Exeposé Issue 643, 12 October 2015

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SPORT PULLOUT: BUCS WALLCHART FEATURING ALL THIS TERM’S FIXTURES THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

12 OCT 2015 | ISSUE 643 | TWITTER: @EXEPOSE | WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EXEPOSE | FREE

As queues on campus grow longer, study space becomes increasingly sparse and students voice their concerns about overcrowding, we ask:

Global 100...

But at what cost?

Photo: Edwin Yeung

EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: PAGES 4 & 5 Features: The Trident debate: Does Britain need new nuclear weapons?

Page 14

Music: The Maccabees on writing new music and playing festivals Page 20

Arts & Lit: James Acaster talks about Edinburgh Fringe and Dara Ó Briain’s head Page 29

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

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In brief

New degrees for refugees created

A new online university will launch later this month, offering refugees the chance for a free education.

Berlin-based Kiron University has established partnerships with more than 20 global universities in order to create a three-year program, which will grant students an internationally recognised degree. More than 15,000 students have already registered their interest.

The program will provide German and English classes in its first year, advancing to classes relating to specific areas of interest in second year, including business, engineering and science.

In their final year, students will have the opportunity to study abroad.

‘Man buns’ get the chop in Idaho uni Popular hipster hairstyle the ‘man-bun’ has been banned in an Idaho university.

Brigham Young, a university operated by The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-day Saints, recently announced a ban on the style typically worn with hair shaved on the sides and a topknot securing the hair in the middle, denouncing it as “extreme” and “something that deviates from the norm”.

Any student seen to be sporting the hairdo or any other hairstyle that is different or uncommon will face disciplinary action from the Honor Office.

According to guidelines, hair must be “clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles and unnatural colours”. ‘Manbuns’, however, do not fit these criteria.

“As part of the dress and grooming code, we commit to avoid extreme hairstyles. A ‘man-bun’ would be considered not consistent with this standard,” Student Services and Activities Vice President Kevin Miyashi commented.

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Exeposé News

NEWS EDITORS Susannah Keogh Fiona Potigny

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University news from beyond Exeter

Student’s sugary Campus life hits joke ends in jail a pressure point

Live rent-free with OAPs in Denmark

An American student’s prank on his roommate took a shocking turn after officers failed to see the funny side.

University of Miami student Jonathan Harrington covered his kitchen table in powdered sugar, making it into lines to make it appear like cocaine, to get a laugh before a room inspection.

To Jonathan’s horror, however, the police arrived and tested the sugar only to find it tested positive for cocaine.

Suffice to say, he failed the room inspection and was carted off to the local police station where the class joker spent the next two days behind bars being questioned by officer over the drug test results.

Following his release on bail for cocaine possession, the state later dropped the charges. Harrington had previously faced charges for cannabis posession.

University counselling services in the UK are facing an annual rise of around 10 per cent, with increasing numbers of students struggling to cope with campus life.

Ruth Caleb, Chair of Universities UK’s mental wellbeing working group, estimates that around five to ten per cent of students are using the services, totalling around 115,000 students seeking help.

A report from the Higher Education Funcing Council for England (HEFCE) backed these findings, showing that one institution experienced an annual increase in demand of 50 per cent.

This analysis showed a dramatic increase in campus mental health issues, rising from 8,000 to 18,000 in four years from 2012-2013.

In a radical cost-cutting move, Dutch students are choosing to live rent free in a growing number of nursing homes.

Humanitas nursing home in Deventer offers students rooms in exchange for signing up as a volunteer. Students live among the elder residents and teach them life skills, such as how to use a computer and Skype, whilst also assisting staff.

There is currently a housing crisis in the Netherlands. Last year Amsterdam was short of 9,000 student rooms.

Gea Sijipkes, CEO of Humanitas said: “If students could get a room in Humanitas, they wouldn’t have to borrow so much money for their study. At the same time, I have some young people in the house, which makes Humanitas the warmest and nicest home anyone could ask for.”

Lucky student has ID found by Hanks

Shock results say student life is $$$

Nacho-so fast!

Sombreros banned

New research has highlighted the most affordable countries to be a university student in Europe, and the UK is not one of them.

Topping the list was Slovenia, with yearly cost of study totalling just £3,302. Belarus and Ukraine followed closely after, with £3,450 and £3,512 respectively.

The cost of university education in the United Kingdom did not register within the top ten, with fees averaging £21,000 per year.

This year has also seen 13 new European countries enter the Times Higher Education Global Top 100 rankings this year with Cyprus, Iceland and Luxembourg all recognised within the list and, of course, Exeter entering the rankings at 93rd.

The

A US student who mislaid her ID card can rest easy in the knowledge that actor Tom Hanks picked it up.

Lauren, surname unknown, a student at Fordham University in New York City, lost her card on 6 October.

Hanks alerted her to the missing item via Twitter, tweeting “Lauren! I found your Student ID in the park. If you still need it my office will get it to you.

Hanx.”

A professor then replied to his tweet claiming Lauren is one of his students, saying he would happily return said card to her.

It would seem Hanks was only too happy to return a good deed.

Earlier this year, a man known only as ‘Tony’ returned the actor’s credit card after finding it on a New York City street. Hanks tweeted his thanks, telling the mysterious do-gooder Tony: “You make this city greater.”

University of East Anglia caused outrage during their Freshers Fair after banning a local Mexican restraurant from handing out sombreros.

S t u d e n t Union officials said that the restaurant Pedro’s actions breached a policy forbidding stallholders from handing out materials including “discriminatory or stereotypical imagery”.

Chris Jarvis, the union’s campaigns and democracy officer said the ban stemmed from the union’s aim to make all members feel “safe and accepted”.

“We know that when it comes to cultural appropriation the issues can sometimes be difficult to understand and many don’t realise that they may be about to cause offence or break a policy.”

A restaurant spokesperson commented: “As a Mexican restaurant, in no way are we disparaging Mexican culture, only celebrating it. We would never intend any negative message to be

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

EXEPOSÉ

Local bin collection policy labelled “rubbish” Fiona Potigny News Editor

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TUDENTS have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Council’s rubbish collection policy after “masses of bags” were left to “rot on the street”.

Popular student housing areas, such as Monks Road, have been subject to a large build-up of odorous bin bags in recent weeks, as local refuse crews have refused to collect waste from “overfilled bins”.

One fourth-year student described the situation on Monks Road: “Pavements are strewn with a collection of old bananas, egg shells and suspiciouslooking tissues, and piles of bin bags spill their contents at various points on my path up to campus.

“It’s disgusting, and makes you wonder about the rodents that are no doubt delighting in the Council’s decision.”

Many students were subsequently forced to store rubbish inside their own homes for over a week after the official collection date. Others expressed concern that this may lead to fly tipping.

Although part of a well-established policy aimed at preventing injury to refuse crews when top-heavy bins are

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unloaded, students argue that they were not adequately informed of the regulation, which was described as “rubbish”, prior to receiving police notices on their uncollected waste, as it had not previously been strictly enforced.

Piles of bin bags spill their contents at various points on my path up to campus Fourth-year student Given the city’s recent growth and increasing problems with wildlife attacking exposed bin bags, the Council are now making a greater effort to enforce the ruling. From 1 November, overfilled bins will be stickered and bin crews will be instructed to leave the waste uncollected.

Cllr Keith Owen, Lead Councillor for the environment at Exeter City Council told Exeposé: “It is particularly difficult for students, who have moved from areas where recycling collections are different to Exeter, to get used to what goes in the green bins and what goes in the black rubbish bins.

“In Exeter we want to do the best for our city and the environment by reducing the waste we throw away and recycling as

much as we can. If people are recycling their household plastics, cans and tins, paper and card, by putting it all in their green bin, most will find that there is plenty of room left in their black bin.”

Those with additional recycling can place it in a tied-up bag labelled ‘RECYCLING’, which can be presented next to their recycling bin on the appropriate collection day.

Exeter City Council are now working closely with the University to improve glass bank access and to ensure that students are aware of waste disposal regulations. New students can find information in the ‘My Exeter Community Guide’ and the University app, but are advised that the Guide contains a misprint stating that polystyrene is recyclable in Exeter, which is not the case.

The Council and University have also collaborated on the ‘Students on the Move’ project in recent years to tackle extra waste created by students leaving the city.

According to Community Liaison Officer Rory Cunningham, the University will “continue to invest in a range of schemes and initiatives to boost recycling, including the termly glass caddy scheme and our annual ‘Students on the Move’ scheme”.

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

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Guild launches Women’s football left loyalty scheme off intramural fixtures Eamonn Crowe Deputy Editor

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HE Students’ Guild has launched a new ‘Guild Points’ loyalty system.

Announced earlier this month, the scheme will allow students to collect points by shopping in Guild outlets, including Comida, the Guild Shop, Pieminister and others.

The points can then be redeemed in order to enjoy discounted goods.

For every pound spent in a Guild outlet, students will receive four points, each worth one penny. In order to receive a free portion of curly fries in The Ram, for example, 250 points are needed. For items below one pound in value, no points are received.

The introduction of a Guild loyalty scheme was one of the key manifesto pledges of current Students’ Guild President, Laura-Jane Tiley.

She told Exeposé: “I’m thrilled to be able to introduce Guild Points to reward students who shop in Students’ Guild

outlets.

“I hope that the scheme is going to be extremely popular; it’s a really easy process to collect and spend points on your student uni card.”

A second-year Politics and Philosophy student expressed their appreciation for the scheme: “I spend so much on food and drinks on campus, it’s really good to know that the Guild value my custom and want to save students money in the long term.”

Coffee and hot beverage credits are also being offered to affected students as compensation for 8:30 am classes.

The scheme was launched by Director of Education and Student Experience Ian Blenkham by email last Monday 5 October and will see students with “a number of 8:30am starts” credited with £20 of University credit to spend on hot drinks of their choice at Students’ Guild outlets across campus.

Katie Costello Music Editor

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OMEN’S football has been left off intramural fixtures for a second year running, despite appearing as a manifesto promise in the SABB elections last year.

New Athletics Union (AU) President, Jack Bristow, was elected to office after pledging to offer more intra-mural opportunities for women.

The AU’s deadline for intramural team’s submission passed on the 27th September, with both six-a-side and eleven-a-side football and basketball being offered exclusively to men.

The lack of a women’s intramural football league means that the only way for women to play football at the university is to join the Exeter’s Women Football Club, for a membership fee of £100.

Speaking to Exeposé, the AU stated that they had “been trying to set up female sports leagues, particularly football, for a few years now” but have “always struggled to gain interest from females to enter teams”.

Bristow and the AU plan to create a

women’s six-a-side league by the start of the Spring Term, and have been using the pitch up and play free trial sessions run by the Women’s Football Club on a Friday evening to gauge interest. So far, attendance has been strong, with the Bristow increasing awareness of these sessions in the Forum last week, to coincide with Women’s Football Week.

We involve all the political parties and don’t discriminate based on gender John Chilvers, President of Labour Students Exeter

The Football Club also runs the Grecian Shield Tournament, open to both male and female teams for a fee of £20.

The Shield is lesser known and offers 12 spaces for female teams, compared to 48 for the men.

Labour Students, alongside other political societies, has rejected the AU’s gender requirements and accept women on their football teams.

John Chilvers, Labour Students

Photo: Google Maps

President, commented: “We set up a political league last year. We involve all the political parties and don’t discriminate based on gender.”

At present, it costs approximately £30 to join a society’s intramural team.

Men are allowed to play for both the mixed netball team and men’s football, while women are only able to join the netball team.

The AU have now implemented several measures to address the imbalance and ensure women can participate in intramural sport.

É AU attempts to address intramural imbalance - 3/7 members of a netball

team must be female

- Touch rugby teams must have at least three female players, who are awarded double points when they score a try

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80%of students say ca NEWS 1-5

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EXCLUSIVE

James Beeson, Fiona Potigny & Susannah Keogh Editor & News Editors

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TUDENTS, Guild employees and members of academic staff have expressed concerns about overcrowding at the University, despite the institution entering the top 100 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings last month.

Figures released to Exeposé reveal that the number of students at the University has consistently risen every year since 2002/2003, with the exception of between 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. In 2015/16, the planned number of students on Exeter campuses is 17,914, a growth of eight per cent since 2013/14, 1,365 more students than there were three years ago.

The planned increase in student numbers on Streatham and St. Luke’s campuses between 2014/15-2015/16 is 450, a rise of 2.5 per cent.

You only have to visit the Guild shop in the afternoon to see just how busy it can get Anonymous student employed by Students’ Guild This influx of students has been accompanied by campus-wide expansion including the construction of The Forum, the renovation of Devonshire House and the ongoing £52 million build of the Living Systems Institute on Streatham Campus. This, combined with the University’s position as a world-leading research institution - in the most recent Research Excellence Framework, Exeter was

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An ongoing issue?

Exeposé has previously highlighed a number of issues related to rising student numbers in recent years

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ranked 16th nationally - has helped the University to rise to seventh place in The Times Higher Education UK rankings, and in September 2015, the University entered the global top 100 universities for the first time, placing at 93rd.

There are signs, however, that the continued rise in student numbers is having an adverse impact on student and staff satisfaction at the University. A survey conducted by Exeposé has revealed that 80 per cent of the 430 respondents felt that the University campus was overcrowded. The biggest area of concern was the lack of study space, with 90 per cent of those surveyed stating there was not enough study space for the amount of students at the University. Over half of respondents also stated they did not think there were enough food outlets on campus, whilst four in ten students said their classes were too big.

Students were also asked to identify how they were most affected by overcrowding. Again, the most pressing issue was the lack of study space, with 57 per cent of respondents stating this affected them the most. For nearly one in five students, queues on campus was the biggest concern. Only five per cent of respondents stated that they were not affected by overcrowding.

Several Guild employees have expressed their concerns about the demand for Guild services on campus. Speaking anonymously, one student member of staff from the Guild Shop said that they thought campus was “significantly” busier than in previous years.

“You only have to visit the Guild shop in the afternoon to see just how busy it can get,” they said: “The queue is often out of the door - there’s clearly a high demand.”

Another staff member, who works at the RAM bar, said: “It’s really busy in there every lunchtime, and quite often the wait for food goes up to an hour. It’s clear that there aren’t enough seats in there to handle lunchtime crowds. Everyone

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knows it’s not big enough for the number of students we’re trying to serve.”

Despite nearly 60 per cent of respondents reporting that they were happy with the size of their classes, academic staff have stated that the rise in students is impacting their workload. In an email to Exeposé, a Philosophy lecturer, who asked not to be named, said:

The three-week turnaround system for assessment of coursework is completely untenable Anonymous Philosophy lecturer “The three-week turnaround system for assessment of coursework is completely untenable. I have nearly 200 students in one first-year module. If I assign 15 minutes to each essay, that’s about 50 hours of work. Spread over three weeks, it’s 17 hours a week with no days off.

“That’s on top of regular teaching, research, administrative, and pastoral duties. Not to mention, you know, having a life.

“If we’re expected to do this, everything else we are expected to do for the student experience will suffer. It’s just not feasible to carefully mark and provide useful feedback within 21 days.”

Another member of academic staff, who also wished to remain anonymous, spoke of “unevenness of growth” and the subsequent “strain on administrative staff”.

They said: “The way the University tries to deal with this [overcrowding] is by developing more processes and systems, which involves more work. There are not enough people in the office.”

The increase in intake has placed additional strain on University housing. An FOI request revealed that in 2015/16,347 first year students were not housed in

University accommodation, up from 285 in 2014/15. This figure does, however, include first year students who chose not to apply for University accommodation. In issue 642, Exeposé revealed that this year the University had negotiated contracts for students in luxury private accommodation provider Printworks for the first time.

Exeposé has previously highlighted numerous issues relating to overcrowding on campus. In May 2015, the University added 76 new study spaces to the Forum Library, leading to the removal of academic texts. The University’s decision

to extend the teaching day, also as a result of a lack of lecture space, was met by student anger, as reported by Exeposé in December 2014. Meanwhile, the Wellbeing Centre has struggled to cope with excess demand for its services, with emergency funding required in January 2014 after a 38 per cent increase in students contacting the Centre for assistance.

Guild President Laura-Jane Tiley said: “We are extremely lucky to have such an alive and buzzing campus atmosphere - it is something that makes Exeter unique. However, it is a real concern to us that students feel like they don’t have

May 2015

December 2014

Exeposé reported that the student demand for extra study space at the University resulted in the Forum Library removing academic texts.

The University announced it would be extending the teaching day to accommodate rising student numbers on campus, with early starts causing anger.

ampus is overcrowded NEWS

as all feedback is invaluable as we seek to continuously improve the University for the benefit of the whole community – students and staff alike.

“The poll provides very valuable insight into the issues that concern students, and in my Comment piece I address them more fully. I can assure you that we take them very seriously.

“The University has a number of initiatives in place to help. For example, we have created additional spaces in the Library over the summer but recognise that there is more to do, and we have employed additional staff for the Market Place to ensure waiting times for customers are reduced at peak times.

Campus speaks: Is there enough study space for the amount of students?

Yes

10%

No 90%

All feedback is invaluable as we seek to continually improve the University for the benefit of the whole community Professor Tim Quine, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education

Photo: Edwin Yeung enough space. Overcrowding on campus is something that we as a SABB team will be carefully monitoring over the next few months as well as the impact on the Exeter student experience.”

Fed up of constantly searching for study space?

Comment Page 9 VP Education Bethan Jones added: “The Students’ Guild has heard students’ concerns about campus overcrowding and has been pressing the University for some time to ensure that the student experience

does not suffer due to growth and expansion. As a result, a number of new spaces have just been added to the library. I will continue to lobby for more desk spaces on campus but I also encourage students to use the free space checker on the iExeter app to identify study spaces in academic buildings.”

Speaking about the poll, Professor Tim Quine, Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor for Education at the University of Exeter said: “Students are at the heart of the University of Exeter. I would like to thank all those who were able to complete the poll,

“Ensuring that our students have the best possible Exeter experience is always the priority for the University. Personally as the new Deputy-Vice Chancellor for Education I am always keen to hear your views and your ideas on how we can continue to make your time at Exeter as academically stimulating, enjoyable and productive as we can.”

In December 2013, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced the cap on the number of UK and EU undergraduates that English Higher Education Institutions could recruit would be relaxed in 2014/15 and abolished in 2015/16.

How are you most affected by overcrowding, if at all?

I am not affected (5%)

Other (3%)

Decline in student wellbeing support (7%)

Decline in teaching quality (10%)

Queues on campus (19%)

Lack of study space (57%)

Additional reporting by Sarah Gough and Josh Mines.

February 2014

January 2014

Exeter’s growth was reported to be the fifth highest in the country and acceptance numbers grew more than any other Russell Group uni.

Emergency funding for campus wellbeing services was announced after a 38.8 per cent increase in demand from 2012/13 to 2013/14.

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Your thoughts?

Send an email to editors@exepose.com to get your voice heard on campus

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Global but not great

W

E’RE getting fat. And we’re not talking about the ‘Freshers’ 15’.

The University is bursting at the seams as student numbers grow and resources continue to be stretched. Overcrowding is nothing new, and grumbles about queues in the Marketplace are never far from the top of the hot list on Yik Yak. Exeposé undertook a similar investigation just last year, and it appears little has changed since then. Just when will they learn?

Slow to respond to our student number enquiries (party due to a confusion over statistics provided to us by the Guild) but lightning fast at erecting ‘Global 100’ bragging banners, it’s clear to see where the University’s priorities lie. League tables over the student experience, research recognition over study space. What does this much-celebrated world ranking really mean for those of us studying at Streatham, waiting 40 minutes for a portion of curly fries and struggling to find a seat in the library? Very little, it seems.

Of course, more students equals more money, but the sheer weight of numbers is starting to take its toll on what is an already very compact campus. We’re of the opinion that the University is far closer to breaking point than the powers that be clearly believe, and unless more resources are invested in improving services and facilities, the campus will soon be unable to cope with the excess demand.

It’s interesting to note, also, how insistent the University were that our survey data was accurate. So much so, in fact, that we had to make a new one (which included a student login) just two days before our print deadline. Instead of scrutinising the legitimacy of our data, perhaps it would have been more productive to listen to the student opinion we honestly gauged. You’d also have thought their eagle-eyed gaze might have noticed

a glaring error in the information they provided us with about the music department’s budget a fortnight ago… Alas, they misquoted a figure, overstating the budget by a huge £300,000 (see correction below).

It’s not just students who are struggling. There has been concern about the extra workload forced upon academics, who are in some cases being asked to mark more essays than ever before.

Ultimately, there are too many students at Exeter, whether the University likes it or not. Will this investigation spur them into action? Will they listen to us this time? Somehow we doubt it, but you can’t blame us for trying. *** You may also have noticed that this issue of the paper is a bit fatter than usual. It’s our biggest to date, and we’ve celebrated with the creation of a beautiful BUCS wallchart. Designed by our Sport Editor Rob Cross, it features all of this term’s home fixtures. We’ve also included all the key Varsity dates so you can cheer on the Green Army in style - look out for part two next term.

Elsewhere we have a couple of exciting interviews. With their latest album being tipped for a Mercury prize, we were delighted to wangle a chat with guitarist Hugo White of The Maccabees (Page 20).

Mock The Week regular and comic of the moment James Acaster also entertained us with his dulcet, dead-pan tones. Head to Arts & Lit (Page 29) for the full interview.

Finally, a reminder that we’re running a mental health survey on our website right now. Hopefully the University won’t dispute this one, so do make sure to fill it out!

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Finding love at uni Matthew Newman

“D

on’t even think about starting university in a relationship” reads the headline of a recent article in The Guardian, warning all of the country’s fresh-faced uni hopefuls of the unequivocally shitty time they’ll have over the next three years if they fail to abandon their current sweetheart and indulge, instead, in the hedonistic fun-filled paradise that (apparently) awaits them.

Now, as someone who has spent the entirety of their university experience so far in a relationship, and who has, for the most part, enjoyed that experience, I was naturally rather peeved by this smug proposition. Who are these people - these prophetic love gurus - to tell anyone that they’re making some sort of grave mistake? It made me angry, and not even in a ‘put-my-fingers-in-myears-la-la-la-I’m-in-love-and-who-areyou-to-doubt-me’ kind of way. I can wholly appreciate that a lot of couples will regret their misguided devotion, which is undoubtedly a shame. And it’s clear that this is the case for the authors of the article, who lament the fact that they were the ‘types’ who ‘went home

every weekend to see boyfriends [they] haven’t thought about since 2009’. Not that they sound bitter or anything… not at all.

Relationships, we’re meant to believe then, are evil, suffocating you at every turn with their need of responsibility and dedication – the pantomime villains of the student lifestyle. How is one to possibly have a good time, they ask, when ‘you’re phoning your boyfriend and enduring stilted conversation, leaving nights early because he’s coming to stay tomorrow’? Especially when ‘he’s probably thinking the same’?

Relationships, we’re meant to believe, are evil What is evident here is the distinct absence of logic that undermines the whole piece. Did they never think, when the conversation was ‘stilted’ and they were feeling somehow burdened by the opportunity to see their loved one, that maybe then would be a good time to break it off? If they kept their relationship going through uni while, all the time, they saw it as a nuisance, then they were not the victims of their courting, but, rather, their own stupid-

ity. It’s moronic to be aware of the negative effect your relationship is having on your life and not consider ending it. For many, the likelihood that you’ll come to regret a relationship you’re not fully committed to is just common sense.

But not all relationships are plagued in this way nor are they doomed to flop.

God forbid you actually have feelings for your partner. That’s irrelevant, apparently. Emotions, and – now this is a crazy concept – love, are completely disregarded here. You actually want to give it a go? And you really believe you’re into them enough to not be tempted by ‘the corridors of attractive, intelligent, first-time-away-from-home freshers’?

Forget it. Throw it all away, heartbreak yourself, and buy into our delusional student utopia, where the grass is always greener if you’re willing to forget everything from your sad, naff former life. Of course uni can be the most enjoyable years you ever have, but there’s nothing to say you have to be single for this to be true. Stay in a relationship, if you want. Have the best of both worlds, if you can. And if you feel that you can’t, then end it. Do whatever you please. Being happy at uni will not be dictated by whether you’re loved up before, during, or after those three (or more) years.

A very cramped campus

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Lucy Magu, Kathy Giddins, Emma Thomas, Heather Pasfield, Lily O’Neill, Owain Evans, Emma Bessent, Jack PowysMaurice, Thea Birchard, Elliot J. Laker, Emma Burrell, Jeremy Cameron, Harry Pickle, the Exeposé copy editors and other members of our editorial team.

CORRECTIONS (issue 642): In the Comment piece ‘Has the uni cut too deep?’

