ‘Supper’s Ready’ quickly takes a turn for the insane, and leaps from music hall to hard rock, and everything in between, before climaxing in one of the finest seven minutes put to record. It’s a staggering achievement, and one that defined the trope of the album-closing epic, a facet often copied, but never perfected in the way they did.

‘Purple Rain’ Prince Purple Rain Purple Rain is Prince. It’s a perfect, unfiltered statement of who he was and what he represented, stuffed into nine gripping minutes. Recorded live in 1983, Prince laments heartbreak, oozes sexuality, and grapples with a guitar solo that’s gone on to bear the standard for his work. It’s a fascinating and utterly compelling spectacle that closes out one hell of an album. Its almost Wagnerian pomp grabs you by the lapels and throws you head-first into an soirée of catatonic proportions. It’s sad, enlightening, reflective and bombastic all at once, and it’s the perfect way to close out the night.

Going solo

Molly Gilroy delves into the psyche of the solo artist and whether it’s worth going it alone

OU wake up, scroll through Facebook and read; “‘X’, from the band ‘Y’, proposes a solo endeavour”, and instantly fear the worst. A solo album? Surely the demise of the band is inevitable? Too often, rather than seeing the birth of artistic creativity, we feel betrayed, panicking over the future of our beloved band. Yet, let’s rewind... shouldn’t we become more optimistic about such news? A band member’s ability to individually experiment, is more likely to prolong their endurance, side projects offering an alternative sonic styles and outlets from collective stylistic constraints. And, if solo material becomes a by-product of a bands break up, surely this offers us some nostalgic threads to hold onto?

SURELY, THE DEMISE OF THE BAND IS INEVITABLE? Experimentation and flexibility are understandably key lures of ‘going solo’. Whether under a pseudonym, such as Mark Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon (from former Red House Painters) or not so, solo material means more than a supposed ‘betrayal’ of the band. Sonically, it

offers freedom; Sun Kil Moon allowed Kozelek the opportunity to play with his fascination of Spanish guitar more overtly. This is not a betrayal of Red House Painters; even in Sun Kil Moon performances, Kozelek creates new, vivid renditions of ‘Have you Forgotten’, directly encompassing and modifying his origins, whilst in the sphere of his own solo career.

MORRISSEY WAS EXPECTED TO FAIL WITHOUT MARR’S INFLUENCE Solo endeavours offer creative reinvention and openings; Bon Iver’s pianist and drummer, S. Carey, sparked a solo career in harmony with working with Iver. His 2014 album Range of Light, allows for a more personal engagement with music, drawing on his own passion for nature, the album inspired by the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The album is delicate and personal, something Carey is unable to project in Bon Iver’s project. Similarly, Cameron Avery, as the touring bassist for Tame Impala, released his debut album this year, filled with luscious melodies floating in 20th century romance and passion and encompassed in

songs such as ‘Wasted on Fidelity’ and ‘Cest Toi’. With Tame Impala on a break after the release of Currents, this offered Avery a practical opportunity to engage with melodies reminiscent of Etta James and Sinatra, unlikely to ever fit within Tame Impala’s vision. Situations may render an artist to ‘go solo’ - a classic example being Morrissey’s Viva Hate. Released six months after The Smiths’ final album (Strangeways Strangeways Here We Come) Come) and 1987 breakup, Morrissey was contractually obliged to release more material, yet expected to fail without Marr’s influence. Morrissey’s debut is a fascinating case of the progression from a bands collective vision to the individual’s talent. Whilst pretty much sounding like a Smiths album, with Stephen Street involved in the production, Viva Hate offered Morrissey a final reminiscent look back on the band, whilst creating his own distinction, with singles such as ‘Suedehead’. Solo material is exciting and fresh. We never know quite what underlying creative outlets artists have whilst they are consumed by a collective endeavour. Rewind once more: You wake

up, scroll through Facebook and read; “‘X’, from the band ‘Y’, proposes a solo endeavour’; and think, ‘I cant wait’.

EXHIBIT

EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

MUSIC

20 MAR 2017

Does live music still matter?

Sakshi Raizada questions whether live music has a place in our society of streaming

E’VE all seen some kind of live music event. Be it Glastonbury Festival, a Coldplay concert, a group of buskers warbling covers of Ed Sheeran in the high street, or even just the Ram Jam on a Thursday night. Obviously some resonate with us as more impressive experiences than others, but often even the most questionable of live performances have a certain charm to them. After all, it’s a more ‘human’ experience – people performing their music in the flesh, showcasing their flaws along with their assets; just some raw, musical passion and (mostly) no autotune. That’s incomparable, right?

LIVING IN A DIGITAL AGE CAN BE INESCAPABALE However, with the accessibility of music becoming increasingly easier through a combination of Spotify, Apple Music, and some notso-legal online streaming services that many of us will be familiar with, the value of the music industry has already come into question in this ‘digital age’ we find ourselves in. With the launch

d� � A��n P��va�

as inescapable but not necessarily the end-all for live music. In fact, there are numerous ways digital technology has worked to its advantage. Live Nation Entertainment, for instance – the largest producer of live music concerts in the world, and owner of Ticketmaster. Using today’s technological advances to create more opportunities for live performances, they’ve been able to optimise the live music experience through methods such as simplifying the ticket-display process through mobile apps, to expanding the ways brands and advertisers can reach audiences. Obviously there are downsides to the technologies these companies employ, one being the rise of pesky automated bots buying and re-selling tickets. Nevertheless, the benefits suggest that live music doesn’t have to be compromised, but rather enhanced by the innovations in today’s digital world.

of the UK’s first ever live music census this year, the cultural and economic value of live music is being assessed on a national scale; an attempt to uncover challenges facing both artists and music venues. Along with this comes the concern of its results; the deciphering of whether live music should still be considered relevant, or simply a strain upon industry organisations and policy bodies. So – should it be relevant? The UK Live Music Census, a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, aims to address a variety of issues raised by live music events. Volunteers will be surveying all aspects of live music performances; musicians, venues, promoters and audience members, in order to provide a comprehensive dataset to assess the value and scope of live music across the UK. In other words, it will help local councils make more informed decisions than ever before about the relevance of live music in their areas, and therefore help the preservation and the flourishing of what is considered a most valuable component of local character in towns and cities all over the UK. As for the question of the overwhelming fear of tumbling into a Black Mirror-esque musical dystopia, living in a ‘digital age’ can be seen

S � P�� & �� B r�� B ��e�

Mi�h��

WE SKIP SONGS FOR INSTANT GRATIFICAITON Lastly, to reiterate the more emotional aspect of live music, regardless of its industrial and economic outcomes, should live music as

k�

K�w��

a concept still matter to us when we have access to music in so many other forms? To put this into perspective, think about the last time a song made you cry, or one you adored so much you put it on repeat for a week. Now think about hearing that song live; whether by the original act or the impressive cover by a budding artist, reverberating around others who’d been just as moved by that track. Certainly there are moments when we’d rather enjoy that in solitude; being able to incessantly skip songs to whichever song we please due to our needs for instant gratification. The commitment required for a whole live set keeps up an element of surprise as well as appreciation of the art in the performer’s choices; something unique and different from simply listening to them on a daily basis through headphones whilst walking to lectures. Live music is the sort of thing that would make you want to attend a gig even at the Lemon Grove if it meant you could hear your friend’s band covering your favourite songs all night long. To put things plainly, the novelty of live music is a musical experience unparalleled by any other, and will undoubtedly matter regardless of whatever new ‘age’ we’re thrown into.

T�� Na� i�n��

oc� D�� Br

Further Listening The upcoming Music Editors pick their favourite songs at the moment Alex Brammer

Maddy Parker

SONG OF THE WEEK

Chloë Edwards

George Stamp

Alt-J ‘3WW’

Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos ‘Slide’

Loyle Carner ‘Damselfly’

Maggie Rodgers

Frank Ocean

‘Alaska’

‘Chanel’

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

AW A R D W I N N I N G

PIE & MASH SNACKS, CAKES, COFFEE

Beer, Cider

& GOOD

TIMES

O P E N M O N D AY T O F R I D AY 1 0 am – 6 pm E X E T E R S T U D E N T S ’ G U I L D – I N D H 1 , U P S TA I R S F R O M C O M I D A 1ST FLOOR, DEVONSHIRE HOUSE, STOKER ROAD EX4 4PZ

screen

Pride of Disney?

