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ISSUE 686 10 SEPT 2018 exepose.com @Exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Image: Megan Davies, Elia Clerici, Joshua McKnight
The ins and outs: a Freshers’ guide to sex PAGes 16-17
Image: Denis Bochkarev
Image: rawpixel.com
LIFESTYLE
MUSIC
‘Russia is us’: an interview with Pussy Riot
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Editors Print: Megan Davies & Graham Moore Deputy: Katie Jenkins Online: Harry Bunting & Natalie Keffler editors@exepose.com
Features Editors Print: Niamh Elstone & Neha Shaji Online: Chloë Edwards & Bryan Knight Foreign Correspondents Co-ordinator: Ellie Cook features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Bethan Gilson & Rhiannon Moore Online: Katie Baker & Rowan Keith lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Lauren Newman & Tabi Scott Online: Emily Pirie & Kristina Werner artsandlit@exepose.com
But fear not - we've got you covered! We have the low-down on Exeter's cultural scene from Arts + Lit and Music (pages 19 and 21 respectively), and a comical overview of Exeter's nightlife (such as it is) in Comment (page 8). Those with a more energetic outlook need look no further than Sport (page 30), whilst if popcorn is more your style then Screen are debuting their new 'Girls on Film' feature, highlighting the industry's most influential women (page 25). For those who like to add a bit more 'chill' to their Netflix, Lifestyle have a whole double-page spread on sex positivity in the university environment (page 16). Anybody taking a more serious look at university life should turn to Features, where we discuss diversity in post-colonial higher education (page 12); meanwhile News has the lowdown on our students' successes at the Edinburgh Fringe (page 4). So go ahead - turn a page (or 32!). We hope you're looking forward to this term as much as we are, and look forward to seeing you at some of our events! Happy new year! Megan and Graham
Welcomes and wellbeing: looking after yourself this term PAGE 7
FEATURES Does 'voluntourism' enable exploitation? PAGE 13 Image: US Department of Agriculture
Comment Editors Print: Isabelle Gray & Deepa Lalwani Online: Bea Fones & Josh Gammage comment@exepose.com
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ELCOME, one and all, to a new academic year here at the University of Exeter! Whether you're a newly-arrived fresher or one of us old-timers, the beginning of Term 1 is always an exciting period for all. For us here at Exeposé, it means a whole new term of writing, editing, and publishing - and of course indoctrinating (sorry, we mean welcoming) a whole new legion of recruits into our student group. Whether you're a keen fresher, a curious post-graduate, or anywhere in between, our doors are always open. So, if student journalism is something you feel you might be interested in, head on down to our stall in the Forum any day this Freshers' Week - or bring yourself along to one of our many events. Our lovely editorial team will be on hand to answer any questions, wherever your interests may lie! And if your interests are more multimedia in nature, you'll also enjoy Xpression FM or XTV - find details for all XMedia events below! Term 1 can be an absolute whirlwind, for better or for worse. With so much going on, it can be tough to know where to start.
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News Editors Print: Jaimie Hampton & Gwyn Wright Online: Edd Church & Hannah Stevenson news@exepose.com
COMMENT
Editorial
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EXEPOSÉ
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SCIENCE Resident aliens: an insight into invasive species PAGE 28
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Music Editors Print: Aaron Loose & Alex Wingrave Online: Jaysim Hanspal & Jamie Moncrieff music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Chloe Kennedy & Ben Faulkner Online: Harry Caton & David Conway screen@exepose.com Science Editors Print: Scarlett Parr-Reid & Gabriel Yeap Online: Ayesha Tandon & Rhys Davies sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Josh Brown Online: Luke Clarkson & Ben Hart sport@exepose.com Chief Photographer Chelsea Lee photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Peter Firth, Charlotte Forrester & William Harrop Proofers Chloe Kennedy, Gwyn Wright, Katie Jenkins, Ben Faulkner, Aaron Loose, Tabi Scott, Megan Davies, Alex Wingrave.
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Worldwide university news Medical uni changed female exam scores
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OKYO Medical University has admitted to deliberately altering entrance exam scores for over a decade in order to reduce the number of female entrants. The alterations were, according to the investigation, conducted by first reducing all scores by 20%, and then adding 20 points to the scores of male applicants (with the exception of males who had failed four times previously). The school has suggested that it may now admit students who have previously passed the exams, but it did not provide any details on how this would be achieved. The investigation also claimed that similar manipulations had happened previously as the school thought women doctors would cut short their careers to have children, hence should not enter the profession. Studies also suggest that the entrance rate of female doctors in Japan has plateaued at approximately 30% over the last 20 years, leading some to posit that other medical schools are also manipulating entrance exam results.
UCU call for 'cronyism' inquiry
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HE University and College Union (UCU) have alledged that the decision to appoint Professor John Harper as the new principal of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen smacks of 'cronyism' and 'jobs for the boys.' The post was vacated following concern about a potential conflict of interest involving the previous principal. In a letter to the Scottish Funding Council calling on the body to investigate RGU's decision, UCU official Mary Senior said; ''We are not aware that there has been any open appointment for this post, denying other potential candidates the opportunity to come forward.'' Robert Gordon University said that the appointment was in line with its recruitment policy. A spokesperson for the University said: ''We are disappointed that the UCU has continued to misrepresent the action that the board of governors has taken.'' They added that ''the board acted decisively to stabilise what was a difficult situation for the university.''
Kangaroos move onto campus
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UNDREDS of kangaroos have moved onto an Australian university campus as a result of development and the severe drought which has affected the country this summer. A video posted online appears to have shown dozens of the animals leaping in convoy near Charles Stuart University in the province of New South Wales. The entirety of the province was declared a drought zone on Wednesday 8th August. State and federal governments have provided a combined total of £330m of relief funding amdist reports of mass crop failure, extreme water shortages and starvation amongst livestock. It is against this background that kangaroos have been competing with farmers for resources and entering areas they normally steer clear of.
US university defends ban on guns
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TTORNEYS for the University of Wyoming have claimed that the university is legally allowed to regulate the possession of guns on campus under both state law and a previous ruling by the US Supreme Court. Local newspaper The Laramie Boomerang has reported that attomeys have claimed that a 2008 Supreme Court ruling which overturned a handgun ban in Washington D.C made suitable exceptions for 'sensitive areas' such as schools. While cities and counties in the state cannot ban handguns, they claim that the university can. They made these claims in filings against Lyle Williams, who was caught carrying a gun at the university during the state Republican Convention there in April. Image:Skeeze (Pixar) Stories by Neha Shaji and Gwyn Wright
News
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NEWS EDITORS: Jaimie Hampton Gwyn Wright
Student runs 10K to beat eating disorders More police during Freshers’
Rhiannon Moore Lifestyle Editor
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XETER Drama student Ana Silva has completed a 10 kilometre run, having recovered from a an eating disorder. She completed the run alongside three other Exeter students. Silva, who in September will begin her term as President of Exeter Beats Eating Disorders, told DevonLive about her experiences with anorexia, and that she’s always felt pressure to look a certain way from a very young age. She completed the Westminster 10K for the UK’s eating disorder charity Beat.
Running the British 10K is my proudest moment yet Ana Silva
When Ana was diagnosed with anorexia four years ago she was in her final year of college and hadn’t even realised that she had an eating disorder until her worried mother took her to the doctor. Her eating disorder took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Six months later, her physical state was back to normal, but eating disorders begin and end in the mind. The mental toll was
still draining for a long time, and she says how important it is to break them. There she still struggles from time to time. She are a lot of misconceptions around eatreceived CBT to help, was told to keep a ing disorders being based on size and food diary to track her intake and took image however, speaking from experia year out of university to focus on her ence, mentally is where it’s most painful. “As president of Exeter Beats Eatrecovery. ing disorders, my aim this year to make The support she received aided sure eating Disorders are as her recovery, and since then spoken about as much as she has spent the past few other mental illnesses years studying towards because that’s exactly a drama degree at the what it is. Alongside university.. Ana says that, we are all about she was lucky when raising awareness, she came to Exeter breaking stigmas and compared to London taboos around eating where she grew up, disorders. because she was able to Image: Ana Silva “It feels so good to be be seen straight away rather able to say that I have had an eating than being placed on a waiting list. The sum of over £1,200 will go to- disorder and have ran the British 10K wards supporting individuals diagnosed for Beat, the eating disorders charity and with eating disorders and funding sup- hopefully at least one other person readport groups such as the ones put on ing this will be able to hold on as and by Exeter Beats Eating Disorders. Like come out at the end the way I did.” any charity, Beat relies on donations, so Silva’s contribution by running the 10K will go to good use to improving their If these issues affect you, you can get in services. touch with: Silva told Exeposé: “Running the Beat Studentline: 0808 801 0811 British 10K is my proudest moment yet. Beat: beateatingdisorders.org.uk Having had an eating disorder and not Student Minds support group: exeter@studentminds.org.uk knowing anything about it made me realWellbeing Services: exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing ise the stigmas and taboos around it and
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Scarlett Parr-Reid Science Editor
Ipplepen continue digging
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HE 200th volunteer has joined researchers from the University of Exeter at a major archeological dig near Ipplepen in South Devon in search of the remains of Iron Age, Roman and early medieval communities that lived on the site of the dig for over a thousand years. Archaeologists from the University of Exeter have been working in the area for several years in search of the remains, and are digging again this month, and they have been joined by local residents, who are recieving support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the support they are offering. The public will be able to view the historic remains that the team
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EVON and Cornwall Police will be putting measures in place to make students aware of Public Services Protection Order (PSPO) regulations during Freshers’ Week. New measures this year will include a temporary red line on the ground demarcating city centre to encourage students to “know their boundaries”. Measures have in the past included chatting with students at key entry points to enter Exeter’s city centre, encouraging them to throw away bottles of alcohol. This year’s measures aim to create a safer environment in the centre, for students and other members of the public alike. The PSPO, which applies to all residents, means that bringing “intoxicating substances” (including alcohol) into a set boundary around the city centre constitutes breaking a civil law. It also forbids urinating, “aggressive begging”, and behaviour that might alarm or distress a member of the public. Ben Turner, Community Support Officer for Duryard and Pennsylvania, the University and St James, welcomed students to Exeter and said “[we] want to tell you about some really important information which will help keep you safe and out
of trouble. Starting with Freshers’ Week… You will come across lots of Police in the city centre during the week, who are there to keep you safe and ensure you have a great time. We’re also there to deal with any antisocial behaviour and represent all residents living in the city. We’ll also be reminding you to be mindful of other residents on your journey home from the city centre. There are bye-laws in Exeter and a Public Spaces Protection Order, which seek to ensure the city is a safe and enjoyable place for all. “During Freshers’ there will be red lines marked around Exeter City Centre this year, at which officers will be talking to people about on their nights out. It marks it out as a protected public space and as such, it has special enforcement rules in place to minimise disorder and keep people safe. One of the most important rules is the ban on drinking alcohol within the designated area. Breaching rules like this can lead to individual(s) being dispersed from the city, potentially ending a night out before it has begun and later being fined up to £1,000 at court. We also work in partnership with the University and can share information about offending which can lead to separate disciplinary action being taken. “We know that you will wish to have a wonderful introduction to your time in Exeter and we look forward to ensuring this is the case..”
First Exeter medical students graduate
Image: University of Exeter
Gwyn Wright News Editor
Megan Davies Editor
have been uncovering at an open day on Saturday 8 September. People will be able to take a tour of the site, view some of the remains, talk to members of the evacuation team and watch re-enactments of everyday life for the invading Roman armies and farming communities. The work so far has uncovered a roundhouse from the Middle Iron Age, a Roman road, a Romano-British settlement and its associated field system, and a cemetry with late Roman or early medieval origins. Professor Stephen Rippon, who is leading the dig, said; ‘‘Heritage Lottery funding has allowed us to increase the number of local people who can come and take part in the excavation itself, as well as expanding our programme of activities aimed at school children.’’
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MIDST the gowns and selfies, The University of Exeter Medical School celebrated an important moment in its history on 17 July of this year, as its first cohort of 88 medical students graduated. This occurred as a result of the mutual uncoupling of the Universities’ of Exeter and Plymouth’s partnership in the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD).
This is a huge achievement for [our students], and for all the staff Prof. Clive Ballard, Executive Dean
Medical School graduates took on the new Medical Oath, written and spoken to cement their dedication to the betterment of health services for now and for the future. Further invitees included graduating Medical Sciences, Medical Imaging and Postgraduate students, all over-
seeing the success of the Medical School, set up in 2012, and the programme which began the following year. Medicine graduate Luke Tester said: “I’m ready to graduate today. It’s been a combination of five years hard work. It’s been a team journey between students, peers and staff and today is a celebration for all of us.’’ Medicine graduate Clara Greer said: ‘‘I’ve had an absolutely amazing time at Exeter. The staff have been so supportive - they are beyond mentors. They have become friends. It’s been a great time.” Professor Clive Ballard, Executive Dean of the Medical School, added: “I am so proud of all our students, who have demonstrated a commitment to care and to leadership and to innovation. This is a huge achievement for them, and for all the staff who’ve provided world class education and support. “Our students are extremely well prepared to deliver high-quality care, and I’m looking forward to seeing all they go on to achieve in taking the NHS in new directions.’’ Among the graduates was North Londoner Justina Igwe, who juggled the
pressures of a full-time medicine degree with single parenthood to her six year-old daughter Saphyre. Igwe said: ‘‘Applying for medical school as a teenage single parent, the odds were stacked against me. Without the amazing mentors I had, it wouldn’t have been possible.’’
I have witnessed too many young lives lost [...] I wanted to make a difference
Justina Igwe
After finishing her medical training, Justina hopes to specialise in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as making a contribution to communities through third sector work. She has ambitions to set up her own charity teaching life support in schools and villages throughout Nigeria. ‘‘Coming from Tottenham, I have witnessed too many young lives lost to gun and knife crime. I wanted to make a difference so I taught young people basic life support and the first aid management of bleeding with the hope that one less life is lost. I hope to continue this through joining the StreetDoctors charity.”
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10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
NEWS
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E-learning boosts dementia wellbeing
MPROVING Wellbeing and Health for People with Dementia (WHELD) is a new e-learning programme that trains care home staff to increase social interaction for patients from two minutes a day to ten, with the aim of improving wellbeing and quality of life.The programme is the result of a study conducted by the University of Exeter Medical School and King’s College London in partnership with the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2018. The programme was proven to have improved patient wellbeing as well as staff attitudes. Deepa Lalwani, Comment Editor
Career Zone in quote controversy
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HE University of Exeter publicly apologised early this summer after a staff member had been found to have used a motivational quote credited to Nazi-era German General Erwin Rommel in an email. Rommel is infamous for his role in the German millitary campaign in North Africa during the Second World War. Revealed to the public in late June of this year, the staff member included the quote “One cannot permit unique opportunities to slip by for the sake of trifles.” A spokesperson for the University claimed ignorance on behalf of the staff member who sent the quote in an internal email received by students as part of the University’s careers services programme. They stated that the quote was found using an online “random” quote generator. They added: “The staff member did not recognise the name attributed to the generated quote (...) This was a genuine error and in no way intentional, however, we apologise unreservedly for any offence it may have caused, and have put additional processes in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” Edd Church, Online News Editor
Cell ageing can be reversed
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EY aspects of the ageing of human cells can be reversed, according to research from the University’s Medical School. In a new study funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust and the Medical Research Council, Professor Lorna Harries explained that previously, it was thought that age-related diseases such as dementia and diabetes each had a unique cause. In fact, they can be traced back to one or two common mechanisms within cells. Focusing on these mechanisms may lead to new therapeutic tactics in the future and could be “the basis for a new generation of anti-degenerative drugs”. Chloë Edwards, Online Features Editor
Student performers take Edinburgh Fringe Natalie Keffler Online Editor
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HIS summer, many of Exeter’s a capella and theatre societies have been at the Edinbrugh Fringe performing shows that they have been working towards in the past few months.
This year, we’ve tried to branch out into having a plot and some acting Henry Edwards, Semi-Toned
A capella groups Semi-Toned, Illuminations, Sweet Nothings and Bluebelles have performed, alongside student-written theatre society Theatre with Teeth and musical show choir
Spotlights. Semi-Toned, an all-male a capella group, are veterans of the festival, having taken shows there in many previous years. This year’s show is said to follow the group’s ‘ongoing struggle between a cappella and academia.’ President of the group Henry Edwards told Exeposé: “This year we’ve tried to branch out into having a plot and some acting as well as the usual singing and dancing, and it’s gone down really well so far.” Of the group’s experience at the festival he said: “We absolutely love being at the Fringe: it’s always such a brilliant atmosphere and it’s great to see so many other Exeter shows up this year as well!” All-female group Sweet Nothings have also been at the Fringe this year the group’s fifth time at the festival “to
bring you a show with an explosion of sass and sweetness.” Exeter’s only mixed contemporary a capella group Illuminations are also taking a show to Edinburgh. Member Theresa Dunthorne has shed light on the group’s trip this year, saying it is their “first adventure into scripted a capella shows and features high energy tunes from throwback to rock”.