Jacqui Marshall quoted the music department’s budget as £372,000. The correct figure was £72,000. Apologies also to the Creative Writing society President Christy Ku, who we wrongly called ‘Chris’ in the article titled ‘A slamming success.’

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 29-31 33-36

Cartoon: Emily McIndoe

Cluck me, it’s crowded EXEPOSÉ

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Feeling all cooped up? An increase in the number of students at Eggs-eter is ruffling feathers Prof. Tim Quine Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor for Education

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WOULD like to thank Exeposé and all the respondents for this invaluable survey and feedback.

It is great to get this insight to your experience of life on campus and it aligns with a major push that I wish to support to open communication between students and staff and to strengthen the roles of SSLC Subject Representatives. I was delighted to meet many last week and hear what was at the top of their agenda - the same issue that tops the survey: that we don’t have enough study space. I have heard this loud and clear. I appreciate that you are looking for quick solutions and I will certainly strive to find what is possible while also addressing the issue in longer term planning. I’d be happy to report back on the progress we can make in the near future.

Make use of the iExeter app that provides information about where to find free study spaces In the meantime, I’d make one request and one reminder. The request derives from feedback from the Subject representatives I spoke to. They told me that there is sometimes a ‘towel on the deckchair’ approach to the use of study space. I realise that this is a natural reaction to the use of a resource that is in short supply; however, we encourage everyone to be as considerate as possible in the use of this space. The re-

minder is to make use of the iExeter app that provides information about where to find free study spaces and includes information about the additional seats recently created in the Library and alternative spaces away from the forum complex that are less intensively used.

John Chilvers President of Labour Students

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AM tired of running around campus in search of somewhere to work, finding my seminars and lectures overcrowded and queuing endlessly to purchase an oh-so-coveted wrap from Comida. These are not new problems but ones that have been at the forefront of students’ concerns for over a year.

You would think that the uni’s regular assurances of its commitment to improving the ‘student experience’ would materialise. Instead, their actions have made the situation worse.

The University is rapidly expanding without proportionately increasing its capacity to cater for this influx of students’ needs: no new study centres and no dedicated teaching spaces. I did not come to Exeter to sit in an overcrowded lecture and be told by my professor that my work will not be marked on time because there are too many students.

Whose fault is that?

We need to ensure that we pursue the highest standards of teaching A smaller but still significant proportion of respondents identify other challenges for us to address: One: We need to ensure that we pursue the highest standards of teaching across all of our programmes – this is absolutely front and centre of our focus across the University with all our disciplines responding to your feedback and that from the 2015 finalists by developing plans to pursue continuous improvement. Directors of Education will be looking to work with the SSLCs to share those plans with you and I’d encourage you to help us to make sure we are focusing on your priorities in those plans.

Two: We need to be very mindful of support for student wellbeing – we hear you loud and clear. This is not a simple task and we are working to address this across the spectrum, from improving proactive tutorial support for all our students to ensuring that appropriate responsive systems are in place.

Three: Queues are a bugbear. Yes, we picked this up and have instituted a number of responses that we hope are helping to address this including new coffee vans and additional staff for the Market Place. We will keep working at this.

lead to a major imbalance in studentstaff ratios.

I worry most of all that our University’s recent success in the league tables will come at the expense of standards of teaching have falling beyond anything we have seen before. It is inevitable that growing class sizes and the subsequent additional pressures on lecturers will cause a decline in academic standards and in turn, student satisfaction.

Success in the league tables will come undone when its realised that teaching standards have fallen

The University has to prioritise the needs of its current students rather than embarking on rapid expansion. I understand that there are financial constraints on the University and that it is their belief that taking on extra students will ease the financial pressures they are currently facing. However, I fear that the Professional Services Transformation and rise in student numbers will

The short-term successes of late should be welcomed but we must sustain a view for the future. When I apply for jobs in ten year’s time I want my degree to reflect the same level of academic excellence, as it will in today’s employment market. I urge the University to consider the long-term effects of their latest measures. Exeter is a great university; I don’t want to witness its descent into mediocrity.

The University needs to invest in space. Not just for studying but to ensure that societies can continue to fulfil their potential as well as allowing us to move freely and not like sardines. There must also be a cap on the student-staff ratio. When the University is unable to house its incoming swarm of students in university and privately owned accommodation combined, there is a problem.

The message is clear – as you might tell a gambling-addict who thinks the answer to his debt is to risk everything he has left on one ‘last’ wager: it’s time to stop and think about the consequences of your actions.

amongst student societies. RAG has an exceptional ‘Sleep Easy’ campaign and Socialist Students run a ‘Food Fight’ every Saturday, providing free food to the homeless.

Should you not have the time to commit to an organised campaign then you can do something far simpler. Several weeks ago, I heard a homeless lady playing her guitar outside Tesco Metro.

You may know her. I usually tend to blindly ignore it, but not on this particular evening. Instead, I went to the nearest ATM, took a tenner out and gave it to her, as I saw people’s loose change in her guitar case. Something so sim-

ple, yet was so appreciated by her, and would hopefully mean she could get a good dinner that evening. Not only will this have been pleasing to her, it was personally very rewarding.

Just give £10. How many times have you checked your bank statement and seen ‘Arena - £35’, or several transactions for dining at the revered Pieminister? None of us are poor enough not to afford to give ten quid to a homeless person.

I do not mean to sound preachy, because I am almost definitely sounding preachy, but a small contribution can go a very long way.

My work will not be marked on time because there are too many students

If you had a heart, you’d help the homeless Charlie Evans Student Votes and Ideas Of�icer

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XETER’S City Council has recently announced a tougher approach to dealing with Exeter’s homeless community, including allowing the police to confiscate their bedding for ‘aggressive begging’.

As someone who has braved the streets of Exeter High Street for three years now in alcohol-fuelled frenzy I will say with confidence that I have not seen any anti-social behaviour toward students from the homeless. Instead,

I have seen students aggravating the homeless whilst on a night out, which has included verbal and physical assault. When these incidents occur I am not surprised if the homeless respond in a slightly aggressive manner; do they not have the basic human entitlement to self-defence?

We in the student community sometimes fail to recognise our own privileged circumstances. We are studying at a global 100 university, we have the freedom to party up to four or five times a week, and we of course do have our individual struggles at university, but can we really compare this

to the experience Exeter’s homeless go through? Absolutely not. Homeless people already suffer from pretty tough measures under the police, as they are regularly told to ‘move on’. This decision is only going to further their plight.

In the student community we sometimes fail to recognise our privilege The student community has the opportunity to make a stand against the punitive authoritarianism imposed by the Council. There are great projects

Privileged man not privileged enough 10

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EXEPOSÉ

The Guild has a women’s representative, should there be one for all those oppressed men?

Leo Thorncroft

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H, men. We’ve had a rough time in recent years. With feminism slowly, ever so slowly, creeping into popular culture, we’ve lost so many of our rights. Suddenly it’s become ‘not okay’ to write songs encouraging rape, to objectify every girl as a sex object, to tell women who they should be, what they should do, how they should look – and the consequences for choosing to ignore any of this.

We need a men’s rep to finally restore some of our power No wonder, then, that we need a men’s representative, to finally restore some of our power. Otherwise how would we know who’s in charge of the world? A woman! God forbid! We need normal, level-headed men to be in con-

trol, so they can tear apart the planet for hundreds of years and, if they’re feeling particularly rowdy, almost launch nuclear weapons at one another.

The idea of a men’s representative is nothing less than an attack on feminism, as well as, what I assume to be, a deliberate misunderstanding of the concept. To suggest feminism is ‘causing more and more men to become marginalised due to a perceived bias that does not even exist’ is ridiculous to a staggering degree. A ‘perceived bias that does not even exist’? Kindly tell that to the women who experience sexual assault in clubs and are forced to shrug it off.

Or to the idea that men are owed sex for being a half decent friend to a girl. Or to those who dare enjoy casual sex, decried as sluts. Or to those who don’t, decried as frigid.

I can do this all day. I choose the ones above due to

their relevance in a university campus society, because I am sure you a l l

know at least some examples of all of that. If not, how about the fact that ‘girl’ is an insult, indicative of weakness?

Women are the weak, frail and emotional messes, which only men can fix.

Even if you don’t think you believe any of this, it’s unavoidable. The ‘perceived bias’ is perceived due to the irritating fact that it exists. These structures mean that almost everyone is a ‘men’s representative,’ save for those who are aware of them. Hard-wired into us since birth via advertising, TV, films, even language itself, ‘woman’ is cramped into a nice neat box of stereotypes and expectations.

But, so is ‘man’.

Man is expected to be strong, emotionless, a sex-driven primal beast. It’s in our nature to drink beer and go shoot things and not ask for directions.

Except, of course, it’s absolutely not. The pressures on men are a serious issue, one that leads down a route

to isolation, anxiety, depression, alongside other mental illnesses. We need a way to address this, this much is clear.

A men’s representative, in this respect, is needed. But, is this really what the creator of a ‘men’s representative’ was trying to achieve? The description concerns itself with none of these serious issues, but instead uses it to complain about feminism. Indeed, the entire role seems to be built as an attempt to support the crumbling patriarchal structures all around, rather than help those men who truly need it.

Women are the weak, frail and emotional masses, only men can fix them Something needs to be done, and it will be. Not by a ‘men’s representative’ who wants to be able to protect his dying, yet ever so stubborn, lad culture, but by feminists. To move forward we need those who seek real equality, and understand how the world’s patriarchy works. Not this. Never this.

Are Student Ideas becoming a big joke?

“A number of these suggestions seem to stem from people looking for cheap laughs” Theodore Stone Online Features Editor

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N the past week or so, the Student Idea’s page on the Guild website has suddenly experienced a massive increase in interest concerning what should or should not be brought to the Guild Council and/or become a Change Agent.

The reason behind this stems from the publication of a rather controversial Idea, that being, to create a ‘Men’s Representative’ position.

A number of Student Ideas seem to step from people looking for cheap laughs The response to this idea was far from, what I imagine, the author wished for. However, where fairness is due, it should be acknowledged that there was much to disagree with. The idea suffered from a lack of research (Milo Yiannopoulo’s views are almost never a viable source of information), and was seemingly one stemming from ir-

rational reaction, as opposed to rational contemplation.

From this, there emerged a number of ideas that seemed to demand a laugh from whoever read them. Calls for “the tears of Men’s Rights Activist’s to be bottled and sold”, “a slide down Cardiac Hill”, and “a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds” hardly seem to bolster the ‘right attitude’ when it comes to innovative concepts (although the “MRA Tears” idea is still the best piece of reactive material that I’ve read whilst at University).

A number of these suggestions seem to stem from people looking for cheap laughs. Ideas such as ‘Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Thunderbirds’ and ‘Badass Lanyards for all Guild Positions’ are by no means serious ones, and yet they attract more attention. However, the problem, to my mind at least, does not centre around the very principle behind Student Ideas itself.

Instead, part of the the problem arises from the fact that there are only a handful of students out of the many

thousands enrolled at the University who actively partake in these ideas.

The number of people who see this innovation as one that they can use to further their enjoyment at the University is simply too low, and thus the University, that is, both the Guild and the Students themselves, need to ensure that the public discourse that Student Ideas provides is maintained in a healthy manner.

As such, we need to ensure that a sense of legitimacy is seen within the mechanics. Student Ideas need to be bolstered to a level where they are seen as a credible method of interacting with the Guild. They need to be sent out into the world, and become a working part of student life.

We need continued discussions, public demonstrations of the ins and outs. As such, we need to work with the various bodies at the University to demonstrate the legitimacy of the ideas being put forward, and stamp out the impression that they will never listen, because they do.

Continuing on from the aforementioned, although we are seeing positive changes arising from these ideas,

the Guild isn’t doing enough to put the fact out there that some of the commonplace innovations found on campus today arose not through a committee, but through a student’s desire for action. Do you want to know why the Guild now have a points system? Part of the reason behind it is because of the submission of a student idea last year calling for one.

The same can be said for the increase in dietary choices, which, again, came into place after a Student Idea was posted on the matter.

Student Ideas are a fantastic way of ensuring that students contribute to Guild improvment Student Ideas are a fantastic way of ensuring that students’ contribute to the ongoing conversation about the multitude of ways we can improve the Guild. However, this does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that they cannot be improved. We need to ensure that these ideas are seen for what they are; something that has the potential to become an integral part of student life.

EXEPOSÉ

Exeter lad culture: has it spiked?

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“Never before in my life had I walked into a room and felt quite literally like a piece of meat” Flora Carr Features Editor

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FIND Lady Gaga’s new music video ‘Til it Happens To You’ a distressing watch. Shot in black and white, the video depicts three female students at an American university, all of whom are sexually assaulted. Whilst the graphic portrayals of the three rapes are in themselves harrowing, what upsets me most is watching the period of self-blame that all three characters go through before each becomes reconciled with the fact that their victimhood wasn’t their fault. At the beginning of the video, the girls are all fresh-faced, naïve and happy - one bashes out tunes on a keyboard with her wouldbe attacker, blissfully unaware. It’s this naivety that catches me.

When I first arrived at Exeter two years ago, I too was wide-eyed and innocent. I’d grown up in Yorkshire, and attended an all-girls school from the age of 13 to 18. I had male friends, but overall was utterly unprepared for the lad culture that waited at university. Never before had I walked into a room and felt

quite literally like a piece of meat. Having worked so hard in the run-up to A Levels and university applications, the focus on my brain and academic ability had been displaced onto my cleavage.

When I had my drink spiked the wider implications of lad culture crystallised for me However, it wasn’t until later into my first term of university, when I had my drinks spiked, that the wider implications of lad culture crystallised for me. The night I was spiked remains a frightening haze for me, but luckily I have friends who were

with me. I wasn’t assaulted; - a friend got into a physical fight with my would-be attacker, who’d followed me out of the club before trying to grab me.

Unfortunately, the ordeal wasn’t over. At my student accommodation, I received sympathy, yes, but also a barrage of inappropriate and upsetting comments. In one instance, I was asked what I’d been wearing on the night. In another, a guy told me “Well, I’d spike you, Flora”, in what he clearly intended to be a

COMMENT ON CAMPUS We are a small island nation who can’t afford them – all the time we have people living on the streets and children going hungry it becomes irresponsible to spend all our money on immoral weaponry.

Third year, Politics

They are really expensive - at a time when we are raising tuition fees it’s not right to spend so much on war. Especially when it is very unlikely that we would ever use the weapons.

First year, Geography

compliment. I felt tainted somehow. I was Flora, the girl who got spiked.

It felt shameful, as if

the sexu a l nature of the attack was now bound up with my own burgeoning identity. I began to make light of the event. I didn’t want to become ‘that girl’.

Now I realise that my shame wasn’t a product of any misdemeanour on my part, but of the lad culture which

permeates our university. Because ‘lad culture’ is simply a euphemism for rape culture. It’s rape culture with a few more trimmings, a few more EGs and yells of “down it, Fresher!”

Lad culture is simply a euphemism for rape culture But at its crux lies the notion that girls at university are there for the taking.

Sexual assault has been normalised in universities across the country - using the term ‘lad culture’ instead of rape culture furthers this. This trivialisation means girls rarely speak up, so that when they do, they’re remembered as the ones who did, their identity sexualised by the crime inflicted on them. It’s a spiral of shame and self-blame. Campaigns like last year’s #NeverOK can make local differences, but it’s a battle being fought across the country and, as Lady Gaga has highlighted, across continents. ‘Til it Happens to You?’ We shouldn’t have to wait ‘til then for us all to understand what needs to change.

“Does the UK need to have Nuclear Weapons?”

Having nuclear weapons puts us at greater risk of being involved in nuclear conflict and war. War which we should never engage with as it puts the lives of civilians at risk. Innocent people should never be put in harms’ way in any circumstances.

Guild Staff member

They are expensive but I think they keep us safe from another country from invading us.

First year, History

I think we should leave these types of decisions up to the politicians as they understand the threats we face better than we ever can.

Third year, Engineering

If the UK were to give up the weapons I fear we would lose our place on the international stage. Our place on the UN Security Council would almost certinly be under threat.

First year, Business

No it doesn’t because it’s a waste of money – we are part of NATO so we’re safe. The money can be used elsewhere.

Third year, Politics

See Features Page 14 for an extended analysis of the nuclear debate

Photo: Tomerq

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EXEPOSÉ

FEATURES Orthorexia: the new eating disorder Exeposé Features

FEATURES EDITORS Flora Carr Sophie Harrison

@ExeposeFeatures

features@exepose.com

Photo: www.news.co.uk

Is there a more sinister side to #strongisthenewskinny? In a provoking and personal account, Olivia Horncastle explores how healthy eating became a dangerously unhealthy obsession

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N a world where obesity is growing, eating healthily is certainly an admirable achievement. However, is it right to start crying when made to eat white bread instead of rye bread? Or to refuse to eat dinner because it had added salt in it? What happens when Orthorexia takes over and the world becomes a black and white divide of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food?

Most teenagers - and society in general - are surrounded by messages saying we should eat healthier. The media endorses cutting down on sugar, fats and carbs; turning to organic fruit and veg; stocking up on superfoods like chia seeds and quinoa - which is easier said than done on a student budget! Yet what happens when healthy eating becomes an unhealthy obsession?

Is it right to cry when made to eat white bread instead of rye bread?

Orthorexia is becoming a global epidemic. For those who do not know the term, it defines an eating disorder where you become fixated by ‘healthy’ foods and practices. Foods are categorised as good or bad, while a label can declare something dangerous to eat. Exercise becomes something that must be done obsessively to stay ‘healthy.’

My personal battle with Orthorexia has been ongoing for several years. Now, I am finally in a place where I can understand the true dangerous element of this ‘Strong is the New Skinny’ phenomenon, created by the media. I am speaking as a

girl who used to devour four cheese pizzas and garlic bread, all with a large grin on her face Switch to the girl who survived on seeds and vegetables, I can safely say that an obsession with ‘healthy-living’ became a dangerously ‘unhealthy’ way to live.

The human body needs a wide range of nutrients, fats and carbs to keep going. When I deemed fat to be evil - something the advertising of ‘fat free yoghurts’ in the media only endorsed - my hair started to thin and fall out. Later, my periods stopped because the human body needs fat to survive and menstruate. This taught me that it can actually be a good thing to eat a Dominos at 2am, every once in a while, because no food or nutrient should be prevented from entering your body. We all need fruit and vegetables, but having a day where you don’t manage to eat the eight portions should not result in you crying in your room, due to feelings of ‘unhealthiness’ and ‘failure.’

The growing increase in Orthorexia is concerning. The media endorses diets everywhere, and whilst many people do need to be educated on how to reduce the unhealthy foods and sugar in their diets, we also all need to

be taught moderation. When Orthorexia takes hold there is no such thing as moderation. Even your birthday will not permit a slice of cake, because you know all of the ‘evil’ things that are in it. You start to fear fruit, due to being told how dangerous sugar is from the media.

It is an obsession and an eating disorder that means your social life and health suffers. In a world where the majority of people need to lose weight, we are constantly told how bad many types of food are for us. We are made to feel disgusting if we do not spend our lives ‘improving’ our health in the gym.

In primary school, lunches consisted of macaroni cheese and custard puddings.

Moving into secondary school, they became tuna wraps, crisps and an apple.

But by college I felt anything I ate was unhealthy, so I would stick to just fruit and veg.

With Orthorexia you also become obsessed with the fear of others finding you unhealthy.

A single comment from a friend feeling ‘fat because she had eaten too much bread’, lead me to assuming bread was evil and banning it for weeks. Girls in particular live in a culture that expects perfection. Healthy diets are perceived to be ‘perfect’ but when they become an obsession they become an imperfect, destructive, isolating and terrible way of living.

Health food bloggers such as Deliciously Ella endorse amazing natural, unprocessed, vegetarian foods. But many of her recipes are high in sugar - albeit from natural sources like dates - and fats such as nuts and avocado. To an Ortho-

rexia sufferer these may be off-limits, despite being some of the healthiest, most nutrient-rich foods around. As a blogger she appreciates the human body needs a wide range of nutrients. As someone with Orthorexia, I assumed it was safer to eat a carrot then to follow her super-healthy recipes. In reality the reverse is true.

When Orthorexia takes hold there is no such thing as moderation Recovery from Orthorexia takes time.

You have to challenge the irrational fears.

You have to eat biscuits, and cake, and realise that heallth is balance You have to block out the medias obsession with health and realise that you will never be healthy enough in the media’s eyes - and that this is okay! You have to realise you don’t need to work out solidly every day to stay fit, and that in fact it is healthier to work out a few times a week; your body needs recovery time.

However, you also have to learn moderation again. You have to learn that it is very ‘unhealthy’ to limit your diet to those perceived ‘safe’ foods. You have to discover that the real healthy is happily eating all foods in moderation.

Healthy eating is not about perfection, limitations, rules and avoiding all ‘bad’ foods. It is about variety, enjoying healthier foods in a moderate way and responding to your body’s true needs.

No one should miss out on a (large) slice of birthday cake, should they?

Exeposé Features spoke with blogger Hannah Darvas, whose Orthorexia developed during recovery from Bulimia.

“I turned to the health realm to save me and it did. However, many troubles were shifted.”

On balance over clean

On the health risks

“I Hannah, a health blogger, am having cheeseburgers for dinner. It doesn’t make me a ‘health fraud’... if anything, it makes me MORE healthy.”

If you are turning down plans because of food, that is not healthy. You can also become physically ill through avoiding certain food groups.”

The 20-year-old now advocates a #balancednotclean outlook, which she shares with 17.6k followers on her Instagram. @HannahDarvas

On the social impact

On her recovery

“My worries over food robbed me of so much life. I missed out on thousands of opportunities to spend time with friends and make memories.”

“Without moments of fear and ‘failure’ I wouldn’t be where I am today. I learnt to be savvy to my eating disorder, so healthy Hannah has the upper hand.”

Capping our prospects EXEPOSÉ

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Just how essential is your university degree? Kate Jones, Copy Editor, talks to Ben Willmott from the CIPD following their recent report on the grad-job market

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T’S safe to say that right now, it’s an uncertain time to be a student. An indication of the fate that could befall many of this decade’s graduates is already becoming clear: a report commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (the professional body for HR and people development) found that the growing amount of graduates in the labour market has “significantly outstripped” the creation of graduate-level jobs.

In damning statistics, the CIPD’s August report claimed that 58.8 per cent of graduates were in non-graduate jobs in the UK, and that the country has one of the highest levels of self-reported graduate over-qualification in Europe.

The number of graduates has outstripped the number of graduate jobs available Consequences of the over-saturation of graduates for high-skilled jobs include employers asking for degrees for traditionally non-graduate roles, leading to graduates replacing non-graduates in less demanding jobs or entering positions where there is little graduate skills demand, according to the report.

When I speak to Ben Willmott, the CIPD’s head of public policy, his own experiences with the UK education system make his calls for change seem incredibly authentic, rather than feeling like he’s simply echoing his employer’s findings.

“At the age of sixteen, I was specifically told not to be a journalist [a career that he in fact went on to pursue for several years], because I was told that it was too competitive,” he tells me during our conversation.

“I was put through one of the early computer career programmes and the one thing it came out suggesting that I do was be a zookeeper. So I received ab-

É

solutely no helpful career advice at all – I was just left floundering.”

“But I think the sad thing is, from what I can tell, that’s still not too uncommon a story. Still too many young people are given really, really inadequate career advice, and when they get it, it’s often too late, or too far down the road.”

In light of the report, we’ve been talking about how degrees are not necessarily equipping graduates with the skills they might use in the future. Willmott’s own background is reflective of this: he trained as a journalist after being unable to get a job, despite getting a History and Politics degree.

“The route to a professional job was actually doing quite a vocational qualification in the end, and I’m sure I probably do draw on some of the skills I learnt when I was doing my degree but, to be honest, most of the skills that I use now are skills that I developed as a journalist.”

Willmott sees a lack of career guidance for young people as one of the reasons why graduates have outstripped the number of graduate-level jobs. When I ask him, in light of talk in recent years

of ‘Mickey Mouse’ qualifications, whether the reason for the problem is too many degrees on offer, his response is: “Possibly, but I also think it’s because the alternatives to university are not very high quality. Most apprenticeships that we

Grads at a glance

45 58.8 409,000

per cent of student loans won’t be repaid in a student’s lifetime, so will be written off per cent of UK University graduates are currently in non-graduate jobs people admitted into Higher Education in the UK last A Level Results Day

produce are at Level 2, with comparatively few at advanced level and just a fraction at higher level, so unfortunately the apprenticeship route is still too often seen as a route for academic underachievers rather than as a viable, high-quality way of accessing the labour market. We do still have a default position where too many young people opt for university without really thinking enough about what type of career they want, what type of different options might be open to them.”

