Exeposé Issue 638, 5 May 2015 by Exeposé

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Exeter bleeds... blue? 5 MAY 2015 | ISSUE 638 | TWITTER: @EXEPOSE | WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EXEPOSE | FREE

Students reveal General Election voting intentions Conservatives most popular party overall Green support four times higher than national polls

James Beeson & Sarah Gough Editors

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Science & Tech Check out the launch of our brand new section Pages 22-23

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Music: Muse’s surprise Great Hall home-coming gig reviewed Page 14

Comment All Exeter General Election candidates interviewed Pages 6-7

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N Exeposé survey has revealed the voting intentions of Exeter students ahead of the General Election on 7 May. The results indicate that the most popular party among students is the Conservatives, with 30 per cent of the 912 respondents stating they will be voting for the party. This is followed by 25 per cent backing the Labour party. The Green party receive 20 per cent of student support – a ﬁgure four times higher than national polls. The Greens also enjoy the greatest increase in support, with 15 per cent more people intending to vote for them in comparison with the last General Election. 37 per cent of previously ambivalent voters are also now backing Natalie Bennett’s party. The Liberal Democrats see the greatest decrease in popularity, with 14 per cent fewer students supporting them. Of defecting Liberal Democrat voters, nearly a third have switched to Labour, while 27 per cent have moved to the Green party.

Support for parties outside of the traditional ‘big three’ is higher than the national ﬁgures. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents indicate they will support one of the smaller political parties, or are undecided about their voting preference. This is in contrast with BBC opinion polls, which suggest minority party support represents only a quarter of nationwide polling ﬁgures.* Interestingly, more students who identify themselves as being working class intend to vote Conservative rather than Labour or Green. 32 per cent of these voters will be backing David Cameron’s party, alongside 28 per cent support for the Greens. Despite Labour’s reputation as the party of the working class, only 22 per cent of working class students surveyed intend to vote for them in the election. Of the students planning to vote Conservative, 65 per cent consider themselves to be middle class, whilst nearly a quarter identify as being from a working class background. Both the Labour and Green parties also have overwhelming support from middle class students, with 75 and 63 per cent of their supporters coming...

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Email: editors@exepose.com Call: (01392) 723513 Editors Print: James Beeson & Sarah Gough Online: Kayley Gilbert & Harry Shepherd Deputy Editors Eamonn Crowe & Josh Mines depeds@exepose.com News Editors Print: Susannah Keogh & Fiona Potigny Online: Elizabeth Menshikova & Elise Metcalf news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: John Chilvers & Zak Mahinfar Online: Natalie Bartrum & Emily Prescott comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Flora Carr & Sophie Harrison Online: Jessica Stanier & Theodore Stone features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Joshua Rotchelle & Jack Wardlaw Online: Laurel Bibby & Harriette Casey lifestyle@exepose.com Music Editors Print: James Atherton & Katie Costello Online: Tristan Gatward & Joe Stewart music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Akash Beri & Ben Londesbrough Online: Emily Harris & Jack Smith screen@exepose.com Arts & Lit Editors Print: Jeremy Brown & Emily Kerr Online: Lisa Rellstab & Valentina Vacchelli arts@exepose.com Science & Tech Editors Print: Catherine Heffner & Lewis Norman Online: Sally-Ann Dunn & Bry Nickson books@exepose.com Games Print: Jack England & Evan Jones Online: Sam Brewer & Alex Howard games@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Rob Cross & Emott Leigh Online: Oli Davis & Tommy John sports@exepose.com Photography Edwin Yeung & Natasa Christofidou photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Esther Docherty, Kate Jones, Giorgi Mamuzelos & William Sandbach

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The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

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In brief

New President of the NUS elected

Megan Dunn is the new president of the National Union of Students, announced last week at the union’s conference in Liverpool. Dunn, a Masters graduate from the University of Aberdeen, was the vicepresident for higher education in the NUS and has been elected with over 200 more votes than her nearest rival. She has pledged to challenge the cost of living crisis, do more to support student unions on campus and increase political action. Her election comes in the wake of a controversial few weeks for the union.

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Exeposé News

NEWS EDITORS Susannah Keogh Fiona Potigny

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University news from beyond Exeter

UEL zoo cancelled Student accused of Loughborough receives top award after PETA concern rape sues school

The University of East London was planning to hold a petting zoo on campus this summer, but plans have now been abandoned after concerns from animal rights organisation PETA. Student union oﬃcers, who had intended for the zoo to help stressed students unwind, axed the event once PETA had informed them of the dangers of petting zoos. Such zoos can lead to a spread of bacterial infections, such as E.coli. PETA director Mimi Bekhechi commended the university for not putting students and animals at risk, noting there are alternative ways to help students’ de-stress. The move comes after vegan societies at both Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin protested the opening of a petting zoo at a local shopping centre, resulting in the centre cancelling their event, which would have involved animals such as chinchillas and meerkats.

A Columbia University student who was publicly accused of rape has announced he is suing the school for failing to protect him from harassment. Paul Nungesser’s alleged victim has carried a mattress around with her as an art project to protest until Nungesser had left the university. Nungesser is suing not only the university, but also the art professor for allowing Emma Sulkowicz to earn academic credit for the project. Although a school disciplinary panel cleared Nungesser of responsibility, the lawsuit claims he has been subject to threatening behaviour from other students and the “gender-based harassment” has resulted in a hostile living and learning environment.

Loughborough University has been crowned ‘University of the Year’ in WhatUni’s Student Choice awards. The awards, which were based on averages taken from ratings and reviews of over 20,000 UK students between April 2014 and March 2015, also saw Loughborough scoop the top spots for accommodation and student union. Other categories included clubs and societies, city life, courses, job prospects, and international experience for which Exeter secured ﬁrst place, having advanced ﬁve places since 2014. Simon Emmett, managing director of WhatUni.com said the rankings were a “great opportunity to engage with both current university students and those at the start of their higher education journey”.

Racial inequality in Calls for removal of Rally bans white NUS rail campaign and male students UK universities

Student jailed for hacking grades

A recent report has shown racial inequality to be alarmingly high in UK academia with just 17 black female professors in the entire system. According to the report by independent racial equality think-tank the Runnymede Trust, just 0.49 per cent of UK university professors are black, equating just 85 in comparison to 15,905 white professors. Of these 85, just 15 hold senior management roles. Despite the widespread introduction of widening participation strategies, the number of black female professors has only risen by around seven in the last decade, an increase dubbed “miserly” in the report. Whilst there has been an increase in BME students in higher education overall, the report showed that they must outperform their white peers in order to gain a university place.

Birmingham University student Imran Uddin will face jail following an attempt to change his grades by hacking university staff computers. The 25-yearold pleaded guilty to six offences under the Computer Misuse Act for having hidden key logging devices in university computers in order to steal staff login details. Having gained this information, the Biomedical Sciences student then used it to access the grading system, changing his predicted 2:2 into a First. Whilst his false qualification could have gained him a medical research job, Uddin was caught out when a lecturer found the black, rectangular logging device inside his computer, sparking an internal investigation. He will subsequently face four months of jail, a period reflecting the “seriousness of his crimes” according to Mark Bird of the Regional Cyber Crime Unit.

National Rail has called for the removal of all NUS’ “Liar Liar” campaign posters from their stations for effectively encouraging voters not to back the Liberal Democrats. Whilst not naming the party, the posters of two clenched fists with the words “liar” tattooed above the knuckles of each employ a yellow font and feature the Liberal Democrat logo above the first “i”. The billboards, which evoke the party’s broken pledge to scrap tuition fees by 2016, were removed owing to National Rail’s arm’s-length public sector status, which prohibits it from running political messages. The transport provider stated that the posters, which cost the NUS £8,000, should not have been approved in the first place and will therefore not charge them for their removal.

Goldsmiths University Students’ Union came under fire after banning white and/ or male students from attending a rally promoting racial unity. The event, which was held earlier this month and claimed to be “challenging the w h i t e - c e n t r i c culture of occupations” and “diversifying our curriculum”, was created by the University’s Welfare and Diversity Officer Bahar Mustafa. On the event’s Facebook page, she requested: “If you’ve been invited and you’re a man and/or white PLEASE DON’T COME”. A senior Student Union member claimed the event had made things “difficult for white males on campus who feel they can’t say anything for fear of retribution”. The college has written to the Students’ Union expressing their concern.

Stories contributed by: Susannah Keogh and Fiona Potigny, News Editors

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Blue, red and green; the General Election 2015

Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor Despite concerns over low student turnout, 94 per cent of survey respondents said they plan to vote in the upcoming election. This is in contrast to the 2010 Election in which just 44 per cent of people aged 18-24 turned out to vote.

Where is Green Party support coming from?

Working class voter breakdown

It is essential that young people are using their votes to be heard and elect the people whose priorities will best serve them Rachael Gillies, Guild President

Analysis and graphics provided by Freddy Wordingham and George Young. * Data accurate at time of going to print.

Subject vote breakdown between Conservative, Labour and Green

CEMPs

Business

25.7%

24.5%

24.2%

22.0%

24.6%

27.1%

18.7%

“Personally I am not surprised by the support for minority parties or ‘don’t know’ as I don’t think the mainstream parties have presented a coherent argument for young people regardless of political colour”. Guild President Rachael Gillies commented: “This survey further demonstrates how passionate and engaged with politics Exeter students are. “For many students, this will be their ﬁrst general election, and, particularly in a strongly-contested constituency like Exeter, it is essential that young people are using their votes to be heard and elect the people whose priorities will best serve them in the coming years”. At the time of going to print, bookies odds show Labour candidate Ben Bradshaw as the 1/16 favourite to retain the seat in Exeter, whilst Conservative Dom Morris is at 12/1. Diana Moore of the Green party is a 50/1 outsider.

4.4%

I’m not surprised by the support for minority parties as I don’t think the mainstream parties have presented a coherent argument for young people

Speaking about the survey results, the University’s Vice-Chancellor Sir Steve Smith said: “The percentage of students intending to vote is a really encouraging statistic. Getting into the voting habit and engaging with the issues is what holds politicians to account.

49.5%

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... from that background respectively. Among those identifying as upper-class, the Conservatives were again the most popular, with 45 per cent of these respondents supporting the party. Middleclass voters showed similar levels of support for Conservatives and Labour, with 29 and 27 per cent intending to vote for these parties respectively. The survey also compared party support across academic disciplines. The Conservatives have pledged to give businesses “the most competitive taxes of any major economy” and nearly half of Business College students indicate they will be voting for them. This is in comparison to a 19 per cent support for Labour and only four per cent for the Greens. However, support for Labour and the Green party among Humanities, Engineering, Maths and Physics students was higher. 37 per cent of Politics students intend to vote Conservative, ten per cent more than those voting Labour.

Humanities

VOTER KEY LABOUR

PLAID CYMRU

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

GREEN

BNP

UKIP

SNP

OTHER

CONSERVATIVE

UNDECIDED UNDECIDED IN LAST ELECTION

Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Geoff Pringle retires Fiona Potigny News Editor

HIEF Operating Officer Geoff Pringle is set to retire this year after six years in the role. The former Director of Campus Services who oversaw the planning and construction of the Forum, Exeter’s £48 million student services development, will step down following a career spanning 35 years – 18 of which were spent in the Higher Education sector. Commenting on his departure, Pringle told Exeposé: “I have enjoyed working with many different people at the University and in the wider region, and feel very proud of the legacy we have created together… I wish the University every suc-

cess for the future and want to thank col leagues for their friendship and sup port.” During his tenure, Pringle acted as University lead for infrastructure and sustainability issues, managed the aesthetics of the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses and established a partnership with UPP to provide student accommodation across campus. Earlier this year he was ranked 43rd in the prestigious Out at Work list for being among the most influential LGBT executive role models. Vice-Chancellor Sir Steve Smith led the tributes, thanking Geoff Pringle for facilitating “some of the most challenging projects in the University’s history”. He stated: “I regard Geoff as the con-

summate professional and as a valued colleague and his departure will be a real loss to the University and the leadership team. I respect his decision and would like to extend my personal thanks to Geoﬀ for all the work he has done.”

I feel very proud of the legacy we have created Geoﬀ Pringle Guild President Rachael Gillies added: “Geoﬀ has been an incredible support for the Students’ Guild and Exeter students for many years. While I am sorry that our working relationship will be coming to an end, on behalf of all at the Guild I wish him the very best for his retirement.”

- Geoff Pringle was featured in a list honouring influential LGBT executive role models - He masterminded the creation of the £48 million Forum

Photo: The Exeter Daily

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Are you studying abroad in 2015-16? Applications are invited for the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Scholarships. Five scholarships of £2000 each are available for students who meet the eligibility criteria.

For further information, eligibility criteria and application form visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/international/studyabroad/abroad/queenelizabethdiamondjubileescholarships Completed applications should be sent to outbound@exeter.ac.uk by Friday 26 June 2015.

Northcott Theatre to host UKIP soc issued lectures from September warning by Guild

EXEPOSÉ

James Beeson Editor

Photo: The British Theatre Guide

Ben Street, VP Education Opening in 1967, the Northcott Theatre has hosted performances by student societies such as the Exeter University Theatre Company and Exeter University Footlights Society, as well as shows by local community companies. Since 2010, the Northcott has accomodated visiting stars including Celia Imrie and Imelda Staunton. Explaining the decision, Director of Campus Services Phil Attwell said: “The theatre has a central campus location,

Sarah Gough Editor

HE Northcott Theatre will be used as a teaching space two days a week from September 2015, the University has announced. The theatre on Streatham Campus, which seats 464 people, will hold lectures on Thursdays and Fridays as part of plans unveiled by the University to accommodate rising student numbers. The space will now be adapted to include house lighting, audio-visual and lecture capture, WiFi and informal study spaces with hot-desking around the entrance lobby of the theatre.

I hope this move is not used as an opportunity to accomodate larger cohort sizes

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XETER’S Youth Independence Society has received a warning from the Guild over their committee selection process.

We were concerned those with extremist views could be elected to the committee and damage the name of the society Thomas Collins, UKIP Society President so was an obvious choice to consider for expanding the number of large lecture venues. “We are delighted that the theatre has been able to accommodate us around their artistic programme and I am sure that it will make the Northcott feel more part of the campus rather than just on the campus”. Speaking about the changes, VP Education Ben Street said: “With the obvious demands on large teaching spaces, I understand the University’s desire to take on the Northcott Theatre as a lecture theatre for two days a week. “I hope this move is not used as an opportunity to accommodate larger cohort sizes and that everything is done to preserve the primary function of the Northcott as a theatre and to increase student access to and use of the space”. The theatre’s executive and artistic di-

rector Paul Jepson commented: “This is great news. As well as making our foyer more comfortable for all our audiences, it will be a student friendly, buzzy environment. We look forward to welcoming the students and academics”. The announcement follows the news that the pilot scheme to extend the University teaching day by an additional hour next year will now be a permanent change.

Upcoming productions at The Northcott: - Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage, 5- 9 May - The History Boys, 26-30 May - Arabian Nights, 14-16 May

The society, which was Guild aﬄiated in March, initially stated that anyone wanting to run for a committee position must be a paying member of the UKIP national party. The Guild have since clariﬁed that committee applications must be open to all and restricting application requirements is against Guild rules. Hayden Cooper, Vice President of Socialist Students raised the issue to the Guild. He said: “UKIP society have sent out some rather mixed messages in their early days; talk of checking members past histories and running it through the main party command reeks of a rigid structure of command. “A party that used to call itself libertarian now has the strictest measures for committee members of any society I know of, and that seems woefully ironic.”