It feels great to perform in the same space as so many other amazing shows
Laura Jackson, Primrose Path
On the theatre side of things, Theatre with Teeth have transferred The Pleasantries of Peasantry to Edinburgh fol-
lowing its Exeter preview. Co-written by two students, Calum Weir and Hannah Gooding, the plot centres on five medieval misfits who join the Crusades alongside more qualified knights, consequently leaving their peasant lives behind. Students have also performed plays independently of societies. One such play, Will Pinhey’s Primrose Path, revolves around two lovers, Chriss and Damon, who try to assert physical and sociological dominance, playing games and consequently causing each other hurt. One of the actors in the piece, Laura Jackson, said of her experience: “It feels great to perform in the same space as so many other amazing shows and be able to share that experience with hundreds of others.”
Image: Semi-Toned
Exeter experts uncover ‘vibrant literary culture’ Gwyn Wright News Editor
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XPERTS from the University of Exeter have uncovered hundreds of poems written by destitute Lancashire Cotton workers during the American Civil War. The war plunged the industrial region of Lancashire, where cotton was a major industry, into a severe economic crisis because cotton from the American South was unable to reach the mills of Lancashire as a result of a blockade of the Confederacy by the Royal Navy.
Some are heavy in dialect, some are comic, some have high literary ambitions and some are satirical
Dr Simon Rennie
The poems describe many of the most pressing issues of the era, including grinding poverty and destitution, war, slavery and the ‘proto-globalisation’ that characterised the Victorian period.
The writings are a rare example of working-class poetry from the era, and appeared in local newspapers and in letters between 1861 and 1865. Many are written in the Lancashire dialect of the era. The researchers have found over 300 of the poems so far, and are confident that many more will be found. Audio recordings of over 100 of the poems have been produced by researchers so far, and many have also been set to music by the traditional music group Faustus. Dr Simon Rennie, who is leading the project, said; “The poems have an extraordinary range and emotional intensity. Some are heavy in dialect, some are comic, some have high literary ambition and others are satirical. We see repetitions of the same types of charachters, phrases and poetic rythyms. This shows that there was a vibrant literary culture amongst Lancashire cotton workers, and that they traded ideas for mutual benefit.” Dr Ruth Malder added: “In recording these poems we are trying simply to show that they can be heard as well as read.”
University Challenge ‘really great fun’ Alexandra Luca News Team
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TEAM from the University of Exeter’s appeared on the first episode of this year’s University Challenge, a popular BBC Two programme hosted by Jeremy Paxman. The show is a notoriously rigourous and tough academic quiz structured as a knockout competition where 28 universities each enter one team, except for Oxford and Cambridge where different colleges can participate. The current title-holders are St John’s College, Cambridge. Four Exeter students faced off against the University of Warwick team in an extremely tight match. Despite their strong performance, the Exeter team lost by 15 points, but could still have a chance of appearing in the playoffs based on the performance of other universities in the first round. Exeter was represented by contestants Jess Brown, Simon Waitland, Danny Lay, and Will Klintworth. Three study Natural Sciences or Physics, with the exception of Klintworth, a History and International Relations student. In order to prepare for such a challenging ordeal, the team prepared
by watching old episodes of the show and doing mock competitions. The show will continue to be aired every Monday evening over the next months until a winner, in the words of Paxman, “will be entitled to display the University Challenge trophy in their institution for a year in a boastful location of their own choosing.”
I thought that going on University Challenge would be one of the scarier experiences of my life
Danny Lay, Team Captain
Team Captain Danny Lay told Exeposé: ‘‘I thought that going on University Challenge would be one of the scarier experiences of my life, but as it turned out it was really great fun. All the members of other teams were friendly and sportsmanlike, and we did our best to match them. Although we couldn’t quite squeeze out the win in our match against Warwick, we put ourselves in contention to move forward as one of the highest scoring losing teams, and I’m very excited to see where we go from here.”
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EXEPOSÉ | 10 SEPT 2018
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Comment
COMMENT EDITORS:
Deepa Lalwani Isabelle Gray
Freshers’ feelings
Bethan Gilson Lifestyle Editor
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IRST year won’t be the best year of your life. There, I said it. It will be filled with its fair share of loneliness, tears, homesickness and general heartache. The excitement of being a fresher won’t make you immune to the natural sadness and confusion of moving away from home and growing up. And that is completely okay. More than okay, it’s a given.
First year won’t be the best year of your life I spent most of my Freshers’ Week hungover, crying, missing home and feeling anxious that I wasn’t experiencing the week to the fullest. With hindsight, I don’t think those first few months were exceptionally bad, they just didn’t live up to the preconceived notions I had about my university experience. They certainly didn’t feel like the best years of my life, whatever that was supposed to mean, but instead of questioning the received
truths that led me to believe they would be, I turned to intense self-criticism. It took a long time but I finally realised that my experience of first year was subject to nobody’s definition but my own. In an attempt to spare you the emotional exhaustion I put myself through, these are my top three tips for beating those first term blues. Remember Instagram highlight reel
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on how you wish to be perceived. It doesn’t provide an accurate reflection of a person’s life and therefore it shouldn’t be used as a point of comparison for your own experience and emotions and it shouldn’t be used as a stick to beat yourself with.
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I would scroll through my Instagram and see people gushing over their new flatmates or their night out whilst I sat in my room alone doing seminar reading, queuing up the next episode of Gilmore Girls and eating my fifth bowl of pasta for the week. As much as I’m sure I could’ve taken an Instagram worthy photo of it with my lovely new duvet cover as the background, I was convinced my audience were expecting far wilder pursuits of hedonism. Nobody wants to be accused of being the odd one out or boring and that’s the same reason nobody would upload a photo of them crying in the library. Instagram is about constructing an image of your life based
audition. Not only was singing amazing for my mental health, I met some of my closest friends, it gave me a sense of family when I was missing my own and the rehearsal schedule gave me much-needed structure to my week. I didn’t really click with every one of my flatmates in the same way my other friends seemed to with theirs and that left me feeling pretty isolated initially, so joining a society and meeting people I wouldn’t have otherwise met was my university life-saver. Remember your academic worth
Image: teeveesee (Pixabay)
Join a society
One of the best things I did in first year was audition for Exeter University Soul Choir. After my fourth tearful FaceTime of the week (edit: day) my mam sent me a video of one of their performances and urged me to
One of the things I found most difficult to deal with when I moved to Exeter was the culture shock and the sense of imposter syndrome it brought with it. I sat through so many seminar icebreakers where my peers told stories of motorbiking across Vietnam, volunteering at orphanages, travelling around Europe... I’d spent my summer working in a local café and the furthest I’d travelled was to Zante. Even though I’d arrived at university having exceeded the highest-grade offer made by my course, I still found myself feeling inferior to people I perceived to be much more intelligent, well-travelled and
deserving of a place at Exeter than I was. It’s important to remember that you’ve all rightfully earned your place here and nobody is more or less deserving. Exeter will be academically challenging but you have proved yourself to be capable of accepting that challenge, regardless of your background. If you’re seeking advice about specific mental health issues then I would strongly recommend making use of the Wellbeing services. As part of their Freshers’ coverage, XTV have released a YouTube video on how to make appointments at Wellbeing and the health centre. If you’re feeling stressed, worried, or just want to chat, the following contacts can help: The Wellbeing Centre 01392 724381 wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk Exeter Nightline Student-run listening service Open 8pm-8am 01392 724000 The Advice Unit 01392 723520
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Clear out the shelves of Wilko
Miss your first morning lecture
Realise everyone is from Surrey
Discover Firehouse pizza
(Hungover) Exmouth trip
Go to Cheesy Tuesdays
Images (from top to bottom): Wikimedia Commons, Max Pixel, Open Clipart Vectors, Clker Free Vector Images, Open Clipart Vectors
FRESHERS’ BINGO
Have an awkward first meal with your flat
The ultimate Exeter freshers experience lies ahead... Cross them off as you go!
Get lost (in town, on campus, on the way home...)
Eat curly fries in The Ram
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COMMENT
The night is young
Harry Caton Online Screen Editor
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T’S easy to sympathise with the freshers’ plight. Your first hours in Exeter might proceed with a certain lingering itch - having bid goodbye to your family, with all the requisite hugs and assurances of moral character, your neck-hairs bristle as one of your slack-jawed, doe-eyed new friends suggests a night out. You leap, but not too obviously. These are your university years; the fun better start now.
A night in Exeter means more than drinking and dancing But this is Exeter, and you knew what that meant when you chose it. It ain’t exactly London. So the nightlife might not buzz as much as grunt, but it’s fair to want something more than a warm Aldi wine-box in a stranger’s house. Perhaps, to kick off on something faintly higher than a bum note, you could take my highly-subjective, burnt-out advice on the pleasures of mild Exonian bacchanalia.
Straight away, you’ll be pointed towards the big three. The vanilla is Unit 1. It’s faintly smooth for Exeter: booths, multiple bars, and drinks that are someone’s idea of cheap. What’s more, “Cheesy Tuesdays” (or “Cheesys”, for the cool kids) is iconic for every fresher. But the affair has a sheen - it’s not just the sticky walls, but the exhaustion of a samey night. There’s little breathing room, and a Unit 1 night has two modes: wondering if you might soon sit down, then sitting down and not falling asleep. All the while, mute smiles beam and the cycle repeats till close. But, as a student, can anything top an aimless, utterly functional evening? You’ll hear much about Timepiece (or TP), as does everyone. Representing Exeter’s demographic of boisterous AU-aficionados, it’s a solid, middle-of-the-road choice for post-sports fun. Only, it’s also terribly trendy, so you’ll learn to pretend to love it. Its innards are a faintly Kafkaesque miscellany: “bottom-bottom”, the ground-floor bar, is skinflint party material; “bottom-top” is the club proper, its disconcerting clock slapping
you with all-too-present time; while the cabin-like “top-top”, high above, feels exclusive - even if that means an overfriendly cramp. In all honesty, it’s a little
It’s a constant reminder of what has not been done
Image: James Jin
too confusing: big, boozy, and over-crowded. Freshers will love it. Just don’t go on weekends. Fever has a slickness that the others can’t quite match. There are two slick dancefloors, a slick roof-terrace, and multiple slick bars. It’s sort of like
Unit 1, but…better. If it seems like my wisdom’s running short, that’s because there’s only so much to snark on. It’s less-established than the other two, certainly, but well-attended; perhaps the closest thing that Exeter has to a nostrings-attached, decent club. Almost a shame, really. I prefer something smaller. Cavern is dim and cramped - but has heart. The whole experience is somehow homely to me, despite the profoundly limited room. Split between a bar and dancefloor, it’s easy to tap out for a while and crash on a sofa or table, before bouncing back to party. There’s even an elevated platform at the back, with which you can make an eejit of yourself to the room. I speak from experience. Nights alternate between varied setlists: ‘Salsaloco’ sits alongside ‘Dirty Club Classics’. The whole affair holds a vague sense of calm amidst the chaos. Here, it’s fine to - god forbid - chill out. Move marks something of a counterpoint. Imagine, if you will, that the transient forces of chaos were to form a twisted mirror-Cavern. I
don’t love it. Quickly, you’ll notice its resemblance to a Soviet architect’s wet-dream; you’ll sidle further in, a narcotic twang on the air; you’ll hit the dancefloor, and see only shadows. Even in the strobe-light, the place seems dank, secretive, and sinister - one can’t help but move, if only to squirm. “Cavern, but evil” is hardly an informing judgement, but it’s the best I can come up with. I don’t know. I’m sure someone digs it. They probably also self-describe as “edgy”. Still, a night in Exeter means more than dancing and drinking. It’s your experience of the whole bloody affair - the halogen glow of Mega Kebab, screaming Busted back home, the waft of rickety food-trucks. You might be disappointed in a club. Maybe no-one had the energy to dance like a prat. What’s most important about Exeter nightlife is your overall pleasure, perhaps in spite of clubbing. My fondest memories flow through the evening crawling from one place to the next, having conversations you can’t quite follow, or fainting on a sofa. The best venues don’t just cater for intravenous injection of “the sesh”. And if that rings hollow, then hey it’s Exeter, we take what we can get.
Best and Worst of Freshers’
N the first night of Freshers’ Week 2016, I went to the Lemmy – I didn’t know any better. As a Londoner, I assumed there would be some travel involved, but shockingly a coat wasn’t needed for the arduous 30-second trek from my Lafrowda home. Not wanting to lose my new fresher-flatmate-friends in the throng, I was in the unfortunate position of carrying a large winter coat onto that sticky dance floor, folded over my arm like some delusional butler. It was in this warm drunken haze my brand-new key went walkabouts, and to this day I am still waiting for a reply from the lost property team. Once Estate Patrol had let me in, painfully early in the night, I phoned a friend to rant: not only was the key gone, but so were all chances I had with that perfect person, vastly out of my league, who I can only assume was serving community service by continuing our conversation. My lifelong friend put me on speaker phone to the lovely members of his own new flat, and silently they laughed and laughed at my pain before their pre-drinks were even over. Days later I lost more than my key, as in this great city of ours, I lost myself. Thursday night, I wound up so far from home, battery dead, helping a drunk stranger stand upright while he unceremoniously pissed against the Cathedral. To this day, I’m not sure if I’m complicit in a felony. But Freshers’ Week was a strange and beautiful time – I joined societies I’m now in charge of, made a whole handful of friends (many of whom I still avoid to this day), and most importantly I discovered The Imperial – again, as a Londoner, it is a glorious haven to find £2 pints. James Murphy, Contributor
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HEN I moved down to Exeter as an underweight bookworm last year, armed with little but a Wilko’s crockery kit and the dream of becoming a dashing student of the Humanities, nobody ever warned me about homebrew vodka. Let me be the first to tell you: if your new flatmate offers you a swig of their 40% distilled regional spud juice, be smart: ask for tap water. Otherwise, there’s a decent chance that your first night in halls will end like mine did; being tucked into bed by someone who you will never see again. Well, you hoped that. Tomorrow morning, you will discover they live on the same floor and would like to borrow some sellotape, if that’s quite alright. Luckily, my Freshers’ Week picked up from there; the Xpression drop-in sessions got me hooked on live radio, a platform I never saw myself playing in when I was undergoing speech therapy for a stutter a few years ago. Picnicking with the 2017/18 Exeposé editors was a blessed experience. Rediscover Church welcomed me with waffles. However, what I remember most fondly are the moments that upturned my expectations. Veterans will tell you Exe’s group centric ‘Team Skills Development’ is a ploy to drag us snowflakes from our desks into the socials. Well, maybe, but it turned out cracking the Dewey Decimal system was a great bonding exercise, and I made friends that day who would carry me through the year ahead. My biggest problem? I was greener than a spinach soufflé. I drank beyond my limits. Wasted an indecent amount of time worrying about whether anyone would like me. Even emailed Exeposé a portfolio because I was convinced I needed to prove my worth. But I was always welcome. It’s where I was always supposed to be. You’re welcome too. Aaron Loose, Music Editor
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H, Freshers’ Week. I’m sure societies and clubs alike have hyped up events for weeks on end, all leading up to what will almost certainly be a madcap blur. And there’s a simple reason for that: booze. Now, if you don’t drink, that doesn’t mean Freshers can’t be the time of your life. But this is my chance to thoroughly embarrass myself, and a large percentage of that is related to that fickle mistress, alcohol. So, let’s get right to it. The best parts? Alcohol is a wonderful social lubricant. For someone who, like myself, deals with an anxiety disorder, this will be an exceedingly useful tool in making friends. During my first night out of Freshers’ (XTV takes Cheesy Tuesday, an absolute Freshers’ must), I met two girls who are, two years later, still my closest friends here. Plus, the absolute fool you make of yourself will provide great anecdotes for later social gatherings. And the worst. Remember those stories of you making a fool of yourself that go down well at parties? Well, living through those moments themselves isn’t always the most fun. Dancing on tables that almost break under your weight, taking home flatmates, and having drunk existential crises make for good memories, certainly, but only after you’ve lived down the teasing for an entire term. This is both a warning and a reassurance. To all the freshers reading this, be careful, and make smart choices. You’re definitely going to do something horribly embarrassing, but then again, so is everyone else. Oh, and join XMedia. I hear they’re pretty great. Amelia Chisholm, Contributor
Image: Clker Free Vector Images (Pixabay)
Image: Dawn Hudson (Public Domain Pictures)
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10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
EXEPOSÉ | 10 SEPT 2018
COMMENT
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Freshers’ tips from Wellbeing Services Ellen Gibbins Outreach & Retention Administrator
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OMING to university can be a fantastic experience, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges. Here are our top ten transition tips to help you adjust to life at university. 1. Make the most of Freshers’ Week Freshers’ Week is a great opportunity for you to meet new people, get to know your surroundings and find new hobbies that you may well become passionate about for the rest of your time at Exeter. There’s something for everyone, so take advantage of free taster sessions and see what takes your fancy! 2. Decorate your room Your room is your new home for most of the year, so bring decorations, put up photos, buy posters and potted plants and make it your own. 3. Explore your surroundings Try and become familiar with campus and the city when you first arrive, as you’ll feel more confident attending
your first lectures or going shopping if you know where you’re headed. 4. Make sure you rest Your first few weeks can be really busy, so try and schedule some rest days in so that you can get some sleep and have a breather. It’s easy to become overwhelmed if you’re doing too much, especially if you have a lot of late evenings, so be mindful of how you’re feeling and take care of yourself. 5. Stay connected with your family and friends from home It’s natural to miss your home life when you come to university, so bring pictures of your loved ones for your room, plan regular phone calls or Skype sessions with friends, and schedule in some home visits further into term time. Homesickness will fade as you settle in, but it’s important to stay connected. 6. Eat well Although it may be tempting to embrace your culinary freedom and eat pizza every night, your body will thank you if you eat some vegetables every so often! If you’re self-catered, plan your weeks’ meals in advance so you have some healthy food at home, or choose
the healthy option in your catered halls. Having a balanced diet will help fend off Freshers’ Flu too! 7. Register with a GP Unless you have a fantastic constitution, it is likely you will get ill at some point in your first year at university. If you register with the Student Health Centre when you arrive, you won’t have to worry about this when you do become ill and can book an appointment much more easily. 8. Keep an eye on your emotional health Try to keep your emotional health in mind and take steps to support this throughout your time at university. Whether it’s doing a regular exercise class, taking time for yourself, developing a support network or spending time in nature, knowing how to keep yourself happy and healthy can prevent difficulties becoming overwhelming when they arise. 9. Arrange any exam adjustments in advance If you have previously had exam adjustments such as extra time, book an appointment with Wellbeing Services as soon as possible to ensure these are
in place. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing/examadjustments/ 10. Ask for help if you need it Coming to university sometimes doesn’t feel like the great adventure it’s cracked up to be. If you’re feeling lonely, anxious, or down, please get in touch with Wellbeing Services who will be able to offer you support. You can email us at wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk or call us on 01392 724381. Wellbeing Services offer information, advice and personal support to help you in your studies. We support students experiencing wellbeing issues
such as stress, anxiety, and low mood as well as students with long term health conditions, disabilities, and mental health difficulties. You can email or call us using the details above, or you can drop in to see us at the Reed Mews Wellbeing Centre on Streatham Drive – we are opposite the Student Health Centre. There are further tips on the Wellbeing Services website to support you with your wellbeing during the transition period: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/ wellbeing/prospectivestudents/advice.