Tash Ebbutt, Arts + Lit Editor, praises Disney’s decision to include its first gay character

Beast has recently hit screens, and for the first time in Disney history it includes an openly gay character. The character in question is LeFou, who struggles with his attraction to the villainous Gaston. This has, depressingly, caused controversy across the globe, with the film being withdrawn in Malaysia and prohibited for under 16s in Russia. But Disney are absolutely doing the right thing; they are tackling intolerance, as well as answering a long-standing criticism that their stories are only designed for those who follow heteronormative societal structures. It may only be for what has been termed a fleeting ‘moment’, but that doesn’t make it any less valid as a development. Disney are addressing a key social issue in the face of vehement opposition, even if they only taking baby steps. Although this is technically Disney’s first confirmed gay character, it does not mean that such a characteristic has not been alluded to in the past. Disney may never have granted a gay identity to a character, but within each animation is a long history of LGBT coding. For years, audiences have speculated and theorised about the sexuality of certain characters. One only has to look towards the Lion King for

UEER cinema has a long, rich heritage and now more than ever is the time to be showcasing the wide spectrum of sexualities that exist in our world. In the present day, Disney is a cultural giant, a corporation that exudes its influence on contemporary society from a very early age. This power should indeed introduce its audience to different sexualities, especially as quite a large proportion of said audience are those whose values are still in development: children. This isn’t to say Disney should start including brash scenes which overtly defy the heteronormative narrative, but it is about portraying non-heterosexual relationships in a manner that is unquestioned and is not viewed as what is called ‘other’.

DISNEY IS INDEED TAKING ITS FIRST STEPS Disney is indeed making its first steps in presenting characters that do not fit into the traditional romantic paradigm. The hotly anticipated live action remake of Beauty and the

a diverse range of fan theories. For example, Timon and Pumbaa’s companionship and their adoption of the baby Simba has been said to allude to homosexuality; and then there is the position of Scar as an alpha male who has never found a mate within the pride. Of course, these theories can be viewed as superficial and tinged by stereotypes, yet they suggest that Disney has branched out before.

INCLUSION OF SUCH THINGS WILL HELP DISMISS CERTAIN STIGMAS Personally, I think it is wonderful that Disney is making progressive steps to include other sexualities within their films. Inclusion of such will help dismiss certain stigmas, as well as raise awareness of the range of sexualities. Even though the newest film does not reserve a particularly large role for LeFou’s sexuality, it still represents an effort to better reflect the contemporary society in which these films are produced and enjoyed.

Winter is coming W

Graham Moore evaluates where Game of Thrones left off at the end of series six

INTER is coming, and it arrives 16 July. The white ravens have flown, and the time for speculation is nigh. Those not up to date, do not read on: for the night is dark, and full of spoilers… The series six finale left us with a lot to contemplate. Cersei sits precariously atop the Iron Throne; she has removed her immediate enemies, but seems set to be a weak and erratic ruler. Arya has returned to Westeros, avenging the deaths of her family at the hands of Walder Frey. Sam and Gilly have arrived at Oldtown, just in time for another season of doing absolutely fuck all. Bran has reached the Wall, and prepares to inform Jon Snow that ‘R+L=J’, after which we can assume the new Three-Eyed Raven will return to his favourite pastime of getting high and talking to trees. In Winterfell, Jon has been hailed as King in the North, entering into a tenuous alliance with Littlefinger. In the meantime, Sansa is probably wondering how one goes about getting a restraining order in Westeros. In Dorne, the Sand Snakes contemplate why nobody gives a shit about their plotline. Meanwhile Daenerys, the real MVP, has set out across the sea reinforced by the might of the Dothraki and the Greyjoys, finally returning

to Westeros to claim what she believes is rightfully hers, through Fire and Blood. Series seven will be shorter, at only seven episodes (George R R Martin sure does love the number seven) with series 8 reportedly dropping down to a meagre six episodes. This leaves Thrones with very little screen time in which to conclude its many plotlines, and with enough loose threads to make Cersei an entirely new wardrobe, it seems showrunners Benioff & Weiss have a bit of a juggling act ahead of them.

THIS LEAVES THRONES WITH LITTLE SCREEN TIME TO CONCLUDE PLOTLINES Meanwhile, the always-excellent Jim Broadbent has been brought on board as a yet-unnamed Maester. Personally, I have my fingers crossed for Marwyn ‘the Mage’, a character met in book four (currently, book-Marwyn is on his way to join forces with Daenerys). As for Dany herself, she is likely to quickly find herself in direct conflict with the Lannister crown, and fighting alongside new allies from Dorne and

Highgarden. The depleted and demoralised Lannisters should be no match for the combined might of the Targaryen faction (although surprise defeats are becoming all too unsurprising in Thrones), but what will happen when Daenerys meets the newly-minted King in the North? Let’s face it, they’re probably going to have sex. With Ed Sheeran set to cameo and Daenerys on her way to Jon’s ‘Castle on the Hill’, at least they’ll be doing it in style. From the teaser trailer, it seems that Thrones will be upping the focus on the impending White Walker threat; but the Walkers are no real issue so long as they are behind the Wall. To that end, I think we’ll be seeing the Wall breached by the end of the series. Expect a healthy dose of zombie hordes (personally, I’m holding out for the mythical giant ice-spiders). Meanwhile, Westeros will still be in turmoil, and wholly unprepared – else we would have very little plot to be going on with. Euron Greyjoy is still loose and scheming, Cersei and her pet Mountain are notoriously hard to get rid of (and I’m still waiting for ‘Cleganebowl’). With the Walkers loose on a land filled with thousands of newly-created corpses, series seven is going to set a bloody and momentous stage for the final run.

EXHIBIT

20 MAR 2017

EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

SCREEN

Curtains on cinema? E

Callum Newens looks at the future of the cinema industry

VERY year that passes seemingly signals more doom and gloom for the cinema. Headlines are constantly written about the impending death of the multiplex, and its various causes. From HBO’s movie-quality series such as Game of Thrones and Westworld, the rise of streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, and the ease of piracy offering viable alternatives, to the ever-increasing cost of a cinema ticket, the annoyance of other people talking or on their phones, or the fact no one wanted to see The LEGO Batman Movie with you because apparently it’s a kids movie that isn’t worth trekking all the way to the Odeon for. Cinema arguably faces more competition and attendance deterrents than ever before. However, will the silver screen ever get to the point of dying for good?

TODAY THERE ARE MORE CONVENIENT WAYS OF CONSUMING MEDIA Arguably, the biggest threat to the cinema today is the availability of cheaper and more convenient ways of consuming media. Cinema attendance took a major hit in the 1960s and 1970s due to the fact many families now owned televisions, which received hours of programming every day and could later play movies via VHS. Now cinema has to contend with television,

DVDs, and streaming services, as well as the rise of new industries such as video games. Furthermore, in spite of the overly dramatic noughties advert that proclaimed that ‘you wouldn’t steal a car’ and hence ‘you wouldn’t steal a movie’, piracy is an epidemic, with websites containing pirated content receiving more than 146 million visits every day. With the latest blockbusters available in HD and only a Google search away, even those that aren’t that internet-savvy can access all the films that the cinemas offer, for free. Most oft-proclaimed as the ‘cinema-killer’ is streaming platforms, and this is certainly a rising threat. Whilst Netflix was previously competing with the cinema indirectly by offering people a cheap platform to watch a wide range of movies instead of going to the cinema, the local multiplex was the only place to legally watch the latest blockbusters for at least three months. Now it’s competing with the cinema experience directly. Vowing to spend $6 billion on original content in 2017, Netflix is producing cinemastandard movies that are released exclusively on the platform. With pictures from A-list actors such as Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, and Hollywood directors such as Duncan Jones (Warcraft, Moon) and David Ayer (Fury and Suicide Squad, unfortunately), people will no longer need to flock to the cinema to see massive blockbusters. And that’s not to mention the plethora of movie-quality series it offers. Why bother leaving the house when you

can watch all eight hours of Stranger Things on Netflix for free because you know your flatmate’s password? Perhaps things aren’t so apocalyptic though. According to the UK Cinema Association, admission statistics are relatively steady. Since 2000, UK cinemas have been visited by more than 150 million people every year, with the statistics not showing a general decrease year on year. Despite these aforementioned threats, the cinema is continuing to hold steady.

THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF GOING TO THE CINEMA IS SPECIAL What makes the cinema such a staple is the fact it cannot be recreated as an experience. Old forms of media die out because they are replaced by a better alternative. Bulky VHS tapes were replaced by more versatile DVDs, which are currently losing market share to the convenience of streaming. But the cinema cannot be taken over by a superior media form, at least yet. Sure you can watch Gravity at home, but on a tablet, laptop or even on a 4K TV, it won’t be as mind-blowing as it was in the cinema. Yes you can pirate Avatar for free, but on your computer the graphics won’t blow you away enough to

disguise Sam Worthington’s total lack of charisma. Watching the latest blockbusters on the big screen will always provide the best way of watching a film, and is a pastime that cannot be recreated anywhere else. When Interstellar and the new Star Wars was released, I insisted that my friends watch it with me in IMAX. Though I get the usual complaints that £17 is a lot of money for one film, everyone afterwards agrees that it is worth it for the visual spectacle of those films projected on a screen that’s over 100m squared. Finally, the cinema arguably holds a special place in many people’s hearts. There’s something about going out and watching a film with friends and family that watching Netflix in your room cannot replicate. The group atmosphere and shared experience of a cinema is special. And who doesn’t have fond memories of going to the cinema for birthday parties, going with your friends when you were 11 as your first taste of independence, or seeing your first 15-rated film and feeling like a proper adult? Though sometimes there’s old popcorn on the floor, the cinema is, for many, a fun experience that we’re willing to spend money on. So will the cinema ever die? Unlikely. It will continue to be challenged, and will have to regularly innovate in order to stay on top. But until I can have an IMAX screen in my house, I’m going to be first in line at the cinema to see Avengers: Infinity War on opening night.

It’s goodbye from us... As their tenure comes to an end, Screen Editors Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar list their favourite movie endings

The Third Man (1949)

The Good The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Thelma and Louise (1991)

Students of all years

Women in Business 1 week • Paid

Career Open Day

Summer Internships

1 day

6-8 weeks • Paid

Students of all years

Boost your employability

Penultimate year students

Work Placement

Talent Academies

11 months • Paid

2-5 days

Sandwich or placement students

First to final year students

The experience stays with you We’ve got lots of different work experience programmes for every year of study, so you can learn more about our business and boost your employability. They’ll help you make an informed decision about which of our career opportunities is best for you. Some could even lead to a job. Join us. We’re focused on helping you reach your full potential.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/work-experience

/pwccareersuk

@pwc_uk_careers

047652-340x268_work-exp.indd 1

/pwc_uk

Create value through diversity. Be yourself, be different.

11/01/2017 16:03

EXHIBIT

20 MAR 2017

STUDY BREAK

STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD # 97

SUDOKU # 34

1/22D Secret (seasonal?) computing code

2 A Valencian friend? (5) 3 T.E.D. nerd (anagram) - was popular on

sequence (6,3) 5 Part of the week (after 1 on April 11, 2017?) (6)

social media (7)

8 Tweak (4-4)

4 Childlike - rude doyen (anagram) (5-4)

9 Fasting period starting forty days before 1 5 (4)

5 That woman (3)

10/13 Public holiday (April 9 this year) (4,6)

6 Synthetic fabric (5)

11 Honestly - fairly (8)

7 Tunnel A (anagram) - small ring (7)

13 See 10

12 A 21 given up for 9 - sweet! (9)

15 Taking place at a place (2-4)

14 Greek wine - stainer (anagram) (7)

17 Deal with (a problem, say) (6,2)

16 Lighting up (that’s forsaken for 9?) (7)

19 Approximately (2,2)

18 Throw out (5)

21 Weakness (4)

20 Strict - rear (5)

22 (Test) invigilator (8)

22 See 1 Across

23 Disorderly - rabble (6) 24 Motor (6)

ANSWERS

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Down

Across

Find the SEVEN differences...

Photo: Sachi Minami

Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, JMJ’s moustache Kat’s twin sister (Kit), Owain loving England rugby, Spot the Difference: Giant Theo, Exeposé hand Annulet, 12 Chocolate, 14 Retsina, 16 Smoking, 18 Eject, 20 Stern. Down: 2 Amigo, 3 Trended, 4 Round-eyed, 5 She, 6 Nylon, 7 Vice, 22 Examiner, 23 Ragtag, 24 Engine. Good Friday, 11 Decently, 15 On-site, 17 Attend to, 19 Or so, 21 Across: 1/22D Easter egg, 5 Sunday, 8 Fine-tune, 9 Lent, 10/13

games+tech

My opinion is better than yours A

Evan Jones discusses whether some gaming opinions are more equal than others

BUSIVE and inconsiderate comments are sadly the norm when it comes to Internet forums. Certain cretins seem to rather enjoy beaming out whatever furious and foul-mouthed thoughts pop into their heads without pausing for a second to think whether: a) the comment is pleasant, b) the comment is useful or c) the comment is necessary. But little did I expect to see this topic come so sharply into focus just after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the critically acclaimed launch title for the brand new Nintendo Switch console. For those who don’t follow video games and/or live under a rock (delete as applicable), allow me to fill you in. This new Zelda title from Nintendo has received the most unprecedented wave of perfect scores, the reviews bursting to the seams with praise, meaning it flaunted a very healthy 98% on that well-known oracle of a site called Metacritic. The diehard Zelda fanatics were over the moon. Finally, their loyalty to one of the oldest franchises in gaming history had seen them handsomely rewarded, and as such they danced themselves silly all over the World Wide Web. It truly seemed that everything was well. But then something awful happened. The Metacritic score dropped. By one point. To

97%. And it was because a man on the Internet known as Jim Sterling gave the game a score of seven out of ten, claiming it was simply good. Not incredible, not groundbreaking, not the career high watermark every other critic under the sun had proclaimed it to be, just… good. After all, we know Metacritic is the be all and end all when it comes to what games (not to mention films, TV programmes and music, etc) are the best in your own individual opinion. So the diehard Zelda fanatics had the most humane and rational of responses to this small piece of news: death threats and DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. Bet you haven’t heard that one before, huh? The point here is that just because one

person’s opinion went against the grain, despite their well-reasoned and succinctly argued points, a bunch of people decided that was unacceptable and sought to claim their own form of justice. That people just refuse to listen to one another if they are not already of the same opinion, that the opinions start getting treated as if they are facts, and that the facts just get thrown out the window altogether. If this doesn’t sound terrifyingly familiar then, unless you have been on such a level of terror that the feeling no longer surprises you, perhaps you truly have been m b.co d g I living under a rock ge: Ima for the past year or so. I dearly hope that isn’t the case, rocks aren’t very comfortable places to live under. There isn’t a solution to this

Fix-It Felix

problem that hasn’t already been said but since history is naturally doomed to repeat itself, you just have to keep telling people again and again until they eventually realise. The world wouldn’t work if we all thought the exact same things, had the same exact skills, and played the exact same parts. Every video game needs its designers and programmers and artists and writers and composers and producers, and so forth. But it’s only the great ones where all these different parts come together, complementing each other and working as one whole, not as various factions in between.

PEOPLE REFUSE TO LISTEN IF THEY ARE NOT ALREADY OF THE SAME OPINION For as long as there is media, there will be critics. It would be a shame if we lost part of the diversity that they bring to such a community, provided they deliver strong arguments and keen insight into the work they critique. This is how I think we can gain a better understanding of the world we live in. As a certain Lord Byron once said, “Opinions are made to be changed – or how is truth to be got at?”