Thomas Collins, president of Exeter’s UKIP Society said their initial decision was to due to a fear over “extremist views” inﬁltrating the committee, which he later deﬁned as “far right views”. He commented: “We were concerned that those with extremist views could be elected to the committee and damage the name of the society and the national party which we did not want to happen. “After the society was set up in March we received the complaint and have accepted the Guild’s decision on the matter and have elected a committee with members and non members of the national party”

A party that used to call itself libertarian now has the strictest measures for committee members of any society I know of Hayden Cooper, President of Socialist Students VP Activities Matt Bate, who dealt with the problem said: “The Activities and Volunteering team was made aware of an issue relating to the recent UKIP Society committee election. “Following investigation, it was clariﬁed to the incumbent society committee that any student can stand for a committee position. This was accepted by the UKIP Society and the matter closed”.

Medical School Success for Sports Sciences research obesity and Classics at awards Samuel Brewer Online Games Editor

HILDHOOD obesity could have different causes at different ages according to Exeter Medical School research. The research, which formed part of the internationally renowned EarlyBird study, could have extensive implications for efforts to reduce worldwide childhood obesity. In the study, which was published in the International Journal of Obesity, scientists compared BMI data of a group of children taken in the 1980s and 307 children measured between 2000 and 2012. The results showed that only very young children with obese parents were likely to be obese themselves. Obesity among adolescents, however, is not dependent upon parents.

Prior to the early 1980s, childhood obesity remained around 5 per cent. In 2010, it had risen to 16 per cent. Whilst initial research into obesity concentrated on the later years, more recent research has shown the importance of infant nutrition. Data suggests that the key influence on weight gain in younger children is parenting while peer influences take over later in childhood. Leader of the study, Professor Terrence Wilkin commented: “Childhood obesity is one of the greatest health issues of our time. If we are to develop strategies to intervene effectively, we must first understand the cause. “This study indicates for the first time that childhood obesity has different causes depending on the age of the child.” Professor Wilkin also noted that further studies are needed in order to fully explore the significant consequences.

Susannah Keogh News Editor

HE 2015 annual Exeter Teaching Awards took place in the Forum on Thursday evening, honouring some of the best academics and professional services staff the university has to offer. With ten categories covering both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, over one million words were submitted in student nominations this year. Staff members from Streatham and Penryn campuses were recognised at the ceremony. Sport and Health Sciences was awarded the best overall subject, beating Drama, Classics and Ancient History, Physics and Astronomy and Biosciences at Penryn. Third year SSLC Representative Anna Collins commented: “It is an absolute honor to have been awarded best subject, especially having

been recognised as the best Sports Science department in the country earlier this week. A massive thank you to all of the staﬀ who work so hard supporting us.” Best lecturer was won by Dr. Sharon Marshall from Classics and Ancient History. Marshall was previously a runner-up in the ‘Most Innovative Teaching’ category. Speaking to Exeposé on her win, Dr. Marshall thanked “every single student who submitted a nomination”. She added: “It’s an enormous privilege to work with such amazing students in Classics and Ancient History, whose enthusiasm every day renews my own.” Established in 2009, there were previously no other awards like it in the United Kingdom and it remains the largest world-wide. Ben Street, VP Education said: “The Teaching Awards are such an important

way for students to reward, recognise and thank the staﬀ who inspire and shape their time at Exeter. It is a great event that emphasises the impact that excellent teaching has on creating a world class student experience.”

Other Teaching Awards winners:

- Julie Mills, Employability Support - Dr. Sarah Cooper, Best Supervisor (Taught) - Dr. Emmanuel Destenay, Best Feedback Provider - Dr. Damien Mansell, Innovative Teaching - Dr. Siam Bhayro, Most Supportive Staff member - Monica Ronchi, Best Postgraduate Teacher - Physics and Astronomy, Subject with the Best Research Community

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COMMENT EXEPOSÉ EDITORIAL EDITORS@EXEPOSE.COM

Ballot bants

E lead our first issue as editors with a story on (yup, you guessed it) the General Election. In just two days’ time, students around the country will have their say on the leadership of our great nation. And it seems like most of us are doing so. Our survey got an overwhelming response, further dispelling the myth of an apathetic youth. The big news is... Exeter’s largely feeling blue. Reinforcing the ‘Exetah’ stereotype, the Tories came out on top overall and in numerous other categories, including, most surprisingly, lower class voters. Business students have also clearly been reading The Telegraph, judging by the fact that nearly half of them are backing Cameron and his cohort. However, Labour aren’t far behind. With a quarter of the surveyed vote, it looks like #Milifandom might be starting to take off (sorry Charlie!). As expected, support for the Lib-Dems has crumbled. You not only broke your word Nick, but you also broke our hearts and for that, we’ll never forgive you. Are we bleeding Green? Certainly more than most. Natalie Bennett’s visit back in January seems to have had the desired effect as popularity for the the party has surged in Exeter. Indeed, in this election, ‘minority’ parties are proving anything but. With the possibility of a hung parliament looming large again, is our current electoral system in need of reform? Only time will tell. On the subject of time, University CEO Geoff Pringle has decided he doesn’t want to spend any more of it with us. Apart from trying to sue us, he’s a pretty decent bloke and we wish him all the best for the future. See page three for the full story. Elsewhere in News, the uni have decided the best way to combat rising student numbers is to take over an arts space two days a week (page 5). Next time just build a bigger Forum eh? ***

You may have clocked that there are two new faces at the top of this editorial, one notably more hairy than the other. It’s the beginning of a new regime here at Exeposé (hopefully one no less controversial than the last) and we’re happy to welcome in a brand new editorial team. We have a tall act to follow (not literally). Harrison and Gemma lead the paper from strength to strength last year. Their journalistic acumen and questionable banter has been recognised by one of the top journalism courses in the country at City University. Congratulations also to outgoing News Editor Emily Leahy who has nabbed a place at Cardiff to study Broadcast Journalism. So basically, we’re hoping to be as successful as those guys. We’ve made a few changes to the paper, including our brand new ‘Study Break’ section (page 29), as if you needed another excuse to procrastinate. It features a jobs column kindly provided by the Career Zone so if you’re in need of some dollar (and donkeys), take a look. We’ve also got two brand new sections: Science & Tech and Arts & Lit. Read about whether your political persuasion is written in your genetic code as well as a piece on the science behind stress-busting (page 22-23). Exams got you reminiscing about a simpler time? Check out Arts & Lit’s top five children’s books (page 20). Other highlights from our review sections include Muse’s surprise gig at the Great Hall (page 14), G&S’ HMS Pinafore (page 21) and the bizarre bread-based game I Am Bread (page 27). Keep an eye out for a new project we’re embarking on with our fellow Xmedia friends at XTV. We can’t reveal too much just yet, but watch this space. Transparency over mystery though, that’s what student media is about, after all. We’re excited to lead the paper in a year that will no doubt see big changes for students, and we will look to hold the University to account on all issues that affect its loyal customers.

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: William Sandbach, Kate Jones, Esther Docherty and Giorgi Mamuzelos, Tom Hiske, Josh Gray, Jabez Sherrington Gareth Behn and members of the outgoing and new Exeposé editorial team.

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EDITORS James Beeson Sarah Gough

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DEPUTY EDITORS Eamonn Crowe Josh Mines

5 MAY 2015 |

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COMMENT EDITORS John Chilvers Zak Mahinfar

Game of votes:

who will you back?

Exeposé Comment interview the Exeter candidates standing in the General Election We asked them the following questions: 11 Why do you want to be elected?

12 What are you oﬀering for Exeter students speciﬁcally? 13 What would you say to students who feel disillusioned about politics? 14 Why do you think there has been a surge in support for fringe parties this election? 15

What one change would you make to the country tomorrow?

Describe Katie Hopkins in three words?

In order to remain impartial, all interviews are lifted directly from email correspondence and any spelling or grammatical errors are the candidates’ own. Each candidate had the same word limit per question.

Defending the seat Ben Bradshaw Labour

struggling on insecure and low paid jobs and public services cut to the bone. Labour has the right policies to address these challenges and I would like to be able to continue my work for the city.

2. A cut in tuition fees from £9000 to £6000 from next year, an increase of £400 a year in the maintenance grant, action to control spiralling rents, a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts, an increase in the minimum wage and the extension of the living wage. 1. It’s been a huge privilege representing Exeter over the last 18 years. We have achieved a lot, attracting the Met Oﬃce and a new medical school here, growing and improving our schools, college and Exeter University and creating a city that is both thriving and a nice place to live. However, we also face challenges like a lack of aﬀordable housing, people

3. Politics is how you change things in a democracy. It’s vital young people use their vote, otherwise politicians think they can aﬀord to ignore the views and needs of young people. I’ve found students and young people to be more engaged than ever in my 18 years campaigning.

4. Many Tory MPs and Tory voters are now so anti-European they feel more at home in UKIP. Some disillusioned Lib Dems may be backing the Green Party. I don’t expect fringe parties to do well on the day. The choice in Exeter is between me and the Tory candidate.

It’s vital young people use their vote, otherwise politicians think they can aﬀord to ignore the views and needs of young people 5. I would reform the voting system, which is currently very unfair to the smaller parties. A more proportional system would also improve political engagement. 6. Best when ignored.

The ﬁve opposing candidates EXEPOSÉ

Ed Potts Exeter Socialists

1. BECAUSE it’s essential that there’s a genuine voice of opposition in the next parliament - someone completely opposed to the main parties who serve the interests of the 1 per cent. It’s time there was a party for the rest of us, the great majority who don’t get a look in. We want to change things from top to bottom - sweep away zero-hours contracts, fight the scapegoating of migrants, and make our economy serve people not profit. I want to be elected because I’ve seen just how bad things are, and - bluntly - I don’t trust anyone else to fix it. 2. An uncompromising voice for free education and a society of equality, who took that fight to the streets five years ago and got harassed by police for doing so - that’s what it should look like when a representative tells you they’re making “tough choices”. 3. I’m not surprised. But politics isn’t just the House of Commons. It’s about helping each other; it’s about saving our libraries and hospitals and schools; it’s our lives. Even if you don’t want to vote, don’t tell me you’re too disillusioned to stand up for what’s right. That’s politics.

Politics isn’t just the House of Commons. It’s about helping each other 4. Because none of the main parties want to stand up for working-class people and the concerns and aspirations we have. Take public ownership for instance: a majority support it, from transport to utilities, even banks. But it would mean standing up for us against big business, which they can’t abide. 5. Abolish the monarchy and House of Lords. Our other policies will take a bit more planning - but on this the solution is simple. Out!

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Diana Moore The Green Party

Joel Mason Liberal Democrats

Dom Morris The Conservatives

Thomas Collins* UKIP

1. EXETER will grow by 50 per cent over the next ten years and people want to be included in shaping the future. However, the Coalition’s dismantling of planning rules have put developers in the driving seat and people feel excluded. I’ll work to restore a planning framework that gives people a proper say in how land is used and developed. In Exeter we need: Decent, social housing to rent; insultion of old, hard to heat homes, an aﬀordable, well integrated public transport system, action to tackle the City’s growing air pollution problem, investment in a localized resilient economy.

1. I believe the Liberal Democrats have the most compelling vision for the future. We’ve shown during this government that we can help to build a stronger economy by getting to grips with the country’s ﬁnances, but also that we can make our society a fairer place – by introducing policies such as the pupil premium (money targeted at disadvantaged school students), gay marriage, and lifting the lowest earners out of tax. Labour would threaten these goals by committing to unfunded spending and adding to the deﬁcit, whilst the Tories would further slash the services and help people rely on.

1. IN Afghanistan I realised that there are too many career politicians rather than MPs with real life experience beyond the M25. Poor decisions were made, including dragging us into Blair’s wars, because the Westminster bubble didn’t understand the issues. Labour left the economy in wreckage and our society divided. An elite paying less tax than their cleaners, those in the middle paying for the Great Recession and those trapped in a dependency cycle on benefits that saw one-fifth households workless. I want to continue the Conservative’s mission to fix this by creating jobs and cutting taxes from the bottom up.

1. I want a UKIP candidate elected in Exeter because they will put their constituents ﬁrst, not their party as UKIP MP’s will not be whipped by their party meaning they can stand up for local interest. Secondly UKIP MP’s have backgrounds outside of politics. Whether it is being in the army, a teacher or a local businessman we have a diverse range of people standing for the party. Not just career politicians churned out of Oxbridge.

2. The Green party will scrap tuition fees enabling students to study without the fear of leaving uni with a massive debt millstone. The private rented market has failed - it sees students as an investment opportunity. Greens will reform the private rented rent sector, with rent controls and scrapping agents’ fees.

Politics is an imperfect and fustratingly slow instrument of change

3. I understand their disillusion. I have been shocked by the calls on honest voters to collude in tactical voting which perpetuates people feeling and being let down. Voters should be conﬁdent to vote for what they believe in to bring about the change they want to see. 4. Many people see little diﬀerent between the traditional parties, especially on austerity, and are concerned about rising inequality and inaction on climate change. The Green Party’s policies are positive, viable and costed to put the economy to work to create a decent life for us within the limits of our planet. 5. I would end the politics of austerity which is hurting the most vulnerable in our communities, dismantling public services and giving large corporations tax breaks and subsidising fossil fuels.

2. I think it’s a real shame that so many talented graduates end up leaving the region. I would like to get together local businesses and the university to link up research and activities of the university with that of local businesses, to promote highly-skilled graduate jobs in Exeter. 3. Politics has made huge improvements to our society, such as greater gender equality, the NHS, LGBTQ rights etc. But unless you think we’ve solved all these issues, there’s clearly still a long way to go. Politics is an imperfect and frustratingly slow instrument of change, but it’s the best we have. 4. Following the global recession, Britain has faced a diﬃcult period economically. In such circumstances, there are always fringe parties that pop up on the right and left seeking either to scapegoat certain groups or to oﬀer solutions that are too good to be true. 5. A fairer voting system – so that people’s votes actually count, and parliament actually represents people’s opinions. This would encourage a lot more people to be politically active.

6. Cameron’s fascist friend.

2. We’ll continue to prioritise a high quality education, jobs and our home buying programmes. There are now record levels of students at world leading universities. Graduate recruitment prospects are at their best in over a decade with the UK now creating more jobs than the rest of Europe put together. 3. I don’t blame them! My contract with Exeter has six aims: to put Exeter ﬁrst, to be positive, to be honest, to be available and to represent my constituents from a real world perspective. This will cut through the Westminster language and spin that puts so many people oﬀ politics. 4. Career politicians made the three main parties out of touch with the public on issues like Europe and immigration. I’m standing to bring real life experience into the decisions made in Westminster so that politics feels more accessible to the public. 5. I’m not sure there’s a simple answer to that. My campaign has focused on calls for action on problems like homelessness and Exeter’s creaking infrastructure. 6. Polarising. Pointlessly provocative.

6. Callous, needing help.

6. Clever self-publicist.

2. For students in Exeter we are offering tuition fees free to those studying Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine with a commitment to free education in the long-term. Locally we will be standing up for interests in Exeter however small or big they are and we fill fight for public services such as improvements to public transport. 3. To students disillusioned by politics firstly make sure you cast your vote on 7 May. Secondly when you cast your ballot. Vote for what you believe in and don’t vote tactically as your voice will still be heard. I would encourage you to get involved if you want to make a difference to society.