Image: Deepa Lalwani
The problem with #NeverOK Olivia Powell Contributor
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HE idea that harassment is never acceptable is one that should be obvious to all. If you go up to the average person on the street and ask them whether or not they think sexually harassing or assaulting someone is an acceptable thing to do, it would be difficult to find someone who didn’t say no – most people would most likely think that this question was bizarre and even one that doesn’t warrant asking. However, if you phrased the question differently, and, for example, asked someone if they’d ever yelledor wolf whistled at someone on the street, or groped a stranger in a nightclub, the answers would be very different. Here lies the problem with the Students’ Guild’s #NeverOK campaign – on paper, of course, sexual assault is bad, and no one would advocate for it. But add in booze, a new environment, and lad culture and you’ve got yourself a completely different story. In my Freshers’ Week two years ago, #NeverOK encouraged people to sign a pledge saying that they un-
derstood what consent was, and that they’d call out sexual harassment if they saw it. By the end of that week I’d been assaulted, and of the people I know who signed that pledge, at least one of them has assaulted someone. A public pledge is a good idea in theory, but in practice, it does not actually stop anyone from committing harassment.
We need to get rid of all the metaphors around harassment At the pledge-signing, #NeverOK were also playing a video similar to the ‘Tea Consent’ video, except it substituted the word ‘tea’ for ‘curly fries’, i.e. ‘you wouldn’t steal someone’s curly fries if they were passed out’. This kind of video has never sat well with me – I feel it doesn’t highlight how serious sexual assault is and comparing people’s bodies to
consumable goods opens up the possibility of people joking about how they would definitely steal someone’s curly fries if they were passed out – they are curly fries, after all. In addition, comparing someone’s body to a consumable good is a terrible way to discuss consent as the whole point of consent is that your body is your own, and you are in control of what happens to it, no matter what you are wearing or doing. That video, and others like it, feel like videos intended to teach very small children, which is not the attitude we need to be taking if we are aiming to educate adults. We need to get rid of all the metaphors and allu-
sions and say specifically what sexual assault and harassment are, and how terrible they are. Being jokey or light handed with it only harms people in the long run; firstly, the tone encourages people to laugh at the idea of assault and downplays how serious it is. This may make people unsure as to whether or not what has happened to them is actually assault as they don’t have a reference beyond ‘would it be okay if they had done this with curly fries/tea’. It needs to be explicitly clear that touching someone or making sexual advances towards them without their consent, or continuing to do things once consent has been revoked is not acceptable. These videos do not need to be disturbing, but they do Image: US Air Force Medical Service need to have a far more serious tone. Additionally, societies need to be held responsible for their members on socials in particular and either make sure they are punished for assaulting people, or protected if they have
If you’ve been affected by these issues, the following helplines are available: Sexual Assault Referral Centre 01392 436967 Devon Rape Crisis 01392 204174 Victim Support 0808 168 9111
been assaulted. Finally, it needs to be completely clear to those joining the university what to do if they have been sexually assaulted and how to report it – both to the university and the police. Overall, I do think that the #NeverOK campaign has good intentions, and has taken a few good steps in combating the problem with sexual assault on campus have been made, but if we are to truly tackle it, we need to arm people with real education, and make sure they know how to access help. People also need to understand that sexual assault/harassment is a serious act, and there is no such thing as an ‘innocent’ assault.
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Features
FEATURES EDITORS: Niamh Elstone Neha Shaji
Unusual politicians
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Exeposé Features writers team up to discuss some unorthodox politicians across the world
ONALD Trump and Imran Khan are only recent elects into the populist game of celebrity politics. Opinion pieces are rife across the internet on celebrities turned politicians, especially in the postTrump era where populism seems to be the new American Game, with Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Oprah Winfrey being seriously considered for the 2020 presidential race. However, there are other politicians, thankfully less notorious than Trump, who have entered politics from an unorthodox background and managed to cling to it.
Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura started off his career as a professional wrestler, after a stint in the US Navy. In a career spanning from 1975 to 1986, Ventura was finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, just after finishing his term as the 38th Governor of Minnesota and Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. In what is an unusual career change, Ventura also starred in films such as Predator and The Running Man with fellow body-builder and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger. Following a prestigious career, during which he introduced many reforms in Minnesota, Ventura decided not to seek re-election in 2002. However he is still politically active, starring in his own show on RT America. In a turn of events, very much like his career, Ventura features in public service announcements condemning steroids and their misuse. It sure looks like he’d rather pump money into Minnesota than pump his muscles in the gym. Peter Gillibrand, Contributor
Sol Campbell
When ex-England international footballer Sol Campbell retired in 2011, convention indicated that an unsuccessful spell managing in the lower leagues, perhaps at Swindon Town, before becoming a pundit who appeared on Match of the Day four or five times a year, was likely to follow. Yet, the divisive Campbell confounded expectations with a foray into British politics, with dreams of becoming a Conservative politician. Early on, from his protests that Labour’s proposed mansion tax was unaffordable, in spite of his estimated
34 million pound worth, to a disturbing photograph campaign in which he ‘whited up’ as part of Generation Black Vote, there were a few missteps. In an age where the line between celebrity and politician is blurred, however, Sol was not perturbed. In 2015 he believed his moment had come and he threw his name into the hat for London mayor, declaring ‘I have got so much to offer’. Sadly for Sol, it had not; he failed to make the Conservative Party’s shortlist. Nevertheless, for a man of Sol’s tenacity this was not the beginning of the end, rather the end of the beginning. From his powerful argument that Brexit will be the saviour of English football, to rumours he may stand as a candidate for the Conservative Party in 2022, there can be little doubt that we are witnessing the birth of a politician destined for greatness. Ollie Lund, Contributor
We are witnessing the birth of a politician destined for greatness Sonia Gandhi
In a country like India where foreigners visit and vanish with large helpings of curry and heatstroke, it’s surprising that Sonia Gandhi (née Maino), an Italian born Caucasian woman, was a leading figure in the tumultuous world of Indian politics for two decades. Born and raised in rural Italy, Sonia fell in love with cheery student Rajiv Gandhi, the son of India’s only woman Prime Minister – and
Images: US Embassy; Jenni Konrad; Stefan Schaefer, Lich
uprooted herself from the desolate Italian mountains to the bustling capital of India.
With no experience in politics [...] Sonia took the reins of the dying Congress Party Living in a family where the matriarch was Prime Minister was difficult for a country girl, especially when said matriarch was assassinated and Sonia’s young husband was voted in as Prime Minister. The family thrived however, until Rajiv too was assassinated in a bomb blast, leaving Sonia with two young children in a foreign country, beginning to be overrun by ill feeling towards her. Yet with no experience in politics, or even a university education, Sonia took the reins of the dying Congress Party of India, which was beginning to be decimated by right wing Hindu nationalists, and managed to win two consequent general elections – yet stepping aside from being PM as she gave the position to a Sikh, Manmohan Singh. Despite this, and even after forty years of being Indian and twenty years in Indian politics, she is forever greeted by sexist and xenophobic remarks from both parties, for her foreign-ness, her accent and her status as a widow who dared to step out. Sonia’s story is strange, not purely because she was an Italian country girl that worked in a restaurant, who then controlled the political ladder in a foreign country, but because she had done it for the love of her deceased husband.
Francisco Silva
Whilst Francisco Oliviera Silva may
Everado have a
tremendous mouthful of a name, the tables were turned against him from almost the minute of his birth. Born in one of Brazil’s poorest areas, Francisco left home at the age of nine to join the circus as a clown who, apparently, had an incredible singing voice. To get said singing voice some well-deserved fame, the circus folk banded together to fund an album for him, shooting him to the top of the charts with several hits. In this classic rags-to-riches story which would have been at home in a Hallmark drama, Silva managed to cling onto silver screen fame for a while and after it faded, he entered the second circus in his life – Parliament. He was derided and mocked of course, for his background as a circus clown, being called an illiterate entertainer by elitist candidates. Yet Silva won by a huge margin, capturing the state of São Paolo not just as the top candidate but as the most voted for congressman in the district. Silva seems, in his interviews, to be amused by his position rather than angry at those who mock him for his modest upbringings. Yet his populism isn’t due to his capacity to literally clown around. Rather, in Brazil, where the wage gap is practically a cliff and swathes of the country’s population lives in shanty towns, it seems natural that a candidate who went from a circus clown to a television start to a congressman would appeal to the masses. Silva’s platform had nothing to do with his eclectic personality either, as his naysayers often bring up – instead, he ran a cut and dry political campaign on the ineffectiveness of current bureaucrats a n d lawmakers, drolly quipping about “passing whole d a y s here
doing nothing, just waiting to vote on something while people argue and argue.”
Stubbs
Mayor Stubbs is possibly the most monotonous and repetitive politician on this list. Probably because he’s a cat – a species not very well known for their verbose nature. Lauri Stec of Talkeetna, Alaska, found Stubbs in a box and “chose” him because he lacked a tail. Yet he became somewhat of a personality in the remote Alaskan town, and the townspeople cherished him enough to vote him in as mayor. The voters objected against the human candidates running for that election, and instead conducted a write-in campaign, where Stubbs and his lack of tail were elected mayor.
His exploits involved once getting attacked by a dog Stubbs’ tenure was, as all politicians’, rather controversial. First, the question of him actually being a real mayor arose – when feline critics pointed out the damning fact that Talkeetna has no actual mayor, thus Stubbs is nothing but a sham puppet in a nonexistent office. Some claimed Stubbs didn’t even exist. Yet the cat remained a feline sensation throughout the United States, receiving hundreds of daily letters. Stubbs, who died in 2017, was an adventurous politician who seemed to put Teddy Roosevelt to shame. His exploits involved once getting attacked by a dog and needing to go to hospital, falling into a restaurant’s deep fryer by accident, and even an assassination attempt by two teenagers with toy BB guns. Stubbs, in a country where partisan politics are the only accepted politics, became somewhat of a symbol. This held true especially in the 2014 Senate race where another campaign was held to write Stubbs into the ballot. He did not win. This may have been for the best, however, as Stubbs had been starting to get rather elitist – drinking catnip laced water out of margarita glasses. Neha Shaji, Features Editor
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FEATURES
10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
Decolonising diversity Deepa Lalwani, Comment Editor, discusses decolonisation and diversity in a postcolonial university
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ERMS such as ‘international’, ‘multicultural’, and ‘diverse’ get thrown around a lot at universities, particularly as the academic year begins and prospective and new students come pouring into UK universities from across the world. Whilst diversity is undoubtedly advantageous and should be celebrated, it sometimes seems that the perfectly structured mix of People of Colour (PoC) and white faces smiling up at us from uni prospectuses and ads are a little inaccurate.
A high number of non-white students does not necessarily equate to racial equality However, a high number of nonwhite students at a university does not necessarily equate to a culture of racial equality – instances of racism occur on several campuses across the UK, such as the instance of racist chanting in Nottingham, or the white-t-shirt social
Beyond this, the significance of staff should not be understated: learning about race and decolonisation is all well and good, but lectures about these topics take a different tone when given by white lecturers, even if they are experts in the field – maybe that’s a narrow-minded point of view, but particularly in areas such as English, which tend to be so heavily
dominated by Eurocentric viewpoints, it is important that we elevate the voices of lecturers from different backgrounds. Today, the secondary school history curriculum is being criticised more and more for its lack of attention to the British Empire and the negative effects of colonialism; not much has been said about university courses. Part of this, naturally, is due to the way that university courses are not
Image: United Nations Image Office, Dane Davis
standardised in the same way as the Key Stages that exist in schools across the country. More than this, there’s the fact that issues of decolonisation are only really ever taught in depth in Arts and Humanities subjects, rarely in STEM.
It is important that we elevate the voices of lecturers from different backgrounds If we want all students to have a postcolonial university experience that encapsulates values of equality, safety, and freedom, encouraging PoC to apply is only a stepping stone. To properly achieve this, we’ll need to do more, whether by rethinking the content of our courses and how it is being taught to us, or by following in the footsteps of the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ movement and striving to remove elements of racism and imperialism from the our campuses, starting with the physical remnants of colonialism.
Imran Khan’s (new) Pakistan
Image: Zscout370
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in Exeter. Culture, admittedly, is a vague concept: at an institution containing over 22,000 students, it is difficult to find a marker of what truly constitutes a university’s atmosphere. If nothing else, one can look to teaching, and what is being taught – universities are, after all, places of learning; having students from various backgrounds is a moot point if said students aren’t taught to appreciate and understand work from people of different nationalities and ethnicities
Jack Watts analyses the promises and progress of Pakistan’s new Prime Minister
N late July, the renowned Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan declared victory in the Pakistani parliamentary elections. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice), won 116 of the 272 firstpast-the-post seats in the National Assembly, with the remaining 70 seats reserved for women and religious and ethnic minority groups being assigned based on proportional representation. Although 19 seats short of a majority, PTI achieved the highest number of seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan Peoples Party with 64 and 43 seats respectively. Khan’s career in politics hasn’t always been successful; when his party first contested an election in 1997, they failed to win a single seat, and Khan himself was the only member of the party elected to the National Assembly five years later. When asked about PTI’s slow start, Khan had said their supporters were “still young” and this election victory seems to have vindicated his claim, and justified his resolve. Campaigning on a populist platform of expanding social spending, improving the economy, and leading a “new Pakistan”,
Khan captivated Pakistan’s large youth electorate in order to achieve victory.
Many Pakistanis remain cynical that much can be achieved
Transparency International calculates that Pakistan lost the equivalent of US$ 94 billion in corruption, tax evasion, and bad governance between 2008 and 2013, when the government was led by a Pakistan Peoples Party coalition.