James Freeth, Online Games + Tech Editor, talks PewDiePie, creative freedom, and the future of YouTube

EWDIEPIE, AKA Felix Kjellburg, is the world’s most subscribed YouTuber by a fair margin. Over 53 million people want to see what he’s got to offer, and last month what he had to offer was a placard with an anti-Semitic slogan on it. Essentially, in order to demonstrate how easy it was to pay people to do something ‘absurd’, he paid two men to hold up a sign saying ‘death to all Jews’. Unsurprisingly, paying men to advocate the genocide of the Jewish people prompted both Google and Disney to terminate their contracts with PewDiePie. He went on to blame the mainstream media for sabotaging his business relationships, justifying his actions by saying it was a joke. Yes, I’m aware it was a joke. Everyone knows it was supposed to be a joke. Just because critics don’t find it funny doesn’t mean they don’t understand the intention. No one genuinely thinks you took a break from playing computer games for the entertainment of teenagers to make a serious point about ethnic cleansing. Whether you found it funny or despicable, the fact it happened at all, and the media coverage surrounding it, reveals the bigger issue. He said these things to an audience that he consciously aims at children and teenagers, with the genuine ex-

pectation that he wouldn’t face a backlash from his corporate sponsors. Here is a man who made an elaborate, pre-planned anti-Semitic joke to an audience he knows is mostly composed of impressionable young people while under contract from Disney, and who accordingly got a negative reaction in the mainstream media.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MAKE THEIR LIVELIHOODS FROM THIS PLATFORM We’re living in a world where a Swedish video gamer has a direct line of communication to a group of people larger than the population of England. His word is arguably more influential than Nigel Farage’s, and definitely more than Nick Clegg’s, easily comparable to a major TV show. Imagine if Doctor Who had a humourous subplot about the Rwandan civil war, or if the latest Pokémon game encouraged children to commit crimes like trespassing or cock fighting. On second thoughts, maybe the Pokémon example isn’t very good. This article isn’t here to pass moral judgement on PewDiePie, or to decree what should

and shouldn’t be said on YouTube, but to raise awareness of how these arguments might affect the platform’s future. YouTube was once a bastion of unrestricted creative freedom, but popular channels are increasingly more corporate than many ‘traditional’ media outlets. Sponsorship deals, secret endorsements, and defamation lawsuits have been part of the YouTube community for years now. This latest PewDiePie incident serves as a perfect demonstration that video content creation is a far more controlled, monitored environment than many (including PewDiePie, apparently) assume. Google and Disney were well within their rights to drop ‘Pewds’ from their respective contracts, but some are saying it should go further, that he should be dropped from YouTube entirely. Should tight restrictions be put on channels that make content specifically aimed at non-adults? Should YouTube let the free market dictate what’s wrong and what’s right and simply reap the rewards? Thousands of people are making their livelihoods from this platform, and some are even becoming millionaires from it, so the issue isn’t

Wikimedia just one of free speech semantics. The long-term results of these sort of Commons media events could influence the livelihood of thousands, and perhaps even influence the worldview of millions. It might pay to be aware of how they pan out, and to take note of what YouTube’s future m a y be.

EXHIBIT

GAMES + TECH

EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

20 MAR 2017

��S? Edward Whiles reviews the robotic Horizon Zero Dawn Image: Sony Computer Entetainment Europe

HORIZON ZERO DAWN Guerrilla Games PlayStation 4 2017

aAAAAB

HE apocalypse, ahh the apocalypse. We’ve had the irradiated off-greens of Fallout 3, the broken down cityscapes of The Last of Us and the sleek, yet sheltered, Destiny, but never has a post-cataclysmic world looked this good. Horizon Zero Dawn sits at the pinnacle of visual fidelity on consoles, and is a fitting reminder of the benefits of console exclusives. An action-adventure role-playing experience, it feels at times like a ‘best of’ fusion of such gaming stalwarts as Far Cry, Assassin's Creed and The Witcher. Whilst not without its faults, Guerilla games' latest offering is certainly well polished. In Horizon Zero Dawn you play as Aloy, a bow-toting, mecha-dinosaur hunting, tribal outcast. Sounds like video game buzzword

bingo you say? Well, yeah, it kind of is. But this game pulls it off wonderfully; everything just seems to fit. One minute you’ll be interacting with tribal people who could be from the Bronze Age, next you’re wandering around the ruins of a sci-fi settlement, then fighting off a herd of robot dinos, yet the transitions all make sense. As you follow Aloy’s story from outcast infant to master hunter you uncover more and more about the world, through wonderfully crafted quests and the rather nuanced descriptions of artefacts from before the apocalypse.

ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED One of the most immediately obvious examples of how charming and immersive this game is lies in its characters. Not only do we have well-rounded, tribal cultures that are presented as having evolved organically, but also the harsh realities of mechanised dino-beasts

prowling the wilderness. The world itself is perhaps the greatest wonder to behold; from the flowing grasses, to the outcrops of rock, to rushing rivers and stoic peaks, it is easily one of the best looking games I have ever played. Whilst at times weird camera angles and winding paths can leave you briefly disorientated, it’s all soon forgotten when you turn the corner on another awe-inspiring vista.

YOU PLAY AS ALOY, A BOWTOTING, MECHA-DINOSAUR HUNTING TRIBAL OUTCAST Whilst my opinions on how pretty this game is should be evident by now, it never hurts to touch on the graphics a little more. As mentioned, Horizon Zero Dawn deserves to be put on a pedestal with some of the best looking games out there, namely Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and the more recent Skyrim Remastered. From The Witcher it learns how to present a living and organic world acting around you, and from Assassin's Creed it

orange Box

HORIZON ZERO DAWN is now available on PlayStation 4

sets out on a

BYTE-SIZE blast from the past

We asked the Games + Tech writers which videogame worlds they'd like to live in and why.

ON SIRATI - lly BRAND mon M BEN AS a O T ic s 's ba e Poké VICTORIA Mod; it ut with BOS bably th 0 year o r P Garry's b ;1 Animal Cro e world niverse o off on ssing; it u the sam powers was such a t to g God s olds ge & never age No studyin imple life. g. No degre tures es. adven No grad jo bs. THEODORE STO TOM MORRIS NE Big Rigs: Over th e Road Horizon Zero Dawn; it's Racing; simply because one of the most beautiful I want to break the light game worlds I've ever barrier in a lorr y. seen. Also, GIANT ROBOT DINOSAURS!!

takes a sense of vibrancy and colour. Suffice to say that this is easily one of the best looking games of this generation. Horizon Zero Dawn swings in as one of the best games of the year so far, yet again proving Sony's ability to carry new IP. The character of the world and the people you meet are, for the most part, wonderfully nuanced, and are presented as a convincingly organic entity. Graphically this game is almost a work of art, even on the standard PS4 pro, but look too closely at times and the illusion slips just a little. The quests are well rounded and balanced, and make sense in the world they've created. Overall I would highly recommend this game to anyone with a PS4, but would remind people that, as with all masterpieces, there can be the odd rough edge occasionally.

JAMES FREETH e; u Rocket Leag lympics watching the O more would be WAY intense

by Ben Assirati Bioshock - 2K Games Multiplatform 2007 bAAAAB In Bioshock you are the sole survivor of a plane crash who finds himself stranded at sea. Finding a mysterious lighthouse, you take an elevator down to the ocean floor, where an entire city has been built. Concepts such as free will, determinism, and social justice are consequently explored, but in a way that escapes the tedium of lecture halls, and puts you in a hectic situation that forces you to confront them. Every minute you spend exploring the depths is immersive, and you can believe your character is stuck on the ocean floor, walking through abandoned hallways and glass skyscrapers. Every detail is fully realised; the gaudy 1920s-esque architecture that reflects both the burgeoning wealth of New York and the imperious decadence of noir German films (specifically Metropolis), the fading red carpets, the cracked display cases. Unfortunately, the gameplay is not up to the same standards. At times, it does feel like your choice of weapon is limited to ‘which has the most bullets’ or grinding scavenging to find a few bullets or coins. Make no mistake – it’s fun, but at times the game feels more like a chore than it should. Ultimately, Bioshock deserves the recognition it has received: as a game it excels at producing both a fun experience and innovative design, and as an art piece it engages the player in the philosophical and socio-economic debates that they were unaware they had opinions on.