Vote for what you believe in 4. There has been a surge in support for fringe parties because people are fed up with broken promises and lies told by the three main establishment parties and want change which other parties are oﬀering and straight talking politicians who say it as it is. 5. If I was in charge tomorrow I would reform the political system to a proportional electoral system and the ability to recall our elected representatives. 6. Professional troll, controversial and a hate ﬁgure. *UKIP candidate Keith Crawford declined to comment. President of Young Independence responded instead.

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Politics gets too personal?

From Miliband’s ‘bacon-sarnie gate’ to Farage downing pints, American-style ‘personality politics’ has come to the fore. Emma Hill debates the eﬀect of this in the run-up to the general election

N the weeks following the ITV Lead-

ers’ Debate, polls are struggling to afﬁrm which party has experienced the biggest increase in popularity. With rumours of a Labour-SNP coalition, growing support for minority parties in Wales and Northern Ireland, and the unprecedented rise of UKIP, the outcome of the General Election 2015 is uncertain at best. As party leaders battle to outshine each other on well-trodden campaign trails, an oft-voiced complaint is a lack of distinction between Westminster’s three identical “navy crew-necked jumpers”, or the heads of the main political parties. The media’s answer: home interviews, in which leaders demonstrate their commitment to excellence by juggling economic policy with stacking the dishwasher.

The UK is adopting an American attitude towards politics by focusing on the character of the individual It is incidents like these that illustrate how the line between party and personality has become so irreversibly blurred. Increasingly, it appears that the UK is adopting an American attitude towards politics by focusing on the character of the indi-

vidual. From well-circulated photos of Nigel Farage enjoying a pint to David Cameron guiding the BBC through his weekly shop, politicians evidently view publicising the “normal” aspects of their private lives as a way of increasing popularity. Perhaps due to media focus on the growing gap between rich and poor, huge digressions occur in debates when politicians feel inclined to remind the audience that they, also, have families. During the Exeter University Question Time, the collective eye-roll the third time Dom Morris mentioned he was a farmer’s son was palpable. A similar reaction most likely occurs nationwide when the partners of party leaders lurk awkwardly during debates, because a PR advisor has deemed their presence “politically advantageous”. Through a quest to create a new form of “relatable” politician, background, education and lifestyle have come to function as an election strategy. As a first-time voter, I find this partly confusing and wholly superficial. A leader’s biggest challenge is communicating their party’s policies to a wide range of audiences with determination, clarity and drive. Unless Samantha Cameron is itching to publically unveil a ground-breaking solution to cut the deficit, the reason for her prominence in the Conservative

election campaign is unclear. Politicians seem to be unaware that showcasing their personal lives is a political shot in the foot, as it makes them fair game for personal ridicule by fellow candidates.

Politicians seem to be unaware that showcasing their personal lives is a political shot in the foot When asked in an interview for Radio Times what movie he would hypothetically watch with David Cameron, Ed Miliband (after a hushed conversation with multiple advisors) replied: “The Riot Club”. Using a clumsy reference to the infamous Bullingdon Club, of which Cameron was a member, Miliband succeeds in conjuring up an image of his opponent as a posh, arrogant, restaurantdestroying aristocrat. He also inadvertently puts himself on a par with a child name-calling in the playground. Both parties involved are discredited, and the reader is none the wiser of what either will do if they win the General Election. Like a pack of caﬀeinated hyenas, the media is equally as poised to sniﬀ out a personal weakness or public faux -pas. The unfortunate secondary im-

pact of MPs using their private lives to their political advantage is the reluctant acceptance that journalists are likely to dig out less favourable information. Without condoning personal victimisation in the press, the main issue isn’t cheap newspaper jibes, but the fact that they often overshadow and inﬂuence policies or debates. When the main result of a kitchen interview is a public revelation that David Cameron’s table cost £750, media attention evidently needs to be re-evaluated. Likewise, withering articles about Ed Miliband’s bacon sandwich triggered a backlash on a level with a national scandal, far outweighing the media coverage given to Natalie Bennett after her car crash interview with LBC Radio. Only one of these incidents reveals information about political competency, and it isn’t sarnie gate. It is notable that this sort of borderline harassment has strayed from tabloid newspapers into supposedly informative political broadcasts. Many politicians saw it as an essential rite of passage to be ‘Paxmaned’ on Newsnight by the presenter famed for his abrasive interview style. Although entertaining and, as many argue, “deserved”, it would be irresponsible to base a vote on an interrogation about what mode of transport Boris Johnson uses to reach his oﬃce.

This isn’t to say that personality in politics is unimportant; in reality, leaders with charisma and visible integrity often do better than those who lack them. An MP who is relatable is also undoubtedly more engaging, particularly in a climate where many have become disillusioned with callous Westminster politics.

Like a pack of caffeinated hyenas, the media is equally as poised to sniff out a personal weakness However, this shows exactly why bringing personal lives to the fore has backfired, as snide personal remarks exchanged between particular leaders only enhance an impression of bickering cliques. A strange tension exists in the media between relatable personal profiles of politicians, and humiliating expositions of their private lives. The issue for the voting population isn’t whether this is unfair, but the difficulty it adds to making an informed judgement. In a culture where image is sometimes blurred with substance, it becomes the voter’s job to differentiate.

Personal politics?

-The Greens dropped by 3 points in the polls in the weeks following Natalie Bennett’s ‘brain-fade’ in an LBC interview -ITV’s satirical puppet show Newzoids shows Nick Clegg complaining about his ‘abusive’ relationship with David Cameron on Jeremy Kyle -Peter Brookes, The Times cartoonist, has drawn Nigel Farage as an alien, a praying mantis, and as Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining breaking into David Cameron’s bathroom with an axe -Type ‘Ed Miliband’ into Google, and the third result is ‘Ed Miliband Bacon’ -B&Q have created commemorative garden gnomes for almost all the party leaders; they snubbed Leanne Wood -Nicola Sturgeon has been dubbed “Lady Macbeth”, a “man-eater” and “the most dangerous woman in politics” by the press Image credit: Alastaircampbell.org

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Exeposé Features brings you an election selection box of treats...

Robots, rabbits and rejections Jeremy Brown Arts & Lit Editor

NEWLY discovered battery defect has finally explained why politicians across the country have been stuck in a loop for the past five years. The crisis was only noticed recently, when a 2011 video of Ed Miliband went viral on social media. In the clip, Ed received 79 different questions, and gave exactly the same response each time. Since the interview spread online, other videos of ‘the Milibot’ have been scrutinised. Battery specialist Mr Brian Cell looked specifically at the first TV debate. He noted that Ed kept “powering down while facing the camera”, often after repeating the phrase “the viewers at home”.

Since a 2011 interview went viral online, ‘the Milibot’ has been scrutinised It’s not just the Labour leader - the issue is apparently so widespread that the two Coalition leaders were forced to skip the second debate last week in an attempt to recharge overnight.

The earliest example of the flaw came in 2010, when George Osborne’s robotic refusal to offer any additional information on the state of the economy led him to say the word “growth” nonstop for two minutes - nearly equalling the world record for repetition, currently held by Daft Punk. Nigel Farage has been seen as a breath of fresh air in this regard (ironically perhaps, considering his breath is normally laced with toxic amounts of alcohol and tobacco fumes). Farage has been running on coal power since 1984, following a tricky operation which saw a range of irreversible side-effects, including racism, sexism and insuf-

ferable self-righteousness. On the positive side, Farage can run unscripted for an entire week, only pausing occasionally (to blame the immigrants). Nicola Sturgeon also survived the scare, as she runs on nuclear power - hence her jealousy of Trident and her interest in destroying the country. The Lib Dems, on the other hand, are still stuck in controversy. A few years ago, Nick Clegg promi s e d t h e g e n e r a l public that his batteries were working as normal. However, it

has since been revealed that he will lose his power within two weeks. Clegg says he is “sorry” for the confusion. In a factory far, far away, Leanne Wood was quoted as saying, “blah blah Wales blah”. However, reliable sources have informed us that she uses the wind farms on the Welsh coast to generate her election electricity - she likes to see which way the wind is blowing before saying anything, and she’s mostly full of hot air.

Ballot Box meets Gogglebox. We asked our writers to bring their wittiest and wildest captions. The photo under the microscope this week is taken from the ITV Debate.

Far, far away, Leanne Wood was quoted as saying “blah blah blah Wales blah”

“You can’t sit with us” SINÉAD BUCKINGHAM

It is well documented that Natalie Bennett is powered by rabbit food. After stalling in an interview last month, verbal malfunctioning was widely attributed to her vegetable diet. The leader later claimed she just couldn’t keep going (unlike her friend, the Duracell bunny). Critics unanimously agreed she looked like a rabbit in the headlights. The big question, of course, is whether Cameron will stay in charge. much longer.

The people pic their Prime Minister Sophie Harrison Features Editor

N an attempt to become more in touch with modern society, Downing Street officials have radically introduced a new voting system. The new method is called “Selfie Appointed Democracy”, otherwise known as SAD. The leaders have ten days to accumulate the highest number of selfies taken with members of the general public.

The new method called “Selﬁe Appointed Democracy” also known as SAD “I am delighted with this proposal”, a Labour spokesperson said. “Ed is spoilt for choice”. Indeed, the party leader’s popularity has undergone a dramatic rise in the past week, with #milifandom dominat-

ing the Twittersphere. Ed took no less than thirty selfies in the past week, half of them at a speed-dating event in Stoke. “Labour is love”, he tweeted after. “Labour will give tax breaks on love”. Less confident of SAD success are the Liberal Democrats. Clegg has spent the majority of the campaign standing in front of derelict car parks and abandoned KFCs, with no voters in sight. In his desperation to attract selfie partners, it is rumoured that he asked KFC to offer free food. A selfie on his Twitter page, posted later that day, showed him with a chicken. #NicksChick, his answer to Cameron’s cuties, trended for a grand total of thirty seconds, a record for the party,

but they have since been reminded that only human companions count. A LibDem spokeswoman was horriﬁed: “Discrimination! It’s clear this

change was masterminded by UKIP”. Conversely, Farage is faring no better with his photographs. However, this might be due to more selective criteria for his prospective selﬁe partners. Green Party supporters have taken to the street in protest, amid claims all

Caption Column

“When you and your friends recall the wrong way to eat a bacon sandwich” HARRY SHEPHERD “Mixed reviews for parliamentary candidates’ performance of ‘The Scottish Play” ANDREW HOLLAND “When bae talks smack about you to her girlfriends behind your back” LEWIS DAVIS NORMAN

selﬁes must be printed out ﬁfty times.

“Leanne Wood and Nicola Sturgeon announce an “understanding” that Ed Miliband cannot pull off a suit” GARETH ROBERTS

Farage has more selective criteria for selﬁe partners

“Wanting to talk to girls in the club but they don’t have time for you” CHRIS KUUKY

“So much paper!” one person cried. Quantitative treesing does not count. If selfie-elected, polls showed 95 per cent of people would view voting as more democratic. “Forget AV, it’s about the selfie”, stated Narcissa Vane, Sturgeon’s media advisor. Two days into SAD, Sturgeon is currently in the lead. It has even been revealed that 80 per cent of voters in her photos are English, while she has more Welsh selfies than Leanne Wood. When asked to comment, Wood’s PA, replied: “It’s sad, so sad”. It really it is a sad SAD situation.

“My taxbreaks bring all the girls to the yard and we’re like, they cannot be yours (England)” SOPHIE HARRISON “He doesn’t even go here!” FLORA CARR “Ed had been watching them for two hours and still hadn’t seen them kiss each other” JOSH MINES

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RE A W T F SO TS G H IN NIG T T E B E K LU C I K C T l TIC SIONAL l BALLS S S L E A F IV O T S R E P lF

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5 MAY 2015 | Exeposé Lifestyle

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Tweets of the week These people have clearly been having enriching and productive revision breaks... Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Alice Clements @Alice_arc When you’re in a good mood and S Club 7 comes on and you CAN’T STOP DANCING Jack Wardlaw @jackwardlaw94 *Student loan comes through*... *buys Rick Owens shoes* Yes I think I have my priorities right, thank you for asking Eamonn Crowe @EamonnLC Of course it begins to rain as I approach Exeter #exams #patheticfallacy Lauren Hill @laurenlouhill Two weeks until my first exam and I’ve successfully learnt 3/40 lectures #cry Sarah Gough @sarahgoughy I bought an egg poaching tool today and I expect it to change my life for the better Gemma Joyce @GLJoyce I can’t be the only one who shouted OH FUCK OFF at the weekly Arena text three days before the dissy deadline James Beeson @jdbeeson16 Love that Sir Steve Smith is on Yik Yak #VCtalk #bantz Tristan Gatward @TristanGatward Everytime I see an email from Exeter saying ‘outstanding balance’ I just assume they’re leading me to a career in gymnastics Ciaran Willis @ciaranwillis1 Been listening to a lot of ‘Concentration Music’ recently. I find it really helps when I’m looking at pictures on Facebook Becca Hoare @BeccaHoare Revision tip - listen to live music when working so that every 4 minutes you get a round of applause for your efforts #motivation #welldoneme

You better work it

To help you get in the revision mood, an anonymous Lifestyle writer shares their novel idea for a kinky way to get you motivated

E all know the feeling. The endless hours of staring at your notes, the realisation that none of it is sinking in and the self-hatred that comes when you remember that if you’d paid a bit more attention during the term, you’d have more to work from than a couple of dates and the author of a quote you didn’t bother to copy down. Well, fret no longer comrades, for I have the answer. Food is a good motivation for some, but inevitably either leaves you bloated and rotund in shape or else feeling tragically nauseous, both of which leave you incapacitated for effective revision. No, my motivation technique is a lot more effective. It’s something that almost all of us have done before, and something that is almost universally satisfying. Yes, as with most problems in life, sex is a great solution. Sex is fun, sex feels good and sex is a great motivational technique. You only have to do a quick Google search (be careful how you word it though, you might get some unexpected results) to find all the health benefits of a good roll in the sheets. It’s kind of selfexplanatory that it works better if you’re in a relationship or at least have a regular booty call on speed dial, but for the single Pringles out there you can still find some great tips for some self-loving motivation. But why is sex such a good alternative to “traditional” revision methods?

Instead of breaking down and crying into a pillow, get your other half round and bite the pillow instead First oﬀ, sex relieves stress. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and panicked about how much you still have left to do, instead of breaking down and crying into a pillow, get your other half

round and bite the pillow instead. Sex releases a whole host of great endorphins to calm you down, distress you and take your mind oﬀ your workload for an hour or so. It’s also no secret that sex releases dopamine (the same chemical released when you eat chocolate) which is basically your brain rewarding itself with a rush of chemical pleasure when you engage in certain behaviors, one of the main ones being sex. So when you’re stressed out of your mind or frustrated with existence, grab your partner (or your laptop and a box of tissues) and get busy – the 30 minute (or longer if you’re lucky) break from revision will be enough to clear your mind, stimulate your body and, when you sit back down to work, make you concentrate a lot more.