However, Khan’s greatest challenge may still be to come as he now attempts to govern a country that few would disagree is rife with corruption. Though reinvigorated by the election of this somewhat progressive party, many Pakistanis remain cynical that much can be achieved by politicians due to the country’s track record.
If Khan can achieve even half of what he has claimed, then Pakistan will be better for it
Image: Chris McAndrew
Image: Jawad Zakariya
In his victory speech, Khan rejected the official Prime Minister’s residence, claiming he would stay in a smaller house and vowing to have both the PM’s residence, and the governors’ residences converted into educational institutions of tourist facilities to fuel the economy. The reasoning behind the decision seems sound, however, it remains for the Pakistani population to decide whether it is merely a feel-good move, or whether his other promises would be fulfilled.
One area where Khan is keen to make progress is Pakistan’s relationship with India. Turbulent since Pakistan’s establishment in 1947, India and Pakistan’s relationship has been troubled by three wars over the province of Kashmir. Khan
seeks to put an end to the recurring problems in the relationship and improve relations with their neighbour to the East, calling for a revival of talks when he met with India’s High Commission to Islamabad, Ajay Basaria. The Pakistani military however, which has been instrumental in Khan’s ascension - is skeptical of this, considering the nations have been skirmishing for over six decades after a bloody Partition. Khan’s optimism on the Kashmir valley question - a territory both India and Pakistan claim as their own whilst residents of the valley call for full independence, is intriguing, as Prime Ministers elected within both nations have traditionally held a hard stance on the issue. Imran Khan, the second celebrity recently elected to the highest office in the nation, has given hope to many in Pakistan, both socially and economically. His election has been met with skepticism concerning how much he can realistically achieve, due to his staggering ambition. If Khan can achieve even half of what he has claimed, then Pakistan will be better for it, but whether Khan can steer Pakistan out of its corrupt past remains to be seen.
FEATURES
EXEPOSÉ | 10 SEPT 2018
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Voluntourists: parasites or saviours? Hannah Stevenson, Online News Editor, deconstructs the phenomenon of gap year philanthropy
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WILL never retweet appeals that treat poor children as opportunities to enhance Westerners' CVs”. Those were the words of author J.K. Rowling in a stream of tweets in August 2016 after she was asked to endorse a charity offering volunteer opportunities in orphanages. This condemnation of the growing trend of young volunteers from wealthy countries, many of them gap year students, heading to the developing world to fulfill short-term projects has surfaced and resurfaced several times in recent years. The so-called ‘voluntourism’ industry is worth an estimated $2.6 billion each year according to Save The Children. That’s more than the total GDP of Liberia, half the GDP of Malawi and one fifth of the GDP of Nicaragua.
The majority of 'voluntourists' are likely to be genuinely philanthropic The intentions of the vast majority of ‘voluntourists’ are likely to be genuinely philanthropic. The 1.6 million people that travel to volunteer in developing countries annually sometimes fork out thousands of pounds for their experience. To spend such a lot of money on a volunteer project rather than simply a summersun getaway is certainly admirable, and can perhaps only come from a genuine desire to make the positive impact that international voluntary organisations promote so fiercely. Such experiences allow participants to drastically broaden their worldview, one of the key selling points in recruiting volunteers. Cultivating global consciousness across a young generation in the developed world can perhaps only be a good thing. And although adjectives like “life-changing” have become somewhat cliché when we hear students talk about their gap year, it is hard to imagine that participants do not take what they have seen and experienced forward with them in some way when they leave the host country. However unfortunately, these, the most obvious benefits of voluntourism, seemingly focus disproportionately upon the volunteer rather than the communities in need. Cynics will say that volunteering can never be a completely altruistic act, and it can sometimes feel hard to argue to the contrary when voluntourism organisations use plentiful CV gains and
a sense of personal gratification as their main selling points. Whilst it is possible for such motivations to complement a genuine desire to help those in need, personal gain necessarily complicates the role of the volunteer within the host community, and in the worst cases, can encourage people to participate for the wrong reasons. Critique of voluntourism also raises ethical concerns regarding the worldview and stereotypes that result from such projects in the developing world. Many fear that the framing of the wealthy Westerner as the benevolent giver serves to belittle host communities. Rather than contributing to meaningful development, an imbalanced narrative of a poor South in desperate need of charity is perpetuated. This, in and of itself, is counterproductive to sustainable development. The issues with voluntourism are practical too. Most participants are not trained or qualified for the work that they carry out- it is, for example, unlikely that many gap year students are trained in construction when they embark upon projects to build schools or libraries. In many instances, it is actually the case that unskilled volunteers are compromising the employment of qualified locals. Again then, we have to question exactly who is benefitting from voluntourism if not the local community. Perhaps the most problematic form of voluntourism is ‘orphanage tourism’. This uncomfortable phrase refers to the trend of volunteering in orphanages, as well as the practice of orphanages eliciting donations and sponsorships from holidaymakers. Again, orphanage volunteers often have the best of intentions, and the desire to help some of the poorest children is certainly an admirable one. However, there is a growing sentiment that this practice has increasingly harmful effects upon the children involved.
Most participants are not trained or qualified for the work that they carry out For one, the short-term nature of many placements takes a heavy emotional toll on the children that are the target of voluntary efforts in the first place. Volunteers form emotional connections with orphans, and then leave as quickly as they arrived. As cofounder of ReThink Orphanages, Leigh Mathews explains “this repeated cycle of connection and abandonment really
contributes to a really low self-esteem for these children”. In addition, and more worryingly still, there is evidence to suggest that the generosity of volunteers and tourists has actually proliferated the exploitation of orphans for financial gain. Cambodia is one country which has come under the spotlight in this regard. Reportedly, the number of orphanages across the country increased by 60% between 20052015, with half of these concentrated in typically touristic destinations. During this same period, Cambodia’s GDP has grown by nearly $11.76 billion, life expectancy at birth has risen by over five and a half years, and the fertility rate has dropped by over 0.6. If development is thriving, why is the number of orphanages growing? Increasingly, evidence points towards a simple answer: corruption. The ReThink Orphanages Network estimates that of the 8 million children in residential care across the world, 80% have living family. Some organisations have reported instances where ‘orphans’ are bought or leased from parents, only to be exploited, and in some cases, even abused, by orphanage owners, in order to capitalise on the generosity of donations and line their own pockets. In such cases, it is doubtful how much of the money the ‘orphans’ see. Thankfully, with growing concern surrounding the ethics of ‘orphanage tourism’, organisations have begun to take action. Last year, World Challenge, the largest school-based volunteer company in the world, brought an end to high school students visiting orphanages. Indeed, in the September of last year, a committee in the Australian parliament went so far as to appeal to the government to ban orphanage tourism altogether as a matter of urgency. Rather than financially bolstering orphanages through volunteer projects, Save The Children and ReThink Orphanages advise positive action supporting organisations that provide communityrather than residential-based care. It’s a troublesome situation to say the least, as the sentiments behind voluntourism are, for the most part, productive and genuinely altruistic. Ultimately, the desire to make a difference to those living in poverty should absolutely not be dissuaded. However, there is a growing feeling that we need to seriously rethink voluntourism to facilitate more ethical grass roots change. Save The Children advises that those looking to volunteer in the developing world ask themselves the right questions before they make a commitment; most
importantly that they consider whether they are setting out for the right reasons, and whether they have the appropriate skills to make a productive contribution. It is vital to ask the right questions of the volunteering organisation too, or better still, to bypass such organisations and contact projects directly where possible.
The generosity of volunteers has actually proliferated exploitation However, another more sustainable solution could be to omit the volunteering element of voluntourism altogether: to go to a developing country, but to go as a tourist. To stay in a locally run hotel and contribute money to the
local economy. To aid development, yes, but without considering it an act of pity or charity. And to continue to donate money to development projects, but to make sure it is going to the right places- for example towards facilitating family-based rather than residential care, or towards providing employment for local workers. With all respect to those who have travelled as voluntourists, it remains that we need to take steps to eradicate the margin for exploitation and dangerous power imbalances in order to go forwards making a difference in the developing world. To do that, we need to entirely rethink our role in aiding development. Whilst that might not translate to something that we can put on our CVs or on social media, it might just be the key to kick-starting real change.
Neha Shaji
KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES No ASB
No alcohol in the city centre
Look out for these signs in the city centre
lifestyle
ARTS + LIT
E X H I B IT MUSIC
STUDY BREAK
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exe-ploring the city’s arts scene
Uncovering Exeter’s Live music
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THE LOVE ISLAND PHENOMENON
MOVING INTO UNIVERSITY
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LIFESTYLE EDITORS Rhiannon Moore Bethan Gilson
ARTS + LIT EDITORS Lauren Newman Tabi Scott
MUSIC EDITORS Alex Wingrave Aaron Loose
SCREEN EDITORS Chloe Kennedy Ben Faulkner
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26 STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Alfred and Katie 10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
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Exeposé Lifestyle writers give you their ad
CONSENT
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N a study of 4,500 individuals across 153 universities across the UK, 62% of individuals had experienced sexual assault at university. In many cases, it simply requires more education on consent and how to know it has been given and received.
YES MEANS YES, NO MEANS NO, SILENCE MEANS NO
EXPERIMENTATION
ways given verbally - instead there may be non-verbal consent such as smiling or nodding. This has to be something discussed between the individuals involved beforehand, because sometimes body language isn’t always enough. Many sexual assaults at university occur between people who have an existing relationship, so it is important not to disregard the need for consent just because of a prior relationship.
IT IS ALWAYS THE FAULT OF THE ASSAULTER
The simple explanation on consent is: yes means yes, no means no, silence means no. However, there are a number of situations where courtrooms find it difficult to deterUltimately, the best tactic if mine if a sexual act was consensual. you’re not sure consent has been For example, if both individugiven is to ask. If your als are drunk, they are lack of consent Image: @Charles Deluvio not able to commuhas been disrenicate as clearly and garded, there messages may be are plenty be confused. This of services is not to say that no available to one should have sex help. If you after drinking - howwish, you can ever, it is important to contact the check in on your partner police and give a frequently to check they are statement. The Reed okay, and let your partner know if Mews Wellbeing Centre on you don't consent. It is acceptable campus have plenty of resources to to retract consent at any point dur- give advice, no matter your situaing the encounter. A person who is tion. Additionally, Devon Rape Crisis sober should never have sex with is an excellent organisation which someone who has been drinking, deals with supporting and listening due to the imbalanced power dy- to men, women, BAME individuals, namic between the individuals, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled meaning consent cannot be given. individuals and sex workers. It is of upmost importance to remember that it is never the fault of the individual who has been assaulted. No matter how drunk you were, what you were wearing, or whether you were walking home alone at In relationships or between 3am (although I do encourage that people who regularly have sexual you walk with someone or get a taxi encounters, or when one or both from a club, please!); it is always the people have a disability limiting fault of the assaulter. their ability to consent, it is not alRhiannon Moore, Lifestyle Editor
THERE MAY BE NON-VERBAL CONSENT
CONTRACEPTION
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NIVERSITY is often seen as a time where anything goes. Similar to dyeing your hair crazy colours, most people think that if you don’t explore your sexuality at uni then it can never be done. And, to an extent, I agree. University is such a diverse setting that it allows you to find people who want to try the same things as you and it can be a much more liberating space. My advice for all Image: @Charles Deluvio those who want to experiment a little is; do what makes you feel good and don’t take the piss.
DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD When I say do what makes you feel good, I literally mean that. I started university having already slept with a cis girl and cis boy. Thus far at university, I’ve found that I enjoy sex with guys m o r e than I do Image: @Charles Deluvio with girls, so nine times out of ten, I do that. It’s important not to think your sexuality is less valid, especially bi or pansexuality, if you find through experimenting that you prefer one type of sex over another. On the flip side of course, you might discover a whole new side to your sexuality and want to explore that further. At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what feels good for you.
OVING to uni brings with it loads of new and exciting responsibilities, but there are some you definitely don’t want to take any risks with. No one wants their first memory of Fresher’s to be an awkward morning-after trip to Boots, so it’s best to get yourself clued up on contraception beforehand.
THERE'S NO ONE TYPE OF CONTRACEPTION THAT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE
DON'T FETISHIZE OTHERS' SEXUALITY When I say don’t take the piss, it might be better to say don’t fetishize others’ sexuality. In order for any kind of sexual exploration to work, there has to be mutual respect and consideration for all parties involved, whether it’s your first or thousandth time in that situation. It sounds basic but just think how the other person/people are feeling before you do anything. Sex is great and exploring who you are at university can make it even better, however it’ll never be amazing if you’re not honest with yourself first. Figure out what it is you think you’d like to try and I can almost guarantee that you’ll find someone else who’ll want to try too. Alicia Rees
Everybody’s different, so there’s no one type of contraception that’ll always be better, but there are plenty of choices available. Condoms and the Pill are two of the most common and least intrusive types, but have the disadvantage of you needing to remember them. If you’re worried about this, there are longer-term options. The IUD and the Implant are examples that can last anywhere from three to ten years, but do need to be fitted and removed by a professional. When making your choice, remember it’s not just unplanned pregnancy you want to avoid; condoms are the only contraceptive that protect against STDs, so make sure you’re being regularly tested.
CONDOMS ARE THE ONLY CONTRACEPTIVE THAT PROTECT AGAINST STDS In Exeter, there are two main
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CASUAL SEX
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places to do this, and to receive conHEN starting university, traception. The Student Health Cenit is standard protocol tre on campus gives conthat everyone will load fidential advice on you with advice – yet looking pregnancy, contraback, nobody even attempted ception and sexto guide me about the ual health on an ins and outs of having appointment casual sex. Entering only basis. If the world of Exeter you have an urcan be overwhelming, gent problem and regardless of how you can receive much experience you’ve a same day aphad, I don’t think anything Image: @Charles Deluvio pointment, compares to the newfound but you could freedom that you’re gifted with at also visit The Centre at university. 31 Sidwell Street. This NHS walk-in centre is open Monday-Saturday and offers ‘sit and wait’ sessions from 9.30am3.30pm during the week and appointments if you prefer. Sex is a big part of this freedom, If you need and if you choose to, then wholetreatment heartedly embrace it. Having sex is such as normal, and it’s fun, and contrary t h e to what some people might try and tell you, it has abs o l u te l y no correlation to your l e v e l Image: @Charles Deluvio morning afof self ter pill, you respect. can also go Choosing to mage: @Charles Deluvio to a pharmacy sleep with lots of people isn’t any like Boots, who reflection on your character, nor is can give emergency contraception it anyone else’s business. up to five days after unprotected sex. Remember, just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it will for you so there’s no reason to be embarrassed asking a doctor about your best options. Abbie Kellett Just do what makes you happy;
SLEEPING WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE ISN'T ANY REFLECTION ON YOUR CHARACTER
IT CAN BE DIFFICULT IF EMOTIONS GET INVOLVED
if this involves no sex at all, then that’s completely fine as well. The pressure to have sex can seem immense, but stay true to yourself and keep in mind that the only sex life people actually pay any attention to is their own. It’s also important to remember that casual sex is exactly what the name describes – it’s just sex. It can be difficult if emotions get involved, and sleeping with someone doesn’t mean that they’ll want to pursue anything further. I can’t emphasise enough how much it means to have close friends that will always be there to Image: @Charles Deluvio support you (or give dirty looks to anyone that didn’t show you the respect you deserved, as my friends often did). A final, pretty crucial point, is
that Exeter is a small place. Don’t be surprised if you bump into your most recent shag in the library. Speaking from experience, just acknowledge them – it’s a lot less awkward than pretending you don’t know who they are. Have fun, be safe, and don’t be afraid to make the most of your uni experience! Sophie Bates
DEVON RAPE CRISIS Helpline: 01392 204 174 Email: support@devonrapecrisis.org.uk REED MEWS WELLBEING CENTRE Phone: 01392 724381 Email: wellbeing@exeter. ac.uk Website: http://www.exeter. ac.uk/wellbeing/contact/
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EXETER SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC Phone: 01392 276892 Unit 4 Sidwell Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6NN
ABSTINENCE
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NIGHT out at university can involve a lot of pressure – pressure to socialise, pressure to drink, and often pressure to look for something a little more… intimate. When Timepiece’s oversized clock ushers in the early hours of the morning, it can be a little discomforting – as you look around the carnal, sweatsoaked scenes so often painted by a student night out – to be the only one who didn’t turn up with sex as an apparent priority.