EXHIBIT

GAMES + TECH

EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

20 MAR 2017

Through the ages The evolution of Games in ExeposĂŠ....

June 2009

APRIL 2004 NOVEMBER 2004

February 2011

March 2006

november 2014 January 2013 This will be the last edition of ExeposĂŠ (for the forseeable future) to feature Games + Tech as a dedicated section. Over the past 13 years the section has featured a plethora of quality gaming related content from student writers, but, as they say, all things must come to an end. That being said, the section may well come back in the future, so watch this space..

december 2015

' No matter how dark the night, morning always comes and our journey begins anew' - Lulu, Final Fantasy X

january 2017

20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Science 35

SCIENCE EDITORS:

Victoria Bos Beth Honey

Resistance is not futile

Jack Warren takes a look at issue of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the possible ways to combat the problem

OU hear stories about it in the news weekly, but just what is antibiotic resistance, and is the future of the antibiotic era of healthcare as vulnerable as we are lead to believe? Antibiotic resistance is arguably one of the biggest global problems facing humans today. Without a way to defend ourselves against diseases we hardly even give a second thought to now, we could be plunged back into a situation similar to that of the ‘pre-antibiotic era’.

Colistin is extensively given to livestock in countries such as China, promoting high levels of resistance Since Alexander Fleming pioneered the development of antibiotics with his accidental discovery of penicillin in 1928, we have grown dependent on these drugs. They have revolutionised medicine, increasing the US expected lifespan from 56 in 1920 to 79 years now, and penicillin alone is estimated to have saved at least 200 million lives. But, due to several factors such as overuse and livestock use, they have developed resistance to these antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is the ability for a bacteria to be able to survive in the presence of an antibacterial agent that was originally effective against treating infections of it, such as penicillins. This is effectively accelerated evolution, as the presence of an antibiotic ensures only resistant bacteria survive, who then pass on their resistance genes to their daughter cells. This process, known as vertical gene transfer (VGT), rapidly spreads resistance throughout the bacterial population as some bacteria (such as E. coli) can double the size of their population in just 20 minutes. Bacteria also have the unique ability to pass their genetic information to nearby bacteria. Termed horizontal gene transfer, this can even transfer resistance genes to different species of bacteria, and makes resistance much more signiﬁcant as it means it only has to arise once. This is the primary mechanism of how

resistance spreads throughout the population, even more influential than VGT. But antibiotic resistance isn’t a new occurrence. In 2011, a team lead by researchers at McMaster University in Canada found evidence of resistance to three common antibiotics in 30,000 year old sediments. So if it isn’t novel, why is it becoming an increasing problem? The main reason is the incorrect usage of antibiotics. It can be difficult to diagnose the specific bacterial species causing an infection, meaning that the most effective drug might not be prescribed, pushing bacteria forwards in the arms race between us and them. New diagnostic tools are in development, which if accurate would allow us to give the most appropriate drug, also reducing the side effects experienced. People don’t always complete the full course of their treatment for their infection as recommended, meaning that not all bacterial cells are killed. This leads to persistent and recurrent infections, as those surviving cells have a longer chance to develop resistance to the antibiotics used.

McMaster University in Canada found evidence of resistance to three common antibiotics in 30,000 year old sediment Surprisingly, recent studies have found that chemicals such as triclosan in antibacterial soaps could be favouring resistant bacteria, by killing non-resistant bacteria and so giving the resistant individuals more access to resources like food as a result of reduced competition.

The US Food and Drug Administration has now banned triclosan in soaps. Another situation where antibiotics aren’t used correctly is with livestock. Around 80% of all antibiotics used are given to livestock. This is primarily for promoting growth (although the supporting evidence for this is inconclusive), but has lead to resistance to ‘last-

resort’ antibiotics used to treat resistant infections. Colistin is extensively given to livestock in countries such as China, promoting high levels of resistance, and worryingly researchers found that such resistant bacteria have leapt from pigs to humans. Colistin is used as a last-resort drug in the US, so there are worries about what we could do if the resistant strains spread globally, as bacteria don’t respect national borders. In December, reports emerged that a woman in Nevada had been killed by a ‘superbug’ - a bacteria that had become resistant to all available antibiotic, known as pan-resistance. Said superbugs

are expected to become more and more prevalent in the coming years, so what can we do to tackle them? Despite the pessimistic image that the media paints of antibiotic resistance, it is not all doom and gloom. So what alternative treatments are being developed to deal with infections? Let’s start by looking at Bacteriophage therapy: This is not a new idea - it has been considered for over 90 years, but since the healthcare revolution caused by penicillin, the Western world has largely ignored it. Research did continue in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, but this is inaccessible to many researchers due to language barriers. Bacteriophage (often called ‘phage’) are viruses that naturally infect bacteria, and not animals cells. They are very abundant in nature and it is possible for us to engineer them to target speciﬁc infectious bacteria. Ideally we would like to have about 11 different phage per bacterial pathogen. This is so we could apply them as a cocktail - by treating an infection with multiple phage, even if the bacteria becomes resistant to one, then they will still be killed anyway by another phage. This is clearly a huge advantage as the spread of resistance would be impeded. In retrospect, this would have been a good way of using antibiotics when they were ﬁrst developed, but we can now apply this knowledge to other treatments such as this. Another interesting element are endolysins: Endolysins are enzymes produced by phage to halt the cell division of bacteria. Treatment with these wouldn’t require using the whole phage, which many patients would prefer. Scientists in the Netherlands are in

the process of developing a endolysinbased treatment for eczema. Although we don’t deﬁnitively know the cause of eczema, there seems to be a correlation between having the condition and high levels of staphylococcus aureus on your skin. The endolysins target the S. aureus, and the results are promising so far.

Despite the pessimistic image that the media paints of antibiotic resistance, it is not all doom and gloom Another promising looking new treatment involves predatory bacteria: This doesn’t sound like the most inviting of treatments, but it has a lot of potential. There are predatory bacteria, such as bdellovibrio bacteriovorus that don’t cause disease and survive by eating certain bacteria, many of which do cause diseases. This means we could introduce them into a patient, they will remove the pathogenic bacteria, then they are selflimiting so will die out when they have no more prey with our own immune systems also eliminating them. This is very exciting because there are no obvious risks to the patient, and it would be difficult for the targeted bacteria to develop resistance to. A final futuristic option is metal nanoparticles: We have known about metal nanoparticles for a number of years. However, they have been added to so many products: from socks to soaps. But there are more applications to medicine which we could take advantage of. For example, gallium nanoparticles are toxic to bacteria (but not us), and the bacteria will accidentally take them up by mistaking them with the iron particles they thought they were. In 2015, they were in clinical trials for cystic fibrosis patients, appearing to cause a significant improvement. So, even though antibiotic resistance is a big issue, we aren’t quite as hopeless as the media likes to tell us we are. Resistance is not futile.

Man’s best friend

SCIENCE

Tash Ebbutt, Arts + Lit Editor, looks at anthropomorphism in our favourite animals

ET owners, have you ever ruthlessly trodden on your beloved’s paw and seen their sad eyes stare into your soul as you beg for them to forgive you? Or have you cracked open that packet of treats and been greeted by an eager bounce or a fond purr? Just like humans, characteristics can be seen in animals. Whether that’s behaving grumpily after you assaulted their paws or acting like the bravest soldier when they walk through a puddle, animals do have what we like to call personalities. But it

obviously isn’t just domesticated creatures, the whole of the animal kingdom is being scrutinised to discover whether personality exists amongst the nonhuman organisms. Animal personality is defined as the consistent behaviours specific to an individual animal and is thought to now be observed in over 60 species. These specific differences in behaviour must be consistent across time, context or situation and measure. Context referring to the functional category of the behaviour i.e. feeding or courtship, situation alluding to the environment or social condition at a time and measure which is how the data is collected i.e. behavioural tests or plain observation. Non-humans indubitably differ in character and temperament and the following examples aim to explore the ways in which scientists are researching this. One strategy used by researchers is divided into two methodologies; these being the ‘raters’ and the ‘coders’. The ‘raters’ investigated personality through judgement and subsequently attached adjectives to the traits they deemed noticeable. This could include such words as ‘shy’, ‘brave’ or ‘lovable’. ‘Coders’ are

the complete opposite condemning adjectives as subjective as they are most often applied to humans and are thereby inappropriate for science. The coder approach involved strict observation of behavioural change. An example of such an approach would be a study undertaken by Alison Bell.