Shockingly, there is also a link between mental health and over qualification University is a lucrative business – what with the high tuition fees for students. Willmott affirms that “to a significant de-

these are all good jobs, but you can certainly access all of those jobs without having a degree,” Willmott explains.

Willmott warns that the problem is affecting non-graduates too.

“Our report showed that the prevalence of increasing numbers of graduates was squeezing out opportunities for apprenticeships in those sectors, so the danger is that you create this labour market which means if you don’t have a degree, you are disadvantaged,” he explains.

“Sometimes, having a degree is the first sort of sift, so if you don’t have a degree you won’t even make it to interview.”

Willmott notes that this is beginning to change, however, with companies like Nestlé “recruiting for values and attitudes rather than for qualification level”, and Barclays now hiring school leavers and apprentices to work in their call centres after noticing that the graduates they used to hire did not stay for long and had low job engagement.

Willmott is adamant about the negative consequences of skills mismatch. “The

OECD produced a report recently which estimated that if the level of skills mismatch in the UK was reduced to the OECD average, then the UK would see a high per cent productivity dividend,” he exgree”, universities put the financial benefits of taking in students over the students’ best interests, given that the jobs that they end up doing may not even have required a degree.

“The Edge Foundation did an analysis of the government’s graduate destination data, and what that showed is that some of the jobs that the survey was suggesting were graduate-level jobs were things like police constables, fitness instructors, estate agents, and

plains.

Shockingly, there is also a link between mental health and over-qualification.

“We’ve also done some work with one of our employee surveys which showed that over-qualification was associated with lower levels of wellbeing in the workplace and lower levels of job satisfaction.”

The report came on the day before A Level Results Day, which ironically, saw a record 409,000 people admitted onto higher education courses in the UK. Isn’t the problem going to get worse?

“I think with the government’s own estimate that 45 per cent of student loans won’t be repaid, [the number of students] is something that needs to be really reviewed,” Willmott says in his response to this question.

We need to make significant efforts to improve the quality of careers guidance that young people receive So what needs to be done? During our interview, Willmott offers three key points: “One is we need to ensure that we improve our vocational education and training system so it’s a viable, high-quality alternative to university.

“Two: we need to make significant further efforts to improve the quality of information, advice and guidance that young people get from at least the age of 14, and finally, we need a much clearer strategy to generate more high-skilled jobs in the UK, and that strategy needs to be concerned with helping businesses to improve their leadership and management capability, highlighting the value of investing in people’s skills in the workplace, better organisation and job design, so that people’s skills can be utilised effectively regardless of which route they took into employment.”

Some of these points already seem to be in development. Willmott supports a system of universities sharing apprenticeships, citing the University of Sheffield; in July it announced it would be offering degree-level manufacturing apprenticeships alongside its traditional degree programmes. But what can those who are already students do?

“Really take every opportunity to build employability skills while you’re at university. Work experience is crucial – if you can do an internship, do it. Build those skills, build those relationships and ultimately it’s those skills that will enable you to compete in the labour market.”

From talking to Willmott, it’s clear to see that the days of degrees being a golden ticket to a high-level job are gone. With graduate numbers at saturation point, only time will tell the effect this has on the labour market in the future.

Image credit: Alastaircampbell.org

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Britain’s bombing blunder

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Helena Kate Bennett takes a closer look at the issue of Trident, arguing that Britain’s possession of nuclear weapons is doing more harm than good to our global reputation

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HE 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was written in a different world. At that time, people genuinely feared that one of the “Great Powers” would use this type of weapon against the other, leaving either Russia or the USA an unchallenged world leader for ever.

What actually happened was a long series of proxy conflicts, played out through battles for loyalty from “developing” states, especially in the Middle East.

It was in this dysfunctional global setting that Britain became a UN-recognised nuclear weapon state. No-one ever deployed a nuclear weapon, but the atmosphere they helped fuel was arguably damaging to the way in which Middle Eastern states like Syria came into the twenty-first century.

Needless to say, we can see the ongoing results of this competition in the region to this day ; Russia doesn’t just support Assad because he’s such a great guy.

However, despite its ideological tendencies – the ultimate aim being to phase out nuclear weaponry while allowing all states to develop nuclear energy programmes – the parameters of the treaty continue to reflect the power dynamics of the Cold War.

“The bomb” has become the ultimate passiveaggressive symbol of global power In the real world, far more than five countries possess nuclear weapons, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has struggled to ensure its regulations are followed as states such as Israel refuse its inspectors access to their sites.

In this context, the extent to which nuclear weapons can be considered properly regulated is highly debatable. This is unsurprising, as having “the bomb” has become the ultimate passive-aggressive symbol of global power, the pursuit of which has always led governments to behave in all sorts of unscrupulous ways.

Essentially, Britain’s choice t o

maintain nuclear weapons capability plays into this discourse of representing power through possessing the potential to reap mass destruction on our fellow human beings. This represents the moral dimension of the debate, which I will cover later. First, we should look at the importance – or lack thereof – of nuclear weapons in the context of today’s conflicts.

We all know, really, that nuclear weapons are unlikely ever to be used; in fact, I would argue that their use is becoming ever less likely as the nature of conflict evolves. The most powerful countries in the world are now able to target specific

enemies to within a fairly fine degree of accuracy, as Britain’s recent elimination of known members of ISIS in Syria demonstrates. Drone technology has generated huge controversy in recent years due to the chance of accidental civilian death during even the most targeted operations. With this in mind, how could any politician seek to justify nuclear strikes on such enemies?

Those we fear as the greatest threats to our security and way of life are increasingly non-state actors, highly integrated with civilian populations. As such, obtaining a mandate for deployment of a nuclear weapon in a con-

flict zone would be virtually impossible.

Furthermore, such a deployment would almost certainly have a negative impact on the fight against radicalisation – another sign that the West is the immoral enemy persecuting Islam.

What is Trident supposed to be deterring? It didn’t stop Russia, or North Korea

It’s hard to see how nuclear weapons can continue to act as a deterrent in this context. What is Trident supposed to be deterring? It didn’t stop Russia invading Ukraine, or North Korea threatening to destroy the USA. It doesn’t prevent terrorist attacks, as we’ve all seen in 9/11 and 7/7, and this is closely linked to the dilemma discussed above. Our enemies know just as well as we do that we wouldn’t ever use nuclear weapons against them, but they can use the fact that we have them to their advantage when recruiting soldiers to the war on the West: proof that Satan’s representatives on earth really are out to destroy anyone who disagrees with them.

Meanwhile, it

seems paradoxical that the government will fund something that has little positive impact on our quality of life, but cannot justify ensuring the future of our energy supply by investing in new nuclear power stations.

Alongside the refinement of weapons technology, nuclear armament seems increasingly irrelevant in the context of international preference for diplomatically achieved political solutions to conflicts.

The rapprochement between Iran and the USA is perhaps the best example of this. While hysterical speculation about the potential of nuclear Armageddon serves no real

purpose, the political deal arguably gives each state more control over its foreign policy.

Diplomacy may force us to make frustrating compromises, but at least it provides the possibility of knowing more about what our partners are doing and perhaps influencing them.

Our enemies know just as well as we do that we wouldn’t ever use nuclear weapons against them Again, with groups such as ISIS on the scene, the traditional powers are becoming less particular about working together: look at the ongoing discussions between the US and Russia on the Syria conflict.

The expression “better the devil you know” has always been very pertinent in international politics.

Finally, when debating the value of the nuclear deterrent for Britain in particular, we need to delve into such moral questions as what sort of state we want to be.

In the minds of many around the world, the image of “Perfidious Albion” as the ultimate colonial aggressor still holds a lot of sway, and it is easy to understand why people feel that the dominance we established in the days of Empire continues to influence the modern balance of global power.

How can we claim to treat our allies as equals while clinging onto both the real and symbolic power conveyed on us by our nuclear weapons? How can we present ourselves as entering into conflicts due to moralistic, human-rights oriented agendas when we could technically just kill everyone with relatively little effort?

Britain’s nuclear weapons are unlikely to destroy human life in practice; however, their existence is highly destructive in terms of how our nation is viewed around the world and, crucially, our credibility when working for peace.

A royal waste of time?

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After Princess Eugenie’s boss bans her from taking more holiday time, Owain Evans argues that the monarchy must set a better example

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HEN it comes to inane celebrity gossip, it’s hard to beat the Royal Family. Last week, it was Princess Eugenie’s turn in the spotlight.

The Daily Mail ran a story about the amount of holiday the Princess has taken, since she started at a London art gallery in July. Barely ten weeks on the job, she’s taken an astonishing 25 days off. This includes trips to Europe, the US Open and Balmoral grouse-shooting with Granny.

It’s not surprising, then, that her employer decided enough is enough. A source at Hauser and Wirth - the gallery she works for - told the Mail that “she won’t be holidaying again until Christmas”. Now Eugenie will have to cancel her trip to New York this month, where the Duchess of York is celebating her birthday.

Yet Eugenie is far from the Royal with the most air-miles. The owner of that title is, arguably, her sister Princess Beatrice. Bea began 2015 on the island of St Barts, before resigning from her job at Sony. She then jetted off for another 12 holidays, so 13 holidays since the start of the year. In this time, many ‘commoners’ will not have had so much as 13 days off. The Duchess of Cambridge has also come under fire in the past for her work-shy attitude.

Her reputation for not doing very much, besides socialising and waiting for Prince William to propose, famously earned her the nickname ‘Waity Katie’. Since marriage,

the Duchess has also been accused of failing to spend enough time at royal engagements. So why are some of the Royals so lazy? Don’t they understand their role in the public eye? The Queen reportededly wants the Royal Family to lead by example, displaying a strong work ethic to the great British public. The aforementioned members fly in the face of that.

A lot of people look up to the Royal Family. The BBC reported that 34 million people watched at least some of their coverage of the marriage of William and Kate.

At the birth of their children, people lined the streets outside St Mary’s Hospital in London desperate for a glance of the new Prince and Princess. On the one hand, we do have to remember that they are still human. They have the same desires that we do. Walking down a street and waving must grow tiresome… who wouldn’t take a holiday under such circumstances?

Unfortunately, the humanity argument has a fatal flaw: if the Royals are human,

why do we throw money at them to live their lavish lifestyle? No one showers gold over the regular Tom, Dick or Harry - unless ‘Wales’ is your surname, of course.

The public do seem quite happy to have a Royal family, but to many people they have become celebrities.

A normal person does not quit then take thirteen holidays in nine months If we’re going to throw money at them, we might as well get our money’s worth. Dance, monkey, dance! Entertain our dreary lives. In an age of austerity, how can Eugenie and Beatrice justify their holidays? People are being asked to work longer for less; why should our Royal Family be exempt? How can we look up to Princess Beatrice, yet denounce people who live on benefits as lazy? Is it time some of the Royals pulled their weight?

Public opinion is starting to change a little in that regard.

A YouGov poll in February asked the public to decide whether

different members of the Royal Family should receive money from the taxpayer.

Only the Queen and Princes Charles, William and Harry actually produced favourable results, and even then 24 per cent of the respondents favoured cutting the Queen off financially. 81 per cent of respondents didn’t believe the Yorks should receive any public funding. The public might like the Royals, but when it comes to footing the bill they are resentful.

Despite this, the fringe Royals keep on getting money. Beatrice keeps jetting off to places that the average person can only dream of, while her sister buys eyewateringly expensive dresses that The Daily Mail can’t resist trying to sell to me.

A normal person does not quit their job and then take 13 holidays in nine months, but a normal person also doesn’t get to live an extravagant lifestyle off the back of the money they acquired simply because of the parents they were born to.

In the 18th century, one of the gripes of the French Revolutionaries was the extravagant lifestyle of the Royals, notably Marie Antoinette. Maybe it’s time some of our Royals learnt to earn their lifestyle, lest they succumb to a similar fate.

FEATURES

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Caption Column Last week George Osbourne revealed his guilty pleasure of rap music, specifically band ‘N**gaz with Attitude’.

Our writers get satirical.

“Spending most our lives living in the Chancellor’s paradise.”

FIONA POTIGNY “Straight outta Oxford, George leads ‘Tories with Attitude’.”

THEODORE STONE “Started out from Eton now we’re here.”

STEPHEN HAWKINS “In the town where I used to live, they all calling me Conservative.”

SOPHIE HARRISON “Exchequing out the bitches in the house of commoners.”

KATHY GIDDENS “In West Philidelphia, Osborne n’ raised.”

JOSHUA ROTCHELLE “It was all a dream, I used to read Tatler magazine.”

GARETH BROWN “I am NoTORYous.”

CHRIS FILSELL “If you ain’t got no money take yo’ broke ass home.”

ZAK MAHINFAR FEATURED CAPTION

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LIFESTYLE Tweets of the week These people are clearly revelling in being back at university and have been utilising their time well so far...

Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Sophie H @writing_sophie Visiting M&S for berries and sushi - now all I need is a yacht and a trust-fund. #exetah #studentlife Flora C @floracarr_ Listening to The Best of Chopin whilst writing a piece on Instagrammable fashion models. I like to chop-in change Oliver W @ollypenderghast preing on vodka orange made with M&S Sicilian blood orange juice because Exeter Rebecca T @RebeccaTeahan Mother and daughter wearing matching ‘Mallorca 69’ vest tops PLEASE get me out of here

Exeter Strikes Yak •

You know you maybe got too drunk when you wake up to 12 messages from your family because you sent a naked picture of yourself to the family whatsapp group

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The five most reassuring words you can ever hear at uni: ‘I haven’t started yet either’

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Little did my mum know when she said she’d pay for my Netflix account that she’d end up being my wingwoman

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Continuing to use the shared flat tea towel despite being sure it must now contain at least three strains of e-coli

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Three weeks in and ladylike isn’t working. Time to commence operation slut.

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Exeposé Lifestyle

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Joshua Rotchelle Jack Wardlaw

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@ExeposeLStyle

lifestyle@exepose.com

Azealia and the F word

After a video surfaced of rapper Azealia Banks using a homophobic slur, Jack Wardlaw, Lifestyle Editor explores the problem with using the word ‘f*ggot’

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N Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, there’s a bit where Alice and Humpty Dumpty have an argument about the meaning of language. Humpty uses the word “glory” to mean “a nice knockdown argument” but when Alice objects and points out that this is not what the word “glory” actually means, Humpty replies with “When I use a word… it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” The point of this little anecdote (apart from basically giving you a taste of an English Literature seminar) is that it draws an almost perfect parallel with Azaelia Banks’ recent tirade against a Delta cabin crew member.

As a gay man, I know the real power of the word ‘f*ggot’ Essentially, for those who haven’t had the news retweeted onto their timeline, Azealia was on a flight and upon disembarking was held up by a French couple in front of her. When she was unable to get off the plane uninterrupted, she apparently went ballistic at the couple, and a member of the cabin crew tried to intervene. He put his arm out to stop her and at this point she, according to an eye-witness of the event, spat and punched him in the face and clawed at his shirt. The flight attendant then held onto her bag and asked her to calm down, and then Azaelia is caught on film saying “give me my bag you fucking faggot.” All rather unpleasant really.

Understandably, the use of such a loaded homophobic slur has caused somewhat of a Twitter storm and Azealia, never one to shy away from controversy, has pretty much dug herself into an ever deeper hole by her, frankly, pathetically pseudo-intellectual faux-liberal response.

Her defence was, and I’m not joking, she can’t be homophobic because she’s bisexual, her brother is trans and her employees are gay. Yeah, sure honey. That is the exact excuse that we all mock when someone makes a racist comment and tries to prove they’re not actually racist because their best friend is black. Nope, try again.

She then went on to try to defend her use of the word by claiming that she uses the word ‘faggot’ to mean a man who hates women. Sorry Azaelia, it doesn’t

work like that. You can’t just decide for yourself what a word means, in the same way that Humpty Dumpty can’t redefine what “glory” means. Without wanting to sound too much like my Approaches to Criticism seminar tutor, language gets its meaning from a general consensus among a population - we all agree on what ‘door’ means for example - and while we may have slightly differing interpretations of what a ‘door’ looks like, we all know what someone means when they say it. If some one started using the word ‘door’ to refer to a cat, let’s say, then language breaks down. If everyone is able to rewrite the meaning of language for themselves, we have no common language and therefore no way of communicating. To be honest, it smacks of arrogance on Azealia’s part that she feels she has the authority to take this word from the LGBTQ+ community and use it for her own ends.

As a gay man, I know the real power of the word ‘faggot’. It’s a word that is loaded with pain, with hurt and with suffering. Using it as an insult is, in simple terms, tremendously homophobic, and in the altercation with the flight attendant, Azealia used it as a homophobic insult. After growing up having the word ‘faggot’ spat at me as I walked past, or having it scribbled on my work when I wasn’t looking, or having it shouted at me while people gather round and jeer at me at lunchtime, I’m not buying any of Azealia’s excuses.

“But gay men call each other faggots all the time?” People on Twitter are crying.

Yes, some gay men do choose to use that word, but in the same

way that some women are reclaiming the

It is a word that has been used for decades to degrade, dehumanise and destroy gay men word slut, some gay men want to take this word, a word full of pain, and take away its power.

In a brilliant article for The Huffington Post, Rich Hawkins points out that the reason Azealia’s use of the word is inexcusable is because it is not her word to use. It is a word that has been used for decades to degrade, dehumanise and destroy gay men, and it is up to gay men whether or not that word is used. He goes on to sum up the idea much better than I ever could: “In almost all minority communities, historically pejorative words have been reclaimed and flipped to redefine them in order to strip them of power. The black community did it with the n-word, and gay men have done it with ‘faggot.’ While not all gay men will agree, for many it’s ok to use among friends and in comedy, but only within agreed p a ram-

eters set out by those who were subject to the abuse. Setting the parameters for acceptable use is the exclusive right of those who are truly in need of reclaiming it.”

If Azealia, as a bisexual woman, wants to use the word in the presences of her gay friends, and her friends do not mind, then that is a different situation, but in this instance, when the word is clearly used as an insult in the middle of a fight with a stranger, it is clearly homophobic and therefore unacceptable.

I could also go on to quote Rich’s truthful observation that homophobia stems from misogyny - in that a man acting in a feminine manner is considered a bad thing - and as a self-identified womanist, Azealia should know better than to use such a word as an insult, but I advise everyone reading this to search for his article entitled ‘Is Azealia Banks Right in Her Use of the Word “F*ggot?”

(No)’ Like I said, he puts it far better than I ever could.

Contrary to popular belief, homophobia has not dissipated because LGBTQ+ people can now get married Azealia went on in a since-deleted Twitter tirade to compare gay white men to the racist extremists, the KKK and claimed that she wants to pepper spray gay men who call her a bitch.

This is yet another example of the foul and disgusting homophobic behaviour that Azealia demonstrates. These outbursts needs to be highlighted and called out, regardless of who it is saying it. Contrary to popular belief, homophobia has not dissipated because LGBTQ+ people can now get married and adpot children. We are no longer fighting the law, we are now fighting a far harder battle - a battle to change people’s minds and attitudes.

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Flora Carr, Features Editor, gives a run-down of today’s top social media star models

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ITH fashion month kicking off, you’d think we’d all be thinking about the new season’s clothes. But nowadays, great clothes only make up half of a successful fashion show. You also need a set of models whose friendship circles and Instagram feeds are as gorgeous as they are. So here’s our runway round up of the top three models to follow on Instagram.

Gigi Hadid Best friends with a Kardashian and dating a Jonas brother, Gigi Hadid seems to have it all. Taking the fashion world by storm, the It-girl has a string of lucrative campaigns under her belt, including Balmain, Victoria’s Secret and Maybelline. But if you scroll though her Instagram feed, you’re just as likely to see other celebs as cover shoots. 19 year-old Hadid runs with the LA cool crowd; she’s BFFs with other model-of-the-moment, Kendall Jenner (part of the Kardashian clan) and counts Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Cara Delevigne as part of her circle. Prepare for Rise filters and serious hair and lifestyle envy. Unfortunately, despite being undeniably gorgeous, Hadid has come under fire by internet trolls who have attacked her body shape which she herself admits isn’t the norm for high-fashion models. In a poignant Instagram post, she addressed her critics by proudly declaring that “your mean comments don’t make me want to

change my body.” She is making waves in the industry and she’s not going to stop anytime soon, and nor should she!

says “to forgive is to swallow when you want to spit”. Risqué. The teen has walked for the likes of Calvalli, Versace, Fendi, Burberry and

Binx Walton If Hadid is the ever popular vanilla of the fashion world, then Binx Walton is the popping candy. A cool girl whose Instagram tagline reads “Shoutout to my mom…

Shoutout to the east… Shoutout to hiawassee…” (yes, we had to Google ‘hiawassee’ too), Walton’s feed includes pictures of graffiti, models blowing smoke rings and a road sign which

Moschino, and already has a British Vogue cover under her belt. Walton is a tomboy at heart, but cites her favourite fashion icon as Kate Moss. Edgy, alternative and stunningly waif-like, Binx has been taking the modelling world by storm with her perfect blend of elegance and attitude, and has the support of some of the biggest designers in the world to keep doing what she’s doing.

Lineisy Montero Whilst she’s not as recognisable as Hadid or Walton, she soon will be. Lineisy Montero was the face of the Autumn/ Winter 2015 collections, and her star is only set to rise. Already named a Prada muse by Miuccia Prada, Montero grew up in the Dominican Republic.

Since the fashion world is noted for its apparent reluctance to embrace ethnic diversity, Montero’s amazing afro quickly got her noticed. Her Instagram feed is full of shots from her catwalk shows and close-ups of her magnificent pout. SS16 has proved that her popularity is only rocketing skywards, as she’s walked in over 60 shows this season for brands like Victoria Beckham, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Chanel.

With increasing diversity on the world’s runways, Lineisy is the face of a modern day movement. She is the face to know right now, so take note.

Porn regulation for the nation?

Laura Macfarlane discusses proposed potential changes to the adult film industry

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AST night, I went to see a musical in Exeter called Avenue Q. Definitely worth seeing, the musical addresses many taboo subjects in society. One of these subjects was porn.

The song ‘The Internet is for Porn’ (available to watch on YouTube) shows a number of ‘normal people’ singing that the main reason that the internet exists and the main reason that people it, is for porn. Joking as the musical may be, it is definitely based on truth. Pornography is a part of our society and has become normal.

We should regulate the porn which is made legally A recent Radio 4 discussion show asked the question “can porn be ethical?”

Former dominatrix Nichi Hodgson suggested that porn should have to live up to a “kitemark” of safety and standard. This

would look after the stars of pornography, making sure that they were healthy, had power to give consent and were not doing anything that they didn’t want to do.

Pay per view porn is already regulated to some extent, with some violent practices banned.

Pornography appears to be an unavoidable presence in modern society My first reaction to this was that, since porn appears to be an unavoidable presence in modern society, it would be a good idea to regulate it. One of the biggest issues in porn, however, is that it is actually a very competitive industry, with actors feeling pressured to do whatever the director wants to avoid being easily replaced. It may be difficult to always know whether the actors truly feel safe.

Furthermore, people continue to make

porn beyond the reach of the law and videos made using exploited women and even the victims of human trafficking are still available online.

The fact remains that porn is a consumer driven industry, and the demand for porn depicting violence and unusual acts still exists. Most people, in particular young boys, do not know the effect that watching a lot of porn can have on them.

Men can have difficulty experiencing pleasure during sex as they have come to desire the gorgeous, hairless women of porn who are willing to do whatever the viewer desires. Yes we should try to protect the actors in porn, but I think that the biggest way that the government can do this is by removing the demand for violent and unhealthy porn.

It may be true that, in an ideal world, porn would not exist. The fact is that it does. Let’s stop denying this fact. Let’s encourage more discussion about porn in our sex education lessons at school.

Let’s educate our young people on the harm that porn could do to their sex life.

While we should regulate legitimatelymade pornography, making sure it is safe, shows a good model of consent and stars realistic and diverse actors, it is also important to teach our young people about the harm that can be done by pornography, particularly that which goes against these regulations.

Men can have difficulty experiencing pleasure during sex as they desire gorgeous, hairless women It may not be possible to regulate all pornography, so let’s make sure that the porn which is, arguably, ethical, is the porn which is chosen. Let’s force the porn industry to become more ethical by demanding safe, realistic pornography.

É - Porn is currently regulated in Britain by the Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014 - This law prohibits depic tion of spanking, “physical restraint” and female ejaculation within pornographic material, among other acts - The last country to attempt an outright ban was India, but the move was met with overwhelming popular re jection, particularly on social media

Food for freshers’ flu 18

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EXEPOSÉ

Emma Bessent shares her best culinary remedy to combat the misery of freshers’ flu

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EELING under the weather?