WHILST SEX IS A COMPONENT OF STUDENT LIFE FOR MANY, IT'S NOT A VITAL ONE
for many, it is not – despite what stereotypes may suggest – a vital one. In my experience, as someone who is not typically interested in casual sex, university life has not been any less fulfilling. Yes, there is pressure – but only because for many, university provides a time when they can explore their sexuality. If you’re not ready for, or interested in, that side of university then have no fear. University abounds with new and exciting things to do, and sex is just one small option in that field. And whilst university is a great time to push your boundaries, this does not mean that you have to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable in order to fit with what everyone else seems to be doing – quite the opposite, in fact. Use your time at university to discover what you enjoy doing – whether that involves having sex with other people or not. Graham Moore, Editor
Alcohol can lead to all kinds of interesting decisions, but for some of us casual sex just doesn’t tend to be one of them. And that’s okay. Just as it’s perfectly fine to go out looking for someone, it’s also perfectly fine to venture out of an evening with the express intention of ending up back home, gathered around your kitchen table with cups of tea, as the room spins hazily around you.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE Whilst sexual activity is undeniably a component of student life Image: @Jeremy Bishop
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Wave goodbye, say hello O be frank, I grew up as an incredibly sheltered child. I was driven to and from school, had all my meals prepared by people who knew exactly what my brother and I liked to eat, and I'd never even thought about doing laundry. Ever. So landing in Exeter, I walked into halls with the knowledge that I'd have to do all these things myself, but the realization did not strike me until it was 10pm, I was hungry, and I didn't know what on earth I was supposed to do with the packet of pasta glaring at me from the counterpane.
IN A WEEK YOU'RE THE MARTHA STEWART OF FOLDING LAUNDRY That's the quintessential Freshers' horror story, but what they don't tell you in said horror stories is that in a week, you're the Gordon Ramsay of pasta, the Martha Stewart of folding laundry, and getting to campus on time - Usain Bolt could never. I did miss my family, but the whirlwind of friends, fun, parties, and freshers hookups came to a crashing halt during deadline season when I got to understand that this was real and this was my life for the next three years (or, the next lifetime if you, like me, decide to stay in academia). There might be a crash for you in your first year, where
you come to a low point mental health wise and perhaps even physical health wise, and it is important to know about all the support systems available, such as Nightline, the Wellbeing unit, and even your Residence Life Mentor. I s university going to be the best years of your life? Perhaps. Perhaps you peak here at u n i v e r s i t y, waltz out with a top class degree, a romantic partner Image: Agnieszka Boeske that even the Brontës couldn't dream up, and fifteen different sports medals. Or perhaps it
will be just another journey in your life (or, series of journeys if you're me with the thirteen hour flight), consisting of lovely friends and terrible ones, wonderful treats of GBK and microwaved Rustlers, days you sprint up Cardiac Hill and days you want to roll down it like a lawnmower without a battery. The articles that talk about university being the best years of your life are clickbait you're not going to decide what exactly the best years of your life are until you're five seconds away from dying, and you're probably too late to write a Buzzfeed article about it then. What is university if Image: LinkedIn Sales Navigator
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Neha Shaji, Features Editor, reflects on her experience of leaving home
not a life entirely separate yet connected to home? Late night calls with home friends and screaming at your mum that a gnat actually had the audacity to fly in through your open window. Perhaps a tip for first year is to find your footing rather than aim to land feet first like the world's most tenacious cat; find the part of your course that you adore, and stick to it till you turn your dissertation in. Find a group of friends that you can whinge to about your disgust towards Forum Hill, your anger at speeding cars while you're trying to cross the road, the tragic temporary loss of the Lemmy, and so on and so forth.
ARTICLES CLAIMING UNI WILL BE YOUR BEST YEARS ARE CLICKBAIT Try as many things as you can: try a politics society, try your hand at creative writing. Personally, I tried out playing an AU sport each year and figured out that whilst I may not become the next Mayweather any time, soon, the one thing that isn't overhyped about uni is the sheer novelty of everything. Don't lose your dazzled Freshery eyes no matter how much grizzled second years tease you - the novelty is the one blindingly amazing part of university.
A home away from home Ellie McGarahan shares her top tips for creating the perfect uni room
YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A HOUSEPLANT (OR FIVE)
Fairy lights The key to any successful uni room is fairy lights. Wrapped around a bedframe, pinboard or bookshelf (or all three if you’re me), they can transform a university bedroom from a high-pressure think-tank to a chilled zen space. Stocked in most homeware departments (check out Primark & Wilko for cheaper options), go for a warm tone as white lights can be stark and cold.
Getting cosy Considering you will probably spend most of your first year in bed (TP Friday can be a killer), it might be worth investing in some good bedding. Go for basic duvet covers – think white or grey linen – and inject some colour with a bright throw and pillows. John Lewis and Next have the widest range of options, but trawling through the shelves of TK Maxx can also be worthwhile.
Pimp your pinboard Most first year rooms come kitted with a huge pinboard, so make the most of it! Printing pictures online is relatively inexpensive and visual reminders of your pre-uni life can help combat any homesickness in those first few crazy weeks. By the end of first year, my pinboard became a personal collection of memories with keepsakes from the whole year – cards, discount vouchers, posters, varsity tickets, festival wristbands, polaroids from nights out… you name it, it went on the wall.
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REMINDERS OF YOUR PRE-UNI LIFE CAN HELP COMBAT HOMESICKNESS
Nothing beats a cosy night in. Freshers’ is, by nature, a fun, wild week. But come Sunday, you’ll find me in bed smothered by countless cushions and throws, fairy lights on, watching Netflix. When you've finished decorating, post a pic on Instagram and tag us @exeposelstyle.
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Houseplant heaven When it comes to uni room décor, you can’t go wrong with a houseplant (or five). Succulents and cacti add a perfect homely touch and take little-to-no effort, so there’s no need to worry when deadlines are looming and watering plants is the last thing on your mind. Head to No Guts No Glory on Fore Street for the best choice in the city, or keep an eye out for plant sales in the Guild throughout the year. For those of us who are not yet ready for such levels of responsibility, the houseplant’s faux counterpart is probably the best option, and Exeter’s newly opened IKEA boasts an almost endless selection.
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T'S no secret that university halls aren't the homeliest looking places, with the cold welcome of a bare room putting even the most confident undergrad on edge. Yes, you may only be there for a year, but you’ll be studying (correction: sleeping) and spending a lot of time within those four walls, so here are some top-tips for transforming your brand new box room into a home away from home.
arts + lit Meet the editors
lauren Newman
tabi scott
krisi werner
emily pirie
print editor/3rd year BA ENGLISH AND CLASSICS
print editor/3rd year BA ENGLISH
online editor/2nd year BA ENGLISH
online editor / 2nd year BA ENGLISH
South West wonders
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Arts + Lit writers provide an overview of Exeter’s wonderful arts venues and events
S far as arts venues in Exeter go, the a swing dance class and then to live bands and Phoenix covers a huge range of bases. a vintage DJ. The Phoenix also pays host to a It functions as an art gallery, night seclection of courses and classes, including club, bar, café, theatre, and music flamenco, drawing, pole dancing, venue, among others. If you are and sculpture. My personal looking for something new favourite is the fabulous and different to try, or a SwingTrain, a swing-dancefun and quirky night out, inspired dance fitness The Phoenix will have class! The venue supports something to offer. One bigger and smaller names, of my best nights out last paying host to Exeter’s year was at the Vintage very own Shotgun Theatre, Valentines Ball at The and to bigger names, such Phoenix and it was a welcome as singer Nick Mulvey, who is Image: Derek Harper break from Unit 1; dressed up in set to headline in September. vintage gear, I danced my way through Lucy Wilson
ART abroad
Ellie Cook in Chile
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FTER two years at this university the we’ve tackled the legendary unpredictable M&D room is mine and many theatreflooring- that both comes apart and sounds loving student’s second home. like a steam train, with one single step; From directing-to-acting-to-stage the ability to keep the Moon from management, this venue has Midsummer on the room’s offered many individuals a blind for an entire year; humble creative space to the irresistible smell of express a variety of arts. rotting fish in the enOn this stage I have been trance; and the joys of lucky to be a part of two putting up and taking 48hr shows, A Midsumdown drapes for every mer Night’s Dream and The show! Despite all of this, Importance of Being EarExeter’s student theatre nest, as well as directing One scene would not be the Image: Man Two Guvnors over term two same without it. Dan Brady of last year. In these performances, Lorna Hemingway
GOOGLED ‘Free Things to Do in Santiago Near me’ and clicked on the first thing that came up. The Chilean Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is very pretty - don’t get me wrong - but I was ready to leave after an hour of admiring marble statues. Staring at the life work of Paz Errazuriz, one collection has stuck with me. La Manzana de Adán was an example of Errázuriz zooming in on the disenfranchised, ostracized, or non-conformist. Snapped during the 1980s at the height of Pinochet’s oppression and brutality, this series in particular pinpoints Errázuriz’s skill in putting the marginalized in the spotlight, without the exploitation or judgement that is heaped upon them by society. Errázuriz has gained a reputation as the social activist, a humanizing voice, as well as the creator of some damn good photographs. If you couldn’t guess already, I am 100% a converted Errázuriz groupie.
Graham Moore in Italy
Katie Jenkins in Spain
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S far as christenings go, a cultural centre named ‘The Slaughterhouse’ is perhaps one of the less appealing options available. A former abattoir straddling the River Manzanares, El Matadero has been an unlikely dominatrix of Madrid’s thriving arts scene since its inauguration in 2006. From modern art exhibitions to theatre productions, feminist conferences to Pride film festivals… El Matadero has consistently been at the forefront of an explosive cultural landscape in the heart of Spain. Such a philosophy was perhaps the basis of their film exhibition this July: a celebration of Ibero-American cinema. The 25 selected films touched on topics as diverse as a young boy’s quest for straight hair (Pelo Malo, Venezuela) to one woman’s trauma at her mother’s rape (La Teta Asustada, Peru). Inspiring and experimental, it shed a startling light on oft-overlooked IberoAmerican narratives.
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HIS summer I was just one among thousands who flocked to Florence, like so many pasta-hungry culture-vultures. The Renaissance attractions are the big draw, but sometimes it’s the quieter exhibits which can prove more illuminating. The Uffizi Gallery hosted an exhibition of sculpture work by Fritz Koenig, famous for ‘The Sphere’ which, in the aftermath of 9/11, was reconstituted as a memorial. The Uffizi exhibition was at its most impactful when displaying Koenig’s work on the Holocaust, ragdoll-like figures reaching, taut with emotion, or disarrayed in mass graves, hauntingly lifeless. Larger pieces of Koenig’s work were found in the Boboli Gardens, surprisingly at home amongst the location’s Renaissance and Neoclassical residents. Such exhibitions prove that Florence is still an environment that propagates progressive thought.
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Art trumps hate
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Harry Caton, Online Screen Editor, on the array of protest art facing the POTUS
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HAVE never thought of my life as divided into poetry and politics... my duty was to serve the Chilean people in my actions and with my poetry.” So thundered the Communist poet Pablo Neruda in 1969, years after his exile from fascist Chile. The ethos comes from a simple premise- that art is political, and that politics is action. Yet, this fact continually requires restatement, against broader traditionalist paeans to separating art from the stern world of politics. Protest art stakes itself as a maximalisation of the form; if art has a point, for the protestor, that point will be sharp. And so it goes for Trump’s recent July visit to the UK, where an array of mediums took a broad-spectrum look at quite what that ethos means. The baby balloon was by far the most visible article. It directly caricatured Trump, presenting an orange, diapered baby, partway through a typical scream into its phone. Strung off the ground, above the swelling crowd of protesters, it certainly cut a figure; the scene had a comical base-ness, a sense of blunt hyperbole turned against the figure depicted. This kind of garish presence made its image a fixture in the news, thus so scorned by the good-taste arbiters of The Mail and The Telegraph.
ART IS POLITICAL AND POLITICS IS ACTION An organiser, Max Wakefield, noted the attempt to bring some “good British humour” into the proceedings. Ironically, if the invocation of “good” and “British” were to imply an intended civility, the effect was anything but. Rather, the piece harkens back to another, less-polite form of political art: punk. Pink Floyd’s 1977 LP Animals, embodied this attitude in its cover-art. Depicting a
pig sailing by the creaking, aging industry of empire (represented by Battersea Power Station), its crudeness (towards the “pigs” in charge) was clearly paralleled in the Trump balloon. Neither message is particularly subtle, but both represent a faint, outraged gesture towards the powers that be. But the connection between the punk of yesteryear and today goes further than just visual similarities. Signs are often made from cardboard, the discarded remnants of delivery packaging, or cobbled-together detritus. They can be powerful within their flimsy context: one, opining that “TRUMPS BETTER IN THAN OUT”, saddled next to an arse, plays on the archaic British word for fart; another, equally-curt, notes the need to “feed him to the corgis”. The production in each case is ramshackle, yet counter-cultural in how it twists the civilised and ordered into something less-so. At the risk of repetition, it’s punk. However, be it in blimp, sign, mural, or poem, there’s always the possibility of muddled ideological anger in lieue of an actual point. One sign fashioning a Trump-like penis may seem witty, but a dozen is pushing it. The point, if not entirely aimless or without merit, is neutered in banality. As a counterpoint, protest art need not end at simple rage- blunt punk-politik only represents part of the artistic equation. Consequently, you can’t understate the legacy and iconography of optimism in artistic protest. Having torn down, it can also raise up. The popular cry of “Love Trumps Hate”, featured on the signs of protestors most everywhere, builds an opposition to the Trump administration’s attacks on queer lives, “Love”
and togetherness directly built as an alternative “Hate” and intolerance.
ART GAINS WEIGHT AND IMPORT IN ITS LOUD AND ANGRY GESTURES Likewise, drag kings and queens have also come to represent not just anger at a status quo of normality, but a celebration of what might come in its place. Drag protests through London were a display of counter-cultural fury, but themselves created a culture, a bright display of diversity in performance. In a different sort of positivity, “The Anti-Trump Artshow” featured works such as Trump’s head melting into the floor and Trump’s head receiving an uppercut from Rosie the Riveter. It’s much of the same anger, perhaps - Trump certainly takes a bludgeoning - but the proceeds of the gallery here went to End Violence Against Women, a coalition in clear opposition to the sexism Trump proliferates. Confrontation, parody, and rage are important in protest art; continuous appeals to sensibility and good taste deserve mockery. It isn’t, however, amiss to build something with a core, with direct influence, in the wake of the former’s impact. The principles of art are many; it doesn’t have to only mean an attack. Defence of values, through the clear message or the implicit effect of the piece, can likewise serve artistic protest. When Neruda discusses politics, his poetry becomes another simply another way in which he might tear down fascism for a more egalitarian state. Art gains weight and import in its loud, angry gestures, and yet more so when those gestures themselves service something greater.
Image: CamTam
Spotlight on EXETER Arts + Lit-based society and event recommendations from our writers For our fifth year, we’re giving SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY a breath of fresh air! Whether you’re a novice or an expert, a performer or a reader, we’ve got new performances, workshops, lectures, and socials for every Shakey fan. With two plays a term, our 48-hour shows guarantee a hilarious way to get involved on a low commitment basis, while our end-ofterm performances provide the chance to produce, direct, stage or star in a Shakespearean play of your own rendition! Dedicated to making ShakeSoc bigger and better than ever, your new committee is ready to make Shakespeare accessible and fun. Eleanor Rose Gordon
INN VERSE is everything I wanted from an Exeter-based poetry group. Creative yet calming, inspirational and inclusive, this group serves as a sounding board for performers, a soundtrack for listeners and a soundscape for those looking to expand their poetic horizon. All scores of poets are welcome from the glowing greats of Byron and Shelley to rising stars in our own circle. It has been an honour and a pleasure to be present at these readings, and the warm, welcoming environment ensures everyone returns home with a song in their heart and a verse on their lips. Also there are snacks! Holly Sherburne
EXETER UNIVERSITY THEATRE COMPANY has exciting new plans this year, like our new audition workshops (to help you get that coveted part), and the EUTCo 48, where we stage a classic play entirely within 48 hours! Our largest production will be a thrilling new interpretation of Lord of the Flies in the Northcott Theatre, and there are still three more full-scale shows - including an Edinburgh Fringe tour show - to be announced! Whether you’re interested in acting, directing, producing, stage-managing or just seeing great quality shows, follow EUTCo on Facebook or @eutco_ on Instagram for news on getting involved! James Murphy
Image: Public Domain Pictures
WRITERS’ CORNER Blank Page Anonymous The café is bright but not terribly warm, and I sip from my cup of coffee, holding it with both hands and shivering slightly as a gust of wind rushes into the room through the open door. The coffee is strong – “an extra shot of espresso, please!” - but it’s been a long day and with my eyelids starting to droop, I’m pretty sure I need it. The girl opposite me looks drawn as she gazes out of the window. This girl looks like she hasn’t noticed anyone’s eyes on her for years; that’s how wound up she is in whatever’s going on in her own head. Maybe she’s thinking about how she really didn’t dress for the weather. An almost imperceptible tremble of the hand as she brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. Her thick ponytail is wispy at her temples, as though she slept with it last night and didn’t have time to brush it out this morning. She wears a lot of silver rings and the perfect manicure of someone who’s hoping that will convince people she’s holding it all together. Maybe she’s waiting for someone? Outside, the rain falls a little bit harder, and maybe the girl is reminded of another rainy day, meeting someone she loved on the corner of a street which she still has to call home. Someone who made her laugh but now makes her cry without even knowing it. Or maybe she just likes watching the rain. Maybe she’s thinking about moving to a new city, or a city she already knows and loves, but which no longer seems to know her. Or maybe she’s not thinking about anything at all. I realise for the first time that she’s sitting a little bit hunched in on herself, her right hand pressed just over her heart, as though she thinks it might fall out if she doesn’t hold it there. Or maybe she’s just fine. We read what we want to read into things, don’t we? Into people. She could be trying to work out how start a new chapter from an old story, and whether there’s any such thing as a blank page. Clinging to the hope that second chances and happy endings aren’t just for children. Or she could be the happiest person in the world.Now, the rain has cleared a little - not enough to stay dry. The girl pushes her chair back abruptly and it screeches across the polished floor as she grabs her leather jacket with one hand, and a canvas bag with the other. Without a backward glance, she sets her shoulders back and takes two steps to the door, pushing it open and heading out into the chilly air. No umbrella. The door swings shut behind her. A waitress steps out from behind the counter and heads over to the door, flipping the sign to “closed” behind the last customer of the day. The light glints strangely on the windows facing into the courtyard, and the waitress thinks that they might as well be mirrors.