There you go, one afternoon, eight pages of revision and a whole lot of fun had by all To incorporate sex into effective, efficient revision, I like to come up with a sort of sex ladder of rewards that get more and more enticing as you complete more and more revision. One way that worked for me and my other half was to go into separate rooms and revise for 30 minutes with no interruptions. After that, we would get together and start at first base (I’ll spare you all the gory details, for now) for 30 minutes. Then, as we’d be getting hot and bothered, we would set ourselves the goal of completing one whole page of revision before getting together again. The hornier we became, the quicker we’d

finish the revision, you see. Then, after 30 minutes of second base, we’d go away and complete two whole pages of revision, and progress on to third base. You get the idea. By the time you get to fourth base, you’ve already completed eight pages of revision in the space of a few hours, and then you can get down to the dirty stuff. And there you go, one afternoon, eight pages of revision and a whole lot of fun had by all. Or you can switch it up and think about the kinks that turn you both on. If one of you is particularly into being spanked for example, you can use your other half, if they’re not doing revision, as motivation – if you complete a set amount of work in a certain time, they’ll do whatever it is that gets you going. If you don’t have another half or a nearby booty-call, things are slightly more tricky, and as a guy I can firmly relate to most other guys and many girls out there who end up wanking several

times a day as a form of procrastination. The solution is to experiment with the length of the videos you allow yourself to watch or the time you allow yourself to get busy. After one page of work, give yourself two minutes; after two pages, four minutes etc. until eventually you have long enough of a movie to really get into it. Like all revision techniques, mine is one that takes a certain amount of self-discipline (or just discipline from your partner if that’s what you’re into) to make it productive, but undeniably the rewards are much more appealing than the average food-related rewards. Sex is fun, sex brings us closer together and sex, I ﬁrmly believe, can be useful, so let’s stop procrasturbating and get down to business – just please try not to get aroused during your exam.

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Would you kindly piss oﬀ ?

Written in the stars

Emily Marsay lists the ﬁve best passive-aggressive ways to Lucien Fulcher, our resident astrologist, display your irritation towards poor etiquette in the library rubs his crystal ball(s) to predict what’s in

E’VE all been there. You’re halfway through some stuffy textbook that took three forests to produce, that deadline is in three hours and your word count is looking skinnier than a skeleton on a crash diet, but that one dude in the corner still won’t stop his finger-tapping, throat-clearing, super sneezing-andsnivelling ways. Here are a few ideas to plug his mug. Who knows, get lucky and you might snag a few minutes’ peace and quiet! The “Let Me Just Clear My Throat…” More passive than aggressive, throat-clearing is always a favourite - due to nobody being able to tell if you’re bubbling with crisp packet rage or have just got something stuck. The sheer confusion that follows an enigmatic “ahem” in the silent study room is enough to prompt a good minute’s worth of existential pondering - was he “ahem”-ing at me? Am I being too noisy? Should I offer him a Strepsil? Be warned: make the cough more aggressive than passive and you risk ruining your library etiquette credentials. Don’t be that guy with the cough. You’ll put me off my crisps.

Risk rating: 2/10. Pretty risk-free,

but be warned - vigorous coughing may inadvertently prompt further passiveaggressive throat-clearing, spiralling into a musical round loud enough to wake the student in the corner from their slumber.

for the risk-averse among us. All the satisfaction of public shaming, with none of the socially awkward costs. “Take that!”, you think, as you vent your anger to that Facebook message box. Soon, the whole world will know! More likely outcome: they will either never see the upload, or see it and cackle hysterically that nobody will ever know it’s them. This may lead to the perpetrator not only succeeding in disturbing you with their sniﬄing, but prompting you to enter the procrastinating peril that is Facebook.

They’ll be hit with the double-whammy of having to thank you and apologise The “Nice Guy” Oﬀer that guy with the cough a Strepsil. The happier you are to help, the guiltier they feel. It takes big balls, but if you can slap that sheepish grin on your face and cross the no-man’sland that is the breadth of the study room, your noisy victim will be hit with the double-whammy of simultaneously having to thank and apologise to you. Required ammunition: tissues for sniﬄers, water for throat-clearers, and even a handy pair of gloves for the incessant nail-drummer.

Risk rating: 1/10. Bonus points if they’re sitting next to you and can see you sending it in. The “Turn and Glare” The more exaggerated the glare and fabulous the turn the better. Bonus points for synchronised hair ﬂicking and exasperated sigh. Warning: will inevitably lead to awkward eye contact. Be prepared to pretend you’re exasperatedly looking for a lost pen behind you.

Risk rating: 7/10. May require getting up close and personal with a coughing, sniﬄing victim of Fresher’s Flu. Proceed with caution. The “Spotted in the Forum” This anonymous tactic is great

Risk rating: 5/10. Make sure you clock the person who is making the noise ﬁrst, before turn-and-glaring with your utmost loathing at your coursemate/housemate/ that person you got with in Top-Top.

The “Approach and Scold” I’m sorry, what? Actually tell the person they’re being too noisy? Oh no. Just no. We live in Britain, that’s not how things are done around here. We much prefer the other methods of quietly seething and wishing death upon the guilty party.

Risk level: 100/10. Will also prompt passive-aggressive tactic three!

A (ﬂap)jack of all grades << Hell is probably full of people like him

Ben Christy’s recipe for busting out ﬂavourful fuel in a ﬂash

E all know mental focus requires constant fuelling with tasty snacks (I hope), so cook up these easy ﬂapjacks and plow through them to power up your revision. They won’t take more than 35 minutes, so there’s no excuse not to! What you’ll need: 250g oats 125g butter 125g light brown soft sugar Pinch of salt 3 tbs Golden Syrup 2 handfuls of chopped sticky dates 2 handfuls of chopped brazil nuts

What to do: Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 if you’re using a fan oven). Line a square 20cm tin with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter in a microwave and then stir in the oats, sugar, golden syrup, and salt. Chuck in your chopped up dates and walnuts, then pour the mixture into the tin and spread it round evenly with the back of a spoon. Pop the whole thing into the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Make sure to let it cool completely before taking it out of the tin.

store for Lifestyle readers this week... Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20) Thrust your horns into these exams and toss them royally over your mighty, powerful shoulders, just as though they were an unfortunate novice matador in a spangly jacket. Mooooo! Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20) Dedicate yourself to working hard now, keeping yourself motivated by your raunchy and exciting plans for the summer – great things come to those who wait. Lucky eye colour: bluegreen. Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22) Being nervous about exams or worried about your future is a waste of energy, much better spent memorising pages and pages of notes that you will only forget as soon as the exam is over. Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) Your sneaky, treacherous and devious ways may have got you this far dear Leo, but there is not even a fool’s hope that you can pull success out of your arse without any honest work this time! Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) Thank goodness it is exam season and you finally have the excuse you have been looking for all year long to go out looking like crap every day! Lucky US State: Kentucky. Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Rash and spontaneous decisions can sometimes be the best, but don’t get so caught up in your future fun that you forget the real and present danger. Lucky marine mammal: whale. Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) Destress yourself at this time of the year by dwelling on the fact that you would have saved yourself all current stress had you done

more work earlier in the term.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” said Newty. Staggeringly fortunately for you, the little action you put into revising may well result in a large and unexpectedly fruitful reaction. Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) Foolishness is one of the more undesirable traits associated with Capricorns, and it will rear its ill-thought-out head this week with grave consequences for an already strained relationship. Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Let the tide of stress, worry and angst just wash over you, washing you out to a sea of tranquillity, reflection and calmness. Also, don’t forget to shower regularly. Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20) Although you normally glide through exams like a schooner on a gentle swell, overconfidence whilst navigating your way may take the wind out of your sails, and possibly even sink you. Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19) If it’s a Geoff you’re after, go for it with both feet forward. If you’re happy with Tutu, go through the steps – but don’t repent it afterwards. If you’re happy with a Thora, go to the pub.

NEWS 1-5

MUSIC

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-13 8-9 6-7

MUSIC Gig Listings

Tuesday 5 May Laura Marling Colston Hall, Bristol Iceage The Fleece, Bristol Wednesday 6 May October Drift Cavern, Exeter

MUSIC 14-15

SCREEN 16-17

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 20-21 22-23

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5 MAY 2015 | Exeposé Music

MUSIC EDITORS James Atherton Katie Costello

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@ExeposeMusic

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Muse madness in Exeter

Thursday 7 May The 1969 Club Cavern, Exeter Sunday 10 May Cøllege Cavern, Exeter

In March, the kings of showmanship, Muse, played their first homecoming show in six years. Helen Payne gives you the lowdown on Exeter’s biggest and hottest gig of 2015

Wednesday 13 May Jack Garrett Cavern Exeter

Muse The Great Hall, Exeter 20 March 2015

Slaves Thekla, Bristol

Friday 15 May Tyler, The Creator O2 Academy, Bristol

Exeposé Recommends...

OING exams in the Great Hall will never be the same again. I will never be able to not see it as the place where I saw Muse play. The band mounted the stage to a backdrop of their yet-to-be-released new album Drones and a brilliant crowd reception. The trio opened with the first single from their new album ‘Psycho’. I purposefully had not listened to it yet to get the full impact. It was difficult, but definitely worth the wait. Heavier than

their newer stuﬀ, it is nice to see Muse return to more distorted, instrumental sounds. Next was a personal favourite of mine, ‘Muscle Museum,’ which has not been played live since 2007. It was great to see that they were including older tracks for the die-hard fans like myself to enjoy. Palm muted, eerie verses were built upon until we were overwhelmed with the drummer’s crash cymbals. We were treated to the rare BSide ‘Futurism’, followed by the lovable ‘Bliss’ and ‘Plug In Baby’, featuring the riﬀ which probably got the biggest crowd reaction of the night, with everybody, including one of my tutors, singing along. Muse had such infectious enthusi-

asm and played hit after hit, Wolstenholme now taking centre stage for one of the most well known bass lines of all time. ‘Hysteria’ had everyone jumping, and ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, had the crowd singing “This is the last time I’ll abandon you”. We will never abandon Matt Bellamy. We then got two songs from Black Holes and Revelations in a row: ‘Starlight’, which stuck in my head for the proceeding weekend, and ‘Super Massive Black Hole’. For the encore, the band teased the crowd with the slick synths of ‘Time is Running Out’. I assumed this would be the last song, but no! They squeezed in ‘Knights of Cydonia’, a classic. The tense, almost Spanish face-oﬀ chords of

the intro took me back to playing this on Guitar Hero when I was younger.

Doing exams in the Great Hall will never be the same again Muse performed as you’d expect such a huge and experienced band to play – amazingly, with Bellamy’s vocals soaring through the Great Hall, and probably all over campus. Apologies to those cramming in the library that night! The band deﬁnitely started an ‘uprising’ at the University of Exeter.

Vinyl ﬂying off the shelves

Interview

Tristan Gatward, Online Music Editor, talks with the founder of the recently launched ‘Flying Vinyl’ about the resurgence of records

Cøllege, Demcats, Pushing Daisies, Party Wounds @ Cavern Sunday 10 May This gig, put on by No Seatbelt DIY, showcases some of the best upcoming alternative bands from around the UK. Headlining the gig will be Canterbury emos Cøllege who combine punk, math-rock and indie to create an impressive and individual sound.

‘F

LYING VINYL’ is a new vinyl initiative, where members are sent a box ﬁlled with records every month. I spoke to its founder, Craig Evans, to hear a little more about it and his thoughts on vinyl. What makes vinyl such a great medium to listen to? Firstly, I think it’s the inconvenience of vinyl that’s made it so proliﬁc and relevant again. You sit down and listen to vinyl completely undistracted by anything else, which I don’t think you can say about most other music formats. There’s something in the way that you interact with the records on the turntable, it’s really an assault on your senses and a lot of people have grown up with-

out that experience, only getting the digital aspect from the internet.

You sit down and listen to vinyl completely undistracted by anything else Why do you think there has been such a resurgence of interest in vinyl? I think in the last 20 years the industry and society in general has been really focused on making music as cheap, accessible and convenient as possible. It was unfathomable to think that we’d

so quickly have a system where everyone, anywhere could just listen to virtually any piece of music they like at such a minimal cost. The problem really is that you’ve now got generations of music listeners who maybe see music as something that’s disposable and to be consumed through earplug headphones walking around, or in their car. So what’s happened is that there’s a core of true music enthusiasts who are trying vinyl for the ﬁrst time and getting a far more interactive, intimate and engaging experience and becoming hooked on it. Tell us about ‘Flying Vinyl’s emphasis on indie artists? We aim to promote up-and-coming artists who are both signed to indie labels

or are independent. We’re going to be releasing a mix of indie pop, grunge, shoegaze and more downbeat stuff. The sort of indie and alternative genre just fits very well with vinyl. That’s not to say that other genres don’t, but there’s so much great music from those genres, which aren’t making it onto vinyl, or being pushed into the mainstream, so it felt like a really logical starting point. Read more about ‘Flying Vinyl’ at: www.flyingvinyl.co.uk

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Howling at the door of success www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Josh Gray catches up with Wolf Alice to see if they are any closer to making it big

HE last time I met Wolf Alice was two years ago before their show at the Cavern. Back then they were an exciting new band poised to take the country by storm whenever their album dropped. Now as I meet them backstage before their show at Bristol’s Trinity Arts Centre they’re still an exciting new band poised to take the country by storm when their album drops in July. When questioned about the gargantuan gestation length of their debut album (entitled My Love Is Cool) singer/ rhythm guitarist Ellie Roswell is typically stoic: “two years ago we wanted to make an album, but we didn’t have enough money or enough songs. When we got signed we had a team who told us to wait until we knew we were actually ready, and it’s worked out really well”. A dearth of material has not been a problem for the band in a while, and bassist Theo Ellis informs me that many of their new songs (such as the rip-roaring ‘Giant Peach’) have been regularly performed live in some incarnation since last April. On our last meeting I was treated to a compelling, but apparently completely fabricated, band origin story about how Roswell and Ellis met through a near fatal ice skate-blade accident. “Yeah, we lied directly to your face” drummer

Joel Amey informs me. This u-turn immediately brings to mind the mischievous lyrics “I don’t tell lies no more, you know, I just don’t tell the truth” from ‘Giant Peach’, the ﬁrst real taste of My Love Is Cool, and also the hardest hitting highlight of their later performance. But Ellis is keen to dismiss the concept that we can hope to gain an insight into the aural makeup of the album from one song, claiming that tracks such as the as-yet-unheard opener ‘Turn To Dust’ and other of the new tracks “span diﬀerent sonic textures” and insisting that there’s “far less of a quiet/loud dynamic and more just wellrounded songs”.

We were like Bambi trying to ﬁnd his legs for a while Watching the band on the Trinity stage, it’s clear he’s got a point. Previously the band have relied almost exclusively on dynamic shifts, alternating between sweet subdued melodies (‘Heavenly Creatures’, ’90 Mile Beach’) and torrential riﬀs (‘She’, ‘Storms’), at the drop of a hat. As they unveil each of their new of-

Interview

ferings it’s clear that Wolf Alice have approached this new batch of songs in a more mature and engaging fashion without simply resorting to the grunge sound-switch trick. The disarming start-stop shuffle of ‘Your Love’s Whore’, the rhythmic strut of ‘You’re a Germ’ and the repetitive yet tireless vocal line of ‘Soapy Water’; all these moments suggest that Wolf Alice’s focus on live performance over studio prolificacy has allowed them to develop a seemingly effortless style that bypasses the brain and heads straight to the balls. “We’ve got a lot more confident at playing our instruments and being on stage”, Joel Amey answers when asked how things have changed since their time as slightly newer-comers:

“We were like Bambi trying to find his legs for a while”. The time it’s taken for them to feel comfortable in their own skin musically has also informed their approach to the industry. “Two years ago I wanted to see results straight away, I wanted to feel like things were doing well”, Roswell admits, “now we get to chill out and know what’s actually important: that good things take a good time”. This ‘slow and steady wins the race’ approach has bagged the band an enviably high slot at Glastonbury, a steadily blooming international fanbase and the honour of being Zane Lowe’s final pick on Radio One. It has taken time, but Britain’s most exciting new band are finally coming into season.