Just like humans, characteristics can be seen in animals She proposed that animal personalities were not deduced from prior knowledge of the animal’s behaviour. She monitored a group of three spined stickleback fish and defined their personalities from their movements. There was variation in the movement indicating different personalities. For example, one fish would move repeatedly up and down in its sectioned off space where as another may explore the whole area provided. In terms of this strategy, another example would be Kristina Horback’s study of elephants in a San Diego zoo. Instead of choosing between the two methods, she used both

rating and coding. Violent behaviour was prevented in the zoo setting, therefore the coding method did not pick up on aggression. Rating could include the rare aggressive moments defined as personality. The zookeepers, due to the intense amount of contact time, knew who was aggressive and how certain characters would react to certain items. Another approach is the example of Alexander Weiss, an animal behaviourist who observed orangutans in zoos for seven years. He deemed that there were two types of personality: the first showed low rates of neurotic behaviour and high rates of extraversion. Orangutans with this type expressed a more positive interaction with the zookeepers and other members of the group. The other personality type was the complete opposite. Weiss determined that those with the happier personality lived much longer. On average, an extra eleven years. Other studies into animal personality saw a classification of personality into responsive and unresponsive animals. This is similar to the aforementioned coding approach in the ways in which it monitors the animal’s behaviour. Several

studies were undertaken by Frank Weissing of the University of Groningen. The creation of model simulations of certain scenarios allowed observation to occur. For example, if one imagines a duck pond with a heavy amount of food on the right side that is present every day and then changes it randomly to the left side, there will theoretically be two responses. Some ducks will explore the pond looking for the newly moved food whereas others will follow their standard routine and scout bare ground for food. This apparently portrays certain personalities. This study ties in animal personality with processes of evolution. The ducks who explore will not starve, however, if more ducks have that personality, competition will be high. It all depends on the type of personality expressed. The studies mentioned only showcase the intense amount of research which is going into the exploration of animal personality. It will only be a matter of time before we can truly understand the creatures whom we share this planet with. To be honest, it will be great to understand if my dog is easily disgusted or just has some primal fear of puddles…

Fly me to the moon

Theodore Stone, Online Editor, discusses SpaceX decision to send two private citizens to the moon in 2018

trip to the moon. It’s a possibility that has become a staple of pop culture, from the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, to the cinematic extravaganza’s of the 1950s, to the pages of Tintin and the music of Frank Sinatra, the dream of playing amongst the stars has captivated the population. Today, that dream is one step closer. Well, if you’re a ﬁlthy rich oligarch, that is. For a “signiﬁcant deposit”, SpaceX, run by aspiring Lex Luthor impersonator Elon Musk, will launch you and one other person into space for a private mission around the moon, in the company’s asof-yet untested Falcon Heavy rocket and Dragon 2 Capsule, in just over a year’s time. According to Musk, these are “private citizens”, who know each other “very well”, a factor that will probably come in handy, seeing as to how the circumlunar journey will last for a week, and cover almost 400,000 miles, a feat that could boldly take the passengers where

no-one has gone before. It would also mark a significant shift in the history of space exploration, with the focus moving away from publicly funded bodies such as NASA, to private companies and individual sponsorship in order to make it into the history books. In the event that this endeavour is successful, then it would mark the first lunar mission with humans in 45 years, on a course that would potentially dark the 249,000 miles covered by the crew of Apollo 13 in 1970. Musk has gone on record that “nobody from Hollywood” is involved. This is unsurprising. The “significant deposit” that Musk speaks of is unknown, but the website The Verge has calculated that a price tag set at a minimum of $175 million is necessary for a single seat. This is more than double the cost of a single ticket to the ISS and back ($70 million) that is currently being offered by the travel agency Space Adventures, who package trips with the Russian space pro-

gram Roscosmos. To put this into perspective, you could send 19,444 students to a UK university for a year. Alongside this, the persistent number of delays that Musk’s company experiences, thanks to over-ambitious targets and a habit of generalising certain difﬁculties. As such, it is almost inevitable that the ticket price will shoot up in the tens of millions as time progresses, and extend far beyond the reaches of any performer living in Hollywood today. Furthermore, the fact that the Falcon rocket has yet to be tested certainly raises a few eyebrows. Whilst it is encouraging that they wish to launch as soon as possible, the numbers don’t quite add up. SpaceX’s 15-year history is patchy, to say the least. Musk previously promised, in 2011, to ﬂy a manned mission in 2014, and take humans to Mars in 2021. The former has yet to materialise, whilst the latter has been pushed back to 2024 in a “best case” scenario. Alongside this, although the company has launched

and landed eight reusable rockets, there have been numbers failed launches and a launchpad explosion last year obliterated both the rocket and its payload. Indeed, the United States’ Government Accountability Office has warned of safety concerns regarding SpaceX’s rocket and their plans, noting their constant failure to meet deadlines. Furthermore, whilst NASA has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch crewed missions to the ISS, the company has yet to fly any missions with humans and as such, certain aspects are still up in the air regarding its feasibility. The first planned crewed mission is set to take place, as with the Lunar mission, in 2018, meaning that any necessary modifications and locating potential faults postmission will have to be performed within a very small window. As such, whilst the potential is both feasible and encouraging, the reality is, as it almost always is, a more challenging detail. Yes, the technology is out there, and

the funds provided by private donors will allow for quick and easy injections of cash, but the fact remains that Musk might be, as he has so often done, jumping the gun to ride the wave of publicity. To claim to be ready to send a team on a circumlunar journey without a single occupied spaceflight yet accomplished, or a clear flightpath, is a concern. It’s pleasant to think of this as a sudden burst of acceleration into a new age of space travel, but, so far, I remain unconvinced. We have yet to see SpaceX accomplish more than a series of trips to the ISS and the ability to land a rocket. Both of these are hugely impressive achievements, but they do not reflect just how mind-bogglingly complicated a lunar trip is, just how narrow the flightpath is. This does not mean that I do not wish them well, but don’t be surprised if we’re still waiting for the trip in 2021.

Gadgets guarded? Play on!

Protect your gadgets from £9.49 a month.* Our student gadget insurance includes theft, loss, accidental and liquid damage for gadgets less than three years old. With cover anywhere in the UK and up to 30 days worldwide, plus 24 hour laptop and phone replacement.** Policy excesses apply.

Take control. Get covered. endsleigh.co.uk/university 0800 028 7255

RECOMMENDED

*Price is based on a student living on campus, insuring a phone and a laptop (or tablet) up to the value of £500 each. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited acts as a Credit Broker exclusively on behalf of Premium Credit Limited (PCL), who arrange finance for monthly payments. **If your item is lost, stolen or unrepairable we’ll replace it within one working day of your claim being approved. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting their website at https://register.fca.org.uk Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited. Company No. 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE

268mm X 340mm_YELLOW_Gadgets Guarded_JW.indd 1

07/09/2016 13:08:51

SPORT

Karate show strength at BUCS finals Lexi Williams Sport Contributor

XETER University Shotokan Karate Club travelled up to Sheffield to compete at BUCS. As usual, the standard of the competitors from across the country was exceedingly high. Many of the participants compete on the national circuit, making our results even more impressive. Despite a comparatively small number of participants, Exeter managed to secure two gold medals during the first day of the competition. 1st kyu Julen Bilbao, a first year student new to the club this year, held his own against fierce competition in the male intermediate level individual kata event, winning gold for his stunning performance of the kata Superempi. Julen then joined 2nd dan club captain Samantha Riddell and fellow first year 2nd dan Charlie Knight to win the second gold in the team kata event, closing with a performance of a thrilling choreographed bunkai for the kata Kururunfa to thunderous applause from the spectators.