Image: Dominick Dusseault
music
Talking Eds
aARON LOose (PRINT)
JAYSIM HANSPAL (ONLINE)
JAMIE MONCRIEFF (ONLINE)
aLEX WINGRAVE (PRINT)
Favourite summer albums Teyana Taylor- K.T.S.E. Fugees - The Score Let's Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy Fela Kuti - Afrodisiac
Favourite summer albums: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Tom Odell - Long Way Down Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not Original Cast Recording - Hamilton
Favourite summer albums Vampire Weekend - Contra The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground and Nico Slowdive - Souvlaki The Strokes - Is This It The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
Favourite summer albums: Neck Deep - Life's Not Out To Get You Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour Trophy Eyes - The American Dream Echosmith - Talking Dreams Jon Bellion - The Human Condition
Dream interview: No I.D.
Dream interview: Amy Winehouse
Dream interview: Sufjan Stevens
Dream interview: Michael Jackson
Exeter Live: a musical mystery tour Emily Reader explores the city's eclectic music scene
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OR a small city, Exeter has an impressive live music scene. But as most of the music in Freshers' comes from house parties or clubs, it can take a while to find it - and I will argue until my dying day that Cheesy Tuesdays does not count as music. So while it may be hard to resist the peer pressure, this handy guide will help you skip to the good bit of Exeter’s music scene, whatever your taste.
portantly, free shows. It’s inevitable that you will know someone performing at some point and be forced to go and support them. Perfect for pizza, cider and trying out your own material if you’ve got the guts.
previous performers including George Ezra, Lower Than Atlantis and Laura Marling. They also host some of the big university music events like Battle of the Bands.
Cavern: The closest Exeter gets to indie. The underground bar is tiny but you’ll immediately feel cooler after seeing bands there. Past alumni include acts like Muse and Sam Fender.
THE LEMON GROVE IS GUARANTEED TO BECOME A GUILTY PLEASURE
The Old Firehouse: I’m starting with a classic and my personal favourite. Firehouse is a quirky pub that may remind you of the Leaky Cauldron, despite J.K. Rowling breaking hearts citywide by denying the connection. Potter references aside, it’s three floors of candles, wooden beams and fairy lights. Every Sunday, bands from the campus music society Extunes gather there to play thrilling, and most im-
The Lemon Grove ('The Lemmy'): Just writing the name leaves me with a sticky, sweet taste in my mouth, probably because everything there is always sticky and the whole place smells like VKs. As a club venue, it’s a fun disco vibe, but with booze, that's guaranteed to become a guilty pleasure. As a place to see live music, it’s surprisingly decent, with
The Phoenix: This is the one proper music venue in Exeter. It’s big enough and professional enough to host events properly, but not so big that you can barely see what you’re listening to. The acts they get tend to be smaller than the Lemmy , but it’s also a place worth checking out for art, films and themed parties. Monkey Suit: This bar is all leather, wood and frustrating minimum card spends. They regularly host Exeter University Jazz Orchestra (EUJO) for evenings of big, brassy, jazz music. For
a university with no music degree, the standard is high. You’ll feel sophisticated in no time. Exeter Cathedral, Southernhay Church and Mary Harris Memorial Chapel: Bear with me here. Although this may initially appear to be a list of buildings you’ll never step foot in, choirs and orchestras can put on a great show if you give them a chance. Think film music and famous classical scores, as well as the more traditional stuff. The Great Hall on campus hosts big orchestras too. The Northcott Theatre: The Northcott is mostly used for musicals and pantomimes, but every now and then they’ll host an a cappella competition (be warned: there’s a lot of a cappella about here at Exeter). It’s an impressive space that’s worth a visit at least once while you’re studying here.
EXEPOSé ACOUSTIC SESSIONS ACTS INCLUDING: Take Note - Annie & Alex - Sadie Horler Choral Society- Folk Society - Emma Wilson
JOIN EXEPOSé FOr an afternoon celebrating Exeter's diverse music scene
Images: Liz Greenberg
FRIDAY 21 SEPTEMber Queens MR1 4-6PM
EDITORS: Aaron Loose and Alex Wingrave
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Independent spirits
10 SEPT 2018
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Exeposé Music writers writers on their favourite SoundCloud artists
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HAT works well about this collection of inner-city daydreams is not that it is amiable background noise for a sesh, studious or otherwise. Instead, what impresses is City Girl’s talent for chopping wistful instrumentals that sound exactly like the midnight skyline looks; mysterious, distant, and a little bit spare. The unsignedBandcamp producer’s Neon Impasse is a ChillHop classic, a no-raps album comparable to Dilla’s Donuts, except the beats are iced over in
gossamer reverb. Gooey live basslines on ’The Mist Underneath Your Apartment’ set a strolling pace that never once loses its nerve, even when the pillowy ‘Obsidian Skyline’ introduces jazzy handclaps. Maybe dripping piano cut ‘Slipping into Ash-Filled Streets’ wanders too close to latter day Radiohead, but the title track is good enough to make me reconsider my belief that describing a song as a ‘journey’ is a cardinal sin; a brooding electronica intro brings the fear of entering a new place for the first time, before opening into a homely arrangement of whispery chimes. As you dawdle down Queen’s Street tomorrow, play this song, and remember how far you have come Choice Cut: 'The Mist Underneath Your Apartment' Aaron Loose, Music Editor
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F you’re a fan of nostalgia drenched indie rock and outrageous hair, look no FURther (sorry). A four-piece formed in Brighton, it hasn’t taken long for FUR to craft a very distinctive sound and style to boot. With songs that sound like they’ve sprung from a 1950s time capsule, ‘eclectic’ is a word sure to spring to mind. Bursting into prominence with the short, sweet and jangly hit ‘If You Know That I’m Lonely’ in November 2017, FUR have accrued a viewership of over 2 million. Their sound ranges from the pacing indie doo-wop of ‘Not Enough’ to the riff heavy swagger of ‘What Would I Do?’. For a young band that has only released a scattering of tracks, most of which are hiding away on SoundCloud, they have attracted an astounding level of popularity. Don’t let these Brighton boys out of your sight.
Image: Julia Nala Bambulia
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Choice Cut: 'What Would I Do?' William Harrop, Copy Editor
Making a summer jam
FTER a harsh six month winter spent watching the summertime classic Call Me By Your Name while swaddled in multiple jumpers, I've finally decided that synthpop is the perfect soundtrack for t-shirt weather. Cheery songs like The Psychedelic Furs’ 'Love My Way' instantly casts you into a baggy linen shirt and sets you loose to dance around with your tipsy pals, while F.R. David’s 'Words' pops you into an all-white ensemble and a padded shoulder jacket. It leaves you clinging to the memories of long nights and one too many rosés.
THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IS THE TWANGY INDIE GUITAR Iconic summertime anthems, though, do not always come from where you expect. A summer song could be overheard in a random shop that time you ate your first pastel de nata (Honestly, it's the best thing ever created).
Nostalgia for summers been and gone (or even summers you never personally experienced) play a massive role in guiding your choices as you assemble that perfect summer playlist. But what is the formula to a winning, timeless August anthem? The essential ingredient, I think, is the twangy indie acoustic guitar. Think: Mac Demarco, Rex Orange County and Beach Fossils. Perfect served with a peach iced tea, Beach Fossils’ 'May 1st' blends dreamy harmonies with jazzy guitar to create simple yet deep sounds. Meanwhile, Summer Salt’s 'Driving to Hawaii' perfectly summarises the relaxed mood of long days spent exploring obscure European cities. However, my current favourite summer jam is by Canadian indie rockers TOPS. Their 2014 album, Picture You Staring, boasts artwork that's slathered in 80s-esque neon colours, and its single, 'Way to be Loved', is a true ear-worm. All these bands stick to the same tested template: mellow tones, soft vocals, and shimmery jazzmeister guitars.
However, I think 2018's new releases have been lacking in iconic, timeless summer jams. Childish Gambino’s new EP Summer Pack supplies the chilled vibes, its echoing steel drums seeming to beat from another room, but the songs could turn out to be forgettable. Similarly, George Ezra’s Staying at Tamara’s discards the unique style of his no.1 debut Wanted on the Voyage, and turns to boring generic pop. 'Shotgun', Ezra’s most streamed song on Spotify, is too basic to create the correct atmosphere for a summer jam. On the other hand, Years and Years’ catchy break up bop 'If You’re Over Me' is already a fixture at family barbecues. But I honestly cannot put these tunes on the same level as the 80s dancefloor songs that clearly influence TOPs; CMBYN’s soundtrack is the most iconic. The best summer jams, at least for me, remind me of a moment, a place a time I wish I lived, a place I once loved. These are the songs that follow you through every season, no matter wherever you are.
Image Credit: Atlantic
Editor's Picks
Image: Yarl
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What makes a timeless summertime song? Chloe Kennedy, Screen Editor, cracks the formula
Sweetener (2018) by Ariana Grande
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) by Ms. Lauryn Hill
Top Single: 'Cocky' by Best in Show: Mahalia, Lemon Grove, 3 October Tillian
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EDITORS: Aaron Loose and Alex Wingrave
10 SEPT 2018
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Punk, protest, and powerful women Jaysim Hanspal, Online Music Editor, talks to Olga Borisova of iconic punk activists Pussy Riot
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N secondary school, I remember doing a side project called 'Anarchitecture in the UK.' It was about how communities inspired punk and being near the Kings Road, we were surrounded by the history of a revolution. More inspiring to me was learning about the sudden appearance of a feminist anarchist group, Pussy Riot, and how they changed everything. Founded in 2011, the group has had rotating members, all influential, all rebellious. The group originally used music and guerillastyle performance art to oppose the Russian regime, and achieved international exposure in 2012 when two members were imprisoned for two years following a performance staged in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Pussy Riot has since expanded into literature and operates as a more transcendent 'collective'. For me, an awkward fifteenyear-old with no plans to rebel anytime soon, Pussy Riot represented a new wave of feminism that empowered me far beyond what I could have expected. For twenty-year-old me, slightly older and wiser, Pussy Riot represents the fight that is yet to be won. A couple of weeks ago, I had the honour of interviewing Olga Borisova, a member of the Collective, on punk, protesting, and the power of women.
the structure and the image of a punk manifesto. Everyone can be Pussy Riot, everywhere. It is about political movement and action.
POLIITICAL ART IS ABOUT CREATION AND FORMULATION OF THE QUESTION As a punk band, which bands do you take inspiration from? Which artists inspire you? I really like Public Image Ltd and The Clash, and I really want to mention Archy Marshall (King Krule). I really like him and his music. I think I understand him sometimes. Your political method of protesting seems to transcend mediums, from art to music to traditional protests methods; was this intentional when you first started?
What do you do when you’re not protesting? Is it easy to separate normal life from the fame you have achieved worldwide?
Pussy Riot was created as a feminist punk group, yes. But as you know, a lot has happened since our beginnings. All artists are constantly searching for new things. Nadya continues to make music which is also a form of political protest. We try different forms. Me and Masha created a book and then a play of it was staged. After our performance in Moscow, the people who gave us the theatrical space lost it. Because of Pussy Riot, because of this text. Me and Masha have been detained many times by police after actions in support of Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, or against the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, successor to the KGB). We have protested in the Crimea, Yakutsk, New York and Moscow.
I can not call myself a famous person, but I am proud of our work with Masha (Maria Alyokhina) on her book RIOT DAYS and I believe that it was our first political protest together. Now I am a content manager and almost an international student.
The World Cup protest: what would you want readers to know about Russia’s human rights record? Do you think by supporting countries like Russia and Qatar in hosting events like the World Cup we are encouraging their behaviour?
The members seem to change every so often. Is there a criteria to join Pussy Riot?
I do not support the idea of a boycott, I believe that silence can't be effective or useful. I believe that such big events are an opportunity to show the real Russia to the world. But it is important to tell the world about real problems: about torture, corruption, political murders and repression. It is very significant to have freedom of speech. It can save lives. Russia is not Putin. Russia is us.
Did you all have a background in art or music when you joined the group? All my youth I was fond of theatre and singing, but activism is different. First of all, it requires resourcefulness, a quick mind and great faith in what you do. Political art is about creation and searching, the formulation of the question. No one can help you with it, only you.
I spent a lot of time reflecting on this, so I can tell you my story. Three years ago I used to work in the police force and my first protest action happened when I quit my job because I didn't want to be part of this system. I then turned into a real activist, I started to participate in protest demonstrations, invented my own actions, went to the courts, participated in media campaigns in support of political prisoners, and collected money for them. One day I met Masha and we started to work on her book. I edited the text we created together to have
Image: Igor Muhkin
How has your fame affected your relationship with Russian authorities? How has the backing of liberal countries and organisations impacted your ability to protest effectively?
The Russian authorities have exerted a lot of effort to ensure people hate us. But people don’t hate us! We got a lot of support from the world and our goal is to pass it on. Pussy Riot's case was the first. But now criminal cases like Pussy Riot's are Russian reality, and at such moments media support is very important because they are afraid of noise, they always want to hide everything, hide themselves. If you were detained, but no one found out about it - it means that they can do anything with you; understanding how important that is, we, first of all, try to use the media resource to help other people. This is how MediaZona was created. MediaZona was founded in 2013 by Masha, Nadya (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova) and Petya (Versilov); it covers topics including the siloviki (a Russian term for politicians associated with security or military forces), and writes about the police violence, courts and criminal world in Russia.
RUSSIA IS NOT PUTIN. RUSSIA IS US. You anticipated the Trump election victory - why did you think he would win? Do you think his term has damaged the reputation of the US as a free nation? We do not think about Trump, but we are in touch with American activists; freedom does not exist if you do not fight for it every day. And we can see it clearly now. People need to remember their history and if someone has achieved freedom for them, it's not forever. Trump in the presidency is a great opportunity to remind yourself and others that you have freedom (if you do) and protest for it. I believe that this experience can be useful in a longterm sense.
Do you feel like we’re in the midst of a new wave of feminism, with the #MeToo movement and women’s marches happening all over the world? The voices have become louder and I admire and enjoy this atmosphere. They are not afraid anymore. But it is a huge difference between Russia and the West. Our situation is much worse. Six months ago, several journalists confessed that they were molested by one deputy during interviews. Many of my friends went to the Parliament with posters to support girls. But the next day some fans of Putin's came to defend Leonid Slutsky and blame the women. Many female deputies spoke in support of Slutsky, and their point was: he is an attractive man and his attention should be taken with gratitude. We continue to do what we do. I believe in Russian women! When I was at school, we had a workshop on the concept of anarchy, and my class and I walked around school in Pussy Riot-esque balaclavas to see the effect it had on other students. Do you feel that the shock factor makes your method of protest more successful? We believe that the protest should be desperate, sudden and fun. We do not think about "successes" we just do what we like and what we feel is right. Finally, what can people do to support Pussy Riot in their efforts? Share information and take action! This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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Meet the Editors
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HLOE, if not found rewatching Gilmore Girls, is likely talking about cinematography, or stressbaking banana bread. She is a big fan of a well-coordinated dance number and pastel colours. To get through 3rd year English, she plans on obsessively listening to film
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EN is a History student with an appetite for cinema and pretending to be a journalist. His favourite film is Moneyball; he almost enjoys the eyerolls he gets when he admits it as much as he does the film itself. Ben is an aspiring filmmaker, or chef, or literally anything that’ll take him.