Toro y Moi has a new, energetic incarnation Fiona Potigny, News Editor, has mixed feelings about Toro y Moi’s hyperactive fourth album What for? Toro y Moi

ET’S be clear: the latest oﬀering from Chaz Bundick, otherwise known as Toro y Moi and king of the sweet, sample-based chillwave microgenre, is fundamentally disappointing if you’re hoping for another Majestic Casual, boutique-in-Amsterdam-style

tune spread. In a state of musical ADHD, What For? sees the artist ditch his leading position in the electro world to trace the alien terrains of indie pop/funk/ space rock/psychedelic rock in an aural fest of energetic nostalgia. Mashed together, the album’s kaleidoscope of styles, which oscillate between pure funk, ‘Buffalo, Spell It Out’, psychedelic, ‘Empty Nesters’, and downright twee ‘Ratcliff’, all played through a Weezer-esque filter, make

for a confusing soundscape. It’s an altogether unpleasant experience when trying to consolidate this disorder with our a priori knowledge of Bundick’s style.

It’s the musical equivalent of not being able to sit still Here lies the album’s problem: it’s the musical equivalent of not being able

to sit still. Whilst Bundick’s solo game of musical chairs does initially make for slightly irritating listening, at its heart, What For? is a sun-baked collection of feel-good tunes to be set against a backdrop of beaches and BBQs, it just needs a chance to ripen in your ears before summer. But as Bundick asks in ‘What You Want’, “Does anyone know where we go from here?” I guess we’ll ﬁnd out in the next album.

Music to revise to

Queen - ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ - Eamonn Crowe The Sherlock Soundtrack - “It makes me feel clever” - Adam Smith Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera - “See reasoning above” - Harry Shepherd Daniel Beddingfield - ‘Gotta Get Thru This’ - Sinéad Buckingham The Inception Soundtrack - “The constant sense of impending doom seriously helps” - Fiona Potigny Ryn Weaver - ‘Stay Low’ - “Like my grades” - Susannah Keogh Exam season is here, so you actually have to Sufjan Stevens - ‘No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross’ - “Bedo some work for this degree thing. Exeposé cause the lyrics ‘fuck me I’m falling apart’ have never been so is here to give you the perfect playlist to apt” - Will Cafferky make your revision just a bit more bearable. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify @exeposemusic

MUSIC

Hot / Not / Long Shot / Forgot Currently studying abroad in the US of A, Online Music Editor Joe Stewart brings down his opinionated gavel on what is hot, not, what is a long shot, and what has sadly been forgot in the land of the free. Hot: ’Shut Up and Dance’ – Walk the Moon This powerpop masterstroke is about as huge here as the contiguous 48 states. It is adored by the frattiest and the nerdiest alike, and no less by me. If drunken euphoria had a sound, ‘Shut Up and Dance’ is it. Not: ‘Dear Future Husband’ – Megan Trainor I hope this one hasn’t dominated the UK charts quite as much as ‘All About That Bass’ did a few months back. In trying to re-inject the nostalgic tones of doo-wop into modern pop, Trainor has inadvertently re-injected widespread 1950s domestic misogyny. Nice one. Long Shot: ’Check’ – Young Thug Atlanta’s pretty hot right now, and I don’t just mean 80°F. Young Thug, the city’s downright weirdest trap artist, has just dropped this smooth number. I say long shot because I can’t imagine this oddity charting on our reserved isle, but I wish it would. Forgot: ’Yoshi City’ – Yung Lean Self-styled ‘sadboy’ Yung Lean is Swedish not American, but 2013’s ‘Unknown Death 2002’ inspired enough internet hype to make me think that 2014’s ‘Unknown Memory’ and lead single ‘Yoshi City’ would hit it big with all those people that pretend to like vaporwave but want something poppier.

NEWS 1-5

SCREEN

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-13 8-9 6-7

SCREEN

MUSIC 14-15

SCREEN 16-17

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 20-21 22-23

GAMES 26-27

SPORT 30-32

5 MAY 2015 | Exeposé Screen

SCREEN EDITORS Akash Beri Ben Londesbrough

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeScreen

screen@exepose.com

Newsreel

Star Wars: Rogue One confirmed as prequel At the recent Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, a new prequel spin-off movie was revealed. Planned for release in 2016, Star Wars: Rogue One will centre upon a band of resistance fighters who unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans. Felicity Jones (The Theory Of Everything) and Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) are rumoured to star.

In the loop with political cinema

As election fever intensiﬁes, Cormac Dreelan discusses the best of political cinema

E Furious 7 races to box office supremacy For the third weekend in a row, Furious 7 has held top spot at the UK Box Office, beating off new releases like The Avengers: Age of Ultron. With a worldwide gross of $1.3 billion, the latest installment has become one of the five highest grossing films of all time, with strong praise and word-of-mouth driving the series to success. Analysts predict it could end up grossing over $1.8 billion.

New Joker unveiled In honour of the Joker’s 75th anniversary, David Ayer (director of the upcoming Suicide Squad) has tweeted a still of Jared Leto’s new Joker. The radical take on Batman’s iconic villain has sparked controversy amongst the fanbase, deeming the excessive tattoos ‘unneccesary’. Suicide Squad will open for audiences in 2016.

LECTION fever has swept the country; it’s all you’ll hear about on the radio, see on the TV, and read about in the newspapers. If mainstream media wasn’t enough to tickle your political itch, then maybe political ﬁlms are the answer. Cinema has always had an interesting relationship with politics, so here’s a (quick) guide to some great movies with a political edge.

Visions of futuristic, fascistic dystopias are always a great watch If it’s comedy you’re after then look no further than the cutting hilarity of Armando Ianucci’s In the Loop (currently on Netﬂix), a genuinely ‘laugh-out-loud’ ﬁlm that focuses on the build-up to the

invasion of Iraq. The film features charactors - most notably the Alastair Campbell inspired Malcolm Tucker - from Ianucci’s equally superb The Thick of It, crossing over from TV. For more satire check out Stanley Kubrick’s sensational Dr Strangelove, a black comedy focusing on the nuclear arsenals of the USSR and the USA, and the idiocy often rife in the upper echelons of government. An often overlooked classic in Kubrick’s back-catalogue, this is definitely worth rooting out. Visions of futuristic, fascistic dystopias are always a great watch and both Starship Troopers and V for Vendetta fill this role perfectly. Often derided, Starship Troopers is worth a watch for its undeniably excellent examination of neo-fascism and propaganda, centring on the militaristic aggressions of the ‘Federation’, which is hell bent on eradicating

the seemingly evil alien forces of another planet. V for Vendetta, based on the seminal graphic novel by Alan Moore of the same name, oﬀers up a horrifying image of a not-too-distant-future London, in which mass-scale surveillance (thanks Tony Blair) and curfews are the norm.

Challenge the authority of the ruling ‘Norsefire’ (think UKIP on crack) In this case it’s up to a hero dressed as Guy Fawkes to challenge the authority of the ruling ‘Norsefire’ (think UKIP on crack) government, and to rally the everyman. As far as films based on real political events go, it would be difficult to find one better than All the President’s Men. It’s

a gripping examination of the two journalists who investigated the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post in 1972, featuring great performances from both Dustin Hoffman and Jason Robards in particular. It remains, to this day, a captivating portrait of perhaps the most infamous stain on the United States’ political history. Another brilliant, real-life political treat is Sean Penn’s turn in the biopic Milk, following the trials and tribulations in the life of the gay rights activist in 1970s San Francisco. His campaign against the hateful ‘Proposition 6’, which sought to ban gays and lesbians from working in public schools, is truly inspiring. Whatever genre you enjoy, politics seems to blend in with most, making it difficult not to find at least some political cinema truly engaging.

Avengers: a new Vision

Carmen Paddock takes a look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest installment Avengers: Age of Ultron Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, James Spader Director: Joss Wheadon 2015, 142 minutes

HE conclusion of Marvel’s Phase Two was faced with a seemingly impossible task: to live up to the excitement generated by its predecessors and ambitious promises. On the whole, Age of Ultron succeeds, delivering heart-pounding action, moral dilemmas, snappy dialogue, astounding visual eﬀects, and the characters we know and love. There is never a slow minute amidst the epic ﬁghts and character drama, but by the time the mid-credit scene rolls, the opening attack

seems a distant memory. This installment feels like the second in a trilogy – more of a continuation of the explosive opening and stepping stone to the grand finale than an adventure in its own right. Without giving away too much, the plot follows the heroes of Assemble in a post-SHIELD world. Tony Stark seeks to create a peacekeeping force to check the ever-present HYDRA threat, but Ultron – the artificial intelligence he creates for this purpose – has other ideas about peacekeeping: namely, the eradication of humanity. He is such a charismatic presence that it is hard to root for his demise. James Spader captures the titular villain’s ever-changing moods – his eloquence and logic, brutality and surprising comedy – with an icy charm. The story arc focuses largely around Bruce Banner (Hulk), Natasha Romanoff

(Black Widow), and Clint Barton (Hawkeye) – a much appreciated turn in order to give these deserving heroes some depth.

Age of Ultron succeeds, delivering heart-pounding action The newcomers were solid without exception: Aaron Taylor-Johnson was a comic-accurate Pietro, Elizabeth Olsen captured Wanda’s fragility despite her unbelievable gifts, and Paul Bettany’s face ﬁnally appeared (albeit purple) as the Vision. Age of Ultron may not be the deﬁnitive event that Assemble was, but it certainly will not disappoint MCU fans or anyone looking for a top-notch superhero adventure.

EXEPOSÉ

The good, the BAFTA, and the ugly: our picks www.exepose.com

SCREEN

Exeposé Screen give their much ‘valued’ opinions on the best shows and stars at this year’s BAFTA TV Awards Nominations

Akash Beri

Ben Londesbrough

Emily Harris

Jack Smith

Leading Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) Toby Jones (Marvellous) James Nesbitt (The Missing) Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeﬀeries)

I think it’s about time Mr. Holmes won an award for his skills, don’t you think? We don’t want another DiCaprio.

For me, it’s James Nesbitt with his surly voice and piercing eyes. Cumberbatch has never and probably won’t anytime soon.

Benedict Cumberbatch for Sherlock. Because… well… he should win something this year. He should win something for every year!

I thought that Toby Jones was brilliant in Marvellous,, but it’s got to be Cumberbatch. Alongside Martin Freeman, he’s magniﬁcent.

Leading Actress: Georgina Campbell (Murdered by My Boyfriend) Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty) Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) Sheridan Smith (Cilla)

They’re all pretty great this year, but I bet my bottom dollar that Keeley Hawes will win - she’s awesome in Line of Duty!

Sheridan Smith hands down. She’s come a long way since Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, and if anyone deserves to win, it’s her!

Sheridan Smith for Cilla. I don’t really like Smith, but it’s hard to deny the sass she gave Cilla’s character. And I’m a big fan of serious sassiness.

Keeley Hawes! She is in Ashes to Ashes,, which I loved, and she is great again in Line of Duty as DI Lindsey Denton solving crimes!

Best International Programme: The Good Wife House of Cards Orange is The New Black True Detective

True Detective is smashing, and should win one day, but I reckon House of Cards stands stronger for the award this year.

True Detective was just too good not to win this. However, I don’t doubt that House of Cards will give it a run for its money though.

Orange is the New Black. I know it’s predictable, but it’s been so great to see women invade the face of scripted comedy this year.

True Detective - simply because of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s sterling performances. Brilliant.

Best Comedy Programme: Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe The Graham Norton Show Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle Would I Lie To You

It has to be The Graham Norton Show. His ability to get celebrities laughing and enjoying themselves is precious nowadays!

This is tough because I love Stewart Lee, as many do. But I ﬁnd Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe a more entertaining watch and it needs to win!

Although Graham Norton was great this year, Would I Lie To You outshines the opposition for laughs and pure entertainment.

For comedy, it won’t win unfortunately, but I’ve seen it so I’ll say the dry and controversial Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.

Ben Stiller plays dodgeball with your heart

Jack Smith, Online Screen Editor, gives praise to Noah Baumbach’s latest mumblecore directorial eﬀort While We’re Young Cast: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts Director: Noah Baumbach 2015, 97 minutes

said, but the ﬁlm had already moved swiftly on so these moments have been in the back of my head, nagging me about how I needed to go and see it again to appreciate it.

Has a lot... to say about art, youth and ambition

Y favourite thing about Noah Baumbach’s While We’re Young is how subtly it worked on me, as I ﬁnd that it’s drawing me back to the cinema a week later. For all its critics, I still regard it to be not only clever and funny, but exceedingly watchable. I can say that it’s certainly quite a lot more than what it appears to be on the surface. There were many points which made me want to pause for a second to think about what a character has just

Now, although this could seem like a criticism, I feel that it’s a testament to the questions While We’re Young poses and how it poses them, because it can be thoroughly enjoyed on the merits of its comedy-drama narrative, as well as being read as a ﬁlm that has a lot more to say about art, youth and ambition among many other topics. Moreover, it comes

across as slightly critically ambiguous. The way that you understand and answer the questions While We’re Young puts forward will depend very much on your initial reaction to the ﬁlm, particularly with which characters you most sympathise. For me, Baumbach’s characters are of great importance here because they are what make the ﬁlm great. Whereas in the past he has been criticised for creating characters to whom many cannot relate nor

#Quintessential-Quote-Qorner

‘‘

“If you want real political power, try telling the truth for a change.”

‘‘

“Who cares about this stupid election?”

‘‘

dynamism to the ﬁlm which propels the ﬁlm’s narrative forward.

It’s great fun, with an intriguing relationship at its core Upon seeing it again, the bittersweet melancholic tone disappears to reveal a far lighter mood to the story, and the second chance further demonstrated to me, as I thought it would, how well constructed and tight a film While We’re Young really is. It’s great fun, with an intriguing relationship at its core and plenty more there if you want it. If you like Baumbach’s other films, this is definitely worth a watch.

Campus Cinema upcoming showings w

Test your ﬁlm knowledge by guessing these qwazy quotes! 1

even like, (although I must admit I am not overly familiar with Baumbach’s entire ﬁlmography), in While We’re Young he has built some wonderful personalities to suit most tastes. This is helped largely by the performances of Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts who play an aging couple who are attracted by the world of the younger couple of Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver. Driver’s aspiring documentary ﬁlmmaker injects a constant

“[After winning the election] “What do we do now?”

Sunday 17 May: Kingsman: The Secret Service Tuesday 19 May: The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Sunday 24 May: Blade Runner: The Final Cut Tuesday 26 May: In This World

1. HARVEY MILK (SEAN PENN) - MILK 2. TAMMY METZLER (JESSICA CAMPBELL) - ELECTION 3. BILL MCKAY (ROBERT REDFORD) - THE CANDIDATE

Ellie

Economics Student from Exeter

- Loves to ride her bicycle

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NEWS 1-5

ARTS & LIT

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-13 8-9 6-7

MUSIC 14-15

ARTS &LIT

SCREEN 16-17

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 20-21 22-23

GAMES 26-27

SPORT 30-32

5 MAY 2015 | Exeposé Arts & Lit

ARTS & LIT EDITORS Jeremy Brown Emily Kerr

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeArts

artsandlit@exepose.com

Top ﬁve children’s books In the midst of a stressful exam period, Exeposé Arts & Lit decides to get nostalgic

Matilda Roald Dahl

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Michael Rosen

Elmer David McKee

XENBURY’S illustrations, alongside Michael Rosen’s charming words, make this the perfect example of everything a picture book should be: beautiful drawings that accompany a great story, with the ability to capture a child’s, and an adult’s, imagination and attention. Even though I must have requested this book before bedtime hundreds of times, every time it was just as scary and even more exciting. The repetition throughout the pages means the story is familiar and memorable, whilst the use of onomatopoeic words in the forest, grass and snow immerses you in the story. Oxenbury’s colourful illustrations ﬁll the whole page and include just enough detail to give a sense of realism and depth to the scenes. My favourite aspect of the book is how it is paced to dramatically increase the tension. The slow and leisurely amble from the house contrasts with the hurried scramble away from the cave with the bear in hot pursuit. Given that I never went on my own bear hunt, this book provided the perfect mix of realism and fantasy, fun and fear to stick with me all these years later.