Exeter managed to secure two gold medals during the first day of competition The second day proved more difficult for the squad, with the individual kumite events spanning the entire day. The team faced down many tough opponents, in the end narrowly missing out on bronze medals in three categories on a wide range of skill levels. While no medals were won, the squad members demonstrated remarkable prowess, giving the team hope for promising results in future. Harry Theron deserves special mention for managing to make it into the semi-finals for the male black belt -84kg category, one of the most difficult of the whole competition – well done! The team returned weary but enthusiastic, ready to return to training in preparation for next year where they will no doubt achieve great things once more. Special congratulations go again to the team kata squad, who won all their matches with unanimous votes from the judges. A squad of eight also competed at at both the KUGB Student Nationals and the South West Championship, winning 13 medals across these two competitions, including Jon Lefevre who won gold in the men’s black belt category. Overall it has been a fantastic year for karate competitors.

Bringing the Exeter Cup home

Christopher Veal reports on EUPC's league triumph in a challenging match

HE finals of the Druids Lodge Polo University League, aimed at Lower Intermediate and Novice 1 standard players, was played between Exeter and Royal Agricultural University, with Exeter clinching the title after penalties. The team of Lara Hopkins, Freddie Sheehan, and Jozsi Habsburg, none of whom had played polo before coming to Exeter, faced a more experienced RAU team that included three strong guys. However, Exeter struck first, with Habsburg taking the ball from the throw in and, with his teammates taking out the opposition, quickly scored. RAU soon equalised , taking the ball around the Arena from the subsequent hit out and tapping it into the goal. Exeter thought they had retaken the lead when the ball bounced off Habsburg’s head and through the goal, but the umpire disallowed this. RAU soon took the score to 1-3, but just before the end of the chukka Habsburg and Sheehan took the ball down to their attacking end, with Hopkins tapping the ball in to take the match to 2-3. After the first chukka Exeter had a better understanding of their opponents. They developed their tactics so Hopkins kept RAU’s strongest player off the ball, allowing the bigger hitters in the Exeter team to take the ball up the pitch more easily. This strategy worked, and it was 4-4 going into the final third of the match, after Habsburg

calmly scored a penalty and Sheehan also added his name to the scoresheet. Exeter started the last chukka strongly, with Hopkins breaking away from her opponents and scoring from far out, meaning the successful shot counted as two goals. However, RAU managed to get around Exeter to tap the ball in from close range twice more, to once again equalise the score. Habsburg then had a chance to secure the title for Exeter when whacking the ball downﬁeld from a hit out. Exeter supporters were certain the ball was heading between the posts for 2 goals, but Habsburg failed to ride off his opponent who miraculously cleared the ball

Women’s Volleyball

dives from Exeter’s libero Juli Tam, who dug shot after shot from the back while the whole side worked brilliantly together to keep the ball in play. The score crept up pretty much equally on both sides, with Exeter taking a brief 17-16 lead before the ball found a space between the players and brought things up to a 17-17 tie. Another remarkably long rally followed, before Bristol once again took the lead, serving powerfully and ﬁnding space to bring the score

just inches before it went in. With the clock counting down RAU swiftly took the ball up the other end. With the ball deﬁnitely going in Exeter tried to clear it, but instead scored an own goal. Thankfully, RAU quickly returned the favour when Exeter were on the attack making the score 7-7 at full time. To try and decide the winners a minute of extra time was added. Hopkins had the chance to take the ball around the edge and win the trophy, but failed to ﬁnish off the attack. The ball was then sent quickly down the other end and with a mess of players in front of the goal, Exeter gave away

Photo: Andrew Yates Photography

a penalty and this time it was RAU who had the chance to take the title. However, the penalty attempt was wide. Exeter then went on the attack again but ran out of time. A nail biting penalty shootout followed. Habsburg was successful with his, but RAU equalised. Hopkins hit hers wide, but so did RAU’s second player. Sheehan stepped up, and calmly sent his into the goal. The pressure was then on the final RAU player who couldn’t handle it, and to the cheers and relief of Exeter’s supporters the ball went wide. On the match, Hopkins said, “I’m just so relieved to win. We had some dodgy moments when we could have played better but fought through to take the title. Thanks has to be given to Crissy-Louise Bowler who stepped up and helped us into the final when Jozsi couldn’t play the semis.” On the team, Habsburg said, “we really peaked at the right time, playing our best polo of the season when it mattered most, so came out on top in a tough game. Sheehan echoed this, “This was definitely the most difficult and aggressive opposition we have ever faced, but on the day our teamwork overcame their expectation that they were going to win.” Exeter won the aptly named Exeter Cup, with Hopkins taking the prize for leading female player, and Haden Trueman-Greinke from RAU the award for the male equivalent.

Volleyball 1s suffer hard fought loss

Exeter 1s ..................................... 0 Bristol 1s ...................................... 3 Hannah Butler Editor

HE Exeter ladies gave Bristol a run for their money in a three-set match that finally got underway after a delay of over 20 minutes. Christina Resch led the EUVC side, with usual captain Beth Sharkey on the bench due to injury. Bristol knocked the Exeter team off guard with a quick first point – swiftly followed by six more. Exeter’s Saya Niwa got the last touch on EUVC’s first point, but the score was 1-7 to the away team by the first break. However, rushing back onto the pitch Exeter quickly evened things up. With multiple shots hitting the net on both sides and some powerful serves by Autier and Franki, EUVC kept Bristol on their toes, bringing the score up to 1011 by the second break. As the points stacked up, the rallies got longer – with some impressive

to 20-23 before another brief break. A couple of minutes later, Bristol had clinched the ﬁrst set. Swapping sides, Exeter enjoyed a spree of points at the beginning of Set 2. However, Bristol quickly regained composure, evening things up and creeping ahead to 5-6 by the next break. As the rallies began to build up again, Exeter lagged behind – earning a couple of points through Bristol serves which found the net, and impressive serves by

Photo: Wang Yong

acting captain Resch. One particularly intense rally saw the ball rebound from the net and straight back into play – before helping Exeter to a 20-20 tie. Bristol fought back hard, though, and after a few more points (including a rogue pole flying out of the net and clattering to the floor) the second set ended in a win for the away side. Returning to their original positions for Set 3, Exeter earned a string of points, clocking up a 10-8 lead by the first break. Impressive dives and skillful teamwork from the Exeter side kept the lead up for some time, drawing it out to 19-12 before the Bristol side started to claw back. Slowly and painfully for EUVC, the visitors evened up the score, stretching the Exeter ladies with carefully calculated long shots to make it 20-17 by the next break. Exeter might have put up a valiant fight throughout, but the final segment saw Bristol consolidate their lead in a couple of dramatic rallies, ending Set 3 with a 21-25 lead – and the match with a 0-3 win. This means Bristol top Western 1A League, with Exeter second, at the end of the season.

SPORT

Exeposé Sport gets the lowdown on Korfball with Club Captain Jess Rice

ORFBALL - a strange sport that's a little like netball, and a little like basketball, and that you're most likely to ﬁnd in the Netherlands. Yet, it can also be found here in Exeter, with the University's Korfball Club going from strength to strength. With this in mind, Exeposé Sport decided to meet up with the club's captain, Jess Rice. "It's a gender equal sport," Rice begins. "It's gender equal in the sense that it's different to other mixed gender sports where there is still a divide between men and women but in korfball there's no point where a girl would be on the court where a boy would be stronger." On this point, each korfball team is made up of four male and four female players, and players are only allowed to guard another of the same sex.

Still, very few people have ever heard of the sport, yet alone have a desire to play it. We ask Rice about how she started out - "literally, I never heard of it before I came to uni, as with most people. I accidentally walked into a taster session and was like 'is this netball? Why are there boys here?'. It was korfball, and I ended up somehow being good at it."

I'd never heard of it before I came to uni, as with most people The sport's niche status here does have its beneﬁts though: particularly, there's no expectation on people to be any good from the off. "Everyone's at the same level," Rice says. "Everyone's

a beginner which takes away that feeling where as a fresher you're going to these taster sessions and fear because what if everyone's really good?" So what kind of competition is there for a korfball team? "We're in the local league," Rice begins, before explaining how there's only one other university team in the league: Bristol. The remainder of sides are adult teams "that have been playing for quite a few years". Whilst this may make it a bit of a mismatch at times, Rice views it as a positive: "that's a really good way to learn: from more experienced teams. It means that when we get to BUCS, which is obviously the more important competition, that we have that experience behind us."