Freshers’ flu caught up with you at last? Are your tonsils swelling, your head aching and your motivation to attend your 8:30 lecture non-existant?

This vibrant and sharp last taste of summer will cut through congestion and replenish your ailing system with essential macronutrients to get you back on your feet to face the term ahead. Budget friendly and easy to make, this creamy chicken spaghetti will soon become your go-to comfort dish. These recipes are supposed to serve one, but you can easily just double them if you want to share.

Firstly, in a mixing jug, beat together the cream cheese, parmesan and lemon zest and juice until smoothly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Set a saucepan filled with water to

boil.

In a frying pan, heat your olive oil on a medium hob setting before adding the chicken. You should brown the chicken for a good ten minutes, or until covered in a crisp, golden skin; this just adds a nice bit of texture to the finished dish.

If you’re worried about whether it has cooked through properly or not, just cut one of the pieces in half; if

the centre is white and tender, it’s done.

Add salt to your saucepan full of water once it has come to the boil. If you add it before setting it on the heat, it will take longer to boil and waste energy, as well as delaying your much-needed food! Pop your spaghetti into the water and set a timer for eight minutes, or the cooking time specified on the packet.

W h e n your spaghetti has cooked, get your

serving dish and pop it in an empty, clean sink. Drain your pasta’s cooking water into the dish; this has the dual purpose of heating up your bowl so that your food doesn’t go cold whilst you’re eating – never a nice thing, but worse when you’re ill – and saving some of that starchy water to make your sauce a little thinner and glossier. Set the water aside carefully.

Tip the cooked spaghetti in with the cooked chicken and toss until coated in the leftover residue from the olive oil. Add in your spinach at this point, and allow to wilt as you finish the dish.

Working quickly, add the cheese and lemon mix with a little of the pasta water to loosen it, and again toss until well combined. Add more water depending on desired consistency of sauce.

Serve with a little extra parmesan on top, and enjoy this veritable feast of

protein, carbs and vitamins!

TIP: Not fond of spinach? Just swap it out for another nutrient-loaded green vegetable; the sweetness of peas can work really nicely with the sharpness of the lemon in this dish, and, as a bonus, they’re cheap and rich in vitamin C. Simply pop them in alongside the pasta for the final four minutes of its cooking time before draining.

É

Ingredients 50g Cream Cheese 30g Parmesan Zest & juice of one lemon 1/2 tbsp of olive oil One chicken breast, cut into chunks or strips 100g spaghetti 50g spinach

Written in the stars This week, the Exeposé Lifestyle team rub each other’s crystal balls to predict what’s in store for readers...

Libra (Sep 24 – Oct 23) You are in a time of great journeys across taxing expanses. Truly, whoever said the greatest battle man can fight is against himself never had to hoof it up Forum hill to that 8:30 seminar. Persevere, however: your sacrifice of £9,000 a year is truly worth it, the employability team told me so.

Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 22) In your times of seeking enlightenment, do not be sidetracked by knowledges that you already possess. “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” is a riddle, “What is the sound of one hand jerking?” is solved every night at 2am by that weird flatmate in your thin-walled accommodation.

Sagittarius (Nov 23 – Dec 21) Opportunities will arise very soon for you, opportunities to make a great name for yourself. Submit your papers on time, make them wellresearched and attentive to detail, follow through on all the secondary reading, and you too will have an excuse to get smashed enough to be christened “Pissed-Themself Pat”.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20) The terribly antagonistic Mars sits within your birth sign, at odds with

the ice-cool Pluto. There are two possible interpretations of this: either you should carefully soulsearch to discover the true, unerring balance of these two forces within you, or you should carefully soulsearch and seriously rethink your life for listening to us.

that because the sign of your birth is a ram, you spend far too much time in the student bar of the same name. However, anyone who looks at you can tell you’re an utter mess, and to get that lashed, you must be downing those cheap EX4 shots.

You dirty, dirty human.

Aquarius (Jan 21 – Feb 19) Travel has probably never played such an important role in your life as it will over the coming days.

Some readers may have crossed continents to get to Exeter, others perhaps just the street, but you will never understand your inner self until you puke part of it out while travelling home in an Estate Patrol van. Situations to avoid this week: Ring of Fire games, at all costs.

Taurus (Apr 21 – May 21) Mercury, the planet of communication, is travelling through your sphere this week, which is good news for you – as a bull, bullshit is your specialty, after all. Tell us again how many shots you downed in how many minutes? And how hot was that one you got off with at Top-Top again? Feel free to bend the details a bit – Lord knows they had you doing plenty of bending yourself. Recommended source of inner peace: spirit dildo.

Pisces (Feb 20– Mar 20) Neptune is the ruling planet of your birth sign, as well as being ruler of the oceans, and happens to be clashing with Mars this week.

As a result, your water expanses are great, but filled with the sharks of Mars-y danger, whatever that means. This week’s good luck ritual: acquire Mars bar, dip in river Exe, feed to nearest fresher.

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 20) The simple-minded may assume

Gemini (May 22 – Jun 21) Much like your Libra buddies, the week ahead is one of journeys for you. Fortunately, you’re the sign of twins, so you can make twice as much progress as everyone else, and in record time, too. Unfortunately, let’s be honest, you’re just going to put in half your usual effort and spend the extra time on Netflix.

Spirit-charm film: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water.

Cancer (Jun 22 – Jul 22) It can sometimes be hard to see the way forward in your life, and as challenges always seem to lie right in front of you, tough times may lie ahead in this week. Or they would, except you’re a crab, so you’re always walking sideways and forward seldom concerns you. Sidle on; you’re making it look good.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) Within this next week, you will face life obstacles that cannot be overcome by brute force, instead requiring careful thought and contemplation.

The only problem with that plan is that you’re a fuckin’ lion, so thinking it through probably isn’t your forté. On the bright side though, however you screw up, it’ll probably be fantastic and hilarious.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 23) The time ahead for you will be a very experimental one, filled with opportunities to sieze new things and run with them. It’s therefore important that that’s exactly what you do: try new things, and to hell with the consequences, because your

experiences are likely to be valuable and insightful. And hey, if I’m wrong, well...chlamydia’s easily cured.

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20

MUSIC

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-15 16-18 8-11

MUSIC Gig Listings

Tuesday 13 October Up and Coming: Lauren Lo Sung, Fresco, Iversse Cavern, Exeter

MUSIC 20-24

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SCREEN 25-27

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 29-31 33-36

GAMES 37-39

12 OCTOBER 2015 |

SPORT 43-45

Exeposé Music

MUSIC EDITORS James Atherton Katie Costello

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@ExeposeMusic

music@exepose.com

The Macs are back

Wednesday 14 October Oxjam: Big Words, Lipstick Jumpsuit, Jonjo Clams Cavern, Exeter Thursday 15 October Freakscene Present: Sales Cavern, Exeter Friday 16 October Hold It Down: Julio Bashmore Phoenix, Exeter Saturday 17 October Hold It Down: Mike Skinner Phoenix, Exeter Saturday 17 October Dogs On Acid Cavern, Exeter Monday 19 October Fightstar Lemon Grove, Exeter Wednesday 21 October The Ordinary Boys Cavern, Exeter Thursday 22 October Jack Savoretti Phoenix, Exeter

Exeposé Recommends...

The Ordinary Boys @ Cavern, Exeter Wednesday 21 October The man responsible for ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘I Luv U’, and a swift exit from Never Mind The Buzzcocks after Simon Amstell read his wife’s book is coming to Exeter. Rumours are that he wants to set the band’s record straight and become known as a punk frontman, but strange musical integrities aside, heading down to the Cavern next Wednesday will be a massive nostalgia trip for anyone.

Photo: The Guardian

Lewis Norman, Science & Tech Editor, talks to The Maccabees about recording their new album and how students should go about starting a band

T

WO years ago, Alex Turner said that Rock n’ Roll was making a comeback. Self-indulgent, maybe, but when you consider the ever-rising indie-rock band The Maccabees, it is easy to see where he is coming from. Sitting down on a Friday morning with the band’s guitarist Hugo White, I was very keen to find out what he thought set the band apart from the rest.

“I don’t think there is uniqueness in the way that we write our music,” Hugo argues, getting off to a candid start, “Every band has their own thing and I think we’ve developed as a band through our records. I think that the people that were into the band at the start have stuck with us and given us a load of support.

Our first record wasn’t really a hit that defined us and we haven’t been sucked into that thing where people see that we’ve changed and don’t like us anymore. We’ve always felt like we can do what we wanted to do. I think the only reason we’re set apart from anyone is because we always work as a collaboration.

We couldn’t be what we do as solo effort or as any other setup.” Their latest single ‘Something Like Happiness’ has proved this method to be a success, with the melodic layers of their sound showing a rare musical unity.

So how does Marks To Prove It differ from previous The Maccabees albums? “I mean, in comparison to the previous album it was an exercise in stripping things down,” White states.

“Given To The Wild really experimented with effects, trying to create a landscape.

A lot of the effort with the writing in this record was trying to stay away from that and create these landscapes in different ways by really focusing on the songs.”

In comparison to the previous album it was an exercise in stripping things down This new album is the first record that the band has produced themselves in their own studio in South London, and there has been a lot of suggestion that the place of recording – Elephant and Castle – has had a significant impact on the lyricism of the album.

Questioning White on this, I was surprised to hear that he thought that their location had an impact on the sound of the album beyond solely lyrical touchpoints. “Lyrically, the amount of time we were spending in our studio made it become a significant part of our lives. Orlando [Weeks] would often incorporate overheard conversations into the lyrics. You realise that there is a lot in what you might see as mundane, but things that don’t seem to be special have a real beauty to them. It was the same thing with the record cover – the Faraday Memorial – thousands of people drive past it everyday, probably without

thinking about it or taking another look.

But it looks so strong and glorious in this photo and by putting it on the record cover it gives a totally new way of looking at it and celebrates something that people see regularly without noticing.”

Speaking in great detail about the amount of thought that went into the instrumentation on the album, White notes that, “the piano in the studio became like the third guitar.” Interjecting, I inquire into why the band chose to incorporate piano parts instead of just layering a third guitar, something bands do countless times. “When we moved into the studio it had been derelict for quite some time and we had to rip up the carpet and make it liveable,” he explains.

“The one thing that was in the studio was the piano and it only seemed right for it to become part of the record. Jesus and the Mary Chain had the studio before we did, about 20 years ago, and we just recently got in contact with someone that worked for them and they sent us some photos of the band sitting in the studio with this piano. It is quite nice that this piano has had a real life and has naturally made its way into it.”

White has stated in the past that he wants the band to sound like a ‘band in a room’, but how does that translate to a festival field? “The songs that we’ve been playing live such as ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘World War One’ directly translate live in a natural way,” he offers.

“There is a sort-of flip-side to the re-

cord that we haven’t had the chance to play yet and we’re trying to start filtering these into our UK tour. In November, Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury were incredible – biggest things we’ve ever done. It was quite surreal coming out of two years in isolation and playing to all those people. After two years of not doing anything, you don’t even know people are going to still be interested.

Now we’re back into trying to get used to that.”

Finishing the interview, I asked White what advice he has for young bands starting out today.

Things that don’t seem to be special have a real beauty to them “It is a difficult thing really,” he replies, spending several seconds pondering the question. “Everything has changed so much since when we were at that point and it was very difficult to work alone when we were at that point because we didn’t all own these programs on laptops that you could use. We never relied on making demos like that.

We were always in a room with each other in rehearsals. If anyone thinks it is the kind of thing that you can just do at a rehearsal here and there and maybe do a gig once in a while, then they are wrong.

You just have to put everything into it.”

EXEPOSÉ

Inspiration vs. Plagiarism www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Following the recent controversy between Hozier, Feist and Chilly Gonzales, Kate Giff examines whether or not imitation is the greatest form of flattery

A

S someone with no musical talent, I find it amazing that artists are still coming up with original melodies, and am reluctantly waiting for the day they run out. Every now and again, however, a song comes along sounding not-so-original, and often a lawsuit follows.

Last week, for example, pianist Chilly Gonzales accused Top 40 golden boy Hozier of ripping-off Canadian band Feist’s 2011 tune ‘How Come You Never Go There’ on his career building chart topper ‘Take Me To Church’, suggesting they should sue. Hozier isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last to be accused of musical plagiarism. The question is whether such accusations should be a one way ticket to the courtroom, or if artists should understand that occasional similarities are inevitable.

ties, in my opinion ‘Blurred Lines’ isn’t a complete rip-off of Gaye’s ‘Got To Give It Up’, and certainly isn’t as similar as some other songs that have never been sued.

Moreover, Gaye being one of the most influential artists of his generation, it is presumable that his music would have influenced countless singers that have come after him. Is ‘Blurred Lines’ the scapegoat, then, because it’s an awful song? Or because it was hugely successful (so successful that $3.3 million of its profit was given to the Gaye estate)?

Is it all about the money? It’s obvious that a lot of hard work goes into an artist releasing a song, which becomes a part of their legacy. It makes sense, then, for them to want compensation when their song is used, especially if the “ripoff” song gains success to the heights that

Music influences music, no-one cares There must be a line between taking inspiration from a song, and downright copying it. In some instances, this line is blurred (no pun intended), as with the Gaye vs. Thicke debacle. In March 2015, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were ordered to pay over $7 million to the estate of Marvin Gaye, including $4 million damages.

While there are some similari-

‘Blurred Lines’ did.

It seems suing an artist is a relatively easy way to make millions, especially if you belong to a music legacy On the other hand, some artists believe that it isn’t possible to ‘own’ their music in the first place. In October 2014, Paramore singer Hayley Williams publicly accused pop superstars One Direction of stealing the intro of New Found Glory’s track ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ for their new single ‘Steal My Girl’. On hearing these two intros, I was shocked that One Direction and their writers were able to get away with claiming ‘Steal My Girl’ as their own, when it is so blatantly the same melody as New Found Glory’s song, albeit in a different key. Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory’s principle composer, however, refused to engage with the might of the Directioners,

tweeting: “Music influences music. No one cares… It’s not their fault…” Although this may have been influenced by a fear of One Direction’s fans, Gilbert’s claim that ‘music influences music’ suggests that plagiarism isn’t so much a suable crime, as inevitable. If Gilbert whose band makes nothing close to One Direction or Marvin Gaye - is ok with it, shouldn’t the Gaye Estate be, too?

Whether you side with Gaye or Gilbert is up to you, and probably depends on whether you believe any artist has a ‘right’ to music in the first place. Either way, it seems suing an artist is a relatively easy way of making millions, especially if you belong to a musical legacy like the Gaye Estate.

Whether Feist intends to follow up on Hozier’s apparent plagiarism, like many before them, is unclear. What is clear, however, is that there are a finite number of notes and chords, and presumably, a finite number of tunes. It must be left to the artists, then, to decide whether they deserve payment for any music they may influence, and left to us listeners to hope that decision is all about the artistry, and not about the money.

The Bragging Tape

Exeter recently entered the ‘Global Top 100 Universities’, coming in at 93rd. Inspired by those modest ‘exceptional’ signs they’ve stuck all over campus at the moment, we’ve compiled the playlist that is currently being played in Sir Steve Smith’s office.

‘We Are The Champions’ - Queen - Alex Thomas ‘Simply The Best’ - Tina Turner Joe Stewart ‘99 Problems’ (but being 93rd ain’t one) - Jay-Z Kathy Giddins ‘Started From The Bottom’ - Drake - Alex Brammer ‘S-Exe On Fire’ - Kings Of Leon - Joe Stewart ‘Run To The Hills’ (Oxbridge) - Iron Maiden Theodore Stone ‘I’m So Excited’ - The Pointer Sisters - Jack Wardlaw

MUSIC

21

Hot / Not / Long Shot / Forgot Sam Chantarasak gives her opinion on what’s hot, what’s not, something that is a bit of a long shot and what has scandalously been forgotten.

Hot: ‘Clearest Blue’ – CHVRCHES The third single from Chrvches second album encapsulates what they do best. Passionate lyrics, Lauren Mayberry’s otherworldly vocals, and a slickly produced electro accompaniment build to a climax that is at once epic and commands you to dance.

Not: ‘World In Union’ – Paloma Faith ‘World In Union’, the rousing theme song for the Rugby World Cup, has taken on many forms, but none quite like England’s 2015 attempt. Usually an anthem that stirs up excitement, Paloma Faith’s version is more likely to empty the stadium than pump it up.

Long Shot: ‘Paw Due Respect (Blue Diamonds Remix)’ – Run The Jewels Meow The Jewels, Run The Jewels’ new album, started as a comedy Kickstarter and ended as a modern-day masterpiece.

Well controlled cat mewling accompanies the violent rap, culminating in a surreal darkcomedy hit.

Forgot: ‘Wasting My Young Years’ - London Grammar Hannah Reid’s haunting vocals nail the melancholy atmosphere that combine to create the perfect ode to youth. The song develops into a dramatic meld of voice and instrumental, then is unafraid to pull away to a mournful end.

White House to West House

22

MUSIC

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-18 12-15 8-11

MUSIC 20-24

BUCS PULLOUT

SCREEN 25-27

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 29-31 33-36

GAMES 37-39

SPORT 43-45

12 OCTOBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

After the revelation that he intends to run for President in 2020, Sophie Harrison, Features Editor, looks forward to 2018 and envisages a week in the life of Kanye West on the campaign trail

M

ONDAY: Kanye releases his campaign slogan: ‘Four, five seconds to change the world.’ Later that day, Justin Timberlake publicly expresses his anger that it rips off his ‘4 minutes’ hit with Madonna.

Timberlake is fuming. The two already have a patchy relationship after Kanye called him out for crying a river at the 2013 Grammys. He accuses West of “using him for votes.”

“Look y’all,” Kanye responds that evening, “I don’t need no artist for my own artistry. I have 21 Grammys. Show me your Grammys Justin, show ‘em to me. You ain’t messing with my gold figures”.

Kanye releases his campaign slogan: “Four, five seconds to change the world” Tuesday: Madonna and Justin Timberlake release a photo of their collective 16 Grammys. In an interview later that day, Kanye publicly accuses the pair of “stealing from my Bey and Tay.” Kanye asks his wife Kim and mother-in-law Kris for advice. They have a brilliant idea. An hour later, social media goes into meltdown. Kim Kardashian-West has posted a naked selfie with Kanye’s 21 Grammys. Under Kanye’s artistic direction, the golden statues protect her modesty.

Vogue ring at 7pm, saying they want to do a “Grammy-themed issue” in December.

Wednesday: The daytime is relatively quiet. Kim is recovering from the news that North and Kendall will be joint cover stars of December Vogue. Kanye consoles her and begins writing the lyrics for ‘Bound 3’.

That evening, team West release a campaign video titled “The Second Coming”. In the short film, set to an acoustic version of ‘Black Skinhead’, Yeezus is portrayed as the next Messiah.

He gives out ‘Yeezy Boots’ to the homeless. He invites Taylor Swift to sing at his inauguration.

He bans Spotify and runs an exclusive 1p discount for Tidal.

The film ends with Kanye parting the waves of America.

His team are convinced the campaign will be smooth-sailing from here.

in 2012 is still unfinished, he wants to take no chances.

Included in the list are seven glam rooms, four selfie rooms and two shrines. More mysterious requests include the ‘cosmetics room’ and the ‘film room’.

White House staff reply to Kanye later that day, asking why the film room features a bed and no TV screen.

They also ask

what the purpose of the cosmetics room is, and why they need to hire a surgeon.

They receive no response.

Friday: Kanye is given a lesson in speechmaking, starting with the list-ofthree.

“It captures the mind of your audience,” he is told by his advisor, South Smith. Kanye tells her he’s already got it down.

“Work it, make it, do it.” He smiles at his own genius.

“Do you have anything that isn’t lyrics to your own songs?” South asks tentatively. West is not amused, but will never pass up the chance to practice his craft.

“I’m a visionary, I’m a vision. I’m a visionary…”

“I think you already said that,” whispers South. Kanye is outraged at the interruption of his monologue.

“Are you gonna let me finish?” The lesson is over and he tells South to walk in the other direction.

Saturday: In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Kanye declares that the name of the White House is racist. When asked what he would change it to, he responds: “Look bro, it’s West House now. Y’all calling it White House are promoting that supremacy shit.”

After the interview, his aides are concerned that there will be confusion

Thursday: Kanye sends a memo to the White House, informing them that renovations need to begin now. As the house he and Kim bought

between ‘The West House’ and ‘The West Wing’, so suggest ‘South House’.

Kanye is fuming. “Listen to the King bro! That is, like, the worst direction.

That is disrespecting geography.”

With 18 months of campaigning still to go, Kanye is already thinking of his presidential legacy Sunday: The Kardashian-Wests are over at Kris Jenner’s house. Kanye wants to take North and Easton - their son - onto the campaign trail. Kim sets up a Snapchat account for North, so she can take campaign selfies.

Kris is beside herself with pride.

She has booked another facelift because of the wrinkles from smiling so much.

She is certain that ‘The Second Coming’ will win an Oscar and is already searching for a dress. She is confused that she reaches voicemail for all 57 designers she contacts that day, but Kanye saves the day. He is going to dress the entire family.

It’s been another successful week for team West. With 18 months of campaigning still to go, Kanye is already thinking of his presidential legacy and impact.

Kylie is equally confident: “All those peeps in the US are bound 2 sing ‘Kanye West is the best President of ALL TIME.’”

Gabrielle’s a hometown hero

Danielle Blakeburn heads down to Thekla in Bristol to see Gabrielle Aplin play a sold-out show Gabrielle Aplin Thekla, Bristol 1 October 2015

T

HE night begins with Dublinborn Sample Answer taking the crowd through material from his debut EP Good Boy. With the vibe of a poetry slam jazzed up with reverb and guitar loops, the up-and-coming singer is great at warming up the expectant crowd.

After a short break, Aplin emerges to a thunderous applause. Dressed in a sparkly gold top with glitter around her eyes, the singer starts her set with ‘Light Up The Dark’, the moody first single from her second album of the same

name. This is followed by other album tracks ‘What Did You Do?’ and ‘Fools Love’. Old favourite ‘Panic Cord’ is the first song that got the crowd singing along to every word, matched only by ‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’. As she continues with her varied set, emotive songs ‘Shallow Love’, ‘Hurt’ and the raw ‘How Do You Feel Today?’ are interspersed with more upbeat pop-inspired tracks including her latest single ‘Sweet Nothing’.

‘Heavy Heart’, Aplin’s personal favourite off of her new album, demonstrates a different style for the singer.

Bluesy and dark, it shows off her impressive vocals and range, but the highlight of the night is when she sits down behind her keyboard. The intimacy

of the novel venue was perfect for her haunting vocals during ‘A While’ and ‘Salvation’. Not many artists can cause an audience to fall silent in awe but that’s exactly what she does.

Not many artists can cause an audience to fall silent in awe but that’s exactly what she does She ends her set with her rockinspired track ‘Slip Away’, before slipping off stage, leaving her talented band to perform a brief outro. As the lights fade, chants of “Gabby” began to fill the room and she returned only with Harry

Hudson-Taylor at the keyboard for an encore of ‘The House We Never Built’, a heartfelt song about misplaced love before finishing the night with ‘Home’, another crowd favourite that gets everyone singing along.

With her poetic lyrics, Gabrielle Aplin is an artist who makes you feel the emotions with her,

a talent that makes her an excellent live performer who is just as good, if not better, live than on her albums. Her mixed set contains something for everyone, whether you prefer her acoustic, piano-driven or new more upbeat songs; she masters them all. Memories of the show were good enough to pass away the two hour journey back to Exeter on a train filled with rugby fans.