BVIOUSLY, Elmer is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions children’s books. A big, multi-coloured elephant - unquestionably the life and soul of the party - Elmer is the centre of attention in his herd. I loved this book from the first time I read it: and what’s not to like about a chunky, colourful elephant (surely the most beloved animal for children) having fun with his friends? Already, I was hooked. However, unlike the other elephants - all grey - Elmer is a vibrant patchwork of reds and oranges, blues and greens, and for this reason he feels like an outsider. He sneaks away, and finds a way to disguise himself, but soon realises that he is valuable to the other elephants precisely because he is so unique. Author David McKee’s message about acceptance and diversity is nice to see, especially with the obvious parallels between Elmer’s colours and the rainbow flag. However, as a child, it was simply the idea of a happy herd of elephants, being entertained by their boisterous, cheerful friend, which appealed to me. After all, nothing beats humour and happiness.

ELLIE CRISP

PHOEBE DENT

ECAUSE some of you may not be familiar with this story (which seems unlikely), I’ll give you a run down. Matilda is about a smart little girl who is misunderstood by her horrible parents and the gruesome (but iconic) headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Her teacher, Miss Honey, proves to be her saving grace, but it is Matilda’s personal plight with the trials and tribulations of being a neglected Wormwood which makes this tale so extraordinary: learning to read at three years old, and - on top of all that - discovering the ability to magically move things with her eyes. The novel is littered with beautiful illustrations by the wonderful Quentin Blake, who brings to life all of Dahl’s tales. His drawings make the characters jump right oﬀ the page and, when paired with the way Dahl pushes the boundaries of a child’s imagination, the book can easily remain in your mind in your adult years. Reading this book has given me fond memories of amusement and inspiration. Two (of many) things you can learn from Matilda: check your jug of water for newts, and believe in yourself - you can eat a whole chocolate cake in one sitting.

Arts in the news

Francis Bacon self-portraits expected to fetch £30m

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

Ronda & David Armitage

The Port Meriel Mystery Nelson Mapple

JEREMY BROWN

KATE JONES

JULIAN ISAACS

8-year-old girl encourages Scholastic to remove ‘for boys’ labelling

IDS all love Ronda and David Armitage’s book, popular ever since publication in 1977. It tells the story of Mr Grinling, a lighthouse-keeper, and his attempts to keep his lunch free from seagull attacks. Whether it was the beautiful illustrations, the seaside setting or the comically high-pitched voices my mum gave the seagulls (or, upon reﬂection, the fact Mr Grinling bore a scarily uncanny resemblance to my granddad), memories of the book have stayed with me. However, I can’t help wondering if it subconsciously triggered the perpetual hunger I have as an adult. One doublepage is dedicated to a better-than-Instagram, deliciously colourful cut-down of one of Mr Grinling’s lunches. And it gets to Mr Grinling’s workplace via zip wire. ZIP WIRE FOOD. Aside from thinking that this ingenious idea should be implemented in all homes, upon rereading this book, questions are left unanswered. Why doesn’t Mr Grinling make his own lunch, rather than his wife doing it? Should we be concerned that he seems to be chainsmoking his pipe? There are clearly aspects for adults to uncover, too - why not take a look?

New Hyde Park comedy gigs announced for the summer

INCE I was awarded it as a prize when leaving primary school, this has always been one of my favourite children’s books, especially due to its gaudy dust jacket, created in the distinctive style of children’s comic illustrators. The exciting events that befall the two protagonists signify for me the wistfulness of lost innocence. It has vanished from my shelves (I suspect to languish in a storage box), probably snuggled up to another favourite: my R.J. Unstead book on the Tudors. Although published half a century after E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children, and some thirty years after Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, it still represents for me the era before lower middle class families like ours travelled abroad, at a time when the lakes, beaches and towns of Middle England heralded the promise of adventure. I haven’t read the book for many years, but its associations are everpresent. For example, the protagonists change trains at Newton Abbot on their way to the Devon ﬁshing village where the action is set, and I think of it every time I commute from Plymouth to Exeter University.

Adult colouring books revealed to de-stress and increase creativity

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Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore

Natalie Clark reviews the maiden voyage as she sucessfully sets sail

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Image Credit: Emily Cobb G&S’s HMS Pinafore Northcott Theatre 11-14 March 2015

HIS year’s cast excellently renders Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s HMS Pinafore. The old family favourite is ﬁlled with wickedly funny satire on class nepotism and so-called “accidental birth,” which is plainly realised in the climax of the performance.

The real beauty of this production lay in the expressive performances The operetta opens aboard the ship, HMS Pinafore, where the entirety of the action is set. The captain’s daughter, Josephine, is in love with Ralph Rackstraw,

a sailor from the lower class, but her father wishes to marry her to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Joseph Porter. Josephine and Ralph decide to elope but, after the captain discovers their plan, it is scandalously revealed by Buttercup that the Captain and Ralph were, conveniently, switched at birth - allowing Josephine and Ralph to marry happily. The orchestra performs the classically catchy music with ease and ﬂair, and the cast as a whole sound fabulous together. Their energetic renditions remained stuck in my head for days afterwards, much to my delight. The costuming is beautifully

accomplished, particularly the womens’ elegant ﬂoaty dresses and full petticoats. However, the real beauty of this production lies in the expressive performances of the cast. Of course the singing, both from the leads and the chorus is immaculate, but the acting is comically

animated and elevating. The cast synchronise together seamlessly, playing oﬀ each other brilliantly. The fantastic satire is embodied in the standout performance given by Sam Ward as the frail and tottering Sir Joseph. Thomas Davis plays

the lumbering Dick Deadeye eﬀortlessly, and Katie Lockwood’s sonorous voice is well suited to the part of Buttercup. Ali Sinclair’s voice as Josephine possesses an assured clarity that contrasts well with Alex Gordon’s strong and carrying voice as love struck sailor, Ralph Rakestraw, and

A delightfully buoyant family comedy the pair have excellent onstage chemistry. It was a wonderful night of light entertainment, with mood-lifting, catchy music and a bunch of bright performances. I left with a spring in my step, dancing out of the Northcott. If you’ve never seen a G&S production, you don’t know what you’re missing. HMS Pinafore is a delightfully buoyant family comedy, best seen with all of your sisters and your cousins and your aunts. Have I ever seen a better operetta? No, never. Well, hardly ever.

#TheMergeHasArrived Hi! We’re your new Arts & Lit Editors. We know you’ve been waiting for this moment for ages - wait no more! Remember when the Eurotunnel joined England and France; when the Coalition was formed (let’s forget about that one); when McBusted rose from the ashes? Well this is much, MUCH bigger. Be prepared to see (probably for the first time in your life) the picture meet the poem... Art to Art is about students taking inspiration from one art form, and translating it into their own piece of work. Our week one piece is by Flora Burles, who was inspired by a Stevens poem.

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Artistic Licence If you could bring a children’s book character to life, who would it be and why? JULIAN ISAACS

Captain Slaughterboard all that plunder would help stretch my grant!

JOSH CREEK

I’d like to have a magic key...

LAUREL BIBBY

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant - he’s just so snazzy

EAMONN CROWE

Flora Burles Oil on paper

ART TO ART

‘Anecdote of the Jar’ Wallace Stevens “The wilderness rose up to it, And sprawled around, no longer wild. The jar was round upon the ground And tall and of a port in air...”

The Twits - just for the bants

FIONA POTIGNY

The Hungry Caterpillar I would feel signifcantly less piggy when revision binging with that ravenous lil’ guy around

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Science says relax

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5 MAY 2015 |

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Exeposé Science & Tech

SCI & TECH EDITORS Lewis Norman Catherine Heffner

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Catherine Heﬀner, Science & Tech Editor, argues that you shouldn’t shun your stress

TRESS-BUSTING is a lucrative industry. Spa days, meditation, rain music, yoga, mini breaks, exercise programs; as a society, we spend an awful lot of time and money on calming ourselves down and escaping from the baggage of the everyday. But what if, instead of making stress the enemy, we befriended it? We’ve heard it all before; stress is toxic. Suﬀerers of chronic stress can encounter a whole host of health problems, including raised blood pressure and supressed immune systems, and are at a higher risk of debilitating illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression. At it’s worst we can point the ﬁnger at stress as the cause of an early grave. The American Institute of Stress recently published an infographic with the uplifting title ‘Stress is Killing You’ that included several alarming statistics such as, “stress is the basic cause of 60 per cent of all human illness and disease”. However, some psychologists now argue that it is not stress itself, but stress

phobia that is to blame. One study carried out regular health interviews with 30,000 adults over a period of eight years, asking questions about how much stress they had received and whether they believed this stress to be harmful to their health. They then linked this data with mortality records at the end of the eight-year period. The results indicated that those who reported both high levels of stress and high perception of stress had a 43 per cent increase in risk of premature death, compared to those who reported high level of stress without a high stress perception.

Psychologists now argue that it is not stress itself but stress phobia that is to blame Let’s take a step back and look at what stress fundamentally is. There are two types – acute and chronic. In the

acute stress response, your body elicits what’s known as the ‘fight or flight’ pathway via a cascade of hormones such as adrenaline. It includes immediate physiological changes such as increased breathing and heart rate, decreased digestive activity, pupil dilation and increased glucose metabolism. Evolutionary theory suggests that we have this system from when early humans needed to respond to physical danger. Increased heart and breathing rate prepares the muscles for action. Pupil dilation allows for increased information from visual stimuli. Those whose bodies were a b l e to respond faster to danger were more likely to survive since they weren’t being eaten by sabre-toothed tigers or trampled by a woolly mammoth. So if your 21st Century brain registers that performance or an exam as a stressor, it kick-starts this ‘fight

or ﬂight’ response, hence the knocking knees and shaking hands. Chronic stress on the other hand is where it gets harmful, and develops as a result of prolonged exposure to these stress hormones over a period of months or years. This isn’t caused by your regular exam nerves but by a chronic, unrelenting stressor with a lack of control and social support. So what if we didn’t meet the acute stress response with such trepidation? Rather than viewing it as an uncomfortable and harmful experience, we could recognise the stress response for what it is – your body preparing for a challenge. Stanford health psychologist Kelly McGonigal argues that instead of ﬁghting stress, we should em-

brace it. “Rather than trying to slow your pounding heart” she asks “why couldn’t you view it as your body giving you energy?” As a health psychologist, she asks that people to get better at stress rather than get rid of it. Easier said than done, right? Think again. For example, we often look to exercise as a stress-reliever, but it’s essentially a short-term stressor. Professor of behaviour and psychiatry, Dr Dhabhar points out that the process that makes exercise feel so good is the same process that makes you feel like throwing up over an entire audience Pitch Perfect style. And stress has also been shown to promote ‘neuroplasticity’; the ability of the brain to expand new connections and weaken old ones. This change of brain structure is thought to be the key mechanism of processes such as learning and memory formation, thus increasing intelligence and creativity. Just so long as you’re not stressed about stress, it’s rather beneﬁcial to your health. So go ahead – do something everyday that scares you. No fear.

A brand new look through the Periscope

Sarah Gough, Editor, reviews Twitter’s latest broadcasting app that’s got journalists in a flap

Periscope App Store Free

WITTER’S live-streaming app is ﬁnally here. The wait has been long and gruelling. I’d been searching for a way to question the validity of my own uninteresting life even further. Periscope, thank you, you’ve ﬁlled a void. How did I ever cope without you?

This is an app both the exciting and the dull person will enjoy. The fun-lover will be able to live broadcast their every move, while the boring will be able to live their life through the eyes of someone far more exciting. I can see it working well in dynamic, universally relevant moments. The London Marathon, deﬁnitely; the Olympics, of course; the General Election, perhaps, but only if someone catches on ﬁre or something. That’s the thing with real life isn’t it

– you can’t edit in the good bits. I first watched a live stream of a guy ‘watching you watch me’. He’d set up mirror upon mirror to reflect back his own Periscope broadcast. Meta and mind numbing. I would have rather watched paint dry – at least that’s not patronising. What’s to like, then? You can give “hearts” for what you deem to be an aesthetically pleasing and/or affecting stream. But unlike the stingy one like/favourite Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allow you, Periscope lets

you ADORE something. You can get all heart happy and give as many as you think the stream deserves. You ﬁnd yourself being inexplicably loving. I gave Amanda Holden 13 hearts for showing me a tunnel. As it’s Twitter’s technological baby, the two interlink and work well together. You can see and follow the people you’re already stalking on Twitter, while also having access to a global feed. You can make your broadcast available to replay. However, most people don’t

tend to be doing that, they’re restricting themselves to live action. This can be frustrating – I missed Greg James having a massage and nearly cried. Despite all the impressive features, I’m not keen on you, Periscope. The aspiring journalist inside of me thinks you’re supplanting my job. The traditionalist inside of me thinks you’re just another thing to detract from the enjoyment of living in a real life moment. The Snapchatter inside of me thinks you’re trying too hard.

A pair of blue genes

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Lewis Norman, Science & Tech Editor, exposes the bias of your biology

OU might have realised that there is an election coming up. For most of us, this is going to be the first time we have been of age to vote in a general election. How are we possibly going to choose which political party we identify with? Are we influenced by the environment we grew up in? Do we make our decision based on a set of common values that we share with a political movement? Or is it written in our genetic code? For many years we, as a society, have believed that our political allegiance is affected by purely environmental factors. However, studies at the department of Twin Research involving UK twins from all over the country have revealed that there may be a hereditary influence.

The only party that appeared to be unaﬀected by genetics were the Liberal Democrats Twins provide a perfect natural environment for genetic study. Identical twins share 100 per cent of their DNA and nonidentical twins share 50 per cent. Assuming that twins generally grow up in the same environment, we can tell how much

a psychobiological trait is determined by genetics, as opposed to the environment in which they grow up.

If you find yourself with a curious attraction to David Cameron, you probably have your genes to blame for that too The research involved 2,355 twins, aged between 18 and 80. They were asked which party they intended to vote for, providing they actually wished to vote altogether, and their opinion of party leaders. So what was the outcome of this research? Well, your ancestors have more of a control over who you choose to vote for than you might have previously thought… if you plan to vote Conservative. The heritability, the percentage of a trait accounted for by genetics, for voting Conservative was 57 per cent. This means that identical twins were more likely to vote in the same way than non-identical twins, suggesting that the genetic influence was stronger than the environmental influence. But what about the other parties? There is a similar trend, although it would

seem that the left wing voters are not controlled by their genes as much as the right, with UKIP coming in second place with 51 per cent heritability. Labour and the Greens both returned a value of 48 per cent. In fact, the only party that appeared to be unaﬀected by genetics were the Liberal Democrats for whom identical and non-identical twins exhibited exactly the same disparity in voting preference. Interestingly however, our opinions on party leaders are generally shaped by environmental factors. Opinions on incumbent Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister David Cameron and Nick Clegg showed the most heritability with

50 per cent and 37 per cent respectively. Of course, while our opinions of individuals cannot be solely attributed to genetics, our subconscious has been shown to generate its own opinions on individual characters based on height, facial dimensions and a wealth of other characteristics. So when you’re standing at the polling station on 7 May, bear this in mind. If you’re planning on voting Conservative, biology might have more of a control on your decision than you think. Similarly, if you ﬁnd yourself with a curious attraction to David Cameron, you probably have your genes to blame for that too. Sorry about that.