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

A hidden gem?

And it certainly has paid off for the team, who recently returned from their national tournament with some shiny new medals to add to the collection. "At the start of the year, we were really worried because it always seems that there's a generation of players that go through, and it happened last year when the whole of the 1s left except me." Still, this was no match for the club, who went on to win their third successive silver medal in the BUCS national Trophy. When it comes to strange new sports, korfball is certainly one of the ones that is right up there - but then again, is there ever a better excuse to pick it up?

EURFC head back to Twickenham CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE With the scores now level, Exeter came out for the second half with renewed conﬁdence. Whilst they still struggled in some areas, in particular the lineout, this was a much improved showing.

From that point onwards, there was no real looking back Within ten minutes of the restart, the hosts had taken the lead with a Landray penalty. As the momentum swung further in Exeter's favour, they moved to settle the game - and a try from McRae, which was for the ﬁrst time in the game converted successfully - helped to open up further daylight between the two sides as Exeter established a ten-point advantage. From that point onwards, there was no looking back. Another lineout deep in Loughborough territory provided an

opportunity for Lawday to add to his tally with another try scored off of the ensuing maul, and by this stage most were convinced of the certainty of the result. Still, if any doubt could have been put on the outcome, it was thanks to the controversial awaring of a penalty try by the referee in the 61st minute. The easy kick was made, and Loughborough had clawed themselves back within 10 points. They wouldn't remain that close for very long, nor would they get as close to a comeback again. Just four minutes later, Exeter made their opponents pay for a lack of atten-

tion. A quick decision to tap-and-go with a penalty that

was deep inside of opposition territory saw Lawday record his third try of the match, as Loughborough players, caught off guard by the quick restart, where simply unable to respond. Shortly after, the ball was kicked deep into the Loughborough end saw yet another try for EURFC as their lead increased to 48-28 with just around 12 minutes left of play. Loughborough would continue to press for the remainder of the game, yet ultimately their attacks proved to be ineffectual, and they failed to add any further to their tally. Instead, Exeter found themselves scoring another penalty, extending their lead to 51-28 as the

ﬁnal whistle went to jubilation from the home support. After the match, EURFC 1s captain Simon Linsell told Exeposé: "You couldn't fault our work rate. We stuck to our structures and won the little battles and also we can't fault the fans - they really do help. "We've got two weeks of hard work, now, it's not two weeks off. We've lost to Hartpury once, we've won against Hartpury once, so it could go either way but we back ourselves."

Exeter made their opponents pay for a lack of attention EURFC now travel to Twickenham, where they will face Hartpury College in the BUCS Men's Rugby Union Championship ﬁnal. The game will take place on Thursday 30 March with a 17:30 kickoff.

BUCS Roundup: Wednesday 15 March Men's Football 2s..................6 Bristol 1s................................5

Women's Foootball 2s............2 Plymouth 1s...........................0

Southampton Solent 1s.........2 Men's Hockey 5s.....................4

UWE 2s...................................0 Men's Tennis 3s...................12

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

Women's Hockey 3s...............7 Bristol 3s................................1

Southampton 2s....................0 Men's Rugby Union 7s...........71

Aberystwyth 1s......................5 Women's Water Polo 1s........17

BUCS Finals Women's Tennis 2s Durham 2s

Women's Fencing 1s Liverpool 1s

Men's Hockey 2s Cardiff 1s

Women's Lacrosse 1s Durham 1s

Men's Rugby Union 1s Hartpury College 1s

Women's Hockey 2s Oxford Brookes 1s

EUNC 2s finish strongly Netball Exeter 2s .................................. 57 UWE 2s .................................... 43 Alanis Shaylor Sport Team

UNC 2s played their final BUCS match of the season in the Western 2A Netball League against the University of West England. In their away game against UWE Exeter narrowly lost by only four goals. With the home crowd behind the 2s, the match started with a strong centre pass by UWE that immediately put Exeter’s defence to the test. UWE took a three goal lead for the majority of the first quarter, but Exeter’s centre court players worked on bringing the ball down the court nicely to feed into Emma Borch, whose shooting was extremely accurate. The first quarter was filled with excitement as Exeter fought back to finish the first quarter one goal ahead. The second quarter was the turning point in the match. Exeter kept increasing their score against UWE, by either breaking their centre passes or intercepting well. It was the lead that they needed to achieve before half time to ensure that they were on track for the win. Annie Webb put in place the second phase When UWE had possession of the ball every Exeter player challenged the passes and were relentless in making interceptions. Their hunger for the ball worked in Exeter’s favour as they ended half time leading by 10 goals, 30-20. The second half of the match followed in a similar way, with aggression from both teams at the start of the third quarter. Exeter and UWE players were physically pushing each other around. Both teams were scoring goals evenly but UWE were never able to close the gap that Exeter had made. Ellie Catton provided strength in defence throughout the whole match and would never be disheartened when the umpires’ call didn’t go her way. Defensive zoning worked efficiently by the 2s, as each player positioned themselves in a specific way on the court occupying a zone rather than marking man on, confusing UWE and unsettling them. Exeter continued to increase their lead, feeling increasingly more confident. Captain Munro took the role of calming the ball and the team down she helped carry the ball down the court. UWE didn’t seem to know how to react to the passes and quick sharp drives Exeter were performing and couldn’t break the passes before the ball found its way into the hands of either shooters. The whole team, especially final year student Club and 2s Captain Munro, could celebrate as the team won their last match of the season. They can all feel confident and proud of the way they played, ending the season on a high beating UWE 57-43.

Sport

20 MAR 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Karate take on BUCS Nationals and the South West Championships

Captain’s Corner: Exeposé Sport catches up with Korfball...

Page 38

Page 39

SPORT EDITORS:

Owain Evans Lara Hopkins

Photo: Owain Evans

See you at HQ Men’s Rugby Union Exeter 1s .................................. 51 Loughborough 1s ..................... 28 Owain Evans Sport Editor

URFC 1s advanced to a second successive Twickenham final after an inspired second-half display vaulted them over Loughborough by a scoreline of 5128 at Topsham. A bumper crowd was present in the sleepy village, with a passionate EURFC following singing the praises of the side from the minute that they stepped into the train on their way

down. Their chants of “what do we think of Loughborough?” weren’t, however, reflected on the pitch as the game began, with the visiting team dominating possession and looking set to grab a decent hold on the game. Unsurprisingly, it was Loughborough who did draw first blood, with a converted try coming in the ninth minute.

Straight from the restart, Exeter were gifted a superb opportunity Exeter responded with a Ted Landray penalty soon after, and then

with a try of their own, as Ned Warne crossed over near the touch line to give Exeter their first lead of the afternoon at 8-7. Straight from the restart, Exeter were gifted a superb opportunity to fight their way back into contention, with Tom Lawday being taken out in the air which saw a Loughborough winger receiving a yellow card. Still, Loughborough’s early dominance persisted, and it was the visiting side who found themselves regaining the lead with another coverted try despite them being a man down. Exeter needed to respond quickly, and James McRae stepped up to score, weaving his way through Loughbor-

ough’s defence. Again, Landray failed to make the conversion, and there was a feeling that such wasted opportunities could come back to harm the hosts.

The late try would prove to be a game-changer Another penalty saw Exeter find their way back into the lead, but Loughborough responded quickly with yet another try, putting the scoreline at 16-21. With the hosts lagging behind in the score column and also generally

seeming to be behind in the game, something had to change. A late first half penalty was gained in a kickable position, yet EURFC weren’t going to settle for just the three points. Landray kicked into touch, and the ensuing maul from the lineout allowed Lawday to cross over in the corner and add an additional five points to the tally. Landray missed the conversion as the half-time whistle went, yet the late try which sent the teams in on level pegging would prove to be a game-changer, and the momentum that it provided going into the break would propel Exeter onwards.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

For live scores and in-depth reports, follow us on Twitter @exeposesport