EXEPOSÉ

ULTIMATE

B UC S GUIDE 2015

EXEP EXEPOSÉ

BUCS WALLCHART

BUCS HOME FIXTU OCTOBER

Women’s Hockey 2 v Kent 1

Women’s Lac’sse 1 v Cambr’dge

Men’s Hockey 1 v Oxford 1

Women’s Hockey 4 v P’mouth 1

Netball 6 v Bath 4

Men’s Hockey 2 v Cardiff 1

Wednesday 14th

Women’s Hockey 5 v Bath 4

Men’s Rugby 5 v Gloucester 2

Men’s Hockey 6 v So’ton 3

Men’s Lacrosse 1 v Oxford 1

Rugby League 2 v Gloucester 2

Women’s Hockey 1 v Oxford 1

Women’s Lacrosse 1 v Oxford 1

Women’s RFC 1 v Cardiff Met 1

Women’s Hockey 2 v C’diff Met 1

Women’s Lacrosse 2 v B’mouth 1

Men’s Tennis 3 v Surrey 1

Women’s Hockey 3 v Exeter 4

Women’s Lacrosse 3 v Pl’mouth

Women’s Tennis 3 v Ox Brookes 1

Women’s Lacrosse 1 v Bath 1

Men’s Squash 2 v Cardiff

Men’s Volleyball 1 v E. London 1

Women’s Lacrosse 3 v UWE 2

Men’s Squash 3 v Pl’mouth 1

Women’s Volleyball 1 v Card’ff 1

Netball 1 v Brunel 1

Men’s Badminton 1 v Bath 3 Men’s Badminton 2 v B’mouth Women’s Badminton 1 v Bath 1 Women’s Badminton 2 v Bath 3 Men’s Basketball v B’mouth 1 Men’s Fencing v Swansea 1 Women’s Football 1 v Swansea 1 Golf 4 v Plymouth 2 Golf 5 v Bristol 1 Men’s Hockey 1 v Ox. Brookes 1 Men’s Hockey 3 v Swansea 1 Netball 1 v Cardiff 1 Netball 2 v Gloucester 1 Netball 3 v UWE 2 Men’s Rugby 2 v Swansea 1 Men’s Rugby 4 v Bristol 3 Men’s Rugby 5 v Bristol 4 Men’s Rugby 6 v UWE 2 Rugby League 1 v St Mary’s 1 Rugby League 2 v Bath 1 Women’s Squash 2 v B’mouth 1 Men’s Tennis 2 v Cardiff 1

Men’s Tennis 3 v B’mouth 2 Netball 2 v Bristol 1 Netball 4 v Exeter 3 Netball 6 v Marjons 2

Women’s Volleyball 1 v Swansea

Wednesday 4th

Netball 3 v Bath 4 Men’s Rugby 1 v Hartpury 1 Men’s Rugby 2 v UWE 1 Men’s Rugby 3 v Bath 3

Men’s Badminton 1 v UWE 1

Men’s Rugby 6 v Exeter 5

Men’s Rugby 7 v Marjons 1

Men’s Badminton 2 v Pl’mouth 1

Rugby League 1 v Nott Trent 1

Women’s RFC 1 v Oxford 1

Women’s Badminton 1 v B’ghton

Women’s Squash 2 v P’pridd 1

Men’s Tennis 4 v Pl’mouth 1

Women’s Badminton 2 v C’diff 1

Men’ s Tennis 2 v Exeter 3

Women’s Tennis 2 v Kent 1

Men’s Basketball v UWE 1

Men’s Tennis 4 v Winchester 1

Women’s Tennis 3 v B’mouth 1

Men’s Fencing v Cardiff 1

Women’s Tennis 2 v Bristol 1

Women’s Tennis 4 v Pl’mouth 1

Women’s Fencing v UCL 1

Women’s Volleyball 1 v UWE 1

Men’s Table Tennis 1 v P’pridd

Women’s Football 1 v Bristol 1

Women’s Table Tennis v So’ton

Women’s Football 2 v Bath 2

Men’s Volleyball 2 v Pl’mouth 1

Golf 3 v Plymouth 1

Women’s Volleyball 2 v Solent 1

Golf 5 v Southamption 5

Wednesday 28th Men’s Badminton 1 v Swansea 1 Women’s Badminton 1 v UCL 1

Wednesday 21st

NOVEMBER

Men’s Rugby 3 v Swansea 2

Men’s Tennis 4 v Winchester 1 Men’s Volleyball 1 v B’mouth 1

Netball 2 v UWE 1

Men’s Squash 4 v Bath Spa 1

Women’s Badminton 2 v Aber 2 Men’s Basketball v Pl’mouth 1

Men’s Badminton 3 v Marjons 1

Men’s Football 1 v Bath 1

Women’s Basketball v Bath 1

Men’s Football 2 v Swansea 3

Women’s Fencing v Cambridge

Netball 2 v Cardiff 2

Men’s Football 2 v B’mouth 2

Men’s Football 4 v Cardiff Met 5

Men’s Football 3 v B’mouth 3

Men’s Football 5 v Cardiff Met 4

Men’s Football 4 v Hartpury 4

Women’s Football 1 v C’diff Met 2

Men’s Football 5 v Marjons 3

Golf 2 v Exeter 3

Women’s Football 2 v Pl’mouth

Men’s Hockey 4 v Exeter 5

Men’s Hockey 1 v Cardiff Met 1

Men’s Hockey 6 v Pontypridd 2

Men’s Hockey 2 v Reading 1

Men’s Lacrosse 1 v Cardiff 1

Women’s Hockey 1 v Cardiff 1

Men’s Lacrosse 2 v UWE 2

varsity dates Athletics 14 October Football 28 October Boxing 25 November

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URES TERM 1 2015 Wednesday 11th

DECEMBER

Men’s Football 5 v Winchester 3

Women’s Tennis 4 v B’mouth 2

Women’s Badminton 1 v Imperial

Golf 2 v Plymouth 1

Women’s Table Tennis 1 v Bath 1

Men’s Fencing v Bristol 1

Golf 4 v Southampton 1

Ultimate Frisbee 1 v Cardiff 1

Golf 1 v Pontypridd 1

Men’s Hockey 2 v Cambridge 2

Women’s Volleyball 2 v B’mouth

Men’s Hockey 1 v Bath 1

Men’s Hockey 4 v B’mouth 1

Men’s Hockey 4 v Winchester 1

Men’s Hockey 5 v Soton 1

Men’s Hockey 5 v Soton 3

Women’s Hockey 3 v Cambr’ge 1

Women’s Hockey 1 v Bath 1

Women’s Hockey 4 v Bath 3

Men’s Badminton 2 v Solent 1

Women’s Hockey 3 v Plymouth 1

Women’s Hockey 5 v Solent 1

Women’s Badminton 1 v Soton 1

Women’s Hockey 4 v Cardiff 6

Men’s Lacrosse v Southampton 1

Women’s Badm’ton 2 v Chich’er

Women’s Hockey 5 v Bath 2

Women’s Lacrosse 1 v Soton 1

Women’s Basketball v Cardiff 2

Women’s Lacrosse 2 v Swansea 1

Women’s Lac’sse 2 v C’diff Met 1

Men’s Football 1 v Hartpury 1

Netball 1 v Bath 1

Netball 3 v Solent 1

Women’s Football 1 v Sussex 1

Men’s Rugby 2 v Kings 1

Netball 4 v Bournemouth 2

Golf 5 v Cardiff 1

Men’s Rugby 3 v Cardiff 2

Netball 5 v Winchester 1

Women’s Lacrosse 2 v Cardiff Met

Men’s Rugby 5 v Trinity St David 1

Netball 6 v RAC 1

Men’s Rugby 4 v Bristol 4

Men’s Rugby 6 v Bristol 3

Men’s Rugby 1 v Pontypridd 1

Men’s Rugby 7 v Southampton 3

Women’s Rugby 2 v Solent 1

Men’s Rugby 4 v Bath 4

Netball 1 v Cardiff Met 1

Men’s Tennis 3 v Cardiff 1

Men’s Rugby 5 v Winchester 1

Netball 1 v Hertfordshire 1

Women’s Tennis 2 v Bath 2

Men’s Rugby 7 v Solent 1

Netball 3 v Bournemouth 2

Women’s Tennis 3 v Cardiff 1

Women’s Rugby 1 v Cambridge 1

Men’s Rugby 1 v Bristol 1

Men’s Table Tennis1 v B’mouth 1

Men’s Squash 3 v B’mouth 1

Men’s Rugby 2 v Bath 2

Women’s T’ble Tennis v B’mouth

Women’s Squash 2 v UWE 2

Men’s Rugby 3 v Plymouth 1

Men’s Volleyball 1 v Cambridge 1

Men’s Tennis 2 v Bristol 1

Rugby League 1 v Gloucester 1

Women’s Tennis 2 v Cambr’ge 1

Rugby League 2 v Pontypridd 1

Wednesday 25th

Golf 1 v Bournemouth 1

Wednesday 2nd

Golf 4 v Swansea 1

Men’s Basketball v Bristol 1

Men’s Hockey 3 v Gloucester 1

Women’s Basketball v B’mouth 2

Men’s Hockey 4 v Bath 3

Women’s Fencing v Oxford 1

Women’s Hockey 4 v Bath 2

Women’s Football 1 v B’mouth 1

Women’s Hockey 5 v Marjons 1

Women’s Football 2 v Marjons 1

Netball 4 v Bath 4

Golf 1 v Buckingham New 1

Netball 5 v Bristol 5

Golf 2 v Exeter 3

Netball 6 v Winchester 3

Golf 5 v Swansea 1

Men’s Rugby 2 v Cardiff Met 2

Men’s Hockey 1 v Bristol 1

Women’s Rugby 1 v Pontypridd

Men’s Hockey 2 v Sussex 1

Men’s Squash 2 v Bath 1

Women’s Hockey 1 v Bristol 1

Men’s Squash 4 v Plymouth 2

Women’s Hockey 2 v Sussex 1

Men’s Tennis 2 v Cardiff Met 1

Women’s Hockey 3 v Bath 2

Women’s Tennis 1 v L’ds Beck’tt

Women’s Lacrosse 3 v Marjons 1

Men’s Squash 4 v Soton 2

Men’s Badminton 2 v UWE 2

Men’s Tennis 1 v Bournemouth 1

Women’s Fencing v Imperial 1

Men’s Tennis 3 v Bristol 1

Men’s Football 1 v Pontypridd

Women’s Tennis 1 v Cardiff Met

Men’s Football 2 v Plymouth 1

Women’s Tennis 2 v Oxford 1

Men’s Football 3 v Plymouth 2

Women’s Tennis 3 v Swansea 1

Men’s Football 4 v Winchester 1

Men’s Table Tennis 1 v Bath 1 Rugby League 1 v Loughborough Men’s Tennis 1 v Bath 1

Ultimate Frisbee 1 v Bristol 1 Women’s Volleyball 1 v Bristol 1

Women’s Tennis 1 v Bath 1 Men’s Table Tennis 1 v Sussex 1

Wednesday 9th

Men’s Volleyball 1 v P’tsmouth 1

Men’s Badminton 3 v Bath Spa 1

Men’s Volleyball 2 v Card’ff Met

Women’s Basketball v P’mouth 1

Designed by Rob Cross Sport Editor

Golf 2 v Bournemouth 2

Women’s Badminton 2 v Bristol

Women’s Rugby 2 v B’mouth 1

Wednesday 18th

Men’s Football 5 v Pontypridd 5

Men’s Football 2 v Solent 1 Men’s Football 3 v Bath 3 Men’s Football 4 v Bath 4

Men’s Volleyball 2 v Marjons Women’s Volleyball 2 v Marjons

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XFM, gone but not forgotten EXEPOSÉ

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As XFM became Radio X this September, Rory Marcham reminisces about the indie giant and takes a look at what the nasty marketing men have done to his favourite radio station

O

N 14 September this year, alternative music station XFM finally closed its doors after 23 years on the airwaves, to be rebranded as Radio X. A sad moment for myself, and thousands of other music lovers across the country. XFM was a stalwart in the alternative music community and played host to top class comedy and amazing music, like the slightly more mainstream, older brother to the BBC’s 6 Music Station.

XFM was a stalwart in the alternative music community and played host to top comedy and amazing music The station was a place of cultural importance, launching the careers of many of its DJs (including Ricky Gervais, Josh Widdicombe and Russell Brand) and getting alternative music out there to a wider audience. Particularly in the mid ‘00s it taught me about the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand, whilst all the other stations were playing James Blunt and Take That. It was also a place where you could learn the true classics that you just wouldn’t hear on your typical morning breakfast show, offering a gateway to the likes of The Clash, Radiohead and The Rolling Stones. For

your wannabe cool kid who regularly attends trendy hipster clubs like Camden’s Barfly, it was a station you could whack on John Kennedy’s Exposure show and impress your friends with a load of new bands you’d just heard, who probably only have about six songs between them. So where did it go wrong? How did such an integral part of the alternative music scene simply fall apart after 23 strong years?

Whilst the station and guitar music as a whole is somewhat stagnating currently, with the rise of electronic music. Was the overhaul necessary?

I mean, once I even caught Lawson on the playlist when the station was nearing the end. Has Britain gone off guitar music in general?

According to Radio X’s promotional literature, apparently not, describing the new station, helmed by the likes of Chris Moyles and Vernon Kay (yes, the guy

from All Star Family Fortunes), as “the first truly male-focused, fully national music and entertainment brand for 25-44 year olds”. Surely not another Absolute? This proposed ‘meat and potatoes’; male-oriented station sounds like the Radio equivalent of a Yorkie Chocolate bar, and sounds sure to alienate much of its fan base. That’s before mentioning the distinct lack of female DJs in a station that previously prided itself on its diversity.

Despite such a damning start to proceedings, early indications are that the new Radio X is still playing good music, even opening up with Girls Aloud’s ‘Sound of the Underground’ in an attempt to shrug off the suggestion that it’s a station only for men.

However, something just doesn’t seem right.

Even with the highprofile guests (Noel Gal-

lagher was Chris Moyles’ first guest) and the shiny new website, it still all seems a bit unsavoury and a little too polished!

Like when your favourite band follows up an amazing debut album with a little less edge, or when a really good film gets an unnecessary sequel that is pretty much the same as the first. Is it different?

Not really. Is it the same? Definitely not!

R.I.P. XFM, you will be missed.

XFM by Numbers

1

The number of female presenters on Radio X between Monday and Thursday

4

The total number of XFM stations which have included ones based in London, Manchester, Cardiff and Paisley

8 23

Million people tuned into Radio X’s app to hear Chris Moyles’ first breakfast show The number of years XFM was on the air

Mo’ albums, mo’ problems After a twenty year career, Stereophonics release yet another LP, but Jess Bishop isn’t impressed Keep the Village Alive Stereophonics 11 September 2015

A

FTER over twenty years of touring and 36 singles, Stereophonics are back with their ninth studio album ‘Keep the Village Alive’ following on from their 2013 record ‘Graffiti on the Train’.

In the tracklist, ahead of the selection of slow, sentimental tracks such as ‘My Hero’ and ‘Song for the Summer’ sits the first single of the album; ‘C’est La Vie’.

Upon first hearing the track it is hard to deny its catchy, finger-tapping quality. It would even be an easy mistake believing it was produced by a younger band

or at least one of the indie/pop persuasions. Lead singer Kelly Jones notes that the song is intended to be an “uplifting… optimistic record” and although it does serve this purpose, it is close to indefinable as a Stereophonics track.

‘C’est la Vie’ acts as a step away from the rest of the album, standing apart on the record with its different, albeit slightly pop-like, tone. Along with the track ‘Sing Little Sister’ it brings an upbeat relief from the slower and deeper sounding pieces of the album. However, with Kelly Jones’ signature vocals and the familiar guitar swells featuring heavily in the rest of the record, the fans of the band are able to slip back into the reliable pattern of Stereophonics’ style of music.

True, the feel of the album is decidedly less rock orientated than previous albums such as ‘Performance and Cocktails’ and ‘Pull the Pin’, however, despite the slight change in tone, the album lacks anything that could stand out as original in the now crowded alternativerock genre, let alone the band’s discography history. It’s reliable and familiar, but without any freshness that a ninth album arguably needs.

The stand-out unreleased track on the album would be ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’, which makes its mark on the record through its simple but stirring lyrics.

Other tracks also tell good stories, which is a strength of both the new album and of Kelly Jones’ past lyrical work. A track that exemplifies this on ‘Keep the Village Alive’ is the

sobering ‘My Hero’. The song alludes to a friend who became a soldier and the lines such as “You gave us what we know/But now you have to go” along with the repetition of “my hero” encourage the listener to reflect on the story being told.

Stereophonics may want to focus less on keeping the village alive and more on keeping it awake Overall, the lyrically strong tracks, combined with the lulling vocals of Kelly Jones, are sure to keep the long-term fans satisfied. However, with the album lacking any original sound or feel for the band, Stereophonics may want to focus less on keeping the village alive and more on keeping it awake.

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George Miller reveals plans for two more Mad Max films George Miller has revealed that there is potential for two more sequels in the franchise. The reception to the recent film has been mainly positive (apart from our own Jack Smith’s review) and Miller said that because production was so long, two more stories were born from it. He says that he wants to explore “this world in very fine detail”, and intends to direct both after doing a smaller project.

Harry Potter spin-off accio-umulates an impressive cast Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is already boasting a serious cast. Eddie Redmayne, will play Newt Scamander, with the supporting cast including Don Fogler, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell.

Hollywood Veteran John Voight has recently been announced.

The film is being directed by David Yates and is due for release in November 2016.

Lethal Weapon TV Series in the pipeline A TV reboot of the buddy cop classic, Lethal Weapon, is currently being developed by Fox, who have just ordered a pilot.

The show will recast Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs and Danny Glover’s Roger Murtaugh, as they are now presumably ‘too old for this shit’, whilst also being considered by some to be crazy.

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Gaining per-Spectre-ive On the verge of the release of 007’s newest outing, Spectre, Victoria Bos explores the appeal of James Bond and questions the future of Britain’s biggest film franchise

“T

HE name’s Bond. James Bond.” Now, it doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard fan of the movies or just the occasional watcher, I can guarantee I know what pops into your head when you hear this line. The smooth, suave and sophisticated English gentleman spy.

Dressed in his tuxedo, sipping a Martini (shaken not stirred), casually wooing a beautiful woman all whilst saving the world from imminent danger. This is the image the James Bond franchise has spent the last 53 years putting together.

Though we’ve been through several actors in the role, jumping through the various contemporary settings of each film, this is the image that everyone comes back to.

Is the franchise still viable?

And what does the future hold for 007?

However, with the newest release Spectre arriving in cinemas later this year, and with current Bond, Daniel Craig said to be bowing out of the role, it has to be asked, is this image really what we want in the modern day? Is the franchise still viable? And what does the future hold for 007?

The original James Bond novels were penned by Ian Fleming, starting in 1953, and the namesake character can be seen as a product of his time. World War Three seemed to be just around the corner and the future looked dim. Enter James Bond.

Confident, sophisticated and able to enjoy the luxuries in life; everything the population wanted to be.

This is the image the films have maintained and the character still has that effect on viewers. Who wouldn’t want to be him? Thrilling, dashing and of course dry. He always has a quip at the ready, whether he’s just electrocuted some villain (“shocking, positively shocking” Goldfinger) or been caught infiltrating an

ocean base (“ACME pollution inspection.

We’re cleaning up the world” - Diamonds are Forever). ). He has his faults, but who doesn’t? Fleming himself said he never intended the character to be “particularly likeable”, but these serve to keep people engaged, providing relief from the ‘holier than thou’ protagonists in other films.

They also provide contrast for when he overcomes them, such as the moment in Casino Royale where he comforts Vesper in the shower. The films have also provided background as to why these faults are there, such as Bond’s family history in Skyfall and the touching scene in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, where he is cradling his murdered wife and explaining “She’s just sleeping, you see, we have all the time in the world”. A truly tender moment that helped audiences everywhere empathise with the man, showing his human side and making him even more engaging.

It’s due to this dynamic and enigmatic nature of the character that the franchise has been going for so long.

Though the times change, and with it the styling of the stories, Bond is always there keeping the franchise alive and kicking. Together at worldwide box offices, the 24 released films have made $5,291,497,900 with $1,110,526,981 of that coming just from the latest release; Skyfall. This shows that there is still an appetite among cinema goers for 007 and there is no reason to think that the franchise doesn’t have a few more films left in it.

thing that makes a good Bond film: action, wit and one hell of a villain in the form of Christophe Waltz. With so much hype around it, it’s sure to deliver in terms of the b o x office.

However, after that, nobody knows. If Daniel Craig is leaving the role, a new Bond will be needed, and they will have massive shoes (or should I say a massive tuxedo) to fill. Reports have suggested Idris Elba was considered, but was thought to be too ‘street’ to portray the gentleman spy, though this is seriously underestimating his abilities as an actor and rightfully caused some controversy.

Other potentials include Tom Hardy, Damien Lewis and Henry Cavill, all of whom would make great James Bonds for different reasons, but at this point the new face of 007 is still a mystery. The franchise is still viable, and judging by the franchise’s rich history, and what we’ve got in store, Bond as we know James Bond and love him, is here to stay.

Films:

Franc Head to

24 Spectre is released on October 26.

A new Bond will be needed, and they will have massive shoes to fill So, what does the future hold for our favourite secret agent? By the looks of the trailer, Spectre appears to have every-

Box Office: $5,291,497,900 (adjusted for inflation) Video Games: 22

The next James Bond - the bookey’s favourites Tom Hardy 7/4 or 2.75

Damien Lewis 2/1 or 3.00

Idris Elba 3/1 or 4.00

Henry Cavill 4/1 or 5.00

Back to Back to the Future Two EXEPOSÉ

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26

Ellie Crisp explores the predictions made in the 1989 sequel to Back to the Future, set in the ‘future’ of 21 October 2015, featuring everything from hoverboards to expanding pizzas

A

few days ago, the official Universal Pictures Home Entertainment YouTube channel released an exciting teaser for Back to the Future Part II fanatics. The clip starred the brilliant Christopher Lloyd reprising his role as Dr. Emmett Brown, and of course it focused on the impending date: 21 October 2015. For me, it will be crossing the monumental milestone that is my 21st birthday, but for the rest of the world, they will be of course considering: were the Back to the Future Part II predictions correct? Despite my personal celebra-

tions, I can’t help but feel consumed by the very same question: did director Robert Zemeckis achieve the 2015 he imagined all the way back in 1989? Or has the current year confirmed the film to be a compilation of optimisms and failures?

I think the film falls somewhere in-between.

Cue the obligatory synopsis: Doc arrives back in 1985 in the notorious DeLorean to collect Marty

chises o Head Back to the Future Films: 3 Box Office: $915,691,400 (adjusted for inflation) Video Games: 13

McFly (Michael J. Fox) and send him to the future. They arrive in 2015 with the aim of keeping Marty’s future children out of upcoming trouble. Biff, the persistent bully, causes mayhem throughout, especially when he figures out how to change history for his own personal gain and damages both the past and future. Marty and Doc must go all the way back to 1955 to repair the time continuum.

Of course the film was never going to get everything spot on The chemistry between Fox and Lloyd remains dynamic from the first film; both continue to embrace the thrilling sci-fi action and showcase two sides of the imagination; Fox’s character harnesses the innocent fascination and playful appreciation of the future, whilst Lloyd presents Dr. Brown as virtuoso, eccentric and frankly rather nutty for time travel.

Two things I picked up on that the film managed to correctly predict: “the video telephone”, or what we like to call Skype and FaceTime. Mobile payments have also been invented and are very accessible in 2015, for example with Apple recently launching “Apple Pay” that uses Touch ID for secure payment (much like the man in the film using his fingerprint to process his own). Aside from technology, one invention that caught my attention was the “rejuvenation face masks”. Although no beauty product can actually turn back the ageing clock, the film was right to predict the growing obsession with body image and enhancement surgery. Perhaps not in

2015, but I can definitely see these types of masks coming into play in the future.

But of course, the film was never going to get everything spot on. We haven’t got round to inventing self efficient hoverboards (there are a few out there that use magnets but nothing that works well), perhaps the closest comparison is the invention of Segways and even the new “Swegways” (please don’t buy one, they are awful). Flying cars are also not around and probably won’t be any time soon. Drones are perhaps the nearest we have, but even these small objects are sparking big concerns with aviation controls. Probably the biggest failure was the overestimated importance of fax machines. Foreseeing something to be dominant that was relatively new in the 80s was certainly a misjudge, but the film predicting a heavy reliance on technology certainly wasn’t. Tiny pizzas that expand in the oven are another prediction that, sadly, has not come true.

However, other predictions have come true because of the film. Corporate giants, Nike and Pepsi, were both used in the film in the form of imaginary products, the Pepsi Perfect and Nike Mag self-lacing trainers. Recently both companies have stated that they are releasing versions of these products for fans. A new limited edition bottle of Pepsi Perfect will be seen on 21 October to bring f a n s closer to the franchise (and also make more money for Pepsi), whilst Nike will reveal their self-lacing technology this year too. Both will have limited runs, and probably end up selling on eBay for ridiculous amounts in the future.

Although it is inevitable for us to re-

late these predictions to the current day and age, it must be made clear that the director did not set out to paint a realistic prediction of the future. Speaking in the film’s DVD commentary, Zemeckis clarified that he didn’t want “to make a scientifically sound prediction that we were probably going to get wrong”. So any futurists brandishing the pitchforks and torches, please put them down. One we can’t really fault a guy for not doing something he never planned to do anyway and who even owns a pitchfork?

Perhaps we should adhere to Doc’s wise words “No one should know too much about the future…” and put our minds to rest. And, when realistically speaking, Zemeckis was probably most concerned with what would look awesome in a movie.