Chloe Kennedy
Ben Faulkner
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ARRY, reeling from blockbuster disaffection, now chases the thrill of surreal art-house film. Eventually tiring from endless questions of identity, he exhibits an aloofness to cinema in general. This means ignoring his degree to vegetate in front of films and spout nonsensical art theories.
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AVID believes that only Jonathan Frakes’ 2004 magnum opus Thunderbirds can be considered film, but he guesses he’ll consider other, lesser cinematic endeavours if he has to. This may make his studying difficult, but film always finds a way to recapture his heart.
Harry Caton
David Conway
Beginner’s luck
Exeposé Screen writers discuss their favourite debut entries from filmmakers
The Lure
Hereditary
by Agnieszka Smoczyska
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by Ari Aster
Image: IMDb
T’S 1980s Poland. Two flesh-eating mermaids. A sweaty, seedy nightclub that exclusively dishes out synthpop and metal melodies. A crowd of unsuspecting humans soon to be fish food. This eclectic range of elements make up Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s sensually smoldering debut The Lure - an adult remake of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a musical? Whilst her name doesn’t admittedly roll off the tongue, Smoczyńska quickly makes a name for herself as a provocative and ultrastylish filmmaker, showering this fairytale in enough neon and blood to make John Carpenter nervous. Yet, it’s also a refreshingly feminist work that tackles the ‘horror’ of first love and burgeoning female sexuality. It’s not long before mermaid sisters Golden and Silver are driven apart by the omnipresent danger of attraction as one becomes smitten with a human. This is a gorgeously directed film. It has clear confidence in bouncing between guts and gore, and groovy musical numbers. This is one for those who want something truly different, refreshing and with a little bite. Jacob Heayes
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Eraserhead
In Bruges
by David Lynch
by Martin McDonagh
Image: JN Davidson
T feels strange to talk about Ari Aster, director of the horror hit Hereditary which broke box office records in theatres earlier this year, as if he is a new face in film. With multiple short films under his belt, such as the family tragedy The Strange Thing About the Johnsons and the silent short Munchausen, Aster had already made a name for himself online. But neither of these shorts contain the polish and thematic weight of Hereditary. The film takes the contemporary horror film template established by the likes of James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) and Jason Blum (Truth or Dare, Ouija) and flips it on its head, making perhaps the most emotionally engaging and thoroughly disturbing horror film made in the West in the last decade. No film has messed with me in the way Hereditary has in 2018. Ari Aster’s next film is already in preproduction; another horror film, this time centred on a couple’s holiday and the violence of a pagan cult, starring the likes of Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, and Will Poulter. Aster isn’t running from his success, and he doesn’t need to. Ryan Allen
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Image: Robyn Beck
HIS homage goes out to writer-director Martin McDonagh for his first featurelength film, In Bruges. Although beautifully directed and scored, it’s real value is in McDonagh’s writing. McDonagh displays a writing style that he would later go on to dominate - the dark comedy (most notably in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri). Comedy in film can often be a substitute for substance. But in McDonagh’s writing it provides a vessel for saying something much more important; he uses humour to tell us something about the character we are investing in. As Collin Farrell put it, there is something hyper-real about McDonagh’s writing. His films aren’t fraught with cliches - they are dynamic, complex, and most importantly tell us something about ourselves. In Bruges shows us that we can all be a mixture of good and evil. McDonagh never lets us escape the humanity of a character. He shows us that there is a human cost for doing evil. This isn’t to excuse evil, but rather offer an insight into understanding its motivations. He does so in a way that is both hilarious and moving - with this fusion, McDonagh produces something truly special in In Bruges. Matt Betteridge
Image: Alan Light
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HILE a debut that shows promise for a future career is impressive (like the maligned Alien 3, debut of David Fincher), what should be praised to the heavens is a debut that is considered not only among the best of a filmography, but among the greatest of its kind. And for me, Eraserhead fits that bill perfectly. Not only are David Lynch’s motifs fully formed here, from chevrons on the floor to pure surrealism in each shot, but it is a film that breaks down genre barriers. It’s terrifying, but not quite horror; it’s about a man dealing with fatherhood, but it’s not quite a domestic drama. All it is for sure, is Lynchian. On top of being the bizarrely horrific story of a man looking after his prematurely born child, Eraserhead is notable for being one of the films to really kick start the trend of midnight movies, a trend that is exactly what it sounds like. So much is Eraserhead a figurehead of the delightfully cultish that it is the front cover for J. Hoberman’s book Midnight Movies. While starting strong is impressive, starting by making a figurehead for the freaks and weirdos of cinema is astonishing - and why I adore this film. Henry Jordan
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EDITORS: Ben Faulkner and Chloe Kennedy
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10 SEPT 2018
Director Spotlight
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Will Byford discusses Edgar Wright’s ability to reinvent the action genre
Image: imdb
Close friends with writer-director Quentin Tarantino His favourite film is Raising Arizona
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FEW weeks ago I was going through movie channels with my sister, trying to pick out something to watch. I suggested an action film. She made a face, “I don’t know, I just think most of them are pretty boring”, and we settled on a different movie. Thinking about it, a lot of action films are pretty boring. You’re likely to find 90 minutes of overused CGI, a pounding soundtrack and ham-fisted dialogue - you could be forgiven for dismissing the genre. Luckily, there are a few directors who make the genre inventive; including Edgar Wright who I adore for his innovative camerawork and cinematography, exceptionally stunning visual comedy and, most of all, his wit.
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vourite thing about Wright’s directorial style. There are no dead scenes since every shot has a hidden joke, reference or information to advance the story. To communicate a zombie breakout in Shaun of the Dead - rather than the hackneyed technique of having his protagonist see a news report - Shaun flips through different channels which stitch together a foreshadowed warning. Where other directors may take shortcuts or use ‘standard’ shots and transitions, Wright’s imagination ties the film together - and, most importantly, keeps the film feeling fresh and enjoyable; thus making it easier for the audience to stay fully engaged. On the face of it, Baby Driver’s plot is so vanilla it could be ice cream - young prodigy is involved with a dangerous gang, meets a girl, tries to get out, is asked to do ‘one last job’, it goes wrong, they try to escape - sound familiar? Not to undermine stellar performances by Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, but without Wright’s particular panaché it would be any other action film. Instead, Wright reused an idea from a music video he directed 15 years earlier, scoring every action scene: gunshots match drum beats, squealing car tyres are paired with guitar riffs, and every cymbal is
an explosion. To conceptualize something like that takes plenty of imagination; to actually direct, edit and film it takes phenomenal skill.
Love is on the air
WRIGHT’S FILMS HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF VISUAL COMEDY
I could fill this whole paper with praise for Wright, if given the chance. I adore Wright. His ability to produce a film which almost guarantees audience engagement and attention. I won’t pretend a film where two characters have a bass guitar battle for a girl’s affections is a groundbreaking intellectual achievement which forces the viewer to have deep philosophical thought - all I think is that far too often, action and comedy movies get a free pass because of their genre. Next time you’re watching one and you see a lazy screen transition, or slapstick joke, consider how it could have been tighter, smarter or more imaginative. Ask for more! And if you haven’t tried anything by Edgar Wright, you haven’t got far to look - they’re all on Netflix.
Harry Bunting, Online Editor, defends Love Island’s reputation
R Alex suckles loudly on an ice lolly. “I like cars,” he whimpers, a drop of sugary green juice probing its way down his chin. The girl he’s talking to smiles and nods. “Oh really?” she asks, visibly more interested in the far superior banter occurring by the beanbags. The camera cuts elsewhere. Everyone watching will likely have been on at least one end of this conversation before: hopelessly flirting with someone who regards your eager face with a coroner’s gaze. Herein lies the appeal of Love Island: it is relatable. Not passively relatable like a tired meme, but shockingly, viscerally relatable. It cuts straight to the very core of your being as you watch the entire spectrum of romantic emotion play out between 20-something 20-somethings and recognising yourself in them. Not in their already-doing-sponsoredInstagram-posts good looks or their expertly sculpted bodies, but in their unfaltering, endlessly hopeful, and often embarrassing pursuit of love.
Image: ITV
The first thread connecting all of Wright’s feature-length films is an abundance of visual comedy. Far too often, comedy in the movie business is restricted to either dialogue, or slapstick. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it begins to grow stale once you’ve seen it in every comedy film on offer. What makes Wright unique is his ability to extract humour out of cinematography. Every cut, shot, or transition has the maximum comedic value wrung out of it. Rather than just showing a character unwillingly having cake thrust upon him (to use an example from Hot Fuzz), we are kept unaware until the cake enters the shot, suddenly. The comedy arising from the direction and camerawork keeps the audience guessing and engaged and, importantly, makes it feel like there is barely any padding. In Baby Driver, Wright’s most recent production, a scene in which the protagonist gets coffee (something which would be either off-screen or a ‘standard’ medium-shot dialogue scene) is intensely interesting, since the lyrics of the backing song are found scattered around the street in shop windows, graffitti or on discarded newspapers. It is this attention to detail which is my fa-
Despite the incredibly superficial nature of the show (and some of its contestants) there are people on there who are genuinely wanting to find love, and that is a far more endearing motivation than those of participants on other reality TV shows. Of course, it doesn’t reflect the world of dating whatsoever. You can’t usually watch yourself fingering your girlfriend for the first time on your TV a month after it’s happened; and there isn’t usually a Scottish man telling jokes over the top of it. But, usually, you do feel similar emotions to the islanders. And for these reasons, we start to care about what happens to them. When the producers of Love Island made Dani Dyer cry, Ofcom received 650 complaints. This kind of thing doesn’t happen often in other reality TV shows. In 2010, when Gillian McKeith went on I’m A Celebrity, the public hounded her. We rejoiced in torturing her, kangaroo testicle after kangaroo testicle, until she passed out in the Australian dirt. “Kill her!” the synchronous voice of the public shouted, feverishly dialling the McKeithspecific phone number. Yet as soon as we see lovely Dani Dyer in tears because the producers showed her an out-of-context video, we’re typing out our emails of complaint, arguing that toying with Dani’s mental health like that is irresponsible and immoral. However, this isn’t entirely surprising. We can sympathise with Dani, a nice girl who has clearly been treated terribly in the past, as
she is forced to watch her partner do something which could be construed as unfaithful. A lot of people watching will have been in a similar position and know how it feels. But when we see Gillian McKeith, a celebrity, who has made her career by telling everyone to eat some more lentils, we instantly want her to be buried underground with 12 pythons. Perhaps we’d have more sympathy if we knew what it was like to be buried with 12 pythons, but since we don’t, we look forward to her getting zero stars and heading out to eat some worms with Shaun Ryder the fol-
Mckenna Grace
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Image: Dimension Films
lowing morning. Love Island is enjoyable for all the normal reality TV reasons: the petty arguments, the manufactured drama, the ritualistic dumping of contestants. But it’s also enjoyable because it has a heart. It may be a tiny heart, obscured by meaningless night-vision-shagging and inevitable club appearances, but by the end of the series, a handful of couples seem to have found a genuine connection, and it allows for a rare moment in the cynical world of reality television where what we’re being shown is pure unadulterated warmth.
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HILE you might not have heard of Mckenna Grace, I’d be surprised if you’re not trying to remember where you’ve seen her before. To say she’s currently killin’ it is an understatement: not only is Mckenna bursting with talent, but she’s among the most in-demand child actresses in Hollywood. Did I forget to mention that she’s 12? And has already had a notable role in I, Tonya, a film with multiple Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations? As a young Tonya Harding, Mckenna faced many challenges, including acting opposite Allison Janney’s nightmarishly abusive LaVona Golden (Harding’s mother). This was undoubtedly emotionally demanding, yet the then 10-year-old nailed it with devastating finesse. In 2017, Mckenna co-starred with Chris Evans in Gifted, a film which proved her an impressive leading actress. Somehow, Mckenna captures remarkable depths of raw emotion in a way that appears effortlessly authentic. Mckenna is ‘gifted’ herself: her co-stars speak incredibly highly of her kindness and professionalism. With these qualities and her upcoming role as a young Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) in Captain Marvel, Mckenna Grace is definitely a star on the rise. Kathryn Burdon
study break
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exhibit
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STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD
1 5 9 10 11 12
13 15 18 20 22 23 24 25
Across
SUDOKU
Down
1 Face (of a building, say) (5) First-year university students (8) 2 Snobbish? - it is let (anagram) (7) (Uncovered) pastry dish - sour (4) 3 (Armed) robbery (5) Personal view (7) 4 Escape (3,3) Give out - edition (5) 6 Criminal fire-raising (5) Turn - revolve (5) 7 Betrayal of a government (7) Mates - US TV series paid 17 to on our 1 8 Two-piece swimsuit (6) Across 10’s 1 Down 20 Down in 2016 (7) 13 Cause to go wrong (7) Concern - subject (6) 14 English city (you are here!) (6) Attempt to hear something (6) 16 Game of ___, US TV series paid 17 to on Below freezing (7) our 1 Across 10’s 1 Down 20 Down in Division of an army - or CPS (anagram) (5) 2017 (7) Rub out (5) 17 Artistic imitation - me, a hog? (anagram) Move forward (7) (6) Nobleman (4) 19 Orange is the New ___, US TV series paid Counter-attack - rare slip (anagram) (8) 17 to on our 1 Across 10’s 1 Down 20 Down in 2015 (5) 20 Hide - coat (5) 21 (Tortoise) hull (5)
ANSWERS
TRIVIA CORNER 1. Which Exeter pub was commonly believed to have inspired The Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter series? 2. Which current member of the Cabinet is an Exeter alumnus? 3. In which year was Radio 1 Big Weekend hosted at Exeter? 4. Which singer headlined Exefest in 2017? 5. Which University building featured in series 2 of Broadchurch? 6. what was the former name of the grove diner? 7. What did Radiohead singer Thom Yorke study at Exeter?
The Forum; 6. The Ewe; 7. English and Fine Arts Trivia: 1. The Old Firehouse, 2. Sajid Javid; 3. 2016; 4. Cascada; 5. . Cover, 21 Shell. Bikini, 13 Mislead, 14 Exeter, 16 Thrones, 17 Homage, 19 Black, 20 Down: 1 Front, 2 Elitist, 3 Heist, 4 Run off, 6 Arson, 7 Treason, 8 Advance, 24 Duke, 25 Reprisal. Friends, 13 Matter, 15 Listen, 18 Subzero, 20 Corps, 22 Erase, 23 Across: 1 Freshers, 5 Tart, 9 Opinion, 10 Issue, 11 Twist, 12
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10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
Science
SCIENCE EDITORS:
Scarlett Parr-Reid Gabriel Yeap
(Ant)ics
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Ludovico Vermier investigates the vicious attacks of the invasive RIFA ant species
T the age of four I ate my first insect. At the time I was sitting comfortably in a coniferous forest in the Northern Italian Alps. A perfect habitat for the Formica aquilonia, my prey, otherwise known as the Scottish wood ant. Eating an ant was neither pleasurable nor appetising by any means but as a young child my imagination couldn’t help itself. Little did I know that a distant cousin of the very ant that I had ruthlessly executed was already planning its revenge, Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant (RIFA). If ever there was an insect to punish me for my deed, this was the one. After emerging from its native Brazilian lowlands, this insect has become one of the most notorious invasive species on the planet, wreaking havoc by boarding trade ships to four different continents. So invasive, in fact, that it is the second most researched insect after the famous Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). The feared insect owes many of its characteristics and behaviours to its native tropical habitat. fire ants are in-
sanely resilient and polygynous, meaning that they choose to merge colonies rather than to compete. This species is known to link together to form floating rafts during floods. Their communication is rapid and an attack of their colony will result in a swift and deadly response.
If ever there was an insect to punish me for my deed, this was the one Worryingly for me is the fact that RIFA have venomous bites and attack in large stealthy groups. Victims of these feared ants say that multiple bites feel like the affected region is burning or has caught fire. Many fatal incidents have occurred and more than 14 million people are stung annually in the USA. Although their main aim is to execute their revenge on me, this species can damage local economies rapidly. RIFA is known to have nested in telephone junctions and have shorted out traffic lights in the past. These ants rely
on humid and dense habitats and have destroyed entire golf courses and forced owners to shut down their businesses. The largest economic impact has been seen in the destruction of infrastructure and property. Locating nests and the colony queen sometimes requires the destruction of entire building foundations (sewer systems have been destroyed in the past). The cost of destruction and reconstruction is large. The significance of this issue can be seen in certain areas of Brazil where entire villages have been abandoned. It is therefore unsurprising that the state of Texas has spent $250 million on controlling RIFA over the past decade. Experts have estimated that the species is so invasive that it can cause $2.5 billion worth of damage after only 20 years. Whether their quest to avenge a distant cousin has turned into a mission for world supremacy or not, these tiny insects have made their mark on us humans. They have made us ask questions
Image: Ludovico Vermier
about the regulations of world trade as well as the use of other species to control their population. Many say that the solution of these sorts of invasive species is to farm them. Scientists argue that their capability to multiply is such that they could be
used for insect farming which would be far more efficient than the production of beef. Be warned however, as I have told you eating ants can have some serious consequences. The small fellows haven’t quite found me yet, but when they do, tell my family I love them.