SCIENCE & TECH

Biweekly Breakthroughs TINNITUS ACTIVITY MAPPED For the first time, tinnitus activity in the brain has been mapped. Researchers at Newcastle University used invasive electrodes to image the brain of a man undergoing surgery for epilepsy. Huge proportions of the brain appear to be involved outside the auditory cortex.

MITOCHONDRIA MANIPULATED Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA, have made groundbreaking ahievements in gene-editing technology aimed to prevent multiple human mitochondrial diseases from being passed from female mice to their offspring.

“Just a little off the top please”

Matt Turner discusses the proposed procedure that is turning a few heads

HE concept of a head transplant sounds like something straight out of an X-Files episode, which has unsurprisingly intrigued and divided the medical world. Conducting the interestingly named “Heaven-Gemini Project” is Dr Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group in Italy. Headstrong Canavero has recruited Russian volunteer, Valery Spiridonov, to be ﬁrst in line for the operation. Spiridonov was born with Werdnig Hoﬀman disease which causes the emaciation of nerves and muscles directly linked to motor function, leaving him severely disabled. “I can hardly control my body now”, Spiridonov stated “I need help every day, every minute… you have to understand that I don’t really have many choices. If I don’t try this chance my fate will be very sad. With every year my state is getting worse”. Dr Canavero knows that it won’t be a simple Lego head swap. The risky transplant is set to take place in 2016 and will take around 100 surgeons a painstaking

36 hours to complete. After that, providing all goes well, Spiridonov will be kept in a medically-induced coma for up to four weeks with heavy 24 hour monitoring. They will attempt to prevent the donor body from rejecting Spiridonov’s head, which (believe it or not), takes more than a couple of Panadol tablets. Canavero says that after this time, with the aid of implanted electrodes, to help stimulate neurone activity, and intense physical therapy, Spiridonov could be walking within a year. Since being announced, problems and criticisms of the “Heaven-Gemini Project” have begun to arise. Director of

medical ethics Arthur Caplan, PhD criticised the plan, saying that the procedure needs to be carried out on more animals before conﬁdently applying it to humans. Caplan even went on to say that Canavero was “nuts”. Talking to New Scientist earlier this year, Harry Goldsmith, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of California-Davis, said the project is so overwhelming that the chances of it going ahead are unlikely. One major problem set to give Canavero a pain in the neck is the daunting task of fusing the spinal cord correctly, a procedure which has been fairly inconsistent during animal head transplants in the past, resulting in the paralysation of

the transplant subjects. In order to overcome this, Dr Canavero intends to use polyethylene glycol as a biological bonding agent, which has been shown to mesh the fat in cell membranes and prompt the growth of spinal cord nerves. Other additions he intends to use include stem cells and olfactory ensheathing cells, connective tissue found in the brain that self-regenerates.

One major problem set to give Canavero a pain in the neck is the daunting task of fusing the spinal cord correctly It seems like Dr Canavero and his associates have it all planned out, making it all sound fantastically SciFi and a little mind-boggling. I just hope that at least a few of the 100 recruited surgeons understand it more than I do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBLE The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated 25 years since its launch on 24 April1990. NASA celebrated with a series of talks, conjuring up what seems to be the most dull birthday party imaginable. We did get this pretty picture though.

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Battlefront strikes back

Theodore Stone, Online Features Editor, gives us the lowdown on the new Star Wars game

NLESS you’ve either been living underneath a rock for the last ten years or have no interest in either Star Wars or video games, in which case I bite my thumb at you, you’ll be familiar with the Star Wars Battlefront franchise. Many people saw it as one of the pinnacles of the Star Wars franchise during the destitute years of the prequel trilogy, and with good reason. It provided us with a gaming environment where we could throw ourselves into either the Clone Wars or the Rebellion and do battle with both the heroes and villains of the Star Wars universe. Like many other people, I hold fond memories of Star Wars Battlefront II and

its various spin-offs, Elite Squadron and Renegade Squadron, so you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered that DICE, the studio behind the Battlefield series, first announced their intentions to revive the series. Finally, I would be able to once again charge through the vestiges of space in a T-65 X-Wing or battle for supremacy on the Polis Massa Space Station. Unfortunately, those dreams might not come true this time around. For one thing, DICE have ruled out the prospect of space battles, which is sure to frustrate the legions of fans attracted by that very concept from the original series. On top of that, only four planets will be available

out of the box, those being Hoth, Endor, Tatooine and Sullust. The planet of Jakku, which is said to play a major part in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, will also be oﬀered as free DLC.

You’ll also be able to play as some of the franchise’s biggest names such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett As for the actual combat, there will still be aerial vehicles such as the X-Wing, although these will be limited to atmospheric combat. Furthermore, it will feature split-screen multiplayer, but only for

offline co-op missions. Sadly, there won’t be a single-player campaign, nor will there be ‘Instant Action’, where you play through a cycle of maps one after the other. Instead, there will be ‘crafted missions’ for both online and offline purposes and the action will be limited purely to the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. The graphics will be more than capable of maintaining DICE’s high standards, with the game running at 60FPS. In addition, the game will support up to 64 players in a single match, and you will be able to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. Customisation will also be available, a feature first introduced to the franchise in the handheld ex-

clusive Star Wars: Renegade Squadron. You’ll also be able to play as some of the franchise’s biggest names such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett. All in all, it appears to be very much a case of hit and miss. While there are some features that look like they’ll be right on the money, the lack of space battles is a sad loss. Nevertheless, it’s only a matter of time before we learn whether DICE has lived up to the high expectations of Star Wars’ legions of fans. Let’s just hope the force is strong with these developers. Star Wars Battlefront will hit shelves on 17 November for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Exams are bad; these games are worse

Alex Howard, Online Games Editor, ranks his top ﬁve games more stressful than revision

Homeworld Remastered

PUNISHING, 3D space RTS, now in stunning high definition, so you can watch your pitiful fleet explode under the fire of an enemy armada in a whole new way! The re-release of Relic’s classic game combines both Homeworld 1 and 2 into a single, punishing game. The rapid increase in difficulty, combined with your starting fleet for each mission being the one you finished with in the previous mission, means there is no room for error. Memory is vital in knowing what your team is best at and working the situation to your advantage.

FTL: Faster Than Light

CHARMING game full of colour, music and personality, which makes it doubly frustrating when your little ship gets blown to bits in an asteroid ﬁeld. In this Rogue-lite from Subset Games, you’re carrying vital information in a bitter galactic war. The game sees you travelling through beautiful procedurally generated star systems with an incredible soundtrack, whilst the game gets more diﬃcult as you go. You need to upgrade your ship, watch your fuel levels and, most importantly, try not to die. Good luck space captains, and best of luck.

Mount and Blade: Warband

T first glance, this older game from Taleworld might not seem all that tough. The strategy aspect is moderately paced and combat is initially easy, but don’t let that fool you as it very, very quickly ramps up and, before you know it, you are caught up in wars between kings, fielded like a pawn on a chess board with absolutely no hope. You’ll find yourself fighting battles both with sword in hand, and within the royal court in a real battle of wit. In this historically accurate game, where even your gender can count against you, and marrying into the right family is key to success, getting to the top is the simple part. Staying there is much, much harder and you’ll need everything in your favour to do so.

Heroes of the Storm

NY MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) player will tell you that these are highly stressful games. Heroes of the Storm is fast-paced, highly tactical and focuses on team play and coordination, with strangers from the internet on your side. In Blizzard’s newest game, team experience and map objectives are pooled. The upside to this is an increase in team ﬁghts but the downside is momentum. One player out of place and you could lose the game. Best to steer clear of this if you fancy a quiet night in alone.

Bloodborne

HE basic premise of Bloodborne is to die over and over again whilst trying to overcome impossible challenges. Regenerating health is almost nonexistent, and with no blocking mechanics, you will have to focus all you’ve got on the riposte system offering high damage attacks for a price, where one wrong move will end in annihilation. Merely watching the game will have you pulling your hair out, yelling at the screen and leaving the room in frustration. Playing it should come with a health warning.

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Is Mario the new Mozart and Halo the new Handel?

Evan Jones, Games Editor, examines the rise in popularity of classical video game music

HE Classic FM Hall of Fame, announced over the Easter weekend, saw the strongest ever showing of video game soundtracks in its history.

Video game soundtracks have their largest ever presence in the annual poll The poll, which began in 1996, sees listeners of Classic FM vote for their favourite pieces of classical music each year to ﬁnd out which are the most popular, and then ranking the top 300 tracks. This year saw twelve video game soundtracks make the list, with three of them in the top twenty, ranging from a wide variety of franchises such as Halo, World of Warcraft and The Legend of Zelda. Why are these games seeing a surge of popularity in the polls when they’ve been around for ten or twenty years? The trend began thanks to a man

called Mark Robins, a former video game journalist currently working in PR, who headed an online campaign to get video game music into the Classic FM Hall of Fame back in 2013. This wasn’t part of his job at all though, just a personal crusade to get people to share his appreciation for the medium. It was a huge success and people who tuned in that year heard that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim had given Beethoven a good trashing in the polls. Some argued the organised campaign capitalised on the accessible online voting system, causing some mild controversy, if we can even call it that. But its inﬂuence has continued and now video game soundtracks have their largest ever presence in the annual poll. This year’s highest-ranking video game soundtrack was the Final Fantasy series in ninth place, beating the likes of Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’ and The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, with the highest new entry being The Legend of Zelda series at number 84. The most popular composer among voters under 35, who made

up 20 per cent of the voting population, was Grant Kirkhope, who composed the

soundtracks to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Viva Piñata and Banjo-Kazooie, which were ranked 59th, 41st and 13th respectively. Eight of the top ten tracks voted for by the under 35s were also video game

soundtracks, which included World of Warcraft at number 53, Kingdom Hearts at number 30, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at number 11. So what does this mean for classical music? Well, it’s very good news for the genre as it’s engaging with a whole new young audience using a medium that is very relevant to them. The changes in the Classic FM Hall of Fame rankings should reﬂect the changes in taste of classical music of the UK population and the rise of video game soundtracks in the list shows just how video games are growing in their cultural signiﬁcance. Classic FM have responded positively to this development; airing radio shows dedicated solely to video game music. This follows in the footsteps on the London Philharmonic Orchestra, who have released two albums covering popular video game tunes from the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid and Super

Get bready for a slice of the action

Tom Morris tells you what you ‘knead’ to know about I Am Bread

I Am Bread Bossa Studios PC and Mac Out now

each room in no time. The main mode you’ll be playing is

are ﬁve other modes that you can also tuck into. ‘Bagel Race’ is a frantic check-

OU butter believe this but, having been baking in Early Access for just over four months, I Am Bread, the new title from the developers of Surgeon Simulator 2013, Bossa Studios, has ﬁnally got a full release on Steam. The game sees you navigating bread through multiple levels in order to achieve a variety of objectives.

I managed to knock a bowling ball into the TV and then toasted myself on the burning wreck that remained You move your slice of bread by holding down the button mapped to the respective corner of the bread you want to anchor to the ground. This acts as a pivot and allows you to flip and rotate your bread, allowing you to traverse each level – think QWOP but with bread and in three dimensions. The control system is initially difficult to get to grips with but you’ll soon be flinging yourself across

mour as between levels you’re shown a mental health report for a patient who swears his bread keeps moving which gradually drives him crazier and crazier. But that’s not all! In addition, there

In ‘Cheese hunt’, you play as a cracker collecting cheese placed around the level but the cracker is quite fragile and you’ll fail the level if it breaks. This can get somewhat annoying when you’re used

Mario Galaxy, whilst The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is currently touring across America right now and will soon arrive in Europe.

Eight of the top ten tracks voted for by the under 35s were video game soundtracks The hey-days of electronic game music are gone and there is now a greater demand for epic, classically composed scores to accompany the vast worlds we now explore in our current generation of video games. Maybe even one day, the soundtracks of blockbuster video games will be commonplace among the weekly album charts. But for now, we know that gamers are listening to and appreciating the sounds and scores that help create the gaming experience more than ever before, and that can only be a good thing for the future of video games.

Free game of the week

to being able to ﬂing bread around without any worries. ‘Free play’ is a sandbox mode that allows you to explore any unlocked level with any type of bread in the game but sadly this gets boring very Finally, there’s ‘Zero-G’ where you once again play as bread that’s trying to be toasted, but this time with no gravity! This means the buttons now control little jetpacks attached to the corners of the bread and you’ll be weaving in and out of the various obstacles ﬂoating about the levels. It can be quite challenging but you tend to forget about that when you realise you’re a slice of bread with a jetpack! Arguably the weakest aspect is the visuals which, despite being delightfully cartoony, look rather basic. However, this does allow the game to be playable on the majority of computers and, with the main focus being the gameplay (and pretending to be bread!), you’ll probably be having too much fun to notice anyway. Overall, I would heartily recommend to anyone who likes some silliness in their games. It’s very entertaining and, at £9.99, you won’t have to spend a lot of dough in order to get a whole loaf of fun. So, in conclusion, it may not be the best thing since sliced bread, but it’s unquestionably the best game about sliced bread on the market right now. I Am Bread is currently available for PC and Mac on Steam for £9.99.

Pacapong Pacman, Pong and Space Invaders all in one game! Play against your friends in the ultimate combination of three retro game classics, whilst they all happen at the same time - on the same screen! Who will become the true Pacapong champion?

Scan the QR code or go to kingpenguin.itch.io/pacapong to download your free copy

LUNCHTIME SPECIAL

£4.99 LARGE PIZZA WITH 1 TOPPING

Collection until 4pm

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WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 2015 11AM–1.30PM THE FORUM, STREATHAM CAMPUS Graduate vacancies, casual and summer jobs, internships, placements, training opportunities. Sponsored by

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Across 1

Not diﬃcult (4)

Tush bump (anagram) - digital sign of

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approval? (6-2) 9

Avoid (5)

10/1D

Event taking place in the UK on the 7th of May, 2015 (7,8)

Relating to heat - let harm (anagram) (7)

Elect (as you might do for the 10 1 Down)

Summer Placements:

(4) 14

Protest (which politicians cause?) (6)

Consumption (of calories) (6)

List of dishes in a restaurant (4)

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Current UK Prime Minister (surname) romance (anagram) (7)

24 25

Part-time in 2015-16:

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Current Labour Party leader (surname) - 21 and 25’s main rival in the 10 1 Down? (8)

ANSWERS:

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Revise (a text) (4)

Down 1

See 10 Across

Scholar (7)

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Group of people (like 21, 25 and 26’s parties?) (4)

Bride’s pre-wedding do (3,5)

Reddish stalks often cooked and sweetened - Bah!