The increasing desire to invent has certainly been born out of this film What I most appreciate about the film is its choice to avoid the easy trap of making the future a scary and frightening world, and instead creating a happy and fruitful utopia. The beauty of this film is also the domino effect it has created in the world of inventions; although some predictions have failed to make it to 2015, the increasing desire to invent them has certainly been born out of this film’s ability to bring them to life on the screen. And although this a film that is looking forward to 2015 and beyond, whenever you watch it back it generates the ultimate nostalgic feels, which makes it a “timeless classic”.

Five predictions made in Back to The Future: Part Two Pepsi Perfect TRUE

Smart Eyewear TRUE

Flying Cars FALSE

Video Calling TRUE

Jaws 19 err...

FALSE

Martian to success 27

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With yet another tentpole space film blasting into cinemas, George Gregory gives us his expert opinion

The Martian Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig Director: Ridley Scott 2015, 141 minutes

R

IDLEY Scott delivers a thrilling film and a faithful adaptation of the bestselling 2011 novel. The Martian is fallible, but with Matt Damon delivering a strong and varied performance you probably won’t care about the problems that blight many of the supporting characters.

The Martian follows a crew of astronauts who have to abort their research mission on Mars due to a storm and the situation worsens when Mark Watney is inadvertently left for dead. Watney must then “science the shit out of this” in order to survive in the face of overwhelming odds.

Ridley Scott’s “love letter to science” will keep you laughing and excited We are thrown straight into the action on Mars and the rich landscapes, coupled with the visually exhilarating storm sequence, make the opening scenes a joy to behold. We are dragged down by some clunky exposition, nevertheless once this is endured Damon comes into his own. The vast majority of Damon’s

scenes are by himself and this allows a convincing delivery which showcases the euphoric highs and overwhelming lows of the desperate struggle we witness.

Damon is at his best when Watney is struggling to carry on, yet for a man stranded on Mars this doesn’t happen too often. Watney’s lack of human interaction isn’t explored enough. This is a waste considering what Damon achieved without even fleshing out the intense loneliness the character would be experiencing.

Another theme which, again, is only just touched upon is family. Watney mentions his family once and they are never seen.

The possibility of seeing his wife or child as a driving force for survival would have undoubtedly made the character even easier to root for. Scott may not have gone down this path in order to avoid similarities being made between The Martian and Interstellar (a film where Matt Damon is also marooned on a planet).

However, Watney is still likeable due to the refreshing comedy and brilliant delivery from Damon who manages to make being 150 million miles from home often hilarious. This humourous tone is epitomised by a soundtrack including Starman

by David Bowie and Hot Stuff by Donna Summer. The script, by screenwriter Drew Goddard, for a sci-fi film is packed with humour and while most of it works perfectly to break up the long sciencebased sequences, when used with the secondary characters it all too often falls flat.

The secondary characters are almost

always unengaging due to the sheer amount of them. Scott wanted realism and one way he achieves this is by showing space exploration to be a global endeavour. Subsequently, we are overwhelmed with so many characters on Earth that none of them have any room to breathe or develop.

Jessica Chastain as the leader of the crew delivers an understated yet powerful portrayal; which suggests her character deserved much more screen time. The responsibility and culpability of being leader for Chastain b o o k marks t h e film fantastically to

give the audience the emotional payoff that is deserved.

It is a credit to the film that it can deliver such a rewarding arc for a character who is rarely seen and this allows Damon the screen time to

dominate the film.

Jessica Chastain delivers an understated yet powerful portrayal Watney faces challenge after challenge which he must overcome using his ingenuity and knowledge of science. The stakes are constantly being heightened which succeeds in keeping the tension and suspense. This is needed as there is a chance the audience are going to get desensitised to Watney always finding a way to pull the rabbit out of the hat. Ridley Scott’s “love letter to science” will keep you laughing and excited whilst having a visual treat with the landscape of Mars.

Most of the secondary characters are underdeveloped and some themes are not fully realised meaning it isn’t a love letter to characterisation.

Yet, it is not enough to overshadow the genuine craft and talent in front of and behind the screen.

Damon’s emphatic performance more than compensates and contributes to what is overall a great film. Ridley Scott is back on form after Prometheus, and I would certainly recommend you give it a watch sometime soon.

Television: age of quality?

Susannah Keogh, News Editor, decides if Britain is really part of the recent ‘Golden Age of Television’

I

T seems like without fail, every year’s television is described by some critics, somewhere, anywhere, as “gold” or “heralding a new era for television.” Sure, to some extent that’s true.

You’d be hard pressed to think of another decade which has seen such radical change in not only how television is made, but how we, as viewers (indeed, consumers) process and interact with the small screen.

The rise of pay-on-demand, internet

streaming channels like Netflix and Amazon Prime means we demand more from an hour of television than ever before.

Standards set by shows like Orange is the New Black, Transparent and House of Cards offer diverse, entertaining, different and above all fast-paced programming that has left the terrestrial channels struggling to keep up. The golden age has risen for streaming based television but is it just setting for

its British counterparts across the pond?

Now, British television lacks dynamism.

When once a Broadchurch-esque crime drama on a Sunday night would satisfy, more is needed. It’s ironic that, in a country which prides itself on being a multicultural, tolerant nation, our programming is so lacking. But the BBC, I hear you cry! The politically correct BBC, where all genders, races and general space aliens are featured!

You see, that’s part of the problem. In constantly trying to abide by a set of politically correct guidelines, the dynamic energy and creativity that lie behind some of the best television programmes currently hitting our screens is lost. In the BBC’s programming, diversity and ethnicity are featured as what looks like, even if with the best will in the world, it isn’t intended

to be, a box ticking exercise, perpetuating stereotypes.

Take, for example, sitcom Citizen Khan. Set in Birmingham and following the life of a Pakistani family, the series reinforces clichés about the Pakistani community, through jokes about hijabs and curry. Series such as these only service to isolate diversity on our screens- the best television doesn’t feature a TV show devoted only to one section of society, or a gang drama where the urban ‘yoof’ hang with their ‘bruvvas’ in an inner London park.

By playing it safe, television in Britain is missing out on reaching its full potential. You know there’s a problem when Downton Abbey, a show whose structure can be described as haphazard at best, characters one-dimensional and

an almost exclusively white cast, is our representative at the Emmy’s and Golden Globes.

By playing it safe, TV in Britain is missing out on reaching its potential That’s not to say there hasn’t been progress. Boys Meets Girl on BBC1 is a ground-breaking piece of television with the first transgender actress playing the titular role. Yet this is just one programme out of so many and it simply isn’t enough.

To truly enter the golden age, television in Britain needs to loosen the fuck up and take some bloody risks. With the axe of the license fee looming over the BBC, something’s got to give and fast.

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Mark Jessett Phoenix

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Drumstick to slapstick

Sarah Gough, Editor, chats to James Acaster before his trip to Exeter

J

AMES Acaster asserts to Mock The Week’s ’s studio audience that he knows “shit shit loads about bread” and that, to him “the origin of prawn toast still remains a mystery”. Lucky really, that Dara Ó Briain landed Acaster with the topic of ‘food’, he’s something of a culinary comedian – the first thing that appears when you type him into YouTube is “James Acaster cheesegrater”. Fortunate too, that his most recent Mock The Week appearance aired the night before I was due to interview him. Perfect ice-breaking material, that.

Not that much ice needed breaking, the man likes Exeter. The Kettering-born comic visits the city for the fourth time next month and brings with him a full range of jury duty anecdotes, Christingle quips and riotous rants. After winning the Chortle Breakthrough award with Recognise last year, Acaster’s new show Represent entertained thousands, including the heroic Emma Thompson, at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. “Yeah, that was weird”, Acaster admits of Thompson’s approval, “very surreal”.

Serial Edinburgh award nominee and television panel regular, Acaster is living the dream whilst maintaining an impressive grip on reality. With a distinctively deadpan style, his work is observational comedy at its most accurate and hilarious. Agreeing with Wikipedia’s description of his humour as ‘low-key whimsy’, he talks of how it took him a while to ster his style. “My first six months master of stand-up was really hit and miss”, he says, “I probably didn’t really get my voice until my first Edinburgh show. That was 2011, so I’d been doing it for about two and a half years at that point.”

Initially Acaster drummed away at his day-job, only doing comedy to “fill the time”. It wasn’t until he’d told jokes for nearly two years that he decided to pursue it professionally. “I look back at [my music career] very nostalgically but at the time I was just thinking about the future all the time and didn’t really enjoy doing what we were doing. Even now I don’t really know where I want my life to go.”

Acaster might not have foreseen his comic success but he is

Wind in the Willows musical tour announced for 2016

certainly not guilty of underthinking his sets. He talks of the importance of “telling the joke best”, whether it’s a personal anecdote, some audi-

I wonder where he found his comic clarity. “You learn to have a filter”, he explains, “you don’t try and make everything in your life funny because if do that you ruin your whole life.”

Supporting Milton Jones and Josie Long on back-to-back tours, the 30-year-old thanks them for the performer he’s become today. “Josie’s audience pushed me to try and experiment more

ence participation or a dance break, it must have method behind its madness. With a conscious mind-set to not over-use expletives or drum onstage just for the hell of it,

and do inventive stuff. Milton’s audience pushed me to tighten it all up and write jokes over the top of that. I think that’s definitely who I am now, a mixture of those two things.”

It’s true; a tight originality is definitely at play in his latest show. His telling of the lesser-known fable of ‘The Goose and the Sloth’ is a moment of brilliant comic ingenuity. The standout moment from the set is when he runs with this morality tale for a

Catch James Acaster’s Represent tour at Exeter Phoenix on 1 November

Wordsworth revealed to have poor punctuation

JK Rowling refutes Potter fan theories about time travel and vampires

good ten minutes when analysing Lucas – an especially vomit-inducing “adult bully” who happens to accompany Acaster on jury duty. It is this “mean-spirited figure” that annoys him the most, he admits, “I hate professional arguers, people who’ve learnt how to argue but not how to actually be right. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone will start an argument with someone, get them really annoyed so that they retaliate, and then will look at them and go ‘well you’ve shown your true colours’. I hate it so much.”

He holds an equally high level of contempt for shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent Talent: “It’s people going let’s all be bullies but pretend that we care about people if they’re good at something.” Comedians are partly employed to rant about life’s little annoyances, but Acaster’s misanthropy is nuanced enough to not become irritating in itself.

The morality of the man continues to impress me as we turn to the topic of Dara Ó Briain’s head. In his numerous appearances on Mock the Week, Week has he ever touched it, I ask? Acaster replies with a moving display of protectiveness: “No Sarah, I think it’s very offensive to go around touching bald people’s heads. I don’t think they would thank you for such things.”

It’s very offensive to go around touching bald people’s heads Acaster may well be missing out on a bucket list moment there, but he’s not falling short of ticking off a few others. As well as touring Represent around theatres nationwide – “The most fun part of the job” – he is due to appear on QI and Live At The Apollo this year. He’s also nabbed a cameo in Josh Widdecombe’s new sitcom and will then head to New Zealand’s International Comedy Festival to try out material ahead of Edinburgh next year.

That unplanned career of his seems to be going alright? “Yeah”, he grunts modestly, “it’s fun”.

Ikea-themed art exhibition opens in Warrington

Reading right up your street

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Nadia Z. tells us about urban reading and her Humans of New York-style photo blog

U

RBAN reading is a thing. Cafés, imaginary world. streets, and open spaces (provided it’s not pouring down) are generally filled with people reading books. Once, It warms my heart to see I counted over ten people enjoying the this art has not given way printed word and the sun on a green lawn. to internet browsing It warms my heart to see that this gentle art has not given way to mindIn a busy café or in a crowded less internet browspark, fragments of convering on phones. sations intertwine with Since when “This is the experience I am going the narrative, and did reading through at the moment. Modern sociit becomes easy become a ety makes a big deal about colour. For me to get distracted, public acwe are all human beings. I read this book but this doesn’t tivity? to understand more. Education frees you: deter the urban Readhelps you to overcome isolation created reading populaing a book by racism”. tion. is traditionally I often find myassociated with self picking up a book silence, seclusion and going to Boston Tea and deep subParty, which at times resemmergence in an

bles a beehive. I’m used to doing things outside of the house - work, studies, volunteering - so staying in my room is somehow synonymous with rest and procrastination. Anyway, you find more distractions at home than outside. Your cosy bed, a new online series, the TV, flatmates – you name it. Reading outside looks like a date with a book. No one else is invited – and we do tend to go to a busy place for a romantic evening.

Reading outside looks like a date with a book I first became interested in the concept of urban reading when wondering if the right reading atmosphere is important for other people as well. I received more than 200 replies to my survey on where people prefer to read

Regent’s Park, London Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal

by Randall Kennedy

and why. Apparently, many people are ters with fellow book-lovers on my blog. able to switch off from the outside noise When looking at them, I often try to guess and incessant movement, and they pretheir character and hidden dreams. Are fer an environment with other people. they a romantic? An adventurer? Or a siMainly because it is easier to discipline lent rebel? Perhaps you can judge a readyourself in the presence of others. er by their cover! A book is certainly able There is another reason that is even to provide an insight into a personality. simpler and more elegant. Urban reading is primarily a successful attempt at incorporating a book into your everyday life.

Perhaps you can judge a Reading between lectures, after shopreader by their cover ping, before work, or with a friend – a book is there to fill the gap, to make every second of your life productive.

Join the community. Find Nadia’s blog I was not only interested at urbanreading.tumblr.com in why people prefer read- no special dress code needed. ing outside, but also what “I wouldn’t Wear your favourite shirt an urban reader looks like to be a pig in and take a book you like by photographing this story.” always wanted to them. I document read but never my encounhad the willpower to begin.

Starbucks, London Animal Farm

by George Orwell

It was a jolly good show, old chap Bethany Pratt reviews the production Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense as it tours the UK Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Northcott Theatre 18 September 2015

I

T is a tempting title. Jeeves and Wooster, posterboys of bonkers British humour, in ‘Perfect Nonsense’.

And yet, I was nervous. P.G. Wodehouse, from whose books the play has been adapted, is the master of perfect nonsense - but would it translate to the stage?

I needn’t have worried. This brilliantly funny adaptation of The Code of the Woosters is energetic, crazy and, more importantly, hilarious.

The play follows the attempts of clueless aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his highly competent butler Jeeves to stage their own play, recounting the madcap misadventures of one disastrous weekend in the country. This staging device works brilliantly to create an abundance of visual humour as three cast members portray a whole host of characters, including simpering Madeline Bas-

set, newt-obsessed Gussy Finknottle and Bertie’s Aunt Dahlia, who is hell-bent on stealing an antique cow-creamer. The cast handle the complexity of juggling such a variety of roles with ease. More impressively still, they all manage a flawless choreography of physical farce, including an excellently-devised slowmotion fight.

The structure also allows for continual laughter as the scenery, sound effects and costumes become more elaborate, the audience settles into its role as a fourth character and Jeeves finds increasingly more bizarre uses for the props. Throughout the performance, nonsense is gleefully present, with puppets, rubber ducks and detachable facial hair creating a whirlwind of madness that leaves the audience captive in its wake.

The madcap misadventures of one disastrous weekend in the country But does this catalogue of codswallop live up to that punishing adjective,

‘perfect’? Very nearly. Joseph Chance and co-writer Robert Goodale are fantastic and tireless and give a comedic masterclass as they bring to life a seemingly endless parade of colourful characters. An honourable mention here goes to Chance’s fantastically sassy eyebrow, which really comes into its own portraying the commanding Jeeves, and his immovable opinions on men’s trousers.

A flawless choreography of physical farce, including an excellent slow-mo fight However, the man with the hardest task was Matthew Carter as Bertie Wooster, a character fixed in the popular imagination by Hugh Laurie. In my opinion, Carter struggles to capture the irresistible charm of the dim-witted Wooster, which can leave the characterisation a little flat and unbelievable at times. His job isn’t made any easier by the chunks of narration and dialogue he is given, mostly lifted directly from the novels.

In a play that relies so heavily (and to

such hilarious effect) on the physical on-stage movement, dogs barking and characters literally growing - the narration feels a little clunky, and loses the humour it has on the page. The plot, which is convoluted to start with, suffers even more from the cacophony of farce, often entirely drowned out. I still

couldn’t tell you exactly who was cross with whom and how it all got resolved?

I am utterly clueless.

But overall, though, that doesn’t matter. It is

an eminently enjoyable way to spend an evening. The gags come thick and fast throughout, the audience loved it and I was rolling in my seat.

Is it indeed perfect nonsense?

Possibly not.

At any rate, dash it all, it’s certainly jolly good nonsense.

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Katherine Giddins bares all - behind the scenes as a life model

Photo: turbosquid.com

T

HE scene in Titanic where Rose asks Jack to draw her like one of his French girls (i.e. completely naked bar a necklace), is probably one of the most seductive moments in cinema. In reality, however, life modelling is neither glamourous nor sexy. It’s just plain and simple art. The first time I life modelled for the Art Society, I was in first year and I’ll admit I was more than a little nervous. I’d once barely been able to look at my own body in the mirror so the thought of having a room full of people staring at it, studying it and drawing every curve and crease in explicit detail filled me with dread. However, I like to live by the phi-

losophy of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ and I couldn’t think of any better way to finally conquer my body hang-ups, so I signed up to be a model and before I knew it I was dropping my leopard print dressing gown in a room full of strangers. The first experience was made a lot easier as there was another female model posing with me and coincidentally she also had a leopard print dressing gown. I immediately took this to be a symbol of solidarity and her totally blasé attitude to getting naked, even though it was also her first time, immediately put me at ease and gave me the confidence to bare all.

At first, I didn’t dare to make eye con-

tact with any of the artists and just stared at the bricks on the wall. After a while though, I became intrigued by how others saw my body and tried to get sneaky glimpses of their sketches. In the end, I was really enjoying striking the different poses which could last between five and 20 minutes. A common misconception about life modelling is that it just involves standing still for a long time. If that were the case, the classes would be very dull indeed. The object of a life drawing class is to study the intricacies of the human form which means seeing it from a variety of angles and in an array of positions.

I’ve posed with my arms above my head (usually a short pose as it can get quite sore), lying down, crouching, stretching and most challengingly straddling a chair backwards.

Initially, when I told my friends I did life modelling, most were very supportive and called me ‘brave’. However, one of my male friends said memorably: “So you’re getting paid to be naked in front of people. You’re basically doing porn.”

I like to live by the philosophy of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ It couldn’t have been further from the truth. There is absolutely nothing sexual about a life drawing class. Whether they are male or female, young or old, everyone who participates in the class is there for the sole reason of drawing a human body. They don’t jeer or perve or make lewd and inappropriate comments and I’m sure that if they did they would swiftly be shown the door.

In my second year I responded to an advert posted on Career Zone by a woman who was running her own private life drawing class in Topsham and needed models. This was a really fun experience because she liked her pupils to experiment with different media and materials and to consider different perspectives and approaches to drawing the human body.

She also gave me free reign in deciding which poses I did and one of the exercises she liked to do was to play music and have me transition slowly between different poses. It was then that I realised just how creative life drawing can be, not only for the artist, but also the model.

@bud ders93

th gwne _ e i h @step

The only thing you need is to be yourself. Artists don’t want to airbrush you The main reason I think life modelling is commonly misconstrued as being sleazy is because “modelling” has become a somewhat dirty word, which often conjures up images of anorexia, eating disorders or page 3 girls with their boobs out.

There are no pre-requisites to be a life model. You can be short or tall, skinny or curvy, athletic or muscular; it doesn’t matter. You only need to be yourself. Artists don’t want to airbrush you. They want realism and to depict the human body for exactly what it is: a naturally beautiful work of art. I can’t imagine that there are many experiences which are more liberating than life modelling. So go on, strip off your fears and give it a go!

If you’ve been inspired to have a go yourself, contact Art Society.

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This week, we’re featuring the work of Natasha Hemmings, a second year English student who lives in Kenya.

Here I have worked in graphite pencil, I feel the fine point of the pencil gives me more control over the details of a drawing. Although trying to create something detailed is quite time consuming, I enjoy watching a piece develop, especially the creation of texture through using different pencil tones.

Some of my first inspiration for art came from wildlife artist Peter Blackwell. Peter lives near to me in Kenya and his paintings are dotted around our house. Peter is able to create a life-like expression in the animal’s face which gives it a personality and makes his paintings come alive. He gets to know his subjects well and frequently goes on safari, returning with a sketchbook full of quick drawings and photographs.

I have also been inspired by Vanessa Foley, a British artist I discovered on Instagram, who also draws birds. The texture she creates makes her work look three dimensional and it is not surprising that one of her 54.3 thousand followers recently had one of Vanessa’s sketches permanently tattooed on their body.

My friend tweeted a song request to DJ Willby at Arena, to later discover she’d actually tweeted it to ‘DJ Willy’

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Please book onto the sessions at the Sports Park Reception, with full payment and provide your student name, student number and university email address.

Transport:

Transport is included in the price. Collection point is North Park Road Bus Stop, Streatham Campus at 17:15pm. The coach will arrive at Plymouth Ski & Snowboard Centre at 19:00pm. The coach will leave Plymouth Ski & Snowboard Centre at 21:00pm and return to the Streatham Campus.

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NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. FULLY QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS > CANOEING, KAYAKING, SAILING, WINDSURFING & CLIMBING PROGRAMMES. > SKIING & SNOWBOARDING PROGRAMMES. > SWIMMING PROGRAMME.

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Animal Armageddon

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Alexandra Glavaschi reveals that we are facing another mass extinction and humans are the problem

T

HE fact that we’re losing biodiversity at an alarming rate turned from ‘news’ into ‘common knowledge’ decades ago. There is not one major animal or plant group that does not contain critically endangered species, or is in some way threatened and soon to become critically endangered and this is due to the negative impact our dominant species has on the planet.

“But surely species disappear even without human interference, right?” sceptics will ask, arguing that Earth’s biosphere is capable of vast levels of self-preservation and can withstand external pressures far more destructive that the human activity.

They’re right up until a certain point.

What we are witnessing now is a change of trend that will leave behind a hardly recognisable Earth Life evolves, diversifies, expands across space and specialises according to what resources are available, but every now and then, for various reasons, a species may decline until it becomes extinct with no dramatic effects on the environment. This is a natural process known as a background extinction and the most recent estimate is around 0.1 species out of a million species per year.

That is, every year one species in ten million dies out. Coupled with a higher diversification rate, it explains why the Earth is not devoid of life: because more species arise than go extinct. This equation does not include the human

439 million years ago, Ordovician-Silurian - An ice age causes the sea levels to fluctuate and kills 85 per cent of all species, at the time mostly aquatic.

impact, which, when taken into account, significantly changes the result.

Earlier this year, an international team of researchers led by Gerardo Ceballos from the National Autonomous University of Mexico has compared the conventional background extinction rate to the rate at which biodiversity is being lost at present. The findings, published in Science Advances, are depressing and terrifying. If the background extinction rate had persisted, nine vertebrate species were expected to disappear since 1900 but, in reality, 468 species (including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals) have been lost. And this is still an underestimate, since only the best studied species have been included in the calculation.

There is a high chance that some of the organisms that are now gone have never been encountered, let alone studied.

“But species have gone extinct in vast numbers before in Earth’s history and biodiver-

sity recovered. Surely the current situation is not too much to worry about?” sceptics will ask again, claiming the impact of the human activity is exaggerated. Of course mass extinctions have happened before, five times during the Earth’s convo-

364 mya, Late Devonian Again, fluctuating sea levels coupled with oxygen depletion causes the death of 75 per cent of all species, with reefbuilding organisms mostly affected.

luted history spanning 4.5 billion years.

In reality, 468 species (incuding fish, reptiles, amphibians birds and mammals) have been lost There is a recurring series of events: a natural disaster takes place that drastically changes the environment, species have no time to adapt and die in mass, the conditions stabilise and species richness returns to its initial level. “Mass extinction” is indeed a very strong term and it might induce the wrong impression that species are being lost over night, but in reality each of these steps stretched over hundreds of thousands to millions of years. What we

are witnessing now is a dramatic change of trend that, if left to continue, will leave behind a hardly recognizable Earth.

The idea of an anthropogenically-induced extinction is not a new one. From Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin’s book The Sixth

251 mya, Permian - Intense volcanic activity and a cosmic impact both contribute to the death of 96 per cent of all organisms. So far, this is the most devastating mass extinction and the only one to have affected insects.