Bites, stings, and painful things
red moon rising
Elinor Jones gives us the lowdown on some seriously nasty creepy crawlies
Ann Mary Jacob celebrates the blood moon
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HILST the study of the animal kingdom can conjure up positive connotations (cute fluffy bunnies, or beautiful butterflies), in reality the natural world can be a sinister place. So much so that there is a division of zoology, known as entomology, devoted to studying the often-creepy lives of insects. We agree that wasps, bees and flies are a nuisance in our everyday lives, but the ‘Schmidt Pain Scale’ rates pain and experience of the different venoms of insects, describing how bad they really are. Justin Schmidt reported being stung by bumblebees up to 1000 times although, it’s unclear as to how many were deliberate. Instead of - like the common man - running at the sight of a creepy crawly, Schmidt decided to investigate bites from 78 insects, including ants, bees and wasps, charting the
pain suffered in a simple and creative way. On a scale of 1.0-4.0, pain is considered relative to pain not usually inflicted by animals, awarding Schmidt with the Ig Nobel Prize, a parody of the Nobel Prize, in 2015. 1.0 Sweat Bee: part of the Halictidae family, the
Image: 13smok
sweat bee does what it says on the tin, and is attracted to human perspiration. Schmidt describes the sting as ‘puny’ and ‘almost fruity’ as if he’s recommending a bottle of Chardonnay. 1.2 Fire Ant: ‘mildly alarming’, Schmidt describes the sting as “like walking across a shag carpet and reaching for the light switch”. 2.0 Baldf a c e d Hornet: with a
sting throbbing for five minutes, the bald-faced hornet induced pain subsides after a ‘slightly crunchy’ sensation that rivals trapping your finger in a door.
Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail 3.0 Red Harvester Ant: most commonly found in New Mexico and Arizona, Schmidt’s description of the red harvester ant is quite hilarious: “Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail.” 4.0+ Bullet Ant: the ‘+’ may suggest the bullet ant’s sting is only a little more than 3.0 but it’s off the chart, lasting at least 12 hours, and feeling like “fire-walking over flaming charcoal”.
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N Friday 27 July 2018, we witnessed the longest total lunar eclipse of the century: they occur when the sun’s rays are blocked by the Earth’s shadow preventing any reflection off the moon. Ominously nick-named the ‘blood-moon’ due to the russet hues cast on the moon during the eclipse, it is a consequence of ‘Rayleigh Scattering’, responsible for the world’s mesmerising sunrises, sunsets, and our blue sky. The entire astronomic event lasted approximately four hours in total, though the UK contended with cloud coverage. No surprise there! The next total lunar eclipse will be visible on 21 January 2019. Image: comfreak
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SPORT
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10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
Stars in their eyes
Josh Brown, Sport Editor, takes a look at the bigger names to grace Exeter sport
XETER, despite its small size, has played host to some of the country’s most elite sportspeople in recent years. One name that certainly won’t be forgotten anytime soon in footballing spheres is the prodigious Welsh starlet Ethan Ampadu, a defensive-minded player who made his senior debut for Exeter at just 15. Ampadu transferred in complicated circumstances to Chelsea back in July 2017. A tribunal held this year concluded that the eventual fee for Ampadu would be a maximum of just below three million pounds – a paltry fee for a player who’d already made his full international debut for Wales before the tribunal met. He qualifies for the Welsh national team through his close family, despite being born in Devon to Kwame Ampadu – who played for Swansea and Arsenal in his heyday, as well as Exeter City – and is certainly one to keep an eye on for the Premier League season; there
is no doubt Ampadu has the potential to become world class. One of Ampadu’s teammates during his time at Exeter has also moved on to bigger things, in the form of Brentford in the Championship. Ollie Watkins left Exeter in 2017, having been a product of the youth academy based in the city, and has made an immediate impact in the Championship, scoring 12 goals in all appearances last season. Watkins, a forward who can play anywhere across the offensive line, has already aroused interest from the Premier League clubs, and it’s surely only a matter of time before the 22 year-old plays in the premier tier of British football. Moving from football to rugby, and the Exeter Chiefs are widely considered to be one of the best rugby union teams in the country, having made the Premiership Final in the last three seasons - last season they fell to defeat at the hands of the Saracens.
One of the key players for the Chiefs is Jack Nowell, who can play fullback, wing, or outside centre. Nowell scored a try in the 2017 Premiership Final as the Chiefs won the Premiership for the first time, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed by the national team selectors – he made his debut in the 2014 Six Nations and has been a mainstay of the national side ever since, racking up 26 appearances since.
The Exeter Chiefs are widely considered to be one of the best
Williams all having represented the national side. Outside of England, Argentina and Italy are both represented in the squad through Santiago Cordero and Michele Campagnaro respectively. Closer to home, and the Chiefs recruited both Sam Morley and James McRae from the University last season after stellar performances for EURFC; McRae won the man of the match award in last season’s varsity win against Bath at Sandy Park.
The Chiefs have several other internationals, as you’d expect from a side competing for the Premiership on a consistent basis, with Sam Simmonds, Henry Slade and Harry
Image: James Boyes
Exeter Chiefs preview David Challis analyses the future chances of Exeter Chiefs
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O sooner has the dust settled at Sandy Park, and we find ourselves on the brink of another season which promises to be as exciting and unpredictable as always. Eye-catching signings and coaching changes may allow underperforming teams to disrupt the status quo at the top of the tree. Most notably, Harlequins unveiled a new coaching team headed up by Paul Gustard and Gloucester have made the big name signing of England international Danny Cipriani. Additionally, Bristol will be far f r o m t h e
whipping boys as they boast a number of internationals in their bid for survival. This has created a premiership that promises to be incredibly closely fought and leaves no guarantees for any side. As a result, last season’s table toppers, Exeter will have to work doubly hard to ensure they are part of the end of season jamboree. Last season the Chiefs blitzed the regular season winning 17 of their 22 games. However, they failed to progress past the group stages in Europe where, all be it difficult pool, they finished second behind eventual winners Leinster. Despite this early exit chiefs continued their dominance in the Premiership and progressed to the final at Twickenham where they were beaten by Saracens. This resulted in season that promised so much but ultimately ended in disappointment. However Exeter’s fans can look back with pride and for-
ward with expectation. Exeter have maintained a settled squad this summer with head coach Rob Baxter showing faith in his current crop of players. Alex Cuthbert is the only summer arrival at Sandy Park. The grand slam winner promises to bring power and experience to a still relatively youthful backline. Baxter has also bolstered his squad by offering contracts to 14 members of the academy showing faith in their youth system. This is in keeping with Exeter’s policy of promoting from within which has been extremely successful and boasts graduates such as Henry Slade and more recently the likes of Joe and Sam Simmonds. One of these academy graduates is scrum-half Sam Maunder. Following in the footsteps of elder brother Jack, Sam is excited for his first season of professional rugby and has praised the culture amongst the squad and the coaching staff which he says helps to pick the younger players back up when they are down and manage their transition into senior rugby. Maunder is a testament to Exeter’s shrewd recruitment strategy which has seen them able to hold onto the bulk of their squad and promote quality from
within. This meant Exeter let go just a handful of players most of these coming from retirements as was the case with Kai Horstman or moving abroad like Thomas Waldrom who now plays his rugby in Japan. As a result Baxter will head into the new season with a very settled squad, but some will question whether they needed to invest more to continue to improve. However, the confidence shown in the current crop of players can only be a good thing and bodes well for the men in white come September.
Exeter fans can look back with pride and forward with expectation After such a successful season, albeit one which ultimately ended in disappointment, Baxter and his men will want to go one better in the Premiership but also will want to make more of an impact in Europe this year. This is something that Baxter has been quick to point out in interviews noting that success in Europe is the next step for his side after their domestic success in 2017.
To do so they need to develop a game which can defeat the best sides in Europe at the top of their game. Last season they dominated the premiership but fell short when it came to beating the big sides in big games both in Europe and in the Premiership final. A youthful chiefs’ side will be confident that more experience in big games coupled with a kinder pool draw in Europe will be enough for them to improve upon last year. However, to maintain their success they need to continue to evolve especially with other Premiership sides making mass changes over the summer it will be fascinating to see whether they can continue to sit atop English rugby and if they can join the elite in European rugby. Only time will tell as to whether Baxter can steer his side back to another Premiership title and whether he can guide them through to the latter stages of Europe. I expect to see a similar looking side to last year but one that has another valuable year of experience under their belts. I still have reservations as to whether they can be successful against the best sides but its fair to assume that Exeter will once again be there or thereabouts come the business end of the season.
SPORT
EXEPOSÉ | 10 SEPT 2018
Exeter City preview
Josh Hockley-Still gives their verdict on ECFC's upcoming season
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HIS time last year, I had never been to an Exeter City football match. Little did I know what I had brought on myself by accepting Grecian Soc’s offer of a free ticket. For example, witnessing an exhilarating FA Cup tie against Forest Green. The first leg swung from 2-1 Exeter to 3-2 Forest Green, to 3-3, all in the last 10 minutes! Then in the replay, Exeter were 1-0 down, reduced to 10 men, yet somehow managed to find a way through! Our success meant we got to see Premier League opposition at St James’ Park in the form of West Brom, who were slightly fortunate to beat us 2-0. I experienced the dizzying thrill of winning a play-off semi-final at St James Park, the feeling as the final whistle blew of knowing that I would shortly be watching my team play at Wembley. Then I saw it all turn to dust; a 14-hour day out in London ruined by a supine performance, a year’s hard work getting to such a big stage thrown away as I was forced to watch us gift promotion on a plate to Coventry. Yet I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I’d fallen in love with this small, but magnificent club. A club that 15 years ago was on its knees, made a laughing stock by the involvement of, amongst others, Uri Geller and
Image: Exeter City Football Club
Michael Jackson, but bought out by its fans. Since then the achievements have been remarkable; promotion back into the Football League, then promotion to League One, where we finished 8th. Then back to League Two, but reaching the play-off final in consecutive seasons is no mean feat given some of the much bigger clubs we are competing against. Can our success be sustained this season?
Will we go one better than last season's play-off heartbreak? Wembley spelt the end for manager Paul Tisdale, who joined MK Dons after a remarkable 12 years at the helm. His replacement, former Grecians defender Matt Taylor, is making his first foray into management after a successful spell coaching our U-23 team. He has wasted no time in making an impact in the transfer market, adding seven new players to the squad. Accomplished midfielder Nicky Law, no-nonsense centre-back Aaron Martin and talented winger Lee Martin were all playing in League One last season, and securing
their signatures looks very impressive business. Even more importantly, Taylor has successfully held onto the core of Tisdale’s side, especially key players Christy Pym, a fantastic shot-stopper, Hiram Boateng, an incredibly skilful box-to-box midfielder and 25-goal target man Jayden Stockley; all of whom would surely have been cast covetous glances by higher clubs. This means that another promotion challenge looks very much on for the Grecians. At the time of writing, we top the League Two table after winning both our league matches so far. Yesterday evening we also knocked Championship side Ipswich Town out of the League Cup, and await tomorrow’s draw for the next round with interest. Most observers would have considered our triumph over Ipswich to be a cup shock, yet those of us who are regulars at St James’ Park were less surprised. We have won 25 matches at home since the start of 2017; more than any other team in the top four divisions in English football. More than Man City, Arsenal or Tottenham. That’s an impressive record to boast. And with fans packed into just two stands (the new third stand is due to open shortly), the atmosphere is electric. Will we go one better than last
season’s play-off heartbreak? Only time will tell. However, the club’s future is certainly looking bright. Not only are we owned by our fans, and thus in safe hands, but our record of developing young players and selling them onto bigger things is commendable. Grecians academy graduate Ethan Ampadu is already a full Welsh international at age 17, and has impressed for the Chelsea first-team. Ollie Watkins is a key player for Brentford, and has been linked with a Premier League move. Jordan Storey signed for Preston North End this summer. This is no fluke; we have a brilliant Academy and the next talents on the conveyor belt are already in place; 17 year-old Jack Sparkes and 18 year-old Archie Collins both came off the bench to play a vital part in the win against Ipswich. Impressive home form, a talented young manager, the prospect of both promotion and a cup run, the emergence of talented stars of the future – there’s many reasons to believe this will be a very enjoyable and successful season for the Grecians. I’d urge anyone reading this to follow in my footsteps and support your local team, sign up to Grecian Soc, get a free ticket to St James’ Park; you won’t regret it!
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out there which sports are available at exeter?
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WINDRIDERS
T'S been a sick year filled with weekly trips, socials and big weekends. The year began battling against Storm Brian for Aussie Kiss, one of the biggest windsurfing weekends in the calendar, with beginner lessons and advanced races against other universities. Windsurfing has had lots of successes in BUCS at an advanced level and has also been really popular with beginners going to local Exmouth lessons and then sharpening up their skills on weekend trips. The new kitesurf lesson structures mean more people can get involved and the success of the relaunch of national champs this year in Southampton means all our sports provide the opportunity to compete nationally. But of course, the year can't be summed up without mentioning their socials! Some of the highlights include the Tie Lottery, where members are tied together for the night, the Christmas and End of Season Dinners, and Boozy Saffron Hull Bowling.
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ULTIMATE FRISBEE
F you’re looking for a new sport that is loads of fun AND a fantastic form of exercise, then you need to try Ultimate Frisbee – the fastest growing sport in the world! Ultimate Frisbee is an exciting, fast paced, dynamic sport with similarities to American Football and Netball. It is non-contact and self-officiated by the players. Spirit of the game, Ultimate’s unique measurement of sportsmanship, is one of the most important aspects of the sport. Joining Uriel (Exeter’s Ultimate Frisbee Club) will provide you with a great way to keep fit and make an amazing group of friends! All abilities are welcome at Uriel! Many of their frisbee first timers play at National level within their first year of joining the club, so if you’re looking for a new sport to master – this is it! There are regular training sessions and competitions, and a variety of socials, so it’s completely up to you how serious or chill you want to make your Ultimate experience. If you have any questions, or are interested in getting involved, contact them at @exeterultimate on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat. Emily Leviseur
Sport
10 SEPT 2018 | EXEPOSÉ
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SPORT EDITOR: Josh Brown
Back in the big time Josh Brown sat down with EUAFC’s Owen Jones to discuss the season ahead
Image: Owain Evans Josh Brown Sport Editor
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T is certainly an exciting time to be a member of the University of Exeter Football Club. Last season represented a fantastic achievement by the first team, as they won promotion back to the BUCS Premier South, while there were also strong performances across the five teams that perform in the BUCS leagues. I sat down with Owen Jones of EUAFC, who has equally high hopes for the season ahead. Jones said of the first team: “The
aim this year is to continue competing at the highest level of university football, and to do that we need to stay in the BUCS Premiership. It’s definitely possible – we have to improve as a team on last year, but with the quality of the coaches we have that’s certainly within reach”. Of course, the club consists of more than just one team. EUAFC are targeting success across the board in the upcoming season – “we’ve set out a clear aim to win as many trophies as possible, whether that’s leagues or cups. If we fulfil our potential as a club, it could be a really exciting year
for everyone”.
The potential for a return of a football varsity game [...] could make a great spectacle
The potential for the return of a football varsity game hosted at the home of Exeter City FC, St James’ Park – which was abandoned last year due to crowd trouble in the previous year – could make a great spectacle if it goes ahead, and would provide the
opportunity to perform in a professional matchday environment. Part of the inevitable struggle of being a university-based football team is the constant changes to the squad year-on-year. One man who is hoping to provide some stability to the programme over the next two years is the new captain of EUAFC first team, second-year George O’Neil, an exciting player who was previously on the books at Birmingham City. It is reasonable to expect O’Neil to be a mainstay in the side over the next two years, and he certainly has the proven talent to provide a strong backbone for the
team. Watching the first team play last year was always an entertaining spectacle; always strong in possession, the men in green were also rapid in transitional phases and fluid in terms of their formation both within and in-between games, all of which helped them break through the lines and penetrate even the most resolute defences at their level last season. If a similar playstyle can bring similar success, as well as being replicated in the other BUCS teams, EUAFC could be on the verge of a very strong season indeed.
For live scores and in-depth reports, follow us on Twitter @exeposesport CONTINUED ON PAGE 31