SCP 3139 Employment Services Administration Assistant Closing Date: 17 May

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Small box-shaped passenger car with removeble seats (7)

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ANSWERS:

Down: 2 Student, 4 Haggle, 5 Minivan, 6 Strut, 7 Poll, 8 Team, 13 Hen night, 15 Rhubarb, 17 Airhead, 18 Screen, 20 Extol, 22 Mock, 23 Poem Miliband, 27 Edit,

CARTOON BY NISH RAI

WEATHER

Across: 1 Easy, 3 Thumbs-up, 9 Elude, 10/1 General election, 11 Thermal, 12 Vote, 14 Outcry, 16 Intake, 19 Menu, 21 Cameron, 24 Outrage, 25 Clegg, 26

Exeter’s outlook for the week ahead

Mon 4th

Tues 5th

Wed 6th

Thur 7th

Fri 8th

Sat 9th

Sun 10th

‘‘

PUZZLES BY ALFRED

WORDS OF WISDOM... How can mirrors be real if our eyes aren’t real?

High

°C

Low

9 °C

14°C

9 °C

14°C

7 °C

14°C 8°C

15°C

8 °C

16°C

8 °C

17°C 9°C

Data accurate at time of print

Jaden Smith

SCP 3126 Student Information Assistant Closing Date: 21 May Current graduate vacancies: GBP 3134 Administrative Assistant (Part-time) Closing Date: 10 May GBP 3130 External Relations Assistant Closing Date: 13 May GBP 3135 Work-Related Learning Assistant Closing Date: 17 May Upcoming employability event: Find out more about these and other jobs at our Summer Recruitment Fair on Wednesday 13 May from 11-1.30pm in the Forum Building. Word on the street is that there’ll be donkeys.

James Taylor: playing Eng 30

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5 MAY 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

Rob Cross, Sport Editor, meets England’s newest ODI captain to talk about county

2008 Leicestershire debut Makes his debut against Worcestershire aged 18

2009 young Wisden cricketer Taylor averages 179.60 in ﬁnal year at Shrewsbury School

2009 maiden double-century

Becomes youngest Leicestershire double-centurion in seven hour innings

2011 captains England Lions Scores 168 not out, leading to promotion to full squad

2011 averages 55.24 runs

Scores 1,602 runs from 17 ﬁrst-class matches

HEN I ﬁrst watched Taylor at the crease, what struck me was how energetic he was. His footwork, quick hands and scampering between the wickets was enough to make the crowd tired. Meeting with me ahead of Nottinghamshire’s clash with fellow county heavyweights Hampshire, the former Wisden School Cricketer of the Year was much more relaxed, and heading inside the pavilion at an overcast Ageas Bowl, Taylor was full of praise about his ‘new home’ up in Nottingham. Having just signed a new three-year contract, the young batsman is clearly planning for a future with Nottinghamshire: “It’s a fantastic place to live. Not only is Trent Bridge one of the most amazing grounds to play at, but the city has everything you need to lead a happy life”.

If you look at the squad, we should be there or thereabouts in all three trophies Taylor, who averaged 179.60 in his final year at Shrewsbury School, is equally upbeat about his teams’ prospects this season. Having reached the knockout rounds of both the 50 and 20 over competition under his captaincy last season, Taylor feels that the team’s latest signings are now enough to make that final step in his quest for silverware: “If you look at the squad, we should be there or thereabouts in all three trophies. The priority is the four-day competition, but there’s still a massive focus on the One-Day Cup and the T20 Competition”. Taylor laid heavy praise on the overseas additions in particular. Vernon Philander and Brendan Taylor have added competition to an already impressive squad, whilst Darren Sammy and Ben Hilfenhaus are both joining later in the season. Is he wary of this competition for his place on the side? Not in the slightest. “I love the added pressure. The beauty of bringing in more batsmen to the club is that it adds healthy competition for places. If guys want to be on the team, they have to up their performances”. High standards clearly resonate with Taylor and help to explain the reasons behind moves in his early career. “Worcestershire had an exceptionally strong first team with the likes of Hick and Solanki, and I was in the second team with Moeen Ali. Leicestershire were able to give

me more opportunities, so it was a nobrainer”. Constantly pushing himself, Taylor was subsequently appointed club captain at the tender age of 21. Having established himself in a Leicestershire side wallowing in the depths of Division Two, it was clear that he needed a new challenge, and Nottinghamshire came calling: “I wanted to move to a bigger club with far more competition throughout the side. You want to be playing with the best players you possibly can be”. The statistics show that he was right to do so. Since his arrival at Trent Bridge in 2012, he has averaged 74.41 in List A cricket, earning him England call-ups for the Test and One-Day sides. Indeed, it is in the One-Day arena in which Taylor has particularly ﬂourished. Averaging 88.80 in the One-Day Cup for Nottinghamshire last season, he started the ICC World Cup with aplomb: “I was obviously delighted to get 98 not out in the ﬁrst game, but it was bittersweet to lose in the way we did. Not being able to get my 100 was upsetting, but the way in which we performed as a whole was bitterly disappointing”. Taylor’s pragmatic approach has made him popular with coaches and the public alike. His coolness under pressure is evident, and he’s not coy in identifying his ability as a game-changer as his key asset: “I’ve always said that my biggest strength is being able to adapt to any given situation. I think that’s why they move me around the order – because they know that it’s an area where I can win games from”.

The way in which we performed as a whole was bitterly disappointing Having risen to every challenge asked of him so far, why has Taylor failed to consolidate his place in the Test side? His exclusion ahead of their current tour to the West Indies was a surprise, both for him and the supporters at home, and I was intrigued to understand the conversation that took place with Peter Moores after the World Cup: “I was exceptionally close to go-

ing [to the West Indies]. I’m there and thereabouts. But with an opening spot up for grabs, they’ve taken two openers in Trott and Lyth which meant there was not space for me, which is bitterly disappointing but I understand their reasoning behind it”. An impressively reserved response from a man who has received this treatment for a while. Every time that Taylor appears to be a shoo-in for selection - having scored heavily when asked to - he isn’t. “Yeah, I do get frustrated”, he responds with a weary grin. “There are periods when I feel I should have played but it’s not up to me at the end of the day”. Is there more to it than that? Information that the public are not aware of? “No, not really. They just pick the batter who they think will score more runs, but hopefully my time is not far away”.

I was exceptionally close to going to the West Indies I was interested to know whether Kevin Pietersen might have harmed his chances with his antagonistic comments about Taylor’s diminutive stature. “I don’t think it should have. Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and that’s his, but I only respect the opinions of those whom I respect myself. If anything, it spurs me on to prove him wrong and score more runs”. A wry

smile accompanied this reply, but Taylor is doing just that. Currently holding the sixth highest-ever batting average in List A cricket, behind legends such as AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni, Taylor still has high hopes for reselection against New Zealand. “I have my ﬁngers crossed. On the back of the World Cup, hopefully I’ll be in their thoughts, and I now have a chance to get a few more county runs under my belt”. Geoﬀrey Boycott has also emerged as a past critic of Taylor, having been quoted as saying that the batsman was too small for international cricket, however he stoutly defends the York-

gland’s patient game EXEPOSÉ

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y prospects, international aspirations and what the future holds shireman: “I get on well with Geoﬀrey [Boycott] actually. He has paid me plenty of compliments in the past. Of course, I have to cement my spot which I hope I’m close to doing, but it would be a dream of mine”. Taylor has been identiﬁed as a natural leader. Having been named as England captain for the ODI against Ireland on 8 May, I asked him if he felt pressured by talk of a long-term captaincy in the future: “I like it. It’s only a compliment if people are talking about me in those terms. It would be a dream of mine”. Although he was unaware of the imminent appointment as I spoke to him, there was no hint in his voice that suggested he thought that honour might be bestowed upon him.

I only respect the opinions of those whom I respect This demonstrates the mindset of a man who is just keen on doing his job, and doing it to the best of his ability. It is highly possible that Taylor will soon make the captaincy his, on a permanent basis. Both Morgan and Cook have failed to

reverse the forof the team,

tunes England and Friday’s fixture provides a platform for Taylor to stake his claim. Despite the growing success in the One-Day form of his game, he has struggled to hold down his place in the Test side. He is clearly less confident about his Ashes prospects, having no qualms in highlighting the competition he faces for a place in the team: “England has a strong middle order at the moment. They’re all doing exceptionally well. We’ve seen how well Joe Root has been doing in the latest series. The guys are pretty settled, so until a spot becomes available I think it’s going to be hard to get into”. Despite the stiff competition, Taylor is determined to fulfill his dream and force his way back into the Test side as soon as possible: “It’s just up to me to score runs in county cricket”. He has most probably used this stock reponse a hundred times over the course of his career, but it only serves to add to what impresses me about Taylor. His aims and goals are clear. Even when talking to him on a casual basis, he doesn’t overcomplicate things, nor does he hide behind a façade. Another man desperate for a place in the national side is his good friend and colleague Alex Hales: “Yeah, we get on really well. Although we’re at different spots in the team, we’re both desperate to get into that side. He’s a very talented player in his own right and it’s only a mat-

ter of time before he gets cemented in that England spot. So, like me it’s up to him to take that chance”. Hales has been selected alongisde Taylor for England’s upcoming ODI on Friday following successive centuries for Nottinghamshire.

England has a strong middle order at the moment. They’re all doing exceptionally well As he drove me back to the train station, he humorously bemoaned the boredom of pre-matchday, mentioning that he might spend some time in the gym. It is clear that instead of waiting for opportunities to arise, he is seizing them with both hands and doing all that he can to force his way back in to the England setup for the long term. “I’m just fine-tuning and trying to get that consistency in my game. At the moment I’m trying to find form as soon as I possibly can, but it’s down to me to keep knocking on that door by scoring more runs and winning games for Nottinghamshire, because that’s the most important thing at the moment for me”. Can he transform this confidence talk into consistent runs? He has walked the walk so far, and with a promising international career surely just around the corner, I wish James all the very best, and hope that he will continue to garner a reputation as England’s most beloved little man.

2012 Taylor joins Notts

Signs a three-year contract but struggles with early form

2012 England Test debut

Scores 34, sharing in a 147-run stand with Kevin Pietesen

Jonny Wilkinson or Sachin Jonny Wilkinson or Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar

University and regional sport to mark in your calendar Outdoor Pool Open 07:00 - 20:00 Cornwall House Women’s Touch Rugby Intramurals every Thursday from 7 May 17:30 - 19:00 Rubber Crumb

Cricket Varsity 2015 25 May 12:00 Exeter Cricket Club Exeter Chiefs vs Sale Sharks 16 May 15:30 Sandy Park Stadium

2014 Criticised by Pietersen

Pietersen writes in his autobiography that Taylor is too small to play cricket

Exeter University Aquathlon 17 May 08:00 Cornwall House The Annual Dodgeball Tournament 1 June 10:00 Covered Tennis Courts

Favourite ground you’ve played at? Trent Bridge 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Who is thebowler best bowler you’ve faced? Best you’ve faced? Dale Steyn or Glen Dale Steyn orChapple Glen Chapple Who has thebanter worst banter in the team? Worst in the team? Andy Carter Andy Carter Who is thesinger best singer in the team? Best in the team?

Although he had left, it has to be Ajmal Shahzad

Although, he has left now, it has to be Azmal Shahzad

Worst dressed? Andy Carter or Steve Mullaney

Proudest cricketing moment so far? Getting the recall for England and scoring well in Sri Lanka to cement my place or scoring 98 not out at the World Cup in front of 90,000 people What would you do if you weren’t a cricketer? Every cricketer is a failed footballer. If I wasn’t a cricketer I would go into coaching, but my other interests lie in property and personal training

Scores an unbeaten 98 in England’s opener against Australia

Touch Duckes 2015 4-5 June Duckes Meadows Super Ex Netball 11-12 July University Sports Park

2015 England ODI Captain Named as captain for ODI against Ireland

Thedates best of BUCS Key this term

University Rounders Umpiring Course 13 May 18:00 - 21:00 Covered Courts

Quick-fire questions Who was your sporting hero growing Sporting hero growing up?up?

SPORT

Alumni Golf Day 16 July St. George’s Hill

SPORT

NEWS 1-5

SPORT

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 8-9 12-13 6-7

MUSIC 14-15

SCREEN 16-17

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 20-21 22-23

GAMES 26-27

5 MAY 2015 |

SPORT 30-32

Exeposé Sport

SPORT EDITORS Rob Cross Emmott Leigh

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@ExeposeSport

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BUCS: A season in review

As another season draws to a close, Emmott Leigh, Sport Editor, examines the state of play

>> EURFC 1s player Freddie Gabbitass celebrates with Sam Waltier and the rest of the side after winning the Rugby Varsity 41-0 over Bath. Photo credit: Edwin Yeung.

NOTHER excellent season for Exeter’s sporting teams has seen them soar to a fifth place position in the BUCS leagues tables, amassing a current total of 2,855 points at the time of going to print. This puts them ahead of Bath, Oxford and Bristol. They have also surpassed last year’s sixth place finish. Many clubs have enjoyed successful seasons. EURFC 1s achieved a 41-0 Varsity victory over rivals Bath, and had achieved 11 wins by the start of April, with an 85 per cent win ratio. They also won the BUCS Premier South A Division and reached the BUCS Championship semi-finals, narrowly losing out to Loughborough. 1s players Alex Wilcockson, Paul Davis and Rob Coote have played in-

ternationally against France for the student side. Sam Skinner has also competed for Exeter Chiefs at the highest level against Newcastle. The 3s had also racked up 17 wins as of April, with an equally impressive 89 per cent win ratio. The side, also known as the Freshers 1s, won the BUCS trophy 40-37 against Hartpury in March. In hockey, EUMHC 1s Captain Ed Fleet was rewarded for his efforts with a place in the West Conference Team of the Year. The men’s 2s finished as runners up in the BUCS Trophy, losing in the final to Nottingham Trent. For the first time ever, EULHC hosted a Varsity fixture, and were triumphant, defeating Nottingham 4-1 to reach the semi finals of the Championship.

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

EUMHC and EULHC continue to go from strength to strength, and the introduction of a men’s 7s team will make Exeter the largest university hockey club in the country. The tennis club have amassed over 270 BUCS points this year. The 3s recorded 11 wins and finished as Conference Cup runners-up. They also won the Western 2A division. The women’s 3s were unbeaten, with seven wins. Three tennis club sides finished first in their leagues, whilst the rest still finished in second place. In lacrosse, the men’s 1s reached the BUCS Championship semi-finals. The ladies 1s finished 2nd in Premier South division and also reached the semi finals. The ladies 2s won their league and

England cricketer James Taylor interviewed Page 30-31

were runners up in the BUCS trophy. It isn’t just the big clubs who have been successful this year. The badminton women’s 2s won the Western 2A division, and the men’s 2s reached the semi-final of the Western Conference Cup. The Gold 2s and 3s won their leagues and the 3s won the Conference Cup. There were also league titles for women’s indoor cricket, both men’s and women’s table tennis, and women’s squash 1s. EUAFC 1s reached the quarter finals of the BUCS Championships, whilst the women’s 1s reached the quarter-finals of the BUCS Trophy. Speaking about Exeter’s BUCS successes, AU President Andy Higham said: “Once again it’s been great to see

our teams do so well this year. Exeter beneﬁts from a tight knit community of students who go the extra mile for their team mates. “It’s been such a great year for me to be part of sport and I have to thank the everyone at Exeter for working so hard so I can boast about us at meetings!” The overall win rate for Exeter teams was above 60 per cent.

2,855 The number of BUCS points that Exeter have obtained so far

All the key sporting dates in term three For the latest BUCS Page 31 news head online