Extinction: Patterns of Life and the Future of Humankind, published in 1995, to Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History published in 2014, entire libraries have been written on the subject and so many authors have proved it loud and clear: we are in the middle of a sixth mass extinction. It is no longer a remote risk, but the reality we live in. According to the same study by Ceballos and colleagues, we are currently losing species between eight and 100 times faster than they would naturally disappear. It can’t be emphasised enough how serious this is.

Pollination, nitrogen and phosphorus regulation, water purification and so many other ecosystem services t h a t

humankind depend on would stop functioning within three generations if species keep disappearing at this rate.

While it is hard to predict which species are more threatened than others, the general rule is that the easier it is for an organism to adapt to new conditions, whether brought about by climate change or habitat alteration, the higher the likelihood that it would survive. Endemic species (that are only naturally found in

certain places on Earth, such as Madagascar or the Arctic region) are more endangered, because they are highly specialised for their environment and those specialisations would not work anywhere else. Migratory species might be disadvantaged, since they require separate feeding and breeding grounds and the destruction of any of the two would disrupt their life cycle. Also, the higher the resource demand of a certain species, the more affected it would be; so large animals that need more food and territory are more vulnerable.

Extinction is irreversible, no matter what Jurassic World would have us believe. The species that we have lost so far are gone forever, so protecting the ones that are still around is crucial. With the risk of repeating what has already been said hundreds of times, greatly intensified conservation efforts are needed before the window of opportunity closes. However, this is not a job for the specialists in the field only, but every human inhabitant of Earth needs to take part. Everyone can reduce their waste of resources (or, ideally, stop it altogether), recycle more and get involved in local conservation projects. And of course, maybe most importantly, learn about the natural world, as much as you can. The more you know about the intricate, wonderful web that is life on Earth, the more likely you are to be fascinated by its beauty and to play an active role in preserving it.

The 5 Mass Extinctions Roughly 200 mya, Triassic - Volcanic activity intensifies again and half of the total animal species are affected. (which, at the time, included the first dinosaurs and mammals) By comparison, plants withstood the effects surprisingly well.

65 mya, Cretaceous - The most well known (and well documented) mass extinction that brought about the death of dinosaurs through an asteroid impact, killing about 75 per cent of species on Earth.

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Holly Belcher argues for the many benefits of reducing your meat intake and going veggie

A

S a proffessed meat lover, I, like many have failed the bid to go vegetarian. Whether it’s the supposed expense of meat-free alternatives, or a lack of imagination when it comes to restaurant menus (goat’s cheese tart again?), there are plenty of reasons why it seems more appealing to stay meat eaters. Why else would we have those carnivorous canines?

Halving a diet of 100 grams of meat a day could save almost a tonne of carbon dioxide a year But, when it comes down to it, a vegetarian diet has a huge number of advantages over one high in meat. From preventing heart disease to lowering our carbon footprint, reducing your daily meat intake by a small margin could have great impact on your mind, body, and the planet.

Take something as simple as peace of

mind. Considering the number of problems that have come to light in the past few years, it is clear the meat industry has a number of management problems. Be it horsemeat in supermarkets, or more serious issues such as BSE, going vegetarian will help to ease your troubled mind from the worries of wondering just where (or what) your meat comes from.

Not only will your mind feel more at ease knowing what you’re eating, you’ll be helping to reduce meat’s impact on a wider scale. We all know that current meat production is unsustainable, contributing to global warming and deforestation. But, according to studies by the University of Oxford, halving a diet of 100 grams of meat a day could save almost a tonne of carbon dioxide a year, the equivalent to a flight between London and New York (though sadly that isn’t an excuse to spend that carbon footprint on a trip to the Empire State Building).

Meat production surprisingly also uses a substantial amount of water in comparison to vegetable production.

With a burgeoning world population and

sustainable water supplies being touted as a major issue of the future, it hardly seems rational to continue producing as much meat as we are.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables may help to prevent up to a third of cancers

risk of a number of health problems.

Whilst a diet high in red meat has shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer, a healthier lifestyle with a diet rich in fruit and vegetables may help to prevent up to a third of other cancers. Furthermore, a plant-based diet has been shown to lower obesity, which can lead to heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes: illnesses that all have a high contribution to NHS expenses. Therefore, vegetarianism is not only incredibly good for us,

but it could allow us to drastically reduce the strain put on our stretched healthcare services, thus benefitting others as well.

Overall, the evidence seems clear that reducing our meat intake is essential both for our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our planet. Whether you give up meat completely, or choose to reduce your intake through initiatives such as Meat Free Monday, your body, your NHS and your planet will thank you for it.

Now where’s that tart…

Finally there are the health benefits.

Reducing the amount of meat in your diet can drastically cut the

In defence of internet cuties

Fiona Potigny, News Editor justifies the internet’s obsession with adorable animals

S

INCE the dawn of the internet, the human race has undergone a somewhat bizarre transformation.

When faced with this technological font of all information, a knowledge network holding antiquity, artisanry, astronomy and the many other wonders of the cosmos within its tiny luminous strings, we collectively decided to ditch the mind-bogglingly awesome for the heart-meltingly aww-some.

Our responses to cute images stimulate the same pleasure centres as a good meal, sex or cocaine Result? A generation where ‘cats’ throws up more Google results than ‘the universe’ or Leader of the Free World, ‘Obama’ – 595 million, to be exact. Yikes.

But not to worry, fellow Millenials! Darwin’s got our back.

We’re not collectively dumbing down, spiralling towards the apocalyptic abyss Wall.E warned us about; evolution simply means that we just can’t contain ourselves when it comes to the cute.

Observed as early as 1949, Austrian zoologist Konrad Lorenz noted that big old eyes, chubby cheeks, floppy limbs and a bumbling, stumbling nature (otherwise known to scientists as ‘Kindenschema’, and to us as ‘omg dats so cute I can’t even’) provoke “caretaking behaviour and affective orientation”.

These responses, he argued, are vital in ensuring the survival of the species.

Our inner adorable detector, however, is so sensitive that we’ll happily coo over more than just human babies. Whether its puppies and kittens or spiders and snakes, in the right context, just about anything has

our responses to cute images stimulate the same pleasure centres as a good meal, sex or cocaine

the power to get us gushing. As innate as fight or flight, our plight to nurture and nourish our young is so strong that it’s no wonder we see it so frequently manifested online.

Using an FMRI in 2009, ML Glocker found that baby schema (the kind of stuff you’ll find on the “aww” subreddit), arouses the nucleus accumbens, the brain’s “reward system.” More recent studies go a step further, suggesting that our responses to cute images stimulate the same pleasure centres as a good meal, sex or cocaine. Perhaps this explains why so many of us are as hooked on chocolate as we are ‘The Best of Tumblr’’s Facebook page?

With companies keen to exploit this

intense and addictive reaction in pursuit of profit, capitalism and cuteness now frequently collide in both branding and advertising – think Pampers’ pups and McVities’ kittens, whose employment of the “IT’S SO FLUFFY I’M GONNA DIE” principle successfully sells us toilet paper and digestive biscuits year after year. “Cute cuts through all layers of meaning and says, ‘let’s not worry about complexities, just love me’”, says Darwinian aesthetics expert, Dr Dutton.

As innate as fight or flight, our plight to nurture our young is so strong that it’s no wonder we see it manifested online So next time you’re procrastowatching pet fails or spamming your mates with Slow Loris vids, don’t feel guilty, you’re simply ensuring the continuation of life as we know it… or something like that. Just try not to drop too much dolla’ just because a random puppy told you to.

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SCIENCE & TECH

Animals of Exeter Lewis Norman, Science & Tech Editor has a quick look at the work that Exeter researchers published over September

1

Iridescent Insects

New research conducted by a team of scientists has replicated the surface chemistry found in the iridescent scales of the Morpho butterfly to create a gas sensor.

The research describes how the nanostructures in the butterfly’s wings respond to changes in gas concentration on its surface. The findings may help inspire new designs for sensors that could be used in a range of sectors, including medical diagnostics, industry, and the military.

2

Satellite Shellfish

The ShellEye project will help to advance shellfish farming management practices by initially focusing on the new methods of satellite monitoring and shortterm forecasting techniques.

These will then be integrated into the first water quality monitoring service for harmful algal blooms and targeted pollution events, specifically for the shellfish industry. Such monitoring practices will provide farmers with a costeffective, almost real-time source of information through electronic bulletins in order to help manage shellfish harvesting.

3

Pictured in Peru

Scientists from Exeter, Glasgow and Peru deployed cameras in a high-altitude forest in the Cerros del Sira, a mountain range close to Andes in central Peru.

The cameras provided the first ever footage of the Sira Currasow, a highly endangered species of bird. The vulnerable spectacled bear – a mammal on which TV’s Paddington Bear was based – was caught on camera, confirming its presence in the area. In addition to this, the scientists also documented 145 species of bird, 41 species of amphibian, ten species of lizard and seven species of snake.

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Ayesha Tandon introduces us to the adrenaline junkies of the animal world

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ROM the crushing pressures at the depths of the oceans to the scorching heat of volcanoes, you would be hard pressed to find a region on earth that life has not exploited. For decades, biologists have been finding what they believe to be the limits of life on earth, and for decades, nature has been providing species that prove them wrong.

A good example of such species are the extremophiles.

Coined in 1974, the term extremophile fittingly means ‘lover of extremes’, and is used to describe organisms such as bacteria that have adapted to surviving in hostile conditions.

There are, in total, nine categories of extremophile, each focusing on survival in a different extreme or dangerous en-

vironment. Whether it be harmful levels of radiation, or extremes of pH, it is clear that microbes have mastered the art of extreme survival.

Let’s focus on the record-holder for survival at high temperatures. This thermophile (extremophile adapted to extremes of temperatures), somewhat boringly named Strain 21, lives by the hydrothermal vents f o u n d on the ocean floor, where on average the temperature is 100˚C. However, when taken into the lab for testing, Strain 21 was perfectly comfortable for the temperature to be cranked up, reproducing happily at temperatures reaching 121˚C, and only dying when the temperature reached at an astounding 130˚C! Need-

less to say, if you were subjected to such conditions, it would not be pretty. Forget external burns; the very DNA in your cells would gain so much energy that the strands would dissociate from each other.

In other words, your DNA itself would unravel!

The study of extremophiles is the key point of interest in the hunt for extraterrestrial life So how does Strain 21 cope with such high temperatures? Easy; its DNA is wrapped tighter. The more compactly the DNA is stored, the more energy it takes to break it up. Of course, an adaptation like this didn’t just happen overnight. I’m sure I don’t need to explain the concept of evolution; from an early age we are exposed to the ideas of Charles Darwin and his ‘Theory on the Origin of Species’.

In a nutshell, survival of the fittest. This is something that bacteria do extremely well, as they divide so frequently.

However, the study of extremophiles has further-reaching implications than

simple survival on earth, and is, in fact, a key point of interest in the hunt for extraterrestrial life. If, for example, the Planococcus halocryophilus OR1 bacteria can thrive at temperatures of -15˚C, what is to stop it from doing so at the sub-zero temperatures on other planets where there are similarly extreme temperatures?

Mars, for example.

So let us assume that martians have, at some point, existed (albeit in the form of microscopic bacterium). If spores of Bacillus subtilis, Chroococcidiopsis bacteria, and the lichen Xanthoria elegans can survive the conditions of a meteor crash, (namely pressures between 50,000 - 500,000 atmospheres, and brief exposure to temperatures of 1000 °C), who is to say that similar bacteria couldn’t have arrived on Earth on board an asteroid from Mars billions of years ago? Many scientists support the idea that life on earth has its origins on Mars (a theory known as panspermia), and extremophiles are one of the most promising leads on this subject.

There is still much to learn about the limits of life, but with further research into life on our planet, it might just be possible to learn more about life outside of our world.

The tale of tardigrades

In her winning entry for our columnist competition, Rebecca Broad profiles her candidate for the toughest organism earth has to offer - meet the humble moss piglet

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HAT is the most indestructible animal you can think of? Has it been frozen, or sent into outer space’s vacuum and radiation, or dried out for eight years, survived all five mass extinction events, or boiled? And after all of that, has come back to life and successfully reproduced? I’ll tell you what can – cooties. Water bears. Moss piglets. Otherwise known as tardigrades.

If a tardigrade was an Exetah student, it would cycle up Forum Hill all the way to the Sports Park, do a pole fitness class, write its dissertation, then do a record bolt time; all without busting a sweat. This is the ultimate animal. Though admittedly quite tiny, so you’ve probably never seen one unless you have a microscope handy.

Being between 0.5 and 1.5mm long makes it a microanimal.

The tardigrade’s extreme tolerance is mainly thanks to the fact it can reduce its metabolism to 0.01 per cent of what it is usually, losing nearly all body water to become a frozen-in-time version of itself: a ton. DNA damage that occurs during this state is somehow fixed. They can even survive pressures of 600MPa, which

is six times the pressure you’ll find anywhere on Earth, even in the deepest ocean trench.

So why do they bother being superheroes if they’re not going to take over the Earth? The word tardigrade derives from the Latin for ‘slow walker’, and this is accurately descriptive.

The fabulous thing about tardigrades is that we don’t really understand them.

What the exact protectants are that allow them to stay alive – even in their tun state – is unknown. How do they even fix DNA

mutilation which occurs in such damaging conditions? Though they’ve been in existence for over 500 million years, tardigrades aren’t giving up all their secrets just yet.

The tardigrade’s extreme tolerance is mainly thanks to the fact it can reduce its metabolism to 0.01 per cent Most species are quite happy with a nice bit of moss to call home, occasionally using their piercing claws and teeth to prey on each other. Or to just drink algae and float around in the sea. Not particularly impressive. But their amazing abilities mean they have practically taken over the Earth – they’re found in habitats so inhospitable that few other animals can survive. It’s all a case of competition and exploitation. Tardigrades are generally winning at life.

Photo: www.imgur.com

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Internet killed the video star www.exepose.com

Kate Jones, Copy Editor, defends television from its attack from internet invaders

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ANDS up if you remember teletext. If you, understandably, need your memory jogging, it was the black screen that would display news, weather, recipes and the like in bright colours if you pressed your old television remote.

Just a few decades ago, it was a household name.

Millions of Brits invested in teletextenabled TV sets in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, 20 million viewers checked Ceefax (the BBC’s teletext service) at least once a week. What with satellite TV and BBC News 24 having started and just about to start up (BBC News 24 began in 1997), it was obvious that television was in its glory days.

And then the Internet got big, and swallowed UK teletext up.

To be fair to it, it fought for as long as it could (with Ceefax ending when the digital switchover was completed in Northern Ireland in 2012), but when owners DMGT announced in 2009 that Teletext Ltd, the teletext provider for ITV, Channel 4 and Five, would cease broadcasting most of its services, it cited Internet competition as one reason. Though there are still interactive services alongside the main channels, you rarely hear talk of them, and it’s easy to see why. Want the weather? You can look up your area’s forecast online.

Want the news? You can scroll through the headlines online. BBC recipes? You can look them up on the website.

Therefore, when the BBC director general Tony Hall announced in September his plans for an “open BBC for the internet age”, suggesting that by the middle of the next decade the Internet could become the “main route” for the BBC and noting “tough choices” that would have to be made, it seemed like the Internet was coming close to swallowing up traditional television too.

For a lover of good old fashioned telly like me, this is really, really sad, as there is something about watching traditional television that you just can’t get online. With the concept of choice in our viewing now the norm, it seems likely that without traditional TV, our viewing habits, as well as our general knowledge, would get narrower. Watching TV in my

PJs when I can’t get to sleep late at night, I’ve discovered programmes and knowledge that I just wouldn’t have found out about if they hadn’t been scheduled then, because I wouldn’t have looked through catch-up TV mediums to find them.

An episode of the fantastic documentary series Secrets of China, presented

by Billie JD Porter, is a great example. There are other things about television that you can’t replicate with the Internet. The transition from one programme to another with a continuity announcer, programme adverts before a show, the announcement of the programme alongside an ident – all of these are reflective of traditional television.

Yet, traditional television has a bigger impact on our lives than we initially realise. The scheduling of programmes creates a familiar routine. My parents’ Sunday night television always consists

of Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow, and despite not enjoying the latter programme, I’d find it disconcerting to see this routine taken away.

Traditional television has a bigger impact on our lives than we initially realise The presence of a television set in the home is important in both our society and popular culture – both The Simpsons and The Royle Family have famous television-watching elements. What about big events, too? Shows on Netflix, like Orange is the New Black, now create as much hype as scheduled programmes like The X Factor, yet you’re not going to get the same big screen, HD detail if everyone sits down on the sofa to watch the latter’s final on a laptop. There will arguably always be a place for a large-screen, TVlike set in our homes – but whether programmes will continue to be scheduled or all offered to watch as and when we want to remains to be seen.

Don’t take away our traditional television, director generals. So much more would be lost than you’d expect.

Where are my VR goggles?

Hamish Mackinnon has a peek at the future of virtual reality

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IRTUAL reality goggles have been a staple of futuristic technology for decades. It’s easy to see why the ability to see an entirely new world through this fancy eyewear is so attractive. As with so many things in the ongoing computer revolution, it looks like the future is arriving early for commercially available Virtual Reality (VR) headsets.

If immersive simulations for the military have historically been the first port of call for VR systems, it’s easy to see some of the other applications: games and movies of course benefit from immersing the audience, but ideas like Google Street View on a VR display could inspire a way of exploring the world from home, and creating a shared space means that talking with friends could become a much richer experience – imagine Skype video calls, but with more depth.

Take Oculus for example. A Kickstarter-backed team now filled with ace developers promising a new future for gaming. The two billion dollar acquisition of the company last year by Face-

book caused a backlash in the funding community, who worry that, the ownership switch could mean a push away from eye-popping gaming experiences towards creating social experiences.

Ideas like Google street view on a VR display could inspire a way of exploring the world from home The Rift headset has set the bar for expectations in recent times, however. Beyond the sleek surface design, the Oculus Rift features high quality lenses and display, and a fast positiontracking system of infrared sensors run on a “constellation” system to keep tabs on the wearer’s movements around a sensor.

Keeping pace with Oculus is the HTC Vive, a collaboration between HTC and game developer Valve, creator of the PC gaming platform Steam. With

both companies well recognised for the quality of their products in their respective fields, it’s no stretch to see the Vive as a strong contender for a VR crown.

Special features include fullm o t i o n tracking in a 3D space – while using it, moving around the room you stand in moves you around in the virtual space, a standout feature that makes current demonstrations of the device look both impressive and convincing.

As a counter to these bleeding-edge technologies, Google Cardboard made its debut at Google’s developer conference last year. Acknowledging the cost of the high-end VR systems – one estimate puts the complete Oculus experience at around a £1000 – Google Cardboard is a basic alternative made with a pair of lenses and a sheet of cardboard,

powered by a smartphone. Intended as a way to build interest in Virtual Reality (and perhaps Augmented Reality, given the similarities to Google Glass), the ease of use and relatively measly p r i c e means t h a t C a r d b o a r d may well be many people’s first experience with V R , though recent news indicates that Microsoft is set to have their own Cardboard equivalent in the near future.

The hype behind VR development will soon be coming to an end, however, with the imminent release of the Vive this winter, and the Oculus Rift scheduled to follow in the New Year.

To find out more about the history of VR check out Games & Tech, page 39.

SCIENCE & TECH

36

Biweekly Breakthroughs

By Joshua Rotchelle The Anyman Artery Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have made self-constructing arteries and veins. When complicated-sounding ingredients like proteins and peptides meet, they instantly begin to grow on their own, and can be easily directed to form complex tubular shapes. Uses for this tech include better bodily implants, as well as lab-made vascular systems and brain components. The latter in particular will be groundbreaking for Alzheimer’s research, which before has been hindered by lack of brain models.

A Quantum Quickie In one of the coolest breakthroughs of all time, scientists at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology have broken the world record for “longest-distance teleportation”.

The researchers strapped quantum-sized information onto light particles and teleported them over more than 100km, four times farther than the previous record.

This confirms that quantum communication is feasible over long distances, which begins to pave the way for unbreakable encryption, and some day, perhaps even an instantaneous quantum-teleportation Internet (beam ‘em up, Scotty!).

Shrinking Silicone IBM scientists have engineered a way of shrinking computer chips using carbon nanotubes.

Most computers today use silicon chips, but they’re running out of steam: chips constantly need to get smaller and smaller to become faster, and silicon can’t shrink much more. However, carbon nanotube chips will be able to shrink so much with this new IBM tech that computers could jump four whole generations of progress in one stroke.

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GAMES

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Voice actors speak out

Ben Assirati details why video game voice actors are calling for change

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HEN you think of video games, you may focus on gameplay mechanics, graphics or plot. Rarely do you linger on the voice acting. Yet, in many ways, it is one of the most important features. Globally, the video game industry is the fourth largest; behind gambling, books, and TV. It has blown past Hollywood in recent years, and in the US brought in $13.1 billion in 2014 (for comparison, the music industry made $6.9 billion in the same year). So why is it that voice actors in video games are only paid a fraction of what their movie counterparts make?

This issue appears to have reached its apogee, with video game voice actors voting in a general ballot with SAG-AF-

TRA, the union that represents actors in TV and film, regarding a possible strike.

I believe this is justified, as voice actors are almost criminally undervalued within their industry. Video games have reached a stage where voice acting is held to the same standard as screen acting.

It is, of course, possible to have a successful game without voice acting Indeed, crossovers regularly take place nowadays with examples including Sony’s After Dawn, featuring an exclusive cast of TV and film actors such as

Peter Stormare and Hayden Panettiere, or, less successfully, Bungie’s Destiny featuring Peter Dinklage. Moreover, due to advancements in motion-capture technology, many games, particularly triple-A titles require the voice actors to also capture facial expressions. So in short, they’re required to act both vocally and visually.

It is, of course, possible to have a successful game without voice acting.

Indeed, Nintendo have been a dominant figure in the industry for three decades whilst releasing games that have little or no voice acting such as The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon.

Furthermore, it may be wiser for developers to opt for silence if you consider the bafflingly awful script in Capcom’s

Resident Evil, or the countless racial stereotypes and offensively bad dialects in Square Enix’s Just Cause 2. But this doesn’t count as a mark against voice acting for the same reason Tommy Wiseau’s performance in The Room, possibly the worst film ever made, does not discredit screen acting – variation exists within any form of media.

Voice actors themselves are anonymous within society as a whole. Mark Hamill has become iconic for two roles; Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, and the Joker in various Batman incarnations, yet only a handful would be able identify his performances in the latter. It is an unfortunate fact that, since the outset, the gaming industry has been dominated by

a niche audience, and the average person would struggle to name a single voice actor. Some of the biggest names in the industry such as Nolan North, Troy Baker, or Jennifer Hale are relative nobodies compared to household names like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Lawrence.

This is quite possibly the root of the issue and why I cannot see the strike having the effect those within the industry hope it will have – the demand is not there for the individuals. A movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio will have people going just to see the actor, but a game starring Nolan North will not have the same effect. Is this fair?

Perhaps not, but it’s how the market works. For now.

Happy birthday PlayStation Ben Londesbrough, Screen Editor, shows his love for Sony’s PlayStation

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APPY birthday, dear PlayStation!

‘Happy birthday to you!’ I sing, as I place my arm lovingly around my beloved console, ‘Oh PlayStation, my old friend, you’ve grown up so much. Wow, twenty years! Remember all those late night Tekken 3 sessions? Or how about that time I faked being sick so I didn’t have to go to school so I could improve on Gran Turismo 4? Or when you first showed me Jak and Daxter and I truly got interested in gaming? Yeah, we’ve had some good times.’ ‘Great times,’ he corrects me.

When I was young, my uncle, who was then a university student desperately looking for cash, sold his PlayStation console to my older brother and I. I vividly remember my dad bringing the grey box home and hooking it up to our old CRT TV. We saw the words ‘Sony Computer Entertainment’ accompanied by a small

jingle, which will forever be ingrained in my soul. Hearing it now makes me severely nostalgic, in a very good way.

It went on to become the most successful home console of all time We had one game with our PlayStation, and that was Tekken 3. A firm favourite now at pre-drinks, (the reason I assume my uncle had the game too), my brother and I fought for hours as various characters on the iconic, grey pads.

We later invested in other games, such as Oddworld, Driver, and Crash Bandicoot, all classics in their own right. The PlayStation was released in Europe in September 1995, and I was released two

months later in November. It was the first console to ship 100 million units worldwide and was highly acclaimed for the quality of its graphics.

Five years later, Sony released the PlayStation 2. It was sleek, black and sexy. Gaming had evolved. It went on to become the most successful home console of all time, having sold over 155 million units as of December 2012. A whole new library of games became available to me such as Ratchet and Clank, and Jak and Daxter, action platformers that involved playing as strange characters in magical universes, using a plethora of fun weapons and both captivated me in my youth.

They were immersive and fun, something the Playstation has never failed to be. My brother was allowed to play TimeSplitters before me, much to my dismay, but eventually I got my hands on the controller

and engaged in my first FPS. After the success of the PlayStation 2 came the (wait for it) PlayStation 3, which I personally see as the ultimate console.

Many think that the Xbox 360 was superior but I beg to differ. It was the first console to use motion-sensing technology through its six-axis wireless controller, it had a Blu-ray player and boasted a new, ‘fatter’, rounded design. As of November 2013, the PS3 has sold 80 million units worldwide.

The amount of games I could list are endless, but those that stand out for me are Metal Gear Solid 4,, the incredible Uncharted se-

ries, and the more recent The Last of Us. Now we are in the age of the PlayStation 4, released in 2013. It’s another sleek device, combining the sexiness of the PS2 with a new slanted, two-tier design and a newly designed controller. I am not disappointed so far with the console, and doubt I ever will be with future PlayStations. I could write a whole extra list of other iterations, such as the Playstaion Portable devices. But to me, these just show that PlayStation is the ultimate console, continually evolving.

And now in its twentieth year, and in my twentieth year, I can confidently say I want to grow old with PlayStation and remain the best of friends.

FIFA 16 is looking Messi EXEPOSÉ

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James Beeson, Editor, gives us his verdict on the latest ball-kicking simulator FIFA 16 EA Canada PS3. PS4. Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC Out now

15’s Career Mode with a makeover and updated rosters. Annoying niggles, such as the fact that there are far too many top transfers (Neymar, Lewandowski, Benzema and David Silva all moving in a single transfer window!) also tamper with

passing over crossing and dribbling means that the easiest way to win as a team like Stoke is still to put on your best impression of Barcelona. If anything, the game is slower than previous incarnations, diluting the influence of rapid

passing movements.

The main issue with the game, both on old and current gen consoles, however, is that purchasing the game is only the beginning of what a player is expected to pay for the full FIFA experience.

make playing as smaller clubs

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EFORE I begin this review, I feel it is necessary to confess to being a hardcore FIFA fanboy. EA Sports’ football simulation is and will always be a permanent fixture in my gaming collection. It is the only video game I will buy without fail each and every year, and the only game I purchase almost immediately after its release. However, this year’s installation of the longest running video game franchise of the beautiful game, whilst mostly enjoyable on current gen consoles, leaves PS3 and Xbox 360 users feeling significantly short-changed.

Aside from updated teams, leagues and transfers, FIFA 16 is virtually the same as FIFA 15 Gaming on a student budget is never easy, hence I, like many others, have not been able to afford to shell out for a sexy new console. Unfortunately, EA have neglected old-generation gamers to the degree that this year’s installment is almost unchanged from last year’s game, making the £45 price tag seem ludicrously bad value for money.

Aside from the updated teams, leagues and transfers, FIFA 16 PS3 and Xbox 360 is virtually the same as FIFA 15.. The shiny Premier League and Bundesliga graphics, variable weather conditions and dynamic new crowd animations which last year gave the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game a level of realism, are still absent on this year’s installment, as are almost all of the new features touted as the game’s main selling points.

The Career Mode, which gives users the ability to manage their chosen team to glory, is also unchanged.

Whilst PS4 and Xbox One users are able to benefit from new pre-season tournaments, two year loan deals and training sessions to boost your chosen players stats, PS3 and Xbox 360 users are left with what is essentially

. The jump in difficulty between semi-pro and professional levels re-

The match-day experience is also still very one di-

The match-day experience is still very one dimensional, putting too much focus on passing Ultimate Team, which has long been a cash cow to milk more money out of the game, is even more expensive than in previous years. Users can now be expected to pay around £2.50 to enter into the new Draft Mode, which enables users to create a superstar team for use online without having to shell out on Ultimate Team packs. It’s a nice idea in principle, but one that is in reality nothing more than another hidden in-game purchase advertised as a great new feature to con gamers into buying the latest game Despite these gripes, howis still the most comprehensive and realistic footballing simulation on the marketplace. The sheer volume of stadia, clubs, game modes, and the addition of women’s teams, means that the game has enough longevity to satisfy even hardcore football geeks such as myself.

The graphics and player likenesses are still currently streaks ahead of the game’s main rival Pro Evolution Soccer, and the realism that comes with having 50 real world stadiums, 30 leagues and more than 650 playable teams is unrivalled.

On the current generation of consoles, FIFA 16 is a fanboy’s wet dream. It’s just a shame that EA didn’t bother to invest the time or the effort for those unable to afford a brand spanking new console.

FIFA 16 facts in numbers The number of halves in a football match. After halftime, the players swap sides and continue playing.

2

The number of national women’s football teams you can play as, including England, Germany and Brazil, for the very first time.

12

The percentage of week one sales of FIFA 16 on the Xbox 360 and PS3 formats. This is down from 45 per cent for FIFA 15, showing a decline in sales from previous generation consoles.

19

Innovative new gameplay features including mobile defenders being able to close down space and change direction quickly.

25

The number of leagues featured in FIFA 16, including the Champion’s League and UEFA Cup.

30

The number of tracks licensed for the soundtrack in this year’s installment of FIFA. They include ‘Distant Past’ by Everything Everything and ‘Mountain At My Gates’ by Foals.

42

The number of stadiums in FIFA 16, featuring 50 real world locations including the Wembley Arena.

78

The in-game player rating out of 100 for Lionel Messi, making him the best player in the game.

Other highly rated players in the game include Christiano Ronaldo (93) and Luis Suárez (90).

94

The pace rating of Theo Walcott, which makes him the fastest player in the game.

96

39

GAMES

The Orange Box With the release of LEGO Dimensions, what universe would you like to see added to the game?

THEODORE STONE LEGO Thunderbirds.

An explanation is not required.

VICTORIA BOS LEGO James Bond. Then I could drive the Aston Martin with all the different James Bonds.

JOSHUA ROTCHELLE LEGO Mass Effect. So I can see the dubious LEGO-face expressions as Commander John “The Brick” Shepard tries to woo Liara T’Soni.n.

JEREMY BROWN LEGO LEGO. It’s LEGOsized LEGO for LEGO characters, to perfect scale!

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Sam Woolf evaluates the history of virtual reality in games from day one

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IRTUAL reality (VR) gaming has always seemed like a great idea.

The notion of being able to fully immerse yourself in games is one that appeals to most gamers. But it’s always just been a great idea. Never has there been a VR experience which has caused the masses to ditch the more traditional gaming setup.

In fact, whenever systems try to integrate VR tech, all it does is highlight the shortcomings of the hardware and make the alternatives look comparatively better.

the SNES. Living in the shadow of this 16–bit powerhouse, the Virtuality Group really didn’t stand a chance.

Technically, the Virtual Boy was the first port-

In 1991, for example, a series of virtual reality gaming machines were released to arcades by the Virtuality Group. These systems, which made use of stereoscopic 3D headsets, just weren’t fun. Other arcade games released in 1991, such as Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, encouraged social interaction though multi-

able gaming system capable of full 3D. However, to actually enjoy playing this thing, you would have to simultane-

winning any awards anytime soon.

But the Virtual Boy did leave an impact on the industry. The system performed so poorly that a 17-year virtual reality drought occurred. It was not until August 2012, which saw a surge in support for the Oculus Rift, that interest in VR once again skyrocketed. Even Sony has jumped on the VR bandwagon it would seem with PlayStation VR set to launch in 2016 at the price of a “new gaming platform” according to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House. The Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR then may well be the dream come true: full immersion in HD game worlds at the touch of a button. Also, as more and more social interaction in gaming is taking place through online voice chat, VR head-

player, while the VR systems greatly limited such capabilities and actually isolated players. Generally, you go to an arcade to have fun with friends, not to play alone.

Additionally, in 1991, Nintendo launched

ously balance it and maintain a comfortable position yourself, all the while trying to cope with the literally headache-inducing graphics. In contrast to the PlayStation that also launched in 1995, VR wasn’t

sets may no longer be the social handicap to the extent they once were.

On the other hand, looking at PlayStation VR, one can’t help but get a sense of déjà vu. A console priced system which

VR systems greatly limit social interaction and actually isolate the player

looks to have a limited game library in comparison to its competitors seems very ‘Virtual Boy-esque’.

Effectively being hardware add-ons, VR headsets may be repeating mistakes made much more recently. The last big console add-on, which was supposed to revolutionise the way in which we play, the Xbox Kinect, didn’t exactly do very well and now Microsoft has been forced to ship a copy of the Kinect with every Xbox One. In fact I’m hard pressed to think of a single console hardware add-on that was actually successful.

headsets may well no longer be the social handicap to the extent they once were, I would personally still chose Mario Party over LAN party any day and I hope you guys would too.

The Oculus Rift may well be a dream come true: full immersion in HD game worlds at the touch of a button While VR has always been a great idea, one question remains: how will Oculus and Sony implement the idea next year? Only time will tell. While VR

EGX Highlight: Special Effect

Jack England, Games Editor, gives us a look at the Gamer’s charity

I Underhero Underhero is a 2D sidescroller RPG adventure with timing-based combat, a funny story and witty dialogue. Ideal for fans of the Paper Mario series, this Steam Greenlight game is well worth a look.

Scan the QR code to download your free copy

WAS lucky enough to go to EGX, one of the UK’s biggest gaming conferences, at the end of September on behalf of Exeposé Games. and while I was there I saw some pretty awesome stuff. I got hands-on previews of upcoming triple-A games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Just Cause 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, as well as a chance to check out a whole plethora of great new indie titles from Monocles and Monsters to Knee Deep. However, the stand-out for me wasn’t a particular game, or a brand new piece of equipment. Instead, for me, the highlight of EGX was a charity.

Stationed amongst the crowds of hundreds (most were probably waiting to play Star Wars: Battlefront), ), Special Effect stood humbly, waiting for people to come over and find out what they do and why we should care.

Three laptops sat on two tables, each with some strange peripheral attached and a person manning them. I obviously enquired

and was introduced to a lovely man called Matt who explained what I was looking at. He explained to me that Special Effect was a UK charity designed to bring entertainment through video games and technology to those with disabilities and that they were here at EGX showcasing three of the ways that video games can bring happiness to someone who struggles with a disability.

For a lot of the people who Special Effect help, they don’t have the ability to go out and play with friends in the

world, a lot of people play video games and even not being able to do this can sometimes cause a rift between those who cannot and their peers. While at EGX, Special Effect were showcasing three pieces of technology with a game: chin-controlled Mario Kart, eye-controlled Virtual Reality and eye-controlled Minecraft.

As Matt sat me down, he told me I would be playing eye-controlled Minecraft and that I had to stare intently at a small camera attached to the laptop.

“Stare at it like your life depends on it,” he tells me. “Currently, the computer is figuring out where your pupils are and converting them into mouse m o v e ments on the screen.” I was already overwhelmed and, if I’m honest, quite confused

about how any of it worked, but I did as I was told. After about half a minute, I was told I had been “calibrated” and could begin to play.

Funnily enough, eye-controlled Minecraft is rather similar to normal Minecraft. Wherever I looked, my character walked, winking my left eye destroyed blocks and winking my right eye placed them. Jumping? As simple as blinking.

These three pieces of technology may already sound amazing to you, but it is so hard to explain not only how these devices worked and felt, but also the allencompassing feeling of warmth and joy coming from this small stand. I don’t want to get all soppy on you, but it was remarkable. The ability for me to play classic games with nothing but the head on my shoulders (literally) was truly an incredible experience.

Special Effect is doing truly special things for thousands of disabled UK residents of all ages and I feel honoured to have been able to try out some of the technology they have on offer. I suppose my experience at EGX can be summed up simply: I saw the best of games, I saw the worst of games, but at the end of the day, it was a charity that stole my heart.

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The Career Zone is here to help you find part-time work, sort your CV, ace your interviews, land your dream job, or perfect your postgraduate applications.

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To read more about a role and download an application form, search for the internship’s reference code on My Career Zone.

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Down: 1 Parolee, 2 Sightseer, 3 As yet, 4 School, 5 Retouch, 7 Stun, 12 Insolvent, 14 End user, 16 Surgery, 18 Woof, 20 Sandy, 22 Emu. 23 Niece, 24 Guernsey, 25 Try.

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Across: 1 Pus, 3 Abstract, 8/11 Rugby union, 9 Hotspot, 10 Let It Go, 13/17 Exeter Chiefs, 15 Thesis, 18/6 World Cup, 19 Hustler, 21 Oversee,

Exeter’s outlook for the week ahead

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SCP 3302 Global Employability Assistant Closing Date: 20 October SBP 3297 Grant Research Intern Closing Date: 21 October SBP 3308 International Buying Intern Closing Date: 22 October SBP 3286 Front End Developer Closing Date: 25 October Careers Fair: All sorts of companies, all sorts of opportunities! The Careers and Placement Fair is on Tuesday 20 October in the Great Hall and Sanctuary, Streatham Campus, between 11.30am and 3.30pm.

The fair is sponsored by Morgan Stanley and open to all students, with no need to book. www.exeter.ac.uk/

EURFC smash Cardiff Met 43

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Freddie Eastwell Sports Team EURFC 1s Cardiff Met

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URFC 1s got off to a flying start to the season on Wednesday afternoon with a massive 38-0 victory against Cardiff Met. The home side scored six unanswered tries and defended emphatically to maintain a clean sheet in an impressive display. The EURFC supporters’ club were out in force for this opening match and behaved immaculately throughout.

Exeter sent out an early message to the visitors, opting to kick for the corner rather than taking the points after winning early penalties. Hooker Paul Davis and second row Sam Skinner orchestrated a flawless lineout performance and were rewarded soon after kick-off. An accurate throw and brutal driving maul saw the newly bulked-up figure and infamous scrum hat of Fred Wheadon trundle over the line for EURFC’s first try of the year.

A difficult conversion was then made to look easy by fly-half James Doe as he put the home side 7-0 up in the opening five minutes.

Sam Skinner orchestrated a flawless lineout performance A few minutes later, after yet another perfectly executed lineout, Doe delivered a weighted pass in the midfield to outside centre Tom Holdsworth who burst through the Cardiff defence on a fantastic running line. He evaded a number of tackle attempts before beating the fullback and scoring under the posts to leave an easy conversion sitting on a plate for teammate Doe. The score progressed to 21-0 just before half time as Doe and Holdsworth linked up in the midfield again. After skipping through a number of tackles, the outside centre then gave a skilful pass out of the back of his left hand to Exeter’s full-back Gavin Parker, who scored in the corner. The Scotland U20 international gave an incredibly energetic performance throughout the game, putting in a number of key tackles and pinging some outstanding defensive kicks from his own try line. Exeter managed to resist a flurry of

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4 from 6 James Doe kicked four out of six conversions

>> The EURFC pack go up to compete for another lineout. Photo: Natasa Christofidou penetrative Cardiff attacking plays just before half time to maintain their threetry lead.

The Scotland U20 international gave an incredibly energetic performance throughout the game Ten minutes into the second half, scrum-half Sam Waltier placed a fantastic positional kick deep into opposition territory, leaving Exeter with a chance to steal the lineout. After winning the turnover, Waltier picked up the ball from the back of the ruck to run the ball in for their fourth try of the afternoon.

At 26-0, coach Keith Fleming brought on a number of substitutes including the towering figure of Fred Hosking, who immediately managed to steal a lineout on the halfway line. Some skilful

hands in the backs and an offload from number eight Tom Lawday put Gavin Parker in for his second try of the match to extend Exeter’s lead to 31-0.

Lawday continued to bulldoze through Cardiff’s defence and an outstanding break from the halfway line saw him held up just before the try line.

In the final play of the game, the number eight picked up at the back of the scrum to score a well deserved try next to the posts.

The whistle went after Doe converted, ending the opening game of EURFC’s season 38-0 on the highest of notes.

The supporter’s club were making a very merry atmosphere after the overwhelming victory and appear to be very excited this year by the potential demonstrated by their 1s. The squad certainly looked the complete product and are showing hugely positive signs going forward.

Last year, EURFC had a record-

breaking year with only a single match lost at Topsham during the entire season.

To begin with such a victory means that Exeter take five impressive wins out of their last six matches. However, Hartpury have not played yet and they are unbeaten in their last five. Exeter can go top of the league in their next fixture.

The squad certainly looked the complete product Exeter go into next week’s big fixture away at Bristol with the remarkable achievement of having conceded no points at all from this home match. The Fresher 1s also won their fixture 31-21, putting EURFC in a strong position early in the season. With many players having successful introductions to the sides, it looks like the future of the EURFC teams is in good hands.

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Men’s Rugby Premier South A P W D L Pts

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9

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1

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0 0 0 0

0

Bath 1s

1 0 0 1

0

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1 0 0 1

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EUAFC suffer defeat Lacrosse 1s beaten SPORT

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LACROSSE Michael Jones Sports Team EULC 1s Bristol

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>>The Exeter defence looks to reorganise itself ahead of another attack from Cardiff Met. Photo: Natasa Christofidou

FOOTBALL James Diamond Sports Team EUAFC 1s Cardiff Met

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N a game characterised by few chances and midfield scraps, Exeter came away with a disappointing 0-2 loss at home to Cardiff Met 1s on 7 October.

Despite starting as the slower team, Cardiff grew into the game and eventually proved too much for the home side.

Being a newly promoted side in the BUCS Premier South league, Exeter would have wanted to get off to a fast start and early on in the game they were the better side.

Barely a minute in, Ben Mogg found space on the edge of the box, only to see his strike blocked. For the next 15 minutes Exeter dominated possession, but a lack of creativity in the final third meant that their early phases only once ended with a shot at goal.

Exeter did dominate the ball at times Throughout the early spell of Exeter pressure, Cardiff remained organised and slowly grew into the game. They were un-

able to create anything of real meaning in attack and the match quickly descended into a midfield battle that neither side appeared entirely capable of winning.

The game’s first shot on target eventually came from Cardiff after half an hour as a result of a defensive error. Ben Pryor came off his line from the Exeter goal to clear a loose ball but hit it straight at a waiting Cardiff forward. In his haste to put it into the open net, he mishit his shot, which was then easily cleared off the line.

Ten minutes later, the second real chance of the match came when a Cardiff player had a clear opportunity, but hit his shot straight at Pryor. Chances had started to arise, but they had resulted from mistakes and luck rather than quality.

With creativity lacking at both ends, generally chances came from mistakes, and mistakes came from chances. 43 minutes into the game an Exeter clearing header fell to a Cardiff midfielder who, in his excitement at receiving the ball, hit a pass to his striker far too hard and instead it found Pryor in goal. Then, shortly after the start of the second half, Cardiff’s striker received a long ball on the left side of the box and looked to play in a teammate arriving from deep. Instead he found an Exeter defender. Two minutes later, the ball was played across Exeter’s goal again to Cardiff’s striker, but from five yards out and with the goal gaping, he

blazed his shot over the bar.

At the other end, Exeter’s forwards struggled against a well disciplined Cardiff back four. Ben Mogg was often isolated on the end of long balls from defence.

Meanwhile on the flanks, any one-on-one situation was dealt with comfortably by Cardiff’s full backs.

There were clear positives to take from the game Cardiff’s first goal came after 56 minutes when a through ball down the left found their winger in behind the defence, who ran into the box, drew out Pryor from his line and teed up the Cardiff striker in the middle to slot home comfortably.

Before this, chances had been few and far between but with the score at 0-1 the game started to really open up and Cardiff looked increasingly threatening. After 66 minutes a good piece of footwork from Cardiff’s striker took him away from two defenders on the edge of the box but his shot went over the bar. Exeter’s frustrations in attack were epitomised when after 75 minutes a long shot from within his own half by captain Louis Bowers floated somewhat harmlessly past the goal’s left post. Then, at 78 minutes a corner resulted in a powerful header from the centre

of the box by Cardiff’s winger, which was prevented from crossing the line only by a great save from Ben Pryor.

With the game nearing its conclusion Exeter were still in contention thanks to a combination of poor Cardiff finishing and a couple of good saves from Pryor, but much to Exeter’s frustration, a late dip in concentration gifted Cardiff a second and thus sealed the three points. With the ball on Cardiff’s right wing, their midfielder strolled towards the six-yard area, turned away from his marker and slotted the ball into the far corner unchallenged.

To allow Cardiff such an easy second goal undoubtedly disappointed Exeter, but in reality the game was already lost.

Cardiff were deserved winners.

Despite the lack of chances that were created by the home side, there were clear positives to take from the game. Exeter did dominate the ball at times and on another day, with slightly more accurate passing, such phases could well end in goals. Furthermore, Exeter had a large number of set-piece situations that came to nothing. Such mistakes, hopefully, are easily fixable and in future games they will hope to exploit these situations to the full. From Wednesday’s game they have a solid platform on which to build, and on the 14 October away against the University of South Wales, they will hope to do just that.

HE Men’s Lacrosse 1s suffered a disappointing 7-4 defeat at the hands of a disciplined Bristol team.

Exeter, after winning the face-off, came close with an early effort. Despite this keen start, Bristol’s main attackman opened the scoring with a solo goal. Continuing in the same vein, Bristol’s midfielder doubled their lead with a smart finish. Bristol’s midfielder then made it 0-3. Exeter answered well, pulling one back through Matt King.

Bristol increased the lead to 1-5 with two more goals after the break. Sparking some life into the Greens, Exeter made it 2-5 with a proficient finish from Simon Dawson. With the momentum in the home team’s favour, Dawson added his second slotted to make the score 3-5.

After Bristol’s star man scored his fourth to make it 3-7 in Bristol’s favour, the last quarter saw rigid defending from Bristol, but their resistance eventually crumbled as Exeter bagged a late consolation. There were encouraging signs with regards to Exeter’s attacking prowess and defensive assuredness; unfortunately, such indications only became apparent after Exeter were 3-0 down.

The final whistle left Exeter downcast, but this is only the first game of the season and there was plenty to be pleased about; more clinical finishing and a more convincing defensive display would have ensured at least a point for the Green Army.

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469 Phil Smith Dom Carberry 426 Gvidas Girzadas 406 RanulphH-K 402 401 Eliot Smith Henry Omeara 383 381 Rob Cross Max Stormer 381 379 Konrad P Isaac Hancock 374

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In a league of their own TRIATHLON

Rob Cross & Matt Hacke Sport Editor & Sports Team Jack Bristow Ollie Teenan Jamie Pocock

1st 25th 43rd

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Bristow has already qualified for the 2016 European Championships in Lisbon >>Jordan Curtis breaks through the Swansea defence before setting up Hugo Green. Photo: Edwin Yeung

RUGBY LEAGUE Emmott Leigh Sport Editor Exeter 1s Swansea

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52 0

XETER’S Rugby League Men’s 1s produced an outstanding team performance in a 52-0 drubbing of Swansea. Nine tries were scored by the hosts, with Aled Jones and James Lee both crossing for hat-tricks.

The side took to Duckes Meadow for the first time this year with the

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

promise of a straightforward start to the season, taking on the newly promoted Welsh side.

It didn’t take long for scrum-half Aled Jones to get his name on the scoresheet; a well-executed move after the third tackle saw him ground the ball within five minutes. With only 20 minutes on the clock, Exeter were 16-0 up, thanks to another try from Jones and one from James Lee. Big hits were coming in from all directions as the Green Army looked to turn the screw. At one point, James Lee had the ball within his clutches in a dive for the line before being tackled into

EURFC put six tries past Cardiff Met Page 43

touch. However, this didn’t turn out to be costly, as Jones cleverly snagged a loose Swansea pass to cruise over for an interception try and an early hat-trick.

With only twenty minutes on the clock, Exeter were 16-0 up, thanks to another try from Jones and one from James Lee Ali Power took his own opportunity to score by sliding through a gap in

Every home fixture for the Green Army Pullout

the defensive line, and James Lee soon rolled through a couple of tackles to grab his second. With the game already over, Stefan Kadach also intercepted a pass to add his name to the scoresheet just before half-time.

A wonderfully efficient kicking display from Dave Mulroy saw seven of his nine first-half kicks bisect the posts to leave the half-time score at 40-0.

In the second half, a couple of promising attacks from the Welsh team ended in knock-ons, leading to some bad tempered tackles.

One particularly wild tip-tackle was punished by the referee with an obvious

penalty.

Despite this, Swansea defended far more efficiently than in the first half - it took a quarter of an hour for Exeter to reach the try-line again. That particular try marked James Lee’s hat-trick.

Although a ninth try was ruled out by the referee for an infringement, the Green Army did eventually touch down again, Hugo Green taking the plaudits after Jordan Curtis ran half the length of the pitch.

It was an inspired result for Exeter, who top the early BUCS standings, and will no doubt take this momentum into next week’s home clash with St Mary’s.

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